【正文】 s impossible to jump off welfare and suddenly be making two thousand dollars a month. But I would love to be able to pay for some of my living and not have to go through an embarrassing situation every time I need a spare part for my wheelchair. There needs to be a lawyer who can act as a champion for the rights of welfare clients, because the system so easily lends itself to abuse by the welfare givers as well as by the clients. Welfare sent Suzanne to look around in my apartment the other day because the chemist said I was using a larger than usual amount of medical supplies. I was, indeed: The hole that has been surgically cut to drain urine had changed size and the connection to my urine bag was leaking. While she was taking notes, my phone rang and Suzanne answered it. The caller was a state senator, which scared Suzanne a little. Would I sit on the governor39。d say, Well, if I can find time today, I39。d think if she suddenly broke her hip and had to crawl to work. Government cuts in welfare have resulted in hunger and suffering for a lot of people, not just me. But people with spinal cord injuries felt the cuts in a unique way: The government stopped taking care of our chairs. Each time mine broke down, lost a screw, needed a new roller bearing, the brake wouldn39。ve heard that you put a lot more miles on that wheelchair than average. Of course I do. I39。t make the rules, Mr. Callahan. Suzanne tries to lecture me about repairs to my wheelchair, which is always breaking down because welfare won39。d better have a receipt for it, by God. You have to report any donations or gifts. This was my cue to beg. Instead, I talked back. I got a cigarette from somebody on the street the other day. Do I have to report that? Well, I39。m not being bitter. Most caseworkers begin as collegeeducated liberals with high ideals. But after a few years in a system that practically requires people to lie, they bee like the one I shall call Suzanne, a detective in shorts. Not long after Christmas last year, Suzanne came to inspect my apartment and saw some new posters pasted on the wall. Where39。s puter. Very highprofile. As a welfare client I39。t deliver the goods. As long as she keeps giving us what we want, she is all right. Longing for a New Welfare System A welfare client is supposed to cheat. Everybody expects it. Faced with sharing a dinner of raw pet food with the cat, many people in wheelchairs I know bleed the system for a few extra dollars. They tell the government that they are getting two hundred dollars less than their real pension so they can get a little extra welfare money. Or, they tell the caseworker that the landlord raised the rent by a hundred dollars. I have opted to live a life of plete honesty. So instead, I go out and drum up some business and draw cartoons. I even tell welfare how much I make! Oh, I39。s political meeting northwest of Nairobi, insisting it was illegal and might start a riot. When the 100 women, including a member of the National Assembly, refused to go, officers tore down their banners and beat them with clubs and fists, witnesses reported. In contrast, Ms. Mbogo generally receives warm greetings from the men of Embu, and many say they are now glad the council chose her. Donor groups are now funding projects in Embu in earnest. A new market is going up downtown. A 200bed section for new mothers is being added to the hospital. A dormitorystyle home has been built for the dozens of homeless street children who once wandered the city. Ms. Mbogo is especially proud of the market and the hospital because they have an impact on women. At the current market, where hundreds of people, shaded by umbrellas, lay out fruits and vegetables, one person who sells lemons said she liked the new mayor. I feel like if I have a problem, I can go to her office, she said. The other mayor shouted. He acted like an emperor. He did not want to hear my problems. Nearby, a man said he found Ms. Mbogo a refreshing change. I39。 money seemed to be going to individuals. After a fierce campaign, the council elected her, 7 to 6. She said women in Embu celebrated. Men were puzzled。s rural areas did not want to e here. We weren39。s mittee. She instead joined the town planning mittee, a much more visible assignment. Then last year, she decided to challenge Embu39。. Education of African women has bee a top priority for political activists. One anization has held dozens of workshops in rural Kenya to help women understand the nation39。women can39。s political rights, giving speeches before women39。s victory was even more surprising because she was voted in by her colleagues on the District Council, all men. For the thousands of women in this farming area two hours northeast of Nairobi, Ms. Mbogo suddenly became a symbol of the increasingly powerful political force women have bee in Kenya and across Africa. Ms. Mbogo launched her dream of a career in politics in 1992 by running for the Embu Council, facing the obstacles that often trouble African women running for political office. She had little money. She had no political experience. She faced ridiculous questions about her personal life. My oppon