What Is My Relationship to the Earth?
This article was originally published on Qazini I have heard it said, that we are the greatest and smartest species on the planet. I used to think that was obviously true. However, I have come to question that statement a lot. Partly through life’s school of hard knocks, but more so from the crisis we (humanity) has created on and for our planet. We sat down in the living room of our home, the Earth, and we set our house on fire. We are still wondering if we really did, and still thinking we have lots of time to put the fire out. Surely, the fire department will come, and if not, our neighbours will come and help us. We are sitting inside; talking, reading, snoozing, watching TV, scrolling on our phones, At the dining table, our intellectual friends talk about colonizing new planets and places, like it was a ‘success’ the first-time round. Irritable voices complain that life is a struggle and COVID-19 has made it so much worse for us all. We catch a glimpse of smoke float by the window, and we smell a slight hint something burning on the evening breeze. But we don’t pay any attention to it, surely, it’s not here, not our house… The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released the Physical Science Basis report on Climate Change. Simply put, it’s a report by the world’s leading scientists from 195 countries on the scientific evidence of climate change. All 195 countries sign off on the report before it can be published. The report gives the current state of the climate, the role of human activity, future scenarios and what needs to be done to limit climate change. The Climate Crisis Has Already Begun Here are a few highlights from the science in the report: I have written a previous article on climate change and Africa (Climate Change: Where Does Africa Stand?); but it is worth highlighting from the recent IPCC report that because of human-caused climate change, surface temperature in Africa is rising faster than the global average. Additionally, sea levels around Africa have risen over the last three decades at a higher rate than the global mean. More insights on our continent are presented in the Africa factsheet. Achieving Net Zero The World Resource Institute1), highlights 10 things that we need to change in every country, with every citizen, for the world to achieve net zero emissions: Policy, private sector, and technology are vital to making this change happen. However, perhaps the most important are changing mindset and behavior. At the end of the day, people make the decisions, not institutions. If we can change our individual mindset and then in turn our behaviour, we have a chance of reducing and maybe even resolving the climate crisis we are in. A Fellowship of the Earth? From 31st October – 12th November 2021, Glasgow will host the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) bringing together world leaders to speed up action on the Paris Agreement goals. These goals were ‘that every country agreed to work together to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees and aim for 1.5 degrees, to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate and to make money available to deliver on these aims.’ (www.ukcop26.org). There are 4 key priorities for this life-critical meeting in Glasgow that need to be achieved: If the world can reach net zero by 2040, our chances of keeping warming below 1.50C is higher. To get there higher emitting countries, MUST deliver net-zero without fail. In July, UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres said, ’The world urgently needs a clear and unambiguous commitment to the 1.5-degree goal of the Paris Agreement from all G20 nations. There is no pathway to this goal without the leadership of the G20.’ Developing countries must also commit to reducing emissions, there is not way out of it. We must all ensure a healthy and habitable planet. Otherwise, life will be pure and basic survival; you can forget about development or prosperity. The outcomes of COP26 will tell us, what kind of world and future we can all expect. COP26 will be a test to the character and courage of our leaders. And from there, take action on what is committed. There’s an African proverb that says, ‘Any dead fish can flow down the river but it takes a live one to swim back up stream.’ Actions Have Consequences I think it is time for each of us to ask ourselves the question: What is my relationship to the Earth?3) The current state of climate evidenced in the recent IPCC report is bleak and very real. It shows us that our actions as humanity, over the past decades have created dire consequences we now have to face, together – like it or not, deny it or not. These are challenging times we have brought upon ourselves. Albert Einstein once said ‘you cannot solve problems at (with) the same level of thinking and consciousness that created them.’ Useful Notes
Why SMEs Are Africa’s Engine for Prosperity
This article was first published on Qazini.com Across different media channels, there has been constant optimism towards Africa’s economic growth. The persistent message is that Africa is the next global hotspot in terms of economic development and GDP growth. This is largely hinged on the continent’s vast mineral resources as well as a huge population that stands at over a billion, comprising mainly of youth (35 years and below). While Asian and BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) have dominated current global economic growth statistics, Africa is slowly but steadily warming up to take up the mantle. The situation on the ground According to the World Bank, SMEs account for 90% of all businesses, globally, providing more than 50% of job opportunities. For Africa to achieve her development aspirations, SMEs must be enabled to play this role more fervently. SMEs are faced with a myriad of challenges that have only been exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic. Some of these challenges are relatively new whereas others are as old as the African nations themselves that came into free and independent existence in the late 1950s – 1990s. Perhaps, a key thing to note is the widespread poverty on the continent, the underdeveloped infrastructural network, and costly energy resources. Additional newer and critical challenges like climate change, a stiff business climate, corruption, mounting international debt, fragile governance structures, and uncertain political leadership and institutions; as well as the newest challenge, the COVID-19 pandemic, have only made matters much harder for SMEs on the continent. Interestingly, the impact of the pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa seems to lean more towards the economic side than the healthcare side. As a matter of fact, Africa seems to have been somewhat spared, so far, from the severe impacts of the pandemic witnessed in other parts of the world. Despite this, our fragile African economies are poised for a harsh future, disproportionately so for women and youth. According to a report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Africa is likely to face hostile long term and short term economic effects best captured by: These effects are already taking root on the continent. Millions have lost their jobs and families are struggling to put food on the table. Many have turned to small businesses to survive. Yet, for the longest time, SMEs have faced funding challenges with banks and traditional financial institutions reluctant to finance them due to higher risks compared to larger, more established organizations. In mitigation, SMEs have resorted to internal funding options from friends and family to run their enterprises. Such financial options are not adequate, and sometimes, they are unreliable. Remedial measures have not borne much fruit. In fact, as has been observed in countries like Kenya and Ghana, governments have sought new IMF and World Bank loans in an attempt to fight COVID-19 and stimulate economic growth. However, the Gallup surveys reported in the recent FEEDS-Africa Gallup Forum show that the general public and SMEs have not benefited from these government initiatives. This means that small businesses have to seek alternative ways to source funds to grow their businesses and live up to their vital role in fueling Africa’s economic growth and job creation. The way forward Fortunately, all hope is not lost. The Annual FEEEDS-Gallup Africa Forum: Africa’s Business Economy, and The AfCFTA — the Role of SMEs virtual events focused on how new and existing African SMEs can survive and thrive in these turbulent times. The forum brought together experts on SMEs including Dr. Elizabeth Lungu-Nkumba from the US-Africa Trade Council, Stanley Straughter, chairman of the Africa-Caribbean Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, (ACBCGP), and Dr. Hippolyte Fofack the director of research and international cooperation at Afriexim Bank, among others; with the goal of highlighting how SMEs can help jumpstart Africa’s economic development in COVID-19 and beyond. Dr. Hippolyte Fofack proposed that COVID-19 has disrupted markets and the way of doing business almost in equal measure as the emergence of the internet a few years ago. Such disruptions force markets to search for a new equilibrium which can create new opportunities for African SMEs to enter the global market. For example, opportunities such as the manufacture of PPEs, oxygen tanks, and masks have emerged because of the pandemic. Additionally, a new crop of entrepreneurs spurred by digital technology and eCommerce have emerged during this period as well. Take for instance MwalimuPlus, an online learning platform for school children, local food delivery services like Take Eat Easy and Yum delivery; and creatives are also taking their talents online. Looking at the bigger picture, Africa’s challenges, both old and new, present new innovation opportunities for SMEs according to Mr. Straughter from the Africa-Caribbean Business Council of Greater Philadelphia. He believes that entrepreneurial minds running SMEs can benefit from the disruptions in the market as well as from looking at the challenges facing Africa differently. It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention, and with Africa facing so many challenges, it goes without saying that the many challenges are actually many opportunities for businesses and, more so, African SMEs to seize and utilise. The event highlighted that SMEs are better placed than established businesses to drive change and innovation. This is because SME’s possess unique attributes not available to larger organisations to prosper and thrive. Some key attributes working to the benefit of SMEs are: Seize the day SMEs have the potential and opportunity to not only grow in local markets but importantly also in regional markets, on their path to internationalisation and cross-border trade. Internationalisation, which includes pan-African markets, holds numerous benefits such as increased revenue, benchmarking from competitors, as well as a new competition that can foster innovation. In recognition of such benefits, there are numerous agencies and bodies solely dedicated to helping African SMEs advance to the international platform. While most offer financial assistance in terms of grants and loans, there are others that play advisory roles and even offer networking and facilitation platforms that link African SMEs to their peers and the regional and international markets. Ideally,
Rearview Mirror Podcast
The Rearview Mirror Podcast is a conversation by two Kenyan women, Susan Njoroge and Damaris Agweyu, sharing their perspectives on life and what they are learning along the way. The conversations hope to be a reminder that life and our perspectives keep on evolving. The podcast has 12 episodes and co-hosts, Susan and Damaris, talk about a life-related topic in each episode. A new episode is published every week on SoundCloud. Listen to the Rearview Mirror Podcast and let us know what you think!
Climate Change: Where Does Africa Stand?
This article was first published on Qazini.com As the world continues to reel from the COVID 19 pandemic, we might be forgiven to think that the issue of climate change has taken a backseat. Unfortunately, this is far from it. Species extinction, eco-system degradation, Earth’s warming temperatures and a lot more is ongoing. In December 2015, the world’s countries committed an international legally binding treaty (The Paris Agreement) to limit global temperature to below 20C, ideally 1.50C, compared to pre-industrial global temperatures. Our global aspiration to achieve less than 1.50C of average global temperature is nowhere in sight. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)[1], United Nations University – Institute for Natural Resources Africa and the African Academy of Sciences, recently held a virtual event to raise awareness on climate change in Africa for African policy makers, the scientific community, the media and other stakeholders. The event focused on three IPCC special reports: Global Warming of 1.50C; Climate Change and Land; and the Ocean and Cryosphere[2] in a Changing Climate, and what they mean for the African continent. Climate Change Reality Climate Change is a bleak future that humanity, is not taking concerted action to address. The best scientists from across the world deliver the IPCC reports, so the scientific evidence is fact. For Africa, these facts are as follows: The IPCC reports further highlight that going forward, Africa will experience greater warming and increasing higher temperatures more than the global average, and especially so in West Africa, the Sahel and South Africa. Rainfall will also adversely change. Decreasing rainfall in western and southern regions of the continent will increase risks of extreme droughts, water shortages, and low river flows. While rainfall might increase in Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Central Sahel. You may recall Lake Chad from your school geography lessons as one of Africa’s largest freshwater lakes. Lake Chad supports about 30 million people and surrounds four countries: Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. Today, Lake Chad has shrunk by 90% due to climate change and the Lake’s over-use. Conflict, lost livelihoods, extreme food insecurity, and migration are some of the outcomes of this man-made environmental disaster, and over 2 million people are displaced (www.downtoearth.org, Plan International). Although the African continent – its people and economies, has contributed the least to the creation of the looming global climate change crisis we are facing, Africa is going to be the hardest hit by the impacts of climate change. Christopher Trios, Africa Climate Development Initiative, emphasized in his presentation that of the nine global climate change hotspots identified by the IPCC, four will be in Africa. This is important because our continent is already vulnerable – and climate change will exacerbate this. Whether this is fair or not is a constant debate. But fair or not, the reality remains that Africa has to deal with the challenges it is facing and will continue to face as a result of Climate Change. At this point, it is worth considering that the COVID-19 virus and its many variants have helped us all better understand that a global problem must to be dealt with and adapted to no matter where it originated from. The lessons we are learning about how we are handling C-19 can provide important insights into how the climate crisis will be handled now and in future. Light For A ‘Dark’ Continent The shining light for me in the Africa and Climate Change presentations at this event, was when Dr. Fatima Denton, Director, UNU-INRA highlighted that ‘Africa holds the strongest promise for combating climate change’. The fact that we are a developing continent means that we can choose different or new development pathways instead of following the old development or industrialization pathways of the developed world. For example, Africa has the biggest potential for renewable energy. A case in point, The Africa Development Bank’s Desert to Power Initiative will bring solar power from the Sahara Desert to eleven Sahel countries providing 250 million Africans will electricity by 2050. Prioritizing our energy sources from renewable sources like geothermal and solar, rather than coal and nuclear energy has to be Africa’s solution to our energy poverty. The event contributors also highlighted the importance of our African traditional knowledge. Knowledge that potentially holds environmental wisdom for our wellbeing in agriculture (crops, livestock, farming practices); eco-system conservation; construction and housing. This traditional knowledge can provide insights perhaps identifying or re-discovering foods and crops for our food security and livelihoods; new (or old) methods to creating our homes and urban areas; and wiser ways of relating to our natural environment. The Africa We Want By the end of the event, beyond understanding the urgency for Africa to take action on adapting and reducing climate change; it was very clear than Africa and Africans have to determine their own solutions for climate change and sustainable development. We have the opportunity to learn from others, to learn from our past, and to partner with others; but the final decision on what is to be done, is African. The natural environment is the foundation of our lives – the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the homes we build. Agriculture is Africa’s largest industry and it is wholly dependent on the environment. It is projected that West and East Africa could lose 15% of GDP in next 30 years, North and Southern Africa 10%, and Central Africa 5% due to Climate Change impacts (AfDB, UNECA, UNEP, 2019). 50% of Africa’s population is rural, and our urban populations will increase by 60% in 30 years. Energy, land and cities will be key for our development. Protecting our natural environment; addressing Climate Change; and ensuring sustainable development on the African continent will all have to go hand in hand. Where we are today and where we need to get to tomorrow, is a path that Africa must carve for itself. Our continent, our responsibility. The Voices of the African People section of The Africa Union Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want, captures this call for me “We rededicate ourselves to
The Healing Power of Listening – Lessons From a Personal Encounter
This article was first published on Qazini.com It is often said, that we have two ears and one mouth so we can listen more than we talk. I always thought of myself as a good listener, a good communicator, a patient person, someone that is able to handle my emotions well, and that I am rational. I recently had all these tested, and learned, once again, that good listening is an ongoing practice. I’m on a journey to learn more about Kenyan and African history and identity, through books, and my reading list so far has: Histories of the Hanged, the true story about the Mau Mau war; Britain’s Gulag, the brutal end of empire in Kenya; Traveling While Black, essays by the female Kenyan author on her life on the move; The Destruction of Black Civilisation, a history of Africans from 4500BC to the current epoch; The African Origin of Civilisation, which argues that ancient Egypt was a black civilization. I am in the early stages of this journey and I have not read them all as I write this. They aren’t easy reads, as you can imagine. Each book is hundreds of pages long, deeply analytical, imparting extensive insight and knowledge; but importantly also evoking deep-seated and sometimes unspoken emotions. So, I am moving at a pace that works for me to digest and reflect on what I am reading and what it means for me in the world as it is today. I believe it is important to be able to have difficult conversations in a respectful, empathetic way. It is definitely not easy, but I believe this is important in allowing us to find common ground, to understand each other’s perspectives, and to move forward together. I write this to you context to my lesson on listening. The Punch From A Polarising Conversation At a social lunch with like-minded people, I raised some issues I was reading about Kenya’s history and the injustices still going on today from a racial, social and economic perspective. It didn’t go down well, at all. We were a diverse group of people by race, culture, gender, world views, etc. at this lunch. I left the lunch yes in good terms, but extremely hurt and offended by how the conversations had turned, twisted and morphed. I did not sleep well that night, and the feeling of not being heard, misunderstood, kept my thoughts racing into a very disturbed and short night of sleep. The next day, I called a good friend, a white friend, who was also at the lunch to talk it through. It was intentional that I called this friend, because I felt I needed that different perspective; and yes, I was still upset from the misunderstandings, the perceived racial undertones and perspectives raised, including my own. And then my friend did something really amazing, he listened. I talked about the books I was reading, the limited information from our history classes in Kenyan schools, the life of my parents. The sense of injustice I felt, the frustration and hurt that stayed on from the lunch conversation. He listened. And when I was done, I listened to him. To the context of his own national history, to the history he was taught in school, to the life experiences of his parents. And I felt something shift in me. I felt the common ground we now had, the shared reality, the understanding of our respective perspectives – where we were each coming from. We had created the space and taken the time to listen to each other. All the hurt, frustration and the sense of injustice I was feeling dissolved. I continued reading my books but it was different this time, I wasn’t angry. I was reading with a different feeling, somehow knowing that to understand my present and to create my future, I needed to understand my past. It wasn’t only about the historical facts, the (shocking) injustices and wrongdoing that I was reading about, but also importantly about how knowing and understanding all this can help me move forward with meaning in my life. My reading had a sense of purpose: how can what I am learning about the past, help me do my part in creating a world where we care about each other and our shared future? This is when, I think, I truly understood the power of good and conscious listening, and how it can heal, because it healed me. Like I said, I had always believed that I am a good listener, but this experience showed me that there is so much depth to listening that I definitely did not practice that kind of listening enough. The world around us has become so noisy, loud; and I realized that I had become impatient with listening hoping for shorter versions to someone’s story to save time; unintentionally interrupting to ask questions rather than listen through; listening to fix or solve the issues, but not listening enough with my heart and my other senses to understand the other person’s perspective. And as I result, I was missing so much; I was missing the connection that comes with listening. My journey on the past, actually began with listening. Good and conscious listening to my Aunt talking with us, at a family gathering, about her earlier life. It is said, that we listen differently when we are listening to people we care about – we listen better (most times). But to those we don’t know that well or aren’t close to us, we are impatient, brief, judgmental with our listening; this isn’t good and conscious listening. It’s listening to get to the point, to find the opportunity to jump in and give our own view or critique, to quickly give the fix or solution to the issue. It’s more about us, than it is about the person you are listening to. Which then suggests, that we aren’t listening at all, but waiting for the opportunity to talk about ourselves and what we think. What
To Me, It’s About The Big Bad Wolf
This article was first published on Qazini.com These are interesting times we are living right now. Yes, the Coronavirus pandemic. These times are asking us to physically withdraw, keep our distances, be wary. It’s a fine line we are walking. Our ‘usual’ trust and faith in the goodness of people may be starting to waver and the line between distancing and distrusting may start turning grey. Well, that how I am feeling at this time. And I feel an internal struggle starting to simmer. There’s a book I’d read almost a decade ago that came to mind Turning to one another: Simple conversations to restore hope to the future by Margaret Wheatley. I’ve been going through it again past these couple weeks. All these years later, I found the book still asked deeply challenging and relevant questions for these times. One of the questions the book asked kept turning over in my mind: What do I believe about others? I thought I believed that people are fundamentally good. Yet as I sat to think about this question, with more time to reflect on it that before; I realised that I believed more in the Native American tale of the good wolf and the bad wolf. The tale goes: One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealously, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.’ The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’ The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’ Every day, we meet people who have been feeding their wolves, some have fed their good wolf more than their bad wolf, and others vice-versa. In these times of uncertainty, its easy to withdraw, to close off, not just physically but emotionally, and humanly too. Perhaps, it’s our instinct of self-preservation that we give permission to take over. Now, don’t get me wrong – we really do need to physically distance ourselves, to keep away from at-risk situations and persons, and do our part in stopping this infection from spreading. Thankfully, we still have our thoughts, our non-verbal communication (physical expressions, gestures), our words, our actions, our common sense, our technology, and so much more, to help us continue to express ourselves and connect with people who we choose to care about, and even people we don’t know. No one knows how long or short this global pandemic will last. These are truly new, interesting, and evolving times; it’s life, but not as we know it. During these times, I know I will hear the call of my good wolf and my bad wolf over and over… I believe it’s the internal struggle, I mentioned earlier. So, I have chosen to assign myself the daily duty of making the best effort I can to feed my good wolf; because I want it to win. And hopefully, at the end of this pandemic, I will find that my good wolf is happily well feed and very content. And should the next crisis (external or internal) come along, my good wolf will be healthy, fit and ready to leap ahead and lead. Notes: Turning to One Another By Margaret Wheatley. For more click: The Book
My Search For Meaning
This article was first published on Qazini.com My life, rather my heart, mind, and my direction; changed in 2006 because I read something that impacted me so immensely, it made me question my life’s meaning. But let me step back a couple of years before that, to 2004. Three big things impacted me that year: 1) my long-term relationship truly ended 2) 26th December, the Indian Ocean Tsunami plummeted Asia, and parts of Africa claiming over 220,000 lives 3) I participated in a development programme that made me look deeper into myself and the work I really wanted to do. In hindsight, perhaps the end of my relationship became the catalyst for my deeper reflection. It is said that it takes two to make things work and to fail in a relationship (NB: I am no expert!). I realised I had contributed to things falling apart but in the early days of 2004, it all seemed very one sided – and it wasn’t me. Thanks to some difficult conversations, honest reflection and time; I came to realise that my choices and actions had contributed to the reality the relationship had lived and its demise. My choices, my decisions, my actions had indeed contributed to the relationship’s end. The development programme couldn’t have come at a better time. Although it was an extremely challenging process – personal development was not something I had really explored for myself before. But because it was a course (or programme), me and all the others who took part, had to do the work. I realised from that programme that I deeply wanted more meaning to the work I did every day, to the reason I diligently woke up every weekday. I wanted what I did to matter to me. I came to realise that I wanted to be able to positively make a difference in small and hopefully bigger ways to people’s lives. Given that I had chosen to work in the private sector, my journey towards learning more about positive impact in the corporate context began. On 27th December 2004, I was glued to my TV screen. Watching international news in horror and in tears as the news channels played and replayed the devastation, the suddenness, the speed and the magnitude of the Indian Ocean Tsunami. In such a short space of time, more than 220,000 people died. Families were decimated, communities and economies destroyed. How could this have happened? Did anyone see this coming? I don’t think I will ever forget how I felt at that time or some of the images I saw on TV; and I don’t think I ever want to. Back to 2006. Sitting in my living room one early evening, I remembered a conversation at work about a report called the Stern Review. After a quick Google search, I found and opened it The Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change. Nicholas Stern is an economist, chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics (LSE) and is also chair of the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP) at Leeds University and LSE. The report, published in 2006, was commissioned by Her Majesty’s Treasury of the UK Government to give evidence on the economic impacts of climate change, and on the costs and benefits of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the UK and globally. I read the report. At first, the four-page executive summary; and then the full report. I sat quietly for a long while after I finished it. My brain trying to digest the science, the facts. My emotions struggling to comprehend the consequences. I didn’t understand a lot of the details at that time. But there were a couple of things that I did understand and that really ‘hit home’. The report clearly highlighted that: Climate change presents a unique challenge for economics: it is the greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen. The impacts of climate change are not evenly distributed – the poorest countries and people will suffer earliest and most. And if and when the damages appear it will be too late to reverse the process. Thus we are forced to look a long way ahead. The deeply disheartening reality is that developing countries have barely contributed to our current climate change scenario. It was a daunting reality, imagining the possibility of the Indian Ocean Tsunami happening over and over again in coastal cities and towns across the African continent and the wider developing world. I couldn’t believe it. My home, my country, my continent, my family, my friends, my communities; would suffer the most. I was angry – this was not our fault, this was not our problem, why should we be the ones to suffer the most for something we didn’t do. And then I felt lost – where do you even begin, what does one do with something like this? How could I begin to forget what I had read, was that even possible? That night, I pulled my fluffy elephant – a childhood cuddly toy – out from the back of my wardrobe, where I had hidden it; and I held it close while I tried to fall asleep. Sleep was an elusive friend. I left the bedside lamp on that night. For the first time in a very long time, I was afraid of the dark, and the thoughts that were filling my head. And I was afraid of the morning that was to come, with its certainty that what I had thought before was never going to be the same ever again. It was that night, or early morning that my meaning changed. I knew I couldn’t stand by and not do something, no matter how small. That day, I promised myself that I would always choose to do something to protect the environment and foster better lives and communities. And that I had to share what I knew with my friends, social circles, and anyone
I Come As One But I Stand As Ten Thousand
This article was first published on Qazini.com In December 2019, Kigali, Rwanda hosted the KUSI Ideas Festival – The Next 60 Years in Africa. Kusi is the southerly wind of the Indian Ocean which allowed Africans and all other travellers to journey north along the East African coast. The Festival was a platform for our African leaders, great thinkers, doers and influencers to come together to reflect on Africa’s past and its next 60 years. It was inspiring listening and watching the conversations and debates that took place at the inaugural Kusi Ideas Festival and to learn more about other countries, our fellow neighbours, too; who like me, like us, call this beautiful continent Home. The discussions covered trade and migration, technology and infrastructure, integration, health, music, art and culture, agriculture, energy, innovation, sports, industry, and conservation; among many other pertinent topics. There were many things in the conversations that struck a chord with me. Perhaps most of all, was how good it felt to immerse myself in dreaming a new future of my continent and its people. Imagining a world where life was good for everyone, everywhere in Africa and that it can (and will) be a reality, because we have everything we need to realise it. A personal anecdote that really struck me, was that of the African Union Commission Chairman, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, from Chad who grew up a shepherd boy and today holds the responsibility and position that he does. Born in 1960, I realised his story, was one of many millions of stories of Africa’s past 60 years. And what a story that must have been for him, for the continent. What a journey it has been from Africa in the 1960s to Africa in the 2020s. There’s still so much missing, still much that is wrong. But there is also so much good, and so much progress that has taken place too. And sometimes, I think, all too often, I forget the good, I forget the progress, I forget the journey. It got me thinking a lot about the past, and my parents’ lives, born in the 1930s and 1940s and now physically gone. Their lives journeyed from mud homes to stone houses, from fire light to electricity, from fetching water from rivers to turning taps. From bare feet to socks and shoes, from speaking one mother tongue to fluency in English and Kiswahili, and to reading and writing eloquently, from tiny homesteads to vibrant towns. I thought further back to my grandparents and their journeys from the late 1800s to the 1980s and 1990s when they passed away. How their lives transformed, how much change they saw and experienced, how they struggled and sought to thrive so their children could thrive. And then their children struggled and sought to thrive so that their children could thrive. And then, here I was, the next in line. I thought long about my parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents, and further back. It is a long, long, long line that had come before me to make my life, today, possible. It was a team relay of centuries and decades of descendant after descendant passing on the baton – passing on the best that they had done, to the next descendant to run with, who then in turn passed the best they could to the next, and so it went. Until it reached me. And now it was my turn. Maya Angelou once said ‘I come as one, but I stand as ten thousand.’ I am standing here today, holding the baton for my parents, and all my ancestors that came before me. They are with me. Watching me, encouraging me to live well, to do right, to do well; because in time, it will be my turn to pass on the baton. As I begin 2020 – and this new decade, I step into this time, understanding that I come as one but I stand as ten thousand. I carry the hopes and dreams of my ancestors and the better world they hoped for, worked for, cared and dared to live for. It is my turn to hope and to strive for better; for the ones who will come after me. I must dream and act for a better Kenya, a better Africa, as my ancestors before me did; it is up to me to continue pursuing that dream and to pass it on. My father once told me that every day he prayed for Kenya and her people, and for prosperity and peace for all Kenyans. In sadness, I realised it had never crossed my mind to do that. I think my parents always knew they were part of a relay team that was doing their part to build a better family, a better community, a better nation, a better continent for the next generation. It is time now for me to do the same, because even though I may stand as one, I am here as ten thousand. The life journeys of those that came before me have led to me – and mine will lead to someone else’s. The journey is meant to continue towards a country, an Africa, a world that is always getting better from one relay team member to another. I wish us all a great 2020! And if you ever need it, like I do, remember that all those who came before are with you in your journey; you stand as ten thousand. We, today, are their life’s work and the keepers of their hopes and dreams. Notes: Kusi Festival Presidential Panel: Presidential PanelDr. Maya Angelou: 3-Word Secret to Living Your Best Life
Be The Change: Earth Day – 21st April
This article was first published on Qazini.com Every year, the world celebrates Earth Day on April 21st. Well, everyday should be Earth Day…But this particular day has been set aside to educate, activate and spread word and action for the environmental movement worldwide. Climate change is occurring at an alarming rate and has many broad-reaching impacts on human health, the economy, and the stability of the natural environment. Increased emissions of greenhouse gases that trap heat and block it from escaping the atmosphere drive significant global disruption to climate systems as we know them. Low-income, indigenous, and communities of color are already bearing the brunt of climate change and are disproportionately on the front lines of environmental disasters. A healthy planet is not an option — it is a necessity. As a country, Kenya is very vulnerable to climate change since the key drivers of our economy (agriculture, livestock, tourism, forestry, and fisheries) are fundamentally climate-sensitive in their nature. Find out more about our government’s commitments to climate change action This year’s Earth Day theme is ‘Restore Our Earth’ and this encompasses goals and actions including reforestation, regenerative agriculture and sustainable food, plastic cleanups, climate literacy, and citizen science. From capturing carbon and supporting the health and resilience of communities, to advocating for compulsory, assessed climate education, we have the ability to make lasting changes. We need both big actions and the small actions. Individual Actions Do Make The Difference We can all do something to protect our Earth. Here is some useful information and tips on what you can do as an individual, family, group of friends, community, to take action on Earth Day, and hopefully every day! Every one of us can make a difference in making our Earth (our home) a safer, healthier, and more equitable place to live. It’s time to step up. It’s time to make a change. It’s time to be the change. When life around the world returns to normal, our world cannot return to business-as-usual. We have the ability to make a difference in every industry, but that can only happen when we work together. Join EARTHDAY.ORG to Restore Our Earth and come together with likeminded citizens around the world, to make clear that climate action and restoration cannot wait.
If I Were A Boy Or A Man, COVID-19 Would Be Kinder To Me
There’s a Beyoncé song titled If I Were A Boy which flips the switch giving the perspective of a relationship with the woman acting like a man does in a relationship. I anticipate that this is how women imagine men act in relationships. I’m doubtful that men ever imagine how women experience a relationship. But that’s a story for another day. However, it does talk to our ability to have empathy and to understand a situation or a life from another person’s perspective; now that is important for our sense of humanity as individuals, as men and women, as a community, as a country. We are back in lockdown, with a new variant of C-19 rocking our country and our lives. It is like we hit the rewind button and went back to April 2020, but this time – this year (2021), hopefully a little wiser from the lessons we have come to learn. In early 2020, The Policy and Strategy Unit in the Office of the President (PASU) conducted a study in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, and Dalberg Advisors on Gender in Employment and Labour Market in Kenya: Analysis of the Barriers and Opportunities for Young Women and Men to understand the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship for youth, and how it can be closed. After reading the report, it got me thinking about our economy, COVID, and girls and women. Equality refers to all human beings having the same worth and importance as one another. Its definition is aptly presented in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Equity on the other hand, refers to equality of outcomes because equal access or equal resources does not necessarily amount to equal outcomes. Image from: interactioninstitute.org Girls, Women, COVID-19 and the Economy in Kenya March has ended, with a lot said about girls, women and gender balance. Truth is, it is a never-ending matter, because it is fundamentally and directly tied to our social fabric; our social and economic challenges and opportunities; and the future of our nation and us as a people. Let me share with you with some key findings from the PASU report and other sources, that present the economy and importantly, COVID-19 from a Kenyan girl or woman’s perspective. I have tried to also give a suggestion with each finding on what you could do about it, hopefully presenting the issue, but also a possible simple action you can do to address the issue: What could you do about it? Advocate, stand up for fairer pay, and if you are an employer pay fairly. Globally, women and girls spend 90% of their income on the household, while men spend 30-40% (UNAC, 2012). Perhaps this is the reason we always preferred to tell our mothers what we needed for school, and we never quite knew (or asked) how she managed to get the money for it. What could you do about it? Talk to and encourage girls and young women; and their parents on the importance of education – to their livelihoods, future families, and country. If you can, support and sponsor young women for tertiary education (colleges, technical and vocational training, professional courses, university). What could you do about it? Encourage girls to study in TVET (technical and vocational training) for skills relevant to our developing country, and nurture their interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Few girls and women pursue studies in these areas, yet employers report significant shortages in these skills. If you are an employer, (re)hire, check yourself for unconscious bias. What could you do about it? Offer a helping hand at home. Encourage your brothers, nephews, to help out your mothers, aunts, sisters, nieces. In your family, advocate for your female relatives to have enough time to focus on school, or job opportunities. At the end of the day, whatever income she makes, benefits the home most significantly. What could you do about it? When you can, appreciate their support and their fight at the frontline be it for the pandemic, or even as the person taking care of you when you are sick in a hospital, clinic. We often appreciate the doctors more, than the nurses who pay attention to the details that help us get healthier and better. What could you do about it? Evil prevails when good men do nothing. In your sphere of influence stand against gender violence, that is someone’s sister, daughter, niece too. Majority of gender-based violence in Kenya is against girls, and women. However, violence is now also being noted for boys and men. You can’t win with half a team As former US President Obama highlighted in his 2015 Kenya visit speech, if you have a team, and you don’t let half of the team play, it doesn’t makes sense. Taking that into consideration, with half of Kenya’s population being female, how do we expect to succeed, to achieve development, if we don’t let this half of the team play – well equipped with knowledge, tools, skills, and opportunities? ‘…No country can achieve its full potential unless it draws on the talents of all its people and that must include the half of Kenyans — maybe a little more than half –who are women and girls.’ (Obama, 2015). The dialogue and action around gender equality and equity will and has to continue. It’s the only way we will win as a country, and that’s together.