We are a society that “respects rules” — rules that we were not even involved in creating; we are unmindful members of cultures of conformity that devalue our own identities. And this is what needs to change—and no new technology, no new constitution, no new institution will bring us that change. Instead, as a country and as individuals, we must interrogate ourselves—ask ourselves if we can only accept others only when they are like us.
World Mental Health Day [Quick Reflection]
I just learnt a few hours ago that today (10th of October) is World Mental Health Day. If I knew earlier, I’d have written a longer, more nuanced reflection but here we are. As part social scientist, part storyteller, I encounter heartbreaking stories and realities almost every time I open a book…
Hopes and Fears at the Starting Line
But today, I want to reflect a little deeper on my hopes and fears for the year. I hope that by writing my hopes, I will dig deeper on my motivations and goals. I hope that by writing my fears, I will be vulnerable enough to acknowledge them and in so doing find ways to live with them and let others know they are not alone.
Finger on the Pulse—August/Sept 2018
The past two months have teemed with blatant contradictions. While the days have felt like the busiest ever, they have in fact been some of the lightest in my year. While I have traversed several nations on two continents, I have frequently felt like I was shutting the world within. While I have made plenty…
Measure What Matters [Guest Post]
By Solomon Tesfaye Reality is in the eye of the beholder. Certainly we have all heard the old adage that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but the expression can be extended further to posit that our evaluations of our existence are constructed by cognitive biases based on our own experiential history and…
Finger on the Pulse —June/July 2018
I started writing this piece on a Kenya Airways flight from Kigali to Nairobi. The sun had just set as the plane took off and millions of fireflies seemed to illuminate the city below. It had been a packed week in the land of a thousand hills that left little room for self-reflection and meditation…
9: You First
As much as it’s wise to save your money and build a diverse portfolio of investments, the first destination for your investments should be closer home: yourself. While it’s much harder to quantify the returns on investment when you invest in yourself, like it might be if you bought a three-year government bond, I believe…
8.7: That Whole Eggs in The Same Basket Thingie (Part III)
Read Part I of this post here and Part II here. Chamas One of the most common savings and investment paradigms in Kenya (and in many developing nations) is the informal savings and investment group, popularly known as the chama. Chamas leverage our people’s cultural disposition towards community. While wildly popularly in rural areas and…
The Art of Muturi 