SEEK AND SPARK

At the beginning of his tenure, King Hezekiah was quite remarkable and was considered to be one of the most faithful and God-fearing kings that reigned in Judah. And then he got sick. He was so sick that a Prophet approached him and advised him to set his affairs in order because he was certainly going to die. But being a man of prayer, Hezekiah cried out to God for healing and God granted his wish and further added 15 more years to his life. Naturally, Hezekiah’s miraculous recovery attracted a lot of attention from friends and foes alike. On one occasion, he was visited by envoys from Babylon who ostensibly went to pay courtesy and show solidarity to their fellow royalty. Their kind gesture was greeted with an enthusiastic reception from Hezekiah who went further and showed them all his treasures and armory. I imagine that it was flattering for King Hezekiah to receive notice and recognition from the King of Babylon, and he must have felt really important. After all, Judah was stil...

  Like most people, I always look forward to the new year for two reasons: one, I get to set new goals for the year, and second, I get to celebrate my birthday again. So a new year for me is a two-fold celebration of new prospects, second chances, and renewed hope of life.   I am not one to “go big” during birthdays and more often than not I don’t usually make a fuss so pandemic or not, there was no solid plan for a celebration this year. However, I am surrounded by amazing friends and family who always challenge this “boring” habit. Make no mistake, I do engage in certain rituals to honor the day. At the stroke of midnight on January 1 st , 2021, while the world was ushering in the new year with singing, fireworks, and champagne, I was fast asleep! At the stroke of midnight on January 2 nd , 2021, on my birthday, I was wide awake! And the realization that this year was going to be more significant than any other hit me like a ton of bricks! As if by sheer coincidence...

  So I recently attempted an experiment called “Digital Minimalism” which is a concept that was curated by Prof. Cal Newport who advocates that we should all start questioning and choosing which digital communication tools are necessary for our happiness. So I took his advice and decided to delete all my social media apps from my phone. Never mind that my job requires that I keep tabs with emerging trends so not only was this experiment difficult to follow through but it felt like I was committing career-suicide and obviously missing out on a lot. Also, for those that know me well, they understand that I am a “news junkie”. I like to be in the know in the fastest way possible. Traditional media offers me the news but not in the fastest way possible. For avoidance of doubt, I failed spectacularly!   Two days into the experiment, I was slowly re-installing some apps back on my phone but I tried my best to keep my interactions with them to a minimum 😊 . I used the extra time...

I have just finished reading an op-ed in the New York Times by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex where she recounts ever-so-powerfully and painfully, her experience with grief after her miscarriage earlier in the year. In the article, she opines that these challenging times call for us to be more sensitive and empathetic to one another because everyone has gone through or is currently going through some sort of pain. Needless to say, her article has sparked a lot of conversation around the subject of miscarriage which is unfortunately often considered taboo. Granted, there are no words in the dictionary that can sufficiently describe the kind of year that 2020 has been. Life is sometimes hard but the Pandemic has compounded the pain and difficulty in navigating its challenges. Many will agree that it takes a lot of effort these days to muster even the lowest level of optimism and positivity and even then, one does so cautiously. Personally, I have gone through my fair share of challenge...

Receive Sanitized greetings! So during this quarantine period, I must say I have had a lot of time in my hands. I am generally a very busy person and for the longest time I craved to just have a moment to rest, and recoup, and think and I’m sure a lot of you can relate. I am a little embarrassed to say this, but I have been binge-watching Greys Anatomy. I know I am very late to the party but for those who are like me, this Television Series is about brilliant Surgical Interns who are eager to start practicing and so they begin their internship in a renowned hospital under strict supervision of very experienced Surgeons. So the program basically gives us a behind-the-scenes peek into their personal and professional struggles as well as triumphs. Now, I know the characters in the series are fictional but I couldn’t help but notice their passion and their eagerness to make medical history while saving lives. It was interesting to watch them go to extreme lengths just to end ...

FROM DECISIONS TO ACTIONS In less than two months Kenya will play host to the 14 th  session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. This high-level engagement will once again put Kenya on the map and will bring together over 6000 high-profile delegates and stakeholders from around the world, to discuss key emerging issues affecting world economies particularly in developing nations. Kenya is quickly becoming a “hotbed” of major decision-making as this will not be the first time that an international body is pitching camp in the country to deliberate on important world matters.  Last year in December, the 10 th  Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization was held in Nairobi, culminating into the adoption of the “Nairobi Package”. WTO officials have since termed it as historical since 6 critical decisions were made on Agriculture, Cotton, and other issues related to least developed countries. A ministerial declaration outlining the Packa...

It is said that if you want to hide something from an African, put it in a book. There also seems to be anecdotal records that indicate that African scholars do not write and publish as much as their counterparts in Western hemispheres. These beliefs seem to purport that Africa is lagging behind when it comes to information gathering and sharing. The truth of the matter is that Africa is no longer playing catch-up but is at the fore in embracing new and sophisticated technology and the latest forms of media.  Africa has been misrepresented by western media. A good majority of westerners rely largely on news media for information about Africa. Suffice it to say that most of that information paints a grim picture of poverty, war and despondency in our continent. With the belief that ‘bad news sells’, the Africa story has been wrongly told. Exciting stories about newly discovered natural resources in Turkana, Kenya and other parts of the continent have yet to be told. Plus,...