Munene, the journey...

How do myths and unsupported beliefs begin? Well, I don't know. But I will take a wild guess. Chance and coincidences. Among the Meru people, if you are walking on a road and see a black animal cross ahead of you, you need to turn back and use another route. Or if it's raining and you go out in red clothing, you will be struck by lightning. Oh yes, go back now before you die So, how did my community come up with these superstitions? I don't know. I have a hunch. One day, someone walked out in red clothes during a thunderstorm and they were struck by lightning. The following day, someone else wanted to go out. The village elders warned him not to go out in red attire during a thunderstorm. Well, he did not listen, and unfortunately, was also struck by lightning. And thus grew the superstition. This is the same with most of our beliefs. They make sense to us because we have believed them for so long. Some seem natural. We have always known them. Our parents always s...

Chair: Order! Let's have some order in here! (looking around ) Do we have all the parties in here? ( his assistant looks around, counts the faces, and nods ). Alright, let's get on with it, what are the matters at hand? ( A hand at the far edge of the room shoots up, it's a young man who has been quiet all along) Young man: Mr. Chairman sir, may I... Chair: Please tell us your name, where you come from and why it is you have called for this meeting. Young man: Thank you sir. My name is Ezekiel, and I am a resident of this town. I would like to express my interest in buying a car from your dealership. Chair: ( leaning back in his chair ) Ok, go on... Ezekiel: I have seen a certain model of a car being driven in town and I'm considering buying it from your dealership. However, I am not certain it is the right car for me... Chair: Why not? Ezekiel: Well, for one, I do not know how it drives. I have spoken to three different drivers, and they give contradicti...

I am among those who were shocked when on November 9, I woke up to the news that the unlikeliest of presidential candidates had clinched the American presidency. I could not wrap my head around a Trump win, because it had been so unlikely! Where did it all come from? Should we blame so-called populism? O yes! Impossible it was! Trump had to surmount a 99% chance that Clinton was going to win. She had led the polls all along, and there was no chance for an upset. All polls except two or three had predicted a landslide win for Clinton. All the TV stations all talked about a Clinton presidency, as if the election was a forgone conclusion. But Trump won, and resoundingly so. Or as others have said, Clinton lost; well, semantics. We are in a transition period. Suffice it to say that it's an interesting one. However, since that fateful Wednesday, garbage has been picked up at my house, tap water still runs, and there's still power in the socket. Whilst this may seem obvious, it...

Before the weekend of November 4-6, I did not know that College Park was deemed a food desert. A college town that comprises mostly students, most people do not have access to grocery shopping within a mile radius, the definition of a food desert. Forest Garden As an international student living in the area, I attest to the truth in this statement. Getting fresh food for me involves a Lyft or Uber to the groceries shop, something I cannot do every week because it is expensive. Other modes of transport to the 1.4 miles away mega farmers market are irregular and very inconvenient. This however, represents a narrower view of the entire food justice issue. At Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, I learnt the model of Community Supported Agriculture. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation runs a not-for-profit farm, where food grown is shared among some members of the community who pay a fixed amount per season and those who put in some hours of labor and get a share of the crop. The rest of the...