Your podcast discovery platform
Curious minds select the most fascinating podcasts from around the world. Discover hand-piqd audio recommendations on your favorite topics.
piqer for: Global finds
Ciku Kimeria is a Kenyan author "Of goats and poisoned oranges" - (https://www.amazon.com/goats-poisoned-oranges-Ciku-Kimeria-ebook/dp/B00HBBWPI6), development consultant, adventurer and travel blogger (www.thekenyanexplorer.com). She writes both fiction and non-fiction focusing on African stories that need telling. She has worked on diverse pieces for various international and local publications including Quartz, Ozy, The East African etc. She has travelled to 45 countries – 16 of them in Africa. 153 countries to go and 63 territories!
"Of goats and poisoned oranges" has been extremely well received in Kenya and beyond. It tells the story of a Kenyan middle aged power couple and their complicated marriage. The novel explores issues of greed, revenge, betrayal and murder. It runs from the 1960s to 2013. It has been described as “Wicked, funny, poignant, wacky, human, a big ball of fun and danger”, “A unique and captivating book”, “Fun and intriguing”, “Impossible to put down once you start reading.”
She recently moved to Dakar, Senegal from Kenya to work on her second novel. She also works at as the Africa Communication Manager at a leading global strategy consulting firm.
She holds a B.S. in Management Science from MIT with minors in Urban Planning and International development studies.
African Instagrammers Slowly Changing The Way People Perceive The Continent
These days, when I am filled with wanderlust but not in a position to travel, the first place I visit is Instagram. As an avid traveler who has already been to 43 countries worldwide, 16 of them in my own continent, I am not a stranger to the wonders of the world. I only recently began travelling through my continent. Prior to that, I knew almost very little about what there is to see in contemporary Africa. It's tough to admit it, but I mostly got news about my own continent from foreign media houses. What I had seen growing up led me to believe that I was extremely fortunate to be born in Kenya, commonly called "Africa-lite", as there were hidden dangers that lay in the rest of the continent.
Those growing up in this day and age are much luckier as the advent of social media has led to the democratization of information. Instagrammers in Kinshasa can show me what mainstream media would rather not. They can dispel all the myths that exist about their own cities and show them as they are — the good, the bad, the ugly, but yes ... the good. The side we are rarely showed about Africa.
A recurring theme for these innovators is capturing a face of Africa not often seen in mainstream media, even within African media. A couple of decades ago, it would’ve been unlikely that one person’s photo hobby could be seen by more than a few friends, or that you could organize those friends to also share their photos on the same platform. Instagram and other social media platforms are helping to show authentic and unexpected sights of African cities and cultures.
Another wonderful aspect of the new Instagrammers on Africa and their related businesses is that they are making it easy and practical for people to visit the continent. There have always been a few well known locations to visit before, but other than that a whole part of the continent still remains unknown even to other Africans.
At the very least, such platforms help travel enthusiasts discover new magical sites.
