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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.
Cycling Is Taking Over Eritrea And Putting The Country On The Global Map
Interesting stories have been coming up from one of Africa's little known countries — Eritrea — of a growing cycling culture that is putting Eritrea on the global map. Few will mention Eritrea and cycling in the same breath, but increasingly this is becoming a sport that the isolated nation is gaining fame in.
In the capital Asmara, the presence of Eritreans on the international cycling circuit is trickling down. “Our riders have put Eritrea’s name out there,” says Yemane Negasi, who rode in the 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games. “People here want to follow the great riders,” he explains, predicting that Eritrea will eventually have “forty or fifty riders racing internationally”.
With an authoritarian regime that has gained the country the informal name of "Africa's North Korea", opportunities to leave the country for nationals, or for foreigners to enter, are few and far between. Cycling is, however, one of the few activities that the government is happy to engage in internationally.
The government puts up the money for the Tour of Eritrea each year. Cycling success remains an antidote to Eritrea’s tarnished image in the West and is a tool for building low-key connections internationally. Its riders, coaches and administrators go about the business of racing abroad discreetly and successfully. Foreigners travel in and out of the country to work with or report on the country’s national sport without difficulty (although you need a permit to leave the capital).
The unifying nature of sport is captured in this article in addition to the hope that sport gives to youth who have seen some of their countrymen on a global stage. It will be interesting to see the future of the sport and the new talent that will be showcased globally in years to come.
