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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.
How Tech Is Putting The Needs Of Impoverished Kenyans On The Map
Nairobi is a technological hub — not just an African technological hub, but one that has won its place on the global map. The world's leading mobile money service, Mpesa, was created in Kenya.
Ushahidi, the platform that was created by four Kenyan bloggers and software developers (two of them female), started off as a crowd-sourcing platform that was used in 2007/2008 to provide real-time data on areas that were affected by post-election violence. Ushahidi went on to save lives after the Haiti 2010 earthquake.
AkiraChix, an organization that was launched by four Kenyan female tech experts, one of whom was actually a classmate of mine in high school, has gone on to empower disadvantaged women by teaching them skills to get into tech careers.
Nairobi is a tech hub that is creating solutions that are both relevant for the developing country context, but sophisticated enough to be sparking innovations in developed markets.
This short seven-minute video by PBS captures the energy, enthusiasm and drive that is the Kenyan tech scene.
Mapping is one of several tech initiatives to bring attention to people in Nairobi’s vast impoverished neighborhoods, people like Farida Atei, a second-generation Kibera resident. Orphaned at 13, she shares this tiny space with an aunt and sister. She’s 26 now, a single mother who is determined that life will be far better for her 4-year-old daughter, Amina. So, after breakfast, she loads up her backpack and heads to class, a few miles and half a world from Kibera, in one of Nairobi’s thriving tech hubs. She attends AkiraChix, a rigorous, post-high school program that trains young women from poor neighborhoods to be high-tech entrepreneurs.
I particularly enjoyed the video as it is highlighting the wealth of tech activities that have been started by Kenyans for Kenyans and the world. It's a great contrast to the images we usually see of Africa being 'saved' by the West.
