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.
Social Media: The New Marketplace For Blood Diamonds From The Central African Republic
While conflict rages in the Central African Republic (CAR), a well established group of diamond smugglers and traders are thriving. By trading with rebels in conflict-ridden parts of the country, they provide rebels with much needed money to buy weapons while looting the country of it's natural resources.
"CAR is one of the poorest and most fragile states anywhere in the world. The latest conflict in its troubled history has left over two million people—almost half the population—in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, and displaced nearly one in five."
A 2013 coup plunged the already unstable country into crisis with different rebel groups taking over different parts of the country. During this crisis, the rebel groups operating in diamond mining parts of the country created a parallel government issuing short-term mining concessions to firms from other countries.
"CAR was no stranger to coups and instability. Even prior to the fall of Bozizé—himself the victor of a coup—nearly 60 per cent of the country’s territory was beyond effective government control."
While officialdom by way of the global Kimberley Process has banned diamonds from conflict-ridden parts of CAR, smugglers take advantage of porous borders and corrupt customs officials to get the diamonds to Cameroon and claim that as the country of origin for the diamonds - bypassing the ban.
"In 2010, the United States Geological Survey estimated there to be 39 million carats of alluvial diamonds still left to be mined in CAR."
Eventually these diamonds make it to the global market and are marketed and sold via social media apps - pictures can be posted on Facebook and interested buyers can chat online with the sellers.
A post next to a Facebook photo by a smuggler from CAR, who now lives in Brazil, says it all. Next to a photo of a pile of rough diamonds, he talks about his life and his new trade.
"They sent us far from our home-country. Now, we can choose a new name for our diamond and change its nationality."
Stay up to date – with a newsletter from your channel on Global finds.