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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.
The Herero Dress That Speaks Of Suffering And Hope
Few people in the world have heard about the Herero genocide that took place from 1904 to 1907. Even as an African, the first time I heard anything about this genocide was in my late teens. What is considered the first genocide of the 20th century led to the extermination of an overwhelming majority of the Herero population in Namibia. For revolting against German rule the Herero were starved; their water wells were poisoned, leaving them to die of dehydration in the desert. Those who survived were enslaved in concentration camps where they were abused, overworked and tortured to death.
This fascinating video of the Herero dress tells the story of their suffering through a fashion lens. In the summer temperatures of over 80 degrees, Herero women wear large Victorian-era long sleeved dresses with petticoats. The dress was adapted from those their colonizers wore, but the Herero people reclaimed it to make sure that their story would never be forgotten. For a community that suffered so much injustice in the past there is a real need to hold on to certain elements that will ensure the Herero name is not forgotten.
There is an elaborate ceremony when a girl is becoming a woman when she gets her first dress. It's important for Hereros to keep their culture and stories alive. The perfect addition to the dress is the hat which signifies a bull's horns. In this way, Hereros have taken a dress that should remind them of their pain, but used it to redefine their story. The story we get is one of hope, resilience, strength and survival against all odds.
As Connie Wang says in the interview, "The Herero dress is not a 19th century relic. It's a living symbol of a history I had no idea existed."
And maybe that's the major success of the dress—its existence makes people want to know more about the Herero people and therefore discover their story in the process.
