Sikiliza

  Some nights, the sky feels utterly starless, doesn't it? A heavy blanket of darkness where you lose the felt memory of the warmth of the sun or the gentle light of the moon. I have been walking through one of those starless nights lately, a season when my own heart is learning the clumsy dance of holding grief while composting old wounds that have scarred over and healed. It was in this quiet darkness that a gift arrived, not with a loud announcement, but like a steady, gentle flame. That gift is Faith Njahĩra Wangarĩ’s newly published ebook,  Love, Grief and Healing: Your companion through loss and discovery .  It is a bright torch, and its light is guiding the way home to myself. I am honoured and touched to know Faith, my fellow feminist sibling, and so it is a profound experience to receive the gift of her words and reflections. Her book is a generous, raw, honest, and profoundly moving account of her healing journey, which validates the path I am on to be more pres...

For my birthday this year, I have been reflecting deeply on the past twelve months. So much is profoundly different from this time last year—so much so that when I got the opportunity to be in the same physical space as my last birthday, I jumped at it. So, I sit here now, having escaped the cold, wintery Murang’a for a slightly sunnier spot, reflecting on what this birthday is bringing up for me. One overwhelming feeling is gratitude . I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be present and to mark yet another year in this crazy, mad world. What a time to be alive, witnessing so much heartbreak as well as its antidote and expressions of deep compassion. Surviving and thriving these days seems like nothing short of a miracle each waking day. There are many ways I work through my feelings and emotions, each finding a different string and pattern to run with. In some ways, they truly work themselves out through my beadwork. I love the idea of unstringing and putting the beads back tog...

Last week, I found myself in the auditorium of the Nairobi National Museum, attending the memorial and celebration of the late Senior Counsel Phiroze Nowrojee. The air thick with a palpable sense of loss, yet interwoven with it was a powerful current of collective memory and profound respect for one of Kenya's true legal heroes.  Tributes flowed, shared stories sparked both laughter and tears, and poignant quotes echoed through the space, collectively painting a vivid picture of Phiroze Nowrojee's remarkable, invaluable, and enduring legacy. He was, without a doubt, a champion of justice and a fervent supporter of creative expression and his influence on Kenya immeasurable. Yet, as I later recounted the memorial of this extraordinary icon to a young Gen Z, I was met with a blank stare. "Who is Phiroze Nowrojee?"  The name didn't ring a bell. Neither did many of the other names I mentioned, names synonymous with Kenya's arduous journey that led us to enjoy the...

I begin this new month mind filled with mixed emotions. The memories of recent protests, the violence, the loss, and the weight of unresolved injustices weigh heavily on the Kenyan spirit.   It is easy to feel adrift. But it is precisely in these times of great tribulation that we must return to the wealth of great stories that remind us of  Kenya's indomitable spirit , our capacity for courage, and our unwavering belief in a freer, more just tomorrow. Today, I want to share the story of someone who grew into a formidable force, leaving an enduring legacy that inspires many to this day. Her determination and work not only shifted the course of history in Kenya but also endured as part and parcel of our present-day resistance struggles for a better life and environment. On dark, cold nights when our spirits are low, we sit around the fire and regale the stories that warm our hearts and restore our resolve. Much like our night dreams, sharing stories often uses symbolic language...