Today
I take you to one of my most favourite
country in the entire world - Kenya. It's August and I am celebrating women from
all around the world, today I share my
interview with an extra-ordinary versatile and inspiring woman. I have a love for Africa and Nanjira
represents Africa in every way, she is proudly Kenyan and her Mantra is:
'Africa isn't poor, just mismanaged.' Please be inspired by her interview
below:
Me: Please
describe yourself in five words?
Nanjira: Analytical.
Artistic. Quirky. Afropolitan. Polymath.
Me: Where
were you born and what do you love about your country?
Nanjira: I
was born (and raised) in Nairobi, Kenya. We are a hustler people. Enterprising.
Always falling forward. Rolling with the punches. That’s the people. The
country: I appreciate the peace and stability that we maintain, even though it
often is at the tipping point. We somehow rebalance the scale and keep marching
on. I appreciate the fact that 50 years of independence have seen patriotic
Kenyans come before me, fight battles that have constituted the freedoms I
enjoy today, and for that, I salute them.
Me: What
are some of the activities you enjoy doing in your free time?
Nanjira: I
set aside time to just laze around and not think or do anything in particular.
Else, I always have a reading list to tick off.
Me: Your
most fondest memory?
Nanjira: It’s
like a continuing memory really. I am fortunate to meet and interact with
people who always blow my mind, and remind me of the beauty that is humanity. I
love that my time with most people isn’t tainted ‘isms’ and schisms -sexism,
racism, tribalism...the fondest takeout is always that we are humans first;
that’s the point of departure that informs everything else. And so I always
smile as that memory gets piled on :)
Me: Your
top five books?
Nanjira: A
Man Of The People- Chinua Achebe.
Their
Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Encounters
from Africa: An Anthology of Short Stories (by various amazing African
authors).
To
Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Long
Walk To Freedom- Nelson Mandela.
Me: What
are you passionate about?
Nanjira: Life,
and living it to the fullest.
Humanity
- finding that solid, unshakeable foundation, off which humanity bears equality
and justice for all. Africa- it’s my motherland, and like I always say, it’s
not poor, just mismanaged. We have got to show that it is so.
Me: What
does it mean to be a Woman in Africa?
Nanjira: It
means opportunity to chart new paths.So many have come before me/us, and have
paved the way, fought tough battles, and somewhat made it easier for us to
raise our voices, stand our ground , fight for our rights, and lean in. It
means running our part of the race, and by the time we hand on over the baton
to the next generation, we’ve also made it easier, not more difficult for
them. It means challenges, overcoming
the numerous hurdles that sometimes seem to be erected just to keep a woman
down. It means responsibility, because with the unprecedented opportunities for
us out there, a few false moves and we justify whatever notions are held
against women.
It
means being unashamed and unapologetic for rebranding womanhood.
It
also means it’s not a zero-sum game. These opportunities available to African
women, are not at the expense of the African man. It’s about progressing,
advocating and championing for rights,liberties and freedoms in a manner that
brings women to the table, but doesn’t bump off the men. Else, we’ll be
offsetting another crisis a little ways down the line.
It
means the African Women’s Decade.
Me: Please
share your thoughts on Education
Nanjira: Goes
without saying that it’s a basic and fundamental right for all. I am a
beneficiary of education, and so I am an advocate for its universality. It
bothers me how we’ve institutionalized education, the world over, in a manner
that locks out so many. I don’t believe the only mark of being educated should
remain as ‘graduating from Institution X’, especially in this Knowledge
Economy, where information, and therefore education is a few clicks away for
some, a few books away for others. At the end of the day, the ultimate ‘stamp’
of being educated (not the same as receiving education), should be displayed in
experience, not just a piece of paper.
Me: Please
share your thoughts on African Heritage?
Nanjira: It’s
a beautifully complex thing. On the one hand, Africa is not a country, that our
heritage is homogeneous. On the other, different communities, kingdoms and
other groupings passed down a tradition or other, some have made it to
present-day history, others didn’t, as mostly they were archived orally/folklore.
We then have the other dynamic that ‘pure’ forms of our heritage have, over
time, been influenced by others. I think of the heritage we are creating today,
and what will be passed on to future African generations- it cannot be defined
as one thing, or pinned down to a few sentences. It’s a myriad of wonders.
We’ll have weeded out some norms that aren’t compatible with our present day
lives.
I
like talking to older folk- our grandparents’ and great grandparents’
generations, to tune in to the folklore that was passed along. To hear about
growing up in colonial times,how they navigated the new and old traditions they
were exposed to. I also hope that we can capture as much of it as possible, as
we try as a continent, and as diverse countries/communities to figure out where
we’ve come from, and where we are going.
Me: What
does the statement "Science meet Creativity" mean to you?
Nanjira: It
means me. Who I am. The reality I live in, which is an infusion of one into the
other. I also believe the two are inseparable. They aren’t standalone entities.
They are at their best when coexistent in an idea or a thought,activity etc.
Me: Academics
and Music - Which is your first love and why?
Nanjira: Possibly
music, because I interacted with it way before I stepped into school
(kindergarten). I was a jukebox of a baby!
Me: You
have been involved in many movements and initiatives, what drives you to be a
part of them?
Nanjira: Yes.
I love getting involved as a conduit, not necessarily as a founder or owner.
I’m all about pushing things forward and ensuring they are sustainable and
relevant, that they have buy-in from people. Anywhere I see an opportunity to
make that happen, and where I’m invited to do so, there I am :)
Me: How
do you deal with challenges that come with being part of these projects?
Nanjira: I’m
generally a very easy-going person, and all about getting the job done. So
depending on whatever challenge that arises, my fashion of dealing with it is
by asking ‘how do we get the job done regardless?’
Me: Who
inspires you and why?
Nanjira: Lots
of people do, from world leaders to ‘ordinary’, uncelebrated citizens. Anyone
doing something to change a status quo they are uncomfortable with (sometimes
even contentious ones) inspire me. Anyone whose journey to change is relatable
is a great source of inspiration to me.
Me: What
are some of the challenges in your opinion do you think that African people are
facing?
Nanjira: One
particular challenge that has been weighing on my mind is the leadership crisis
we face. That we are still holding on to great men like Madiba, who paved the
way for a new style of leadership...that we haven’t filled in the gap that was
inevitable when leaders like he stepped away from the spotlight. It seems that
we are often raising a clarion call ‘who will fight for us?’ as opposed to the
fighting spirit being the launching pad for organizing ourselves and ASSIGNING
PEOPLE TO LEADERSHIP. It bothers me.
I
get it though, this continent also lost leaders who were out to set the
‘national’ and ‘continental’ spirit. Think the founding fathers. Thomas
Sankara. Patrice Lumumba. Other great leaders like Steve Biko. Tom Mboya. It is
disheartening, but not in any way an excuse to remain stuck in this rut of poor
leadership. We need to figure out where we want to go, in our different
communities and as a continent, for where that may apply, and then ASSIGN
people to steer us there, not to decide for us. We have got to stop relegating
our future to the mirage of
ideal leaders we seek every time we take to the ballot or group around an
issue.
Me: How
do we overcome those challenges?
Nanjira: It
isn’t as easy, nor is it that difficult/impossible. It’s a battle of minds, and
hearts. There isn’t a formula or algorithm, much as the scientific me wishes
there was one.
Me: Best
advise you have ever received?
Nanjira: To
thine own self be true.
Me: What
are some of the virtues you live by that makes you who you are
Nanjira: Compassion.
Humility. Curiosity (I think is an uncelebrated virtue).
Me: Where
can people connect with you?
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