AUNUA LIVING
NAIROBI, A CITY WITH TWO FACES A personal story from the Kibera Slums.
THINK,TELL, TEACH When a parent decides to leave...and the impact it has on those left behind.
DELICIOUS & NUTRITIOUS Quick & easy recipes to copy or to alter to suit your family and taste.
Issue 02.01 | June 2020
Changing the world, one plant at a time
www.ql-global.com
EDITOR'S WELCOME
Even One Is One Too Many..... As we open our TV screens and see the atrocities that happen daily, hourly and minutely in our world, who can blame us if we were to say that all hope is lost? What we allow ourselves to do to each other and the world in terms of violence, misery, trolling, bullying, and destruction is nothing short of insanity. I think, if we could look at ourselves from the perspective of a wider lens, many of us would be appalled by what we see, myself included. Let's try and make life and living as enjoyable as possible for anyone, everyone and everything we come across. All my love to you, you and you!
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AUNUA LIVING
CONTENT 07
10 SIMPLE STEPS...
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Is working from home driving you slightly mad? Here are ten great tips to make life a little bit easier.
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KIBERA SLUMS
What does it feels like when a parent decides to leave, and, what are the implications for those left behind?
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A first hand account of the two faces of Nairobi City in Kenya where luxury and misery very much live side by side.
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I HAVE A DREAM
FUTURE YOU2.0 Tap in to your inner sat-nav and begin staking out your future, as you wish to live it.
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DELICIOUS & TASTY Each month, we share our favourite sweet and savoury recipes, for you to adapt as you wish to suit you best.
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An energetic conversation between our founder Karina Murray and Kenyan journalist Hassan Kunune.
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MY STORY
LIVING WITHOUT FEAR Imagine, if fear wasn't a factor, what could you do, who could you be and where could you go?
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SEEKING THE DREAM Hundreds of thousands seek a better life in Gonzague Ville in the beautiful Ivory Coast...
CONTRIBUTORS LUCIE CUNNINGHAM My Story • P13
HASSAN HAKELE The Two Faces Of Nairobi City • P17
JENNY MCSWEENEY If Fear Wasn't A Factor • P28
LYNESY HANRATTY Future You 2.0 • P31
E. COUTINHO Looking At The Horizon • P34
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Learn about the world with the world.
www.belouga.org
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SIMPLE STEPS TO MASTER WORKING FROM HOME Get Organised, Get Effective, Get Satisfied By Kajsa Kinsella
Don't judge the day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you sow.
Holy Moly, this working from home can certainly bring you to tearing your hair out! Phone calls; texts; deliveries; notifications; zoom's; emails; deadlines; children; breakfast; lunch; dinner; pets; spouses; parents; siblings and, and, and..! Here are ten simple and useful tips on how to master the days of working-from-home a little better. Ideas to help you regain your focus, tips which benefit your well being and tricks on understanding what really matters.
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1
Get Into A Positive Rut! Wake up early, brush your teeth & wash your face with cold, fresh water. Smile at yourself in the mirror. Decide that today is going to be a great day, a productive day and a fun day. You won't believe how much you can change by speaking to yourself in a positive tone, try it out and you'll see!
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Make A To Do-List It might sound tedious but, the fact is that if you do make a To Do-List, you are 80% more likely to actually get something done! It allows your brain to begin processing the tasks at hand, and, seeing it written down on a piece of paper jolts you into action. Let's face it, there is nothing better than to put a "tick" at the end of each job! A tip is to make a "Today-List" "Week-List" & "Month-List" so you don't feel overwhelmed.
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3
No Phone Until After Breakfast
Can you remember a time before there were mobile phones? I do, and I can also remember that it was quite a wonderful feeling of "being just me". Allow yourself to be just you, to see, hear, smell and feel the morning. Pour yourself a cup of tea, make your breakfast. Be just you.
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Get Your Priorities Right Only working, Only pushing, Only chasing is not going to work, and before long, you will burn yourself out! Take count of the things that are important to you as a person, make sure to make time for this in your daily routine and feed your soul with something other than musts, needs and pursuits.
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Focus, Stop Multi tasking
Kids, pets, husbands, wives, notifications, emails, telephones, colleagues, breakfast, lunch, dinner, aaaaaarhgg!!!!! If you do too many things at the same time, you get half of nothing done, as they say. I know that it's hard, especially in these lock down times, but, try your best to focus on one task at a time.
Make Lunch & Eat It!
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Tell me, who can resist a home-cooked meal? Take off your "work hat", relax and make a delicious & nutritious lunch for yourself and your family. Sit down, be present, smile, chat and wind down. Both you, your family and your work will benefit from it.
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Phone A Friend
Working from home is an intense situation, whether you have family around you or not, and, speaking to someone who is not in your "bubble" can be very insightful and refreshing.
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Take a stroll with anyone but your phone By now, you have most likely been on your phone or a computer for at least 6 hours and, it's time, yet again to switch off. Get your shoes on, leave the phone in the kitchen and out you go!
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Take Count Of What You Have Achieved
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Sleep Safe & Sound Zzzzzzz, it should be no problem falling asleep, you say, after days like these? One thing I have had to learn is not to bring my phone to bed with me. The added hours I spend on it, when I should have been asleep are true thieves of next day's activity levels. Switch off, sleep safe and sound and wake up refreshed!
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Different days bring different harvest, and hopefully you will have a more productive day today than yesterday and, if not, there is always tomorrow! Also, don't forget to acknowledge the seeds you have sown.
Igniting the Genius In Every Single Child
www.geniusu.com
ACT AS IF WHAT YOU DO MAKES A DIFFERENCE. IT DOES WILLIAM JAMES
MY STORY
THE MISSING LINK WHEN A PARENT DECIDES TO LEAVE
BY LUCIE CUNNINGHAM
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WALKING A LONESOME ROAD
I was merely 5 months old when my biological Mum died by taking her own life, and it was a shock to my tiny being from which I will never recover. Thankfully, I was far too young to remember anything of what happened, but, the scars of my perceived abandonment and rejection still live within me. It all happened 44 years ago and I have been fortunate enough to have lived for 15 years beyond the age my mother Christine was, when her young life ended so suddenly. Certainly, when I look back, it would have had to be a very defining moment in my life. A baby needs their Mother more than anyone else in the world during their formative years. They need them for food, for comfort, for safety, love and trust. This relationship (and that of our father and siblings) forges the foundations upon which every other relationship we have in our lives is based on. I missed out on that safety net, that and it, in many ways, made me into a woman I mightn't have been, had my mother chosen to live. But this is not meant to be a sad tale, nor one of pity, it's simply my story and by telling it, I hope it might be of comfort to someone who is going through life the way I did. So, what is life like without a mother present to steer you, to protect you, to cuddle you and to pick you up when you fall? It is difficult to answer that question as I would not have known what life would have been like with a mum there, certainly not a biological mum.
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WHAT IF
&W H A T I F N O T
The wish for wanting to be just like everyone else, blending in & making peace.
The very first time I felt "different" was when I was 7 years old. Our school chose four girls out of 50 (and the same with the boy’s school) to offer up the Communion Gifts at our First Holy Communion. I was chosen as one of those girls. When I looked at the other girls who were selected with me, one had also lost her Mum as a young child and the other two girls were adopted... Were we chosen by kind people who wanted to help make us feel special? Probably. But, looking back now, it made me stand out so much more than I had wished for and as a young child, the last thing you want is to be different!
My father too had a lot of tragedy in his life as he buried not one but 2 wives within 4 years of each other, my Mum being the second. The burden on his shoulders was getting ever heavier. As a business man for an international company and therefor traveled a lot around the world for business, he suddenly found himself on his own with five children and therefor had no choice but to employ a Nanny to look after all of us, ranging in ages from 11 years to 5 months, myself being the youngest. I do remember the fear striking me like a bolt of thunder when I realized that there were rumors that some people in our neighborhood suggested to my father to put us up for adoption, but, thankfully he didn’t (although the tricks that were played on me, being the youngest, I wonder what would have been a better option… I jest of course!)
I was very lucky to have been the favourite of the Nanny my Dad had employed to look after us. She lived at home with us from when I was 1 year old until I was 8, when my Dad remarried, for the 3rd time. She would let me bunk off school, much to the disgust of my 4 older siblings! I think it was as much for me to be company for her as it was for my own sake. I struggled at school due to hearing problems since I was little, so I was more than happy to stay home whenever it was offered. We all deal with various issues and challenges in life, and, if I could, I would have loved to be able to go back and change the hand I was dealt. I often wonder "what if" and "what if not". Would my life have been different if my birth mum hadn’t died so prematurely? I have to say, that I think it would. As an effect of my childhood, I am a very emotionally independent person. I have had to be, as I have learnt that I can't get too close to people because they will all be gone sooner or later. That was the experience I had: first my Mum, then my Nanny and relationships, including a marriage.
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As with the butterfly, adversity is necessary to build character in people. Joseph B. Wirthlin.
I often wonder would I have been more chatty? More fun, more brave? Would I have been a good sailor (my maternal family are all sailors, and my Grandfather represented Ireland in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics). As my life progressed, it was an easy excuse to blame the death of my Mum on any and every bad thing that happened to me, especially as a teenager. Being a Mum of 3 teenagers myself now, I know all too well how emotions and hormones can rage havoc. Imagine having the perfect backlash…. “I wish my Mum never died”, “My life would be perfect if my Mum was here etc… Even on some occasions I would storm off on the 40 minute walk to the cemetery, only turning around after I had cooled off, to apologize to my step mum who was kind enough to bring me. I have been very fortunate to have forged many great friendships which will last a lifetime. Many have been with me through thick and thin. On the good days and on the bad days…and there have been many of both. These friendships have been my rock, my anchor. They have steadied me when life was just too hard and also partied and celebrated during the good times with me. I am blessed to have a fulfilled life, one where I am at peace, both with my own mental health, my 3 beautiful children, my friendships and my working life (all in that order of importance). I know there are divided opinions on this, but, about 3 times in my life, I went to a “Medium” and each time, the experience left me feeling more convinced that those that have gone before us are still among us. Each sitting made me feel closer to my Mum and in a strange way it gave me peace about my own death (hopefully not for many decades to come!) as the one person in the world I have always missed will be waiting for me. In the meantime? Life goes on and I look forward to one day becoming a Grandmother and passing on all that love to others. Life is what you make of it. If you dwell on the bad hand you were dealt, you will never have peace in your life and, if you are lucky enough to have a Mum in your life, pick up the phone, send her flowers and take her out when the lock down eases. No one will ever love you more.
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T HE
P L I GHT
OF
S L UMS NAIROBI, THE CITY WITH TWO FACES. By Hassan H. Kunune They call it the city with two faces-my
Slums are settlements characterized by
home town, Nairobi city. One part as
inadequate access to safe water,electricity,
modern as any city, with luxurious hotels,
infrastructure, overcrowded housing and
bars, shopping and restaurants. And one
lack of sanitation.
part dilapidated, neglected, abandoned and simply left to fend for itself.
Life here is built on insecurities, on fear
I too lived here, and am nowadays lucky
for survival and on long forgotten
to live in a safer part of our city, but, for
dreams. I too once had my shelter at the
very very many men, women and
renowned Kibera Section 5, "House To
children, fortune didn't favored them as it
Ghettos".
did me. This is a story of Nairobi's Kibera slums
Life here is truly unbearable, and having
in Kenya. It is the largest slums in Africa
a thrice meal a day is as likely as finding
and the second largest worldwide,
gold in the Chalbi desert!
housing over 700,00 men, women and
I would live on one daily meal until the
children, but, according to sources, there
following day and I never knew from
can be many many more people living
where or indeed, if it would come at all.
here.
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LIVING IN DANGER Added to starvation, the constant threat of
Many times people simply go missing,
guards evicting slum dwellers in the
never to be found again.
middle of the night is another very
During this Covid-19 pandemic, God is
possible catastrophe. You can never sleep
frankly the only source of hope for many
safely; danger and the fear of attacks is
and due to this scattered settlement of up
forever hanging over your head. Sewage
to 2.5 million people, the world inevitably
disposals, or, rather, the lack of, has
will have another major setback due to
absolutely devastating consequences for
the pandemic.
the health of the people living in Kibera as
Slums are associated with youths, widows,
you can imagine.
orphans and other vulnerable people in
As there are no toilets within the slums,
our community and education or earning
people, both young and old are forced to
a better life through agriculture, isn't the
use the nearest bush or open fields and the
practiced culture here as well as it could,
risk of getting attacked is very very high.
sadly.
THE STARK DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO FACES OF NAIROBI CITY
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Both girls and boys at a tender age, are
Osman Abdi, student at Kibera primary
forced to drop out of school due to lack of
school tells me about his own experiences
the ability to pay school fees, and, the
in this place he had to call home.
schools themselves are in dire need of
"It's not that we chose to live here and
development. The lack of school
given opportunity I would have very much
structure, of actual buildings, of desks and
prefer to live in the better parts of Nairobi
proper flooring which is not safe for kids.
or in somewhere like Ireland, but we were
And, who can teach with no chalkboard or
born here and have no other place to call
essential materials that make a school
home apart from Kibera", it's for life says
being able to function such as textbooks,
Osman. He was one of the few to ever be
chalk. pens, computers, and with no way
awarded a scholarship by the renowned
of providing breakfast or lunch, kids don't
NGO SCHOFCO, due to his creativity and
have uniforms, bags, or even shoes...such
critical thinking. "I have always dreamed of
basic items for children to be in schools
being rich and famous" says Osman, in a
you might say, but in Kibera, they have
place where no one else dares to dream,
absolutely nothing.
Kibera.
All I wished for was to be rich and famous, shining brightly like the stars in the sky. My stage name is "Slim Boy", he says. The name came about due to the fact that my body is so skinny from malnutrition and, frankly, I was flat broke, he remembers with a smile. But, one day he had a great idea; why not make a song about his slimness and brokenness and perform for who ever wanted to listen. He did very well and quickly became a local brand, then grew to gain acknowledgement regionally. It unlocked my potential to money and fame, says blue-eyed and quite shy Osman. Because of his his strong faith and dedication Schofco supported him all the way to the level of university. Given the proper support, many of us both want to and can go on to further education, he says.
The Kibera housing model is built with mud walls, a corrugated tin roof with simple dirt floor. The cost is about ksh 700( ÂŁ6) and these shacks often house up to 8 or more people, with many sleeping on the floor and, if it rains, you simply have to spend the entire night standing up, as the floor is inevitably covered with wet mud. The United Nations devotion target of sustainable development goal #11 focuses on improving cities and upgrading slums but as far as Kibera, it is still only alive on the policy paper. Slums have insurmountable challenges due to overcrowding, indoor and out door air pollution, dusty roads, lack of sanitation, sewage disposal which exposes residents to huge environmental health risks, not to mention the violence, the corruption and the horrendous trading and exploitation of human lives. so, trying to make the best of things like Osman and spread some joy is certainly a very noble act.
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Children living here are exposed to the risk of catching infections diseases such as cholera and diarrhea on not a daily, but hourly basis and these are illnesses which can kill an already malnourished and exhausted child within a mere few days. For a child to celebrate his or her fifth birthday here is only achieved by the mercy of God. The mortality rate is high due to the lack of job opportunities and disease, especially sexually transmitted diseases, for which there is next to no chance of a cure. Government incentives such as distributing free condoms wont reach the inhabitants on time, and, often the deliveries are stolen and sold for a high profit.
Due to the lack of opportunities, many youths start sniffing glue with devastating effects both for the individual and for society. What might seem to be a quick solution to a problem, will eventually present a very big challenge for them to become economically useful to their societies. Being 'young' comes with many advantages such as relatively good health, more energy, fresh minds, but due to the difficulty in finding work, opportunities to skill labor appropriately makes all that advantage to go to waste in Kibera slums. The world needs to come together to build a better Kibera for people with hopes and dreams like Osman, Every person there deserves to live better lives.
Supporting youth,and women is investing in a multiple of the sustainable development goals simultaneously. if we sponsor youths through scholarship programs we, in return create many doctors, teachers in our society. By replacing casual employees with maximum wages we help them to live decent lives with good earnings which ultimately helps our economy. They then earn enough to put a permanent roof over their heads and support their families without undue financial pressures. This is the other untold story of Kibera slums.
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O U T
O F
RUBBISH W E
M A K E
A HOME www.upcycleafrica.org
IRRESISTIBLE
ICE TEA 4 DIFFERENT WAYS, SIMPLY MADE
Easy, Nutritios, Delicious
LEMON
PEACH
STRAWBERIES
CUCUMBER
CHOPPED
SLICED
HALVED
You Will Need: Strongly brewed & cooled black tea. Sugar to taste. Fresh, flavourful ingredients.
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SLICED
Make THE easiest ice tea in no time: 1. Brew a large pot of really strong tea, I would suggest 1 tea bag/cup, plus one more. Add sugar. 2. Let brew and cool it has reached room temperature. Remove the tea bags. 3. Add your delicious ingredients, let sit for another while then serve with ice cubes and a pretty straw.
No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
115 g salted butter, melted 85 g graham cracker crumbs 240 g sugar 280 g creamy peanut butter, divided 180 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
Line a 9Ă—9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar together in a bowl. Add to the baking pan, press down evenly then add 250 g of the peanut butter. Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter with the chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove. Stir until smooth. Spread over peanut butter layer.Chill in the refrigerator until completely firm, at least 2 hours. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve chilled..
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Sandwiches  Ways Mmm, summer is finally here and, we can go out side and eat! Sandwiches are a pick nick staple, and, with SO many wonderful ingredients and delicious types of bread, you can really let your imagination blossom.
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Traditional Summer Sandwich Sesame seed bap, thinly sliced smoked ham, crisp lettuce, mature Cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes & a touch of mayonnaise.
Strong Man's Sandwich Whole meal bread, mashed avocado, poached egg, sauteed spinach, crispy red cabbage & Philadelphia cheese.
Light & Fresh Sandwich Rustic rye bread, cottage cheese, smoked salmon, fresh lettuce, sliced chili peppers, zesty olives, lemon and a sprinkle of cresse.
LEEK, BELL PEPPER & CHEESE QUICHE
Quiche is such a versatile dish. As long as you don't disturb the liquid/egg balance, you can add practically anything to the mix. Shrimps, mushrooms, vegetables, ham, cheeses, greens. Whatever you happen to have in your larder, the choice is yours!
5-6 Portions Time 40 Minutes You will need: Sheet of Short Crust Pastry 2 Bell Peppers 1 Leek 3 Eggs 330 ml Cream 150 ml Milk 150 g Strong Cheese Salt (to taste) Ground Black Pepper A pinch of Cayenne Pepper Dried Thyme Olive Oil
Carefully add the pastry to your quiche form, press down and bake for 10-12 minutes at 180 C. Wash the bell peppers, remove all seeds and cut in to thin slices. Wash and slice the leek into thin strips and gently fry both leek and peppers on the pan for 5-6 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. In a bowl, mix milk and cream with the eggs, pepper, thyme and a little salt. Add the leek and pepper mixture to the pastry and pour over the egg mixture. Sprinkle over grated strong cheese and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve with fresh sallad, yum!!!
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I Have A Dream By Hassan Halakhe A historic address by our AUNUA Academy CEO Karina Murray during the launch our new website.
I HAVE A DREAM ! Roared Karina, from the tough economic suffering, many African countries and with the sudden unfortunate realities ranging from Covid19, to food insecurity, water shortage, poor educational promise, am essentially opening my wings to cover African countries who rely on aid. This is visible and believable challenges that hinder African countries from rebooting they economy and through AUNUA Africa, here lies another good opportunity to leapfrog them,there by, echoing Civil activist Mahatma Gandhi's historic speech in south African upon his landing!
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While am essentially dancing to Gandhi's good activism; during a match in Soweto, south Africa, for jobs and freedom, in which he called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in South Africa. AUNUA Academy CEO's speech was addressing poverty measures in Africa especially for nomadic farmers in Isiolo county,Kenya, who depend on pastoralism economy and due to climate change phenomenon they economy is falling and inability to access to their own natural resources of circumstantial poverty.
The Day My Dreams Can Begin To Realize, Is TODAY! I have a dream that one day, AUNUA Africa will implement much needed agrarian reforms and ensuring food security in Africa through irrigation and perfectly using Ewaso Nyiro river to provide food and catalyses their economic growth; in the process, providing clean water to curb water shortage and the long distance they women walk to the river to fetch water on their backs!( emotional Karina said) saving women is saving our society hence initiating and supporting UN sustainable development goals no 1 of ending poverty in all its form everywhere. I have a dream that one day, AUNUA Africa will sponsor 5000 kids up to the university and they will come back to their society to save lives in either teaching, medicine or agriculture areas ,supporting sustainable development goals of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all unlike our current happenings where children drop out of school due to lack of school fees or early marriages. Aunua Africa will enforce and recommend relevant measures for policy implementations. In enhancing and restructuring our service delivery, both AUNUA Academy and AUNUA Africa will work together in order to create an enabling environment and opportunity to harness the positive power of human mobility.
We shall partner with global patrons in order to drive African countries stability and economic growth. In the same line, we shall highly invest in education, water projects, irrigation, orphanage support because the resilient population is key to competing effectively in the global economy. I strongly believe in partnership prosperity and so here by welcome any investor opportunity in Africa through AUNUA Africa initiatives to come onboard and unlock, the highly potential African markets. I have a dream that one day, AUNUA Africa will initiate an organized local communities through cooperative societies, so that their livestock produce will add input to their growing GDP. I have a dream that one day, nomadic farmers in Isiolo county in Kenya, will hit the sky and poverty will be part of history, roared Karina! That day, the day my dreams to be realized, is starting TODAY, and I ask your hand of support, in partnering with AUNUA Africa dreams....and our new global Center Of Excellence, roared Karina with much enthusiasm and courage coupled with her bright smile!
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NEXT ISSUE
BRING ON THE SUMMER!! LIFE & LAUGHTER
QUICK AND EASY SAVOURY & SWEET MUFFINS
DEEPLY PERSONAL AND ENGAGING STORIES
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IF FEAR WASN'T A FACTOR... What Would You Achieve? By Jenny McSweeney
Food For Tought So here we have it. Staring us straight in the face, but how many times have we really had to look at a heading or sentence like this. How many times have we had to stop and think of this as a possibility. The answer for many is very rarely or never.
Why would I even use a heading like this ? Well the funny thing is that about 2 years ago I, myself, had to read; look at; focus on and find an answer to this very question. It was one of the weekends of my coaching diploma course and I walked into a room with these very words written on the back wall... So, for just a second, picture in your mind 20 adults walking into the room, everyone full of chatter and excitement for what they were about to experience and add to their coaching knowledge. As we enter, we see huge paper sheets stuck to the back wall with the words "If Fear Wasn't A Factor, What Would You Achieve?"
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Seeking The Answer By the event leader, we were told to hurry and write down an answer to the question straight away, but the truth is that it actually took a lot longer than you would think. If fear wasn't a factor in my life, what would I do, what could I do? I had a brain freeze and actually couldn't think of anything. How come it took me so long to delve inwards? Why would that be? Well, it is because of our self limiting beliefs, our social conditioning and simply the fact that we never really, truly challenge ourselves like this as adults, unlike when we were children. Ask a child what they would like to be when they grow up and the only thing that isn’t attached to their answer is fear. They will say Astronaut, Giant or even Superhero! Nothing is impossible to children. It’s such a shame that we loose that sense of power. But, why do we loose it? The answer is that children haven’t been influenced by someone else’s self-limiting beliefs up to that point but unfortunately most will be before long.
It's A Kind Of Magic So let’s get down to what would and could happen if fear wasn’t a factor. What is it that you could achieve? I would like to invite you to write down 1 to 3 things that you would really, really like to do. Big or small, mad or sane. Once you eliminate fear out of any situation you gain a kind of power that allows you to find a way towards that goal. Are you brave enough to take the step? Are you serious enough about your goal to really challenge the status quo of what we perceivable can or cannot achieve. And, YES, anything is possible. Anything is achievable. Once you make that decision and become solution-focused, you create magic. YES I mean MAGIC.
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Are You Brave Enough? Can you remember any time that you didn’t take no for an answer? Can you remember the outcome of that resilience? If I was to guess I would say you got massive success and satisfaction and that’s the thing; on the other side of fear is ALWAYS success, but only if you are brave enough to go for it. As you’re reading this you’re probably thinking "if it was this easy surely everyone would be doing it". I never said it was easy also, I know for a fact that it is not easy. It’s simple to talk about but not so easy to implement.
Tell the world what you're going to do, but, first show them. Fear Of Failure The biggest killer of most people’s dreams is telling someone that’s not aligned to you, your plans . This could be close friends or family. If your plans are not their goal, they will never ever understand it at your level and what they will pass on to you is their own selflimiting beliefs. So, not only do you have to now battle the self limiting beliefs you’ve been collecting all your life, you now have new ones to add to your own as well! I know you might laugh but that is how we aimlessly travel through life at times. So, what I would love for you is to make you more aware of what excites you. What you want to achieve and above all, who you are. Wait to decide whether to tell or not tell about your ideas until you have a solid plan in place that can’t be knocked down. Go on, you can do it.
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FUTURE YOU 2.0 DARE TO DREAM
By Lynsey hanratty
If you could look in to the future, what would you see? While it’s difficult at this time to truly look into the crystal ball and see the future, it’s even more important than ever to imagine what Future You is doing. But the reality is (even in these uncertain times) that if you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to get there? Where’s the journey taking you? What’s your intuition telling you, and are you tapping into that ‘inner sat-nav’ while you make your plans and goals? I use the following visualization exercise every morning as part of my journaling routine, and admittedly some days are easier than others to look into my crystal ball. But it keeps me focused, driven and striving to be better.
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The future depends on what we do in the present. Mahatma Ghandi
Am I Seeing Things? You might think visualisation is a bit ‘woo’ but the reality is if you can’t visualise what you want from your Future and from Future You 2.0 - that wiser, more confident you - how are you going to create them?
How Will You Ever See Where You’re Going? How will you hit the bullseye - that goal, dream or vision you have for your life, career or business?If ‘being successful’ is the dream what does that look like to you right now? What does it mean to you in 3 months, 6 months, 1 years’ time? How will you quantify it? What will success bring to you?
"How will Future You 2.0 take that stand, what do you represent? How will you help others to fulfill their goals and dreams?"
If "more money and profit" is a goal - what does that look like? What are you spending it on? Who are you spending it with? How does it make you feel?Being crystal clear with your crystal ball means having a clear image of Future You 2.0 and then working backwards to see how you can bridge the gap from Present You to Future You.It’s not about finding fault with your current situation or the current version of you - it’s about looking at ways to get even better at what you do - to learn, to grow as an employer, employee, entrepreneur and more importantly - as a human being. This is not about perfection - done is always better than perfect! Now more than ever we need people like you to stand up and be leaders in their field, have a vision for what they want in these uncertain times. To show us their amazing skills and talents to make the world a better, more innovate, more creative place.
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VISION DEVELOP IT
Be Curious
DIRECTION DISCOVER IT
Having mapped out what Future You 2.0 wants to achieve, it’s time to get curious about Future You 2.0 who already has what you want: What do you look like? Who are you collaborating or working with? What are you working on? What plans, dreams and aspirations does Future You 2.0 have? How do you show up for yourself and for others? What are your priorities? What do you believe in? What are your daily habits that keep you striving for success? What are you known for?
PEOPLE & YOU
Embodying Future You 2.0 When you’ve worked through the curiosities and quirks and strengths of Future You, you can start to embody the You who has it all, start moving towards embodying what your future self looks like. You don’t need to wait for other things to fall into place, or ask for anyone’s permission to become that person, you ARE that person already!
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Start with one aspect of Future You that you can work on straight away - if they wear a certain type of clothes, get them now. If they want a certain job, start looking now at the qualifications and experience required and move in the right direction. If they’re an expert in a certain area, start studying now. If they have a suite of clients on a wait list to work for Future You 2.0, find one of those clients now. These actions and the visualization process are a small step towards your next level identity that you can start claiming TODAY. What's yours? What can you do right now to grow and evolve into the person who has everything you've been dreaming of?
Ivory Coast, The Dream Destination, For Some... WATCHING THE HORIZON
By E. Coutinho
R
ecounts of a travelling film maker & photographer.
As a Brazilian man, I am fortunate to be able to travel around the world as a photographer, film maker and documentary. It is a job which often gives me immense joy and devastating sorrow all at the same time. As I look upon the world through my lens, protecting my soul from what I see is often much harder than I could have ever imagined.
When you look at images of the stunning shore lines of the Ivory Coast, it certainly looks like a dream with its incredibly white sandy beaches, warm water and caressing sunlight. It certainly seems like a place of prosperity and abundance. And, for many Africans of Sub-Sahara African origin, it is, as this is where they seek to travel, with the hope of a better life than they left behind.
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To be specific, they wish to reach Gonzague Ville, on the south east coast of the country. It is a village, located in the Port Boßet district of Abidjan and is a gateway for many who seek life in the capital of the Ivory Coast, most people get there by land, but there are also those who arrive by sea, in their traditional fisherman boats, known as Piroga. Over the years, especially after the independence of the Ivory Coast, this path has become more popular. As much as the influx of people brings a mixture of cultures, languages, rhythm, joy, knowledge and evolution, it unfortunately also increases poverty, disregard for human beings and it widens the social distance between rich and poor.
I see homesickness in their eyes. Certainly, Gonzague Ville has some stories of overcoming and that of success, but with a huge concentration of immigrants from all over Africa, the difficulties in accessing school, university or work, becomes more and more unlikely with every person that arrives and, at this moment, is actually at the risk of extinction. Many left their homelands, their roots, their traditions and loved ones and migrated from their country of origin in search of a better life, but found only impossible social labyrinths, heavy, dirty air, having to face a lack of a sanitary system, a lack of access and/or transportation to reach the door of that longawaited dream of employment.
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As I travel around, I see homesickness in the eyes of many, stuck in a social abyss with no way of returning home or climbing their way to the top for air and prosperity.
“I am surrounded by warriors, who never, ever give up”
From here, due to the proximity of the airport and the road, it is possible to hear both the roaring expensive planes and powerful engines of luxury cars, mixed with the cry of misery and hunger from those who, most days, only feed once a day. It breaks my heart and is so sad to hear this soundtrack of hurt and hopelessness, completely opposite to the vision of the Ivory Coast, a beautiful, stunning place, with people who, despite their peril, greet you with an easy smile and a wonderful generosity.
What impresses me the most here is the fact that I'm in "another kind of world" so to speak, among people with a deeper level of talent and fight for survival. These people are warriors who struggled to migrate, who fought to generate opportunities and create an income for their families, despite the very apparent lack of opportunity or access to a better living. Our conversations make me feel very sad as I fear that the world has forgotten about the west of Africa, and with several Gonzague Ville's, spreading across the entire continent, these people need support, investment and acknowledgement. As I travel around, it is possible to see the government's efforts and work to create a more decent living for the inhabitants. We know that migration worldwide, sometimes brings progress and sometimes disorder but step by step, the Ivory Coast government bring improvements to Gonzague Ville, creating energy sources and sanitation systems and building access to transport, but, we know that it takes time to reach all points in the Village, but here is my thank you and recognition to the government that is working on bringing solutions. Here is also my appeal form the people of Gonzague Ville. Let's help these people to see the horizon.
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What We Do
Aunua Academy is an Irish non-profit organisation which focuses on kids and young people`s emotional health and well being as well as global humanitarian issues. Our dedication stems from a deep passion for every child being allowed to be kids in any way, shape or form. We celebrate difference and promote self care and awareness. We are committed to assist the young people of today in navigating their way through the jungle that is our world, providing them with stamina, self assurance and security. Do you want to feature in our magazine & tell your story? www.aunuacademy.com Contact us on info@aunuaacademy.com
Supporting Our World, One Person At A Time WWW.WHIS.UK