Balance for Better

Issue 05 March 2019

JERI MUCHURA

Empowering Women through Photography

Balance for Better MARCH 2019 1

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MARCH 2019

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Like many things in life, you will get out of it what you put into it but you are in control and you can listen closely to your body and adapt the work-out as you get fitter. A spin class is low impact and requires no complex choreography – you don’t even need to know how to ride a bike, as its fixed, stationary and impossible to fall off!

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With experienced instructors, you’re looking for an all-out cardio blast that can take up as little as 30 minutes of your time.

Sounds great on paper but we know plenty of people are intimidated by the idea of stepping foot inside a Spin studio for worrying about whether they’ll be pushed too hard or the fact they’ll be the newbie.

Spin studios are full of people who are working hard and it gets hot in there. Make sure you wear breathable clothes to make your workout far more comfortable and enjoyable. Spinning is sweaty work, so having water with you is essential. Take small, regular sips during the workout to replace lost fluids – it’ll help you keep going for longer and should prevent you from cramping up. Consider this: an hour long ride at a moderate intensity burns approximately 420 to 622 calories at a moderate pace.

At Zeal Fitness & Aerobics Centre located at Gatura Gardens, Riara Road - Kilimani for instance, classes

Workouts are always be fun with spin classes, and as a bonus, you get to network with your classmates.

MARCH 2019 3

GET FEATURED IN

Kindness Costs Nothing Sakina S. Dossaji

No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.

Kindness is the flower that spreads joy in many a hearts, its fragrance transforming bleak and weary hearts into joyous, blooming ones.

You can see it in the shining eyes of a little girl being offered a sweet or in the gracious smile of an old lady when you help her cross the street. Giving your seat to an expectant mother in the bus speaks volumes about the generosity you possess.

We want to share your stories

Buddha also says ‘’As the rain falls on the just and unjust alike, let your heart be untroubled by judgments and let your kindness rain down on all.’’

In a harsh world, generosity is welcome like a cool, scented breeze. To care for the poor and needy whose clothes are threadbare and a platter filled scarcely. To provide a new pair of shoes to replace the worn ones.

It could be a warm smile and a hug on a long day, to understand your partner’s mood after a rough day.

They say charity begins at home. Be kind in sowing seeds of purity in your hearts, to think good of all and prevent negativity from spreading. Be kind to those who are fighting their own battles. “He who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love,” says St. Basil.

Mombasa Adventure has thousands of readers, mostly in East Africa and beyond, who are interested in your story.

An article submission is a great way to generate exposure for your company, client or brand.

We look for all kinds of relevant informational articles on the areas of Sustainable Development, Business & Travel. This includes stories on recent projects, company views, videos, new products for the captured industries, destinations and photo coverage of your amazing work.

Submit your stories today and let us tell Kenya, East Africa and the World all about you and what you do!

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MARCH 2019

Yes, kindness costs nothing. Zero. While unkindness has a price to pay. You cannot get away with hurting someone.

Karma comes in many forms and shapes.

Be the first one to smile, to extend the hand of friendship, to bend down and help pull the fallen and be kind to restore shaken faith of a tear-filled friend. Be there for all those who may need you. Life is all about joining hands and being close to one another, to offer many hands of protection of the burning candles from being blown away by the wind.

Sakina S. Dossaji is born and raised in Mombasa, Kenya. Currently residing in Tanga, Tanzania with her husband and 3 children. A teacher by profession, and a poetess by passion, she loves to write poetry, stories, articles and conduct activity clubs for kids. She is the moderator for the world’s most active and qualitative writers forum ‘Motivational Strips’ handling Tanzania. Also, she is a privileged member of World Nations Writers’ Union Kazakhstan and President of Union Hispanomundial De Escritores) Peru, writers’ union (UHE) representing Tanzania.

She is alumni of North American Montessori Centre. She was recently awarded the ‘Global Literature Guardian’

by Motivational Strips and the same endorsed by World Nations Writers’ Union and Union Hispanomundial De Escritores. She is also a recipient of the ‘Temirqazyq’ award selecting the best poet/writer of the world in 2018. She has also been in the jury for the much world coveted award ’Bold Gold Pen’ instituted by Motivational Strips.

®

Mombasa Adventure Magazine is a monthly publication by Crystal Perk Co. Ltd., This is a Sustainable Development, business & travel magazine, which brings readers information that is entertaining, relevant, useful and inspiring as it celebrates the best of East African coast, their enthusiasts and beyond. It is a culture, a community and an experience sharing all things relevant to living a purposeful life.

Balance For Better

R

Publisher Crystal Perk Co. Ltd P.O. Box 943 80100 Mombasa Tel: +254 720 410 460 info@crystalperk.com

In business and travel, as in life, March is

the gender divide. Take your time to read

often associated with fresh starts -

and connect with her to see the love for

the first quarter is coming to an end - and

her support of other women, as well as

the same questions linger, looking ahead

her radiant optimism combined with a

into the future. It is our philosophy at

dedication to hard work.

Mombasa Adventures to capture stories that you will never find on Google. Authentic and

In this month’s issue, we also focus on

pulsating views of the general East African

family, small and medium enterprises. The

market.

idea of running or starting a business may

We hope to give you succinctly covered

come naturally to some, but it is no child’s

topics with salient points to prove to you

play. Join in the stories of businesses across

that there is so much good being done

the board that are adding value through

within our communities that are yet to be

social entreneurship.

covered. Kenya is rising, and so are you our readers.

As you indulge in the issue, please shop with the businesses you see advertising

So, we bring you the new March issue, with

in this issue. Give them a call or simply

travel stories to the “Most photographed

review their products online, it goes a long

lodge in the world” that have taken us to the

way.And you are the reason we are able to

most glorious of landscapes to meet - The

put up such beautiful pieces each month

King of the Jungle. Sarova is epic. Talking

for your readership. These businesses

about the Jungle, we had spectacular time

are the backbone of our community. And

with one Lioness in the Concrete Jungle of

don’t forget to tell them you saw them in

Nairobi - the three time award winning pro-

Mombasa Adventures Magazine! Finally, we

photographer at her studio in Karen. In a

request you to subscribe to our magazine,

nutshell, she is one of the best description

write to us, and let us know what you like

of resilience, positivity and strength even

and what you would like to see more in the

in the face of adversity or triumph. We love

coming issues.

Editor Josiah Owiti Assistant Editor Hannah Adari Design & Layout Crystal Perk Co. Ltd Tel : +254 720 410 460 E-mail: info@crystalperk.com Editorial & Advertising Diana Mwaniki Tel : +254 720 410 460 E-mail: publishing@crystalperk.com Story Contributors Sakina Dossaji, Gray Mwamuye, Jo Cathe, Naphtaly Ngesa, Nandika Amatieku Macharia, Hannah Adari, Josiah Owiti, Msanifu Kombo, Sala Sekai, , Wanderlust Abby, Dennis Andanje Photography Contributors Msanifu Kombo, Joshua Wanyama, Wanderlust Abby, Zeal Fitness,The Parkers.co.uk / Carscoops. com, Kipepeo Clothing, 31bits Apparel, Jeri Muchura/Photos by Jeri, John Okode, Andrew Maguire, Organ Team Cuddlers Maya the Princess & Tjae Logan

@CrystalPerkLtd

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her desire to capture the tangible memories of the family. This being an International

Happy Women’s Day Month

Womens month, we also talk to her on

Sincerely,

the need of empowerment and equal distribution of power and resources in

Editorial Team.

We would love to hear what you think about our latest issue

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The Mombasa Adventure takes reasonable precautions to ensure accuracy of the information published in this magazine.

Mombasa Adventure, its partners and printers can not be held responsible for any liability that may a rise from the use of this magazine.

Mombasa Adventures reserves the right to edit any article or advert. All contents and designs are © of Mombasa Adventures and Crystal Perk Co. Ltd.

Issue 05 March 2019

COVER Photography: Photos by Jeri Studios Models Instagram: @photosbyjeri Location: Photos by Jeri MARCH 2019 5

AIR TRAVEL

THE RISE & RISE OF AFRICAN AIR TRAVEL THE EMERGENCE OF NEW AIRLINES, AS WELL AS A DIVERSIFICATION OF INTRAAFRICAN ROUTES, IS BEGINNING TO MAKE ITSELF FELT. Josiah Owiti SHARES HIS VIEWS ON THE AFRICAN AIRSPACE & MARKET

There is a growing need for safe, reliable travel in the African airspace. The skies are becoming busier as new airlines take to the air, meeting the growing need.

For years if not for the handful local airlines, or national carriers, it is the international carriers that have met this need. This did not work so well for the economy, or the patriotism of the said countries. For some African economic heavy weights without a national carrier, such as Nigeria, there is little or no precedence to their tourism distribution. You may recall a time when it became common for passengers flying between African cities – even within the same country, to go via Dubai or London.

This is about to change.

In January 2018, The African Union Heads of State and Government launched the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) more commonly referred to as the Open Skies Treaty. This initiative is one of the flagship projects of the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063 which is geared at creating a single unified air transport market in Africa through the liberalization of civil aviation in Africa. In a nutshell, this will make air travel cheaper, faster and more competitive against the international carriers.

The aviation industry and specifically airlines,

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MARCH 2019

is an infrastructure to boost and enable economic growth and not just necessarily for commercial objectives. Having done some bench marking in the Economic Impact of aviation in the United Arab Emirates where their Emirates Airline is a key income earner, the Dubai Airports and the aviation sector is a crucial economic pillar for the city, accounting for more than 27 percent of Dubai’s GDP, or US$26.7 billion, according to Oxford Economics. This is expected to increase to 37.5 percent by 2020 with a total annualised impact of $53.1 billion, according to Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths. This is a huge contribution from one sector of the economy - in terms of African economies Following in the footsteps of these successes, the African countries have begun to make similar steps to see the value of aviation in their countries, for example Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Nigeria and many more. Aviation is one of the greatest enablers of economic growth and largest tourism enabler. This view of aviation as an instrument of economic advancement has brought about the rise of local airlines such us the rise of Air Tanzania that had been defunct for a number of years.

Kenya has not been left behind, as the emergence of Magical Kenya has seen Kenya

Airways connect the cities of Nairobi to New York nonstop October 2018. This historic moment was the culmination of 10 years of intensive planning, which will boost the competitiveness of Kenya Airways.

Luxury, timeliness and comfort is a driving factor in the African airspace. The quality of African airlines has improved considerably in recent years and the use of new aircraft is just a part of that. Rwandair has a reputation for new aircrafts and bountiful giveaways for its travelers. The increase in national airlines across Africa, however, goes against the international trend towards private ownership. Unlike the South African counterparts whose market share is quickly being taken away by private ownership, East Africans still have growing margins to play around with and make a difference.

Why Is African Air Travel So Terrible? With the rise of customer centric airlines and regional flights agreements, such questions are soon going to be sentiments of the past.

The rise of African airlines is booming.

Josiah Owiti is a PR practitioner based in Mombasa He has a niche for emerging business trends in Aviation, and Travel technology.

rwandair.com

Explore Europe’s attractions

Connect to London and Brussels and enjoy memories of a lifetime

(+254) 20 222 0918 | (+254) 725 706 807 sales.nairobi@rwandair.com MARCH 2019 7

TRAVEL

SarovaSalt Lick A tale of 1000 Stars

Sarova Salt lick and Taita Hills Game Lodges are 5 star luxury game lodges situated in the midst of the Taita Hills wildlife Sancturay. Here, tourists have a rare opportunity to view animals at close proximity in their natural habitat. The rooms offer a panoramic view of the variety of wildlife. Taita Hills Wildlife Sancuary, is a private wildlife conservancy of 28000 acres. It boarders the Tsavo West National Park, one of the world’s largest game reserves.

The entire lodge is raised on high stilts above watering holes and feeding pastures offering a spectacular view of the wildlife from above and all around. Large numbers of wildlife come to drink at the waterholes enabling guests the opportunity to view animals at close proximity in their natural habitat by day and by night under floodlights.

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MARCH 2019

Sometimes nature is so intense. I would refer it as the emotions we feel when we try to contemplate it and are too deep and mysterious to convey!

Sometimes there are no true words, but at times there’s a perfect expression to capture the magnificence of natural sights.

There is something so tranquil about the millions of scintillating stars amidst the vast darkness of the skies above.

The whispering of the trees that narrate a story of the mighty beasts that lurk the acres of semi-arid lands to the earthy smell that follows a slight rainfall: these are where memories arise and you enter into a universe of beings so seldom talked about.

In all my years, I never once thought of escaping into the wilderness here in Kenya. We are all so conditioned to believe the world beyond here is much

better to see. Little did I know…

We boarded the SGR Train at the Mombasa Terminus in the wee hours of the morning bound to Voi. Thrilled and oblivious of the surrounding atmosphere, we witnessed small groups of elephants gradually moving across a sea of thorn bush and bare rust-red earth towards an impossibly distant horizon.

We had booked ourselves through the help of a popular local touring agency.

Expecting to be received on time knowing we would arrive early, it was to our dismay knowing there had been a miscommunication in regards to the time of arrival.

Whilst awaiting our ride, there was this peace in the silence that enveloped us. The occasional singing of crickets camouflaged within the long stems of wild grass to the burbling of water from a leaky tap. The excitement grew within

me heedless of what to expect next.

As we drove through the well carpeted roads to Sarova Salt Lick, the African villages along the Taita Taveta lands was a sight to perceive. Street of huts, with walls like hurdles, the thatch projecting so that its owner may sit beneath it in sun or rain. In its midst burns a fire which is never suffered to go out, for it is a light in darkness, a servant, a companion, and a guardian angel; it purifies the miasmatic air.

The women seen replenish the fire, and lift up an inverted basket from where a hen and her chickens make it at once for the open door to find their daily bread for themselves outside. Such is the picturesque part of serene and placid life.

After 45 min of absorbing the African Plateau, we arrived at Taita Hills Lodge.

Sarova Taita Hills Lodge is more of the ‘mother’ lodge located at the entrance

MARCH 2019 9

CONTRIBUTORS ,T rav el Writer

Ca rE ter nthu siast/Wri

Ph arm ssi aceutical Profe

on al

Best thoughts on IWD? As a community, we have come from so far with regards to Womens Day and gender empowerment. I believe we are covering some good ground for the better Any advise on this?

As a parent, we have to work together to make the equality a reality in our generation. We all must put in something for the good Read Gray’s story on p. 28

by Wand lust Ab er

, Naph ly Ngesa ta

, Gray wamuye M

What are your plans for IWD? This Womens Month, I plan to raise awareness on the issues least discussed - How to stay safe and be safe. The discourse shoule be started and encouraged in order to empower our women, our people Is it so hard to do this?

It is a process, and one day at a time until the awareness is on all of us. I like cars, and I like the safety and security they come along with

Some thoughts on IWD? If it wasn’t from the efforts of the men around me while growing up, I wouldn’t have achieved all that I am today. I encourage both men and women to see IWD as a day of uniting all their efforts to emphasis on equality and balance What can men do to help in the IWD? Women are only 50% of the equation, that’s where men come in. We need men in this journey. We need all of you

Read Naphtaly’s views on p. 11

Read Abby’s story on p. 6

ONLINE KE EP UP TO

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From choosing your travel destination to exclusive interviews, we’ve got expert advice on all areas of Coastal Travelling

Sarova Salt Lick & the Taita Hills Be sure to stay updated with the latest news and talking points

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10 MARCH 2019

CONTENTS MARCH 2019

11

Fewer c ars can handle and you your fam r ily same m business with ea anner th e Navara se in the D40 do es!

18

We all can use the tools, skills and strengths we inherently have and share to make the world a better place.

TRAVEL 8

SAROVA SALT LICK

BUSINESS

17

A tale of a thousand stars in the wild 6

THE RISE OF AFRICAN AIR TRAVEL African air travel is growing in leaps. You have to be here to see it happen

33

DIANI Internationally recognised, amongst the most beautiful beaches in Africa

DEVELOPMENT 18

38

24

LIFESTYLE

JERI MUCHURA - COVER STORY Empowering women through photography

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SELF-IMPOSED LOVE JAIL

22

NOMADIC MILLENIALS

The millenials as a generation are making changes, see how here 30 ORGANIC FARMERS MARKETS The changing faces of the Organic Farmers Market to more sustainable practices

BLUE OCEAN IN PHARMA Creating new markets within the Pharmaceutical Industry in Kenya

40 THE MIND OF AN ENTREPRENEUR Tips for small business owners

HIGHWAY WARRIOR

Review of the last Nissan Navara D40 Double Cab model

Understanding the role of mental health in relationships 26

POSITIVE HUSTLE

African business ideas that will inspire you to make the world better

LIPSTICK COLORS FOR DARK SKIN GIRLS 5 lipstick colors that every dark skin girl should try - Maureen Bandari

28

22 Maureen Bandari

OUTSIDE INFLUENCERS Tips to designing your outdoor spaces

32

MOM TRIBE Finding your support system as it takes a village to raise a child MARCH 2019 11

to the sanctuary. Known for exhibiting memorabilia from World War 1, this lodge boasts the architecture of a German fortress with an encompassing thicket of trees overlooking the sanctuary at a glance. The Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary covers a protected area of 28,000 acres on an altitude of 1,200m above sea level.

We were then transferred to our touring pop up top jeep for the onward journey deep into the vast acres of rich grassland that serves as a home to the world’s most prominent species.

As we approached our destination, the sight of the outstanding raised stilts with thatched roofs, spirally bounding staircases that framed the beauty of the lodge, with its carefully planned architecture around the one and only watering hole was truly exhilarating.

One would only be able to appreciate this ‘world’s most photographed game

12 MARCH 2019

lodge’ by being physically present there.

The lodge definitely attracts a wide clientele from all parts of the world.

Quite busy at this time of the year, we were informed that the international influx does quiet down around the months of May, June and July. Built entirely above the ground, the lodge integrates the traditional architecture of the Taita people who inhabit the area.

Nevertheless we settled in our tastefully decorated oval ‘makuti’ that exhibited portraits of wild animals, the canvas lamps that flickered a beam of light which projected the shapes of stick men with bows and arrows chasing potential prey. The room displayed the essence of Wild Living and it was the perfect form.

The day had been beautiful and the sky was like a dome of plasma-blue. The clouds had looked like airy anvils drifting under the gleaming disc of sun. It had rained two days back bringing the ashen bush back into life.

As we embarked on our first safari, Justin – our driver and guide were met by a family of Superb Starlings – the most magnificent bird I have ever seen.

The superb starling is a small distinctive bird with hues of green, turquoise and blue on its chest, back and wings. It is endemic to north- east Africa where it is native and widespread. A bird that fears no man, a few inquisitive ones managed to perch right near the edge of our jeep as we extended our arms to welcome them.

The intensity of the the scorching sun gradually was settling with a strong breeze that slapped across our cheeks as we stood through the open roof of the jeep. Herds of HeartBeast – belonging to the family of antelopes scud away, long horns laid back across their shoulders, like troops of lancers on patrol. Herds of Elephants wandered freely and at peace.

Tsavo has always been a classic elephant country and it was primarily for them that it became Kenya’s second national park in 1948. Sadly, the reality of poaching that was in its peak in the Seventies and Eighties, it became an elephant’s graveyard. The ban in ivory trade in 1989 brought a few years’ respite in which Tsavo’s elephant population has increased.

A sudden radio call to Justin alerted us of the presence of a male Lion within the Sanctuary. Driving frantically to experience this sight and get a glimpse of the king of the jungle, A (hubby) and I could not hold our breath, together with excitement bursting within us.

Several Touring Vans surrounded the very spot where ‘Simba’ was evidently relishing amidst the hot afternoon sun catching up on uninterrupted sleep.

It definitely was difficult to visualize ‘him’, hidden within the ankle-deep,

dry, stubby grass. An occasional wave of his tuft tail swatting the flies around raised the thrill in the air. The tail serves a key purpose for the big cat. The lion is the only member of the cat family with a tufted tail, which is used to communicate to other members of the pride. Messages vary from directional commands to flirtatious signals.

Twenty minutes to an hour passed as we patiently waited for any movement to visualize this beast. Alas, hearing the commotion created by 50 of us there awaiting this royal highness to surface, it woke up, gave us a stare and went right back to sleep! A few minutes later oblivious of the ruckus we were creating, Simba elevated his head high, awaited a few seconds whilst absorbing the presence of how many of us awaited his command and roared fiercely!

Now I must say, the tiny hairs on my arm rose and I felt a sudden flush of

warmth on my face, probably due to the adrenaline. This was surreal! This was not the sound we hear on our average television shows but the sound of the king himself. His presence was felt. Not a visible species in around ten metres of his circumference. This was definitely the king of the jungle.

Convinced and with great gratitude, Justin drove through the winding plateaus of the sanctuary to other meandering roads to witness others.

The graceful elegance of giraffes to the families of baboons grooming one another, the lesser kudu with faces like tribal masks to the staring of waterbucks from amid the whistling thorns. Tsavo West is a purist park.

We drove back to the lodge, looking forward to the buffet that awaited us.

Sarova Hotels are known greatly for the uptmost hospitality in terms of ensuring a comfortable stay to including tastes

At the watering holes, it is hard to miss out on the Elephants coming to take gulp or just coming to ease away from the heat of the day

The Tsavo birds are worth your time. Beautiful and curious - I started my birdwatching journey here

MARCH 2019 13

a v o r a S t Lick

Sal

Quick Titbits

Sarova Salt lick is located in Taita Hills Wildlife Sancuary, is a private wildlife conservancy. It boarders the Tsavo West National Park. Conservancies are not only providing a public service by protecting and conserving majority of the wildlife in the country but also enhancing livelihoods.

(By placing communities at the center of wildlife conservation and improving conservation incentives, conservancies in Kenya are securing livelihoods while reversing wildlife decline, resulting in the protection of Kenya’s iconic wildlife for future generations.)

Loss of space and connectivity is threatening Kenya’s wildlife heritage, its multi-billion dollar tourism industry and the livelihoods for rural communities. This is exacerbated by the increasing development pressures and impacts of climate change.

1

When staying at Sarova Salt Lick Game Lodge in Kenya, we recommend combining your safari with a visit to Amboseli, Masai Mara and Naivasha or Nakuru Great Rift Valley Lakes.

Importantly, you may extend out to other wilderness areas of Shimba Hills or Laikipia - Lewa ending with a beach vacation and Swahili cultural tour in the exotic spice island of Mombasa, Lamu or Zanzibar.

Tsavo East National Park is one of the oldest parks in Kenya, located South East of Kenya near the Town of Voi in the Taita-Taveta County, it is 13,747 sq.km. While the Tsavo West National Park covers an area of 9,065 sq.km.

The park was opened in April 1948.

2 Kenya is beautiful. And you just have to get out and see it for yourself. These special moments in the wild have a way of strengthening our resolve to be the best of ourselves

14 MARCH 2019

3

The Tsavo East is generally flat, with dry plains across which the Galana River flows. Other features include the Yatta Plateau and Lugard Falls.

Tsavo West is more mountainous and wetter with swamps, Lake Jipe and the Mzima Springs. It is known for bird life and for its large mammal’s e.g. black rhino, Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard, hippo and Masai lion. Maasai giraffe & other smaller animals can be spotted in the park.

The Highway Warrior Nissan revised its Navara D40 model lineup in February 2012 but it is still well into its model life cycle now – It has the advantage of the most powerful engine in the segment. This is a strong car, a family car and a business car that does well in the highways

The Nissan Navara has been in the market for about 21 years, being launched in 1997. Seven years later this edition was launched for the 2004 model year.

This constituted a complete change of the car, giving it a modern look. The model went through a refresh in 2010 with smoother curves on the bumper as well as minor updates.

The D40 Navara comes with a range of engines namely: 4,000cc v6., 2,500cc Inline four, which are petrol and 2,500 dci and 3,000 v6 diesel. It is important to note that the last two were developed with the model refresh. Transmissions offered include a five speed and six speed manual transmission as well as a five and seven speed automatic transmission.

The car I’m reviewing has the 2,500 cc dci coupled with a very smooth six speed manual transmission.

The engine produces about 174 horsepower and around 450 Newton meters of torque at 2,000 revolutions per minute. This amount of torque enables it to tow up to 2 tonnes of cargo. This is very ideal for pulling very heavy items. Speed is manageable at a

-AUTO REVIEWNAPHTALY NGESA

among others. Fuel economy in this car is average at 8.5 litres per 100 kilometers (translates to around 11.7 km per litre).The tank holds about 80 litres of diesel.

COMFORT The highway warrior here is the top-spec version.

With extra amenities such as heated seats, traction control and an infotainment screen, it is sure to give you a comfortable ride as you drive down the highway. The infotainment screen is also fitted with navigation (a Kenyan CD is however needed) which has Bluetooth connectivity. With this you can listen to music from your phone and even take calls responsibly using the steering controls as shown.

The car also has an automatic sunroof to let light in, which also adds a touch of luxury. Ride quality is very good; one can hardly feel bumps on the road, unless they’re really bad, that’s when you feel a slight bump.

I would give it a B+, considering the work it is meant to do.

Finally, rear legroom is also good and the transmission tunnel is near flat. This means you can carry five adults comfortably. However for long journeys, it would be advisable to go as four adults.

PRICING Whereas Nissan stopped production of the D40 Navara in 2014, it is very possible to get near-new units in Kenya or importation since it hasn’t hit the eight year mark yet. Through the use of Cheki.com ,an online dealership in Kenya, locally used units go for around Ksh 1.2 to 2.0 million (12,000 - 20,000).

Recent imports fetch a price tag of up to Ksh 3 million (USD 30,000).

FINAL REMARKS

This Navara also comes with 4 wheel drive operated by a dial.This is very essential as when it is activated this car eats up the mud, literally. No wonder we call it the highway warrior, it will take you wherever, whenever.

RELIABILITY The D40 is a very reliable car with regular service at the specified intervals. Parts are also not too pricey and friendly to the pocket. However comparing to a rival such as the Toyota Hilux, running costs should be a little pricey. Sadly nothing is perfect and the Navara is also subject to that. Some complaints about this car include wearing out of interior pieces making the car ugly and a lot of turbo lag at times

I would highly recommend this car for anyone plying the highway a lot. It’s a good car and you will be assured of putting very many happy kilometers on this car.

Naphtaly Ngesa is a Nairobi based car expert with years of hands on experience with car review, sales and mechanical understanding.

Photo Courtesy of The Parkers.co.uk / carscoops.com

time of 11 seconds from 0-100 km/h. It is important to note that this is a car not meant for speed nor spirited driving, hence the acceleration time.

MARCH 2019 15

for all different palates at the dinner buffet.

A wide spread of delicious entries arranged across the display counters was definitely a treat to the hungry eye. From sautéed vegetables, to spicy beef casseroles, ‘mokimo’ for the local tourists to ‘dal makhni’ for the occasional Indian lover. Desserts were a treat with raspberry cheese cakes to passion sorbets that would just disintegrate in your mouth leaving you a lingering array of bitter sweet flavours! Bliss!

The watering hole that remains the epitome of Sarova Salt Lick’s grand and global fame is truly the closest form of witnessing the striped zebras to herds of elephants, the occasional buffalos and diverse species of birds that encompass Tsavo.

As the night falls, the camp echoes to the non-stop cacophony of the African bush.

Eagle owls mutter to each other as Tsavo’s huge tuskers gradually trek towards the water hole. Warily they draw closer, huge ears spread wide and trunks held high, vaguely aware of our presence. In awe I stare into his wise-seeming eyes. I note his shrunken temples – a sign of old age – and the glistening ivory that had been a downfall of so many of his comrades. Now for a minute, the world stops turning and he stands before me, four square and formidable, a living monument to a vanishing world.

Then he and his companions whirled around and were gone swallowed in the darkness of Tsavo’s fathomless thickets.

We eagerly booked our last safari for the trip which was to begin at 7:30pm.

There is something so eerie about the deep darkness of the night. A bush baby crying in the distance perched high up the thick Baobab tree to the pin drop silence that soaks into your soul and tames your spirit.

Our ranger was well experienced with the area and the timing of the safari was purely coordinated in an attempt to spot Lioness’s.

16 MARCH 2019

As we drove through the dirt roads that reflected the hot sun later that day, a native had spotted a pride of them a few kilometres away from our very point. Depending solely on his word and tracking the possible route of movement, we drove quickly to location.

For an hour or two everything was quiet, and the deadly silence was becoming very monotonous and oppressive, when suddenly to our right, a dry twig snapped and we knew right away that an animal of some sort was around. Ranger Tobias shone his flood light right into the pitch black curtain of the night and quickly spotted gleaming eyes that turned away within milliseconds. This was the Lioness herself with her pride of cubs.

Lions turn away from immediate powerful lights shone on them whilst the other inhabitants of the park are bedazzled and sometimes caught out as prey. They are six times more sensitive to light than humans, which give them incredible vision at night.

Watching them move across the plains of

Tsavo under the sky, a rolling blanket of cloud, the colour of wet ash against the ground and its dank reflection was a feeling so indescribable and thus is the story of nature.

The moon and the stars share the sky’s peace, while the sun after roaming now sleeps, calm as mist silver, the night appeals in a kind crawling across the fields, underneath these fifty four score trees, with the sequin-silver stars like scattered embers of a dying fire, I walk ‘midst their calmness, my heart so seeks.

The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa – For he has so much to look forward to.’ – Richard Mullin.

We had almost like a stampede of cars to get a sight of the Lion in the Tsavo. It was an exhilarating feeling seeing all of us tourist trying hard to catch a glimpse of the King of the Jungle.

POSITIVE

Hustle

AFRICAN BUSINESS IDEAS THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER

When an enterprise seeks to satisfy demand by providing goods or services to people, the output can either be for profit or for sustenance of the community at hand. These ones are driven by a cause. However for many entrepreneurs, achieving a profit is the main objective. Social businesses have transformed the lives of thousands of people for the better.

Here are 5 types of social business ideas that are making the world better.

Kipepeo Clothing – Tanzania & Kenya While working for a rural school in Tanzania, school pupils made butterfly – kipepeo drawings which Martin the teacher printed this drawing on a T-shirt.

What was meant to be a personal class reminder did far more. Since 2010, other children’s drawings have found their way to T-shirts, which are made in Tanzania on fair terms from organic cotton. By selling these special products, we support the schools that create these unique motifs.

Farmers Pride - Kenya

31 bits - Uganda

Farmers Pride combines franchise model, technology and village youth agents to bridge inputs, services and information gap among rural smallholder farmers. Smallholder farmers are the backbone of Africa economy. Yet, most farmers struggle to access quality agricultural inputs, services and information. Farmers Pride is changing this through providing last mile agriculture solutions giving rural smallholder farmers and agro dealer stores tools and opportunities they did not have before to succeed in their farming enterprises.

The company 31 Bits was born with the desire to bring the best of Uganda (in order to fight systemic poverty,) to an American market, while generating safer environments for Ugandan women. Kallie Dovel visited Northern Uganda and brought back with her a box of jewelry made by displaced African females. Her determination and dream to give Uganda’s women a structured base to developed their skills and business is what caused her to start 31 Bits. www.31bits.com

www.farmersprideafrica.com

31bits outfits for all to enjoy, while giving back to the community

Kipepeo shirts are full of stories and beauty and are portable proof that even the pencil drawing of a child can change the world a little bit. www.kipepeo-clothing.com

Tala – Formerly Mkopo Rahisi Many small and medium enterprises depend on loans so as to get off the ground and flourish. However, needy people who have business ideas do not have access to these loans. This may be because of bad credit or simply inability to reach lenders. Tala loan application does not require securities as collateral.

It has made mobile loans services popular and more so with the Tala Loan App. This is perfect for growing businesses.

Tala App - Android Kipepeo outfits for all to enjoy, while giving back to the community

MARCH 2019 17

COVER STORY

MAKEUP IS A MEDIUM OF ART THAT’S BEEN AROUND FOR CENTURIES. AND MODERN MAKEUP ARTISTS HAVE MADE THE ART INTO AN INTERNATIONAL PROFESSION. FOR ANYONE WHO FEELS TOTALLY OVERWHELMED

BY THE MAKEUP AISLE, HANNAH ADARI LETS YOU INTO THE MAKEUP ARTISTRY WORLD OF ASHNI KALAIYA

Few people are known to wear so many hats within such a short time, and still make the best out of it. Moreover, when life, just like water down the stream, offers you opportunities, - or should we say challenges - very few of us would prefer to take the journey upstream, the toilsome option.

It is easier to take the downstream path. The easier and less disruptive path. Meet not your ordinary millennial, but a trendy, fashionable and stylish three (3) time international award-winning documentary photographer Jeri Muchura.

18 MARCH 2019

Photos by Jeri also captures portrait shots, with an eye for beauty and elegance.

EMPOWERING WOMEN through photography It is international women’s month and we are excited to share with you our discussion with the reknowned three (3) time international award-winning documentary photographer Jeri Muchura.

As we drove to Karen - Nairobi to meet Jeri at her studio, I was feeling nervous with numerous questions racing through my mind of how my interview with Jeri would be. For someone with such media coverage, I had to do my research which clearly showed that she had been featured in a number of media events.

My intial perception was she is a female photographer who is gliding through life with a one-way ticket to stardom, after all she is pretty - a former model herself, she just knows how to get it right.

This perception was quickly altered as soon as we met. She greeted us warmly

in the parking lot wearing a beautiful bright red blouse, rugged jeans and pretty beaded sandals. Her demeanor was polite and kind, especially now that we had gotten lost a few times trying to locate her studio. She lead us down a path which took us to at a rustic styled wooden building and said, “Welcome to Photos by Jeri - studio!”.

The rustic wood gave the room character, cables, lighting and props all stored away neatly and her colleagues were hard at work. The sense of professionalism and grace are well intertwined in this studio.

As we stepped into her office, she continued, “This workspace here, is also a co-working space”. Perplexed by the statement I quickly asked her to explain further. “Scaling back! – it does not mean defeat or you’re a failure. It took me two months to accept it is not a bad thing.”

My perception of this lady, quickly began

changing. I found it very profound; “Why would you use the words scaling back? Are you not an international awardwinning documentary photographer?”

Smiling she went to explain, “Success puts someone in a box and slowly, all aspects of your life are forced to live within that box. When you cannot sustain it, expectations from society, friends and yourself all challenge you to keep status quo as is but inside ourselves we always know the reality. I have been a photographer for the last 5 years and it has been an interesting journey. What I thought I knew, turns out I did not. My expectations of the industry had to also be reviewed and most importantly it allowed me to find my purpose”.

“What is your purpose?”, I quickly asked.

“To portray women as the beautiful gems they are despite whatever they have gone through or are going through.

MARCH 2019 19

20 MARCH 2019

LIFESTYLE

It is #TherapyThroughPhotography. Over the years I have seen women struggle to appreciate themselves or believe their valuable, let alone beautiful. Unfortunately, the reason is mostly from their experiences especially the painful ones which often outweighs who they are as a person.

I would like the pictures - I take - to remind them of who they are despite their circumstances”, Jeri confirms.

How would you describe the photography industry?

It has changed tremendous over the years.

I am a self-taught photographer - and that means a lot was needed in terms of cash and time for the training - and when I started, just the access to camera equipments was very expensive and not easy to come by. Today everyone owns a camera of some sort, and everyone calls themselves a photographer by virtue of that. Unlike in the 80’s & 90’s when the cameraman would move around on his bike take your picture and bring it back a few days later – today we are the most photographed generation and perhaps, soon, we will also be the fastest forgotten generation, this is unfortunate but real.

Jeri, your level of depth is intense would you care to explain?

We are all constantly clicking our smartphones and DSLR cameras capturing so much data and storing it on the cloud, in memory cards and the like. What happens then if one day your hard drives just crashes? What happens when one day the cloud owners say, to access your pictures you need to pay? What if you cannot pay?

All your babies’ pictures, family gatherings and the like will be lost for good. And how many people know what and where you have saved those pictures? There will be nothing to share and pass onto the next generation. It will be like we never existed.

Just like that!

I am an advocate of save on the cloud, and print a few - put in an album. I will tell you a story. My mother passed away a few years back and when we were arranging for her funeral, we could not find a picture of her anywhere unfortunately. We searched the phones, the cloud, memory cards and we kept coming out disappointed and empty.

MARCH 2019 21

Photography: Photos by Jeri

Can that really happen, it sounds so farfetched?

Maureen Bandari

5 LIPSTICK COLORS EVERY DARK SKIN GIRL SHOULD TRY

Being a dark skin is a beautiful thing and as easy as it is to get beautiful clothes to wear, the issue is sometimes it isn’t the same when it comes to finding make up that complIments our skin tone.

I had to buy almost five different foundations when I started doing my make up before I found something I was comfortable with. The same goes for lipstick colors. For a very long time I stuck to red lipstick because that was the only color I was sure did look good on me.

I am yet to experiment with every lip color out there but so far, I have come a long way.

Here’s what dark skin girls can try without looking too crazy (unless of course that’s what you are going for). And it’s more general in terms of color s rather than the specific brands and lipsticks used.

2

I love this one from Nouba Millebaci no 6., because of its velvet finish and for some reason, unlike the red one, I do not reapply it at any given time once I leave the house. Its consistency is awesome.

I use this a lot when meeting friends for a glass of wine or on dates that involves biting food here and there because I don’t have to worry about reapplication and stains.

3

Finding the perfect nude lipstick is such a challenge to us. You can try a few from MAC cosmetics; I have one from Huddah though I do not use it that much. I got this max factor from Carrefour and it comes as a pack of one lipstick and one lip balm. Its matte but you do need to reapply if you eat something. I am yet to check if they are available in the local Carrefour at the Karen hub/ Two rivers mall.

4

As I said, any type of maroon looks really cool but you do have to explore with textures and more. Unlike Nouba, this Urban Decay no 1., lipstick is semi matte, long lasting and gives a different look to it compared to a liquid matte lipstick of the same color range

Not sure what your undertones are? Here’s how to find out: The White Vs. Cream Test: Grab two articles of clothing — one white and the other off-white.

While wearing no makeup, decide which color complements your skin tone best. If it’s the purewhite shade, your undertones are warm. If the cream color suits you more, then you have cool undertones. If both flatter you just the same, you’re neutral.

The Vein Test: Look at the veins on your wrists. If they’re green, then you have warm undertones. If your veins are blue, then you have cool undertones. Do you have both colors or do they appear to be blue-green?

Then you have neutral undertones.

5 Well, that is it from me but remember, colors do look different on various skin tones therefore don’t be afraid of experimenting. Do share the lipsticks you think I should try in the coming days.

Maureen Bandari is a Mombasa based Style and Fashion blogger since 2011.

Her style is versatile with a taste of African culture.

Find her at Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter @maureenbandari

22 MARCH 2019

I love this rich deep brown lipstick from flomar no 2., the first time I set my eyes on it. It’s long wearing and can honestly work as a nude lipstick if you dab just a little of it and gloss it out with your favorite lip gloss.

I do that a lot when going for a subtle look for work.

For so long, many beauty companies offered a limited number of shades for dark skin tones.

However, this is changing as brands release more shade-inclusive foundation lines. In Kenya alone, more local brands are building these offerings to the benefit of the consumers.

Pro tip: 1. Match the foundation shade with your undertones.

2. Mix together two foundation shades.

3. Test three different foundation shades by swiping them on your jawline.

MUA- Mina Khan/Photography - John Okode

1

Bright red lipstick looks really good on dark skin. I haven’t found a bright red lipstick I didn’t like be it MAC ruby woo, Huddah Monroe’s Vamp or this Nouba Millebacci no 7., I have on right here. Matte red also gives a different look when compared to creamy or glossy ones.

FEEL GREAT! With Farmsyde organic chia seeds.

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www.farmsyde.com MARCH 2019 23

Photos by Jeri also captures portrait shots, with an eye for beauty and elegance.

Finally, we found one, but it was not a great picture. We had to edit, it was low resolution and eventually, it just had to suffice. I do not think any family should have to experience such. So, I make it my contribution to the world to maintain family legacies by taking amazing photographs and always printing a few for all my clients.

As a female documentary photographer is it easy to get jobs/clients/assignments?

No! It took receiving awards for me to be known before the jobs started coming and even then, it is still not yet consistent. I am grateful so far for the much gigs I have got, they are special to me. In my experience also, most jobs are given based on tokenism – if the person in charge knows you maybe you may get it. Secondly, as a mother in the early years of my career it was difficult to take jobs that involved traveling to remote regions for long periods of times. Additionally, certain genres of photography were also not easy to execute such as night photography and cityscapes.

Furthermore, photography was always a boy’s club. I like this year’s women’s day theme, “Balance for better” since as women there is a lot to balance even before showing up for work. As the equality conversations continue I remain optimistic that more opportunities will be accorded to more female photographers.

What is your ideal assignment?

Telling women empowerment stories with respect to health issues, genderbased violence, economic sustainability and gender equality through photography.

You are self-taught what did it entail?

I am trained in Business Management, and like I said earlier, life is never a straight road. My journey started when I became a mother, raising my girls I found myself taking their pictures with my phone, I shared the images people really liked them. A family member offered me my first camera which I used for learning and practice.

Most people assume there is no sacrifice

24 MARCH 2019

or cost involved when you hear “selftaught’’ yet to learn I had to pay to attend masterclasses, pay for editing software, sit through hours of tutorials, look for models to practice taking the pictures and build the new career I had chosen, and tranform it into a business.

It has been a slow and steady climb, by saving and re-investing back into the business.

What would you like to see happen to the photography industry in Kenya?

We need to create some standard operating principles. This will allow us to be accredited and paid as professionals.

It will also limit the entry so that quality and consistency of the trade is held with high regard. Secondly, more collaborations especially amongst the women photographers. We need to be in the habit of lifting each other up, sharing knowledge and best practices. Also, as a country, we should organize more exhibitions to attract the international community this will create opportunities for international affiliations while also increase the country’s revenue through tourism.

What is next for Jeri?

I am working on a training curriculum.

A curriculum that I would like to use to start sharing the knowledge and experience I have gathered with our women photographers. Also, I usually work with cancer survivors to re-introduce them to the beautiful women they are.

This year I am working towards putting up an exhibition to honor them and raise funds for the fight against cancer”.

Finally, when you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

A traffic policeman!

Jeri Muchura - Professional - Three Time International Award Winning Photographer Resident Photographer at Photos By Jeri - Karen Shopping Centre - Nairobi Instagram @photosbyjeri www.photosbyjeri.com

For a look that’s guaranteed to garner attention, try bold, unusual hues on the cheeks, lips and eyes. Shimmer or sparkle make-up adds even more drama to a colorful look.

Go out for more adventure this year. Enjoy the thrill, laugh and make memories.

Sometimes, it is the little things that we do that count.

MARCH 2019 25

CULTURE

TheNomadic Millennials The Lost Generation?

I consider myself to be a lucky millennial: I grew up during a time when the Internet was a novelty more than a just ubiquitous social interaction, when cell phones were just phones, and when asking someone on a date involved an in-person interaction or at least a phone call and yes.

I wrote love notes, we took pictures and more. And I don’t say I consider myself lucky to have experienced these things necessarily because I believe they were inherently better, but rather because it gives me a perspective on our rather suddenly technologically inundated world. I have evolved as a person in response to this technology; actually, I did consider myself one of the many techsavvy of my time, trying any new technology that came my way.

I genuinely feel some kind of sympathy for people even slightly younger than me, because they’ve grown up in a world technology so ubiquitous, so omnipresent that it’s difficult to understand life without it. Maybe that’s a benefit,

26 MARCH 2019

or maybe it’s easier to be comfortable with it that way.

My concern goes to their memories and heritage. We the millennials and others are the most photographed generation, but if we are not careful, we will become the most quickly forgotten generation as well. We take pictures, lots of them, which are deleted, or lost with each new phone. What is the first thought that comes when you lose your phone? My photos!!

Unlike our parents, every special event had a cameraman on site. With his little bicycle, the photos would take a week or two to get ready. But they were a must for all festive and special days. Today, we have albums, special pictures only available to special guests. We do remember our departed ones with specially framed pictures, and if you are like me, there was that special picture of our dads & moms hanging on the wall looking right at us with this omnipresent look. That was our heritage, passed down to us, gradually.

Selfies have taken over our generation. Snapchat,

Facebook and yes Instagram.

With these technologies at hand, we should use them to advance our heritage, our family legacy for the coming generation. If like me, you have noticed the trends of the picture sharing world in social media, it is almost free to upload your content, but it costs money to download your precious photos. No money, no pictures. I am not saying we stop uploading, otherwise what is the point of the tech, but I am saying, back up your work, your memories through special prints or other media like our parents did. It may not work exactly as they did, but sure enough, there is some alternative way to do this. We do not want to be that generation that the next generations will have little or nothing to learn from, get acquainted with or pass down the memories of our heritage. In the worst, we may become the lost generation with no tangible memory to share. And if the digital cloud doesn’t give us access to the photos, how will the coming generation know that we lived?

We can soak in every moment. Whether it’s your first trip with friends, first ballgame, or just one of the cute things your partner does every day. The best way to enjoy your environment is to soak in those moments.

Protect Your Story Portrait paintings of the rich, powerful, important and influential have been commissioned for countless microcosms throughout history. Walk the hall of any government building, club, or business and you will see this is true. In the same way, here are tips why printed photos are used to describe legacy and heritage.

Here are 7 tips on why to print and store your pictures: protect your story

1

For children and/or other

memory is fading. Their smell, voice,

family members. When

and the feeling of their embrace –

someone dies, his or her branch

you wish for them to appear in a

on the family tree doesn’t just

dream just so you can remember

fall off. That person is still a part of

these things again. Photos are an

the family and sharing memories

accurate and literal reminder of your

of them is best in passing down the

loved one.

right legacy.

5

They like photos: Dude, some people just really

2

Because you’re still a family: When someone dies, we all still consider them to be a part of the

family. We hold memorials as they

like photos. Put an avid camera clicker together

with someone who really likes their family and what do you get? You get photo album after photo album

continue to influence our family to

of family members and friends.

this day. Whether her photo hangs

Accept it.

on the wall has no bearing on her prominence in our family; but memories and moments involving her are an important part of our history. So why shouldn’t they exist in our homes?

Photos also give future generations a chance to connect with their deceased ancestors and family

6

An appreciation for history: Some people just really care about history. My older siblings,

for example, are a history buff. No stone goes unturned in archiving our family history. We forget things,

history. Anyway, what was the point

many things that are special to us.

of taking photographs of these

Photos have a way of archiving these

people if you didn’t plan on looking

memories. It’s pretty cool and I’m

at them later on down the road?

certain our family’s next generation will appreciate their efforts.

3

Nostalgia and Memories: Photos preserve memories like school graduations, birthday parties, kids posing

happily with artistic creations, weddings, etc. You know these moments are fleeting and in time our brain will no longer be able to

7

In honor and remembrance: Many people prominently display photos of

deceased individuals to honor them.

It is not a waste of time looking at pictures of dead pioneers of

remember them with the same vivid

earlier generations. Why are they all

imagery, so you take photos.

hanging there? To honor and give them their place of prominence in

4

Photos are tangible: One

an institution they helped to create and grow.

of the most difficult things about losing someone is the feeling that their Mandy Moore - Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Tanzania’s Serengeti National Photo: Courtesy of Andrew Maguire

MARCH 2019 27

STYLE

OUTSIDE INFLUENCERS Designed to weather the all time summer weather at the coast - but with style credentials worthy of any interior - these new seats are the perfect update for your garden

”L - SHAPE” OUTDOOR CHAIR, Adapted from its original wooden version created in 1989 for Denmark’s Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, designer Vilhelm Wohlert’s chair has been released in outdoor flexible & strong material.

Furniturerama.co.ke at Ksh 235,000

”BREA” SOFA, DEDON The star of the reknown design company Barber & Osgerby’s, the second collection for the outdoor furniture brand Dedon is this modular sofa built around a simple tubular frame. It has slip on covers that can be removed speedily at the first sign of wet weather.

Available at Furniturerama.co.ke at Ksh 145,000

THE BEST FURNITURE DESIGNS We reveal the two best designs that will be gracing the most stylish coffee tables this month

28 MARCH 2019

”CLASSIC” COFFEE TABLE

”EARTH” SINGLE COFFEE TABLE

This is for the stylish, forward looking but modern homes. That look that speaks class. This coffee table brings out the best of both worlds.

The ancient and modern designs at a cost so affordable. This design is a must for most classic home owners/designers.

Available at Furniturerama.co.ke at Ksh 15,000

Not just once in a while, but, you always want that place you know your keys or phone is when you get to the house.

The simple design of this coffee table accentuates the classic home design for the minimalist.

Available at Furniturerama.co.ke at Ksh 25,000

Personal Security

Why it Matters

The best defence to security is awareness and good preparation

#MOMBASA #MOMBASADVENTURE

EDITOR’S PICK

Why is Security in Kenya, or for that matter Security in the World important? - Have you been watching the news lately?

The world is becoming increasingly insecure, with rising cases of insecurity incidences such as active shootings and attacks.

This is just not an issue of Kenya or Africa or the West, East or just anywhere about. It is therefore necessary that one takes extra precaution whenever and wherever they are. Also, it’s ideal that we are careful in all situations to prevent harm to ourselves and those around us. Here are some steps you can take for maximum self-protection.

1.Know your surroundings It is very important to be aware of your surroundings. This is because in the event of a situation, you save time during your escape, effectively saving your life. To do this, be keen

to know the exits of any establishment you visit, and also be vigilant on the people inside and outside for suspicious activity.

2. Have basic self defence knowledge This doesn’t mean you train to be a Mixed Martial Arts fighter; rather some knowledge of defence combat is vital. This will give you a lifeline and a window of hope when faced with a danger such as a mugging. Also, one can use objects that they have such as pens and keys. Basic self-defence videos can be found on YouTube, make use of them.

3. Be confident (even if you’re really not) This mainly applies when you’re in an area you’re not familiar with. The reason of this is being confident makes one look like a local in an area, even if they have no clue where they are. This makes them less of a target by thieves.

A mistake made by most people, especially tourists

is that mannerisms stand out. For instance, it would be very easy to point out a tourist by the way on the streets of Mombasa or Nairobi, by looking at how they’re dressed. To curb this, study the locals and find clothing to blend in.

This will act as deterrence.

4.Use your common sense I know it sounds like a joke, but seriously, use your common sense. If you’re at a public area, such as a club, do not leave your drink or food, unattended.

This reduces their chances of being spiked. Also, do not walk alone on lonely areas, especially at night. Walk in groups for obvious reasons and again, be vigilant of your surroundings always.

With these steps, you’re sure to be safe in all situations and make it out.

The issue of security is now a global concern. Our journey with this is to bring awareness and careful thought/ preparation to our audiences to make the most what they observe and what they do. Security tips compiled by Naphtaly Ngesa.

TO CELEBRATE A MOMBASA & EAST AFRICA, WE ARE SHARING SOME OF OUR READERS’ MOST COLORFUL SNAPS

For the Kulture “Kenya is home for me.”~ the Original Fix @sweeney_queen

Old City in Mombasa @oman_traveler

Burger lovers, Morning treat @qaffeepoint

Beautiful Mombasa Old Town @melani_s

SHARE WITH US YOUR INSTAGRAM PHOTO BY USING THE #MOMBASA #MOMBASADVENTURE HASHTAG, AND IT MAY BE FEATURED IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE. FOLLOW @MSA_ADV_MAG

MARCH 2019 29

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

CHANGING FACES OF

OrganicFarmer Market

ORGANIC FARMING IS A KEY TREND FOR THE FUTURE. A GROWING NUMBER OF PRODUCERS WITHIN KENYA ARE CONVERTING THEIR FARMS TO ORGANIC PRACTICES WITH A GROWING DEMAND. WITH MORE AWARENESS, THE ROTATING POP UPS ARE GAINING HEALTHCONSCIOUS OPPORTUNIES FAR AND WIDE Organic gardening techniques are farming methods which primarily aim at cultivation and raising of crops using ways that maintain the good health and life of the soil. This is achieved through the use organic wastes such as farm, animal, and crop wastes alongside other biological materials and bio-fertilizers. Although this kind of farming is not new in Kenya and has been practiced since the ancient times, it is getting a lot of prominence in the Kenyan market as an alternative healthy lifestyle.

The Organic Farmers Market are privileged to be behind the growth of organic farming in Kenya for the last couple of years by creating the 30 MARCH 2019

necessary platform where organic farmers and those in the food value addition chain come to sell directly to healthy food lovers. This has attributed to the rise of organic markets in Kenya and beyond, an exemplary show of consistency.

“Our intention, love and joy is to see that food is produced in the most natural way without the use of toxic chemicals and farm inputs that have currently flooded our market because we care about human health and our environment”, says Dennis Andaye OFM Team Lead.

With the pressure to feed the the ever increasing population,

there are constant efforts to increase food production, not just in Kenya but worldwide.

It is becoming an increasing problem. With Climatic changes and unpredictable weather, conditions are becoming tougher for farmers. This has deliberately and with good intentions led to agrochemical companies and scientists become innovative in coming up with solutions for farmers.

Unfortunately, most of these solutions are dangerous and threatening to human life and the ecosystem.

It is unfortunate when you hear people dying because of starvation; while at the same time lose lives as a result of eating food that is produced

using these toxic products.

This shouldn’t continue to happen under our watch and by all means possible, the organic farming even with its challenges, is a healthier alternative to the mainstream but toxic food production.

Our food chain is in a mess, right from the farm, to the plate. What are we eating, what are our children eating at schools? what are we eating in our restaurants? What are we stocking up in our fridges?

What are we buying from our grocery stores? What you think of it, is worrying to our only precious bodies.

“At the Organic farmer’s market food is produced without

the use of toxic chemicals.

Comparatively, toxic farm products are produced elsewhere brought into our beloved country and never get used in those countries that produces them but find a market in Kenya and other African countries. The results are evident. For lack of a better explanation, we are harming and killing ourselves as a result of ingesting these products in whatever doses through food, we are having respiratory complications as a result of inhaling these products as we use them in the farm, even for those not in the farms, the

risk is there, we share the air”, asserts Dennis.

By following a strict rigorous selection process, the approval process for farmers is no easy task. Even once approved, there are constant follow ups to make sure farmers stay true to the standards.

It is interesting to note that the member farmers are passionate about human health and the environment that’s why they practice organic farming.

As the campaign for organic foods continues in the country,

the market has seen a growing trend and attraction to food lovers that care about their health, their families, and their investments. We hope the attraction goes beyond people having health challenges to the vast community of the youth and trendy individuals. This is the best way for the youth to age gracefully.

As a community market, the hustle and bustle in the market is a social event in itself. Meet and greet, make delivery arrangements with the farmers and get the products at the click of your phone.

Currently, the market rotates as pop ups at places like Two Rivers Mall, every Wednesday, Sarit Center Shopping Mall every Tuesday as well as Galleria Shopping Mall every 2nd & 3rd week of every Month – Friday to Sunday. Starting March 2019, the Organic farmers market will be having a new home at KSPCA, Lang’ata road, adjacent to Hillcrest School.

To organise your version of the Organic Farmers Market, contact Dennis Andaje - OFM Team Lead -

MARCH 2019 31

FAMILY

The Mom Tribe

IT TAKES A VILLAGE! WHAT A CLICHÉ, I USED TO THINK. OF COURSE – BEFORE I HAD CHILDREN. THERE IS A LOT TO LEARN WHEN YOUR MOM TRIBE IS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED. JO CATHE SHARES HER JOURNEY INTO FINDING HER TRIBE On becoming a Mom many people like to welcome you to the “Mom club” like it´s a special sisterhood of woman supporting each other in the village and sharing the burdens, frustrations, difficulties and proud moments.

Within weeks you discover you actually need to find your tribe. Your special group of like minded Moms who you can connect with and not feel judged with, who will share parenting tips that you feel comfortable with and align with your “parenting philosophy”.

The Mom club becomes tribes of working moms vs. stay-at-home moms, the cry it out moms vs that’s cruel moms, hippy moms, attachment parenting moms, the drop-off at daycare asap moms and the 24-7 attached at hip including the bathroom parenting moms, the co-sleepers, the separate nursery moms, the language classes at 1 years moms, the free-range moms, the cloth-diaper moms, the dressed to the nines moms… every parenting decision seems to divide, antagonize and cause judgment creating a need to surround yourself with like-minded parents that will support you in today’s society where parenting is filled with anxiety and guilt.

We seem to think that there is only one way to raise a well-adapted contributing member of a society. And if you are doing it differently than me, then I must be making a mistake and my child will turn out terrible, but I´m doing my best, have done my research and my child is wonderful therefore you must be doing it wrong, but I still feel slightly unconfident about my decisions and I´m really very unsure about my parenting skills so I´ll need to over-compensate and criticize you harshly to 32 MARCH 2019

justify my own child-rearing actions.

The lines of division are something I have never really understood.

We´re all Moms and have experienced the anxiety of making the right decisions, have experienced the sleep deprivation, weathered the ear-splitting tantrums, been too exhausted to cook or clean or worry about leaving our child with others. The rest are small details that take into account our different backgrounds, cultures, personalities, upbringing, resources and also the differences in our children’s temperament and personalities.

As a Mom I hoped to make those connections with other Moms. Share in the sleep deprivation haze, share our stories, bring over that cup of coffee or bottle of wine, and take each other’s kids for an hour. But almost 5 years in and I still haven´t found my tribe.

I´m an expat Stay at home Mom Medical Doctor SAHMD. A very rare tribe and one that doesn´t seem to fit in anywhere.

Cultural differences also seem highlighted with parenting, and I often feel excluded or notice that other Moms are looking for that sameness and I don´t meet that criteria. I don´t parent or follow the crowd here. My child doesn´t attend school from 9 to 2pm 5 days starting age 3 as 90% of children here do. I let her choose her own clothes, no matter how badly they clash. Being an expat Mom has made me discover that what is a parenting absolute in one country may be a parenting no no in another. Yet 90% of kids everywhere turn out just fine in spite of our parenting differences, and so many parenting strategies

are cultural or societal norms rather than biopsychosocial developmental needs.

I’m learning to be my own tribe, and meet people where they are at and share those aspects we can connect over. No more. No coffees or play dates. No families to share baby-sitting with. No Mom friend a phonecall away on a rough day. The Mom-tribe and village has become a beautiful concept that seems to be elusive to this expat SAHMD. I found my support online in SAHMD and other parenting tribe social networks. No face-to-face friendships or support. But the emotional support and knowledge that there are other SAHMDs out there, there are other Moms that parent the way I do, there are other highly educated professional Moms that make similar choices, have been life-giving. I no longer need that validation of my choices as a Mom. However, even there in those social network groups I don´t fit in 100%. Many conversations turn to parenting concepts that make me stomach churn, or make me feel I need to hide my own views to not be pushed out or excluded. I wear a mask.

It makes me wonder if any Mom out there truly finds their tribe, or am I the only square peg trying to fit into circle holes.

Jo Cathe is a trained Medical Doctor, a former surgical resident turned Public Health practitioner. Then moved countries for my significant other. She currently lives in Spain, a new country, culture and language. Two kids later and shares on becoming a SAHMD.

TRAVEL

Diani CURRENCY: Kenyan Shilling CAPITAL: Ukunda Town TIME DIFFERENCE: GMT +3 GETTING THERE: Located 30 km south of Mombasa. There are daily flights available from Nairobi, Mombasa & Malindi. Apart for the ferry ride, it is only half an hour from Mombasa by road TRAVEL SAFE: , one of the most beautiful beaches in Africa.

Visa (for non EAC citizens) is required, while alternative travel documents for East Africans which are issued at the point of entry.

Diani is worldwide renowned as a beautiful white sand holiday spot, having bagged various international awards for its beauty and serenity. This holiday spot has rapidly grown, from its old fishing village shadow 50 years ago. At this time, there was no tourist development at all. The Diani Beach weather is very humane, meaning that you wont experience sharp heat flactutuations unlike the northern coast. A cool sea breeze loosens the weather and occasional rain makes the flora flourish. Diani Beach, located 30 km south of Mombasa, is one of the most beautiful beaches in Africa.

The beach is about 10 kilometers long and is adjacent to the town of Ukunda. The Diani Airport A small airstrip is located between the beach area and the Mombasa-Lunga Lunga road. It was voted the 3rd Best Beach in Africa and 22nd in the world!

Over the years, Diani as a resort town scores points with a diverse crowd: party people, families, honeymooners, backpackers and watersports enthusiasts. The beach is home to all manner of hotels and resorts, from the budget to the boutique. As a party person, you will be spoilt for choice with the all the bars, nightclubs, restaurants, art galleries, shops, spas and golf courses. Many of the resorts have a daily program of activities run by their professional animation teams, and there is also a number of tours, travel and adventure sports companies that specialize in specific activities.

Water sports here are many and varied. Kite surfing, sky diving, adrenalin sports and many more have numerous operators providing equipment for sale or hire. Deep-sea fishing, glass-bottom boat trips, wind surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling and body boarding are just a few of the activities available here. Adventure sports are also popular: sky diving is so popular and it is on offer with an instructor or – if you’re already certified – alone is on offer.

MARCH 2019 33

BUSINESS

APPLYING Blue Ocean IN PHARMA

THE KENYAN PHARMCO INDUSTRY WHICH IS DOMINATED BY MULTI-NATIONAL CONGLOMERATES, IS EXPERIENCING STAGNATING GROWTH, & THE DOMESTIC MARKET IS FACING A CHALLENGING REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT. GRAY MWAMUYE OPINES THAT THE “ONE DRUG FIT ALL” CONCEPT IS OUTDATED AND BLUE OCEANS IN HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY ARE NEEDED MORE THAN EVER.

The current “Red Ocean” which is a commercial blood bath, businesses fight to their death just to have a piece of financial success. In contrast, the Blue Ocean is a place of tranquility, growth and success. A place where each company seeks to find itself. The blue ocean is devoid of all the hustles and bustles of competition.

Blue Ocean is created. This is aimed at creating new markets instead of competing with other companies in the industry for the same clients. This is easier said than done for the Pharmaceutical Industry.

The Pharmaceutical companies market their products to doctors with the hope that they, the health care providers HCPs will prescribe the specific brands to the patient. Industry rules have it that they cannot market directly to the patients, their consumers. Creating uncontested market places for Pharma can therefore be an uphill task.

In order to create blue oceans for themselves, the Pharma in Kenya will have to adopt strategies that they are currently not acclimatized to.

To paint this picture better, let me give a sneak preview on what happens in the industry. Say you are sick and go to the HCPs, with an upper respiratory infection requiring some antibiotic, The doctor has a wide range of options to choose from, (from within the macrolides to penicillin groups). Among 34 MARCH 2019

the macrolides, the doctor could choose azithromycin, clarithromycin, spiramycin etc. or among the penicillins, of which the good doctor is spoilt for choice. S/he can choose among amoxicillin, ampicillin, cefuroxime etc.

The work of the Medical Representative is to convince the doctor to prescribe a specific “brand X” to the patient that is from his interested company. Remember the doctor has huge options to choose from as is the case above. If the doctor chooses not to prescribe “brand X” and instead prescribes Azithromycin, the ball game changes immensely. With a prescription written “Azithromycin”, the Pharmacist also has an array of options to choose from. He can give Zithromex (the original drug from Pfizer…. not the real name), or he could dispense among 50 other generic molecules of the same. Remember this is just one patient with one simple ailment that ends up at the Pharmacy to face over 50 different options.

In pharmaceutical industry, the competition is stiff and companies end up doing unimaginable things just to get HCPs to prescribe their brands. Thus, it gets complicated to speak about the blue ocean strategy in the pharmaceutical industry. All is not bleak though, since the concepts of the blue ocean strategy can be applied across industries if well thought out.

Can the Kenyan Pharma make the competition irrelevant, create and capture new demand, break the value-cost tradeoffs and basically innovate and pursue new opportunities? How can they create demand rather than fight over it?

i. Creativity and innovation is at the heart of the success of this strategy. Give rise to completely new industries. Take advantage of the digital space like Amazon, e-Bay and their success stories. to create such an outcome, I suggest that the need to harness great talent and create an enabling environment where these individuals thrive and are allowed to take risks as they come up with ingenious ways to change the market dynamics. ii. Alter the boundaries of the existing industry. What can be done that has not been done. And what should be changed?

N.A Saleemi, in his book: Entrepreneurship and Communication Simplified, states that “imagination is divergence of intelligence; deviation in the normal thinking process; seeing things from a different perspective; adding something new and so on.”

In order for the Pharma in Kenya to create a Blue Ocean, they have to be imaginative in how they can alter the existing boundaries in the industry. Lets take a moment and try to imagine ways to achieve this. a) REDUCE It is easy to quickly focus on Cost-Cutting as the one-size-fit-all strategy whenever a Pharma faces headwinds in the course of its business tenure. But in my view, we need to reduce over-reliance on cost cutting.

Cost cutting is somewhat effective in the short term. The reason is simple: when you decide to cut costs, you will have to target one of the 3 areas: product itself, people or the marketing budget.

Photography: Courtesy - joshuawanyama.com

The current business world buzz word is “the Blue Ocean Strategy”. It has gained a lot of traction by seeking to jolt the commercial world to think outside the box and outside the current business patterns.

Pharma in Kenya must eliminate the overreliance of Cost Cutting as the go to solution in the face of negative economy growth

By reducing the product itself; you result in a compromise on the quality. This affects quality of product and the market opinion in the long run. On the other hand, massive retrenchment only lowers morale for the remaining employees. Unfortunately, if the marketing budget is slashed, visibility of the products is eventually affected.

There’s need to reduce overreliance on this old strategy and focus instead on innovative ways to stand out from the pack. Instead of cost cuts, how about trying to offer shares to employees? Motivated employees are a pack to envy. b) ELIMINATE The question to be asked is which are the factors that the industry takes for are granted that should be eliminated. The pressing one is corruption. Corruption in the Pharma comes in many forms e.g. bribing doctors to prescribe your products, bribing pharmacists to stock your products, bribing the tendering committee and so on. The bribes are in form of money, expensive gifts, multiple sponsorships for a given HCP in a financial year, paid holiday trips to name but a few. You may be inclined to think that I live in Utopia to think that corruption in Kenya can be eliminated so easily but that is the very reason why I am writing this article. It has become the “norm”.

If a company were to completely eradicate this vice, it would stand out tall among commons. The debate on whether this is entirely possible, I will leave it to time.

Secondly, Kenya is such a credit market is something that has hit me hard having start-

ed my own business. Some customers offer to pay after a period of up to 90 days. This seems like a normal thing but to the new businesses, this is a killer. Even for the big companies that have the “muscle” to wait for the credit period have difficulties. When a “big client” is holding up a huge sum of your money, you begin to lose some of the faculties necessary to think. There is pressure to try and bribe your way into getting payment early or pressuring the personnel to collect your dues by all means thereby affecting the relationships with your clients. And what happens when your relationship with your client is savored?

You guessed it right….your competitor is right outside the door and willing to substitute your product and wait for another 90 days to be paid. In this, we are conceiving an idea to the clients that the Pharma are desperate. It is this “desperation” and “acceptable” corrupt practices that, if eliminated, will create a Blue Ocean for that company that will choose to venture into this narrow long road. c) RAISE Each Pharma company acknowledges the value of developing key relationships with the customers. There has been a lot of focus on developing Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) of the industry. The knowledge on who to target does not require one to break a sweat to implement. Across companies, the list is somewhat similar. The same Professors, Consultants and some busy HCPs that have been around for too long. These are currently overwhelmed since most companies use them. The blue ocean is the choice to devel-

op the “less influential” HCPs like Registrars.

They should do this in a “Cohort-Development” methodology. Identify a Cohort of Registrar doctors specializing in a particular field and work with them for a given period while the relationships is centered on sponsorship to major conferences and enabling these young doctors to apply the knowledge learnt in their daily practice. This should be taken for long term value of the relationship to mature. The companies that are willing to be patient and create for themselves irrevocable long term relationships with the future KOLs will have insurance for their future. d) CREATE The advancement in Information Technology and Social media is reinventing how business is done. Given that the Pharmaceutical industry is highly regulated as to the use of social media, there is need to remain compliant within the advertising laws as relates to how such is utilized. What factors need to be created that has not existed in the industry before?

Other ways of creating Blue Oceans include: offering benefits considered irrelevant or over-unique by the industry, creating a unique purpose for the organization, defining a total solution for the customer, finding a new appeal, reordering the market realities and focusing on commonalities rather than differences in customer preferences.

Gray Mwamuye is the current Marketing Manager, Laborex Kenya. With 10 years experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry in Kenya, he shares an optimism for the industry in the coming years

MARCH 2019 35

PR vs Marketing So close yet so far apart Instead of it competing with your marketing efforts, PR does supplement and support all your initiatives in a way advertising can’t.

Use PR to provide and deliver real value to your audience – be it by sharing something useful, educational or inspiring – and you’ll win people’s attention. It may sound hard, but all it takes a good plan and hard work. - Crystal Perk PR and Marketing are first cousins, very closely related but completely different individuals. They both work to promote an organization, its products and services but employ different tactics. PR practitioners are more concerned about; • • • • • •

Managing the company messaging Speech writing & securing speaking opportunities Building relationships with media & influencers Award nominations Political lobbying Stakeholder management amongst other services.

On the other hand, marketing is defined

by Dr. Phillip Kotler as: “the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit.”

This is usually achieved through;

Earned publicity – be it word-of-mouth, customer testimonials or editorial media coverage – merely is more trusted than advertising. PR companies work to get your business the trusted recommendations, the awards and the much needed review from your community

36 MARCH 2019

• • • •

Creating advertising campaigns Email marketing & newsletters Industry & client research Buying advertising slots to mention a few.

The development of social media added a new point to the debate around PR and marketing. Some say that, it offers direct connection to the consumers which fits under the PR banner while others argue the

content and advertising campaigns are fully marketing strategies. Hope you can see the close family relationship as stipulated above.

The business industry in Mombasa is diverse with mostly family owned business that have been there for decades, new entrants creating small & medium enterprises and a few international organizations. All these categories of businesses have different growth stages with varied goals and objectives.

It is usually best to begin by determining your company’s growth path and align it to your measurable goals prior to choosing the most efficient strategy.

Take Away Marketers bring people to the door of your business to purchase your products whereas PR practitioners are tasked with keeping the customers inside that door, ensuring they are all happy and their concerns are addressed promptly and in an effective way. It takes considerable time, concise development and a dash of magic.

When faced with financial shortfalls and you are forced to pick one strategy, contact an external team like Crystal Perk, were we can help you get started or coordinate your PR efforts on a day-to-day basis.

This will maximize your success within your budget.

STAR ADVENTURE Be Part of Our Story!

Want to be part of a fun, energetic work family? Are you a self starter, focused, and motivated by the desire to succeed?

JOIN OUR ADVERTISING SALES TEAM! We are looking for an account exective to prospect and sell print and digital media, to new advertising accounts and to manage existing accounts at the Coast and Nairobi areas.

This position offers flexible hours & the opportunity to earn unlimited commission (commission rate is higher than industry average!) plus a base salary.

THE RIGHT CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION WILL: - be a self starter - love sales - be able to establish & maintain lasting

business relationship with large, varied client list - be organised in a fast paced environment - MBA and/or 5 years experience in similar field To apply for this part or full time position, send your resume to Diana Mwaniki at diana@crystalperk.com

Old Town Mombasa Situated on the south-east side of Mombasa Island Old Town is a suburb of you don’t want to miss. It covers an area of 72 hectares (180 acres), and is inhabited by a mix of local, Arab and Asian settlers. At the entrance of the old town is a coffee pot and cup, a gift to Mombasa which was built by Mr Burhan Ali Taher in 1988. Next to the coffee pot there is a remnant of the original trolley track which was laid in 1890.

The beauty of Old Town is not just seen, it is felt. You have to be there in person to appreciate it. It seeps through from the cracks of the buildings centuries old.

The pictures you see don’t do much justice to this authentic heritage. The smell of the beautiful Indian Ocean lingers strongly on the streets, on the narrow corridors and on the ancient architectural masterpieces on every building around it.

For centuries Mombasa was an important settlement area on the East African coast known for the trade in spices, gold, and ivory as noted by ancient geographers and famous travelers such as Al-Idrisi in 1151 and later by Ibn Batuta in 1331 that referred to it as a “flourishing city with well built wooden mosques.”

Old Town is an attraction to both domestic and international tourists.

Just one of the many reasons why

you should visit Mombasa, Your international destination of choice.

Come and be part of a truly beautiful and historic culture.

Old Town is an attraction to both domestic and international tourists.

Just one of the many reasons why you should visit Mombasa, “Your international destination of choice”.

Where you come and be part of a truly beautiful and historic culture.

Old Town is Mombasa as it was at the beginning. They have changed nothing. Maybe a few things here and there for maintenance, but the structure has not changed.

But there is a caveat, - scantily dressing is not permitted in this place. To cover you for that, there are numerous Masaai stalls that sell beatiful lesos, deras and such like for your access at very reasonable prices.

For this reason, no one should miss a chance to indulge.

MARCH 2019 37

WOMEN’S DAY

THE SELF-IMPOSED

Love Jail

As the world commemorates the IWD in March, Hannah Adari shares on one recurring issue. Emotional abuse is one of the hardest forms of abuse to recognize. It can be subtle and insidious or overt and manipulative. Either way, it chips away at the victim’s self-esteem and they begin to doubt their perceptions and reality.

As a young girl growing up in Africa, a large number of conversations

metal bars similar to those of a jail cell surrounded her world and the

between mothers and daughters, aunties and nieces, sisters and

good guy was the warden of this prison. With a ten-year head start

cousins all had a similar undertone to them. “Who would marry

in life the guy had experience with other relationships and would

you?” And, most recently I watched a documentary that further

tell her stories of how they mistreated and abandoned him. Zealous

enlightened me that this undertone, insinuation, or outright

to please and prove she was different, it never occurred to her to

comments were not contained in Africa but it is a global expectation

investigate were the stories true? She was determined to be his ride

on girls.

or die chic.

Cultures and societies have created a checklist of acceptable behavioral patterns, proper speech tones and conversations, decent

The good guy comfortable on this pedestal began controlling her

and/or indecent dressing, education levels, cookery skills, obedience

movements. School which was once fun and free became rigid. The

and submissive spectrums for girls to live by so that they can be

classes were fine, it was the guilt tripping, endless questions and

married by a good guy.

scrutiny that she received at home that was tough. He would accuse

The most ironic yet profound thing remains that these patterns were

her of infidelity, police her dressing and discourage her from visiting

shared globally even before the internet was in existence. How did

family and/or friends. Despite all this the hope of marriage someday

this information get around? Who was creating this content? And

kept her holding on.

what convinced so many parents to implement it?

Physical abuse was familiar to the young girl and she was equipped to handle it. Whenever he was on the wrong she would over react

A young lady at the age of 23, in university was excited she had

and destroy furniture to push him to react physically but he never

achieved most of the expectations on the checklist and was eager to

did. In return, he would outmatch her anger, humiliate and discredit

discover the young adult stage. She had done well in high school and

her feelings by always going back to the pain he suffered in the

was from a fairly well to do family which accorded her the privilege

hands of previous partners. That was like the zapping machine

of joining an undergraduate program immediately. Campus was

prison wardens use on unruly inmates for her. It would always bring

fun, lots of fellow young adults from different parts of the country

her back to ground zero. She had to prove she was different!

hanging out, sharing experiences and the best part freedom was

This went on for four years. She forgot who she was along the

in plenty. Boundaries remained a word in the dictionary not to be

way, anyone who tried to say or do anything to help her see the

applied in day-to-day life, after all, everyone was doing anything they

relationship was unhealthy immediately earned a backlash. The

wanted and it was OK. The few judging eyes and comments from

happiness of the good guy was all that mattered. One day a job

those who preferred to hide their desires to indulge was outweighed

in a faraway town came knocking and the young girl answered, it

by those who indulged fully.

was in the solace of her small house that she began to see the love

Boys and Men were in plenty, she was tall slender and attractive.

jail she had created for herself. Yet, she was addicted to abuse and

The quest to find the good guy soon began. She described the good

withdrawal symptoms were brutal.

guy in her mind as, ”Someone who had direction, well put together in appearance and could pay his bills”. As fate would have it she

On visiting a psychologist to help her manage the extreme highs

was introduced to a man ten years older by a common friend, the

& lows she experienced. Her conditioned finally had a name;

niceties soon followed and for her she had won the good guy lottery.

depression resulting from continued exposure to emotional abuse.

Their relationship grew fast, she moved into his house and became

Thereafter, the young girl lived on antidepressants and had to

financially dependent on him.

develop coping mechanisms to deal with the emotional scars and

Why the haste to move in, I wondered? The girl was the last born

wounds.

of ten children, during her childhood, she lived through domestic

violence seeing her dad beat the mum. When she died, the young

Gender based violence both physical and emotional continue to be

girl moved from one sibling’s house to another. In her sisters’ house

social issues plaguing our societies let us all be more aware, less

the cycle of domestic abuse emerged again. She never really felt

judgmental and kind to each other. Parents the words, statements

like it was home. The move into the house of the good guy was slow

and/or comments we say to our children in their formative years

and uneventful. There was no pick up to carry her belongings or a

form the foundation to which their lives are built, be slow to speak &

farewell party to bid her hosts goodbye.

quick to listen. A word here or there, may mean success or failure for

As they continued to live together one year soon became two and

the girls in our lives.

she was the envy of her friends. What she did not tell them was the

38 MARCH 2019

Diary Of A Jasmine Girl WOMEN ARE 50 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION, AND WE CAN’T TRANSFORM CULTURE WITHOUT WORKING TOGETHER. FEMINISM MUST INCLUDE MEN BECAUSE WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. MODERN FEMINISM, BRINGS BOTH MEN AND WOMEN TOGETHER TO RECOGNIZE THAT EQUALITY IS IN EVERYONE’S BEST INTEREST.

The F word in my generation means a lot of things - it

Ngozi describes the feminism of today as the release of

is something that is looked at with excitement and

all genders from the society expected gender role burden.

disdain all in the same measure. For now, lets look at the

It is about justice and equity for all, and we will all end up

F - feminist word in view of our society. Feminist may

better. As Chimamanda says, “we can teach women all we

mean different things to different people, but one thing

want, but until we teach men the same things as women,

stands out, that gender equality is not a female issue, it’s

it is all an effort in futility” more men need to support and

a social and economic issue. When women or men are

share the journey with the women on justice. More men

paid equally for equal work, everyone wins. When women

need to join the discourse.

or men are represented in the media as they truly are, everyone wins.

I have never needed to label the way I talked with friends as feminists, but the truth is that the friendships I have

At first it was slow – an invitation here, a question there.

are unapologetically feminist. These are the ones that

Facebook notifications, then emails, texts and maybe

make me stronger and shine light on my way forward. In

coffee dates. In the news, everyone is talking about

order to offer a way forward to others while we grapple

it, from CNN, Aljazeera, to the local TVs and dailies. It

with some of the dark realities of our world, it would

seems there is a strong wave that we just can’t resist. The

be to find feminist spaces that build you up and get you

notifications continue. Join this group – it is a secret?

grounded. Inequality in the workspace, at home, in the

Read this article – it has the answer or attend this meeting

institutions against women and men is just wrong. For

– for us by us to build us – is the message. As an invitee

you, seek and create a space where you can be brilliant,

to so many Facebook groups, email chains and anxious

challenged, vulnerable, helpful, humorous, angry, tired

conversations, I happily stand at an intersection of the

and most of all open. These spaces have a way of bringing

people who want to get to work and the other good

out the best in all of us. Read a book, join a well meaning

people who want to fight for equity and justice.

group, be part of creative people who see the value in

We live in a world where a lot of inequity and injustice

everyone and support those who are yet to make it. After

especially to women is so common. Despite us, the

all, who doesn’t want such kind of feminism?

women not having solved the world issues by now, we have really tried to cultivate feminist families and

However and finally, it is disappointing that when feminist

friends whom we can turn to in the moments when the

(both male and women) have created such spaces of

world seems like it is falling apart. This is the group that

opportunity, some people just trample on these hard work

keeps me fighting in the face societal issues regarding us

by their poor mannerisms. For instance, you don’t have to

women.

go bare for the camera to be a woman, just like for men,

There is one group in a particular I have; former school

you don’t have to flex their muscles and physically abusive

mates who went quiet after end of high school exams.

to be a man. I know it is tempting for some women to

Via Whatsapp, we have reconnected. Although we don’t

show cleavage here and there, but let it be appropriate for

live in the same cities anymore, we share so much as

the settings and age. Have you seen how very respectable

though we lived just around the corner from one another.

women are going bare for all and sundry to see, all in the

Careers, parenting, adulting (is that even a word?) to

name of likes and shares on social media? A look at our

marriage and local politics is shared on this group. And

women so called celebrities on Instagram, and you will

here is the thing, while in school, we understood and

understand what I mean. Such challenges only make it

defined “feminism” a little differently than it is today. I

harder for the younger generations to get the fairness

like how the famous writer and activist Chimamanda

they deserve.

MARCH 2019 39

MARKETING

THE MIND OF A GROWING BUSINESS OWNER TRYING TO NARROW DOWN SUCCESS TIPS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS IS LIKE TRYING TO NARROW DOWN ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME PARENTS. ALMOST ANYTHING CAN AND WILL HAPPEN DURING YOUR JOURNEY. NANDIKA AMATIEKU INTERVIEWS THOKOZILE ON HER JOURNEY AS AN EMPLOYED BUT SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a small business owner?

To be honest it is the lack of funding. Good funding, that can enable me to venture into full time business and purchase the best equipment. I know this affects most small business start ups like mine.

Do you think there is a difference growing your business at home in South Africa and growing it in the diaspora?

There is or would be some differences.

Working at home would enable me to be closer to my son and family who play a great 40 MARCH 2019

role to me as a support system. Also, the market in South Africa would really work in my favor as it is very pro-entrepreneurship.

There are limitations to stating a business in a foreign country because you don’t really have the benefits of financial assistance to grow your start up.

So in light of the challenges and limitations how do you market your products?

I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I really use social media like Facebook to put out word about Thothie’s Cakes. It has worked in reaching out to potential customers. I also participate in church development program sessions where word about my baking has spread and it also brings in clients.

I have had the privilege of baking cakes for clients from all over the African continent despite living in the Middle East. These range from people I meet in everyday interactions to visiting celebrities like my one of my favorite singer’s from the choir Joyous Celebrations, Mkhululi Bhebhe.

In future as the business grows I aim to explore traditional avenues like TV. But in the meantime I am reflecting on a Youtube channel where I can upload easy baking tutorials for beginners in baking. I also aim to reach out and partner with event companies and producers of shows such as Kenya’s “Our Perfect Wedding.”

Has there been growth in your business since you started and if so, what do you attribute the growth to?

Absolutely, remarkable growth because

the demand has tremendously increased since I began. However, being in full time employment rather dictates how many order I can take on. So, I maximise on the video marketing and word of mouth to ensure I get repeat clients.

What do you think of video marketing as a marketing strategy for your business?

I believe video marketing would greatly increase the chances of being visible to my target audience. Everything is better visualized enabling the viewer to actually appreciate the talent and craft involved in the making of the cakes.

What would you tell someone who wants to start their own business today?

Technically I am still starting but I would say a couple of things. One, stay focused. Two, everything begins with a vision and boldness.

Three, it will not start big but starts anyway and anyhow because the most important thing is to start and God will open doors for you as you go. Four, take a business management course. And five, keep it simple and elegant. Elegance is a timeless classic that withstands all fashion trends.

Future plans?

To do my business full time and to offer short baking training courses to young people in different countries. Think of it as a “Flying Chef” sort of thing! A chance to create more cake bosses!

Photography: Courtesy - joshuawanyama.com

Growing a business can be hard, let’s not kid ourselves. You have to be made of sterner stuff to stay with it until you see results.

What ways can entrepreneurs establish themselves in this competitive digital world?

Is the digital space improving globalisation or is it making it worse?

To understand the current business situations better, I sat down with a small business owner who is using video marketing to make her business more visible for a candid chat.

Thokozile is a South African entrepreneur based in the Middle East who is working on setting up her own baking business. Her video will tell you her journey but she is as open about her challenges as she is about her success. Sitting with her offers insights to what most small business owners are struggling with and how they can overcome some challenges.

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