Kulture Magazine, Sount Edition.

H A T T O

E X P E C T

Learn the immense benefits of fasting to the body

FASTING BOOK REVIEW

The book review of the quarter is from Babylon to Timbuktu by Rudolf Windsor.

HISTORY FIGURES

Learn about our African heroes. What a rich history we have

DIASPORA EXPLORA

Moving Foward, the black race has to work together to make the dream work. It is important to learn about each other.

AFFIRMATIONS

Check out statements one can meditate on in order to improve self-love and self worth.

KARIBUNI SANA!

N

ews Round Up

The Community's newest member, the Democratic Republic of the Congo acceded to the EAC Treaty on 8 April 2022 and became a full member on 11 July 2022. The EAC is the fastest-growing regional bloc. With DRC in the picture, the region continues to boast of abundance in minerals and other resources. Regional integration is slowly becoming a reality.

Greetings!

There is so much going on in the world today, actually so much has been going on since the 90s. But we have a call to remain still and focus on our development as a people. It is time for us to rise and we won't achieve that by being sidetracked by the latest distractions from the West.

We need to focus on learning and applying what we learn to our industries, businesses, and even our children. It is time to change

the narrative of how we live. I have focused on health in this edition because we need healthy bodies to help us achieve great things. Also, we need to take care of the integrity of our genetic makeup as this will impact how our future generations are. Epigenetics is a topic that is only now coming to the awareness of our brothers and sisters in the diaspora and the role it has played in generational trauma. Finally, thank you for reading edition one, I hope you will enjoy edition two. Love Kulture Queen.

THIS QUATER IN HISTORY

APRIL8,2021-DiscoveryoflostancientEgyptiancity

Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a lost city that dates back 3,400 years to the time of the pharaohs. (1386 1353 BC during the reign of Amenhotep III.

The discovery has been dubbed "The Rise of Aten", archaeologists found rooms filled with everyday objects including bakery, rings, coloured pottery vessels, casting moulds to make amulets, pots used to carry meat, and tools for spinning, weaving, and metal and glass making.

It is important to note that the city was discovered on September 8th 2020 but announced in 8th April 2021

THIS QUATER IN HISTORY

September19,1915,WoodsonfoundedTheAssociationFor theStudyofNegroLifeandHistory,currentlyknownas theAssociationfortheStudyofAfricanAmericanLife andHistory.

"The Father of Black History" Dr Carter G. Woodson, offered African Americans an opportunity to learn about their history, helping them to be more confident in their approach to encountering the future because of the study of their past.

On September 19, 1915, Dr Carter founded The Association For the Study of Negro Life and History, currently known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History which promotes, researches, preserves, interprets, and disseminates information about Black life, history, and culture to the global community.

The black race has stagnated primarily because we have not known about our history. OURSTORY.

FASTING

Did you hear the record breaking hit song that has dominated the charts for over three millennia? The song has been streaming globally, and the fan reactions are wild. Some fans say dancing to the beat for at least 12 to 16 hours regulates blood sugar levels, improves mental clarity, promotes healthy weight loss and keeps people in their A-game.

In contrast, other fans are sceptical that the song is all hype and mumbo jumbo promoted by people who like dancing with starvation; who enjoys hearing their tummy rumble crying out for justice (in the form of nourishment) now and then?

Curious, you rush to your favourite streaming platform to see the hit song FASTING with over 50 billion streams burning the charts. FASTING is a mystery because the artist and producer are anonymous. The record label pushing the song sells it for free, questioning their naivety in not monetizing such a heaven-sent gem. The artist's bio says Producing FAST is my greatest contribution to humanity. It is a jewel transcending any price. The artist`s failure to copyright the song leads to many groups, such as science or religion, claiming ownership of the song for different reasons or intentions. However, they all agree that actively listening and dancing to the song Fasting purifies the mind, body and soul.

The only difference is the vocabulary they use to describe the benefits; for example, the scientist asserts that some of its most pronounced benefits include improved body metabolism, gut health and brain performance. The priest shakes the scientist`s hand by asserting that it makes the body lighter, allowing the person to advance spiritually. Fasting also improves mental resilience and discipline by denying the mind`s impulse for self-preservation through eating to prevent starvation; nobody cares for your future well-being more than your mind. You are not one to be easily swayed by fan reaction, and you click the review section to be welcomed by many positive reactions. Interestingly, you come across a high profile review from a Co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the brain, the GUT. The gut is grateful for the

tremendous effects of fasting on its operations and the smooth working of its processes. It allows it to thoroughly clean out system hardware bugs that lead to inflammation, poor nutrient absorption, and diseases such as a leaky gut. The gut notes that it has spent millions contracting cleaning agents to repair the inefficient company workflow. Still, the results have been shallow because they paint bright colours over the damaged intestinal walls to deceive customers that all is well.

Brain, the gut`s co CEO, adds that deploying Fasting at least two times a week has turned their company from demoralized to eager employees such as the hormonal system renewed its commitment, making them last longer and happier.

If Fasting reconciled the priest and the scientist and made Brain and Gut Company profitable, imagine the health gifts it can lavish you for FREE!

SIMPLE HEALTH

In today's fast paced life, finding time to go to the gym or prepare healthy meals. can be a hustle. Luckily, there are simple ways one can get to eat healthily and maintain bodily fitness. Incorporating these things into your lifestyle will greatly improve your quality of life and health.

We're going to look at stretching and pilates, eating salads or juicing as well as drinking water.

Pilates Moves to do Everyday

The Plank

The plank is an excellent abdominal and core exercise. To ensure you keep your core strong and stable. Core strength is the basis for all coordinated and powerful athletic movements. A strong core can reduce stress on the joints and allow you to achieve better posture. Support your body with your elbows and toes. Hold the position for thirty seconds to one minute while engaging your core abdominal muscles. This position helps to lose belly fat and gain ab muscles.

Strengthens the core as well. Lie on your back and lift your legs at an angle. Hold out your hands straight and move them up and down while lifting your neck and shoulders up. Count however times you can the motion of the hands moving up and down. 10 is good for beginners.

Single Leg Stretch

Lie on your back, Raise your neck and shoulders above the ground. Hold one knee towards your chest, hold for five

seconds, then do the other leg. Do about 20 reps. This workout works on your knees and stretches out the hamstrings. ground, hold for five seconds then down again. Repeat about 20 times. This strengthens your spine.

Pelvic Curl

Lie on your back with your knees lifted. Support your body with your hands lying beside you and your feet on the ground, and lift your back and abdomen off the

The Teaser

It's a bit tough but it works well for your core. Lie faceup. Extend your legs as you reach your arms toward your feet and lift your head and shoulders off the mat. Try to create a V shape with your torso and legs. Hold for five seconds, relax by lying down then repeat again for about 20 reps.

THE HUMAN BODY AND DETOXIFICATION

WhatIsDetoxificationandWhyisit Important?

Detoxification is basically blood cleansing. Impurities and toxins are removed from the body. The main organs responsible for this process are the liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, skin and lungs. There are several ways we can accelerate this. The great thing is that we can achieve this at home with natural remedies, how amazing is that?

Thefollowingwillhelpindetoxification:

Drinking healthy fluids like water (most warm), Green tea, Grapefruit drink(natural), Oatmeal Drink, Cinnamon tea, Ginger tea, Turmeric tea, Fenugreek tea and lemon tea. Fasting for 1 3 days (consult your physician before doing this if you have any underlying health complications).

Eating foods rich in fibre and vitamins D, E, C, and B plays a very huge role in keeping the liver healthy and running. These are found in green leafy vegetables (chlorophyll in green vegetables also helps the colon and liver to remove toxins) and in fruits (fruits such as bananas and papaya help clean the intestines, beetroots and carrots are rich in glutathione helping the liver perform best)

Limiting alcohol. This is one of the most effective ways of keeping your body in prime detox condition. Drinking excessively causes scarring, inflammation and fat buildup in the liver and this could damage your liver severely.

Eliminate cigarettes. Getting a good night’s sleep. Reduce or cut off the intake of processed foods and sugar. Eliminate foods that are rich in heavy metals, allergens and contaminants. Reduce intake of salt

Do Regular Body exercise (150 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week like walking and running)

Switch to natural cleaning products like baking soda and vinegar

Switch to natural body care

WhyIsItImportant?

Detoxification or cleansing is very important because it:

Helps you sleep better Boosts circulation of blood in the body Helps manage the symptoms of ageing Reduces inflammation. Sometimes our body is inflamed and this occurs when it is exposed to substances that are foreign to the body (e. g toxins) or to injury.

Helps promote healthy gut flora.

Helps you lose unnecessary weight

Some forms of detox help in balancing hormones. This helps in managing other symptoms like acne, mood swings and other brain functions.

Purifies your blood and allows better functioning of the blood.

N/B: E

ven though the body is able to perform the process of detoxification on its own through urine , faeces , liver and sweating, there are some chemicals and toxins like bisphenol A, heavy metals , organic pollutants and phthalates that can be very hard to remove through natural processes.

Consistency and patience also have a big role here .

You need to trust the entire process as you go through with your detox plan.

Anyone under medication , Lactating women , children , adolescents , those malnourished , people with blood sugar problems or eating disorders and older adults should consult a doctor first before starting any detox

KEMETIC YOGA

Kemetic Yoga: A phrase that is a slight contradiction in terms, but a term that, out of necessity and the need to convey conceptual clarity, is being used here to paint a verbal picture of what this article is about. Yoga is a Sanskrit word that first appeared in the Vedas (a body of religious texts from ancient India) and the root of the word is “Yuj”, which means ‘to yoke’. Such an encumbrance isn’t something that one would readily associate with the spiritual practice of Yoga with its connotations of effortless, serene movement and lithe, languid kinetics.

The Kemetic practice of what we would now term ‘Yoga’ predates the Hindu iteration by tens of thousands of years, with a myriad of the poses we now come to associate with Yoga found scribed in Kemetic tombs many millennia ago.

As with anything that originates from a different source, the actual practice and what that practice aims to achieve invariably change. Activation of the ‘chakras’ and ‘unity with ‘Oneness’ has become an intrinsic part of the spiritual lexicon of New Age spiritual practice. These movements (perhaps we should call them Kemetic kinetics) in the Kemetic traditions had a slightly different focus and intent. The positions focus on the alignment of the spine and outer extremities in order to harness the energies of the Earth with optimal efficacy, as well as the maximisation of this energy within the body itself. It is why you will not find the upward facing dog in Kemetic Yoga. Improved flexibility is, of course, a byproduct of this practice, but is not the primary or sole aim, though the more flexible the body, the more efficiently the energies within the body are harnessed within, These movements were an essential technical tool that would enable a person to attain higher levels of spiritual enlightenment and elevation but they were to be done in tandem with the daily Kemetic spiritual practices and prayers. By this, I don’t just mean meditation, inextricably linked to Yoga today, but the prayers and ablutions that were the concomitant daily spiritual duties that accompanied Kemetic kinetics.

Whereas Yoga is usually associated with the middle and upper-middle classes and is viewed by many as an extra curricula indulgence, in the times of our Ancestors in the Kemetic traditions, everyone practised these Kemetic movements. Much of the focus was on the heart, which was considered the seat of the mind as well . In the MEDU language (Hieroglyphics) the word for ‘heart’ and ‘mind’ was the same and the heart was seen as the gateway to reaching the world of the Gods (the Neteru). Even today with the increasingly numerous books and articles on ‘In ancient Egypt’, the importance of the heart in Kemetic culture is acknowledged and recognized, with depictions of the weighing of the heart against a scale when a person transitions to the world of the dead. In essence, we were all ‘Yogis’ in Kemetic times. We should unyoke ourselves from the notion of ‘Yoga’ being a practice alien to African culture. It lay right at the heart of our culture and spiritual practices.

did you know?

THE KEMETIC DIET: WHAT DID OUR ANCESTORS

EAT?

You may have seen a lot of meat eating among our ancestors, maybe read about the Hebrews eating meat during their festivities and after sacrifices. Our ancestors from Kemet understood that you are what you eat. Food contributed to more than just physical well-being. It affected one's level of consciousness as well.

In that regard, the diet was simple and easy on the body. Lots of fruits, vegetables and herbal teas. In today's society, we would say the plant-based diet is a Kemetic Diet.

Our ancestors knew that our bodies are electric, and plants give us the necessary charge to run our bodies. Furthermore, humans have a long tract that makes it hard to digest meat in the time it should. A plant-based meal digests easier.

To learn more about the Kemetic Diet, one can read, The Kemetic Diet: Food for Body, Mind and Soul, A Holistic Health Guide Based on Ancient Egyptian Medical Teachings," Muata Ashby

Staying Hydrated

Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It has immense benefits. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Balance electrolytes. Remove toxins. Helps in the digestion of food. Protects the kidneys from overworking. Keeps body tissues moistened. Maintains constant body temperature and allows cooling through sweat. Makes it easier for the blood to transport oxygen-rich nutrients around the body. Keeps joints and cartilage soft and lubricated. Helps to maintain a healthy blood level. Increases metabolism.

So for the sake of your organs and blood, drink water. Try and drink 1.5liters a day. Other benefits include weight loss, clearer skin, as well as high energy levels. Mind your business and drink your water. It's for your good.

Quick Salads

j g , y g g eating raw vegetables and consuming more fruits. Such a meal or snack will immediately boost your energy and set your body in self repair mode. Eating this way for a while, one will notice they feel better and their body looks better. They do not take much time to prepare and the ingredients are easily found in your local store. It may take some getting used to because they do not taste as nice as burgers, but veggies and fruits have their good taste.

Examples of salads you could make are; 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Avocado, cucumber, and coriander or parsley, Fruits (watermelon, pineapples, apples, mangoes, you choose) and cut spinach or kale. Mango, cut cabbage, chilli. Lettuce, carrots, Fruits, any fruits.

You can come up with your combinations of salads also. There are countless recipes out there. Strive to eat healthily and watch the benefits in your own body.

Snack

WHY THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MOULD

Africa has been at a new dawn for this past century. With the introduction of, first, computers and then the Internet, nobody could guess that we were going to thrive because of them. We have indeed made huge progress and advancement in various sectors, it's time we realize that we can be a leading supercontinent. In fact, THE leading supercontinent. We just have to harness our self-belief and get rid of the Western dependency that has plagued us since independence. The West is on a steep, downward decline. Very soon ,

there will be a serious economic crisis, as predicted by Sir John Glubb in his book “The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival”

Already, these regions are worse off than Africa when it comes to the Coronavirus pandemic. Anarchy may also result because of extreme movements and events like LGBTQ+ Black Lives Matter, and the Ukrainian crisis there is always a movement or a crisis here. Soon, maybe even a class war may result. But I think Africa has a chance to rise amidst all these. First, we need to restructure our governance system and cut off all dependency on foreign debt. We don’t even need that money

in the first place. Our minerals and agricultural outputs can sustain us. We can import these items instead of being exploited for them. We can open up our barriers and trade within ourselves here in Africa. We don’t need the world to give us loans, donations, and aid. Another thing we can do is create industries. Our young people today have the capacity of working in manufacturing plants. We’ve received the education and the skills training, furthermore, there is immense knowledge out there if we need to learn anything.

his will create employment and raise our standards of living, and also improve the economy as well as strengthen our currencies by huge margins. The future is ours to mold because it is about that time. For too long we have been used, abused, and exploited. Despite the fact that the world has looked down on Africa and its people, the world also recognizes that Africa is rich, and for them to keep exploiting us, they keep us in a somnolent state with their mind numbingly artificially enhanced music and propagandized Hollywood movies and they use certain policies that work against our governments' progress. If you’ve read The Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins, you’ll learn that our presidents are threatened if they don’t take loans for investor developments. But all this is about to stop as the West is falling and it is falling hard.

INNERVIEW

Kerubo Abuya, PhD. is an Adjunct Lecturer at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), School of Consciousness and Transformation, Transformative Inquiry Department in the Transformative Leadership Program. She is a diversity, equity, and inclusion advocate and practitioner for more humane social systems and cultures of belonging.

As a social scientist, educator, consultant, coach, Pan African intersectional Afro-feminist, and activist-scholar-practitioner, she utilizes transformative pedagogies and interventions, to develop or enhance leaders’ capacity to lead transformative social systems change and cultural transformation. Her work explores multilayered intersections of complexity, social systems design/analysis/change, systems thinking, values based leadership, culture, gender, human rights, decoloniality, consciousness, and spirituality.

She partners with multi sectoral leaders - technology, business, governmental, civil society, philanthropy, educational, healthcare, cultural, religious, political, community, and

grassroots to develop or enhance their capacity to lead transformative change, facilitate, and manage, the human side of organizational change for more humane, diverse, equitable, inclusive cultures, optimal performance, and sustainability.

At the core of her work is imperative to lead from the ‘heart’ by evoking and enabling the operationalization of humanistic values embedded in the African philosophy of personhood and UbuntuUtu Obomwanyabanto Consciousness to inspire evolutionary and revolutionary ways of being in leadership for transformative change through action.

INNER VIEW WITH KERUBO ABUYA

KenyanActivistScholar

Kulture: Welcome to the Kulture Magazine Dr Abuya: You are an Adjunct Lecturer in the Transformative Leadership Programme. Can you explain a little bit about what exactly that is?

Sis Kerubo: Greetings, peace and gratitude for this opportunity. I am a part-time educator in the Transformative Leadership Program, Department of Transformative Inquiry, School of Consciousness and Transformation.

Kulture: You have also been described as a “Pan African Intersectional Afro Feminist”. How would you describe that and how would you distinguish that from Feminists in general?

Sis Kerubo: I evoke Pan Africanism, Intersectionality and Afro Feminism to acknowledge the diversity of feminisms and positionality in this context. There are multiple feminisms and therefore more than one way of being feminist. Intersectionality acknowledges how the various strata of female personhood interact with each other. The "Afro" in my feminism recognises the value and contributions of African indigenous epistemologies and praxis.

Sis Kerubo: I came face to face with the impact of systemic racism in the US as a young adult and witnessed the effect that it continues to have on people of colour. I also experienced prejudice from some African Americans. In one specific incident, an African American fellow female student questioned my intelligence and the value of my contribution because she detected an African accent in my spoken English.

Conversely, I also experienced great love from some African Americans and was delighted to witness the election of Barack Obama in 2008 as the first Black President of the United States of America. It was also a gift to witness the presence and great contributions of former First Lady, Michelle Obama as an inspirational and transformative woman of colour and leader in her own right.

Kulture: How have your experiences living, working and studying in the United States coloured and contributed to your personal development both as a person of colour and an Afro-feminist?

Kulture: Tell us a little bit about your Uongozi wa Utu Initiative: What kind of Initiatives and projects have you undertaken?

Sis Kerubo: The inception of the Uongozi wa Utu Initiative began in 2014 as a direct result of a project I was undertaking at the John Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University titled "Leading, Organizing, Action: Leading Change".

Amongst other things, the initiative sought to develop leaders' capacity to lead transformative change to end practices such as Female Genital Mutilation through cultural transformation. I also co founded the Utu Coalition in October 2021 in response to the horrific lynching of four women who were accused of practising witchcraft in Marani (Kisii County), We continue to advocate for the importance of partnering to eliminate Gender Based Violence and the extrajudicial killings of older persons, specifically women and widows and seek justice for the deceased and their families.

Kulture: What does Ubuntu, in practical terms, mean to you, for example here in Kenya?

Sis Kerubo: Utu, Ubuntu, Ubinadamu, and Obomwanyabanto (in my native Ekegusii tongue) are pillars of the foundational African philosophy of personhood and value system which embody what it means to be human and are the cornerstone of my work as an activist-scholar-practitioner. We can cultivate Utu Consciousness through it. It is living with a quest to know and reconnect with who we are in the highest ideals that align with the true nature of the divine.

Kulture: What sparked your spiritual growth and started you on this path of self-discovery?

Sis Kerubo: My spiritual journey started unfolding for me about 44 years ago with different stages of revelation and unfolding. I was brought up in a family that largely practices Catholicism. While I continued to practice this faith well into my adult life, as I expanded my worldview and understanding of who I am, I have become more tolerant and accepting of people's choices to follow different spiritual practices and religions. The religious intolerance and discrimination I faced and the religious supremacy I had learnt from some circles eventually helped me cultivate religious tolerance.

Pierre Teihard de Chardin's assertion, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience" changed everything for me as far as what spirituality means.

Kulture: What distinguishes African spirituality from spirituality in general?

Sis Kerubo: I have come to realize that spirituality is whole and therefore, there are no multiplicities in its "beingness". They might be differences in the expression of spirituality because of our unique and individualised manifestations of experience or reality. Fundamentally, separating African spirituality from spirituality in general falls into the trap of fragmentation, divisiveness, separation and reductionism which are manifestations of the ego. I may use the term "African Spirituality" because of my cultural heritage as an African but also acknowledge that spiritual expression is not homogenous.

Book Review

From Babylon to Timbuktu

Book by Rudolph R. Windsor

This is a fascinating book that deals, from the onset of recorded time, with the history of the black races of the Middle East and Africa. The author begins by wrestling with the timeless question of the location of the Garden of Eden and the people that inhabited it. He notes that the population living around the four rivers that flow from Eden are all black people. He concludes that there is a blood relationship between the

Dravidian tribes of India and Africans who were around at that beginning time.

Then he proceeds by explaining that at the time of Noah’s flood, all the people were black (except Albinos like Noah according to some scholars).

At that particular time in history, the entire earth had one language. (Possibly a Bantu language). Soon, the Tower of Babel was built and destroyed and the dispersion of people happened. People dispersed into tribes because of the confusion about the languages that happened. Shemites went to Assyria and Elam, and Hamites went to Africa, Canaan, Arabia, Syria, Phoenicia, Turkey, Babylonia, Iran, East Pakistan, and large parts of India. The Japhites, from whom the white races originated, occupied the Isles of the Gentiles along the coast of Europe. They were initially black but with time, major mutations took place and their skins turned white in the process.

In chapter three, the author goes on to annotate the superiority of the black races. Black people were proficient in philosophy, astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, and navigation. The world opened up for trade and interaction through sea transport.

Even the famous Punic wars IIII happened in Africa because of the hostility of Rome towards Carthage and the Libyans. It is said the word Europe is derived from the Semitic word 'ereb' meaning dark, ignorant and mysterious. That was how the blacks of Africa and Asia saw the Europeans. It is evident that the Black races contributed to the development of the white race. The Romans emerged victorious in the Third Punic War marking the beginning of the Roman conquest of North Africa. Chapter four is about proving that the original black Jews were indeed black. Just like their neighbours the Egyptians and the Libyans as well as the Cushites and the Nubians. The chapter also touches on the evolutionary spread of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, the three Abrahamic faiths.

The next chapter touches on the black civilizations of Africa. Rudolf documents where the black races settled including the Jews and other Hebrews. He gives accounts of different tribes and their major cities. He also gives the history of the name Africa, which came from the name Ophren, who was Abraham's grandson through Keturah, his second wife. Ophren’s grandchildren colonized Libya, which had already been captured by Ophren. So they named it Africa, which is Afer in Latin, and Afer is similar to Ophren. The Romans after winning the 3rd Punic war maintained the name, Africa. (There is an Africanus story as well, the Roman general who conquered Africa was called Africanus and he named the continent after him) .

The final chapter of the book talks about the final dispersion of the black Jews of Africa. According to biblical prophecy, the Hebrews were to go into slavery and captivity. God says He will scatter them as a punishment for them worshipping other gods of other peoples. This chapter documents where the black Jews in particular have been around the world as well as their contributions.

*NB: information in brackets denotes personal research and commentary.

P R O D U C T S P R E A D

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Thepallet254

SYOKIMAU: THE MEDICINE WOMAN

Syokimau!

Syokimau?

Yes! Greatness was placed upon her! What part does she play

In our history today? There’s a whole village named in her honour!

Like the time that she spoke Of a snake pouring smoke Carrying people with skin like white meat That would treat us badly And beat us gladly -A people we could not defeat

But I thought Syokimau Is a train station now? You’re totally right! It is too But she was a lady Of greatness and maybe You haven’t heard the things she’d do

There were many not few Sit down and I’ll tell you Okay, tell me; who was she then?

A healer, diviner It’s hard to define her She’s one of the greatest women

She didn’t just heal She could see and feel How and when things would unfold Sort of like a soothsayer? Yes and through prayer There are so many things she foretold

Do you know who she meant? The British they sent To come here and colonize us? Exactly my friend! But that’s not the end AND those that came to baptize us

Priest and missionary? Yes they were so very Contrary to the ‘AKAMBA’ Which people are those? They’re from Machakos And speak in a tongue called ‘KIKAMBA’

Is that where she was born? Well, she sprung like a horn From a tree; she had no mother As a matter of fact No one managed to track Any kin. Not even a father?

No brother? No sister? No relative missed her?

Well, that is what made her unique She sprung from a tree Quite mysteriously And no one knew how. Not a peek!

Well, why a tree?

Trees are special, you see To the ‘Kamba. In fact, to most tribes Mostly the Fig tree Which becomes a big tree And has a strong spiritual vibe

And when Syokimau Was young, this is how She gained her special powers: She was visited by A ‘MAIMU’. What? Why? It’s a spirit that comes at all hours-

That gives you great gifts Presents? No! It lifts Your vibration so you can perform Feats of wizardry And end misery Defeat evil and calm all storms

And where was this done?

The prayers? In the sun Well, outside. At the ‘ITHEMBO’ That’s the Holy Shrine Sacred and divine To the ‘Kamba. Ah! The ‘ITHEMBO!’

I’ve heard of the name It’s a place where they came To come and make their offerings Yes, exactly! That’s how The great Syokimau Was able to stop suffering

End famine and drought

As well as chase out The enemy or a spy Who was the great foe With whom they to’d-and-fro’d? The great tribe of the Maasai

Sometimes the Kikuyu

Who came when they knew you-Were not paying attention to take All of your cattle Coz that’s how a battle Was won coz cattle could makeYour tribe more wealthy How sly and stealthy! So cattle was sort of like money? Yes! Goats and cows That was really how Your wealth was measured. How funny!

Well, it still is today

By tribesmen who pay Something that we call ‘DOWRY’ I’ve heard this tradition It’s sort of permission You get from a father to marry

His daughter. You bought her… Well, you show that you sought her Because you love her a lot Was Syokimau married? She wasn’t. She carried Her people’s love in prayer and thought

So how did she deal With helping to heal The people who’d feel unwell? Well, she’d go in a trance Or a dream in advance And a spirit would show up and tell

Her what plants and herbs Would help her to curb The illness of that person Then that person would come And be treated with some Of the herb before they could worsen.

Wow! That is amazing! Certainly worth praising So she was gazing in her dreams Before they arrived At the person deprived Of their health? Wow! What a scheme!

How could we forget This person and yet She had many mysteries? Coz she prophesied That people won’t see Or read about their history

Which they would neglect And also not respect Their parents as well as their elders She predicted this? It’s true! We dismiss Their advice and things that they tell us

Tell me: Is she dead? Yes! She died on her bed In her hut, after they blessed her Blessed her? Who? The spirit called ‘MAIMU’? I’m talking about the ancestors

She died with mouth open And people were hoping She wasn’t dead when they heard Coz it wasn’t the first Or second time she’d passed Believe it or not t’was the third!

The third time she’d died? Yes! One time she cried Out from the grove where they left her Thinking she was dead But they came and instead She was kneeling and praying there! Wow! What a great tale Of this great female Such an interesting narration! Thanks for the chat And to think I thought that Syokimau was just a train station!

The next time I go

To the station I’ll know What the name of it means and say ‘WOW’!

This town and station

In this great nation Where named after SYOKIMAU!

Hannibal of Carthage

If you've been in any military class, then you've most likely encountered Hannibal's war strategies. He was a smart and powerful military leader in Carthage, which was in Libya then, present-day Tunisia. There were three Punic wars that were fought between the Carthaginians and the Romans. The first war was fought in the early 3rd century BC and it lasted for 23 years. The conflict was a supremacy struggle over the sea and its routes. After severe losses on both sides, Rome won. Carthage's commander was Hannibal's father, Hamilcar Barca. Hannibal the Younger took command of the army and went to war again with Rome. The 2nd Punic War which was fought from 218BC

to 201 BC, set in the northern part of Italy. It was in this war that Hannibal and his army crossed over the Alps on elephants. Resoundingly successful, he stayed in Italy fought and conquered several cities in South Italy for 15 years. In fact, his well planned strategies allowed him to conquer and ally with several Italian cities that were previously allied with Rome. Unfortunately, Rome planned a

counter invasion, against Hannibal's troops, of North Africa, led by Roman General Scipio Africanus, which forced him to return to Carthage. Hannibal was eventually defeated at the Battle of Zama, with the war ending in a Roman victory. This was the 3rd Punic War. This led to Rome conquering Africa. He campaigned for the position of Sufet while in Rome. A Sufet was a Semitic community leader of significant civic stature, often functioning as a chief magistrate with the authority roughly equivalent to Roman consular powers. He also gave military advice to Antiochus III the Great of Greece in his war against Rome. Antiochus met defeat at the Battle of Magnesia and was forced to accept Rome's terms, and Hannibal fled again, making a stop in the Kingdom of Armenia. His flight ended in the court of Bithynia. where he was betrayed to the Romans and committed suicide by poisoning himself. What an end for this leader. He hated the Romans with a passion. His military prowess is praised to date and his strategies are taught to armies. He is definitely worth remembering and celebrating.

Imhotep - The World's First Physician

(Part 1)

If there is one personality in History that we cannot afford to not learn about, It's Imhotep's. This man was a multi-genius in the land of Kemet during the 3rd Dynasty rule, at the time of Pharaoh Djoser.

Imhotep was an Egyptian chancellor to the Pharaoh Djoser scientist, priest, poet, astronomer, architect, builder of the world's first colossal stone structure, scribe and what could have been his biggest contribution, Imhotep was the world's first physician.

He also gathered together the intellects of his time and they would learn from each other by sharing knowledge. These meetups would be the embryos that developed into universities.

Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser.

Imhotep's knowledge of the human body and medicinal plants lead him to have some of the following accomplishments.

1.

2.

He catalogued 1000 medicinal plants and gave their detailed uses.

He is known to have diagnosed and treated over 200 diseases, including 15 of the abdomen, 11 of the bladder, 29 for the eyes, 18 for the skin, hair, nails and tongue and 10 for the rectum. He is known to have treated, tuberculosis, gallstones, appendicitis, gout and arthritis.

3.

He practised dentistry and practised surgery.

The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, one of the most important documents describing medicine in the ancient Nile Valley, has been attributed to Imhotep. It was written around 1700 BC; it had in it instructions of surgical procedures in exquisite detail, cranial sutures, the external surface of the brain, examination, diagnosis ad treatment of hand injuries, fractures of the neck, collarbone, skull, nose and are, tumours, cysts, sprains dislocation as well as wounds and how to treat them.

I Am A Child of Imhotep

He Who Conceals His Disease Cannot Expect To Be Cured

Healing & medical practices among the Kipsigis

Every civilization from time immemorial had to fend off the ferocity of disease and thus developed ethnomedical knowledge and the Kipsigis people were no exception. Through their modicum health systems supported by beliefs, customs, techniques and specialists they brought up a populace that ensured that their quality of life and of course prosperity was achieved.

It is not lost to me that when at the tender age of 13 and all hope lost for returning to good health after a bad bout of plasmodium malaria had faded, my late grandmother visited with herbs in powder form that she administered with precise tiny surgical cuts along my rib area and brought me back from the fringes of deaths claws.

In the late 1930s, the Kipsigis country was ravaged by a disease then referred to as “lockjaw disease” presently known as Tetanus. Anyone infected might have had painful muscle spasms and stiff, immovable muscles in their jaws and in severe cases fall into epileptic fits. The sheer look at a suffering patient going through this cycle of painful episodes prompted a quick innovation of first aiding which naturally involved administering their universal therapy liquid – milk! The “how” to administer this gave birth to an ingenious dental surgical method that knocked out the two lower incisors eventually becoming a tribal identifier of the Kipsigis people.

The dentist paraphernalia included a sharp blade attached to a stick, a sharpening stone and a thicker safety stick. The latter was used to hold the patient's jaws wide open by him/her biting it across the mouth at the molar section.

This surgical intervention became popular even after the tetanus outbreak had been managed and became a hallmark of beauty, especially among men. It even went on to be adopted by their neighbouring Luo people who not wanting to be outdone with the striking new look removed an extra tooth on either side knocking off four out of their dental formula. To date, this very surgical legacy can still be found among the Kipsigis people and the many neighbours they influenced through their medical intervention practices.

I am forever grateful for the knowledge my grandmother had to save my life after all else had failed. It is my belief that the present modern health systems can learn from the past indigenous knowledge and incorporate the same in delivering healthcare.

Dentist Tools

sharp blade attached to a stick

saftey stick sharpening stone

AFFIRMATIONS

Affirmations are a huge tool in one's journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

These are powerful statements one repeats to awaken consciousness.

As the black race, the media has for a very long time sent us negative messages about ourselves and it's high time we changed the narrative we have told ourselves by actively empowering ourselves.

The following statements are affirmations you can repeat to yourself every day. Believe them and see your attitudes and perspectives shift.

Diaspora Explora

Top 10 Tribes Taken as Slaves During the Atlantic Slave Trade.

The identification of who sold who during the transatlantic slave trade should not be used as an excuse for Africans to hate each other. Also, we must be very cautious of the narrative supporting black-on-black violence. White people did other white people wrong too. They killed and massacred each other as well as sold some into slavery. So this situation is more of a human condition downfall;

occurrences that are infused with lessons for our co existence now and for posterity.

Today, however, we shall delve into the top ten tribes that were sold into slavery by other communities during the transatlantic slave trade.

Chamba Tribe

The Chamba people of Northern Nigeria and parts of Cameroon were constantly being raided by the Fulani Slave Traders during the Jihad wars of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Fulani people were among the earliest ethnic groups in West Africa to convert to Islam. As a defence strategy, the Chamba formed a resistance front that retreated to the mountains and attacked Slave Trade Caravans, and as a result, fewer Chamba were taken as slaves.

Wolof Tribe

The Wolof People are found in Senegal and Gambia. Owing to their proximity and the conflicts that can arise from this, the Wolof people participated in wars, leading to the enslavement of some of them. The Jihad wars of the 18th and 19th centuries also contributed to the enslavement of some of them, especially those that got displaced by the war or taken in as prisoners.

Abron Tribe

Found in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Burkina Faso. They were located at the centre of the Gold Coast slave region, where the slave trade was intense.

Fulani Tribe

The Fulani are probably the largest ethnic group in West Africa from Senegal all the way up to the Central African Republic. They converted to Islam quite early in history, between the 8th and 14th centuries, when they also produced a class of Muslim clerics. They became the primary slave raiders as they sold many African ethnic groups into slavery. They got these Africans from waging the Jihad wars. Ironically though, they became the most enslaved African tribe, in fact, they sold their own, especially the Fulani who did not profess Islam.

Mende tribe

The Mende people are a collection of ethnic groups all over West Africa that speak the Mende language. The Mandinka Tribe is the most recognised of the Mende-speaking people. Around 1600AD from 1100BC, the Mandinka culture was the most dominant in West Africa. It was during this time, that the Mandinka Kingdoms around the Coastline of West Africa fell victim to the Slave Trade. The phrase Mandingo was coined in reference to their reputation as strong black men. The history of the Mandinka including their history in the transatlantic Slave Trade has been immortalised in the story of the Amistad Slave Ship

Fon Tribe

They are the largest ethnic group in Benin and are also found in parts of Southern Nigeria. During the 17th Century, they were well established and became famous for their Dahomey Amazon female warriors, the inspiration for Black Panther’s Dora Milaje all Female Royal Guard. They ended up selling and being sold during the slave trade. Eventually, they comprised a significant population of people from Haiti and Trinidad. The Voodoo Slave Religion that would emerge out of Haiti was directly influenced by the Fon tribe leading to the first successful Black Revolution in History with the success of the Haitian Revolution.

The Bakongo tribe

The Bakongo people lived along the Atlantic coasts of Central Africa in the Democratic Republic of Congo and established a prominent empire in the region.

The Portuguese seized so many citizens of the Congo Empire, that the Bakongo King had to write a letter to the Portuguese King to complain that his people were being depopulated and the remaining population was suffering.

Igbo Tribe

The Igbo are an ethnic group native to present-day South Central and South Eastern Nigeria. Due to the Aro Confederacy, the Aro people, a subgroup of the Igbo had migrated to Igboland creating a demand for slaves and palm oil. The Aro are a subtribe of the Igbo who rose to economic power from 1690 to 1902. The Aro Confederacy captured and enslaved Igbos, selling them on the Biafran coastline.

Yoruba Tribe

They are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. As far as the 11th Century, the Yoruba were the dominant cultural force in Southern Nigeria and they were heavily engaged in the Palm Oil Trade that went hand in hand with the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. They sold and were sold as slaves, resulting in many Yoruba being dispersed to the Americas.

Today, the Yoruba Orisha cult Pantheon is highly venerated in the Americas.

Mbundu Tribe

They are people from Angola, and according to the Atlas Of The Transatlantic Slave Trade, the Mbundu tribe was the most enslaved African tribe. The legendary Queen Nzinga led a rebellion against the Portuguese Slave Traders. Fast forward to modern times, the Mbundu people taken as slaves began to influence Brazilian culture, for example, the Capoeira martial arts technique.

Other Tribes

Some sources cite that after the Hebrew Israelites ran away from the Roman Empire after their temple was destroyed, they came to West Africa and established a Kingdom in the area called Negroland, where the tribe of Judah specifically settled there. These people have been known to be sold as slaves by Africans.

Waroho House

From games to other activities, products and experiences, Waroho house activities are guided by the principles of Maat and aim to develop and remember the Natural Spiritual path for the African Diaspora.

The amazing Mikel the Energy will lead Waroho House to the Kenyan Coast at the end of the year for an unforgettable spiritual experience, including healing games, workshops and a spiritual adventure.

There is also Cheza Roho, which translates as Play the Spirit in Swahili. As an ancient meditation practice and lifestyle philosophy, this serves as a reminder that all life is governed by natural rhythms, and our only role is to create balance & harmony within those rhythms.

If you are in the diaspora, check out their website, https://www.warohohouse.com/. For Africans on the continent, we can also connect with Waroho House and Mikel via social media and spiritual workshops, as well as learn from the Instagram live gatherings Mikel holds periodically.

Get a sense of how fun the activities are by checking out the Gallery.

GALLERY