kulture
April 2022 Vol 002
FOR AFRICANS
FOR THE LOVE OF THEATRE ARTS
HEALTHY MEALS YOU CAN TRY
BOOK SUMMARY
Hear from four theatre enthusiasts about their work.
Simple vegetarian meals you could explore.
From Babylon to Timbuktu
TABLE OF CONTENTS
kulture magazine
Fom KQ'S Desk
02
For the Love of Theatre
04
Simple Health Stone Arica, Religion, with andHeidi Spirituality
17 22 Scotland, Iceland and Ireland
Hannibal of by Carthage Nixon Bentley
Healthy Recipes
26
Why the Future is Ours to Mold
32
Developer Life
34
Book Summary.
40
Sean Fraser Product Spread: thepallet254
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FRAMEMAG.COM/TABLET
From Kulture Queen's Desk 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 looking at 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 our genetic makeup as this will impact how our future generations are. Finally, thank you for reading edition one, I hope you will enjoy edition two. Unfortunately, I will scale down to a newsletter for the next editions because I lack the capacity to do whole magazines, as I work by myself. I will work on building an editorial team and resume. Love Kulture Queen.
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For the Love of Theatre Theater is a beautiful art. Its a live art. When the actors come on stage and project their voices, the audience is plunged into a different world of story telling. Theatre is a means to pass meaningful messages to society as well as entertain. In Nairobi, there are several shows on most weekends at the Kenya Arts Theatre and Sarakasi dome as well. Treat yourself to a play one of this fine days. You might find a new muse. Let's hear from 4 theater actors and producers about their lives in the art.
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Claire Wahome
Producer | Actress | CEO Millaz Productions Kenya How did you start out in theatre?
I started out theatre in campus, especially after my classes. It was my escape from my engineering world so I would cool off by expressing myself in theatre.
How do you stay motivated in your work?
I keep on looking at how far people who started out in theatre have gone and that pushes me that one-day things will work out for me too. I also watch other people performing and this pushes me to see what more I can do and in turn, it pushes my limits.
What is the biggest challenge that you face in this job?
The biggest challenge I can say is putting up a better production than the previous one. They say as an actor you are as good as your last show. In all the productions we do,we give it our all...and now to top that is usually our greatest challenge but I'm glad we always level up.
Describe your daily routine as a producer/actress/CEO?
I can't say that there is a routine because most of us don't have acting as the only thing, others have work and others are at school. As a producer, my day is made up of many
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phone calls and meetings to actually bring the production to life and when we have a show coming up, we definitely spend most of the time rehearsing, critiquing, correcting, and even just enjoying ourselves because we are doing what we love.
What are the qualities that a CEO/actress/producer needs to be successful?
There are so many but my top 3 are God-fearing..because we do need God in everything we do. The talent, the hard work, and the effort can not be seamless without God. Commitment... The many hours we spend rehearsing, the transport, the energy...it all counts in the end. One needs to be very committed because art is not a walk in the park...it needs a lot of attention and time and dedication Willingness to learn...there Is always something new to learn every day. So that willingness to learn something new, to package your performance in a different way is something that can really grow an actor, director, scriptwriter, etc.
Who was the person who made the biggest impact on your career?
I would say Justin Ongwen. He trained me in high school in the drama festivals and believed in me to be the story carrier in our winning play and that opened many doors for me. Secondly, Xavier Nato, made me understand theatre and got me to act with Millaz Productions, and later on, left me the mantle to lead the group so that is definitely a huge impact on my career.
When you’re in despair with a piece of work, how do you maneuver out of that?
First of all, I pray...I ask for God's wisdom. I, later on, consult my team and see how best we can go about it. I also ask my mentors and people who are more experienced to share with me a piece of their minds.
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Which of your works is your favorite and why?
My favorite work is a play called Razor by Millaz Productions, it was an adaptation of roots of dishonor by Justin Ongwen. It basically was about the effects of female genital mutilation and also early marriages. It was my favorite because it was a fusion of music, comedy, and drama and at the same time the setting was a traditional Maasai homestead. It passed the message and still kept the audience going with the emotional rollercoaster that it had.
Do you earn money from your work?
Yes, we do. From the ticket sales we get, some money comes back to us so that's why we encourage more people to come for the plays so that we can sustain our expenses and also appreciate our artists. We haven't reached there yet where we can comfortably say it is good pay but we appreciate what we have and we know in the near future, it will be better.
What was your most memorable theatrical experience?
My most memorable experience was performing the play 'Blackout' which later on led to Millaz Productions receiving 6 nominations at the Kenya Theatre awards and winning 5 out of them. I happened to win Best Producer and 17th February 2022 will be a date I will never forget.
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Wreiner Arnold Mandu
Writer | Director | Producer | Founder and Executive Director Igiza Arts Productions. How did you start out in theatre?
I started out as an actor auditioning for roles everywhere. I was too good to go unnoticed. My focus was bigger than just acting, I wanted to start my own thing. To mentor.
How do you stay motivated in your work?
I take breaks when necessary. I look at my products and take a lot of pride in them. This surges me on.
What is the biggest challenge that you face in this job?
The biggest challenge is marketing. It is so hard selling those tickets.
Describe your daily routine as a director/writer/producer. Daily routine; I do not have a daily routine. But I have to at least think about a role in a play every day. My writing is spontaneous. I have my rehearsals on the weekends.
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What are the qualities that a director/writer/producer needs to be successful?
Qualities; drive, focus, objectivity, resilience. Patience too. People are difficult.
Who was the person who made the biggest impact on your career?
The biggest impact, a tough one. Can't pick one. My grandparents and my parents for allowing me to pursue art. Barnabas Kasigwa (The late), Mark Wabuli, and Catherine Wamuyu of Royal Media.
What was your most memorable theatrical experience?
Avaricious Averina; was my first completely original play.
Do you earn money from your work?
Yes. Not commensurate with the efforts though but step by step with God, we inch closer.
When you’re in despair with a piece of work, how do you maneuver out of that? I take a break, I cool off, and I revitalize.
Which of your works is your favorite and why?
I don't have a favorite. They are all stupendous
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Darwin Karari Wanjiru
Actor|Stage Director| Founder Oosberg Productions How did you start out in theatre?
I started acting in class 6, in a church junior youth group, after which I joined an acting group in high school where my passion for acting and for the arts grew. While in campus, I worked with several theatre groups performing the role of an actor, stage manager, or set designer.
How do you stay motivated in your work?
It’s a passion I have and I am dedicated to being successful in it. Performing shows and managing performances worldwide is my dream.
This keeps me motivated and focused. I am not just looking to perform a show and go back home. I want to make a difference, bring innovation to my art and make a living while doing the thing I love most. Theatre.
What is the biggest challenge that you face in this job?
The biggest challenge that I face, personally, is that people do not embrace theatre as before, especially with the rise of quality films and series in Kenya. People have substituted a weekend at the theatre with a bingewatching session at home with their loved ones. People have forgotten the beauty of live performances and this translates into business as low sales and revenue.
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Theatre companies are also mismanaged. Company players’ efforts go to sustain the top managers while the bottom players are left with peanuts that can barely sustain them due to mismanagement of theatre companies.
Lastly, always have resources to facilitate your art and by that, I mean financial resources for transport and airtime to do networking.
What are the qualities that a Describe your daily routine director/writer/producer as a stage manager/actor. needs to be successful? All I can say is this is a 24/7 job with no routine. It is very spontaneous and you should be ready at any time since you will be called any time for auditions, a part to play in a film or play, or an extra's role. There are things you ought to have done though. One, Make sure you’re well-groomed and present yourself as a worthy performer by going to the gym and looking good. Two, learn about your skill. Take your time to read a book or improve on your acting skills, directing skills, writing skills, etc. Three is to do a lot of practice and not be afraid to fail. Failure helps us learn how to do it better next time so do not be afraid to fail.
Discipline. This is the number one rule for a good performer. You have to be on time, and on cue, every time. Whether it is for rehearsals or during a performance on stage. Know the rules, and stick to them. Passion. Working in theatre has a lot of ups and downs. There are a lot of obstacles and one needs passion to withstand such obstacles. The show is the most important thing to a person and therefore it always goes on.
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Who was the person who made the biggest impact on your career?
My mother. Without her support, I would not have had the courage to pursue art up until my age right now. She has attended all my shows, ever since I was in primary school to date. May she be blessed from here to Jerusalem.
When you’re in despair with a piece of work, how do you maneuver out of that? I study a lot about the history and culture of the role. I also seek help from people that have performed the role before. At the end of it all, with persistence, a solution will always arise.
What was your most memorable theatrical experience?
My most memorable moment on stage was when I was playing Akasha. A role that completely mirrored my age, character, and behaviors. It was acting out myself, but with a different name and a whole lot of freedom.
Do you earn money from your work?
Yes, I do, but for the quality of service I provide, I am not paid enough. I have started my own venture to bridge the gap.
Which of your works is your favorite and why?
I did a play called Perishable Cherishables. A romantic play. I was the brother to the lover boy. I was a very stupid brother.
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Bulungu Ileene Anyona Actress
How did you start out in theatre?
I took part in the Kenya National Drama and Film Festivals from class five and that's how I developed an interest in acting. Because of the stage thrill, joining a theatre company was a no-brainer after high school. My first theatrical experience was after high school in the student, alumni, and staff plays at Alliance Française where I was furthering my mastery of the language. We got to stage up to five shows a day on some days and they ran through a week to different French-speaking audiences including beginners. Working in a very professional setup gave me the motivation to go on with the craft.
How do you stay motivated in your work?
Art can be a business, leisure, or side hustle but I choose to see it as a lifestyle so I draw motivation from everyday happenings and from the urge to see a world where art is not only valued but also respected and so myself and others keep doing it so we can not only see but live in that world too.
What is the biggest challenge that you face in this job? The inadequacy in Art supporting institutions or government policies.
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Describe your daily routine as an actress.
Research, more research, and constant research. As an actress, there is a lot you need to understand because you are constantly ‘mirroring society' and so you always need to understand things on a deeper level.
What are the qualities that a director/writer/producer needs to be successful?
Open-mindedness, patience, the willingness to unlearn and relearn, teamwork, and the mother of them all, discipline. I pick these because this is an industry where the « no man is an island » saying reflects. These qualities therefore would help anyone who constantly needs to work with others to make the dream work.
Who was the person who made the biggest impact on your career?
Obilo Ng'ong'o and Melissa Kiplagat. Obilo introduced me to the theatre, helping me understand the difference between what we did in school for Drama competitions versus professional theatre acting.
Melissa led me through a thorough characterization understanding and a deeper understanding of the art.
When you’re in despair with a piece of work, how do you maneuver out of that?
I go back to square one, ask myself basic questions eg who exactly is this character, I work from a point of the known to the unknown where I pick that tiny similarity in my character's life and my own, let that meet, and move from there, like how Meryl Streep once said it is important to pick the similarities in your character's life and yours rather than differences.
Which of your works is your favorite and why?
The role of Detective Pressure in the Play I know My Rights written by Saumu Kombo and Ted Munene because I wasn't typecasted as a typical slay queen or a middleaged mother but a fierce career woman and so I got to work outside my cocoon.
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What was your most memorable theatrical experience?
Definitely, Razor by Millaz Productions Kenya because I got to speak and sing in Maasai, not many people have had the chance to work in this local language.
Do you earn money from your work? I can say, my craft is appreciated.
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Oosberg Productions promotes and support theatre companies by providing set design, stage management and event hosting services. They also have value addition strategies for theatre companies.
Contact Oosberg Productions Darwin Karari Wanjiru +254708813147 wu.oosberg.productions@outlook.com
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.
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5 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.
The Hundred 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.
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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.
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, lift your back and abdomen off the ground, hold for five seconds then down again. Repeat about 20 times. This strengthens your spine.
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.
source: thebalancedlifeonline.com
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Delicious Salads
Quick Salads Salads are just a general term,
Examples of salads you could
but I'm trying to encourage
make are;
eating raw vegetables and consuming more fruits. Such a meal or snack will
1. Avocado, cucumber, and dhania, 2. Fruits (watermelon,
immediately boost your
pineapples, apples,
energy and set your body in
mangoes, you choose)
self-repair mode. Eating this
and cut spinach or kales.
way for a while, one will notice
3. Mango, cut cabbage, chili.
they feel better and their body
4. Lettuce, carrots,
looks better.
5. Fruits, any fruits.
They do not take much time to
You can come up with your
prepare and the ingredients
combinations of salads also.
are easily found in your local
There are countless recipes
store. It may take some
out there. Strive to eat
getting used to because they
healthily and watch the
do not taste as nice as the
benefits in your own body.
burgers, but veggies and fruits have their good taste.
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Staying Hydrated Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It has immense benefits. 1. Balance electrolytes. 2. Remove toxins. 3. Helps in the digestion of food. 4. Protects the kidneys from overworking. 5. Keeps body tissues moistened. 6. Maintains constant body temperature and allows cooling through sweat. 7. Makes it easier for the blood to transport oxygen-rich nutrients around the body. 8. Keeps joints and cartilage soft and lubricated. 9. Helps to maintain a healthy blood level. 10. 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.
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AFRICA, RELIGION, AND SPIRITUALITY OPINIONS
Africa has been spiritual for a long
But information about it started to
time. Long before the colonizers
resurface in 1998. Practices
and Muslim conquerors brought
include Kemetic yoga, healthy
us Christianity and Islam. We had
eating, and morning and evening
our own religions and spiritual
chants to the creator among
practices. What bothers me is that
others. One can also learn the
all that seems like it is all forgotten
Egyptian hieroglyphs while at it to
and we are part of the white
get more acquainted with the
man’s mental strategy to rule.
ways of our ancestors.
Restricting our religious practices to church and telling us if we do
Then there is the Kingunza from
certain wrong things we will go to
Congo. A healing spiritual practice
hell so we must stay nice.
that has been practiced for ages. They used herbs a lot for healing
We have the Kemetic Spirituality. A
and prayer to The Almighty. The
spiritual system that encourages
Kingunza interestingly enough has
man to look deep within himself,
the Hebrew Bible, and apparently,
value himself and know that he is
it was not brought to them by
one with the creator and the
anyone. They have always had it.
ancestors. It started in Egypt and
They refer to the bible as a book
grew from there. Apparently,
for not only spiritual nourishment
spirituality had to go underground
but of African History, as the
when the Romans came to Africa.
characters of the bible are also
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black. And in their Kilingala bibles,
to this spirituality as they feel
the characters have different
more connected to their roots
African names. Listening to a
through it. Oshun is among the
Kingunza speak, you will learn that
favourite deities. The spirituality
our normal bibles from the west
has different gods and goddesses
have been heavily edited (by the
just like the Kemetic spirituality.
Vatican by the way, do your
Their practices include magic, the
research) and they also read other
use of traditional medicines, and
books like the book of Enoch. The
the veneration of the dead.
Kongo people say that their language was what Adam and Eve
When we get to South Africa, they
spoke. It makes you wonder what is
have a widespread sangoma
the true history of Africans in relation
healing practice and use of
to Christianity as well as the history
traditional herbs as well as
of Christianity in relation to Africans.
veneration of the ancestors. Sangomas or inyangas are
Let’s move to West Africa. West
shamans, healers, priests, and
Africans have many religious and
prophets that have been the
spiritual systems going on. Burna
backbone of Bantu communities,
Boy says his people are spiritual. We
especially in the rural areas of
have the Orisha spirituality, also
Southern Africa for eons. Their
practiced by some Black Americans
philosophy is based on their belief
in the USA. It belongs to the Yoruba
in ancestral spirits. In the modern
tribe. We also have the Odu Ifa
world, sangomas have been
system of divination that is very
known to cure mental illnesses
scientific as it uses binaries in its
and are even interpreted as
systems. It also belongs to the
ancestral callings to modern
Yoruba people. The two systems are
society.
associated with each other. The African diaspora has taken
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North Africa was inhabited by Arabs who spread Islam. They invaded Africa in the 7th century AD, between the years 647 AD and 709 AD. This area was inhabited by all sorts of Africans who were forced to migrate from their homes due to the wars. The Africans that remained converted to Muslim and until today, North Africa has a strong Islam presence. The practice of those Africans that lived in North Africa before the Arab invasion included ancestral worship, yoga, use of herbs and medicinal plants for healing as well as evening and morning chants. Spirituality systems in Africa were so many. Only a few have been able to survive until today. Knowledge and artifacts were lost during the period of slavery and colonization. We were then told our practices were all dark and involved black magic. In our practices, we had records of complex mathematics, astrology, information about the human body, and geography among other subjects. Our spiritual systems allowed us to interact and
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view the world with respect for the intelligence that created it. The white man ensured our systems would be destroyed so that they could put in our minds what they wanted. To make our mindsets and attitudes serve them. It could be time to go back. There could be some truth in Christianity and Islam but we must accept that we have been given a watereddown version of Christianity. Whatever we decide regarding what personal Spiritual path is a personal choice. But of importance, we must first decolonize our minds and learn to respect our ancestor’s fight. We also must decolonize education, government, health, and religion so that we can live as Africans should. Free and in harmony with nature.
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Healthy Recipes
Eating healthy is a conscious decision one makes. You have to get up and go buy ingredients. It is easy to have fast foods and watch your veggies spoil. But when you become committed, you will need recipes you can start with. Here are breakfast, a snack, lunch, and supper ideas that are all vegetarian and white meats only.
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BREAK FAST
Overnight Oats This is a simple recipe that takes five to ten minutes to prepare depending on how many things you want to put. But you can prepare it with under one minute the previous night.
Ingredients Oats, 1 cup is enough A cup of milk of your choice,
dairy,
coconut,
soy, and almond. Fruits
of
your
choice,
bananas, pears, berries, Nuts of your choice
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Continuation
How to prepare Put the oats and milk in a jar and mix it up. Let it stay in the fridge overnight. Take it out in the morning and add the toppings. You can even top it up with chocolates, it's really up to you and what you have. You can sweeten it with sugar or honey or syrup if you have any.
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Snack Time
Coconut date balls
This is a quick recipe fit for a snack at any time. Ingredients Shredded coconut Dates with the seeds removed Coconut oil, A pinch of salt Preparation Blend the ingredients Once it is well mixed, take some in your hand and make it into a ball. Repeat until it's done. Put in the fridge for two hours. Enjoy while cold.
NOMADIC
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LUNCH
Cauliflower rice
If normal rice makes you feel heavy, or you're just tired of rice, try this. Ingredients 2 full cauliflowers Any veggies like carrots, capsicum, dania, to make with the rice. 1 red onion Preparation Grate the cauliflowers Put the onion in a pan, after it browns, add your cauliflower and other vegetables. Cook for five minutes and serve with a stew or vegetable dish of your choice. Don't forget to add some salt and put spices like black pepper if you want to. Enjoy! NOMADIC
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DINNER Plantain Wraps
This is an exciting recipe for vegetarians. Whatever remains from your dinner can be used as a snack the following day. Ingredients 3 chopped up plantains or green bananas 1/2 cup of coconut oil 1 teaspoon of salt 1/4 cup water. Preparation Blend all the ingredients together. Pour onto an oiled baking tray and bake in the oven at 190 degrees celsius for 25 minutes. To serve, Wrap even guacamole, or a fried egg salad, or some chicken, anything. Enjoy! NOMADIC
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WHY THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MOLD Africa has been at a new dawn for
supporters, there is always a
this past century. With the
movement here. Soon, maybe
introduction of computers then the
even a class war may result.
Internet, nobody could guess that we are going to thrive because of
But I think Africa has a chance to
them.
rise amidst all these. First, we need to restructure our governance
We have indeed made huge
system and cut off all dependency
progress and advancement in
on foreign debt. We don’t even
various sectors, it's time we realize
need that money in the first place.
that we can be a leading
Our minerals and agricultural
supercontinent. We just have to
outputs can sustain us. We can
believe in ourselves and get rid of
import these items instead of
the Western dependency that has
being exploited for them. We can
plagued us since independence.
open up our barriers and trade within ourselves here in Africa. We
The West and America are on a
don’t need the world to give us
decline. Very soon there will be a
loans, donations, and aid.
serious economic crisis. Already, these regions are worse off than
Another thing we can do is create
Africa when it comes to the
industries. Our young people
Coronavirus pandemic. Anarchy
today have the capacity of
may also result because of
working in manufacturing plants.
extreme movements like LGBTQ+, Black Lives Matter, and Ukrainian
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We’ve received the education and
We can create our own social
the skills training, furthermore,
media and run it, we can create
there is immense knowledge out
new computer programming
there if we need to learn anything.
languages based on our own
This will create employment and
languages, we can start learning
raise our standards of living, and
some African languages in our
also improve the economy as well
schools and we definitely can take
as strengthen our currencies by
control of our resources. The time
huge margins.
for us to rise has come. It is a golden opportunity especially
The future is ours to mold because
because this is the age of
it is about that time. For too long
information. We can learn from
we have been used, abused, and
our ancestors how they run
exploited. Despite the fact that the
powerful kingdoms. We can mold
world has looked down on Africa
our future because it is our future.
and its people, the world also
WE HAVE THE POWER.
recognizes that Africa is rich, and for them to keep exploiting us, they keep us asleep with their fake music, and movies and they use certain policies that work against our governments progressing. If you’ve read the economic hitman, 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.
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Developer Life
A day/night in the worklife of a developer. 34
Sosthenes Nyakeri
IT Systems Analyst by day and Full Stack Developer by night. Are you a day person or a night person?
I am both day and night person depending on the activities /duties performed on a respective day.
What is a typical day/night in the life of a programmer? I wake up at around 5.00 am get ready for work prepare some coffee (preferably black). Get to work around 7.00 am prepare for my schedule, work on a couple of reports, and around 10.30 am go to an update meeting on ongoing projects. Am 1.00 pm lunch for 1hr get back to the office do some coding and some reading till
5.00 pm get back home workout for 2hrs take supper back to coding for 3hrs till midnight catch an episode or two sleep at around 1 am.
Do you wish for more working hours? Why?
Not really because for us work can summon you at any time, and you’ll always be working.
What attributes/skills make a programmer successful? Love and be passionate about what you do. Have qualities of critical thinking and perseverance Continuous learning since technology changes rapidly Be open to collaborating with different people in various professions.
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What will the future programmer workforce look like?
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big data analytics, and IoT(Internet of Things).
As companies go about automating processes in their organization, how will the role of the programmer continue to change?
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) will handle most of the recurring tasks hence a programmer needs to be in a position whereby skills are evolving with recent technologies.
Finally, what advice do you have for people who want to pursue a career in programming?
Get to coding as soon as possible, find an online course, solve some coding puzzles, build some projects, and get started.
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Mark Judah Kimutai
Full-stack Android and Web Developer Are you a day person or a night person?
I’m a night person, I find an 8hr burst more productive at night than during the day. It's easier to think in silence compared to the noise and distractions during the day.
What is a typical day/night in the life of a programmer?
IDay or night coding involves a lot of googling and combing through the documentation of various technologies that go into making an application. Movies are not an accurate depiction of how coding works, the continuous tapping of keyboard keys is a Hollywood cliche.
A more accurate depiction is a little typing, many pauses to test and debug lines of code a few visits to StackOverflow and documentation sites then repeat. The tech world moves fast, there is always a new and more efficient framework, tech stacks, tools, and languages so a lot of coding involves continuous learning, I’m always learning as I code and I think that will always be the case.
Do you wish for more working hours? Why?
No, after an 8hr burst all I want to do is unwind. I do wish for more learning hours.
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What attributes/skills make a programmer successful?
In no particular order, googling skills, patience, and willpower to get to the bottom of a bug even if it takes a week and the humility to accept that you don’t know everything and you always have a lot to learn. In the tech world, someone younger than you could be the lead developer on a project or the senior developer on your team so humility and the ability to be a team player go a long way. Lastly the ability to stay relevant, that tech stack you learnt two years ago may not be in demand anymore so you have to learn what's new constantly.
What will the future programmer workforce look like?
I think programmers will be reduced to managers and maintainers of AI-written code, in the past IDE’s and code editors used ‘static’ auto-complete features to help coders complete lines of code but now they use AI. This means the code editors are learning how to code as we code and in the past two years a few AI projects that can write code like humans have surfaced, one of these is DeepMind’s AlphaCode. With time AI will write cleaner, less verbose, secure, and efficient code and reduce developers to the maintenance of AI infrastructure and software.
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As companies go about automating processes in their organization, how will the role of the programmer continue to change? I think it depends on the part of the world you live in, Africa has a lot of room for growth while the west will have fewer opportunities as automation increases. Automation could shrink the workforce to only critical roles. Africa is the place to be, Asia has Shenzhen, America has Silicon valley and Africa has...? While the west and Asia automate Africa will innovate.
Finally, what advice do you have for people who want to pursue a career in programming? Just start, there is so much free material online. Just start and google your way through.
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Book Summary
From Babylon to Timbuktu Book by Rudolph R. Windsor The author begins by trying to find where the garden of Eden is and its possible people. 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 the time the entire earth had one speech. (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, Hamites went to Africa, Canaan, Arabia, Syria, Phoenicia, Turkey, Babylonia, Iran, East Pakistan, and large parts of India. The Japhites, who are the origin of white races occupied the Isles of the Gentiles along the coast of Europe. They were initially black but with time , major mutations took place and their
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skins turned white in the process. In chapter three, you will see 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/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. In the 3rd Punic war, the Romans won, and that marked the beginning of Rome conquering Africa. Chapter four is about proving that the original black Jews were actually black. Just like their neighbors the Egyptians and the Libyans as well as the Cushites and the Nubians. The chapter also touches on the evolution spread of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, the three Abrahamic faiths. Chapter five 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 Lybia, 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) .
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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 worshiping 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: The information in brackets is not from the book, but from my own research.
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Some History
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 Lybia then, presentday 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 at it lasted for 23 years. The conflict was a supremacy struggle over the sea and its routes. After server losses on both sides, Rome won. Carthage's commander was Hannibal's father, Hamilcar Barca. Hannibal took command of the army and went to war again with Rome. This was the 2nd Punic War which was fought from 218BC TO 201 BC. It happened in Italy. It was in this war that Hannibal and his army crossed over the Alps on elephants.
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He indeed was successful and stayed in Italy. He 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 to Rome. Unfortunately, Rome planned a counter-invasion on Hannibal 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, ending the war in a Roman victory. This was the 3rd Punic War. This led to Rome conquering Africa. He ran for sufet position while in Rome. A sufet was a Semitic community leader of significant civic stature, often functioning as a chief magistrate with 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.
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We desire to bequeath two things to our children. The first one is roots; the other one is wings. — Sudanese proverb