Following up from our last episode we discuss neo-colonialism and neo-liberalism and contextualize it within our state of Kenya. We go on a little rant about its manifestations in Kenya highlighting the flood crisis, and the health care crisis. A relevant rant.

DISCLAIMER: We used one mic for this episode and did not realize till production that you can hear us moving it about. Apologies for that! We are still figuring out how to do in person interviews well! :)

We hope you learn something new!

Blessings!

What is Development? Wacera Muriuki gives us a comprehensive overview of Development. In this discussion we cover Colonization, Imperialism, and Neo-liberalism and thread them all together to help us understand Development today.

What does your name mean?

In this episode I share from my listeners what their names mean, together with a poem from a dear friend, Kiria. About their identity transformation as they adopted their Gikuyu name.

This episode celebrates our Afrikan roots to demonstrate how meaningful our names are and why we should be proud to have them.

Our host Wacera and Nathan discuss a project that Nathan spear headed and participated in at the beginning of the Pandemic when he joined the frontline as a newly qualified doctor at University College Hospital in London. We discuss the challenges he faced working in a high-pressure environment, how he and his colleagues creatively tackled those problems using creativity, research, and technology. Nathan also reflects on this period of his life, sharing lessons he learned and also how he felt like a superhero walking through the dead streets of Camden during lockdown. PS. he also mentions a friendly neighborhood cat!

In this episode Wacera interviews two women, Michelle Kinda and Michelle Juma. Michelle Juma is a Full Stack Developer who specializes in front end development, while Michelle Kinda is a Data Analyst. Both women love what they do, and they share with us why they love what they do. In this episode we also take time to discuss the high and lows of the work they do. How they have challenged themselves and grown since beginning work.

Swahili Notes:

Kama kuna kitu na chukia mimi ni kusift throgh data - If there is one thing I hate is sifting through data.

Elewa - understand

Makena Kimani and Wacera discuss dance. How TKKDC was inspired during the height of the pandemic and pushed Makena to begin her dream of having a dance school in Nairobi. We cover the challenges of pursuing an unconventional career, the challenges of teaching online and the joys of pursuing what she loves. A teacher, dancer, and overall creative Makena has a lot to teach about consistency to actualize one's dreams.

Wacera and Matthew Owegi discuss his career as a musician and more recently guitarist of the iconic Kenyan group H_art the band. He shares his journey of learning the guitar and eventually falling in love with music. Matthew describes why he does what he does, why it is fun, its challenges, and the lessons he has learned, and lastly where he hopes to see himself in the future.

Wacera discusses the platform - Wer Jokenya with its creator Wairimu. Wairimu is a musician, researcher, historian, and overall creative. Wer Jokenya means music for the Kenyan people, and it is a space she created that celebrates Kenya's music history, and its nuanced intersections. We will touch on identity, decolonizing music, and Kenyan history. In this episode she also suggests a list of resources that she has compiled for anyone interested in learning more about Kenya's musical history.

Find attached the link with resources :)

Wer Jokenya Resource and Reading List - Google Drive