ISSUE No.06 / MAY - JULY 2015
KShs. 100
AFRIKANMBIU BY AFRIKA FOR AFRIKA
e h t d o o f ion t i d e
Africa’s
Greenest Hotel
Chef
Siba
@AfrikanMbiu /AfrikanMbiu
EDITOR
FROM THE Happy Mother’s Day I am not particularly sure what I am going to do for my mother this year, we never do anything major. My mother doesn’t like big gestures or extravagant things. She enjoys being in the kitchen, that is her favourite thing to do. My father keeps asking where I came from as I am the complete opposite of her I love a big production even for the smallest things. But as I grow older I have learnt how to meet my mother in the middle, for her the little things matter. So once in a while I shut down my laptop and go join her in the kitchen. It is usually a bonding session as we talk about life and everything, the only bad part is when she starts pestering me about the fact that I am growing old and I don’t have a husband. African parents need to relax. These are memorable moments, no matter how many times we argue or fight, food always has a way of bringing us closer and making us forget everything.
EDITOR Jullianne Obonyo obonyoj@afrikanmbiu.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Martha Ogonjo WRITERS Jacques Maritz Damar Padwa
In order to commemorate mother’s day, we decided to do a food issue in honor of all our mothers as they were always there for us when we needed them the most. This issue focuses on two amazing chefs. The first one is Siba from ‘Siba’s table’ we get to know more about how she runs her show successfully as well as maintain a happy family life. She also shares one of her favourite recipes. From Kenya we have Miss Mandi she is a remarkable self-taught chef who has captured the stomachs of many Kenyans. Check out the issue, and tell us what you enjoy doing with your mother?
Chrystal Onkeo Nora Lutonadio Nkori Girl Spice PHOTOGRAPHERS Cedi Mungai Contact information Editorial & Advertising info@afrikanmbiu.com www.afrikanmbiu.com
Happy Mothers Day. Live, Love Africa.
- J.
@AfrikanMbiu /AfrikanMbiu
06
contents
MAY - JULY 2015
08
04 CHAKULA (Swahili: FOOD)
MISS MANDI THE THROWDOWN QUEEN
06 UKUDLA (Zulu: FOOD)
AFRICA’S GREENEST HOTEL
08 UKUDLA
(Zulu: FOOD)
CHEF SIBA
12 CHAKULA
12
(Swahili: FOOD)
FOOD BEYOND THE WASTE
14 CHAKULA (Swahili: FOOD)
THE NEW FLOWER
20 OUNJE (Yoruba: FOOD)
NEIGHBOR
14
the food edition
Chakula
MISS MANDI
THE THROW DOWN QUEEN
Food
S
he is audacious and values authenticity but she can cook like a 1950s housewife. If you are an early bird you have probably heard of her morning radio shows like ‘The verbal intercourse’ or ‘The Morning after’. She also has her own cooking show ‘The Chop Up’ on Capital TV. We got to meet Miss Mandi aka the Throw down queen to know how she is able to juggle between presenting and cooking.
Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 4
by Jullianne Obonyo Photo © Miss Mandi
You grew up in Canada, how was it? It was amazing; it is the most multicultural place ever. It taught me accept people for who they are.
Your Type of man? One who can cook, I am more compatible with men who can cook. Like a man who can cook is very sexy.
Why did you come back to Kenya? Family reunion and my dad got me a job interview in Homebody radio, since I wanted to be a radio presenter I decided to stay and gain momentum.
How did a radio presenter end up being a foodie? I am named after my grandmother who has a big house in Mombasa she has several kids and she loves to cook. Everyone in my family can cook from my parents to my uncles. I just picked it up, it is natural for me.
Did you get the job at HBR? Yes I did, but I left because I felt I was getting used, I wasn’t being given an allowance and other small things. It was a great experience but I just wanted more. I was there for 7 months. Other jobs? I worked at Hits FM, Nick Mutuma helped get the job. I was there for a year and a half. Why did you leave Hits FM? There was no growth .I wasn’t okay being complacent, then Kiss called. I left Kiss FM after one month because I wasn’t happy. After that I joined Capital Fm. What did you want to do when you were younger? I wanted to do Law and Public Relations. What did you study in University? Communications. When did you know you wanted to be a radio presenter? I was in high school and I got invited to go see Mr. Vegas at some radio station. In the midst of being a groupie and being there I felt alive, I felt intrigued and I knew this is where I wanted to me. After that I called my dad and told him all about it. How old are you? 25 Single/Married? I am very much single, done with my situation- ship. We don’t call them relationships nowadays.*laughs*
Why did you choose the name ‘Miss Mandi Throw down’? Miss Mandi is my radio name and throw down is a lingo term used in Toronto. So I decided to put both of them together. Which works best for you, presenting or cooking? I am going to be selfish and say both. They go hand in hand. Other talents? I am good at producing. I produced ‘The Brunch Series’. There is even a network trying to pick it up. Are you planning to go to culinary school ? Eventually, yes because there are a lot of things in the culinary world that I don’t know. I just don’t know if am ready to be yelled at by a chef, I would be like, “do you know who I am, I am Miss Mandi Throw down”. How did you learn to cook? One day my uncle from coast came to visit and my mum wasn’t around. I made some matumbo (intestines)for him, it was really delicious, he really loved it. Since then I have always been lurking around in the kitchen, I am very observant, so I learnt a lot. Most challenging dish? Chapati, it takes time to know when to mix the stuff, there is a skill needed for that.
First food memory? It was the matumbo dish. Favourite dish ? I don’t have a favourite, my pallet is very different but if I was to narrow it down it would be a sea food dish or something Italian, makes me happy. If you make me Italian food, I would probably marry you. If you were to make a dish to impress your man, what would it be? I tried to impress a guy with jerk chicken it didn’t go down well, he was so Kenyan. He was like, “What is this?” If he were a red meat, lover I would make lasagne with a nice salad and plantain. Since you love cooking do you see yourself as a housewife or a career driven type of woman? I wouldn’t mind being a house wife, but I certainly am a career woman, but, I would teach my children how to cook. Favourite restaurant? Mediterrano is winning, their sea food platter is just the best and Moniko’s restaurant. What are your favourite drinks? I can drink both whisky and vodka. But my favourite is vodka with strawberry lemonade or a nice glass of dry white wine. Easiest Recipe you can work with? Garlic and rosemary potatoes. Any future plans? I want to create a lot of content for Miss Mandi Throw down .I would also like to go into TV Presenting. If you were a spice what would you be? Cinnamon, it is also my bad girl’s name. Which Chef do you look up to? Marcus Samuelsson.
Are you ever going get into baking? Describe yourself in 5 words? I don’t know, I don’t have the patience for it, Passionate, ambitious , curious, art lover and because you have to put it in the oven for a intelligent. few hours. My girlfriend Anita is really good with cupcakes. She makes the best cupcakes ever. Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 5
Ukudla Food
Africa’s Greenest Hotel by Jacques Maritz Photos © Jacques Maritz
T
he industrial precinct of Cape Town International airport seems an unlikely location for one of Africa’s most revolutionary hotels, but that precisely describes what the aptly named Hotel Verde is. An official project of Cape Town World Design Capital 2014, Hotel Verde is the most innovative on the continent in terms of its green practices, while simultaneously offering guests a combination of luxury, convenience and inspiration. While many hotels worldwide pay mere lip service to environmentally conscious trends, genuinely ‘going green’ is an ambitious, often costly undertaking – one where developers must put not only their money, but also their thinking where their mouths are. Mario and Annemarie Delicio, owners of the innovative 145room Hotel Verde, located a mere 400 metres from the Cape Town International Airport terminal buildings, have done just that. From construction methods and materials to operational technology and processes, to suppliers and products, their multiple award winning hotel goes all out to live up to its ambitious slogan as ‘Africa’s greenest’. Hotel Verde is geared not only towards an ethical and environmentally-friendly synergy, but also towards a truly comfortable and memorable experience. And it’s all achieved with both panache and sincerity. Everything that could be done to keep the hotel carbon neutral has been considered. A green vegetative roof regulates the temperature of the reception area. LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs are used throughout the facility, while occupancy sensors ensure no air conditioning is used unnecessarily in rooms or public areas. All hotel appliances (such as washing machines, driers, dish washers, office equipment etc.) are energy-savers. Shower water is sterilised and filtered by a state of the art grey water plant and used to flush toilets, while a 40,000-litre tank collects rainwater and subsoil drainage water for irrigation. Three wind turbines and photovoltaic panels are used to generate electricity and elevators are fitted with special regenerative drives that harness 30% of input energy, which is then fed back into the grid. Cobiax void formers, plastic spheres made from 100% recycled polyethylene were utilised wherever possible in the building design, saving almost 1300 tonnes of concrete, another major environmental plus point. Another
Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 6
intriguing innovation is Hotel Verde’s ground source geothermal field, an intricate system comprised of a hundred boreholes drilled underneath the hotel basement floor, into which high density polyethylene pipes, more than 13 km in length, are inserted and through which water is circulated. The pipes are connected to a number of ground-source heat pumps, acting as a heat sink in summer and a source of heat in winter. The hotel also encourages all its local suppliers to support initiatives by minimizing unnecessary packaging. Recycling takes place wherever possible, with zero waste to landfill being the eventual goal.
tools and guidelines to assess green buildings, recognising best-inclass practices. Platinum is the highest level awarded. “We achieved 96 points out of 110 on their rating system due to our use of some of the most advanced, environmentally-conscious construction methods and operational practices in the world,” explains hotel sustainability consultant, Andre Harms of Ecolution Consulting. “As a result we’re the only hotel in Africa to have qualified for platinum status, and only one of six in the entire world.” Perhaps the hotel’s greatest achievement is that there is no sacrifice of either comfort or style at this sophisticated fourstar establishment. It boasts with spacious, contemporary designed rooms and suites, perfect for both leisure and executive travellers. It is extremely family friendly yet simultaneously geared towards business travel. Chic, modern and boasting an eclectic and impressive collection local art, Hotel Verde has seven full-service conferencing venues (accommodating 4 to 120 delegates), a VIP lounge and business centre, free wifi, a shuttle service which transports guests to major tourism attractions, and a 24 hour freshening up facility.
Wherever one goes, you are subtly encouraged to ‘do your bit’. The hotel’s environmentally friendly ethos and staff’s genuine enthusiasm for it are infectious, especially because it’s all achieved so stylishly. Staff members are warm, welcoming and consummately professional. The hotel encourages visitors towards more eco-friendly habits through a novel incentives system. Recycle waste, reuse towels, refrain from using aircon, or utilise power-generating gym equipment and you’ll be awarded ‘Verdino’ coins to be redeemed at the 24 hour deli or hotel bar. Every Wednesday evening, the hotel observes earth hour, serving dinner by candlelight and switching off electric lights. Not only do double glazed windows keep rooms soundproof (there is not a hint of aircraft noise throughout the hotel), but spectrally selective glass also filters out the sun’s hot rays, significantly reducing the hotel’s reliance on conventional air conditioning. Toiletries and detergents are 100 % biofriendly. The hotel kitchen, which produces high quality meals starting with a red-eye commuter’s dream - a superior breakfast buffet served from 4.30 am onwards - grows its own herbs and vegetables, buying in all other supplies from as close to source as possible. A cool, lush ‘living wall’ cum vertical garden separates the hotel lounge from the bar and dining area, purifying the air and creating a sense of serenity.
“No one in Africa has taken the green model and philosophy and applied it as comprehensively as we have,” observed Mario Delicio. “The long term benefits and sustainability are far more important to us than any immediate gains. We have a responsibility towards our planet and future generations. We’re delighted to be setting such a high precedent and hope to encourage others to follow suit.” It’s hard to leave Hotel Verde without feeling inspired.
Corridors on all four hotel floors are decorated with art inspired by themes from nature and created by local school children, crafters and artists. Outside, beyond a relaxing dining patio, a scenic reclaimed wetlands and water wise endemic fynbos garden is found. Here guests can enjoy some fresh air and a wander along a 320 metre walking trail. In addition, there is an outdoor gym and a chemical free, natural eco-swimming pool with a sun deck to enjoy on warmer days.
Hotel Verde, 15 Michigan Street, Airport Industrial, Cape Town, South Africa
In recognition of its accomplishments, Hotel Verde was recently awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certificate for new construction. LEED is the United States Green Building Council’s programme and utilises a stringent set of
Tel: +27 (0)21 380 5500 Enquiries: info@hotelverde.com Email: reservations@hotelverde.com Website: www.hotelverde.com Trip Advisor: www.Bit.ly/1tFiEJ9
Contact:
Hotel Verde @hotelverde
Hotel_Verde Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 7
Ukudla Food
Meet the great Sibahle Mtongana or the well-known
Chef
Siba by Nora Lutonadio Nkori Photos © The Food Network
Food is the way to a man’s heart they say (I wonder why women are left out) and they also say behind a great man there’s a great(er) woman. These sayings are so true and so complete in the case of this woman. Not only is she the woman whose cooking waters our mouths on TV, her husband can surely testify to that (yes, we all see his happy face on TV after eating his wife’s dishes), but you can feel that she’s a force whose love and beauty (inside- out) drive her husband and children as well. God helps His children this way.
Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 8
Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 9
My first ‘encounter’ with Siba was through my hairpieces! She was campus, saw me and convinced me to sign up for modeling of which I one of the models showing the different hairstyles for a certain brand. did. It was a great way to make extra cash. I kept those pictures because of Siba and I would stare at them and say to myself how beautiful she was. When I saw her on TV for the Drum Magazine’s Cooking with Siba show I couldn’t put my mind to it as of where I first saw her but I was sure that her face was familiar. Its only two years later, while I was arranging my books and notes, that I came ‘face-to-face’ with the beautiful model. As fate would have it, God knew that I was destined to interview her not as a model but a Chef. I know there are plenty of articles where I could learn a little more about her life but I only researched her contacts because I wanted to leave it all to Siba to tell our readers, with her own words, what it means to be Siba the chef, the wife, and the mother. Talk to us about your background. Any childhood memories you would like to share with our readers? I come from a well grounded Christian family with lots of siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents - you know, as it is in most black families. I had one of the best up-bringing one could ever ask for and sharing was at the very centre of it. Our house was full of love and life. My parents were strict and had strong values of which they instilled in us to put God first and include Him in all that we did. This is still the case in my life to this day. My dad taught us the word of God. He was and still is such a great teacher as I can still recall the stories he taught us. My mother was a teacher and therefore an avid advocate for education, she would tell us that education is part of an inheritance that no person can ever strip away from us and therefore very important. Food was a very big part of our lives and I learnt to cook from her and older siblings. I remember I was always following her around as she cooked, often bombarding her with questions of which she would graciously and patiently answer. How did the transition come about from Model to Chef? Being a model was by default and being a chef was by choice! While in my first year at varsity, there were model scouts who came to our Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 10
My career choice was food as that was my long time passion ever since I was young. My father always encouraged us to study what we loved and he would say: in that way, we will prosper quicker as it won’t feel like work and God will bless the work of our hands. I took his advice and embarked on a four year degree in Food and Consumer Sciences where I majored in Food & Food Science and Nutrition. It was a very brave step because studying food related courses was not considered cool or something that one could prosper in. It was a gut feeling and I just went for it, I’m pleased I took that path. We enjoy watching you on “Siba’s Table” with your adorable baby and romantic husband. Was it hard to adjust to both roles of mother and wife? Well I have two boys now, my first born, Lonwabo, who is now two and half and my latest release Linamandla who is only 4 months. Adjusting to both roles came fairly easy to me as I have a very strong support system from my husband, Brian, and our family. I also have a nanny and she really comes handy especially when I’m filming or away for work for a number of days. We also have very good trustworthy friends from church , who we can call for help should there be a need - so the support structure is definitely there which of course makes being a wife, parenting and a working mom a lot easier. You always seem so grounded and carefree - hakuna matata as the Swahili say -, describe yourself through your husband’s eyes. I think Brian sees me as a very loving wife, mom and we are best of friends. I also think he loves the fact that I’m grounded, confident and know what I want in life. He sees me as an optimistic person as he often appreciates that I always look on the bright side of life. He likes my compassion for people and encourages me to get involved in projects that won’t only benefit me but others too. He knows me in and out and is stronger in areas where I’m weak hence we complement each other very well. Please describe your husband? He has a very hectic schedule and heads up a big team as head of design for one of the biggest retailers in South Africa. However, even with all that responsibility he’s still able to engage with us as a family,
which I appreciate. He has great insight and knowledge and that’s a huge advantage for me. He’s also the mastermind behind most grand strategies that has helped take the brand Siba to where it is now and I believe we are heading to even greater heights. Apart from South African dishes, are you accustomed to African dishes? Yes, I love North Africans’ way of cooking hence I like using harrisa paste, tahini, couscous, chermoula spice a lot in my cooking. Being a chef, the temptation to eat always beckons. How do you manage to keep your figure? I don’t usually follow diets as I believe in eating in moderation from all food groups as well as living a holistic lifestyle that includes physical exercise.
Cranberry & Pistachio nut Cookies Photo © The Food Network
Are the meals you cook in your shows as easy to prepare as you make them look on TV? All the recipes I cook on TV and other platforms are recipes that I created, tested over and over to make sure that they work and honestly what you see is what it is. I think one of the reasons why the show is so popular is that the recipes are easy and many people feel that they can easily relate to the dishes and don’t feel intimidated by them - which is perfect as that is part of the goal for Siba’s table. Talk us through a day in the life of chef Siba. My days vary from month to month depending on the projects at hand. For instance, I took a three month break when I had Linamandla and all I did was concentrate on him and my family. Then I filmed the second season of Siba’s table and for a while, I was office and kitchen bound doing research, creating and testing new recipes with lots of shopping in between. Then I filmed it which meant cooking in front of a camera and my crew for about a month. I’m now in the office again preparing for the next project with my two boys around me as I work from home. We’ve seen you on “Cooking with Siba”, “Siba’s Table”, and “Chopped South Africa”. What’s next for Siba, any new projects around the corner? I’m current working on my first cook book which is very exciting. There are few other things that I unfortunately cannot disclose at this point so watch this space. What have been the high’s and low’s of your career so far? You need to be constantly relevant and therefore slight reinvention from time to time is a must in order to stay abreast. Also, what people often don’t know is that there’s so much hard work that goes on while preparing for the show and behind the scenes, but lucky for me, I love my job so it doesn’t always feel like I’m working. Your wishes for 2015 Even greater success and influence this year.
This is one of Siba’s favourite recipe. Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Ingredients 550g plain flour Pinch of salt 350g unsalted butter, cut into pieces 250g caster sugar 60g dried cranberries, roughly chopped 60g pistachios, roughly chopped Ice cold water to bind Sauce 5 passion fruits 80ml shop bought passion fruit juice 1tbsp caster sugar Vanilla ice cream, to serve Method • Place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and work it until a dough is formed, using a sprinkle of cold water if need be. Mix in the pistachio nuts and cranberries. • Divide into three and roll into very thick sausage. Slice into each one into 12-15 rounds and place on a greased baking sheet. • Bake in an oven preheated at 180° C for about 12-15 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from oven and cool in a slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. • For the sauce: scoop out the pulp and seeds from the passion fruit and add to a food processor with the juice and sugar and whizz until blended for 60 seconds. Pass through muslin into a jug and chill until needed. Serve with the cookies and scoops of ice cream. Tip This dough mixture is great in making big batches and then freeze for use at a later stage. When you feel like a treat, just place a batch or roll out for about 10 minutes to thaw slightly then cut into slices, bake and enjoy! Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 11
Chakula Food
The New
Flower by Chrystal Onkeo Photos © Chrystal Onkeo
W
hen you wake up in your hotel room in Ethiopia at eight in the morning, you will be forgiven if you think that you are in Nairobi for the first few seconds, as the morning sun rays flood your room and you get up to catch the sight of a glorious morning. Below your balcony, blue and white old taxi cars will be filling the road. You will spot some trendy women with flowing hair hurrying to some important place. Some will be answering phone calls. You will spot a tea and coffee hawker with his tray of minute mugs. You might even see a grass merchant and a beggar with a baby on her back holding out her palm. A few men will be making catcalls and gesturing to you then you will hurry back inside to start your day, in Addis. I have always thought of Ethiopia as an enchanted place that I should visit. I dreamt of red spices, colorful fabrics, cool weather, glorious hair bouncing in the wind and gay laughter floating in the air. In my mind it should have been like a diluted version of a happy India. Not that I have been to India or anything, just the image in my head of how India should be, but less ‘aromatic’ and cooler weather. Oh I plan to visit India by the way, but back to Ethiopia.
Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 12
The first face I saw, that wasn’t airport staff, offered me a cell phone to call the man meeting me. This was the height of kindness. I changed my mind when returning the handset to her while thanking her profusely, she asked for money.
We get to our destination and have to return later with some documents which we hadn’t carried with us. Teddy looks at me and tells me that we can’t possibly make it before they break for lunch, which begins at 11:30 am.
Now I hate it when someone charging you will not tell you upfront the amount you owe them. When you know exactly what you are supposed to pay, you can bargain. The lady who helped me with the phone then tells me to give her any amount I have and gets offended when I hand her a 10 birr (birr is the currency used in Ethiopia) note; the equivalent of 40 shillings which I think is pretty generous seeing as I spoke a total of 5 sentences.
He offers to show me some Ethiopian hospitality afterwards we wind down at a cultural restaurant adjacent to my hotel.
But for the sake of peace and harmony, coupled with the fact that I am a foreigner and I don’t know the rules, I add 30 more birr. I might have to use her phone again and there’s no use burning bridges at this point. My contact came to pick me with his wife who readily embraced me like a long lost friend. They dropped me at the hotel where my bookings had already been done. .Shortly after getting into the hotel room, Teddy,my cameraman calls me saying he is downstairs waiting for me. I descend the stairs and meet him at the lobby. Driving in Addis is that it is a dusty affair with a lot of construction underway. Then there is this junction in town where there is no roundabout, no traffic lights and no traffic controller. Cars drive past each other approaching from different directions and not a single profanity rents the air. There is no holdup and no accidents. After witnessing the driving in Nairobi, this is almost a miracle.
Now I see why the grass merchant is in business. The waitress is busy spreading the grass on the floor. And some of it is served to us on the tray holding the jebana (jebana is the Ethiopian coffee pot), the Ethiopian coffee pot, and some incense. Teddy explains to me that on this particular day, the orthodox Christians fast from animal products. So that means that we shall not have any meat or butter served with our injera (injera is a type of thin bread made from fermented rice or local grain known as teff) and shiro (Shiro is a thick pasty stew made from ground peas and spices and it is often eaten with injera), which by the way is the staple here. I love Ethiopian cuisine. I have had a few rendezvous centered on injera and shiro. I have always had the white one made from rice. If you haven’t eaten teff injera (teff injera is injera made from teff) then forget it, you haven’t tasted Ethiopia. The tangy and mildly spicy flavors dance on my tongue and the green peppers light everything up. A glass of cool fresh water finishes the ‘job’ and like the gentleman that he is, Teddy offers to pay for my meal. I quickly come to learn that chivalry is not dead in Addis. Well, except for a taxi driver who is at best polite, soldiering on in the quest for conversation. Never mind his broken English heavily sprayed with Amharic words and accent as thick as a blanket. The warmth of his smile makes you think, it’s not so bad. Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 13
Chakula Food
Food beyond the waste by Damar Padwa Images Š UNEP & vermicomposters.ning.com
Think. Eat. Save: Reduce your food print Food is awesome, so awesome, no wonder it is one of the three greatest pleasures human beings willingly and readily engage in. Food preparation and eating is an art for many communities the world over and as Afrikan Mbiu celebrates the wonder and awesomeness of food in the food issue, we get into responsible and sustainable use of food. Wasting food should surely be considered a sacrilege. We live in a complex world, for every now and then, there are elaborate and grandiose plans to make the planet a little bit safer, a little bit healthier, a little bit concerned, a little bit involved to make that small difference that can snowball into a huge world of difference. The politics and economics of food are no different, and if you decide to get into the complexities of the food inc., prepare yourself to a lifetime of psychological horror for we are getting into an age where we will have driven the earth into such unsustainable levels it will not be able to produce much for consumption despite the fact that there already exists grave inequalities in the distribution and availability of food in many regions in the developing and developed world. Studies show that globally more than a third of food gets lost in the food supply cycle translating to 1.3 Billion tonnes annually more than what is produced in Sub-Saharan Africa.! Food wastage typically occurs in households settings, urban towns characterized with extreme economic disparities also contributes to this tendency for a quick visit to any garbage collection site will be proof of heaps of food wantonly thrown out. The concern to ensure anti- food wastage globally led to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 14
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Messe Dusseldorf to drive a global anti-food wastage, Think. Eat.Save campaign which stands as a revolutionary save food initiative with the potential to significantly reduce the amount of food waste from our kitchens every day by sounding a clarion call to everyone who handles food at some point in its production, distribution, preparation and certainly eating to take action. Ask yourself how many times you have thrown out food that stayed way passed its due date since you were too busy or tired to cook? The big question is, what can you as an individual do to be part of the solution driven by the Think. Eat. Save campaign? The easiest thing to do is to simply buy what you need. More often than not we tend to stuff our refrigerators with so much food stock to take us through several weeks and this makes food loose its natural flavours while in cold storage thus becoming bland. The end result? Throw it out. Make a weekly plan to visit your local green grocer who gets their produce directly from local farmers with a supply chain that is much shorter and certainly much more sustainable. In the occasion that you have more than enough to go round, knock on your neighbours door and share or carry the food to work and spread the love of food with your colleagues, this will also have a significant saving on your food budget. Bottom line is, under no circumstances should food go to waste from your kitchen. I make a pledge to be grateful to Mother Nature, to reduce my food print, will you do the same? Get more information on the Think.Eat. Save campaign and how you can be part of such a great initiative on www.thinkeatsave.org Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 15
Ounje Food
Neighbor by Girl Spice Photo © Afrikan Mbiu
I
t was my second year in the University when I first met Chike. I just got back from the long session break .The town was quiet. Most of the students had not resumed yet.
It was usually the best time for my sister and I. We loved the quietness in the school and since we just got back from home, we still had our stock of variety of food all the way from Northern Nigeria where we grew up. The University was in the southern part of Nigeria and the Northern bred girl that I was, I was adjusting to the life in the south as well as the people. Life in the south was different, you had to be wise and sharp, there was no room for being slow in thinking and I quickly learnt that nobody does anything for free. This semester I was particularly happy because my sister and I had just moved into a new apartment and the campus where I used to receive my lectures had also changed. I was in my second year and second year medical students had a separate campus for lectures. I was going to be finally free from Chike. I met Chike one evening close to the house where we used to live. I was still a freshman in the university and a tad shy.
I braced myself for the usual pick up line. I was disappointed. He just said “Hi, my name is Chike and I want to be your friend.” I took a proper look at him and I saw the scrawny beard and somehow noticed the conspicuously long nail on his little finger and decided: “No I don’t want to be your friend” but of course I didn’t say that because I was scared. He looked scary. He was the exact picture of what a cultist would look like in my head. And I remembered what my sister told me: She said Sarah, this is the South and this is one of the most notorious Universities ever. So please be careful with that sharp tongue of yours. “If you talk anyhow dem go just woz you slap my hand no dey”. (If you are rude you might get slapped and I will not interfere) (The thing is I had a reputation of turning down guys in the most embarrassing manner
I nicely said “Hello I’m Sarah, nice to meet you”. He asked me what That evening I saw my friend off down the street to the main road department I was and before I could think the truth came out. I where she boarded a bike to her house, sandwiched between another immediately regretted letting out that information. Quickly dismissing student she did not know. I was walking back home my eyes on the him, I hurried home. ground like I normally walk. I was too tall and overly conscious of the Glad I successfully shook him off without a scene. stares I got from people anytime I walked by. It was getting dark and I quickened my steps, all too aware of the fact that it wasn’t safe to be out late in the neighborhood when I heard someone say “Excuse me”. I turned and I saw a young man walking up to meet me. “Here we go again” I thought to myself. Another boy trying to bag a freshman.
The next day there was a knock on my door, when I opened the door. There he was Shocked I stared at him for what seemed like forever before my mouth could shape the words: “how did you find my house? “I followed you home yesterday “
Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 16
Creepy!!! I thought to myself. He came by my house every day after that. He would just sit on the only chair in the room saying very little. I was at loss of how to deal with him. This was because he hardly ever said anything. (I found out much later that he wasn’t used to being around girls). This made it difficult to shake him off. I mean if he didn’t talk there will be no avenue to refuse. I was still scared of him though I made sure he didn’t know this. His appearance and the people I saw around him made me certain he was involved with the bad guys. So I knew to tread carefully with him and not upset him. He stalked me at school, coming to my class to sit with me when I had lectures and pulling my hair when I refused to acknowledge him. He went as far as sending his friend to threaten me. His friend subtly inferred that Chike was a cultist and I shouldn’t mess with him. So my personal hell went on for the next 6 months. When we moved into the new house and I was never going to the main campus for lectures anymore I was glad. Chike would never find me now. I was free. Our new apartment was in a compound that had 3 sets of 3 bedroom flats joined together. My sister and I were in the first flat closest to the gate. The tenants in the flat behind us had moved in earlier. Our neighbors were big on music and loud with it too. That was no problem since we didn’t need to put on our small CD player. The music from the next flat was loud enough. That morning I was sweeping the room. When there was a knock on the door. My sister just left for school twenty minutes earlier and I wasn’t expecting anyone. “Who is it?” I asked. Then I heard the deepest baritone ever say,” It’s your new neighbor.” I opened the door and my heart skipped not one but fifty beats. He was as handsome as his voice was and I was speechless for one minute. I got myself together just in time to hear him say “Hi, my name is Jerry; I’m your new neighbor and would like to borrow your ring boiler if you have one.” I couldn’t find my voice the whole time but thankfully my limbs moved and I found the ring boiler and handed it to him.
He thanked me and left me standing at the door and staring into the space he had been standing. When I recovered I almost slapped myself in the face for acting like I was mute. He must certainly be thinking that or maybe he was used to getting that sort of attention. I closed the door and rushed to the mirror to check out how I must have looked to him. It was bad, seeing that I j had just woken up and hadn’t had my bath. I wished cupid could have given me a hint, I would have prepared for this better. And so my day dream began. Every day I watched out for him outside my window as he passed on his way to school. I didn’t need to talk to him at least not just yet. Seeing him every day was just enough for me. One day I stepped out of my flat on my way to my new campus which was only a few blocks away when I saw Chike walking through the gate. I froze and stopped in my tracks about to turn and run back into the house but it was too late. He had seen me already. I braced up and sharpened my newly acquired southern girl skills and I faced my greatest fear. “Hello!” I said,” it’s good to see you!” He smiled and rubbed his over grown beard and said. “What are you doing here? Do you live here?” I quickly said; “No.! I don’t live here. My friend does. I just spent the night at her place. She just moved in.” I am sure he must have sensed something about me had changed. He couldn’t smell the fear anymore and like many predators, he backed off, not saying more than “Okay.” I heaved a sigh of relief and walked briskly to school without looking back. What I forgot to do was ask him what he was doing in here. Three days later I found out. It was 8 o’clock and I was sitting on the chair by the window as usual waiting for Jerry to pass by on his way to school when I saw Chike and Jerry walking out of their flat together. Chike was laughing at something Jerry said. Chike obviously spent the night in the house because he was only wearing a white vest and a boxer short with a plastic bucket swinging from his hands on his way to fetch water from the tap. And that is how I watched Chike as well as Jerry pass by my window everyday on their way to school. My worst nightmare accompanied by my beautiful day dream. They happened to be best friends and shared the flat behind mine. My new Neighbors.
He smiled revealing nice dentition. He looked in my eyes and I quickly looked away afraid he would see through them to my heart. Afrikan Mbiu / MAY-JUL - 17
If you wait for the downfall of the king, God will not make it sound.
Photo Š Cedi Mungai