Kenya Launches First Space Satellite, Meet the Only Black Female Bank Owner in the United States To Help Observe Farming Trends
Afrikan
Post
April 2018
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26
Kenya has launched its first space satellite which will be used to observe farming trends.
It was launched from an International Space Station in Florida, United States on April 2.
The satellite was developed by the University of Nairobi in collaboration with the University of Rome. “This is a milestone in Kenya’s exploration into space,” Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma said.
University of Nairobi (UoN) and University of Rome on Monday launched a satellite into the International Space Station in Florida marking the first Kenyan space exploration. It is also a major win for UoN.
The Cube Satellite was developed by a team from the two universities with Foreign Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma celebrating Kenya’s involvement.
Juma termed the launch as a “milestone in Kenya’s exploration into space.”
The selected team from both institutions was first announced during the TICAD VI, as a beneficially of the first round of the KiboCUBE Programme. KiboCUBE is an initiative that offers educational and research institutions from developing countries, the opportunity to deploy cube satellites (CubeSats) from the Japanese Kibo module of the International Space Station (ISS).
DEPLOYMENT
The Kenyan Cube Satellite developed under the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which is Japan’s National Aero-space agency programme was delivered to JAXA on January 16, 2018 in preparation for its deployment into space.
A team from the University of Nairobi, handed over to JAXA the Satellite it had developed known as “First Kenya University Nano Satellite-Precursor Flight” (1KUNS-PF) at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Centre.
“Kenya is very proud to be associated and involved through TICAD VI in the development of the Satellite. we hope this is only a beginning of many collaborations and initiatives for Kenya under the KiboCUBE programme,” CS Monica Said.
The deployment of the satellite into space will take place in late May, 2018.
Being one of the first people in any field is harrowing, let alone the only person. It’s not a surprise, then, there’s Kiko Davis, the only Black woman in the country to own her own bank. Rolling Out recently sat down with her to talk about how she managed to break into such a rare position.
Kiko Davis is the trustee of the Donald Davis Living Trust, the majority stockholder of First Independence Bank, the 10th largest African-American owned bank in the United States, as well as founder and president of the Don Davis Legacy Foundation, established in 2016 to perpetuate the legacy building efforts and initiatives envisioned and developed by her late husband, Donald Davis. But how does courage factor into all this? She gives her explanation: “Courage is my superpower. I have the ability to take fear and use it as a tool to conquer adversity and challenges, no matter how insurmountable they may seem. The more substantial the obstacle, the stronger I become.” With hardship, though, comes unique benefits, and Davis says being a Black woman has informed her experience at First Independence Bank in unique ways. “The ability to genuinely connect with people and inspire a culture of synergy. It’s a God given talent that comes naturally. People tend to lend the very best of themselves when they feel leaders are passionate about them and their environment.”
Like many other successes, Davis learns from and models herself after great success stories of the past. For her, one such figure is Shirley Chisholm. “She was the first Black congresswoman and the first major party Black candidate to run for president in 1972. I want to thank her for being fearless. She faced intense racism, bigotry, misogyny and even several assassination attempts, all for the platform of equality, education and justice. One of my favorite quotes by Chisolm is, “In the end, anti-Black, anti-female, and all forms of discrimination are equivalent to the same thing: anti-humanism,” she says.
In time, she hopes to mentor other Black women to get similar results. “I believe in the old adage: “To whom much is given, much is required.” I believe giving back is the rent you pay for occupying a seat at the table of success. Just like an apartment, if you don’t pay your rent, you can be evicted. More than being the right thing to do, it empowers you. Helping others reach their full potential adds more to your life than anyone could ever take away. Everyone needs a good mentor or teacher to guide them on their journey to greatness. Plus, it just down-right feels good,” she explains.