TAP Magazine Issue 11

USD 4,50 | KES 450 | CAD 6 | ZAR 62

ISSUE 11 | Sept 2018

2

1

CONTENTS 10 17

Tomato Millionaires in the Making

Blockchain

24 26 32

Oni Fere Mi

The Skin We’re in

Op. The Burden of Transitional Generation

36

2

44

Kenyan Youth Weigh the Future

Soul Man Ciano

52

Remembering Kofi Annan

56

Pan-Africanism Through PLO’s Eyes

62

Fashion: #faythenomad

68

Pursuit of Portrait

MOSES MUTABARUKA founder

SHARON NJOROGE business manager

WINNIE MILLS country coordinator

PAUL KIDERO creative director

74

IGNACIO HENNIGS creative consultant

WAMBUI KAMAU-ONG’WENY staff writer, content coordinator

Travel Ghana (Cape Coast)

IVANOVITCH INGABIRE head editor

HENRY KAMAU legal team

86

AfroPunk Fest

Graphics Bitcoin Mining: descryptive.com

4

5

ISSUE

th MOSES MUTABARUKA

CEO/Founder TAP Magazine

Cover Image by Nyambura Kariuki Instagram @nash_oh_my

EDITOR’S NOTE Dear TAP Fam, Change is inevitable, some say disruptive, but we live in an era where the status quo needs disruption, we therefore welcome change. This rings true for the entire team at TAP who have spent quite some time working towards a better TAP on all our platforms.

Reimagining and redesigning a magazine’s look is no easy feat and am sure Paul, our creative director and Ignacio, the creative consultant can attest to this.

Our cover (‘Leaving’) for this milestone 11 issue is illustrated by the talented Nyambura Kariuki. It speaks to our headlining story, a take of our best and brightest emigrating in search of greener pastures.

How do we change their minds and make them book that ticket back home? Can we convince them to settle back, develop, invest and grow together with the continent? Talking of growth, our Agribusiness feature this month is all about that. Well, JohnPaul Iwuoha details how some African agripreneurs have found riches growing tomatoes. Africa’s most consumed fruit (or vegetable). Agribusiness is definitely here to stay. Talking of things that are here to stay, our tech session discusses blockchain technology. Many say this technology is the key to shaping our politics for decades to come. And not just politics but basically how business is done world over.

Guess who we have gracing our pages as a contributor for this issue and many others to follow?

Non other than PLO Lumumba himself. If you’re yet to figure out exactly what Pan Africanism is, or even if you know, trust me, you want to read PLO’s take on what Pan Africanism is, why it’s important and why his love for the continent will never wane.

PLO reminds us to not sell our continent short because as young people we can do some pretty impressive things.

Appreciating our own music is one way pan Africanism shines through, that is why you will never miss a music feature at TAP magazine. Ciano Maimba, a Kenyan musician, walks us through his musical journey thus far and what he believes is needed to take artistry from the continent to the next level.

Our website has really cool stories on what’s happening across the continent so be sure to check it out as well www.tapmagonline.com - For updates on what our creative team is working brewing on the daily, follow our social media platforms and remember to subscribe for upcoming issues.

This issue has the richest content we’ve ever assembled in one magazine. Read through and thank us later.

As always, grateful for your support.

7

8

9

TOMATO MILLIONAIRES IN THE MAKING

by JOHN-PAUL IWUOHA.

T

omatoes are Africa’s most consumed fruit (or vegetable); eaten by millions of people across our continent’s diverse religious, ethnic and social groups. Both in its raw and processed forms, tomatoes are central to most African diets and remain a regular ingredient in many soups, stews, sauces and dishes across the continent.

Sadly, despite the ‘celebrity’ status of tomatoes in Africa, our continent does not provide enough tomatoes to meet its own needs. Almost every country in Africa consumes more tomatoes than it produces.

The rest is imported from outside the continent, especially from China – which is now the world’s biggest exporter of tomato products.

I would like to give you a sense of how serious and highly ridiculous Africa’s tomato situation really is, and I’ll use Nigeria as a case study.

Nigeria – Africa’s largest country by economy and population — is sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest producer of tomatoes. It produces up to 1.5 million tons of tomatoes every year, making it the 14thlargest producer of tomatoes in the world.

However, despite Nigeria’s strong position in tomato production, it still spends up to $500 million – every year — to import tomato products (especially purees, pastes and canned tomatoes), making Nigeria one of the biggest importers of tomato paste in the world.

Shocking!

10

AGRIBUSINESS

EXPLORING AFRICA’S SERIOUS TOMATO PROBLEM AND BILLION-DOLLAR OPPORTUNITY

11

BUT HOW COME AFRICA’S BIGGEST TOMATO PRODUCER IS ALSO ITS BIGGEST IMPORTER?

W

ell, it appears more than 50 percent of tomatoes harvested every year in Nigeria never make it to the market. Due to poor storage and a lack of processing options, a lot of tomatoes harvested in Nigeria is wasted.

Another reason is, in most parts of Africa, tomatoes are mainly grown by small-scale rural farmers who have limited access to good seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. They also depend on natural rainfall to grow their tomatoes which makes the harvests unpredictable and inconsistent.

Nigeria is not alone in this. This same ugly tomato situation is at play across the continent; from West and East Africa to Southern Africa.

As Africa is expected to have the world’s fastest growing population over the next 30 years, the number of people on the continent is expected to reach 2.4 billion by 2050 – that’s double its current size.

If Africa already spends nearly $1 billion on importing tomato products, how much will we be spending on tomatoes in 30 years’ time?

Unless we plan to remove tomatoes from our diets, Africa must take quick, deliberate and strategic steps to meet the domestic demand for tomatoes, and reduce its dependence on imported tomato products.

Africa still has vast uncultivated arable land that’s well suited for tomato production. With our favourable climate and abundant labour, our continent has the strategic advantage to become a net exporter of tomatoes to the global market.

Fortunately, there are already a few smart entrepreneurs on the continent who have observed the huge and lucrative gaps in Africa’s tomato market and are already making some good progress.

In this article, we’ll take a close look at some of these entrepreneurs and businesses that are positioning themselves to profit from Africa’s multibillion dollar tomato consumption market.

12

A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE YOU ENTER INTO THE TOMATO BUSINESS

I

always do my best to make my articles inspiring and informative. And that’s because my goal is to get you to take action!

So far in this article, you’ve seen how big the opportunity in tomatoes really is, and how a few smart entrepreneurs on the continent are already building successful businesses to profit from the huge market.

But before you jump into the tomato business, here are a few things you should keep in mind: A) TOMATO PRODUCTION IS GOOD, BUT PROCESSING IS WHERE THE MONEY IS… As you may have noticed, most parts of Africa already produce lots of tomatoes. The problem is waste. Because harvested tomatoes are not stored, preserved or processed into more stable forms, we lose most of the tomatoes we produce.

Across the continent, there are thousands of smallholder farmers who have been farming tomatoes for decades. If you’re thinking of farming tomatoes too, you have to be sure you have some kind of competitive advantage – like better access to markets and consumers, better storage and preservation that allows you to target the market when tomatoes are scarce during off-peak periods, or maybe focusing on growing organic tomatoes that appeal to green consumers.

But tomato processing is still a virgin business opportunity on the continent. Although it’s more capital-intensive than tomato farming, tomato processors have access to a huge and cheap supply of raw tomatoes to work with.

Bottom line: I’m not saying you shouldn’t produce tomatoes. Just make sure you look well before you leap.

B) START SMALL. LEARN THE ROPES FIRST One of the biggest mistakes most new entrepreneurs make is starting big. On Smallstarter, we advise otherwise – start small.

Especially with tomatoes, which require close attention and constant care, you need to learn the ropes first on a small-scale before you bet your life on it. Tomatoes are quite sensitive to heat, water and soil conditions. So, if you want to succeed in the tomato production business, you really have to know what you’re doing.

Same with processing. You need to know the size of the market you’re targeting. This will help to determine the capacity of the machines to buy and the number of people to work on the plant. You also need to have some technical capacity to ensure the processed tomatoes (paste, puree etc.) meet your country’s health, safety and quality standards.

C) GREENHOUSE TOMATO FARMING IS THE FUTURE The use of greenhouses for farming vegetables like tomatoes is really taking root, especially in East Africa.

Greenhouses reduce the amount of labour required to farm tomatoes, and significantly increases the productivity of the land per square meter. Better still, greenhouses allow you to better monitor and control weather conditions and pests which significantly affect tomato production in open farmlands.

While many people still think the cost of setting up a greenhouse is high, there are some local alternatives that can be built with cheap local materials.

In the video below, you’ll learn quite a lot about how to farm tomatoes in greenhouses and several important tips that will increase your chances of success.

13

FINAL WORDS… AFRICA CAN LEAD THE WORLD IN TOMATO PRODUCTION!

A

frica can surely do better than just meet her own tomato needs. We have the land, human and market resources to make tomatoes a multibillion dollar business that meets both domestic and international demand.

Gladly, the chain of events that will make this happen has already started.

With the efforts of the entrepreneurs covered in this article, and more who are joining them, I’m very optimistic there will come a time when Africa becomes a net exporter of tomato products.

The tomatoes we eat everyday cannot continue to come from Asia, when we have ours. We need to stop this madness.

We can do this.

Let’s go Africa!

14

15

B

o ld , Au t h en t i c a n d Co l o r f ul D e s i g n . . .

Wh e re Tra d i t i o n a l Cra ft M e et s Co n t e m p o ra r y St y l e .

W W W . INZU K I . COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

16

Tel: 2 5 0 ( 0 ) 7 8 6 2 4 9 0 3 9 | Email: i nzuki desi gn s@gma i l .co m | Like us: ww w.facebook.com/inzukidesig ns Follow us: w w w.t w i tte r. co m/ i n zuki de si gn s | Our store is located in Kigali City Center. Boulevard de la Revolution , Ndaru courtyard ( across BCR) Boutique 001.

TECH

BLOCKCHAIN CHRISTIAN KAKOBA Community lead at Bithub Africa

Such an amazing time to be involved in technology, blockchain technology to be exact! Nas is quoted as saying this: “All money is money. Bitcoin will evolve into an industry as big, if not bigger, than the Internet. This isn’t of the Internet age. Bitcoin is its own age.”

17

WHAT IS BITHUB AFRICA AND HOW DID IT ALL START?

B

ithub Africa is the first blockchain accelerator based in Nairobi Kenya and it was the first in Africa. For those who do not know what blockchain technology is, it is the technology behind bitcoin- a digital crypto currency.

Bithub Africa focuses on training on blockchain technology, consultancy and Incubation of startups and entrepreneurs that are building solutions around the blockchain space. Bithub’s start was an evolution of sorts. My business partner John and I had a tech company for seven years before starting Bithub Africa in 2015. In 2013, we had an ecommerce platform called CrowdPesa which we wanted to integrate with the mobile money transfer service Mpesa.

Due to access challenges, it was difficult to implement. It is at this time we came across blockchain. We were attracted to blockchain because it was decentralized so no need for a central authority to allow system integration plus it was open source which negated the need to seek permission. Open source basically means you have access to the code and can therefore plug in and build your application or technology on it. This challenge that morphed into an opportunity gave birth to Bithub Africa.

DO YOU HAVE BENEFICIARIES OF BITHUB THAT HAVE GONE ON TO BE SUCCESSFUL VENTURES?

W

e have Tala loans which is a micro lending start up that is doing extremely well in the Kenyan market.

IS THE WORK THAT YOU DO POPULAR?

O

ther than techies and developers, there has been interest from financial institutions, government entities and agribusiness professionals.

18

HOW IS BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY HELPING THE YOUTH AND THE AFRICAN CONTINENT GOING FORWARD IN REGARDS TO CORRUPTION AND YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT?

O

f course these are problems that have plagued us for quite some time now. I believe blockchain will play a big part in alleviating these issues. Transactions are stored on the ledger and no one can change it, all transactions are transparent and public. This means the public is privy to all the information ensuring fraud is nonexistent on this space. Currently, there are programs for entrepreneurs and startups to see how different ICT tools can increase youth participation in the county government level and in turn increase transparency which is what blockchain will be bringing to the table.

Platforms like Steemit that are on the blockchain space and have permitted young entrepreneur e.g. a travel blogger, to get paid for curating their content on it

YOU MENTIONED TRAINING AT BITHUB. TELL US WHAT THAT ENTAILS

T

he training done at Bithub Africa is focused on cryptography Math’s, cryptography encryption, memory handling and network engineering. It sounds a little like being in a calculus class I know but the training is done in a way that even a layman, without ever having done programming, can be able to grasp the concept easily.

19

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IS FACING?

F

or starters, adoption of the tech at the start was a challenge. Less than 1% of the world is using bitcoin and the market cap is around 300 billion dollars. Another challenge is lack of regulation which has been a major challenge in many countries where bitcoin is being used. I attribute this to the fact that it is a self-regulated technology. We are also lacking in local talent. There is need for more tech professionals knowledgeable in blockchain tech. At times we are forced to outsource projects to Europe and Asia.

THERE MUST BE SOME GOOD PROGRESS HAPPENING THOUGH, RIGHT?

T

here is. A major positive move was by the government of Kenya where a blockchain task force was created under the ICT ministry to look for different solutions for the blockchain space. This move will give way for regulations to be formed. Uganda is also getting support for the blockchain space from the president himself who has expressed interest in Uganda tapping in to this technology.

20

ANY BIG PROJECTS COMPLETED THUS FAR?

A

s recent as last year Bithub Africa embarked on a project with UN habitat where there were participants in the form of a hackathon.

Participants had great ideas on how digital ledgers can be used to store data in various sectors and show how funds are being used in the county level. Just imagine your county funds no longer being misappropriated because the books are there for all to see. We also have more great projects that we’re currently working on but that are not ready to announce.

SO THERE’S MORE TO EXPECT. DOES THIS MEAN IT’S FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR BITHUB AFRICA?

Y

es. We can’t stop now. An exciting opportunity for the public is coming soon in the form of an academy that we are launching. We have been working on a curriculum, trying to structure it by working with the general tech community.

AND FINALLY, THE MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION. LITERALLY! WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU GOT A MILLION DOLLAR WINDFALL?

I

t’s a no brainer. If I got a million dollars, the academy is where I would focus it on. Build the talent, grow Africa.21

Silicon Valley, meet

SILICON SAHARA JOIN US

TOUR OF TECH

EVENTS

www.ingressive.co 22

A

Ingressive is an investment group that connects Africa’s top frounder with Silicon Valley capital and expertise.

Join our investment platform as a startup or as an investor, or attend an Ingressive event where Africa-focused founders, investors, and advisors come together to make magic.

23

ONI FERE MI (TALE OF THE YOUNG FLUTIST) AN ADAPTATION BY RICHARD MESEKO

he first of three siblings decides he will T work and earn a living. The second born chooses to do business. The youngest, however, says he will play only the flute.

The parents, especially the father, are consternated and shocked, astounded and bewildered, perplexed and disturbed.

When the youngest lad brings his first flute home, the father promptly seizes it and casts it into fire to burn!

Undeterred, the lad brings home a second flute, but again the father destroys it!

It is then, even then that the boy brings home his third flute, and yet again the father breaks it into pieces. I mean that which is single and sole becomes shards and smithereens; the flute is in fragments; the piece is in pieces!

No one knows what the youth is going to do anymore. Some say he will give up his ambition and follow the example of his other brothers.

Be a businessman like the middle born or may be a government worker like the eldest one. No one knows. And everybody goes about his or her business. The story is ended.

24

I tell you that what happens next confounds and confuses even the biggest doubter: The boy re-emerges with a fourth flute! Don’t ask me how he’s able to do that because even I who am your storyteller cannot explain! If you think that is strange, what will shock you even more is to learn that still the father takes the flute and throws it away never to be recovered.

And if you’d now shed a tear, wait – what would you do when you realize that there is even a fifth flute that is floundered and finished, and a sixth flute that is shattered and scattered? What would you do? And verily I say unto you: that is what happens by the same hand of the father.

You got to pity the father, you got to pity him.

The mother tries to moderate his actions, but again, it’s the society. He’s concerned for the well being of his children. A flute will not fetch food to feed … No one will take you seriously, yet he wants respect for his family and renown for his children.

You got to do the same thing over and over again. It is the point of persistent instruction; it is the relevance of inculcation; it is the way children are raised; it is the way society is built; it is the productive path of patience.

And yet we must pity the child.

The passion runs deep like a river; it burns with the ferocity of fire. “Never let go of your passion,” Mama would murmur to his spirit. “Your self-drive alone will take you to the dawn of your dream,” Papa would implant in him again and again. Even the community, the clan – they claim the value of perseverance. What world then is this to live the lessons of your life to no reverence?

When at last the boy gets his seventh flute, he decides to show it to neither his father nor his mother.

He keeps it to himself and decides to follow his own path. This path takes him far and takes him near, until one day it brings him face to face with a mysterious person to whom he plays the flute. It turns out to be a mighty king who brings him wealth and brings him fame.

And up till this day the story of the young flutist is still told.

-- The End --

25

ST YLIST / Khadijah Powell-Kelly MAKE UP ARTIST / Natalie Guimond GLOW ARTIST / Zyrelle Endozo PHOTOGRAPHER / Anthony Gebrehiwot CREATIVE DIRECTORS / Anthony Gebrehiwot and Khadijah Powell Kelly MODELS / Maulee Armstrong, Ashley Doe, Jordon Campbell, Deshawn Blackwood.

LIGHTING ASSISTANT / Sarah Bashir

26

TH E S K I N W E'R E I N

The Skin We're In Series is a love filled response to all victims of racially motivated crimes. This expression is a derivative of not knowing how to handle seeing black bodies being targeted and killed by white bodies. Our only intent is to bring the viewer into a world where lighter and darker skin tones co-exist in peace, love and harmony.

27

28

29

30

The Skin We're In Series is a love filled response to all victims of racially motivated crimes. This expression is a derivative of not knowing how to handle seeing black bodies being targeted and killed by white bodies. Our only intent is to bring the viewer into a world where lighter and darker skin tones co-exist in peace, love and harmony.

LOV E I S TH E A N S W E R , LOV E I S TH E K E Y.

31

The Burden of a Transitional Generation

by SAM GICHURU

This generation needs to swallow the bitter pill

S

ome thoughts I have been having lately...

After visiting a few developed countries, I have come to the realization that Africa is 20+ years behind most of these nations. It’s been said, while Africa is rising Africans are not rising, that’s not news for Africans, they know that and are complaining every day on the interwebs.

What’s not so obvious is young Africans are also being encouraged and even funded to complain because once they’re caught in the vicious circle of complaining they’re blind to the opportunities presented by the tough challenges in the continent and hence it manifests and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Africans need to accept a few facts; it will take minimum 30 to 100 years for the continent to be prosperous for Africans and that is only if the ship starts turning now. If you’re 20 years old reading this, you will probably be 50+ years when the sun finally rises over the continent, so you’re unlikely to experience better transport, better healthcare, high-quality education, justice reforms, better cross-border trading and travel in your lifetime.

This generation needs to swallow the bitter pill that they’re just a transitional generation, each one a cog in a big clock, once they accept their mission and perfect it, then all the cogs will move together and the clock will start ticking over this amazing continent but if they want to complain, they always can, they have another 40+ years in the wilderness and they will not run out of things to complain about while others come, rise and go.

Sooner or later a generation of Africans have to realize they are the African version of Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt the men who built America against all odds, “The men came from meager beginnings to build their respective empires, which helped formulate the concept of the American Dream.” That can be in 40 days or 40 years or 400 years, your choice.

If they want to start now, today, Africans have to change how they think first in order to build the concept of the African Dream, Africans have to start seeing opportunities where they only previously saw despair and hopelessness. African’s have to catch themselves every time they are about to complain and ask themselves, where is the opportunity in this challenge, who can I partner with to make it work.

Invest the same energy spent on complaining and redirect it into partnership, brainstorming, research, development, testing, they are no downside to trying and failing, you gain experience and you never start from the same place as your last attempt.

In the west, we have America which is 9.834 million km² with a population of 365M and in the east, we have China which is 9.597 million km² with a population of 1.3 Billion people....drum rolls... Africa at the center with 30.37 million km² with a population of 1.2 Billion, 3 times the size of America and China’s land mass, the same population with China but.. 70% of Africans are below the age of 35, young, smart, energetic. Africa can feed the world easily not to mention innovate... maybe even leapfrog.

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

What are your thoughts?

33

34

35

36

SOUL MAN CIANO HIS MUSICAL JOURNEY

Words by the man himself, edited by Wambui Kamau-Ong’weny Images by Onyango Odhiambo

37

Ciano Maimba is not your regular 23 year old Kenyan musician. He is one you meet and know he is onto something epic with his artistry.

He loves his chosen career path. Dynamic is the word he chooses to describe his journey so far. Rightfully so as he has been into music and singing since he was in 38 nursery school.

MUSIC

“

hings can always be better than they are. Ciano believes that there needs to be an actual functioning structure for performing arts in Kenya before embarking on the task of serving society with it.

A challenge that is unique to being a professional musician in Kenya according to Ciano is the lack of proper collective management organizations to follow up on the intellectual property rights of musicians, composers and other artists in general. The existing ones have proven to be inefficient over the years. An upside to being an artist in this renaissance period in Nairobi at the moment is that artists are seen in a more positive light. People are becoming more welcoming to art in all its shapes, forms and colours and there are a myriad of visionary artists who will soon go into the annals of history as pioneers of new genres of art and new styles. It is both thoroughly rewarding and deeply frustrating being an artist in the Kenyan music scene whilst it is still in its infancy .

To answer the question all artists and other professionals ask themselves at a certain juncture in their career, what does he know now that he wishes he knew before pursuing music,Ciano’s answer is simple.The business.

That,music theory and the work ethic. To think not only as an artist but also as a creative entrepreneur from the very beginning would have been instrumental in his career.

Coupled with knowing how much discipline, diligence and dedication it takes. No regrets though, we live and learn.

THE INTERNET HAS MADE IT SO MUCH EASIER TO NOT ONLY LEARN NEW SKILLS TO ENRICH OUR SKILL SET, BUT HAS ALSO PROVIDED A PLACE WHERE WE CAN RECEIVE REALTIME FEEDBACK ON THE PROGRESS OF OUR ART AND ITS EFFECT ON OUR AUDIENCE. -CIANO

Music is an art that comes naturally to most in this field but that doesn’t mean one cannot test and improve on their artistry.

There are a lot of resources for assessing one’s skill and aptitude as a musician/performing artist. Ciano often records himself during concerts and practice sessions in order to play it back and correct mistakes and make improvements on the performance where need be and taking short online courses and aptitude tests on musicality.

39

Having fully packed out his first 2-hour solo show at the Goethe Institute is something he counts as the biggest highlight of his career. It was an experience that tugged at him mainly because he did not think he had that many fans.

For the second half of 2018, Ciano plans to focus on pushing his just released E.P titled Serve Chilled which he collaborated heavily on with his good friend M-cubed.

At 23 and making waves in the industry already, whilst taking inspiration from the likes of Ed Sheeran to the guitar maestro Kato Change, we at TAP magazine reckon Ciano Maimba will be gracing bigger stages and reaching audiences across and beyond the continent very soon.

FUN FACT:

CIANO IS A COLOSSAL GEEK. IF HE WAS NOT A MUSICIAN, ALL HIS MONEY WOULD BE SPENT ON GAMING RIGS AND HIGH END P.C PARTS TO BUILD HIS OWN GAMING COMPUTER. ROCK LEE FROM THE ANIME NARUTO IS ONE OF HIS MAIN INSPIRATIONS.

41

Africa is closer with MoneyGram

42

43

KENYAN YOUTHS

by Darius Okolla

They say that, ideally, emigration abroad is often a preserve of the misfits, the outliers, the mavericks, the adventurers, the renegades, and the fugitives‌ 44

WEIGH THE FUTURE

n Kenya, two major events defined the first half of 2018. On Tuesday March 6, Finance Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich wrote a letter to the IMF appealing for an extension on a US$ 1.5 billion Standby Credit Facility, and on Wednesday March 7th declared to the Senate Finance committee that the Kenyan government is broke, effectively putting Kenya back into an IMF austerity program. IMF-induced austerity measures are not new in Africa given their rampant use across West, East and Southern Africa in the 1990s.

Secondly, a month after that, in midApril a major poll indicated that three out of every five youths or an estimated 10 million youths wish to leave Kenya.

The study was conducted among 4000 respondents aged 15-24, by the British Council, and dubbed ‘Next Generation Kenya’.

These young souls, just like their counterparts across the continent from Angola and Zimbabwe to Uganda and even Mali, are increasingly aware that they live in a regressing nation defined by poverty-stricken communities, a cartelized economy and political dysfunction in which only a very tiny minority among them will eke a decent living, and they wish to try their luck elsewhere.

The report echoes a scary and sad phenomenon from barely twenty years ago when the first wave of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) instituted by-again the IMFstruck in the 1990s. The S.A.P. found majority of these current millennials as (then) young, spry souls thriving through the single-digit ages as either infants, babies, or toddlers who’d just started school. Their parents-who were mostly twenty something year olds then-had to soak in the negative effects of the SAPs and watch as the economic sustenance of the towns they lived in shrunk or collapsed.

Twenty years down the line and the Structural Adjustment Program II has hit landfall just as the government-bankrupted by unbelievable stealing-is trying to scrap together coins to keep the lights on and critical programs running. Meanwhile those children, are now walking into their mid and late twenties right in the middle of another economic meltdown precipitated by SAPs II; who said lighting doesn’t strike twice?

For these millennials, just like their uncles and parents two decades ago, are willing to flee abroad-in an eerily déjà vu moment-at a point where a combination of stalled upward mobility, a flailing labor market, a bandit economy and shrinking opportunity makes it virtually impossible for a young person to thrive in Kenya.

Is the grass really greener on the other side?

These kids believe that they belong here, in Kenya, but they have tacitly accepted - and rightly so - that a decent life is far harder to achieve here at home.

U

nfortunately for these young souls-unlike their parents and elder siblings-they are trying to flee abroad in the midst of a rising global right-wing, fascist and nationalist pride that’s inspired racist attacks on immigrants in Europe, xenophobia is South Africa, religious tensions in as far as India and Australia, and tightening visa rules in nations like Canada, United States, and the UK. Despite the allure of life abroad, it’s much easier to succeed at home given that you already have the advantage of language, social networks, local education, as well as a geographical and ethnic familiarity. This staggering numbers of the country’s youth wishing to flee abroad portrays a nation overwhelmed by a warp-speed downward spiral into economic despondency and risking a ruptured social system just as the young, brilliant, potential industry pioneers head abroad for what’s potentially greener pastures.

The more hopeful dynamic in this mess is the fact that most of these young people, still have a strong sense of pride in Kenya, with 91% of respondents to a national survey saying they love their country, and 86% agreeing that both the heritage and identity are important to them, even though their country hasn’t shown them any love and more importantly, economic opportunity.

46

Emigration is no longer a solution; it’s a defeat.

T

hese youths just like majority of their continental counterparts see nationality as their strongest source of identity, ahead of family, religion and even ethnicity. The tragedy of being scorned by their primary identity (patriotism) partly explains their current imposed rootlessness. Based on contemporary accounts, it appears that the emigration craze of the late 1990s was obviously less intense and under far much more tolerable immigration dynamics and far less hostilities, than today’s.

In the 1990s, a fair share of those locked out of the economic machine could move back to the rural communities where life was cheap and in the villages where it was perfectly natural to feed at any table and lodge in any home. The largely non-monetized rural life allowed many young folks to escape the harsh economic realities through opting out of the monetized financial systems embedded in the urban centres.

However since 2003, the rise of the rural modernity powered by the motorbike transportation and the mobile money transfer platforms, has monetized rural life bringing with them the modern sensibilities of individualized existence, mass social and cultural dislocation, collapse of communal existences, erosion of social virtues, and the increase in rural poverty.

This economic distress has fed into an already existing generational tension in the country, reflected in the recent millennial conversations in which the young feel that the older generations are playing entitled gatekeepers, who horde dreams, with no sense of generational thinking and whose lives are defined by narrow, selfish careerist ambitions.

The least one can deduce is that these kids are decrying and pushing back at this erosion of opportunities and gatekeeping, that’s done by those who should know better. Thankfully many of them are using their online voices to push back against these issues key among them corruption, violence, rampant insecurity and unemployment.

47

If you do not get active to take a stand now against all that is wrong while we still can, then maybe one of your children may elect to do so in the future, when it will be far more riskier — and much, much harder.” ― Suzy Kassem

O

ne can’t help but sense the psychic pain of these young souls on one hand and on the other hand applaud the fact that although they might want to leave the nation, given their energy, talent, youthful spirit and ingenuity these youths are willing to fight to create a meaningful life, equitable society, and achieve the social marks of adulthood.

Meanwhile, a sizeable number of Kenyan millennials abroad, well attuned to the rising voices of youthful self-determination back at home, are heading to the air terminuses of overseas capitals on their way back to Nairobi well aware of the socioeconomic challenges that await them.

These Kenyan, Rwandan, Somalian, Nigerian and Ghanaian youths in the diaspora believe that Africa is rising; that Africa is the future. They know that their future and that of the world in many ways is here. For example, they see the rise of African music and fashion to the global stage as indication of what is happening here and they are risking their comfort to come back home and be part of this movement.

Their hopes are backed by the number of global (IBM. Google, McDonalds) conglomerates who are setting up offices in Nairobi, Kigali and Lagos. These diaspora youths are fully convinced that they have come of age and it’s time to step up and guide their countries into an equitable future. If these two sets of youths’ work hand in hand, our dreams will truly be realised. Here, in Kenya, and across Africa.

48

Illustration by NYAMBURA KARIUKI Instagram @nash_oh_my 49

Open a world of

Possibilitis POSSIBILITIES

Making the Difference INVESTORS

DIASPORA

FOUNDATION

BANKING

WITHOUT BOUNDARIES

www.kcbbankgroup.com

A

s a visionary and career diplomat, Kofi Annan knew only too well that his work at the U.N. was one of service not prestige since the position of SecretaryGeneral is more secretary than general; more servant than master and one that requires humility. Below is a list of things you may/may not know about Mr. Annan

Born into aristocracy Kofi Annan was born in Kumasi Ghana into an aristocratic family; both his grandfathers were tribal chiefs. After retiring from his job as an export manager, Annan’s father was elected Governor of Asante. With such a rich political family history, one would say he was meant for leadership.

First African U.N. secretary General Kofi Annan will not only be remembered for being the seventh U.N. Secretary General but also for being the first African to hold this position.

There had never been a U.N Secretary General to rise from the U.N. staff until Kofi Annan.

Rebel or Activist?

When he was in high school he led a hunger strike demanding better food. So it was no surprise that he refused to resign while investigations were being conducted in the Oil for Food Programme scandal that his son Kojo had been implicated in.

The 1994 Rwandan genocide He headed the U.N. Peacekeeping operations and was still holding the realm at the time of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, a subject he briefly mentions in his memoir Interventions: a Life in War and Peace. While he does not apologize for his or the U.N.’s lack of action to help save lives, he does accept that they could and should have done more.

A diplomat to the very end In 2007, after the U.N., he launched the Kofi Annan foundation. He was also chair of The Elders, a group of former world leaders tackling world issues, even at the time of his passing.

A mediator Kenyans will remember Mr. Annan fondly for his role in mediating a leadership-sharing government in Kenya at the time of the disputed election in 2008. He came in and mediated talks between the two disputing leaders and helped put in place a power sharing accord. This act alone eased the tension the country was facing and consequently put a stop to violence. When he was still fairly new as a Secretary General, in 1998, he also helped to ease the transition to civilian rule in Nigeria .

A mentor to the new generation of young leaders

Kofi Annan mentored a generation of U.N. officials including current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, outgoing U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein and the Director of Elman Peace Ilman Elwad, whom we had the honor of having on our issue 10 cover.

Remembering

KOFI ANNAN 52

Illustration by Louis Alosa @mrlouisalosa

53

E DUCATE E M P OWE R I NSPI R E @BeyondHoops

Beyond Hoops Africa is a basketball and life skills program with the purpose of using sports as an intervention to reach talented youths who don’t get opportunities to excel in education and athletics because limitations brought forth by life challenges and financial barriers.

54

www.beyondhoopsafrica.org 55

F A N PA

T

M S I N A C RI

H G U O HR

S E Y E S ’ O L P TRICK

by PA

LOCH

U O LUM N E I T O

The creation of an Africa which is borderless.

W

henever I travel or speak at conferences, people always walk to me and ask “but Prof, what does Pan-Africanism mean”?. Well, today, in this piece, I want to share with you all a few thoughts regarding the history and significance of Pan Africanism. aAs a Kenyan, an African and a staunch believer in Pan Africanism, I look forward to the Africa that I’ve so vividly dreamt of. An Africa that will not only birth political stability and social cohesion but that will also steer economic development for all Africans throughout the continent.

MBA

S T I D N A M S I N CA I R F A AN S P E F C I O O Y V R Y O L T R S I A E H “SLAVERY DEHUMANIZED AFRICANS EVEN AFTER THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.”

A

s I further delve into the intricacies of Pan Africanism, I have to start from the beginning. It starts early back when our lives were disrupted by the Arabs and Europeans who participated in the slave trade, leaving East Africa and West Africa ravished.

Even as I mention abolition, I am being very guarded, because even as I speak to you now, there is some form of slavery that is taking place in countries such as Sudan and Libya, which are in the public domain, so I talk about abolition knowing that there are vestiges of slavery that are still alive and well.

Resources lacking for the Europeans are what led to colonization and thereafter neo-colonization. These two, I believe lead to the birth of active Pan-Africanism. It is here that the question of who the early voices of Pan Africanism were is asked and this is where people like Marcus Garvey, W.E.B Dubois, Kwame Nkrumah, George Padmore, Haile Selassie, Mwalimu Nyerere and Kenneth David Kaunda must be mentioned. It was not only in the political arena. As early as 1906, a young South African spoke at the University of Columbia. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme talked about the renaissance of Africa. So you had pan Africanism being articulated at the level of politics but it’s not just at the level of politics. We saw it in the arts, in literature, the writings of people like Walter Rodney, Aime Cesaire, people like Léopold Sédar Senghor.

In later years, Pan Africanism was seen in music through people like Bob Marley and Miriam Makeba. So, by the time that some of us are being born, the spirit of pan Africanism is alive and well. The very reason why, in those days, people like myself are named after Patrice Emery Lumumba. We were named after him because of his pan Africanist conventions.

People were named Nkrumah, Obote, Nyerere, and Bantu Steve Biko. Later, much later, people were named Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Sékou Touré and others. All this was appreciating that there was something that transcended the mere boundaries that were artificially created. That there was something that was African.

Each of us should open our eyes to the fact that colonization and slavery succeeded. It is not lost to me that even as I speak we have many conflicts which are manufactured from outside to the detriment of Africa. Because it is when we are at conflict, that we are easiest to exploit.

57

“WHEN YOU TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF THIS CONTINENT, AFRICA IS NOT SEEN IN ITS DIVERSITY. WE ARE ALL SEEN AS ONE. SO IT IS IN THAT CONTEXT THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY TAKEN THE VIEW, THAT AFRICA WILL NOT BE PRESENT AT THE DINNER TABLE OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION ON AN EQUAL FOOTING WITH OTHER CIVILIZATIONS, AS LONG AS WE ARE DIVIDED INTO LITTLE COUNTRIES.”

LE T T I L O T N I D E D I V I D

I

am often asked how Pan-Africanism has affected my journey. I got drawn to the whole idea of regaining our self esteem due to my studies in both literature and African National Movements and living outside the continent.

When you travel outside of this continent, Africa is not seen in its diversity. We are all seen as one. So it is in that context that I have personally taken the view, that Africa will not be present at the dinner table of human civilization on an equal footing with other civilizations, as long as we are divided into little countries.

I believe we must in our diversity work in unison, so that we are able to confront the European Union, the Chinese and other Powers.

As it is now, we are so weak and divided and therefore easy to exploit. And this is why I have taken it, in my view, as a crusade to use the resources that I have to shout from the rooftops

58

S E I R T COUN

about Africans giving value to Africa and gaining self-esteem.

How do we as Africans join the crusade you ask? Easy; for starters, we must be proud of our own. We must enjoy our movies, we must not have Hollywood define for us what a movie is. Nollywood in Nigeria produces the second highest number of movies after Bollywood. Yet, if you ask a typical African, who are the lead actors from Nollywood they do not know and they do not care. I seldom watch movies made in Hollywood because of the artificiality and the obvious fact that they don’t relate to what we are doing. Why is it that Kiswahili is not an official UN language?

We must be proud of our languages. I hold the view that it is important and we must have African languages being authentically recognized languages and that is only going to happen if young people are involved.

CA I R F A D N A M S NI A C I R F PAN-A

N

S L A I N E MILL

A RENAISSANCE IS COMING BECAUSE CHANGE MUST HAPPEN. YOUNG AFRICANS HAVE A VOICE AND THEY MUST BE THE CHANGE. IN SMALL AND BIG WAYS,

WE MUST BE THE CHANGE.

H

istory has demonstrated that whenever young people are appropriately animated and they have a focus, they change their societies! Because it is they who have the energy, the enthusiasm, the daring, in Kiswahili we say “wana uku…!!” the daring!! I personally believe that for Africa, young people are the game changers.

Looking at modern history, there were the so called young Turks who changed the Ottoman empire in 1908. Looking at South Africa, in 1960 in the Sharpeville massacre when people like Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe are in the forefront, you see young people again. Once again in 1969 and then in 1976 in Soweto, it was school children who led the marches.

If you go to other civilizations in France in 1968, you go to Korea in 1980, you go to Tiananmen square, you go to the launch camps movement in 1963 in the United States of America, it was young people who were in the launch campers. Even more recent is Tahrir square in Egypt, the revolt against the regime was led by young people.

“I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT FOR AFRICA, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE GAME CHANGERS “

PAN AFRICANISM AS A WEAPON AGAINST CONFLICT

P

an Africanism if harnessed among African millennials can also help us eliminate unnecessary conflicts. Right now, there are many live conflicts across the continent, and who dies? Young people. Whether they are men or women, they are the ones who are dying. I am of the view that all these conflicts can be eliminated if our young people are charged in the right direction, so that, that energy is canalized to preach about Africa.

Look at the young people behind this publication that is in the business of creating a pan African publication and media can have your headquarters in Bangui, Central African Republic or Mogadishu!

And, in the next ten years, you are able to beam out to the entire African continent. Can it be done? Yes! Look at Aljazeera.

To be continued in the next issue 59

60

#FAYTHENOMAD Fay the nomad is an African diaspora who has been working in the continent for a couple of years now. Fay is passionate about re-shaping the narrative of Africa through her work but also through the lens of photography.

62

FASHION

Necklace I was visiting Niger for a regional conference on Women Peace and Security and was desperate to explore the city and discover local artist and designers in Niamey. I came across this local vendor who was selling pieces from across the country and spotted this beautiful necklace made out of fabric, the beautiful colours go with every outfit.

Country: Niger

Bag BAW POT ROUGE

by AAKS I have been a fan of AKKS bags for a long time as they are handcrafted in Ghana. he stylish bags as described by the brand “maintain the spirit and durability of their ancestral counterparts characterised by bright exuberant colours�.

Country: Ghana, Elle Lokko

63

I have a slogan on my travel page, �Nomad by blood and lifestyle� those words resonate because I feel that I have been a nomad from birth. My parents migrated from Somalia to Sweden when I was only a few months old and since then I have lived in 9 countries across 3 continents. To a large extent, my lifestyle and work enables my nomadic lifestyle from working on the continent to discovering new cities and cultures for leisure. I absolutely love it, especially discovering the diverse culture and beauties of Africa, so far, I have been able to visit 12 countries in Africa and hopefully will explore the continent further.

Travelling has definitely influenced my perception of the world around me and defined who I am, I am so humbled to have meet some amazing people from my travels and learnt from their wisdom and life experiences.

You can’t learn these things in school or from books, but rather from shared experiences and openness.

64

NOMAD LIFE

Cardigan #Theshopaccra Country: Ghana

Necklace Statement necklace from designer Ami Doshi Shah, her pieces are centered on creating eclectic, statement adornments using locally sourced materials.

This necklace has a sticking unmissable precious lavender stone.

Country: Kenya

WHO AM I I am the Africa Director for a consultancy firm, Albany Associates, that works with people and communities in some of the toughest places in the world. We work closely with our local partners to build grassroots resilience to the drivers of crisis and conflict and to find homegrown solutions to the problems that cause them.

I have always been active in human rights, from when I was in high school I took part in fundraising for various causes and even took part in a play called “Lovesick” that was raising awareness on HIV/AIDS in developing countries. I completed a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratisation and received a fellowship to work at the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nation in New York, where I worked on UN resolutions focused on advancing the rights of people.

65

Scarf Haute Baso Country: Rwanda

RETURNING TO AFRICA

66

I have always wanted to come back to the continent to work. When I completed my bachelor’s degree and was waiting to hear the outcome of my postgraduate application, I travelled to Tanzania to support my aunt’s charity. Zara Charity where I supported small-scale community projects with the aim of enhancing economic development in the communities, especially by supporting vulnerable groups.

During my Master programme, we had the opportunity to observe work in the field and travelled around in Kosovo and although there were opportunities to work in different countries and regions, I always wanted to contribute to the growth of Africa. After completing a competitive fellowship at the United Nation in New York, I landed at a consultancy firm with a predominant focus on Africa. To get a better grasp on the local issues the East Africa region faces, I moved to the region to lead and deliver on programmes.

67

Pursuit of Portraits #POPXNAIROBI A Scene Refreshed 68

DON IN CLEAN WHITE

ART

Paul Kidero 69 @kidero_ag

In May, Nairobi played host to the “Pursuit of Portraits� global team. Pursuit of Portraits is a global creative collective with a singular mission to: Create an accessible global community of portrait-lovers to share t h e b e s t o f p o r t r a i t u re photography. Nairobi was part of their tour to various cities around the world to help bring the portrait community together and to explore the diversity and creativity within it. Here, Paul Kidero, our c re a t i v e d i re c t o r h a s selected four images that most spoke to him.

LETS GO SOMEWHERE 70

Paul Kidero @kidero_ag

TAKE IN THAT AIR

Dennis Mwangi @dreams.wav

71

PEOPLE BELIEVE THEY ARE CRAZY TILL THEY MEET THE DEMENTED

Shem Obara @shem.obara 72

73

TRAVEL

74

GHANA

photography by IGNACIO HENNIGS 75

I was told that Ghanaians were easy going people. To be convinced about it didn’t take long.

Not much efforts are needed to feel at home, to feel welcomed. You will never be an intruder in Ghana even if with an explorer’s heart.

76

TRAVEL

77

78

Cape Coast is not just a city, but a beautiful finshing port. All along the coast boats decorate the landscape revealing one of the city’s main economic activity.

79

The future of Ghana looks bright, with a potential multi-million dollar tourism industry waiting to be exploited and as one of the most politically-stable countries in the region. There seems to be a commited and progressive Goverment that welcomes foreign investment into the private sector.

80

81

The scars of the slave trade can be seen all along the coast in Ghana. One of them is the Cape Coast Castle, which was once one of the main slave trading point in West Africa. Built by the Swedes in the 19th centuries is now listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

82

83

84

85

The VIBE is... *insert DJ Khaled voice* The Major KEY!

86

T

hree years ago the outstanding images coming from Afropunk Brooklyn absolutely stopped in my Facebook feed scroll tracks and the display of Black Love, Black Power, Black Girl Magic, Black Boy Joy well Black Everything made me want to experience this festival for myself, so a few months later when the Paris Festival was announced I toyed with the idea only for my friend to confirm that she would be in Paris that weekend and in simple terms it become a motive, this was in 2016 and it surely lived up to its full expectation Saul Williams performed, still not fully recovered from the time he was just stood next to me in the audience and the one question floating in my mind to ask him was ‘what was the thing?’ ‘Girlfriends’ fans will know.

In the lobby my eyes fixed on Sam Masekela of Alekesam wondering ‘Where have I seen you before?’ Only to remember him pre-locks hosting E! News.

2017 was no question and this year together with Filmmaker Ndrika Anyika we managed to interview Baloji and Blitz the Ambassador.

Interviews available on Youtube MaarifaTV. 2018 and no question Paris here we come only after gracing Lovebox enjoying the legends that are Wu Tang Clan minus Method Man and French Afro Trap artist MHD and UK’s own Skepta to name a few first train to Paris and off to Afropunk.

Afropunk stands out above all festivals the atmosphere and energy in Paris cannot be duplicated and you have to experience it to fully grasp it in all its glory. From the attendees to the artists here are some images from the festival just to fully solidify the FAMO.

Text and Pictures by MAUREEN NATUMI 87

When it comes to Afropunk you have to experience it to fully appreciate it.

AFROPUNK

PARIS

2018

E stere :

New Zealand-based with Cameroonian roots producer Estère was super angelic she describes her music as ‘Electric Blue Witch-Hop’ I walked away feeling that If unicorns had a cool soundtrack this would be it.

Ecca Vandal: Australian Ecca was a lovely introduction I have never come across her music before and festivals do wonders in introducing amazing artist. Her performance was absolutely electrifying definitely someone I will be taking time to listen to more.

M r E azi :

Afrobeats artist Mr Eazi was the perfect demonstration of how strong the genre is the crowd was absolutely electrifying during his performance.

M ahalia :

My new friend in my head she is what has become rare artists who are not afraid to speak to their audience she completely and utterly drew us in, into her world her set made you fall in love with her and have you offering a pull up to her Ex boyfriends house just to check ‘what’s really good?’ Toughly enjoyed her set and the single ‘EX’ has a wonderful spin of WSTRNS ‘Texting’ loved it.

N neka :

Nigerian singer/ songwriter Nneka was a lovely addition to the line up, from her breakthrough single ‘Heartbeat’ in 2009 I haven’t been the greatest in keeping up with her releases her performance was uplifting and spiritual.

S

N

:

andra kake Sandra is not new to the Afropunk stage this time changing her hosting gig to performing she shut it down completely he deep soulful voice mixed with jazz and soul is something rare in todays scene and one person I would urge everyone to listen to.

SZA:

We missed SZA’s Lovebox performance only to later read of the slight palaver that occurred during her set. First time I saw SZA was in 2016 Afropunk London and the acoustics of the building did her no justice but that being said her performance at

88

ARTIST

LINE-UP

Afropunk Paris 2018 was outstand her vocals were just flawless smooth as butter she performed most tracks from her CTRL album from the accompanying visuals to her dope commentary SZA truthfully delivered and I was all the way here for it ‘Go Gina!’

T rombone S horty :

First time I saw ‘Trambone Shorty’ was Live on Jools Holland he bought a great New Orleans energy that filled the room, cut to my friend so innocently asking ‘Did he just perform covers’ yes Trambone Shorty specialise in adding a twist to well known classics.

G

C

J .:

ary lark r I recently discovered Gary Clark Jr. recently on Luke Cage his music was so befitting of the show and soon after the pleasure to see him live was just exceptional he delivered a fantastic performance only to learn later of a possible collaboration with Lenny Kravits.

D a V ido : performance so full of to see the Compozers has released so many was jam packed with

DaVido gave us all the assurance and insurance one can need in a energy additionally it was so cool on stage as his live band. DaVido hits in the last two years the set hit after hit.

D amian :

Damian gave the festival a great balance with only the best to fully represent Reggae music his performance was nothing short of outstanding and his band ....I really have nothing more to say how can you describe greatness without using the word greatness.

M axwell :

Maxwell’s performance was exceptional his movement on stage was like nothing I’ve ever seen. Covering hits such as ‘Pretty Wing’, Fortunate, Till the Police Come knocking. Maxwell has to be responsible for the Afropunk future kids made that night. His Prince Tour boomer jacket was dope and one wouldn’t be wrong in connecting his influence from the Legend himself, that being said Maxwell bought that ‘Je ne se quor’ and ‘Vule’ all in one set. I cannot fail to acknowledge his band that just weaved the shear life into all the tracks.

89

PEOPLE OF AFROPUNK

90

NOVEMBER 2016 | TAP MAGAZINE

75

www.giantsofafrica.org 91

www.tapmagonline.com