To the Kalahari and back, what next?
On the 14th of July, I made my way to JKIA (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport) jobless and uncertain of what lay ahead.
‘What next after you come back?’
‘I honestly have no idea, mum, but I believe I’ll find what I’m looking for in Botswana.’
At the time, I may not have been armed with the power of infinite knowledge, but for sure, I had the power of the sixth sense. Intuition.
I have always been passionate about bringing people together. Imparting and sharing my skills with others no matter how minute. I am a firm believer that once you empower the people, the people will build communities, communities will build cities and development of cities will lead to the growth of a nation!
So how did I find myself en route to the depths of the Kalahari?
Mid 2017, as I worked on my final year engineering project, I was frustrated! I was working on the development of a Digital Stethoscope, a project my partner and I gave our all. Knowing at the back of our minds that most likely it would not see the light of day. I looked around and was mesmerized by the potential of the Kenyan School of Engineering. My colleagues were fabricating robotic arms, drones, automatic mops, submarines and a device that converts English to braille, just to name a few. People were doing amazing stuff! The school had invested money to purchase materials, students invested time to study and build and the lectures invested time in us and mentored us through it all. However, what was the result of all this input energy? What was the impact? Yes, you said it. A good grade and a degree. That is it.
And so I approached our Mechatronic Engineering Department chair at the time and lamented like I would to a dear friend. She keenly listened to me and let me rumble on for minutes after which she shared some nuggets of wisdom with me and advised me to look into IDDS (International Development and Design Summit) of which she was an alumnus.
Roughly a year later, I was on board a Kenya Airways flight headed in search of my purpose, your day-to-day typical millennial. I had been selected as an IDDS Botswana 2018 participant whose theme was ‘Improving Rural Community Livelihoods’. The hosts were a local social enterprise, ‘These Hands’, which is investing in the growth of the rural population. It was my home away from home. My heart spelt out in words.
At times, I lack the words to explain the impact IDDS has had on me, 3 weeks after my return. Am I still jobless? Well, it depends on your meaning of the word. I am currently an early researcher on the innovation space and their impact in Kenya and so far it has taken me to Mombasa and beyond the borders to Arusha, Tanzania to learn more about Twende Social Innovation Centre. I will go wherever my work leads and if you know of a space or an individual you would like me to visit, kindly reach out.
I believe in the potential of the African Innovation Space. We however need to start developing solutions as per our needs rather than try and keep up with the innovations from the East and West. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against advanced technology since it is being used in certain communities for the improvement of services and development. Nevertheless, as we continue to innovate, let us remember that as we take pictures with drones, there is a child who walks kilometers just to fetch some water for the family and carries a 20L mtungi with a rope around their head. As we take pride in housing the Silicon Savannah, let us keep in mind that Kenya’s growth and development will also be determined by the regions we so casually overlook, reading about them on the papers like foreigners in a new country.
More on my IDDS experience will be coming up, but for now; let us offer our time to volunteer and #TembeaKenya. It is the easiest way to beat ignorance, opening our eyes to the potential that lives within rural Kenya and Africa.
Godspeed.
