Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Ken Budd: This article won a Gold SATW award in October 2015 I’m carrying two-year-old Elijah, seeking shade to escape the Kenyan sun. My wife Julie and I are volunteering for two weeks at the Calvary Zion children’s home near Mombasa, helping (we hope) the home’s three “mothers,” who care for 40 … Continued
Nigeria: Calm Bar Independence! That’s one thing I had always sort my whole life. I was not born into a life of cream, drug nor violence. But I just grew increasingly dissatisfied about living that right about when this essay began; I badly needed a specialist to keep living. So, as he gazed at me … Continued
I am interested in this interaction between the place we are in and the development of our minds. The interplay of space and mind creates place when I think about my sense of place, it’s hard for me to pin it down. Let’s start with my hometown. I was born and raised in Agbor Delta … Continued
A Spiritual journey through West Nile, where hope and hospitality is in ready supply New to me is the picturesque St. Emmanuel’s Cathedral. The last time I was in Arua (Christmas holidays of 2000), grandpa had retired from active church ministry he served in the former sanctuary; a dilapidated temple reminiscent of the days of … Continued
Nigeria: A visit to the Ruin at Old Oyo National Park Ever since I was born, I’m always thrilled with culture especially the culture I was born into (the Yoruba culture). I love the moon light stories of long past warriors; those that have made their footprints in the sand of time. Invariably, travelling and … Continued
Tunisia hasn’t exactly had a lot of positive press lately, and for understandable reasons. The country’s disposal of its less than democratic ruler triggered revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa, which became known as the Arab Spring. Yet, what you likely haven’t heard is that unlike neighboring Libya and fellow countries on the … Continued
MOMBASA, KENYA: MY SECRET SAFE HAVEN When I was younger, I never truly appreciated the beauty of travelling and seeing new places, whether it was in my home country Kenya, or anywhere else across the globe. However, as I became older, I began to see things in a new perspective and gained a newfound love … Continued
Since I was a youngster, I dreamed of one day visiting Morocco. Towns and cities with exotic names such as Rabat, Casablanca, and Fez beckoned me from across the Atlantic Ocean. In 2008 when I researched direct flights from Los Angeles to Casablanca, Marrakesh, and Rabat, I noticed that most flights went via either London … Continued
Two years ago I boarded a plane by myself to South Africa. I ignored my friends who called me crazy, and as much as I appreciated the concern from my family, I did not hesitate when I pressed the confirm flight button. Two weeks later, I found myself staring out the airplane window, minutes before … Continued
Awka in Nigeria: A Good Place of Independence Introduction Independence is to be free from outside control; not subjected to another’s authority. Awka is a good place that worth being because of the benefits attributed to it. All who travelled there for holidays testified and are still testifying on the good platform of the area. … Continued