Sophie Ngugi - A Child of the universe

Sometimes I feel that all I can do is carry people in my heart. One of the gifts that I know I have is to listen; to listen with my ears and my heart. An hour ago I sat with a young lady who made my heart bleed yet feel strong because of her courage. My cousin died just over a year ago, leaving a young widow, barely 25 years old. He was the sole bread winner, of his young family; he left a lovely daughter too. Some months following his sudden death following a road accident, I listened as his widow told us (with my siblings) how the girl had been wondering “how will daddy find us now that we have moved from our house?” The 5 yr old girl could not comprehend the permanency of death. She missed her dad terribly, but unlike the mother whose pain was due to the realisation of the permanency of her husband’s departure, she thought daddy would come back, one time. I failed to comprehend how she was holding herself together for herself, and her daughter. As I sat down with this young woman, s...

Conclude the talks we are starving! That was the clarion call by women from all walks of life from Zimbabwe in September 2008 [1] this was after long talks that seemed not to be bearing any fruits among the political leaders who had not agreed on the structure of the inclusive government. Meanwhile there was a deep political and humanitarian crisis till the women decided enough is enough! The women under the coalition of Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) held protests for the leaders to act and conclude the talks. Home in Kenya, a woman who was seven months pregnant, and on complete bed rest, joined other women in Kenya who sat on the floor of the Serena Hotel in Nairobi at the exit of the politicians who were having talks to address the crisis that had rocked Kenya following disputed elections held in December 2007 [2]. As she joined the other women in the vigils, she was certain of one thing, peace is what she needed, and she could no longer sit at home to watch news from the Tele...