Be Inspired : Dr Susan Kiragu - University of Cambridge Graduate.

For many young children growing up in Kenya, settling for a profession to put food on the table instead of pursuing their dreams to travel and change the world is a common practice due to the lack of opportunities and support from their parents and communities.

Many Kenyans grow up hoping to one day travel abroad in search of better educational and professional opportunities, but financial constraints coupled with expectations from their relatives to support and provide for their siblings, cousins and parents often force them to ignore their dreams so that they can focus on earning a paycheck doing jobs they don’t love.

For Dr. Susan Kiragu, her journey abroad to become a successful member of Kenya’s Diaspora community was only possible because her parents “opened the door and equipped me with the possibility that the world was mine for the taking.”

“I remember when I was 11, my dad was driving me to school and he was not pleased with how I had performed in school that term (I was number 7 I think),” she recalled smiling. “He went on a rant about how I had great brains and was university material and I could even be president if I wanted,” she said.

Kiragu went on to excel in her academics, graduating from Kahuhia Girls High School at the top of the class before earning a Bachelor’s degree in education and music from Kenyatta University and a Masters degree in sociology of education from the University of Nairobi. “I must say that my parents and the love they have for me has been the greatest motivator, and having a happy childhood where I felt loved, safe and wanted set the foundation,” she said.

It was this confidence from her parents and their belief in her abilities that inspired Kiragu to travel to the United Kingdom (UK) in 2005 in pursuit of a PhD in education, which she completed in 2008 from the University of Cambridge after completing a thesis titled ‘Exploring young people’s sexuality in a poor community in Kenya: a case study’. Her parents played a huge role in her desire to pursue a life abroad, but so did her aunt who had married a foreigner when it was still not very common to do so and gone on to further her studies in Europe, getting her Masters and PhD.

“To me she just had the ‘coolest’ life, jet setting and seeing the world and earning lots of money. At least that’s how I saw it through my teenage eyes and I yearned for such a life,” she recalled.
“I grew up in this context of possibilities and exposure, of love and assurance, and moral setting too, and that’s the foundation that channeled the very possibility that I could travel abroad, let alone study and work there as well,” she explained.

In early 2005 while working as a researcher at a local NGO in Nairobi, she applied for a PhD at the University of Cambridge, got a full scholarship and according to her, “the rest is history”. She makes it sounds easy enough, but she emphasised that the transition from having a dream and actually living it are two completely different things.

“Most Kenyans back home think that life is much easier abroad because they convert the money you earn in pounds or dollars, maybe per hour, and see that as a lot, but they forget that the cost of living abroad is much higher,” she stressed. Kiragu blames this misperception of what it’s like to live abroad on the Western owned media. “Because the West owns the media, it is not very clear to Africa that there’s even a deep recession going on at the moment that has seen unemployment rise, along with the costs of public spending and benefits cut,” she said. “Thus, perhaps many a relative in the Diaspora have lost their jobs or are juggling several jobs just to keep afloat, yet they are still expected to send money back home. Life for such a person is a living nightmare,” she acknowledged. Her own transition to the UK was not without some speed bumps, but she adjusted over time thanks to the diversity she found in Cambridge. “The University of Cambridge is probably one of the most international communities in the world so most of us graduate students who were away from home were excited to meet each other and learn about new cultures,” she asserted.

She remembered fondly how her and her Kenyan friends would meet and cook Kenyan food like chapati, beef stew, githeri, ugali, sukumawiki, plantain, pilau, nyama choma and kachumbari, while they would reminisce about home and encourage each other over the pressures they faced from their studies.
“We discussed politics and even dreamed of changing Kenya for the better, joking that such were the very conversations that our founding fathers Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkurumah etc. had when they were in the UK – plan and dream for a better Africa!” she said.

Eventually some of her colleagues at Cambridge including Dr Vincent Owino (Kenya), Dr Zachary Lomo (Uganda), Dr Justin Echouffo Tcheugui (Cameroon) and Dr Martin Atela (Kenya)) formed an association called Network for African Development (NafAD). NafAD is made up of African students and other students at the University of Cambridge who are interested in African issues and the organization holds interactive seminars to discuss critical issues in Africa.

“Though we have all moved on in our careers now, we are implementing some of the vision that we shared through these meetings,” she confirmed.

In Cambridge, she also said she found an environment that enabled her to become successful thanks to the relationships she was able to establish with her professors. “At the University of Cambridge, the boundaries of hierarchy are grey, not as sharply cut out as in Kenya, which generally embraces the African traditions of respect and authority to elders,” she said. “These dulled boundaries have been instrumental to my growth and boosted my confidence in my abilities, because I have freedom to interact with even our director in a very collegial space,” she stated.


She has even been acknowledged as a successful migration story by the university and Deutsche Welle (DW) media, a German international broadcaster that offers in-depth, reliable news and information in 30 languages including Arabic, Kiswahili, Indonesian, Urdu, Russian, Spanish, German and English.

Thanks to her network of Kenyans within Cambridge, Kiragu social adjustment was almost seamless, but this was not the case when attempting to get used to the UK’s weather and food. “The hardest thing to get used to was the grey UK weather and bitter cold in winter. However with time I have learned to dress in layers and I am used to it now,” she said.

“What I do not like is the snow. It’s beautiful and fairytale-like on the first day, but turns to a nightmarish health hazard when it melts into ice; slipping and falling is common during the winter,” she stated.
She also had difficulty adjusting to the taste of the food and the bland taste of the meat in the UK actually forced her to become a vegetarian during her first year abroad.

“The fish was too fishy and the beef and chicken were lacking in flavor. I also found the salt not strong enough and I had to pour on so much to my food to make up for the bland taste,” she said.
“Tropical fruits like mango, papaya and passion fruits were also exorbitantly priced and I stuck to apples and oranges. Often I used to carry Kenyan spices and tea, if only to salvage the food,” she revealed.
Kiragu eventually got used to the British cuisine and after completing her PhD in 2008, decided to remain in the UK after receiving a job opportunity to work as an educational researcher for The Centre for Commonwealth Education at the University of Cambridge.

Her research interests include understanding why children ‘drop into school’- research with children who face a myriad of hardships but do not drop out of school; and constructing hybrid sexuality education curricula through consultation with pupils, teachers, parents and other school stakeholders.
She strongly believes in research for social justice and inclusion of indigenous knowledge’s in curriculum and though the offices at Cambridge, her research projects have been in 23 schools in 5 provinces in Kenya.

“I’ve had the privilege of living in two worlds and being able to use my knowledge and expertise in my home country, which has its pros as Cambridge provides me with facilities and access to the latest literature in my field,” she said. “Kenya is where my heart and work is, so I’m able to interpret and transfer the theory I have learned, practically to the ground in Kenya,” she stated.

Her research on Kenya and her love for children resulted in a book published earlier this year called “Old Enough to Know: Consulting Children about Sex Education”, which she co-authored with her colleagues.
The book is based on qualitative research that they did in eight schools in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.
“We investigated the sources, contents and processes of how children who are away from school understand sexual knowledge and we asked how this interacted with AIDS education programmes in schools,” she explained.

 “To collect the data, we used a triangulation of engaging, interactive and visual methods including digital still photography, mini-video documentaries, as well as interviews and observations,” she added.


She credited these innovative methods with allowing children to speak freely and openly about sex and sexuality, in contexts where such talk would be seen as a cultural taboo.
“The research also shed light on teachers’ fears and struggles with a lack of training and limited opportunities for reflection on practice and it further created space for school community dialogue with conflicting voices of community stakeholders who are both aware of the dangers faced by children living in a world with AIDS and who are also afraid of the many cultural, religious and moral restraints to sex education in Africa,” she revealed.

Kiragu and her colleague Dr. Colleen McLaughlin returned to Nairobi in April to launch the book, but she often returns to Kenya several times a year for research and other service based responsibilities.
In 2009, after seeing real poverty in the schools in Kajiado, she climbed Mt. Kenya to raise funds to build a dormitory so that children wouldn’t have to walk 2-4 hours on their way to school, which sometimes put them in danger of rape or abuse from “waylaying” men.

“I managed to raise £600 (Sh78,668) through friends and we managed to buy some building stones. However the stones are still there as we have not found a sponsor to help us continue with the work,” she said.

Kiragu is still looking for someone to sponsor her vision but even while in the UK, she continues to look for ways to give back to Kenyan communities, especially to children.

“I have been collecting bras from my neighborhood in Cambridge thanks to my landlady Joy Barker who started spreading the word to her networks after I shared with her my experiences with girls in Kenya who were short of underwear and bra’s,” she said.

“Shortly after she got the word out, people started bringing us bras and it has not stopped. It’s over a year now and we have collected about 800 bras, which I distribute to our school communities when I come to Kenya,” she revealed. With the help of her colleague Dr. Molly Warrington, she has also been able to collect and donate new underwear, along with writing tools for students after she realized to her horror that they were even sharing pens. Unlike some Kenyans that travel abroad and decide to remain out there, Kiragu yearns of returning back to live and work in Kenya for good.

“I would love to move back to Kenya to continue the current research that I am doing. I have a heart for children, especially children who suffer and I have been working with some poor children for four years now,” she explained.

“My goal is to learn from research but go beyond it and have resources for holistic interventions; and being on the ground would help me be more effective,” she said.



Be truly inspired.

Be Inspired Part 1 :

Hey dolls, I know I haven't updated my blog for just over a week now. Its been extremely hectic with work, preprations of going back to university after nearly 5 months off. When I say my mind is on auto-pilot don't take it lightly. Anyway the next week or so I will be doing a "Be Inspired" posts. This is just show casing individuals in the world who have inspired me and I hope they will inspire you too.

So today I start of with : Jamala McFaden.

 Jamala McFaden, President of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA). GABWA supports Black women attorneys, advocates for women and children, empowers those in their community and more.

As you may realize, we live in what’s frequently viewed as a “man’s world.” To be a woman AND black AND an attorney is no small feat.

Be Inspired !!

Ambition & Why It Is Important.

It is not difficult to imagine a world short of ambition. It would probably be a kinder world: with out demands, without abrasions, without disappointments. People would have time for reflection. Such work as they did would not be for themselves but for the collectivity. Competition would never enter in. Conflict would be eliminated, tension become a thing of the past. The stress of creation would be at an end. Art would no longer be troubling, but purely celebratory in its functions. Longevity would be increased, for fewer people would die of heart attack or stroke caused by tumultuous endeavor. Anxiety would be extinct ball mill. Time would stretch on and on, with ambition long departed from the human heart.

Ah, how unrelieved boring life would be!

There is a strong view that holds that success is a myth, and ambition therefore a sham. Does this mean that success does not really exist? That achievement is at bottom empty? That the efforts of men and women are of no significance alongside the force of movements and events now not all success, obviously, is worth esteeming, nor all ambition worth cultivating. Which are and which are not is something one soon enough learns on one’s own. But even the most cynical secretly admit that success exists; that achievement counts for a great deal; and that the true myth is that the actions of men and women are useless. To believe otherwise is to take on a point of view that is likely to be deranging. It is, in its implications, to remove all motives for competence, interest in attainment, and regard for posterity.

We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch, the country of our birth, or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing. We do not, most of us, choose to jaw crusher die; nor do we choose the time or conditions of our death. But within all this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we shall live: courageously or in cowardice, honorably or dishonorably, with purpose or in drift. We decide what is important and what is trivial in life. We decide that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do. But no matter how indifferent the universe may be to our choices and decisions, these choices and decisions are ours to make. We decide. We choose. And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed. In the end, forming our own destiny is what ambition is about.

A person without any ambition in life is like a ship without a rudder. He has no destination. He does not have urge to make a start. He reaches no where. He is tossed about like a straw in the wind. He achieves nothing in life. So everybody should have an ambition in life. But simply having ambition is not enough whatever the ambition be, it must be backed up by continuous efforts to achieve it. If a person sets an ambition before him, but does nothing to achieve it, his ambition is no more than idle dream or a pious resolution.


Peace & Love :-)

A Womans Worth :

A Woman's Worth

A woman's beauty is not only

In the glow of her skin

But the depth of her eyes

And the warmth of her heart

A woman's strength is not only

In the bow of her back

But the magnitude of her tears

And the softness of her words

A woman's wisdom is not only

In the value of her words

But the knowledge of when to hold them

And the journey she takes to learn them

A woman's courage is not only

In her determination to fight

But her willingness to walk away

And confidence to say no

A woman's grace is not only

In the way she dances through her day

But in the love notes she leaves

And the wonderful meals she prepares

A woman's love is not only

In the kisses she gives

But in the sacrifices she makes

And the moments given to you alone

A woman's worth is not only

In the things she does

But who she truly is

And who she helps you become

~ Mary Costanza -A Woman's Heart And Soul 

Love this !

Why the Lords Should Remain Unelected :

 The Liberal Democrats are engaged in another one of their half-baked attempts to threaten the Tory right-wingers. It will end in tears for them again. The Tories are laughing at them. So is everyone else.
This two-pronged threatening strategy involves getting The Guardian to report that unnamed senior LDs are considering drastic action and then, two days later, getting a minor LD like Lord Rennard to reassure the Tories that they don't really mean it. They want to rock the boat without actually rocking any boats. 

It is almost impossible to believe that Clegg was serious when he penned his proposals for Lords reform. A chamber containing 80% elected individuals, serving for 15 years. That is three normal parliaments. But furthermore elected by PR. For God's sake, the British people have already rejected the AV system. How could they accept the even more divisive PR system? No Clegg wishes to condemn the British voters to the balance of power residing with the most unpopular of the three main parties. The man is an anti democracy idiot. Do these mindless idiots seriously think that having, what do they call it "stable government", is more important to us all than the NHS, Education, Police, Defence, Justice, jobs, decent benefits, pensions, pay,children, the old, the sick and disabled, and so on? Give us unstable government, and bring it on, if it means keeping all those things we value so very much that have been created and developed through the dedication of entire life spans, commitment and a sense of loyalty and fairness to all the British and not just the elite who appear to consider themselves the only real British, and would gladly love to see universal suffrage repealed. Lords reform is not that important to your average voter. Protecting the NHS, tuition fees, taxing the richest for their fair share, tackling labours surveilance state, getting the rapacious financial industry in check, protecting the welfare state against private monopoly vultures and making sure the poor and vulnerable are taken care of are though, and the Lib Dems have failed miserably on each and every one of these points. In fact their actions in government have been pretty much an attack on all of these things.Not only that they out and out lied to their voting support to do it. The word "Clegg" is now synonymous with the phrase "lying, two faced betrayer with no backbone". Someone used the term "Judas Goat" above to describe the lib dems and it is a very fitting description, come the next election their will be nothing left of them

So here's my suggestion to all those who want to vote it in and also to make Lords reform possible and popular. Everybody loves the Olympics rights? How about then we have a Lords Olympics, a series of events determining whether people can sit the house of Lords. Broadcast live 24/7 on BBC ParliamentSport. With events like the Constitutional Slalom where competitors Debate Federalism while negotiating a white water rafting course. Or the 400metre buck pass. Where competitors pass responsibility of important matters like transport on a running track. Or double trap pleb shooting where two people on benefits are fired into the air and you have to shoot them down. It will reinvigorate British politics and will clear out the Oldies who won't be able to complete the 200m butterfly through a river of shit.

Peace & Love :-) 

Michelle Obama : My Inspiration.

 Michelle Obama made history when she became the first African-American First Lady in the history of the United States. Since then, Mrs. Obama has become a role model in the hearts and minds of those she has inspired including her biggest fan - ME !

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama represents to me a woman who faces and responds to life’s blessings and blows with confidence. I just know that the content of her character is the foundation of who she is as a woman, a mother, a wife, daughter, First Lady of the United States and as a symbol of empowerment for girls and women globally. Plus, it can’t hurt to see her do a total of twenty-five push-ups on youtube when she was on The Ellen Show. This feat alone makes her a rock star in my mind! Would I love to meet her? Duh!! But, you know if I never do, I’m really okay with that because I feel that I know her as a human being, as another woman, who like me is just doing her best to make a difference.

5 Reasons Michelle Obama Continues to Inspire me :

1) She is a high achiever in a male dominated society. Before Barack Obama became president, Mrs. Obama, was a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School. After graduating from Harvard Law School she landed a job at, Sidley Austin, a prestigious Chicago Law firm. Mrs. Obama left the law firm to pursue a career in public service at Public Allies, where she served as the executive director.


 2)  She has been married for 19years. Our ideals of marriage have changed drastically over the years so much that single parenthood and divorce seem to be commonplace. African-Americans, especially, are bombarded with countless images of the so called "single mother" and the "dead beat father". The fact that the Obamas have remained married for 19 years shows us that marriage can be sustained.

3) Mrs. Obama has made it her mission to combat childhood obesity through healthy eating and physical activity. Her national campaign, Let's Move! , has generated an enormous response from parents, educators, and communities. As a result, restaurants and entertainment companies have made some effort to promote healthier choices. Her campaign has also prompted celebrities such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Derrick Brooks, and Eddie George, and Deuce McAllister to take action.

4)  Mrs. Obama is certainly not afraid to be herself despite public pressure. We all adore popular figures, and with the help of the media we often create prefect glamorized images of the popular figures we adore. These images are a compelling, yet difficult image to live up to; after all, no one is prefect. So when, popular figures fail to live up to our images, they fall into obscurity or what I would like to call the endless pit of public scrutiny. Although Mrs. Obama isn't free from public scrutiny, she isn't afraid to tap into these images and admit that she isn't perfect, but instead, she's herself.

5) As you can imagine, raising children in the White House is not the easiest task. However, Mrs. Obama is adamant about ensuring a normal life for her children. Parents may not be able to fully relate to her circumstances as the First Lady, but the challenges of parenthood are universal. Parents all want what's best for their children in hopes that they will someday become responsible well-adjusted adults with good morals.
In an effort to keep her girls grounded, Mrs. Obama, has devised a set of parenting tips. According to Black Enterprise.com, among the parenting tips Mrs. Obama shared with online reporters during a conference held at the White House, "Lead by Example" was considered to be the most prominent. She mentioned, "My mother was the traditional stay at home mom who never went to the hairdresser... and the thought of spending a dime on herself was just like, 'Oh, my goodness, why would I want to do that?" The article goes on to say that, "In contrast, the First Lady lets her daughters see her at her best so they too can aspire to new heights."

You go Mrs. Obama! Thanks for the inspiration!

My All Time Favourite Designer - Coco Chanel.

Top three reasons why I love Chanel: 

1) they are design geniuses.
2) They can and will make you beautiful.
3) They can even make Mondays seem like Fridays (see? Clever).

In her inner circle of friends, fashion designer Coco Chanel was known as ‘Mademoiselle’. Over her fifty-odd year career of running her own business, she came to be considered as the ‘Grande Mademoiselle’ of both the fashion industry and high society. Coco Chanel not only revolutionized what women wore, but also the roles they were supposed to play in society.

Through her clothes, Chanel wanted to celebrate the freedom and equality of women. By playing with simple designs and typically ‘masculine’ fabrics, she offered an alternative to the more constraining women’s fashion at the time. By the mid-1920s, corsets were out; a popular ‘Chanel look’ had been adopted, consisting of a wool jersey suit with a full-cut, short skirt, and a straight, collarless jacket.

The designer herself was the embodiment of this new look. By using unconventional models and appealing to fashion magazines, the designer forced the fashion industry to accept her more masculine designs. She was no longer simply about creating stylish hats and designer threads. She had done something bigger she had created a new way of life, and in so doing, laid the foundation for the coming women’s liberation. 

However foolish it was, and however much business sense it didn’t make at the time, Mademoiselle Coco Chanel refused to follow the fashion trends dictated to her by the society in which she lived. Instead, she focused on designs that she would actually want to wear. Her influence and ability to impact new trends was soon unparalleled. A simple trip to Venice, Italy, in which Mademoiselle Coco Chanel wore bell-bottom trousers in order to be able to better climb out of the gondolas would soon start the pants revolution for women.

Everything that this designer did was meant to emphasize an alternative way of living. Much liker her simpler style of dress, her celebrated Chanel No. 5 perfume was unique for its time. Not only was its name basic, but so too was the design of its bottle, with its rectangular lines and cut stopper. She would not have any of the ornate and romantic bottles so popular at the time.

“I did not go into society because I had to design clothes,” she once remarked. “I designed clothes precisely because I did go into society. Because I was the first to live the life of this century.”

It was with this legacy in mind that in 2001, under the direction of Karl Lagerfeld, the House of Chanel introduced Coco Chanel Mademoiselle. Known as the younger sister to the more grown-up fragrances, Coco Chanel Mademoiselle is aimed at the younger generation of independent fashionistas. It is described as, “A light sensual fragrance, a luminous sophisticated fragrance, a modern interpretation!”

Chanel was a woman ahead of her time. This younger fragrance is meant to provide the same sense of empowerment and freedom that the designer tried to infuse throughout her collection in her own time. 


The reason the brand still exists today is that, like many designers nowadays including Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel intellectualised fashion, turning it into something conceptual, something more important than just clothes, which reflected her values of freedom, equality and egocentrism.

I have several Chanel pieces, including a classic quilted handbag, which I've worn with everything from a a simple black fitted dress to jeans and a blazer/jacket, and it goes perfectly from day to evening. That is the beauty of Chanel lies: it has retained enough classicism to appeal to a certain age group, yet become rock 'n' roll enough to appeal to 20 year-olds, too.


Some brands feel so dead; Chanel has always felt alive to me.

Peace & Love :-)

Will Barack Obama Win A Second Term ?

 President Obama is in serious jeopardy of losing his bid for a second term, with the economy at the center of his problems. However given the very poor candidates the GOP have running, and how they are attacking each other, I expect he will win.

This my PERSONAL opinion ....


From day one of Obama's 1st term the GOP has made it their top priority to make sure that Obama is a one term president. Not to cut the deficit, or anything else that would benifit the US! Obama has taken Republican ideas and tried to push them forward and the GOP as a whole would come out against their own idea a week later!

Republicans are scared that President Obama will continue to be a very successful President, which will erode their chances of winning the Presidency and Congress (house and senate) and promoting their greed and bigotry. President Obama is an intelligent, tough, and educated man, who has done more positive things for the U.S in THREE years, than most Presidents (including GW Bush) have done in EIGHT years, in spite of the obstructionist Republicans: For example, here are the Top 7 legislative and foreign policy achievements under President Obama’s Leadership and Administration :

1. Over 200 beneficial legislative and foreign policy accomplishments for the U.S. in his first three years, including banking and financial Reform.

 2. The death of terrorist Osama bin Laden and many high ranking terrorists. U.S. drone strikes have killed over 2,150 al-Qaeda terrorists.

3. Iraq withdrawal - ending unnecessay war by bush administration, costing millions in lives/billions in U.S. dollars.

 4. New START Treaty (U.S. / Russia) Reduces nuclear arms with inspection verification, while ensuring U.S. will have proper arms to deter an invasion.

5 STOCK Act (Stop Trading on Congress Knowledge) - Congress and many executive branch members and aides can’t use inside job information to trade stocks/securities because doing so is criminal.

6. 26 consecutive months of job growth, 4.2 million created.

7. Rescued U.S auto industry (GM is now #1 worldwide in sales/profitability), but Romney and Republicans wanted to block this rescue.

President Obama has also demonstrated that he is a good and smart man and wants the best for Americans, and he understands that the U.S. must have shared sacrifice and reforms on the spending and revenue side so that the country can rebound from the disastrous policies of the 8 years during the Bush Administration. Just imagine the other great positive things he could do for the economy in the U.S If he did not have the Republicans trying to block and sabotage his every move. Obama is NOT the problem. Americans are being constantly and aggressively told that he is the problem and if they buy into that, then they are set up to buy into returning to the Bush/Cheney era, which IS the problem. It literally is a con. Obama inherited the problems, he didn’t cause them, and ever since the Republicans have repeatedly, blatantly, stubbornly, relentlessly, and belligerently done everything they could to fault and block ALL efforts to address the problems. The Republicans are obstructionists and they have put greed, bigotry, AND/OR their political ambitions above all else, at any cost to the people, and are striving to have Obama fail, which really means America fails. Take notice that the Republicans are willing to DESTROY the great country for their greed, bigotry, and/or political gains, and they are willing to focus primarily on protecting the greed (ie. Tax cuts, undeserved compensation, deregulations, loopholes, etc.) of the top 1% of wealthy Americans and corporations, to the DETRIMENT of the remaining 99% of Americans. Didn't americans anything from electing that meat head Bush? My advice to americans - if you want the U.S to move FORWARD in a positive, effective, fair, and successful way, then WAKE UP and DON’T VOTE for Republicans . . . Vote for Democrats (Senate and House) and re-elect Obama 2012!


Peace & Love.

David Cameron Under Immense Pressure.

David Cameron is facing mounting pressure to condemn a Tory MP who branded the Olympic opening ceremony "leftie multicultural crap". Aidan Burley, who was forced to quit as a ministerial aide after attending a Nazi-themed stag do last year, delivered the barb on Twitter during the event on Friday night.
One post read: "The most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen - more than Beijing, the capital of a communist state! Welfare tribute next?" Shortly afterwards he added: "Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap. Bring back red arrows (sic), Shakespeare and the Stones!" London Mayor Boris Johnson added his voice to a barrage of criticism, dismissing the comments as "nonsense". Whilst visiting the Olympic Park on the first day of the Games, the Conservative politician said: "It was actually the truth about this country in the last two or three hundred years told in a big, dynamic way. People say it was all leftie stuff. That is nonsense. I'm a Conservative and I had hot tears of patriotic pride from the beginning. I was blubbing like Andy Murray." He added: "The thing I loved was the heavy political stuff. I loved the emergence of the urban proletariat and the rise of the chimneys and the forging of the ring." Downing Street moved quickly to distance Mr Cameron from the comments, with a senior source saying simply: "We do not agree with him." But Cannock Chase MP Mr Burley struck a defiant tone in interviews, insisting he still thought the event had been "trite". He told the BBC: "I wasn't having a go at multiculturalism itself, I was having a go at the rather trite way, frankly, it was represented in the opening ceremony." He admitted his tweets might not help his career but said he welcomed the debate. Labour frontbencher Michael Dugher said: "David Cameron should show some leadership and demand a full apology from Aidan Burley immediately. Burley has got form. His comments were stupid, ignorant and offensive. David Cameron has said that the Conservative Party has changed but it is clear from the words of his own MP that not a lot has changed."

What do you think about this issue ? Leave a comment below :-)

Peace & Love.

London Olympics 2012 - The Opening Ceremony.

Like many of you, I've spent the last six months making an Olympic sport of complaining about the Olympics. Complaining, I felt, is what we do best, along with being cynical, unwelcoming to visitors, and a bit moany about traffic. All the bloody adverts! Giving directions to tourists! Those awful mascots. Danny Boyle was going to have to come at me with a wrecking ball to break down the barriers of uninterest that I had erected. And in a way he did. In fact, it's really hard writing this without the excessive use of capitals. I don't think I've ever felt quite such a bewildering mixture of true excitement and national pride over things I never really had an opinion on before, like Harry Potter, or Mr Bean, who had me weeping with laughter. During the runup I was aware that there are things about England that I am proud of. Not sport, really, but culture, and the NHS. To see this reflected on the screen during the opening ceremony actually blew my mind. I thought the NHS scene was incredibly brave, and I loved how much pop music featured. I feel like Boyle got the tone right every step of the way. It was knowing, but sincere, dark and hilarious, like we are. And it was everything I needed to get excited about the next few weeks. By the end of the night, I was so addicted to patriotism I started cheering for countries that I'd love to visit, or that I'd once met someone from. It felt amazing. I think all the medals should be melted down and made into one giant medal for Danny Boyle. They should just make him king of something. He should get to marry the Queen. Neither the royal wedding or jubilee gave me warm feelings towards the monarchy, but the sight of the Queen jumping out of a helicopter with James Bond has just made me her biggest fan. I love how deadpan she was. It's like she's spent the last 60 years gearing up towards this moment, so we could see that her no-smile policy is a humour device. I feel like Kenneth Branagh in the industrial revolution scene right now, looking upon Britain with satisfaction and pride. All the best to all the countries participating in the 2012 London Olympics but I for one am TEAM KENYA !! Lets go, Kenya Lets Go !

Peace & Love :-)

TGIF !!

Its fridaay !!!! The weekend is finally here and the sun is shining. It doesn't get any better than that.

Enjoy your weekend my lovessss !!

Peace & Love ;-)

Casual Outfit Of the day.

This is a casual outfit that I love especially when running errands. 

Blazer - Vintage
Scarf - Hong Kong
Jeans - New Look
Sandals - Primark.

I miss my braids, I had them done in Kenya whilst on holiday there in March/April (2012)

My definition of Faith.

Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to. Just like Martin Luther King said "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase". Faith is believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. You can't see the future, yet you know it will come; you can't see the air, yet you continue to breathe.

Be blessed!
Peace & Love.

Planning Your Future.

It isn't enough just to want something.
You've got to ask yourself,
"What am I going to do to get the things that I want."
You're going to need a plan.

Your problem is to bridge the gap which exists
between where you are right now
and the goals that you want to reach.

With a definite, step by step plan, you cannot fail,
because each step will carry you along to the next step, like a track.

All you need is the plan, the road map,
and the courage to press on to your destination.
Knowing where you're going is all you need to get there.

You can't get lost on a straight road.


Planning is key !!

Peace & Love :-)

Kony 2012

Earlier this year, the Kony 2012 band wagon was created ... Here is my view on the whole issue.

Could Uganda’s Recently Discovered Oil Be The REAL Motivation Behind Kony 2012 ?

I think its fair to say that the propaganda war for the Kony 2012 movement, by the Invisible Children group, has become a little more interesting. As soon as I saw the KONY2012 video, the desired effect of pulling my heart strings immediately got me worked up - "yeah, let's go in there and get Kony..."
... then I actually thought about what that would entail. This newly awakened blood-lust amongst the public is giving our governments public support for another Iraq style invasion/occupation.
Kony's crimes are disgusting and sickening, and he's fighting for a theocracy which is just pure insanity. All worth the effort to stop him. But this would involve either being on the side of, or fighting against, the Ugandan government, itself with an appalling human right's record. A solution is needed of course, but do we really want to start another Iraq over this? Is the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent Ugandan civilians going to make anything better ?


The Kony campaign is, in its essence, a propaganda tool for the ruling corporate agenda.
The fact of its success is undeniable, and it shows just how powerful a motivator emotion is when its triggered on this scale. The fact of Kony's evil is also undeniable, but to simply, naively believe all we have to do is remove bogey men is music to the ears of the agenda-setters. The reality is far more complex and much of it has to do with Western business interests in Africa, and in African resources in particular. I hope no one is any doubt that the 'West' has used propaganda incredibly successfully to wage acquisition-based wars in the Middle East. Destabilising regimes has proved to be relatively easy - as long as you fund the opposition, calling them freedom fighters when it suits you, and then Al Qaida when it suits a different purpose. The Kony campaign reveals the deeply programmable empathic element in people, something Disney tapped into equally successfully and so on. It also reveals how utterly willing we are to 'buy' something without question if it ticks the right emotive boxes. For me, watching that video, I felt uneasy. It's always a good litmus test for me if I get this feeling that something's 'not quite right' even if I can't put my finger on precisely why. A small amount of research reveals many dubious facts about the campaign, but fairly overtly in the video is a gung-ho colonialism that views the use of force as righteous if the cause is believed to be righteous. The same argument was used for Iraq. The root of the use highlighted in the campaign is inextricably linked with Western vested interests in Africa, and the finger really should be pointing back at Washington and the City of London. If we could harness the power that the video has released effectively to overthrow the oppressive regimes run from those two centres of power, maybe we really would see dramatic change on this planet.

You Don’t Have to Be Gandhi to See the Best in People.

People are very quick to judge in this day and age

Even if you don’t want to admit it, we all have done it from time to time

You see a homeless person on the street and think, “Wow did he ever !@#$ up”

You witness a man getting rejecting by a woman at a bar and laugh to yourself, “what a loser”

You see someone cleaning up trash and think, “What a bad job, why does he do that?”

We all have been partners in crime in the down trotting of others at some point, and everyone can admit that it’s not the best asset we have as human beings

But no worries

I have developed a technique that allows you to instantly see the best in people, and thereby increase the positivity in your life and in the lives of others

Gandhi was one of the most influential forces that occurred in the eastern hemisphere of the globe

His passive resistance and adherence to nonviolent protest forever changed the countries of the middle east, but also set an example for human beings around the world

While everyone appreciated Gandhi and what he has done, very few people are running around in white handmade linen and discarding all worldly possessions in order to help sustain peace around the world

And that’s fine, because one of the major concepts that Gandhi understood, if everyone else in the world practiced, would drastically change the world we live in today, and well into the future

Gandhi and many other human rights leaders all understood one fundamental truth

That everyone is equal

They understood that everyone on this planet is equal in value, and that no one person is better than another despite what possessions, power, health, or even state of mind they hold in difference to another person on this planet

I know what you are thinking, “I don’t hold any prejudices towards anyone, and I support affirmative action, and I to believe in the teachings of Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and other human rights leaders”

That may very well be true, but what we are striving to is isn’t to abolish all prejudices that may or may not exist (though that is a amazing cause I believe in) but rather to influence that way you view people that you see in day to day life, even your friends and family that you may pass judgment on if but only for a brief moment

When you pass judgment is happens in an instant, without even thinking about it

Because it is a human reflex in so many of us, it is better to change the result of what our reflex entails instead of trying to abolish reflex itself

In order to do this I need you to think of people you have passed judgment on in the past week

(I know you have, everyone has)

Maybe your sibling made some dumb comment and you thought, “what an idiot”

Maybe your spouse was complaining to you about how you left the seat up on the toilet for the millionth time and you thought to yourself, “Man is she annoying”

Or maybe you just saw some person at a mall drop their shopping bags all over the ground and you got a laugh out of how clumsy they were

What you need to do is picture the instance in your head and visualize it happening again

But instead of readdressing your previous negative reflex, look at the person and determine some great quality about them

It can be anything

Maybe they have great hair, or they look like might a fun person to hang out with, maybe they have some attractive physical features, or even recognize that it’s a person that you love and care for

Whatever it may be, you need to shift your focus from the negative initial feeling to this new positive aspect of the person

You will find that you will smile at the situation and be happy, instead of any other negative emotion that initially occurred

You can utilize this on more than a small scale as well

Try going to a public area, and view the hundreds or even thousands of people all around you

Seek out people that you would normally pass instant judgment on

And shift your focus

You will begin to notice that viewing everyone walking around feeds you with nothing but positive emotions

You can’t help but feel good when you look around at all the different people around you

This is a step towards being a more positive human being, and you will find that by being more positive and non judgmental of the people around you, you will be rewarded with more positive things in your life

That person that you may have normally brushed off with judgment, may offer you your next best job

Or an opportunity for a new and exciting relationship

The options are endless

And the potential is limitless

Go out and see the best in people, and watch your perspective on life shift to new amazing heights

The European Economic Crisis Explained.

So for the last year or so we have been reading and hearing about the economic crisis in Europe and many people have no clue about what is going on. So I will break it down in the simplest way possible so that all my readers can understand. Here goes ....

What caused the crisis ?

There was a big build-up of debts in Spain and Italy before 2008, but it had nothing to do with governments. Instead it was the private sector companies and mortgage borrowers who were taking out loans. Interest rates had fallen to unprecedented lows in southern European countries when they joined the euro. And that encouraged a debt-fuelled boom.

1. The Convergence

Before the euro was introduced, governments in Greece, Spain and Ireland, among others, had to pay a lot more to borrow money than governments such as France and Germany. But after the euro was introduced, there was this amazing convergence. Suddenly, all the countries could borrow at the same rate.

Caroline explains the convergence:

When the euro was introduced the regulators allowed banks to buy unlimited amounts of government bonds without setting aside any equity capital; and the central bank accepted all government bonds at its discount window on equal terms. Commercial banks found it advantageous to accumulate the bonds of the weaker euro members in order to earn a few extra basis points. That is what caused interest rates to converge which in turn caused competitiveness to diverge.

Translation: European officials essentially told banks: Bonds from all euro zone countries are identical. It doesn't matter whether they're sold by Greece or Germany or whoever. They're all the same. So banks rushed to lend money to the weaker euro zone countries, and their borrowing costs plummeted.

2. The False Dream

For roughly a decade, it seemed that the dream of the euro was coming true. Borrowing costs were almost identical for all of the countries in Europe. But under the surface, Europe was actually growing apart.

Caroline explains :

Germany, struggling with the burdens of reunification, undertook structural reforms and became more competitive. Other countries enjoyed housing and consumption booms on the back of cheap credit, making them less competitive.

Translation: Germany got better at selling stuff to the rest of the world over the past decade. Other countries in Europe had a false sense of prosperity. They borrowed lots of money to buy stuff and build houses, and they got worse at selling stuff to the rest of the world.

 The euro made it easier for Germany to sell stuff to countries on the periphery of Europe, both by making German goods cheaper for people in those countries, and by making it easier for people in those countries to borrow money to buy stuff from Germany.

3. The Crisis

After the financial crisis, it eventually dawned on everybody that the countries that shared the euro are, in fact, a bunch of different countries, with vastly different economies and that, despite what the officials said, not all eurozone government bonds are identical.

Caroline explains :

It took some time for the financial markets to discover that government bonds which had been considered riskless are subject to speculative attack and may actually default; but when they did, risk premiums rose dramatically. This rendered commercial banks whose balance sheets were loaded with those bonds potentially insolvent. And that constituted the two main components of the problem confronting us today: a sovereign debt crisis and a banking crisis which are closely interlinked.

Translation: Once everybody realized that some eurozone countries might not be able to pay back their debts, they started demanding higher interest rates to lend to weaker countries. That, in turn, hammered the banks that had loaned all that money to those weaker countries. Those two, related problems rising borrowing costs for weaker countries, and trouble for banks that have loaned money to those countries are at the core of the European crisis.

Why a euro zone breakup would be bad for Germany

Caroline argues that, in the end, Germany will try to save the euro in order to protect its own interests. I explain :

The likelihood is that the euro will survive because a breakup would be devastating not only for the periphery but also for Germany. It would leave Germany with large unenforceable claims against the periphery countries. The Bundesbank alone will have over a trillion euros of claims arising out of target by the end of this year, in addition to all the intergovernmental obligations. And a return to the Deutschemark would likely price Germany out of its export markets...

Translation: The end of the euro would hurt Germany in two main ways. First, it would mean Germany's central bank would never be able to recover a huge amount of money its owed as part of Europe's current system. Second, the end of the euro would make German exports much more expensive in the rest of Europe. That would be a big blow for a key part of Germany's economy. But the version of the euro that survives may be ugly, Caroline writes:

Germany is likely to do what is necessary to preserve the euro but nothing more. That would result in a eurozone dominated by Germany in which the divergence between the creditor and debtor countries would continue to widen and the periphery would turn into permanently depressed areas in need of constant transfer of payments.

Translation: The deep problem facing the euro zone isn't just debt. It's the vast gap between the economies in the struggling countries and the economies in the stronger countries. If Germany does the bare minimum to keep the euro afloat, those differences will persist and the struggling countries will continue to struggle indefinitely. I argue that Germany should do more than the bare minimum, to try to change the broader economic picture in Europe. But  in my opinion that's not likely to happen.

Why I Decided To Be a Blogger ?!

First and foremost I happen to be the biggest blogger fan going, I look at blogs on a daily basis. My favourite blog being that of one beautiful lady who goes by the name Gabbi Fresh! Her style is what I like to call magnus opus (great work). She inspires women like myself one outfit at a time :-) So back to the question at hand, why I decided to start blogging, well I decided to blog because I for one love fashion and I also happen to be interested in current affairs, human rights etc and it came to my attention that most people don't know what is going on in the world simply because the news complicate current affairs with technical mumble jumble when it could in essence be put into simple english. So with this blog I aim to inform you all on what's happening in the world and how it affects you and me but without the complexity of it all. I am to make it as simple as possible so this isn't yet another news website that comes out with the aim to inform but completely confuses! I hope you all enjoy :-)

Peace & Love <3

Who is the Nerdy Fashionista ?!

Hi bloggers ! My name is Caroline, I am a twenty something year old woman who is obssessed with fashion and also happens to be a nerd! I am a blessed woman of a different status. Proverbs 31 to be exact. I am an upcoming attorney & human rights activist. Besides that I love fashion, health & beauty. I am a loving curvy girl whose obsessions include Michelle Obama and challenging the status quo.I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it. I consider myself to be down to earth. I love my life for I am truly blessed. This blog will focus on the aspects of my life that I love the most, education, current affairs/human rights & fashion.

I hope you all enjoy my blog.