Series of firsts > First time in Uganda

 year is 1982

am in class 2

the family needs to head out to bukoba

my grandfather had passed away

the drive is from nairobi

through to kampala

and then to the border of

kenya and tanzania

all i remember are the number of 

roadblocks

manned by menacing men

hold huge guns

dressed in fatigues

i remember also going over a volkswagen!

years later

i learnt that 

my dad had just gotten his license!

and piled his family into the Audi car

and off we went to Bukoba!!

The Announcement ....!

 Today is March 25

9 months before Christmas

Its the feast of The Annunciation

The Annunciation (from Latin annuntiatio), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the Jewish messiah and Son of God, marking His Incarnation.Gabriel told Mary to name her son Jesus, meaning "YHWH is salvation".

I cant help but think that I have heard of someone called ANNUCIATA!

In my primary school, children had the most unique names....well now I know the basis of that kind of name

Happy Feast day!

Series of firsts > First time having dreadlocks

i first had dreadlocks fixed sometime in 2005 I think

it was just on a whim

no actually it wasn't a whim

i remember now

some lady when i was growing up

had a bad reaction to a perm chemical

and so i knew when i wanted to have a baby

that perming my hair would not be possible

plus 

i knew i didn't really like the long hours in the salon

and especially under a drier

anyways, went to some barber in town

and he fixed them

my oh my

the first years are tough

every time back to the barber shop

and the hair is washed

its back to an afro!

anyways, finally the locks locked

and began my journey

i stayed with them till January 2013 and just chopped them off!

the barber was so mad at me

he took my action personally

since i didn't consult him

LOL

anyways, my hair is all natural

i think i will grow locks again!

here is to a new hairstyle for 2021

Series of firsts> The future is female!

 

Excitement!!

WTO is having a new head

and its the indomitable Ngozi

Dr Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman 

and first African to be chosen as DG

Director General!!

She starts March 1

and people all around were wearing head gear like hers

in honour of this great milestone

Loved this pic from the internet

The future is indeed female!

Series of firsts > First job after campus

 so in 1998

i cleared campus

looked for a job

and got a marketing gig

now now

introvert me....this was such a wrong match

i walked up and down the city

looking for clients

nada!

while colleagues are thriving

payment was made in cash

every friday

round a table!

finally

one colleague took pity on me

told me to set up appointment

and he would close the deal

sure enough!

he did

even if it was for the smallest space in the magazine

i mentally checked out

they asked me for an article

and thats the second and final payment i got 

and stepped out

Oakland Media!

waaaaaaaaaa

Series of firsts > First day at a real job!

september 1998

i have arrived early

ngong road offices

coalition on violence against women

its 9am

i enter and am asked politely, who called you??

am in shock!

anyways, there was a small misunderstanding

and am ushered in and start

first assignment was an audit

my induction was an audit!

and the person was headed back to his station

in Iran or something like that

so he rushed through it

baptism by fire

i got the hang of it

and stayed for 6 years

covaw shaped my view on human rights

on women's rights

on volunteerism

on professionalism

am indebted!

Series of firsts > First day in secondary school

 year is 1989

i have been admitted to chox

the limuru girls high school

am excited

glad that am closer to the city

than in my primary school far away in western

everything needed is brown

even the underpants!!

LOL

we swing into school with my dad

in a london cab no less

its the black new taxis in town

we were shown the rooms

we are 8 in the room

and my roommates have all come

one is from turkana, 

never seen someone from turkana before!

am excited

my dad leaves

and am left to face the next four years

am excited

so help me God!