HOPE AND PURPOSE IN THE MIDST OF TOUGH TIMES
The Deep Dive 38th Edition
Hi there,
Well, the end (of 2022) is nigh! What a year it has been. From re-adjusting to life after(ish) the global COVID-19 pandemic, to preparing for tough times ahead in the shape of a global recession. In Africa, countries that have been on a debt binge are now paying the piper. Ghana's cedi has taken a beating, Kenya's new government is pulling out all the stops to make its domestic debt longer term, and Zambian president Haikande Hichilema has gone from pillar to post to renegotiate the nation's debt. By the numbers, 2023 looks to be a year of tightening belts and riding out rough times. Yet, for all the difficulties, many are learning to be hopeful, and better yet, have strategies to deal with whatever comes their way. So this edition of the deep dive is dedicated to them.
Our Tracey Bonaneri began the month by speaking to young men who are living with HIV on how they are fighting stigma related to the disease. Data reporter Moffin Njoroge has penned a detailed piece on the most prevalent online scams in Kenya, recruitment scams. The hope from that piece is that you may learn a thing or two about how to avoid being scammed while on the job hunt. On Wednesday 6th December, I speak to former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desaglen, now the chair of the AGRA board on climate change and agriculture. I am hoping to hear from the former PM what Africa should be doing to ensure she is food secure, even as many countries face climatic crises. Finally, we have a poignant, personal piece written by veteran Kenyan journalist Kevin Mwachiro about his fight against a second bout of cancer. Dire as it sounds, it really is an incredibly positive piece, but more than that, a guideline on how to keep fighting cancer written from the front-line, so to speak.
One last thing;
This year, human rights defenders in Kenya selected me as the human rights defenders of the year. This is an honour that I still feel undeserving of but nonetheless grateful for. It came at a time of serious reflection about the value of my journalism, and was the reassurance I needed to keep on going out to tell important stories. My thanks go to everyone who felt that our work has had an impact in defending human rights. Asanteni.
We'll be in touch before the year ends, but for now, dive in!
John-Allan.
1. Former Ethiopian PM Hailemariam Desaglen joins our newsroom to talk about agriculture
This week, we host former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desaglen for a special edition of our fortnightly conversation, #JoinTheNewsroom. Desaglen is now board chairman of the Alliance for a green revolution in Africa (AGRA), and recently attended COP 27 in Eygpt. We will be talking about the impact of climate change on agriculture in Africa, a topic that truly is a dinner-table conversation across the conference. Having led one of Africa's most populous nations, Desaglen has a unique perspective on the challenge we face, and hopefully, what we can do to emerge as a food secure continent. Set your reminder for the discussion here, and come with questions!
2. HIV stigma and how to keep fighting; lessons from the stigmatized
In as much as the continent has made progress in the fight against HIV, much remains to be done. A lot of the challenge sits in the minds of people who choose to stigmatize those living with HIV. However, there are tools to develop resilience against such ignorance. To mark this year's world AIDS Day, Tracy Bonaneri spoke to young men on how they deal with stigma. Check out her piece on this link.
3. Want to avoid scammers while on the job hunt? Read this:
Our data reporter Moffin Njoroge has been looking into job recruitment scams from as far back as April 2021, and there's lots to learn from the strategies that digital con-artists are using to due unsuspecting job hunters. Read this piece for more. Don't forget to share!
4. "A new every day": Journalist Kevin Mwachiro recounts his daily strategy in the wake of a cancer relapse
Kevin Mwachiro, one of Kenya's foremost writers on queerness in Kenya and a veteran journalist has also been writing about his cancer journey for a spell. Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2015, Kevin's first round against the cancer ended with a remission diagnosis. But as he writes in this poignant piece, he always knew it would be back. His blog post is a study on how every challenge we face can leave us more resilient, and ready to fight harder and smarter.
He very kindly allowed us to share it on this edition of our newsletter, so here you go folks!
Cheers, have a good one.