Simply Philile

I’m probably one of the most obnoxious people when it comes to my expression of the love I have for Africa and its people.  We’re concluding “Africa month” this week so please allow me to tell you an African story one more time because I just can’t help it; my short adult life has opened me up to such inspirational and lovely experiences of our continent.  Sadly, some of the lessons have come in painful packages like the so-called xenophobic attacks in South Africa and the genocide in Rwanda to mention a few - a brutal history whose deliberately positive take away for me is a renewed belief that our strength truly lies in our diversity. I’m a little embarrassed to say that it was a 10 year old boy who taught a 22 year old me, a rookie journalist at the time, about Africa Day. My BFF Nomahlubi and I were visiting Zimbabwe, for the first time after she was invited to be part of judging panel for an event in the city of Bulawayo.  We stayed with the Mazibuk...

I seriously thought I’d sit this one out because I didn’t expect it would bother people the way it seems it has, so here goes nothing from my hashtag Blesser rant. Firstly, I’m baffled and struggling to comprehend why people are so shocked, mad, bitter, or confused and even excited by this whole Blesser phenomenon which is hogging a large chunk of social conversations lately.  Scratch that, it’s actually ALL conversations because this Blesser talk has come up a few times in our Financial Strategy class at the GIBS Business School.  I’m yet to figure out why I’m a tad irritated that most of my classmates are amused by the whole concept. Blessers are no more a part of our life now than they have been for many years. A screen shot of the Facebook Blesser Finder page advert. I’m probably as baffled as the health care workers I was with in the room when in a discussion about girls and ‘Transactional Sex’, a colleague, senior in the United Nations family, res...