Karis: (noun) greek; grace...

Walking into the UB sports arena on Wednesday morning, I had pegged the De Beers Entrepreneurship Catalyst Conference as just one of those events that I would benefit nothing from. You know the events that I am referring to. Where rich stuffy guys come and tell us about how they made it in long boring lectures. Boy was I glad that I was wrong. The event was nothing short of star studded, from 9 time Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis, to representatives from Stanford University. Which was expected, after all it is De Beers. To kick off the day, Peter Hong from Google gave what to me was a life changing lecture. He comes from a science background having been a marine biologist at some point in life but has managed to end up at Google with some other interesting experiences in between. His talk, I can confidently say was the highlight of the day for me. Perhaps it was because it was first on the agenda in the morning but I would like to think it was more because of what he said. He f...

I am a nomad and I have learnt to accept it. Truth be told I probably got it from my mum. When I was growing up we never stayed in one place too long. By the time I was done with primary school I had been to 7 different schools. Yeah seven, as in the number of levels there are in primary school. Same thing with junior school. 3 separate schools, one for each form. So naturally I never got attached to any one place. The only time I ever cried when we moved was in standard 5, I was only 11 and literally at the prime of primary school life and then up we left. I vowed after that to never get too attached to one place. This is probably why I never bothered making friends because who knew how long before I would have to leave them again.   It was only at tertiary level, that I stayed at one place for an extended period of time. But even then I attended two different universities, seas apart, just to complete my degree. In short I have been a nomad all my life.  This has proved to...

My graduation dress is a little over year old today. I remember the first day I laid my eyes on it. It was one of those moments when you just knew, that yeah, this is the one. Obviously it wasn’t my first choice, not by far, had to try on a whole lot more dresses before I found the one that fit in all the right ways. It’s kind of like life really, something which I have learnt over the past year. Sometimes what you really want isn’t exactly what you get or what is good for you. You have to try on a few more ‘dresses’ until you find the right fit! Since graduation I have had a total of 3 different jobs before I found the right fit for me. It sounds like a lot doesn’t it, but it’s actually not. Let me start from the beginning. Like every fresh graduate out of uni I was more than hopeful that I would almost immediately get a job. Even in the dire economic climates, I expected to be unemployed for at most 2 months before I landed my perfect job. After all I did go to a top tie...

Disclaimer real quick: Just because I am from Africa doesn't mean I have a jungle for a backyard. Just because I am from Africa doesn't mean that I have once found comfort on a tree as shelter. You laugh, but the reality is that this is the Africa everyone else thinks exists. The ignorance of the western world runs deeper and longer than the Nile River and yes if you didn't know the Nile River it's the second longest river in the world and can be found in Egypt, Africa. No Africa is not one large country where you can easily walk from one part to the other. There are 54 distinct countries that make up the continent that is Mama Africa. And no, Botswana is not a city in South Africa, we are an independent country with laws and regulations that are unique to us. And no, just because you once went to Tanzania on a school trip doesn't magically qualify you to be an expert in all things Africa. I am African and I am still trying to understand the magnificent, d...

Let me tell you about my shoes. They might look rundown and worn to you but to me they are more than that. When I look at them I remember every single significant thing that happened to me while I had them on. They have taken me places that I never imagined possible.  Five years ago in 2012 is when I first laid eyes on my babies. I was only a child then, still a teenager. And I had been dreaming for years to get myself a pair of my own with my own money. So when I was finally a university student, I took the plunge. I even remember which store I got them from, the Options store from Game City, its probably not even there anymore. My partner in crime, Attie, was there to share the experience. We had been preparing for this day for the longest time. With the little student allowance we received, we made the purchase. My very own Converse All Stars, you should have seen my face then. Even when I went hungry that month I couldn't complain because I knew that I had made the right...

Dear lonely girl, I know its hard, I know its hard to wake up every morning ready to fill your day with anything and everything that could distract you from your thoughts. I know its hard some days to pull yourself out of bed and face the world when all you want to do is crawl back into bed, into oblivion. I know its hard not to finish an entire ice cream tub in one sitting because you will do anything to fill that whole deep inside your heart. I know its especially hard to resist drowning that whiskey bottle hoping against hope to find what you are looking for at the bottom of the glass. Dear lonely girl, I know its hard to ever feel beautiful because each and every person that ever said you were didn't think twice about leaving you behind. I know its hard to take any compliment seriously, after all if you were that awesome, that amazing, then that one guy that you thought was the one would have never left, right? I know its hard to believe that anyone will ever stay till...

I will be walking down the street, meeting cute couples holding hands,  And instead of smiling and celebrating their love, I resent them. Scrolling down on Instagram couple posts and giving them the side eye 'cos I used to be just like that. Can't even appreciate love when it's genuine and real 'cos guess what, that's just how broken I am. I look into an innocent baby's eyes and all I see are the tars and pain that the mother endured, is still to endure in the hands of the father. From Adele to Ed Sheeran,  they have all been blocked from my playlist; I can no longer listen to music inspired by love because all it remind me is of what was and what could have been. I read my favourite fairy tales and all I want to do is scream FU Disney! You sold me dreams and I fell into the trap of 'true love', a love that doesn't exist. My friends are getting married now, yes we are at that age, and the only thing replaying in my head is how I will ha...