Hustle and Scribble

As I sit down to write this, you’re busy running around the house, chasing after your auntie with one sock on and the other mysteriously missing. Typical Jahzara energy, chaotic, unstoppable, and absolutely adorable. Today, you turn three. Three! How did we get here so fast? You’ve brought so much light into our lives, baby girl. From the moment you arrived, it’s been a whirlwind of laughter, surprises, and the occasional “Jahzara, climb down!” And let’s not even talk about the number of times I’ve found you trying to eat a spoonful of sugar for the hundredth time. Let me tell you, being your mama has been a full-time adventure. You’ve already perfected the art of charm. When you flash those big, innocent eyes and say, “ Mama , si you give me just one sweet,” somehow I’m handing you three without even realizing it. You’re a pro negotiator. I’m convinced you’ll be leading peace talks one day, between nations, not just who gets the last chapati in this house. At two, you’ve shown ...

Alright, let’s talk about that itsy bitsy spider for a second. You remember the song. The spider climbed up the water spout , the rain came down and washed it away, and then it got right back up and tried again. That little spider? It didn’t stop. It didn’t overthink. It didn’t even complain. It just kept moving. And honestly, that’s the energy we all need.   Life right now feels like one long slippery spout. You’re out here trying to save money, build a career, and maybe have some semblance of a social life. Meanwhile, bills are billing. Matatu fares are rising out of nowhere. Rent is moving like it’s competing with inflation . You tell yourself you’ll have a soft life , but your wallet is looking at you like “sis, soft where?” Then, just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, boom. The rain comes.   Maybe it’s a rejected job application or a business idea that just won’t take off. Maybe you’re saving up for something big, then suddenly your cousin’s weddin...

It’s not every day you read a book that feels like a conversation with your inner thoughts, the messy ones you shove to the back of your mind when life demands you “get it together.” Tomorrow I Become a Woman by Aiwanose Odafen is one of those books that pulls you in, holds your hand, and then unapologetically slaps you with the realities of being a woman navigating culture, tradition , marriage, and identity.   The story centers around Adah, a Nigerian woman grappling with societal expectations of womanhood and marriage. It’s raw, haunting, and painfully relatable, especially if you’ve ever felt like you were being shaped to fit a mold you didn’t ask for. The book takes you from Adah’s childhood through her marriage to Ebika , where the supposed "happily ever after" turns into a layered exploration of power dynamics, sacrifice, and self-preservation.   Let me tell you, if you’re looking for a cheerful, feel-good story, this is not it. But if you want a deeply hum...

Why are towels so expensive? It’s a question we never really ask ourselves until we’re standing in the supermarket, staring at a Ksh 2,500 price tag and wondering if it’s made from diamond threads. Honestly, what justifies such absurd prices for something as simple as a towel? It’s not like it’s solving any major problems—just a rectangle of fabric meant to dry you off after a shower. Yet here we are, paying almost as much as we would for a fancy dinner out.   The towel industry has mastered the art of making us feel like we’re buying into a lifestyle rather than just purchasing an essential. They toss around fancy words like “ Egyptian cotton ,” “ Turkish weave ,” and “ hotel quality ” to make us think that spending more equals self-care. And, of course, there’s the unspoken guilt: Don’t you want to treat yourself to something soft and luxurious? But after one wash, most of these “luxury towels” lose their fluffiness and start shedding enough lint to clog the bathroom drain....

Why do emails feel like personal attacks sometimes? I mean, you’re just sitting there minding your business when an email lands in your inbox. It’s polite, formal, maybe even a little too wordy. But somehow, your brain reads it as, “Are you completely incapable of doing your job?”   It’s the smallest phrases that send you spiraling. “Just following up” sounds harmless until you hear it in your head as, “Why haven’t you done this yet?” Or how about “ Per my last email ”? That one’s the grandmaster of passive aggression , the digital equivalent of a long, disappointed sigh. Then there’s “ Please advise ,” which feels like a low-key way of saying, “I don’t trust you to handle this without messing it up.”   The worst part is, the sender probably didn’t even mean it that way. But when you’re reading it, stripped of context, tone, or even a friendly emoji , it’s easy to assume the worst. Maybe it’s because emails have this weird way of turning everyday conversations into f...

Renewable energy holds the promise of sustainability, resilience, and long-term cost savings. Yet, as we push for its adoption, one unavoidable question emerges: How do we make it affordable and accessible for everyone? This is where innovative financing comes in—not as a buzzword but as a practical tool to break financial barriers.   Traditional financing models often fall short for many households and businesses in emerging markets . Limited access to capital, high upfront costs, and rigid loan structures have locked out communities that need clean energy the most. Innovative financing addresses this challenge by offering flexibility, inclusivity, and realistic pathways for people to acquire renewable solutions like solar-powered systems , energy-efficient tools , or cold storage for food preservation.   What Makes Financing "Innovative"?   It’s not magic. It’s a blend of creative financial tools designed to work for people. For example:   Pay...

As women, we often wear the “ Superwoman ” cape like it's part of our identity. We juggle multiple roles—being a good mother, daughter, professional, friend, and often everything in between. But if we’re being honest, there’s a hidden weight behind this act. I’ve realized that it’s time to let go of that Superwoman mentality, and here’s why. At first, I wore my “Superwoman” persona with pride. I believed that I had to do it all—excel in my career, be the perfect mom, maintain a good grade, and still find time for everyone else. But no matter how hard I tried, there was always a sense of overwhelm, exhaustion, and, worst of all, guilt. I felt that if I wasn’t doing it all, I was failing. That if I wasn’t constantly striving, I wasn’t living up to expectations—my own, my family’s, or society’s. However, God has been gently reminding me that I don’t have to be perfect, and I’m not expected to carry the world on my shoulders. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28 , “Come to me, all you who ar...

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably asked yourself at least a thousand times, “Am I doing enough?” It’s that voice in your head that pops up after every success, every milestone. It sounds something like, “Okay, now what? What’s next?” It’s relentless, always pushing you to figure out the next thing, the next step, the next big move . And for what? To prove to who exactly that we’ve got it all figured out? Here’s the thing: nobody has it all figured out . We’re all just figuring it out as we go along, trying to stay afloat, hoping we don’t sink before we reach the next “destination.” And guess what? That’s okay. Let’s be real—how often do we pressure ourselves into thinking we need to have every part of our life meticulously mapped out? There’s this constant feeling of needing to achieve more, to always be moving forward. But what happens when we stop and ask ourselves, “What does ‘having it all figured out’ even mean?” Is it about career success ? Is it about the perfect fami...

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that chasing perfection is overrated. Like, really overrated. I mean, who has time to constantly check if everything is "just right"? Whether it's at work, home, or in my personal life, trying to make everything picture-perfect always leads to more stress and less living. And honestly, I'm kinda tired of it. Take my daily routine, for example. I wake up at 6 AM (sometimes 5:30 AM if I’m feeling ambitious), do the usual laundry, shower, and grab breakfast – which is usually whatever leftovers I managed to scrape together from the night before or just a quick cup of tea. Not exactly glamorous, but it gets the job done. And let’s be honest – who has time to cook a five-course breakfast in the morning? Then, there’s work. Some days, I’m laser-cutting sheets for production (sounds cool, right?), while other days, I’m buried in reports and data analysis. Some days, I'm making calls, and on others, I'm frantically cr...

When it comes to sustainability , young women are no longer just participants; we’re architects, innovators, and changemakers. Look around, and you’ll see us redefining the rules, connecting the dots, and making the world a greener, better place. If the future is female, then it’s safe to say the future is also sustainable. Now, before I dive in, let’s clarify one thing: sustainability isn’t just about planting trees (though, yes, we should plant more). It’s about balancing the planet, people, and profit. It’s circular economies , renewable energy , waste management , and ensuring food doesn’t rot away while people go hungry. It’s also about equity – and trust me, young women have been owning this space. From the farms to the labs, women are leading the charge in sustainable practices. Take my field, for example: productive use of renewable energy. We’re working on solutions to keep food fresh longer, using technologies like solar-powered cold chains . That’s not just saving food; it’s...

Some days, I feel like life handed me the role of a tightrope walker and forgot to give me a safety net. There’s me, balancing single motherhood in one hand, juggling the demands of a career in the other, and somehow still carrying the unspoken responsibilities that come with being the eldest daughter . It’s a lot. But if life has taught me anything, it’s that I can either cry over the weight of it all or laugh while carrying it. Most days, I choose laughter (and coffee). Motherhood: The Marathon You Didn’t Train For Being a single mom is a beautiful, chaotic, never-ending marathon. No one warns you that toddlers come with energy levels NASA should study. My daughter, my sunshine and my whirlwind, reminds me daily why I push so hard. She’s the reason I wake up early, even when the bed calls me back, and the reason I sometimes stay up late Googling “ how to deal with toddler tantrums .” There’s joy in the small wins—when she finally sleeps on time or learns a new word, and I realiz...

You never think that one day you’ll be scrolling through LinkedIn – the very place you go to polish your professional persona and post overly formal big English posts – and boom, there he is. Not the guy offering a job or pitching a product, but someone who changes your life in the most unexpected way.   It started innocently enough. He slid into my LinkedIn messages, and I wasn’t even mad because he led with nerd talk . Talk about knowing your audience. We got talking, and before I knew it, he asked me out for coffee. To this day, I think he tricked me – who asks someone out after discussing kilowatts and careers? But there we were, a simple “Hi, thanks for connecting” morphing into an actual date.   That first date was nothing short of enlightening. He wasn’t just intelligent; he was passionate, calm, and deeply rooted in a field I adore – renewable energy . This wasn’t small talk about the weather; this was a deep dive into our lives, sustainability , innovation...

A farmer in rural Kenya works tirelessly, harvesting tomatoes that are ripe and ready to feed dozens of families. But as the sun sets and the market stalls are still miles away, a good chunk of that produce ends up rotting before it can even make it to the buyer’s hands. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? And worse, it’s not just one farmer—it’s a cycle repeating itself across many communities in Africa and beyond. Globally, food loss is a colossal issue. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), nearly one-third of the food produced is lost or wasted. In Africa, the story hits harder: an estimated 40% of food grown never makes it to the consumer due to poor storage, lack of refrigeration, and inefficient supply chains. The good news? Solar energy is here to flip this script. Why Solar? Why Now? We live in a region blessed with abundant sunshine. Yet, for many, energy is a luxury, not a guarantee. That’s where solar energy shines—literally. It’s clean, sustainable, and per...

There’s something about those teens and early 20-somethings who think they’re the ultimate rebels just because they got away with breaking a few rules. They love to act like their little mischiefs are heroic feats, but trust me, all they’re doing is annoying the people who care about them.   Take, for instance, the mysteriously disappearing money. You know the type—the one who “just doesn’t know” how the last hundred bob meant for dinner went missing. It was right there on the table, but somehow, they don’t have a clue where their cash went. And if you ask them, the look they give you is so blank you’d think they were just hit by an amnesia spell.   “I swear I didn't use the money, Mom. It’s like it vanished.”   Really? Did the money vanish, or did you need airtime to call your many girlfriends? It’s never an easy conversation when you know you’re being played, but they’re still sitting there looking like an innocent bystander. You’ll find yourself shakin...