Sitawa Ignited: September 2024

Afrique En Cirque concert at Winter Center, Millersville - September 2024

Hi beautiful souls,

Have you ever been to a circus show?

Well, after the Man City v Arsenal game (which ended in a draw), I went to one...the new type, apparently there are types, and the new ones have chiseled men that make you forget what you went to see. I will break them down for you, as I attempt to share about Afrique En Cirque, the circus show I went to.

Prior to this experience, I have always equated circus to those elephant balancing on a barrel type shows that are held in large tents, and move from city to city with exotic animals like those 'owned' by Siegfried and Roy or Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin. Yes, I was part of the crew that binge-watched all the human-animal documentaries that came out during the pandemic.

Seigfried and Roy - Image Source

The Joe Exotic/Carol Baskin one was everywhere (did we conclude on her husband?), so I will talk a little about Siegfried and Roy (I will call them S & R) for my non-Americans. S & R are old school magicians (illusionists) whose acts included exotic lions and tigers, that they not only performed with, but also lived with in their expansive home dubbed Jungle Palace in Las Vegas (there was apparently an era where having these big cats in your house was a thing - Mike Tyson had a tiger named Kenya). Everything was good for S&R, they had a regular show at The Mirage in Las Vegas that attracted people from all over...until one of animals decided to grab Roy by the neck and drag him across the stage during a live show (there are hundreds of documentaries and news pieces on this).

While theirs was not circus, I thought to share because part of what they did, doing shows with animals is part of what the traditional circus world was all about. Generally, there are two broad categories - traditional and contemporary circus. While the former includes animals, clowns, magicians and jugglers, daredevil type things - think fire eating, cannon balls, and other large tent performances, the latter is more of a theatre performance. It does not include animals, and the acts are interconnected through a storyline that the audience follow from the beginning of the show to the end...think traditional circus (minus the animals) meets theatre/musicals.

My ticket to the show, will definitely want to see them again, hopefully I will concentrate second time around - September 2024

I have never been to a traditional circus.

The most I have seen in relation to this world, is the occasional juggler and acrobatic troupe, that sometimes had a fire eater and bottle balancer. Back home in Kenya, most of them either did there shows at open air markets or during national public holiday events. The only spot I can think of that had a somewhat organized show is a spot called Safari Park Hotel which used to (not sure if they do anymore) host a weekly performance by a group called Safari Cats Dancers.

Clearly, I did not get the tickets because of my love and knowledge about things circus, I got them because I love it when acts from Africa come to my neck of the woods - I have blogged about Soweto Gospel's Concert and did a photo dump of Jupiter & Okwess' show - and I will go to their shows regardless of what they are (unless they are promoting harm for self and others).

Afrique En Circle, the show I went to, is classified under the contemporary circle aka the new circus or Cirque Nouveau. Right now, Canadian based Cirque du Soleil is considered the powerhouse of the genre, and Yamoussa, the guy in charge of Afrique En Circle did some shows with them before forming his own production company.

Cirque du Soleil, was however, not his main cirque before he ventured on his own (how many times have I said cirque and circus?). Yamoussa who is originally from Guinea (West Africa), was part of the local circus there - Circus Baobab, think the Kenyan version - acrobats et al.

The group went on a couple of tours including one in Europe..and while in Spain, Cirque Eloize (another big time cirque based in Canada) liked his moves and hired him as an acrobat. He toured with them until 2012 when he decided to form his own company, Les Productions Kalabante (Kalabante Productions)...which added a new flavor to the Cirque Nouveau space - African music and dance.

He is said to have hired members of his extended family as part of the troupe, and together they toured various parts of the world, with their recent tour bringing them to my 'neck of the woods'.

Be warned, I will not do a good job reviewing the show (hence the long history lesson). My excuses - 1) I was distracted by how chiseled the men were 2) I was too busy holding onto the edge of my seat when some of the acts did those boneless type twists.

The little I can share, beside the bodies on those men, is that the main storyline was daily life in Guinea (which is a West African Country). The show opened with a fish market, a shirtless Yamoussa plays a tune at that reminded me of Salif Keita's Je t'aime me amour...I started speaking in tongues because I was getting 'voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir' thoughts...did I say that man is FINE!!!! the end

A write up about the group and concert

The Opening Act, I went to heaven and beyond from the opening scene - September 2024

I was far from the stage but could still see those abs - September 2024

This part reminded me of Safari Cats Dancers and Acrobats based at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi

After the show, I ran to TellUS360's rooftop to cool off, as I caught something local - these 'exotic acts' had me tripping. It was the last show of the season by my favorite local band here in Lancaster - Big Boy Brass Band. It was amazing as usual, but not at the 'voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir' level.

If you hear that the circus are in town, please check if it is Yamoussa and his troupe before dismissing the announcement. Cirque Nouveau can change your life...so please buy a ticket...heck buy me a ticket, I will find my way there...as a matter of fact, I have learnt a couple of circus tricks from all this research, that I would like to discuss with Yamoussa, privately...see rehearsals below.

Until the next show,

Sending love and light,

Sitawa

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KalabanteProductions (@kalabanteproductions)

Beautiful, the Carole King Musical is Fulton Theatre's opening show for the 2024/25 season - Lancaster, September 2024

Good afternoon beautiful people,

I have a confession.

...I am back on Social Media.

...I have actually been back for a minute.

Yes, the same social media I said a couple of posts ago that I do not see myself returning to (typing this makes me feel like I went back to that boy we all agreed was not good for me - and I felt the need to hide him from y'all because we had agreed that I had moved on).

In my defense, I still hold my beliefs, and the dislike-hate sentiment still stands; but as you know this girl started working on a business venture over the Summer. During the initial days, social media was not part of my strategy, but as it became clear that this venture will soon be catapulted to 'one of my main sources of income', growing it organically was shelved, and I started considering additional ways of marketing and engaging potential clients - social media kept popping up. I initially cringed at the idea of doing dance challenges in the name of marketing - I finally got back on, the platforms.

I have not yet gotten to the dance videos part of being a small business owner using social media to make sales, but if you see a video of me dancing, please go buy my products and tell your people to buy my products and services because my knees and the fact that I can do the shuffle, I do not see myself keeping up.

The good news is that the business turns 3 months in a couple of days and I will do a proper recap then.

Today I wanted to make that confession, and talk about some season opening/closing events I am excited about. And yes, I failed miserably in keeping up with my Summer 2024 calendar - my excuse, I was building my new business venture (and fighting the thought that my business' survival may be tied to my dancing skills).

Goodies from Lancaster's Arsenal Fan Club - Lancaster, September 2024

As usual Fall updates always start will Premier League announcements. We are one month in, and I have watched 3 out of the 4 games Arsenal has played so far at Tellus360 as a member of the Lancaster Arsenal Fan Club. The next game is on Sunday and it is a BIG ONE - we are playing against Man City (these are the chaps - my dad would approve my use of this word in this situation - who beat us these past two seasons to emerge as Premier League title winners).

Cirque Kalabant (Image Source)

Beside this mammoth game, Sunday is jam-packed for me. I will go for the first service, go to Tellus360 to watch the game, then head out to see Cirque Kalabant’s Afrique en Cirque by Yamoussa Bangoura. This is among the opening shows for Millersville Arts 2024/25 season. The description mentions that this show is about daily life in Guinea (a West African country).

The show is currently sold out (I am always excited when I hear shows by Africans are sold out), and will be going down at the venue I watched Grammy Award Winning Group Soweto Gospel (I will definitely do a recap). I know the day is already full but my fav band in Lancaster will be hosting their last Summer Rooftop gig at Tellus360, so I will head back there to catch Big Boy Brass Band (this itinerary reminds me of my club hopping in my early 20s).

My art work (can you spot my Fulton tciket - got the pay what you want) - September 2024

Speaking of closing the Summer season and ushering in new seasons, I went for a tote bag stamping event last evening, hosted by Demuth Museum - a sister spot to Lancaster Art Museum where I caught the Art by Money Exhibition.

It was pretty simple set up.

They cut some apples into two, spread out some plain totebags, and a couple of paints, disposable plates and brushes. Participants colored the halved apples with paint and stamped the totebags. I liked how simple and straightforward it was, I see myself borrowing this idea in the future.

Got my ticket before going for the Apple Stamping event - September 2024

After that, I went for Fulton Theatre’s opening play titled Beautiful, which follows the career of Carole King - an American singer/songwriter who wrote songs like Little Eva's Loco-motion and Aretha Franklin's Make me Feel Like a Natural Woman (those are the ones I knew before watching the show).

Allow me to digress - I was disappointed that Fulton Theatre did not have their Stories of Diversity Festival this Summer. This play sorta kinda made up because King wrote songs for a couple of black bands and artists in 60s, so half the show was a showcase of ' those black bands'. I know it is not the same as having a whole show that was put together by (and for) 'diverse voices', but again if the ‘politics that is DEI programming in the US 2 years post-George Floyd/BLM’ is anything to go by - then this conversation is too deep for my ‘events I am looking forward to’ post.

The cast - Fulton Theatre Lancaster, September 2024

I will definitely give updates of events I go to. Feel free to peep at my Instagram videos to see some business related behind the scenes clips.

Untl the next post, do something artsy for yourself or with others this weekend - it is good for the heart, mind, souls and society.

Sending love and light,

Sitawa

Two of Kenya's great - Prof Wangari Maathai and Boxer Conjestina Achieng (Image Source)

Good afternoon beautiful people,

I pitched this article last week but it did not get a home, and as done in the past with articles that do not get picked, I decided to post it here. The context is in italics and the main article follows.

12 years ago, I was part of the first initiative that helped to raise funds and support Conjestina. Under the Pamoja Conje banner, musicians Nonini and Suzanna Owiyo, then blogger Robert Alai, Ambassador Yvonne Khamati, Mama Ida Odinga and I, helped to fundraise and create awareness online and via events. Conjestina was admitted to the private wing at Mathari Hospital where we visited her and updated Kenyans. We walked with her until she got back home and then her family took over.

I saw her in the news two weeks ago sharing what she would like to do when she gets out of the treatment facility she is currently in. This made me reflect on the 12 years of her mental health cycle, and I wrote a reflective piece on how we can try to get different results this time round.

Last week, Kenya boxing champion, Conjestina Achieng updated Kenyans on her recovery journey and expressed her desire to return to boxing. As I watched her, I could not help but think about her public recovery journey that started 12 years ago. At the time, I was a full-time mental health blogger, and part of the Pamoja Conje initiative that helped to mobilize funds and other resources for her treatment.

The initiative was put together following a feature story on the state of Conjestina Achieng. The story highlighted her mental status, and financial woes. That feature and initiative were the first of many features and public efforts to help her. Over the past 12 years, she has been admitted into various treatment facilities across the country thanks to support from various entities and personalities.

She is currently in a treatment facility in Mombasa courtesy of Former Nairobi Governor Mbuvi Kioko ‘Sonko’. As prepares for her post-treatment life, it is paramount that a comprehensive reintegration and relapse prevention plan, that goes beyond getting her a job, is put in place.

The first step is to understand that recovery is not a destination but a continuous and lifelong journey. A lot of language around Conjestina everytime she leaves a treatment facility is that she is healed or she is recovered. Based on the past 12 years, we have enough evidence to see that rehab is just the beginning of the healing and recovery journey, and not the end all. Her post-treatment plan should include tools and skills that not only help her reintegrate into daily life, but also help to prevent relapses or reduce their impact.

This plan should include identification of internal and external triggers that lead to relapses, it involves trying out various self-care and life coping skills to see which ones work for based on her personal history, current life circumstance, and future aspirations.

Secondly, we need to acknowledge that healing looks different for everybody. They are people who go through something, go into treatment once, and that thing never bothers them again. Others need to go back two or three times, and others, despite the number of times they go to hospital, despite the various types of treatments and therapies they go through, they are still prone to triggers. Instead of rushing the latter group to heal and move on with life, we need to provide them with skills on how to live positively with their diagnosis - medication and follow-up adherence. Group therapy or 12 step programs as well as buddy or recovery sponsor systems go a long way in not only providing additional narratives to learn from but also accountability partners beyond family and treatment facilities.

Thirdly, there have been reports of substance abuse being part of the causes of Conjestina’s relapse. If this is the case, there is a need to investigate the function drugs serve in her post-treatment, and replace their role with something positive that serves the same function. Removing the drugs without addressing the purpose they serve only creates a vacuum, and later leads to cravings, abuse and relapse. While relapse prevention is the goal, Conjestina, and the public at large, should be informed that relapses are part of the healing and recovery process, and should a relapse occur, seeking help is not a sign of failure but a commitment to health.

Time and time again, she has shown this commitment, of course with varying degrees of success. Unfortunately, time and time, we have used the same strategies expecting different results. I agree with Sonko’s hesitation in getting her back into the ring, and support his suggestion to have her work at the rehab. Research shows that community engagement activities help to boost recovery and prevent relapses. Should the rehab not be ideal, other activities that involve giving back to the community could be tried out. This can be done alongside the implementation of a maintenance plan that includes regular one on one therapy and life skills sessions, and group sessions. Environmental factors should also be considered, as it looks like a lot is lost when she moves from a treatment facility to her rural home. A halfway house that provides these maintenance aspects and enables her to engage the community could be an ideal next step.

Last and not least, as a community, let her go through this maintenance process and allow her to reintroduce herself to us. Who knows, maybe we contribute to her relapse everytime we expect her to be a world champion boxer when it is time for her to let go of that phase of her life and embrace something new.

Oped on Daily Nation Kenya - September 3,2024

Good evening beautiful people,

I know we talked earlier today so I will keep this brief. I mentioned in my earlier post that I wrote and pitched two op-eds (opinion pieces). Someone just mentioned that they have read my piece online (this is the quickest turnaround ever). I pitched the piece after 1.15am and it was published less than 24 hours later.

Read the piece on Kenya’s Daily Nation or find it below.

Sending love and light,

Sitawa

Screen grab of my article on Kenya’s Daily Nation

On Sunday 1st September, NTV Kenya aired ‘Behind the Byline’, a news feature on the state of mental health in Kenyan media. The feature by Brygette Ngana highlighted the lived experiences of some Kenyan journalists and their family members.

The journalists spoke of their mental health diagnosis, impact on their work and some of their coping mechanisms. A common theme in their narratives was lack of awareness, stigma and lack of workplace mental health support systems. Narratives from family members echoed the first two themes, and the lack of caregiver and family support systems. Both groups agreed that stigma led to isolation which slowed down the recovery process.

These narratives are not unique to the journalists interviewed in the feature. In a 2021 report published by Media Council of Kenya (MCK), 226 journalists out of 332 interviewed (68%) reported to have faced a mental health issue or know a colleague who had faced or is struggling with their mental health.

A similar report by Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma on mental health, well-being and trauma among Canadian media workers showed that this is an international phenomenon. The Canadian report published in 2022 interviewed 1200 Canadian journalists and media workers. 69% of those interviewed self reported to have anxiety while 46% self reported to have depression. The journalists listed the content they had to cover, workload, burnout and fatigue as some of the causes of their mental health decline.

To cope with these factors, some journalists turned to negative coping mechanisms like alcohol, with 26% reporting to be heavy drinkers. Though the MCK report did not report on drug and alcohol use, previous news coverage on various media personalities in Kenya, and their lived experience narratives show the use of alcohol to deal with workplace pressure and societal expectations.

This will help to combat some of the causes mentioned by the journalists interviewed in the NTV Kenya feature and additional ones like minimization of trauma, silent guilt and self doubt that Lydia Ouma mentions in her paper on the unspoken mental health crisis among East African journalists.

Additionally, MCK should ensure that media houses restrict the trauma their journalists and other workers face. This can be done by making sure that they are not asked to cover back to back stories that are triggering to them and that debriefing sessions are held after assignments with a clinical or industrial-organizational psychologist. These sessions will not only help the journalists to process their experiences in the field, but also help media houses to determine what types of assignments are traumatic to who.

Beyond awareness creation sessions and the above mentioned mandates, MCK and media houses should have websites or pages on their employee portals that dedicated mental health support resources. Organizations like the American Press Institute have such pages that provide specific resources for specific issues like reporters in conflict zones, those facing vicarious trauma, or dealing the after effects of covering traumatic events. Similarly, the Reuters mental health and resilience resource provides resources and goes beyond mental health, covering online and sexual harassment, tips on how to handle the death of a colleague and lived experiences by journalists in the network.

One of the journalists interviewed in the NTV feature mentioned the impact of writing opinion pieces and blog posts about his mental health struggles, and how resourceful those articles were to other journalists who were struggling.

As a way to monitor adherence by media houses, MCK can include the state of mental wellbeing as a performance indicator that is reported in its annual review of performance.

To fill in the mental health service provider gap, MCK, the Ministry of Health through the mental health department and Higher Education bodies can create a system that allows psychology and counseling students to get experience and supervision by leading group therapy sessions or one on one debriefing sessions with journalists. This ensures that the country not only has well trained mental health service providers but also takes care of those who are always on to ensure we do not miss out on what is happening around us.

Most of the recommendations given in the MCK report included provision of regular counseling services for journalists. With a scarce mental health workforce in the country, there is a need for a multi-sectoral collaboration between MCK, higher education and media houses. Given that one of MCK’s mandates is to set the standards for professional education and training of journalists, it should ensure that each school offers mandatory courses on mental health first aid including self-care, psychological risks of the job including covering traumatic events, accelerated celebrity status and social expectations.

Pages

Sitawa Ignited

Search This Blog

Contact me

I Blog About

Previous Posts

Most Read in the Last Year

Hey Sunshine