tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871798318483663802026-09-10T02:22:11.435-04:00~LOOKING BACK AT WHERE WE SLIPPED, NOT WHERE WE FELL~Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-17564236460805849232015-05-26T13:27:00.000-04:002015-12-11T13:30:19.406-05:00

By Esther Essie Wambui (@westesita)~~~~~~ Diplomatic representatives from the five East African countries that also form the East African Community [EAC] met with investors in Toronto this week. The East African Diplomatic Representatives: From Left-Right - Jack Mugendi Zoka (Tanzania), Ms. Umtoni Shakilla (Chargee d'Affaires for Rwanda), John L. Lanyasunya (Kenya), Speciose Nzeyimana (

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By Esther Essie Wambui (@westesita) ~~~~~~ Mama Sarah Obama in Toronto, Ontario, Canada She is proud of her grandson.  After all, he is the President of the United States of America, a position whose holder is considered to be the most powerful person in the world.  But at the moment, that’s not what she wants to talk about; although she kindly acknowledges that the name

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By Esther Essie Wambui (@westesita)  Kenyans living in Ontario gathered in Toronto on Sunday April 12 to mourn the 148 people killed when al-Shabab terrorists attacked Garissa University 10 days ago. Names of the identified Garissa victims were called out The interfaith ecumenical prayers service held at the Consolota Missionary Centre, paid tribute to both the dead and injured

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#147NotJustANumber - Photo Courtesy Henry Ndirangu. A partial list of names of those murdered at the Garissa University College attack in Kenya on April 2, 2015.Credit: http://wakenyacanada.com/147notjustanumber/

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Photo by Essie Esther Wambui

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-8689711137344095932014-08-05T13:02:00.000-04:002015-03-05T13:33:53.674-05:00

The scarred yet sweet & juicy tomato This is a special tomato.  "Why would such a blemished and imperfect tomato be special?" You might ask. Let me explain: This tomato is special for the simple reason that it’s picked from our garden. I grew it. Planted in early May, we gave it TLC for three months till harvest time in August. I wouldn't buy this tomato or any that looks like

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-2267733778390728912014-06-20T11:00:00.000-04:002015-01-20T14:45:53.535-05:00

A pair of fresh & beautiful white peonies These light pink peonies appear so fresh in the morning. The tiny spider webbed a home in these beautiful surroundings Peonies are delicate and don't bloom for long and this hot pink one seems to die up first.

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-83066795223686556852014-05-29T05:30:00.000-04:002015-01-20T13:41:25.256-05:00

Spring is here or to be more cliché “spring has sprung”. I always look forward to spring. Living in the North makes you constantly watch for those first buds. It is pure bliss and radiance when they appear, yet with it comes the agony. Allergies - the sniffles, itchy throat, watery, red eyes, etc. The worst part is, while sometimes the allergies last for just a couple of days to a week, it

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I have never been happier to see the rains come. Disregarding etiquette and discomfort to my neighbours, I cheered loudly, thanked God and walked a little in the rain to celebrate the relief. It has been very dry here. There has not been a drop of rain for months and Ecuadorians have taken to looking into the skies daily for a sign of darkening clouds. The summer of 2012 brought devastation to

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlTvFoLGI-U Ecuador is experiencing devastating forest fires. According to news reports and anti-disaster officials, there have been 3069 forest fires since June 1, when a period of drought set in. The fires have wiped out 17,484 hectares of woods and scrubland high in the Andes as well as 142 hectares of crops, while another 31 hectares of crops were affected

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-65893584920382392042012-07-20T16:56:00.000-04:002013-11-25T17:58:43.957-05:00

I am sharing this article as it aligns with my thoughts; that the best change in developing countries originates from within. How Kenya became a world leader for mobile money Submitted by Wolfgang Fengler on Mon, 2012-07-16 14:37 What if anyone owning a cell-phone, whether rich or poor, also had access to financial services with the ability to save and send money safely, no matter

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-7780796083767367362012-04-12T00:30:00.002-04:002012-06-18T11:58:45.493-04:00

Is there racism; are Ecuadorians racist? I’ve been asked this question numerous times. I didn’t address this question yet as I thought I should first understand the country and its people deeper - looks can be deceiving. I can quote a number of reports and research papers that show people of Afrodescent [Afro Ecuadorians] and Indigenous groups face some form of discrimination or other.

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Pictures by Essie & M Futkowski.  Easter and Semana Santa is a good time to be here as it is packed with religious, cultural and art events. Unlike Christmas which I found a tad bit too bland, the Holy week is far more emphasized and the best time to experience an elaborate outward expression of the Christian faith and Catholicism, imbued with elements of Andean culture. Semana

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In early December, around the same time nativity scenes start appearing, stores also stock rows upon rows of dolls and effigies. These range from tiny to life-size, made to represent famous and infamous people, political figures, folkloric characters and disliked people including foreign leaders.   Masks Courtesy:Ecuadoratyourservice.com All this is in preparation for the Fiesta de Año

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-46319510433337362242011-12-29T20:03:00.013-05:002012-02-22T12:15:21.532-05:00

Christmas Day in Ecuador is a day for family, and exchanging gifts is very important. Actually, one of the first items to appear on supermarket shelves is an assortment of gift baskets of various sizes that employers ‘are expected’ to buy for their workers. Contents range from a bottle of wine, to cooking oil, rice, spices and other food items.  Having decided to remain in Ecuador for

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-47554631346759338502011-12-19T08:37:00.022-05:002015-03-18T21:52:49.740-04:00

The persistent tagging at my jacket from behind caught my attention. I turned around to investigate the source and was surprised to see the face of a small boy looking up at me. He was going on in a barrage of Spanish that I could barely make out and he seemed agitated. In his other hand he was holding out the toy truck we had just given him and he appeared to be giving it back to me.  After

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Clare Fitchett shares Candy with kids we met along the way The Beautiful landscape Breathtaking, Ecuador is Plenty of grazing land for the sheep Reminds of of my uncles farm in Nyandarua, Central Kenya More beauty The Kids sit quietly observing the Proceedings Calves tethered by the roadside Linda Kolodziej, Kyung Whitaker and I take a photo moment with some local

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On the Saturday morning of December 10th, a bunch of Canadian expats and/or their spouses drove to the mountain village of Chumillos in a convoy of four cars packed to the brim. We were on a mission to deliver Christmas gifts to the villagers and the gathering point was at an elementary school called Carlos Iguamba Andrango. Sharing during Christmas brings tremendous joy to many and makes the

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On Thursday last week, one of my classmates asked me if I liked chivas. I didn’t know what that was so he explained that chivas are the brightly decorated open "party" buses that I’ve been seeing all around town lately. These buses run along the city streets with live bands playing and people riding around on them in a festive mood; dancing, singing and shouting "Viva Quito"! In December, Quito,

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This small Andean country with a population of about 15 million people has a concentrated HIV epidemic, with approximately 0.4 per cent of adults infected. Quito, the capital city has an estimated prevalence of 19.3 per cent. The rate of infection is said to be steadily increasing. Image courtesy of Women News Network Ecuador HIV statistics: People living with HIV -37,000; HIV prevelance -

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Someone asked me what I’d do to make 11/11/11 memorable. I had no idea since I wasn't doing the expected like having a baby or a wedding. All I knew then was that it was a Friday, my day off, and I could do the special but repetitive things I do most Fridays. Go for a morning run, Skype and later join some girlfriends for a coffee. I even received an email from a journalism community asking if I

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-90021513527415314252011-11-01T23:18:00.024-04:002015-01-20T15:07:42.379-05:00

November 1 is "Dia de los Difuntos" [Day of the Dead] here in Ecuador and most of Latin America. This is a time of respecting and remembering the people who have passed away. On this day, family and friends gather together at cemeteries to honour those who have died, with love and laughter. They make "guaguas de pan" or bread people and a special blackberry juice called "colada morada". Then they

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-66081279214264017052011-10-30T13:08:00.005-04:002011-12-01T13:09:22.904-05:00

When you move to a new country, you hope to become a part of them; their culture, their food, their way of doing things, generally, part of their good. I doubt anyone wishes to be caught up in the ugly; the poverty, disease, crime, prejudices and biases. In a new country, we want to attend more baby showers, weddings and if possible never have to be part of a friend’s funeral. We can be prepared,

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-75889402251979388452011-10-10T14:37:00.010-04:002013-07-01T10:44:05.259-04:00

Examining what constitutes Ecuadorian culture, I’ve come to the conclusion that if you were a short-term visitor, your viewpoint of this country’s culture would highly depend on whom you socially relate to or spend time with. The security guard who catcalls when I walk past the gate, the British-educated university professor, the rich housewife with a trail of help [maid, nanny, driver], these

Conversation 4 Actionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13861859394904733240noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187179831848366380.post-17492040050655053342011-10-03T11:10:00.006-04:002011-12-01T13:09:22.908-05:00

Buenos dias, Buenas, Hola, are words casually thrown your way as you walk around Quito, often times not within the city, but around it. Come to think of it, this may not be as casual since greeters always spare moments to catch your eye. The complete opposite of Toronto, where one of the first lessons I learnt was to as much as possible avoid eye contact with strangers. So, here I’m in Quito,

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