#coding schools for kids in kenya

[makers-muse]

Code Crusaders: Breaking Barriers with Lines of Light

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Here are three inspiring case studies of aspiring coders from diverse backgrounds:

1. Aaliyah, 14, Kenya: Aaliyah hails from Kibera, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Despite limited resources, discovered coding at a tech centre and built a mobile app connecting farmers with buyers. Her app attracted MIT, highlighting coding’s potential for empowerment and social change.

2. Arnav, 16, India: Arnav, a rural Indian high school student, excelled in online Coding competitions, winning awards, and scholarships. He created an educational platform, providing free learning resources to underprivileged students, bridging the digital divide.

3. Gabriela, 17, Brazil: Gabriela, a teenager from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, overcomes gender stereotypes and limited tech industry opportunities by co-founding a coding club for girls and developing a Web App for local artisans, inspiring young women worldwide.

4. Amira, 17, Syria: Amira, a resilient Syrian woman, uses her coding skills to create a mobile app that connects displaced families with essential resources. Her app has helped hundreds and earned her international recognition. She dreams of studying Computer Science to rebuild her country’s infrastructure.

These are not just stories — they’re proof that the language of code transcends borders, breaks barriers, and builds futures.

So, the next time you hear the click-clack of a keyboard, remember it might not be just typing, it might be a revolution in the making. In the hands of young coders, code isn’t just ones and zeros — it’s hope, it’s opportunity, it’s the future, blazing bright, line by line.

Do you have questions regarding our STEM program?

Contact us anytime.

Take your first step into the magical world of coding for kids

[nbmsports]

Nelly Cheboi, who creates computer labs for Kenyan schoolchildren, is CNN's Hero of the Year

CNN  —  Nelly Cheboi, who in 2019 quit a lucrative software engineering job in Chicago to create computer labs for Kenyan schoolchildren, is the 2022 CNN Hero of the Year. Online voters selected her from among this year’s Top 10 CNN Heroes. Cheboi’s nonprofit, TechLit Africa, has provided thousands of students across rural Kenya with access to donated, upcycled computers — and the chance at a brighter future. Cheboi accepted the award with her mother, who she said “worked really hard to educate us.” At the beginning of her acceptance speech, Cheboi and her mother sang a song onstage that she explained had a special meaning when she was growing up. As CNN Hero of the Year, Cheboi will receive $100,000 to expand her work. She and the other top 10 CNN Heroes honored at Sunday’s gala all receive a $10,000 cash award and, for the first time, additional grants, organizational training and support from The Elevate Prize Foundation through a new collaboration with CNN Heroes. Nelly will also be named an Elevate Prize winner, which comes with a $300,000 grant and additional support worth $200,000 for her nonprofit. Cheboi grew up in poverty in Mogotio, a rural township in Kenya. “I know the pain of poverty,” said Cheboi, 29. “I never forgot what it was like with my stomach churning because of hunger at night.” A hard-working student, Cheboi received a full scholarship to Augustana College in Illinois in 2012. She began her studies there with almost no experience with computers, handwriting papers and struggling to transcribe them onto a laptop. Everything changed in her junior year, though, when Cheboi took a programming course required for her mathematics major. “When I discovered computer science, I just fell in love with it. I knew that this is something that I wanted to do as my career, and also bring it to my community,” she told CNN. Many basic computer skills were still a steep learning curve, however. Cheboi remembers having to practice touch-typing for six months before she could pass a coding interview. Touch-typing is a skill that is now a core part of the TechLit curriculum. “I feel so accomplished seeing kids that are 7 years old touch-typing, knowing that I just learned how to touch-type less than five years ago,” she said. Once she had begun working in the software industry, Cheboi soon realized the extent of which computers were being thrown away as companies upgraded their technology infrastructure. “We have kids here (in Kenya) — myself included, back in the day — who don’t even know what a computer is,” she said. So, in 2018, she began transporting donated computers back to Kenya — in her personal luggage, handling customs fees and taxes herself. “At one point, I was bringing 44 computers, and I paid more for the luggage than I did for the air ticket,” she said. A year later, she co-founded TechLit Africa with a fellow software engineer after both quit their jobs. The nonprofit accepts computer donations from companies, universities and individuals. The hardware is wiped and refurbished before it’s shipped to Kenya. There, it’s distributed to partner schools in rural communities, where students ages 4 to 12 receive daily classes and frequent opportunities to learn from professionals, gaining skills that will help improve their education and better prepare them for future jobs. “We have people who own a specific skill coming in and are just inspiring the kids (with) music production, video production, coding, personal branding,” Cheboi said. “They can go from doing a remote class with NASA on education to music production.” The organization currently serves 10 schools; within the next year, Cheboi hopes to be partnered with 100 more. “My hope is that when the first TechLit kids graduate high school, they’re able to get a job online because they will know how to code, they will know how to do graphic design, they will know how to do marketing,” Cheboi said. “The world is your oyster when you are educated. By bringing the resources, by bringing these skills, we are opening up the world to them.” Read the full article

[entertainment]

Entertainment Spotlight: Genneya Walton, #blackAF

Genneya Walton came to acting through a passion for dance and performance. Once on screen, she starred as Bryden Bandweth on Project Mc², as well as taking on roles in The Resident, 911, Criminal Minds, School of Rock, and Extent. Up next, Genneya will be playing the role of Chloe Barris, daughter to Rashida Jones and Kenya Barris, in his new mockumentary #blackAF. Loosely inspired by Barris’ irreverent and honest approach to parenting, relationships, race, and culture, #blackAF uncovers the messy and often hilarious world of the fictionalized Barris family. We had the opportunity to chat to Genneya about her character on the show, experiences on set, and what it means to be a young woman of color in the world of film and television. Check it out:

You wake up tomorrow as the character you play. What do you do first? 

If I were to wake up as Chloe, I would freak out first but I think that’s a given. Secondly, I’d go through her closet and try everything on because her style is incredible and I can only imagine what her full wardrobe looks like. 

In #blackAF, you have a lot of siblings. Do you have a large family IRL? If so, were there any similarities to your rapport with your on-set family? If no, did the experience make you glad or sad you don’t? 

In real life I only have one older sister -- far less than the 5 siblings I have on the show! My parents' style of raising kids is not at all the same as Kenya and Joya’s, so I can't say there are really any similarities between my real and tv family in that aspect. Although with both of them I am lucky to be able to share my honest thoughts and feelings with them even if it’s hard at times. Even though growing up I did want a baby brother, I wouldn’t want to change anything about how my family functions now, but it was definitely an experience to almost live another life in a household that’s run so differently. 

Describe the premise of #blackAF to a five-year-old? 

#blackAF is about a teenager that is filming her family’s everyday life to send in to her favorite college in hopes of getting in. With parents like ours and six kids, things can get crazy at our house. We act a little more “out there” than a typical family so I don’t think it would be appropriate for a five year old, but you can tell your parents to watch it ;) 

What’s the first thing that you remember being a fan of? 

The first thing I remember being a fan of is Barbie. It was one of my favorite toys growing up and the movies are actually what inspired me to perform. Second, I think it would be Usher’s Confessions album. I had no business singing his songs as a child, but those songs are certainly timeless! 

Can you tell us about a funny experience you had on the set of #blackAF? 

When you’re working with Kenya and Rashida something funny is bound to happen everyday. We had a moment of downtime on set and Kenya was showing off some dance moves and Rashida hopped in and it turned into an impromptu dance battle. All I’m gonna say is they both can do a mean robot. Certainly a sight to see and I’m happy to say I’ve witnessed it in my lifetime. 

You began your career dancing before you moved on to acting. Has dancing taught you any valuable lessons for your acting career? 

Dancing has certainly shaped who I am today and I’ve been able to apply those lessons to everyday life. I used to be the most sensitive person on the planet, and although I still have my moments, the tough love from teachers gave me a thicker skin that is necessary to have in this industry. Particularly from being a competitive dancer I learned the value of teamwork and trust. A scene is a collaboration, not a solo, and when you have a scene partner you have to put your full trust in that person in order to let go and be vulnerable. Also, in competition you can’t win them all, and that’s certainly the case with this industry, and I learned from a young age to come to terms with things not always going as planned and to push on and work harder. The long rehearsal hours and high expectations to perform well every time prepared me for work days on set that could sometimes be 14+ hours. All of the hard work that goes into finally performing a 2 minute dance piece is similar to the endless preparation before a new project only for the final cut to be x amount of minutes long and that’s all people get to see. After all it’s about the journey not the destination right? Being a dancer instilled a lot of important lessons within me and I owe my current position to dance aka my first love. 

Without spoiling anything, did you have a favorite scene in the show that was fun to shoot? 

While on vacation things got a little heated between Chloe and Drea and we really had the opportunity to take it there. Both Iman and I have sisters and were able to relate to our characters in that moment. We were both completely understanding of the situation and each other's emotions that it almost made it feel as though we were truly sharing that moment together as sisters. It was a special moment for myself and it definitely brought us closer. It was a very fun challenge and I’m so happy to have been able to share that with her and portray the ups and downs that siblings have. 

How do you embody the mission of #BlackExcellence365 in your everyday work? 

I think that black excellence is our drive and ability to go for, and accomplish the great things we do despite the boundaries that have been set in front of us. We have so much power within ourselves and such a great ability to impact lives. As a kid, I only had a handful of young women of color to look up to and I am grateful that they have paved the way for young actors like myself. I am now in the position to possibly be that for today’s young girls, and it is truly a dream and a huge responsibility that I am thrilled to take on. I hope to take part in roles that can positively impact and inspire young girls to be the best versions of themselves that they can be. Representation on screen is so important and the media has the ability to shape young minds. So far I've had the honor to play a past role of a teenage genius who is a master at coding and is not afraid to be herself or speak her mind. I now get to play a young adult who attends a great college and is setting up her future. Those characters within themselves are what I believe to be some great representations of black excellence and if they positively affect at least one person I am proud of that. I’d like it to be known that it took almost two years of being unemployed before I landed my current role. At times it was tough and I honestly had a fleeting moment where I considered giving up, but I kept pushing and would have never gotten to experience being Chloe if I didn’t hold faith in myself! As my career goes on, I intend on using my platform to be vocal about things that matter most to me and inspire and pave the way for those after me. This is all bigger than myself and each accomplishment and even failure on the way to success that we share is an embodiment of #blackexcellence. 

Do you have any advice for young women of color who are looking to get into the acting business? 

When wanting to accomplish anything in life it requires hard work, resilience, and genuine belief in yourself. You will get more no’s than yes’s, but you cannot let that discourage you. When you know you have something special to share with the world, you have to keep pushing on. I’d highly recommend surrounding yourself with people that are like minded so you can uplift and push each other towards your individual goals. An African Proverb that I think describes this well is, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” So finding a strong support system whether that be within your family or your friends, I personally find to be helpful during the journey. When things get tough it is easy to get lost or caught up in this all, but remember to stay grounded and true to yourself. There is no one else like you, and that alone holds so much power! 

Thanks for taking the time Genneya! #blackAF is now streaming on Netflix.

[wanderingclark]

Everyone Likes Ice Cream

Who: Clark Meeks and Sugar Motta ( @usecodesugar ) Where: ChezSugar When: December, 30, 2019 What: Ice cream and talks. TW: Mentions of drugs, mentions of petty theft

Clark

Clark had been thinking about ice cream since the other night when they were talking about it with Sugar. So they decided to get some and share it with the other girl. They stopped by a nearby gas station and when they noticed that the cashier wasn't in the front, they shook their head before walking back to the freezer section and grabbing a carton of chocolate and a carton of cookie dough before walking right back out to their car without paying. Sugar didn't need to know that though. So grabbing a generic plastic bag out of the collection of bags, they threw them in there before making their way to Sugars house. Once they got the code, they made their way up to the front porch of the giant mansion and waited to be let in.

Sugar

Sugar had spent most of the day preparing for the party the next night and spending time with Simon, who was going to the puppy spa tomorrow so he wasn’t underfoot at the party. When Clark texted, she had been lounging around in her underwear watching Great British Bake Off. Smiling, she jumped up and rummaged for an old pair of juicy sweats and a Dior tshirt, throwing them on, she made her way downstairs to let Clark in, Simon at her heels. “Hi!” She chirped, opening the door wide enough for Clark to enter.

Clark

Clark smiled at the girl and entered the house. "What do you do with so much space" they asked as they looked around at the giant entrance they just walked into. Shaking their head, they lifted the bag in their hand and smirked. "I got chocolate I got cookie dough" they offered as they followed Sugar through the giant house.

Sugar

“Stretch” she laughed, stretching her arms out to the side for emphasis. Simon yapped. “This is Simon!” She picked up the small bichpoo and smiled, hoping Clark wasn’t afraid of or allergic to dogs. “Plus he needs lots of space, he’s very big and brave!” She laughed. “Come on.” She led Clark through the foyer and living room into the large kitchen, setting Simon back down so she could grab some spoons.

Clark

Clark chuckled at the girl and nodded. “You definitely have the space for it” they said as they entered into the kitchen. “Fuck dude. Do you have cooks too?” they asked with a nervous laugh. This was probably the biggest house they had ever been in and they were afraid to touch anything. Looking down at the dog, they laughed. “This is the perfect dog for you. Obviously needs all the space in the world” they joked as the grabbed one of the spoons being offered.

Sugar

Looking around the room, Sugar shrugged, it was always interesting to her, having new people over. She got a fresh perspective of how unusually lavish her every day life actually was. “No, just a maid, she does most of my cooking too though, and Mercedes cooks for me.” She gestured for Clark to follow her. “You wanna watch a movie or something?” She asked, leading Clark back across the living room into the less formal media room. “Also, congrats on being the only person to see the party set up, not even Finn has seen it.”

Clark

Clark followed the girl into the media room and shook their head. They had been in apartments smaller than the room alone. Turning back to the girl before looking around slightly, they hummed. "It looks good. I'm actually pretty stoked about it. Keep telling everyone that this is the only place to be. Though I may have to make an appearance at my sisters place for a second since apparently she's throwing a party too" they said as they rolled their eyes. Sitting down next to Sugar, they opened the top of the cookie dough ice cream and started digging in. "Whaddya wanna watch?" they asked with a mouth full of ice cream

Sugar

Sugar smiled, she liked Clark, they were nice and chill, which she never wanted to say no to in her life. “Thanks! And it will be. Hopefully I have enough swag bags set up.” She flopped on the larger couch and helped herself to the chocolate ice cream, dipping her spoon in. “I dunno, what kind of movies do you like?” Simon sniffed hopefully at the carton but huffed when Sugar pushed him away, curling himself into a donut at the other end of the couch.

Clark

Clark raised an eyebrow. “Is that how you get people to come to your parties? Swag bags?” they joked before reaching their spoon over to the chocolate tub and taking a giant spoonful. Stuffing their face with chocolate, the shrugged before answering, again with a mouth full of food. “Horror. Or psychological thrillers” they said only it probably came out more muffled.

Sugar

Rolling her eyes, Sugar gave an exaggerated fake laugh, and in turn reached over and took a glob of cookie dough from Clark’s carton. “You know, you’re more liable to choke when you talk with your mouth full.” She said dryly, though truthfully Sugar liked that Clark was a change from her usually well mannered friends, even Finn so far had been extra careful around her to be very polite, Clark made no apologies, which was nice.

Clark

Clark shrugged. “Yeah but then you gotta wait for me to finish eating and that takes a while sometimes” they said before taking another bite. Once they finished it, making sure to take their time, the grinned at their new friend. “See how long that took? Way too long. Just say what you gotta say when you gotta say it” they explained. “And if you didn’t understand before I said horror or psychological thrillers.”

Sugar

“I heard you.” Sugar said, picking up the remote and turning on the large tv and scrolling through their options. “So, what else do I need to know about you, besides you’re homeless, have good taste in lingerie, will sleep with anyone but don’t date and you’re pretty easy on the eyes?” She asked, taking another spoonful of ice cream.

Clark

Clark chuckled. "I'm not homeless. I live in my car. My car is my home. Therefore, not homeless" they argued. Raising an eyebrow at that last comment, Clark decided to let it slide due to the fact that she had a boyfriend and would probably not want to deal with their flirtatious side. "I dunno. I'm going to school to study set design and welding. I'm kinda a theatre nerd. I smoke. I wake up every morning between 5 and 5:30. I dunno. What do you wanna know?" they asked before digging back into the ice cream.

Sugar

Sugar nodded along, this was all good information. “That’s really cool! What do you want to do, work on broadway?” She asked, taking another bite of her ice cream. “And also how do you go to school when you move around so much? Like online?” She wrinkled her nose at the idea of being up so early, she had always been a night owl. “Like, on purpose?!” She took another bite, thinking. “What’s your favorite color? What’s your least favorite vegetable? Do you want to live in an actual house someday?”

Clark

Clark shrugged their shoulders and hemmed and hawed for a moment. “I dunno, maybe? Or just like local theatres. I just wanted to work with my hands. I don’t wanna end up stuck in an office some where” they explained before shaking their head. “I haven’t started yet. I’ll be a 23 year old freshman. I start next week” they explained. Chuckling, they nodded. “Yeah, I average 3-5 hours of sleep a night. I also live for naps. But the 530 quiet is my favorite time of day” they admitted. Taking another bite, they hummed in thought before swallowing and then answering the question. “Purple and green. Brussel sprouts. Not really but if I was going to it would be a tiny home that I actually had a hand in building” they answered honestly.

Sugar

Sugar reached over and grabbed some more cookie dough while Clark spoke. “I see. Well that’s cool! I never went to college for anything. So does that mean you’ll be in Doveport for a while then?” She didn’t really understand the concept of not wanting to settle down anywhere, as much as she loved traveling, it was always a comfort to come home to her own bed after a while. “So I guess since you’re not into dating you’re not too worried about having a family someday?”

Clark

Clark shrugged. "I dunno. Either until I finish my degree or I decide to quit" they admitted honestly. Taking another bite of ice cream, Clark shook their head. "I mean, I'd love to have a family some day. I just never wanna carry a kid. And my family has to want to travel with me. But I'm 23 right now. That's not something I want like, next week or whatever" the explained honestly.

Sugar

"That's cool." Sugar said, she took another bite of ice cream, looking down and realizing the tub was already half finished. "I feel that, I'm not sure I want to be pregnant either, but I do want kids someday. But like, if you have a family, will they also live in your car? Or I guess that's why you want to build that tiny house..." She mused, taking another bite and thinking. "I may have more questions later... what do you need to know about me?"

Clark

Clark nodded. “Yeah, Ill have to just live somewhere with a little more square footage. No big deal. But that’s not happening any time soon so I’m not too worried about it” they explained. Setting the half eaten ice cream tub down, they thought for a moment before responding. “What’s your dream job? What’s something not many people know about you. And if you could travel anywhere, where would you wanna go. Careful with that last one. There are wrong answers” they joked.

Sugar

With a final bite, Sugar set her carton aside and thought about Clark’s questions. “Well, I already have my dream job... something not many people know... um... I eat a LOT of sweets, but I’ve never had a cavity.” It wasn’t the most exciting answer, but it was all she could think of off the top of her head. “And I’ve traveled a ton of places, I guess I’m supposed to pick somewhere I’ve never been? So... the giraffe hotel in Kenya. Was that a right answer?” She laughed.

Clark

Clark raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh yeah? Then what is it that you do?” the asked before humming. “That’s impressive. Though I feel you should knock on wood now” they said with a chuckle. Grinning, they nodded. “That was definitely a correct answer. I wanna go there too some day. I just wanna travel across the pond honestly” they said wistfully.

Sugar

Sugar smiled, it always surprised her when her name didn’t precede her. “I’m an Instagram influencer. If something were to happen with that, I dunno, maybe a party planner or just... a housewife?” She lifted her eyebrows. “You’ve never been to Europe?! We should go sometime!” She chirped, she loved traveling almost as much as she loved shopping.

Clark

Clark raised their eyebrow again and shifted to face Sugar a bit more. “So wait, how does this influencer thing work? Like, you post pictures and get paid?” they asked, confused. Clark shook their head. “I’ve spend the past 5 years driving, climbing and hiking through America and Canada. I have a bunch of stuff the world to see” they said excitedly.

Sugar

“Yeah, basically. I just signed a few new sponsorship contracts for the new year. I get paid for each post I make featuring something I’m sponsored for... and if they give me a code I get paid for the code use as well.” Sugar shrugged. “That’s really cool though, I’m not really a big hiker, but I do love to travel all over! What’s the best place you’ve ever been and what’s the worst?”

Clark

“Huh” Clark stated. “I feel like it’s probably way more complicated then it sounds but sweet. Sounds like a pretty chill gig. Do you get free stuff too? Wait, you’re not one of those influencers who like demand free stuff for ‘exposure’ or whatever, right?!” they asked, remembering a few times they came across people like that and they hated those people greatly. Thinking for a moment, Clark nodded to themself before they answered. “Favorite place probably the Black Hills in South Dakota. Worst? Ugh, that’s hard. I’m gonna day Knoxville but only because the people there are assholes and we weren’t allowed to stay very long. It’s gorgeous but no one would let us park anywhere and any time the cops saw us in town they found some reason to pull us over. It wasn’t worth it” they explained.

Sugar

Sugar shook her head. “All I did was post on my insta a lot about my life and got a bunch of followers and then companies started reaching out to me and then that was that. I get free stuff to post about, but no, I don’t ask for free stuff beyond that unless  I’m cutting a deal for payment. I can afford to buy my own stuff.” She laughed. Sugar nodded along with Clark, furrowing her brow at the part where they said their least favorite place. “I’ve never been to Knoxville, I wonder why they were like that...” she mused earnestly, picking her ice cream back up.

Clark

Clark listened to Sugar explain her "job" and nodded as she spoke. "How many followers you got? Because I thought I had a lot but damn dude" they said jokingly. Rolling their eyes, they adjusted themselves on the couch and got serious for a moment. "Dude...the south is not safe for people like me. I look gay as fuck and they don't like that down there. It's scary sometimes" they said honestly, eyes wide.

Sugar

"Almost a hundred and fifty thousand..." Sugar said. She chewed her lip as Clark spoke, she'd never really thought about it, always being pretty feminine in appearance, and most people just assuming she was straight anyways. "But I feel like you could... pass..." She paused, unsure if she was using the word correctly. "Either way! I mean, you looked hot in that suit!" She insisted.

Clark

Clark whistled lowly. "Well damn dude. You're like a fricken Kardashian or some shit" they joked. Running a hand through their hair, Clark sighed slightly. "I don't pass for nothing. My voice is too high to make me look like a dude and my hair is too short and my muscles are too big to make me a girl. Which is fine cuz I'm neither anyway but like, people in the south don't get that" they explained.

Sugar

Sugar laughed, she was no where near Kardashian status, yet, but she hoped to surpass them someday. "I guess I never really thought about it... but you're okay, right? Like, you weren't hurt or anything..." Sugar wasn't really sure she "got" it completely either, but she had been raised to believe that everyone was equal and that every person mattered. She didn't like the idea of her new friend being hurt just for existing.

Clark

Clark shrugged. "Not in Knoxville. I've been in a few fights before, though. And I didn't win all of them that's for sure. But I'm scrappy. I can take care of myself" they said, straightening up a bit as they said it.

Sugar

Without warning, Sugar shifted herself and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Clark in a hug. Clark needed a hug. "I'm sure you can." She said, her arms still around them.

Clark

Clark was kinda taken aback by the hug but eventually wrapped their arms around the other girl as well. "The road isn't for everyone. You gotta be able to take care of yourself. And some places don't like outsiders. But I'm fine. Promise" they said softly to the girl.

Sugar

She pulled away slowly, smiling softly at Clark. "Well, I hope you stay in Doveport for a while then, you already passed the one and only test we have." She said. "Be hot and get me to like you!"

Clark

Clark chuckled and pulled one hand up in front of them before high fiving it with the other hand. "sweet I love passing tests" they joked, laughing as they said it. "Besides, it's hard not to like me. I'm cool as shit" they said, shrugging their shoulders

Sugar

Sugar sat back, Clark was a lot like Puck, she was finding, and she didn't hate that. "I mean, you're okay let's not get ahead of ourselves here." She joked. Suddenly Simon popped his head up and he stood and stretched before hopping down and trotting out of the room.

Clark

Clark laughed at Sugar's comment. "Way to put someone in their place. Damn dude" they joked. Watching the dog leave, Clark raised an eyebrow at Sugar. "Is it trying to tell you something?" they asked.

Sugar

With a laugh, Sugar tucked her legs under herself. "He probably just has to go out." She shrugged. "So, what led you to this nomad life? Where are you from originally?"

Clark

Clark leaned back into the couch and shrugged. "Born and raised in Doveport. My best friend and I grew up talking about traveling and when we hit senior year, we decided to do it. So between studying and shit, we planned to travel to every state and once we did that, we kinda just kept going" they explained.

Sugar

Sugar shook her head. "Wait, hold on, you're from here?! How did we not already know each other?" She felt bamboozled, sure she had been a little stuck up and cliquy in high school, but she wasn't blind. She probably would have even been attracted to Clark back then.

Clark

Clark shrugged. "I had longer hair back then. And I really only hung out with Deni. Or with the theatre nerds. I wasn't popular or anything" they explained before scratching the back of their neck. "I was also still going by my legal name and shit" they said with a shrug.

Sugar

"Oh." She nodded, maybe they'd had a class together or something and she didn't realize, Sugar figured it was rude to ask what Clark's legal name was, didn't really matter anyway. "I like the short hair, it suits you!"

Clark

Clark nodded as they ran a hand through it. "I cut it two days after we left. It was freeing. I hated how long it was but my mom wouldn't let me get it cut. I don't think she wanted to admit that I was gay as fuck" they said with a laugh. Seeing the curiosity in Sugar's eye, they shrugged. "Christine. Christine Meeks" they told the girl.

Sugar

"Oh." Sugar said again, it was proving to be a very educational night. "When I came out to my dad, he was pretty cool about it, I wish all parents were like my dad. He's the best!" She wrinkled her nose at the name. "Clark is much better! Meeks... oh, your sister works at Bank, yeah?"

Clark

Clark shrugged. "They're cool now. But I'm the baby of the family so I think they just wanted whats "best for me" or whatever" they explained. Chuckling, the nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna stick with Clark. And yes. Apparently she's the manager or whatever. She still calls me Christine unless people have asked her otherwise. I haven't really told my family yet" they said with a shrug.

Sugar

"So, wait, if you're from here, why don't you just stay at your parents' house, or with your sister? I mean, do you really enjoy sleeping in your car every single night?! Do you just have a chiropractor on retainer?" Sugar asked, the questions bubbling out of her before she could consider if it was rude to ask.

Clark

Clark rolled their eyes. They knew they'd be answering these questions forever so they might as well get used to it. "I sleep on a full sized memory foam mattress. I change it out once a year. It's quite comfortable. So yeah, it's not that bad. I enjoy it at least. It only kinda sucks when it's below freezing outside" they explained honestly.

Sugar

"I guess that doesn't sound that bad. But seriously, you're always welcome to use my driveway, or one of my guest rooms, I have a ton! Well, like, 3... my dad has more. But anyways. Where do you like shower? What do you do if you have to pee in the middle of the night?"

Clark

Clark nodded. "I may take you up on that. Depends on how dickish the cops are here" they said. Shaking their head with a smile, they brought up a hand to count off their answers. "Gym, or I have a camping shower that I can use in a bind. And I just go in a bush or whatever. I got a thing that helps me pee while standing" they said with a nod. "But I only sleep for like 3-5 hours a night but when I'm asleep I'm passed the fuck out so I don't usually wake up needing to pee"

Sugar

Nodding along to Clark's answers, Sugar made mental notes. She still didn't understand the appeal, she adored her house, and having a tub and a full kitchen and room for all her stuff, but she could respect that not everyone wanted the same kind of lifestyle. "Yeah, you've mentioned that, why is that? Is it like insomnia?"

Clark

Clark shrugged. "I dunno. I think I just have too much energy. It's why I hike and climb and stuff. Which, I'm gonna have to find other things to do here since we're on fucken flat land" they complained. "I just like being active and working with my hands and what not. If I went to a doctor they'd probably say I had insomnia or something though. I'm just used to it."

Sugar

Sugar shrugged. "Hm, that's interesting. I love sleep! But, I think the gym has a rock wall you can climb, if you want. I'm not really much for exercise. I like to do stuff with Finn, and I take a spin class once a week, but most for Instagram, but aside from that I get my exercise in by shopping and eating." She laughed.

Clark

Clark shrugged back. “I’ll have to check it out. Hopefully they do. Though I don’t mind driving out a bit to get my climb on. And we’re on the ocean. I can take my kayak out too” they said. Chuckling, they shook their head. “I don’t think that counts as exercise but sure let’s go with it.”

Sugar

"The fuck is a kayak?" Sugar asked, furrowing her brow. Seriously, people came up with all kinds of crazy words for stuff that was really just code for not that fun. "Is that like yogalates?" She grinned and sat up straight, putting her hands on her hips. "Listen you don't get this body without some serious cardio! And shopping gets my heart pumping!"

Clark

Clark shook their head and pulled out their phone to show them a picture of their boat. “It’s a one person boat dude. Kinda like a canoe only better” they explained. Putting their phone away, the laughed. “Do you carry your own bags? I feel like that’s the only way to believe you get your cardio while shopping”

SugarLast

Furrowing her brow again, Sugar looked at the picture. It looked like zero percent fun, but she was sure most of the things she found enjoyable, Clark would be bored to tears by, so to each their own. She rolled her eyes. "You've seen me shop, you know I carry my own bags. And that was shopping light! You should see me when I really get going." She laughed.

Clark

Clark shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe I came on a day when your bag cattier was off or something. How am I supposed to know” they said. “Though I dunno if I could do a full day of shopping with ya honestly. I’d probably pass out by lunch. You walk too fast”

Sugar

Sugar laughed and shook her head. "No, I carry my own bags, maybe one day if I go shopping with Finn I could get him to carry some, but mostly it's all me. And yes, I do, but to be fair, you caught me at the end of the year. The week after Christmas is when I have to do my heavy duty shopping to make sure my AMEX stays active." She explained.

Clark

Clark shook their head. "I've never had a credit card in my life. And I don't plan on getting one any time soon. I'm pretty sure the only reason I have credit is because I have to pay my phone bill every month and I paid my car off last year. I don't understand how people spend hundreds of dollars on a credit card. It makes no sense to me. I feel like it's just a middle man. If you have the money, just spend it out right. Why pay to use a card to spend your money?" they asked, completely ignorant to the importance of credit cards

Sugar

Shrugging, Sugar nodded her head. “Yeah I don’t really know the point either, but my business manager thinks I should use it, and sometimes it is easier. I usually just use it for dinners, gifts and vacations, that kind of thing. But I have to spend a minimum of a hundred grand a year to keep it, so if I get past Christmas and I’m not there yet, I treat myself to a lil shopping spree.” She giggled. “Otherwise I just use cash, the only other card I have is my maid’s.”

Clark

Clark shook their head. "Sounds way too complicated. Especially having a business manager involved in it. How many people you got telling you what to do?" the asked curiously. "I'm happy to just use cash. I only recently got a bank account because the school requires you to have one so you can pay them and shit. I really just like using cash. Flying under the radar" they explained honestly with a shrug.

Sugar

“I’ve just always had one, he’s my dad’s too.” Sugar shrugged again. “Telling me what to DO? Ummm... 5? Including my dad and Mercedes.” She laughed. “Cash is easier, just take what you need out each week and call it a day.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Why do you gotta fly under the radar? You on the run?”

Clark

Clark shook their head. "That's way too many people telling you what to do. I couldn't do it. I like doing my own thing." Laughing, they shook their head. "Why does everyone think I'm on the run. No. I just work short term gigs so people just usually pay me under the table in cash so they don't gonna pay taxes for someone who only worked two weeks" the explained. Shrugging their shoulders, they stretched. "I live in my car. I like living simply."

Sugar

"It's not that many, I mean, my dad and Cedes... my business manager, my brand manager and the Brigida, but she most only tells me what to do when she's JUST mopped or to get out of her kitchen." Sugar shrugged. "I guess I'm used to it." She laughed. "Because you live in your car and seem so mysterious. We all wanna figure you out. So, you want a small house and a job you can do with your hands." Sugar could hear Kitty's voice in her head whispering 'kinky' and she smiled to herself. "And possibly a family one day, but definitely a dog."

Clark

Clark shrugged. "I'm not trying to be mysterious. I'm an open book. You ask me anything and I'll tell ya. I just try and live a simple life" they argued back calmly. They weren't trying to hide anything from anyone. They just weren't fancy like some people were. Grabbing a tub of ice cream, they went to get some when they noticed it was beginning to melt. "We should get these in the freezer"

Sugar

Sugar smiled. "Ooh, 20 questions, I love games! Earlier you said you smoke, smoke what exactly?" She asked, picking up her own ice cream and grabbing the top for it. She stood and led Clark into the large kitchen, opening the freezer drawer.

Clark

Clark groaned playfully but followed Sugar to the kitchen and threw the ice cream into the freezer. "Cigarettes. Weed. I also do coke on occasion" they said with a shrug.

Sugar

Sugar's eyebrows shot up. "Coke? Really? What's that like?!" She asked, now curious. Sugar wasn't against the idea of recreational drug use, per se, but had never had the opportunity to do more than smoke a couple of joints in high school, and the occasional edible now.

Clark

Clark shrugged. "It's different for everyone. I started taking it to help me stay awake at night. I enjoy taking it when I'm having sex with people. Sometimes I just do it to do it. I like how it makes me feel. I dunno. It's hard to explain" the said with a shrug. "I have some if you ever wanna try" the said as they leaned against the counter nonchalantly

Sugar

"Hmmm." Sugar hummed, nodding along. "Nah, I'm okay, but thanks, if I ever change my mind I'll let you know." She lifted herself so she could sit on the island, crossing her ankles together and swinging her legs. "Why did you leave Doveport?"

Clark

Clark shrugged. "I wanted to see the country. And so did Deni. So we went together. And I fell in love with being on the road so I just stayed on the road. Saw different places, did new things, met new people. It was fun. I wanna do it again."

Sugar

Sugar kept nodding, just to show she was listening. "I love to travel too, but... I also love coming home. So, you're gonna leave again when you get your degree?"

Clark

Clark shrugged. "I don't know. Probably. Unless theres a reason for me to stay" she admitted honestly

Sugar

"If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?" She asked next. A whirring sound came from the door off the kitchen and Simon entered through the electric dog door, trotting across the room to his water bowl.

Clark

Clark was about to answer when the dog entered the room. The looked at the dog door for a moment before shaking their head and turning back to Sugar. "Probably Norway. Or New Zealand" they said. "But I really want to see the entire world someday.

Sugar

Noticing Clark's reaction, Sugar chuckled. "Yeah, it's his house, I'm merely allowed to live here to provide treats and belly rubs." She quipped. "New Zealand I have not been to yet, but Norway is absolutely fabulous! We should go sometime. I think my 2020 "resolution" or whatever." She punctuated the word with finger quotes for emphasis. "Is gonna be to travel more. I used to take like 4 or 5 trips a year!"

Clark

"That's a fancy ass door for a dog. The only ones I've ever seen before are the ones that are just a flap or some shit" they explained. Nodding, Clark sighed. "God, I would love to be able to take 4 or 5 trips a year outside of the states. I've only been into Canada. And a Mexico. But there's so much more out there that I wanna see."

Sugar

"It's just got a sensor that matches with his collar so randos don't get in, like bugs or raccoons or stray cats or whatever. I like cats, Simon does not." Sugar laughed. "You've come to the right place then! I'm already planning a trip with Gabi and Peyton, Kitty, and I'm sure Finn and I will take some trips, and now you!" She grinned.

Clark

Clark shook their head. "I'm allergic to cats" they told the girl, in case she was decided to get one any time soon. "I should probably get a real legit passport then, huh?" they said jokingly but the words behind it were serious.

Sugar

Sugar shrugged. "So is Simon. And yes, you definitely should! Everyone should have a valid passport, always!" She said seriously. "We can do Norway and then maybe we can do a big trip to New Zealand! All our friends, and whoever your flavor of the week is then." She teased.

Clark

Clark smiled. "Oh good. I'm not gonna have to stop coming over then" they joked. Chuckling, they shrugged. "I didn't have time or money to get one before we went to Canada so we got fake ones and that's what I've been using ever since. How does one even go about getting a passport?" the asked. Grinning, they nodded. "I'm down. Though I guess I'll have to like someone enough to plan in advance because you can't just be like hey wanna come to New Zealand? We leave tomorrow."

Sugar

Furrowing her brow, Sugar listened. She had never had a fake ID of any kind, never needed one really, but a fake passport was wild. "Well, you apply for one, get your fingerprints done, get your picture taken, pay the fee and wait. We always expedite, so it only takes like 72 hours." She laughed. "Yeah, I'd say someone would need probably a week's notice, at least."

Clark

Clark frowned. “That sounds like a lot of work. Guess I’ll have to get the process started then” they said with a shrug. Tilting their head to the side, they raised an eyebrow. “You got any more questions for me tonight or are you saving the best ones for later?”

Sugar

Sugar could take a hint, and glancing at the clock, she realized it had gotten pretty late. "Nah, I'll save em. Should probably get ready for bed anyways, Simon gets cranky if he doesn't get his full eight hours." She hopped down from the island. "You wanna crash here? Plenty of room!" She offered.

Clark

Clark looked down at the tiny dog and shook their head before shrugging. “Yeah sure. I my car okay on the street or should I move it in your giant ass gated property?” the teases playfully.

Sugar

"Should be fine for one night." Sugar shrugged, leading the way out of the kitchen and out to the grand staircase. "People will probably assume it just belongs to someone's gardener." She headed up the stairs, Simon trotting up ahead of her, heading toward the guest rooms.

Clark

Clark rolled their eyes and followed the girl up the stairs. “I’m not about to start doing people’s gardens though” they argued as they walked into a guest room and stopped. The giant room was bigger than anything they’d ever seen and they shook their head. “This room alone could be a house” they joked.

Sugar

Sugar wrinkled her nose. "This isn't even the size of my guest house..." She gave them a brief tour of the room. "Sheets are new, bathroom is through that door, there's clean towels in there if you want to take a bath or shower or something..." She picked up the remote from the bedside table. "There's all the streaming services in here, watch whatever strikes your fancy.... do you need the wifi password?" She asked.

Clark

Clark shook their head as they took the remote from Sugar. “Sure. I’ll just store it in my phone for whenever I’m over, though I’m pretty sure i’m just gonna crash” they admitted honestly.

Sugar

"It's ChezSugar and the password is usecodsugar all one word." She said with a shrug. "Alrighty, well, I'll just leave you to it!" Sugar smiled and waved as she made her way out of the room and down the hallway to her own master bedroom, Simon already nestled in his regular spot on the bed.

Clark

Clark put the password into their phone before saying goodnight. Looking around, they shook their head before taking a quick shower and heading to bed, moaning slightly when the climbed into the comfortable bed. Setting an alarm, knowing they would probably sleep hard tonight, they chuckled lightly at how similar Sugar and Deni were as they let themselves drift off to sleep

[whimsicaldragonette]

ARC Review: Kids' Nonfiction Read in February 2023: Rebel Girls

*Summaries, Ratings, and Reviews for all three books below the cut.

Rebel Girls Animal Allies

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Publication Date: January 17, 2023

Synopsis:

TRUE STORIES OF ANIMAL ADVOCATES Meet 25 brave, compassionate scientists, veterinarians, activists, and others who fight for animal rights and conservation. Animal Allies takes readers all around the world—to the tops of trees and the bottom of oceans, deep into the jungle and high into the mountains. Swim with the sharks alongside Eugenie Clark, build bat houses with Amanda Lear, nurse a baby hippo to health with Christina Gorsuch, and protect endangered seahorses with Amanda Vincent and Heather Koldewey. With a foreword by zoologist Lucy King and activities curated by conservationist Bindi Irwin, this book is sure to inspire animal lovers everywhere. Plus, scannable codes let you listen to longer stories on the Rebel Girls App!

My Rating: ★★★★★

My Review:

Kiddo (8) and I really enjoyed this one! There are many inspiring stories about girls and women who are helping and caring for animals. There are also ideas about ways for you to help animals. Kiddo is very very into cute animals at the moment (The number of stuffed animals he sleeps with just keeps growing) and though he protested reading anything over Christmas break, he was happy to curl up with me and listen to the stories once I cajoled him into listening to "just one." In fact, every time I stopped for a minute to rest my voice he immediately flipped to the next page himself. We enjoyed the beautiful illustrations that go with each one page story (there were many exclamations of "It's so cute!" about the various animals pictured) and the quotes from each featured girl and woman. The reading level is a bit higher than kiddo's (3rd grade) just because of how dense the text is on the page. It makes a great read-aloud for kids age 6-9 however, and a slightly older kid could read it on their own. I found it was also helpful to read aloud because of some science words and names of animals kiddo was unfamiliar with that I could explain when he asked as we went along. *Thanks to NetGalley and Rebel Girls for providing an early copy for review.

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Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest

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Publication Date: February 7, 2023

Synopsis:

From the world of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls comes the historical novel based on the life of Dr. Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist from Kenya. Wangari lives in a magical place in rural Kenya where the soil is rich for planting, the trees abundant, and the nearby pond full of mysterious creatures. She drinks from cool, clean streams and plays beneath her favorite fig tree under her mother’s watchful gaze. Then Wangari grows up and goes away to school, and things start changing at home. Farmers chop down the trees. Landslides bury the stream. The pond dries up. The soil becomes overworked, dry, and unusable for planting. And people go hungry. Dr. Wangari Maathai has a simple solution to all of these problems: plant trees.

My Rating: ★★★★★

My Review:

This was an incredibly moving and inspiring account of the life of Dr. Wangari Maathai, from when she was a young girl all the way through her life and her fight for the environment and the ordinary people of Kenya. I had somehow never heard of her, and I learned so much while reading this. Her thirst for knowledge and her love of the natural world were clear from the very beginning, so it is fitting that she studied so long and worked tirelessly to plant forests and protect nature. I will be sharing this with my 3rd grader - it's just the sort of story he likes and there are a lot of important lessons in here. It's very well-written, in such a way that it immediately draws you in and makes you want to know more. The illustrations are cute and colorful and add to the story. *Thanks to NetGalley and Rebel Girls for providing an early copy for review.

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Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music

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Publication Date: March 7, 2023

Synopsis:

TRUE STORIES OF WOMEN WHO RAISE THE ROOF! This collection features 25 stories of extraordinary women in music--women who have moved hearts and minds with their lyrics, uplifted other musicians, and gotten people to jump, dance, and sing along with their music. Belt out pop anthems with Lizzo, bang on the drums with Nandi Bushell, and write country hits with Dolly Parton. The women in this book come from all around the world. They play different instruments, experiment with new sounds, and stand out in their genres. But one thing is true of them all: They rock! With a foreword by iconic rocker Joan Jett and activities curated by Gibson Guitars, this book will have readers everywhere jamming out! Plus, scannable codes let you listen to more stories on the Rebel Girls app.

My Rating: ★★★★★

My Review:

I really enjoyed this installment of the Rebel Girls series. I recognized many of the artists featured, but not all, and I learned many new things about them. I came away feeling inspired by the energy and creativity and determination to be oneself that shone from the pages. This is a fabulous book for young girls who love music to inspire them to reach for their dreams and live their life unapologetically. The illustrations are bright and colorful and fierce and full of the personality of each artist being featured. They add a lot of emotion and impact to the stories. I would recommend this to all elementary, middle, and high school girls (and boys too, because it's not just girls who need to see that girls can do anything they set their minds to), especially those who love music. *Thanks to NetGalley and Rebel Girls for providing an early copy for review.

[edernetdotorg]

The First Coding Curriculum In Africa Has Been Adopted By Kenya, And Nigeria Is Following Similar Steps

The First Coding Curriculum In Africa Has Been Adopted By Kenya, And Nigeria Is Following Similar Steps

Among African nations, Kenya has taken the lead in adopting a new curriculum for teaching coding in elementary and secondary schools. The United States, England, Finland, France, and Germany have all made coding a major part of their school curricula, and now Kenyan kids have followed suit. According to reports, Africa’s most populous country boasts the most digital businesses and the highest…

[womanofnoculture]

Code Switching in The Hate U Give

As a part of my job, I run a book club for young adult readers. The first book I handed out since starting the club was The Hate U Give. I actually hadn’t read this previously (and perhaps I should read the books I assign before handing them out but I digress). I did, however, hear nothing but good things about it.

(Photo courtesy of Goodreads)

I won’t spoil the book by hashing out the plot, but to be brief, the main character, Starr, is a 16-year-old black girl that lives in, as she calls it, “the hood.” Her life as a part of her hometown and her life at school are starkly different—at school, she’s one of the only black kids. In her neighborhood (Garden Heights), she’s “Maverick’s daughter” or the girl who goes to a fancy “white” school. Starr’s friend, Kenya, even makes comments about how people say she thinks herself too good for parties in Garden Heights.

Despite being less than an hour away, Garden Heights and Williamson High School may as well be worlds apart—and though Starr might feel like an alien in either one, she does her best to fit in how she can.

Williamson Starr doesn’t use slang—if a rapper would say it, she doesn’t say it, even if her white friends do. Slang makes them cool. Slang makes her “hood.” Williamson Starr holds her tongue when people piss her off so nobody will think she’s the “angry black girl.” Williamson Starr is approachable. No stank-eyes, side-eyes, none of that. Williamson Starr is nonconfrontational. Basically, Williamson Starr doesn’t give anyone a reason to call her ghetto.

The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas

Starr intentionally changes her behavior when she attends Williamson in order to avoid negative stereotypes associated with being black. In Garden Heights, almost everyone in her community is black. But at school, it’s very obvious that she doesn’t look like everyone else. Unfortunately, being a minority can come with unfair double-standards (such as the use of slang, in Starr’s case). She can’t be angry, or she’s the “angry black girl.” She can’t use slang, or she’s “hood.” So Starr has to monitor her personality, “code-switching” or changing her behavior according to her situation or social group as a strategy to succeed.

This isn’t the only example of code-switching Starr does in The Hate U Give, but it demonstrates an important conflict in her character. And when her two worlds collide, it gets even more complicated for Starr.

Chris and Maya walk through the gate, and my stomach gets all jittery. I should be used to my two worlds colliding, but I never know which Starr I should be. I can use some slang, but not too much slang, some attitude, but not too much attitude, so I’m not a “sassy black girl.” I have to watch what I say and how I say it, but I can’t sound “white.”

The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas

It’s as if Starr thinks of herself as two different people, one for each world. It’s hard to be both at the same time, or to chose one or the other. When her worlds collide and her friends from Williamson and her friends from Garden Heights are both at her house, it causes a conflict of self. Who should she be? Williamson Starr or Garden Heights Starr?

By the end, Starr decides to be more open around Chris. He insists that, as her boyfriend, he wants to know all about her, not just who she is at Williamson. Though she’ll likely continue to act differently depending on if she’s at home, school, or elsewhere, she realizes there are those she can trust to be herself with—both of her selves—and not have to constantly monitor her behavior around. The world may insist on applying a label, but there will always be people willing to see her as she is.

[covid19updater]

COVID19 Updates: 07/30/2021

Australia:  JUST IN - Australia will not reopen its borders for travel until 80% of the population is vaccinated - Prime Minister Scott Morrison

World: Holy Mother—the worst CDC #DeltaVariant report ever: MORE CONTAGIOUS than Smallpox* DOUBLE transmission of Wuhan 1.0* MORE SEVERE than ever* Vaccinated can transmit* & breakthrough viral loads ~ unvaxxed.

Japan:  Japan Medical Association fears medical system will collapse if Covid-19 surge continues

Florida:  BREAKING: AdventHealth hospital system puts Central Florida Division on code black due to surge in coronavirus patients

Florida:  COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida have reached the highest level since August. At the current rate it will reach the all-time high within 7 days

California:  Los Angeles Unified School District, the 2nd-largest in the U.S., says all students and employees will have to wear masks and be tested weekly, regardless of vaccination status

US:  U.S. COVID update: More than 96,000 new cases, biggest one-day increase since February - New cases: 96,085 - Average: 71,092 (+4,459) - In hospital: 44,245 (+1,635) - In ICU: 10,874 (+411) - New deaths: 398.  NEW: Number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 tops 44,000, highest since April

California:  Los Angeles County reports 3,248 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase since February (Note: CA has one of the highest vax rates in the US)

US:  CDC Director Walensky says new masking advice was largely based on soon-to-be-published data showing that virus can thrive in the airways of vaccinated people, even if they're asymptomatic - NYT

US:  BREAKING: Biden orders vaccine mandate for all 1.5 million members of the U.S. military - NYT

Japan:  *JAPAN PM SUGA TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE AT 7PM JST

Japan:  JAPAN'S TRADE MIN. KAJIYAMA: JAPAN PROPOSES EXTENDING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN TOKYO AND OKINAWA OVER COVID-19 UNTIL AUGUST THE 31ST.

Philippines:  PHILIPPINES REIMPOSES LOCKDOWN IN CAPITAL FROM AUG. 6-AUG. 20

South Korea:  South Korea: Daily virus cases over 1,700 as infections grow amid summer vacation season

Florida:  Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, warns that its hospitals and emergency rooms are at maximum capacity.

Texas:  BREAKING:  Only 13 ICU beds are available in Central Texas across 11 counties.  2,375,407 people live in the Trauma Service Area O.   That’s only 2% of ICU beds available in Central Texas. This is the lowest level of ICU beds since the START OF THE PANDEMIC.  

Arkansas:  Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday declared a public health emergency amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and announced a special legislative session to change a law that prevents public schools from requiring masks:

Malaysia:  #COVID19 Malaysia recorded 16,840 new positive cases with 134 deaths.

Illinois:  CDC COVID risk map: Cook Co. to issue mask rules as data shows 'substantial' COVID-19 transmission - WLS-TV

Kenya:  The Kilimani Street Festival has been postponed following the COVID-19 briefing by CS Mutahi Kagwe, and restriction of public gatherings. It remains our primary responsibility to ensure we comply with the above directive, and help in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Malaysia:  Malaysia busts another ceiling with record 1,055 patients in ICU for Covid-19 today | Malay Mail LINK

RUMINT (US):  BREAKING: Six passengers on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas cruise ship (which I am sailing on) have tested positive for COVID-19. Four are vaccinated, two are unvaccinated children. Passengers have not yet been notified. Story to come.

Vietnam:  Vietnam confirms 8,622 new COVID-19 cases and nearly 300 deaths LINK

Massachusetts:  91 vaccinated Mass. residents have died from COVID-19 as breakthrough cases surpass 6,000 This is why the Biden Admin is freaking out. MA is a leading indicator. LINK

US:  This new change doesn't seem to be getting the attention it deserves.... The C.D.C. now says fully vaccinated people should get tested after exposure even if they don’t show symptoms. LINK

US: Op/Ed:  As a pediatrician I'm going on record saying that allowing kids to be freely infected with a novel disease that has unknown long term consequences is the worst idea of 2021 despite being a pretty crowded field so far #COVID19

Arkansas:  'It's going to be dark days here in the next couple of weeks,' said UAMS Chancellor @drcampatterson. @NBCNews @shaqbrewster said that's scary to hear him say. "I've haven't said that before," Patterson replied. #covid19ark LINK

UK: Covid infection rates in England are STILL going up, random testing reveals: ONS figures show an increase despite dramatic plunge in daily infections - adding to fears that people are hiding symptoms to avoid being 'pinged' LINK

RUMINT (Florida):  My mom lives in Florida and works at a medical clinic near Melbourne. She said her whole office is worried. "We are getting emails from admin that they may be sending some of us out of the clinic to help at the hospital and that includes me. They want us to work 12 hour shifts too." "My employer owns a lot of hospitals and the one closest to hear is near full capacity. They said the nursing staff is at the breaking point there." She is 65 years old and is high-risk with diabetes and some heart issues. Trying to make her work in a hospital for 12 hours shifts?!?!

World:  Vaccination alone won't stop the rise of variants and in fact could push the evolution of strains that evade their protection, researchers warned. They said people need to wear masks and take other preventative steps until almost everyone is vaccinated. LINK (LOL)

World:  * WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HEAD TEDROS SAYS HARD-WON GAINS IN FIGHTING COVID-19 ARE BEING LOST

NYC:  BROADWAY AUDIENCES WILL NEED PROOF OF VACCINATION AND MASKS - NYT

US:  As of July 23, there have been 11,940 deaths, 11,198 life-threatening adverse events, 12,808 cases of permanent disability, and over 106,000 hospitalizations and emergency room visits following Covid vaccination reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System #CovidVaccine

Florida:  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to issue executive order to give parents the right to decide whether their children will wear a mask at school

US:  NEW: Number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 tops 45,000, highest since March

US:  (READ) CDC: 74% who got Covid-19 and most who were hospitalized in recent analysis had been fully vaccinated. LINK

Massachusetts:  Vaccinated people made up three-quarters of those infected in a massive Massachusetts covid-19 outbreak, pivotal CDC study finds

US:  Walmart will require employees in high COVID-19 transmission areas to wear masks again LINK

US:  FDA, UNDER PRESSURE, PLANS ‘SPRINT’ TO ACCELERATE REVIEW OF PFIZER’S COVID-19 VACCINE FOR FULL APPROVAL – STAT NEWS

Louisiana:  Masks, face coverings now required in all East Baton Rouge library buildings LINK

Uganda:  #Uganda: PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ON COVID -19 Schools remain closed. Learning to continue virtually. Burials, weddings and other marriage ceremonies restricted to 20 people. Inter district movement of private vehicles allowed but with a restricted number of passengers.

UK:  JUST IN - SAGE, the UK's health "expert panel," warns next Covid "super mutant variant" could kill up to one in three people, and the "vaccine roll-out may even speed up mutant strain's emergence." (Daily Mail)

US:  JUST IN - More than 110,000 breakthrough cases in the US (Bloomberg)

UK:  Sewage monitoring has shown there was a "widespread increase" in the concentration of COVID-19 in England throughout June LINK

UK:  NEW: NHS secretly drew up plans to withdraw hospital care from people in nursing homes in the event of a pandemic

US:  Breaking: COVID-19 just released a rare statement. "Thank you for not learning anything from the past 16 months. I really can't believe it's this easy to keep the pandemic going. See you at Sturgis!"

Hawaii:  BREAKING: Hawaii reporting high number of 622 new #COVID19 cases statewide today - caveat: that includes getting caught up from electronic reporting backlog - but 3 day average now over 300 cases per day @KITV4

Florida:  BREAKING NEWS: COVID-19 cases continue to be on the rise in Florida as the state reported more than 100,000 cases in the past week. The state’s new case positivity rate also surged to 18.1%. LINK

US:  Walmart requires that headquarters staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4, while Disney gives workers at all U.S. locations 60 days - MarketWatch LINK

US:  JUST IN - U.S. House adjourned for a 6-week August recess without passing an extension of the eviction moratorium which expires Saturday, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes.

US:  FDA okays Regeneron COVID-19 antibody as preventive in high-risk settings LINK

California:  #BREAKING: Coronavirus cases have spiked yet again in San Diego County, reaching a new daily high total since Feb. 5, county officials confirmed Friday. LINK

Arkansas:  NEW: Arkansas reported 2,544 new COVID-19 cases today. Hospitalizations increased by 32. LINK

Missouri:  How a Tiny Town With an Anti-Mask Mayor Caused COVID Chaos LINK

Missouri:  ‘What’s your breaking point?’: Over 300 hospitalized in SW Missouri — including kids LINK

US:  U.S. CDC chief says there will be no federal mandate on COVID-19 vaccine LINK

Florida:  The reigning Florida of America… is still… Florida. If no mask or mitigation, then FL is headed towards a burn  through. That’s like a forest fire that fizzles out when it runs out of wood/bushes/grass to burn. God save the good people of Florida. #COVID19

South Africa:  Refusing a Covid-19 vaccine in South Africa could now drive up your life-insurance premium similar to other risk factors such as smoking, a South African insurer said this week, in a move that is likely to be watched closely by other industry players LINK

[yousifkho]

Voluntourism: Please Stay Home, it's Better for Everyone

It is an admirable characteristic for one to be dedicated to making a difference in the world. But when designated organizations, meant to help people, continuously perpetuate oppression their mission statement must be questioned. Voluntourism focuses more on feeling good than doing actual good. Lacking the needed skills and expertise, the ability for volunteers to alleviate poverty and provide support for vulnerable children is inadequate. If these volunteers were unable to build schools or offer medical assistance in their home countries, what makes it morally okay to perform these tasks in a developing country? Despite many arguing that volunteer tourism epitomizes global citizenship ideals, I am here to argue that just like regular tourism it is superficial and exploitative.

Voluntourism is all about appearance. These volunteers are concerned more about appearing to themselves and others as accomplishing good by documenting every aspect of their trip. For instance, at my high school, many students went on a life-changing experience in Kenya. Throughout this extremely costly trip, some of these “student leaders” would film young children telling them to perform viral dances or recite campaign slogans for what was the presidential student election. These students, like typical volunteers, are predominantly wealthy white people which reinforces the inequalities within volunteering societies. To add, students of colour and individuals from low-income backgrounds are underrepresented in these trips. Thus, the cultural and social capital volunteers gain from these trips benefit the already privileged, granting them unique experiences to place on their school or work applications. These innocent locals are victims who should not be exploited for entertainment purposes or to secure a job more easily; these are human beings who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. As global citizens we must think of these individuals not as beneath us, but equal to us and voluntourism fails to accomplish this.

These short-term service trips that many college and university students embark on are creating more problems than they are solving. By sending volunteers to historically third-world countries it reinforces an us vs. them narrative. This sends the message that countries in the developing world are in need to be saved by western and white influence. Further, it suggests that communities need volunteers to help achieve the most basic levels of existence, despite having hard working and motivated locals who are just as capable. The actions of volunteer tourists increasingly have consequences to the communities they are entering.

Globalization encourages us to not think of any event in isolation. Although western citizens view these trips to be a life-changing experience, the same cannot be said for locals. Volunteers are taking jobs from locals and disrupting the dynamics within these communities. When visiting orphanages, it is emotionally damaging for the young kids to create bonding experiences that only last for a short-period of time before the volunteers must leave. Instead, these organizations should seek to understand the culture of the community it is entering to ensure that western ideals are not overtaking the traditional way of life. Likewise, by employing an ethical code that is equal to the one used in their home country, individuals who are unequipped to help won’t be allowed. It is important, even in resource-limited areas, that professional and moral ethics are not comprised.

For those who think this is too critical I say white tears and guilt isn’t going to provide impoverished communities with the social services they need. When you defend and protect volunteer tourists you allow privileged people to benefit from the conditions of impoverished people. For instance, to send one volunteer it costs thousands of dollars. If people's intention is to truly help these communities that money should be used toward building sustainable infrastructure or training community members to perform these needed tasks. Sendin

[sushmc4k-blog]

Travelling With Kids Made Easy! Best Curated Travel Experiences!

As parents, it’s our aim to always give our growing kids the best of experiences, and travelling with kids for holidays and vacations falls in that list too! Travelling with kids is one of many things parents can do to help their kids grow into well-rounded adults with perspective that extends beyond their own neighbourhood. Curated travel experiences for kids and parents are quickly gaining importance in India, ensuring fun, unique holidays that create a lifetime of memories.

Understanding the importance of travel for children in creating new memories and new cultural experiences without getting their parents all flustered, these organizations in India that have made it their aim to curate unique travel experiences for kids with their parents so that everyone can have a fun, smooth, enjoyable and hassle free experience, ensuring loads of happy memories!

1) THE EXTRAORDINARY TRAVEL COMPANY

Based in: Bangalore

Contact: Jyotsna Kini, +91 96111 55002, jo@extraordinarytravel.in

Average Duration of Trips: 2 – 5 days

https://www.facebook.com/theextraordinarytravelcompany/

The Extraordinary Travel Company is the brainchild of Jyotsna, who believes in travelling across the beaten path to create unique travel experiences. Unlike regular sightseeing excursions, her trips are planned around activities that interest people who are actually on the tour, and that includes parents with kids as young as 4 and 6 months. From yoga retreats for new mums & their infant babies to travel to Auroville, she organizes it all!

Each day is planned with a plethora of activities that aim to go beyond the touristy and explore off beat paths of holiday destinations. Her aim is that people discover new places, make unforgettable memories and new friends with The Extraordinary Travel Company.

2) LITTLE PASSPORTS INDIA

Based in: Mumbai

Contact: Prachi Kagzi, +91 98201 21110

Average Duration of Trips: 3 – 5 days

http://www.littlepassports.in/

Little Passports India encourages learning in kids, the unconventional way! They organize educational travel tours for kids aged 3 – 15 years who are accompanied by their parents. Trips are organized in tandem with school holidays and are designed with age-appropriate experiences. Visiting unique destinations in India while strengthening the parent-child bond – that’s what Little Passports aims for. It’s also a wonderful resource for meeting like-minded parents and kids and cultivates beautiful friendships for life!

Little Passports founder Prachi has travelled over 45 countries and still counting! Their upcoming tours include visits to places like the Wagah Border in Amritsar, Visiting the Gir Forest, Spotting Tigers at the Tadoba Reserve and many more.

Little Passports has a special offer for mycity4kids readers. They can avail a discount of Rs. 1500/- on their April Trip with this coupon code(MC4K17). This has to be mentioned while registration.

3) A LIFETIME TRIP – CREATING COLORFUL MEMORIES

Based in: New Delhi

Contact:  +91 92543 30340/41/42/43

Average Duration of Trips: 4 – 12 days

http://www.alifetimetrip.com/

This award winning organization specializes in organizing road trips for Ladakh and customizing the experience each time to suit the different age groups of participants. They have even organized trips to Leh – Ladakh with kids as young as 1.6 years! Their list of recommended reads on their travel blog prepares moms and dads for any eventuality when travelling with kids and also gives them tips to have an overall great time. Packages are reasonably priced with multiple sharing options available.

4) OUTDOERS INDIA

Based in: Binsar, Uttarakhand

Contact:  +91 98495 14854, +91 94105 90980

Average Duration of Trips: 4 – 8 days

http://www.outdoers.in/

Outdoers enable city folks to tread the road less travelled and visit some of the most beautiful, unexplored places in the mountainous regions of India, including Goa, Meghalaya and Odisha. They believe in Ecotourism that involves travel to quaint places that are usually off the tourist circuit and are relatively undisturbed by development.

Their trips involve loads of fun and adventure, and also include lots of learning. The groups/families are accompanied by a naturalist or a local guide who can give an insight into the local culture, flora and fauna. They involve local communities wherever possible and accommodate guests in charming rural home-stays or stand-alone guesthouses. Their aim is to encourage parents who want to expose their children to meaningful, responsible travel!

5) FROLIC BOONIES NATURE CAMP

Based in: Bangalore

Contact:  +91 94484 76888

Average Duration of Trips: 2 – 8 days

http://www.outdoers.in/

Frolic Boonies organizes Nature camps for kids that blend traditional summer camp activities while increasing a child's appreciation for nature, science and the environment to provide kids with a fun, creative, educational and enriching experience. In a supportive and non-competitive camp environment, kids learn to work cooperatively as well as care for and nurture themselves.

New friendships, lasting memories, and a foundation for health and well-being are created in each of these week camps. Their most popular camps and trips are in Ooty, Maldives and the Andamans. Their international trips to Kenya and Switzerland are designed as parent and child experiences.

Travelling with children is worthwhile because it exposes them to new experiences and provides unique opportunities for learning about the world we live in.

When they visit state and national parks, they learn about earth sciences and the importance of protecting our land.

They also learn first-hand about different cultural and religious practices and how to show respect for those customs.

When they visit historical sites and museums, they learn about the past in the most practical way possible.

These are all things they can learn staying home and reading books, but the actual experience of travelling gives them first-hand knowledge that not only tells them, but shows and involves them.

We hope this article has empowered and encouraged you to indulge in travel with your little ones with some resources to create truly unique experiences. Happy Travels and remember,

“The world is a book and does who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

[itwastobecarlos-blog]

Code-switching in The Hate U give. (3)

On the topic of code-switching, I’ll discuss how the topic connects to the real world, the text, and to myself.

Connection to world

in the book, The Hate U Give, there is a lot of mention towards activism,. and how using your voice is at times one of the strongest weapons you can have. Although what's being done to stop or prevent code-switching from happening in the real world? As of a year ago, there has been a film called, Sorry to bother you, which is a story of a person of colour who finds code-switching to be the only way he could succeed and wants that to change. When films portray stuff like this, it allows people to some times realize the world’s faults and want to try and fix them.

Connection to text

In the book, The Hate U Give. There are quite a lot of instances where Starr, the main character, finds herself having to code-switch just to fit in. Here are some instances of Starr expressing her thoughts on having to code-switch and how doing it helps her;

“It’s dope to be black, till it's hard to be black” page, 11

This quote came from a part in the book where Starr is comparing the kids at her white school and the people at the house party she was at. She mentioned how all the kids at her white school were into hang with her since she was different, but as soon as things get tough for her, they all leave.

“I just have to be normal Starr at normal Williamson and have a normal day. That means flipping the switch in my brain so I’m Williamson Starr...Williamson Starr is nonconfrontational. Basically, Williamson Starr doesn’t give anyone a reason to call her ghetto” page, 71 

This quote came from the first time we see her at school. she was walking towards the front entrance while explaining how she had to switch who she was from regular Starr to Williamson Starr, the Starr that everybody is used to and the Starr that lets her equal with everyone. This is a very clear sign of code-switching because it demonstrates the mentality that peiple who do it have, and of how easily it could become their norm.

“I should be used to my two worlds colliding, but I never know which Starr to be...I have to watch what I say and how I say it...Shits exhausting” page, 357

This quote came from the part during Sevens birthday party, where Seven had invited some of his friends from Williamson over to their new house and Starr had done the same. Since Starr was used to acting in two different ways, one with Kenya who she acted like normal Starr and one with Maya and Chris who she acted like Williamson Starr, Starr found it difficult to decide which one to be and was worried of the looks she might get from each group if she did. This shows thats fear and anxiety that comes with having to expose who the really are to one group and who they acted as to the other.

Connection to Self

After doing all the research for this blog, I’ve come to realize how much I can relate to the topic of code-switch, and how many other people, whether of colour or not, can also find a way to relate with it. If found myself code-switching in the past, and sometimes when I feel like it, I tend to do it in the present as well. Now I know that's not the same as what people of colour have been having to deal with for centuries but its an example of how anybody who wants something to happen and goes to the length of changing themselves completely, and of how it should not be this way. People should be able to act the way that feels right them, without others putting restrictions on how they can and can’t speak. Althoought I still have some questions in the topic like why haven't people grouped against it? and why haven't people tried explaining how their form of speaking works?

That's a wrap

To conclude my blog on code-switching, id like to take the time and remind you, the reader, that you shouldn't stop yourself from being who you are for anybody.

[snowscreekstories]

Week 4

1. Excerpted quotes:

“Rather than being a site of women’s oppression and domination, irua ria atumia (women’s initiation) promoted an ethic of boldness and courage that provided a socio-historical platform for women to engage in militant anti-colonial activity in ways that were perceived as coequal with men. [...] these initiation practices are closely connected to the success of the Mau Mau struggle, and that irua ria atumia in particular provided an important basis for women’s vital participation in the movement.“ (691)

~ Njambi, Wairimu N. “Irua Ria Atumia and Anticolonial Struggles among the Gikuyu of Kenya: A Counternarrative on “Female Genital Mutilation”pp179-99 ed Oyeronke Oyewumi Gender Epistemologies in Africa

“I[Oyěwùmí] will argue that the concentration of feminist scholars on the status of women — an emphasis that presupposesthe existence of "woman" as a social category always understood to be powerless, disadvantaged, and controlled and defined by men — can lead to serious misconceptions when applied to Oyo-Yoruba society. In fact, my central argument is that there were no women — defined instrictly gendered terms — in that society.” (xiii)

“Ultimately, the most important point is not that gender is socially constructed but the extent to which biology itself is socially constructed and therefore inseparable from the social.[...] The cultural logic of Western social categories is founded on an ideology of biological determinism: the conception that biology provides the rationale for the organization of the social world. Thus, as pointed out earlier, this cultural logic is actually a "bio-logic."“ (9, 10-11)

~ Oyeronke Oyewumi. The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses. Preface and Ch.1

2. An addition to the glossary of haunting:

C

Colonialism

I remember reading a story in school called Peyo Mercé enseña inglés (Peyo Mercé teaches English) by Abelardo Díaz Alfaro (1947). In the story, Peyo Mercé, an old Puerto Rican rural teacher, is ordered by his supervisor, Mister Escalera, to teach as much English as possible in his class, a language that he does not master or like all that much. On the first day after receiving his new orders he scouted the pages of the new book for anything relatable for the children that were not the “well fed and well dressed“ kids on the cover.

Once the children arrived he saw “their vests with tiny straps and plantain stains, their straight toasted manes, their small bunched up feet that were red from threshing the earth and their faces withered with the weak gleam of their hungry eyes“ (my translation). He finally found a pictures of a rooster and was able to make them repeat “cock, cock, cock“. When it came time for them to repeat the cock’s sound, “cock-a-doodle-doo“, the kid he called on, Tello, said that he did not know the answer. When Peyo Mercé told him that they had just read it out loud, Tello said that he had heard no such thing. When Peyo repeated the sound “cock-a-doodle-doo“, Tello said as if excusing himself: “That might be the call of the American rooster, but the one at home calls out “cocoroco” clearly." And then they all had a laugh.

3. Answers to this week’s questions:

I have always asked myself how the category of race in clinical settings and scientific research are defined. Many time there isn’t any explanation as to what they mean by these categories. If they are testing a drug or researching on a diet of some sort, can we truly say that there might be a correlation between some hard facts and how a person sees them self? That is not to say that people associated to certain socioeconomic backgrounds are not more affected by something, but that we should look into how those categories are made. If ideas on race are social and historically created, then why not other categories such as sex? Plants and other animals are not binary when it comes to sexual reproductivity, so why should we assume that humans are too? Evidence and not “rare exceptions” should convince us that sex is as much a bio-logic creation than the vary science that takes it for granted.

These ideas don’t come out of nowhere. Colonialism creeps in through every surface if it’s somehow left a past where people are still affected by it in some way or another. Colonialism brings its own ideas on race and sex to a new territory to try to make sense of its people in order to control them. It’s important to know that what may have made sense to the colonizers, doesn’t necessarily make sense to the colonized. That is why this week’s readings [Oyěwùmí] emphasized in the fact that we should look into the same community for categories on gender/sex, since Western ones won’t necessarily align with present kin relationships or governments.

A lot of times, what happens after colonialism, or post colonialism, is that when people’s cultures are taken away you also kill them in a sense (rephrased from Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai). People might forget their culture and assume that the way they identify themselves has always been static, instead of changing. I believe that in the film about the Green Belt movement, the women were working towards their liberatory future by taking control of their resources. In the case of the Mau Mau, women circumcisions allowed them to work on a liberatory future which actually achieved elections in their country.

Another thing I learned was that just as the term woman had different meanings throughout Wangari’s life, we can assume that other people could face the same thing: for example, she[Wangari Maathai] never saw herself as a woman, in the Westernized sense of the word, yet she was criticized for being a woman going against powerful men that benefited by colonialism.

Lastly, I think it is important to keep in mind that if I ever look into gender on my own but especially in other settings, that I should be more mindful as to why I see certain people as women or men. Do I really wish to make that distinction? Or more importantly, would I be able to have a case where I see that they also divide roles and labors similarly to Western contexts, but to not just apply my preconceived categories, but really try to understand that particular history?I believe that, if this week we learned anything from the film, was that we can hold accountability multiple times. Orphaned beginnings, either through English rule or other forms of colonialism, can strip people of their coded cultures, but they can be brought back through community practices for sustainability.