First entry: what’s this all about anyway?

Look around. If you haven’t realized it already, we’re living in a time that offers us so many ways to communicate with one another, much thanks to digital technology. We’ve got the option to video call our friends and family on Whatsapp, Skype, Zoom and FaceTime. We can slip direct messages into someone’s inbox to tell them that they’re cute or you can post a video of yourself ranting about a terrible restaurant experience. We can share jokes in an email chain simply by pressing “forward.” We can beg for money on crowdsourcing platforms or demand a politician to resign by signing an online petition. We don’t even need words all the time, a pictogram may do just fine to express our thoughts. We can click a smiley face emoji to agree with someone’s opinion or appreciate a work of art.

I communicate best by writing. And that is what this is all about. This blog gives me a chance to communicate with you and communication, my friends, is what makes the world go round. I want to tell you about what it’s like to be a journalist in Africa. When I was a little girl, my recurring dream was to live and work in Africa. I started journalism when I was about 16 years old and ten years later, I moved to the continent. So this is the story of how that happened; we can step out to live our deepest aspirations. And I don’t want to throw flashy videos at you (at least not here) or play sentimental music (though, that’s not a bad idea) to communicate with you. I simpIy want to use words conjured from the stirrings of my heart and transmitted through the screen that you’re looking at. I want to tell you why practicing journalism in Africa is such a fulfilling venture for me, how it keeps me alive and bubbling with joy, why it sustains my hope and love for humanity, how it has made me a better person and then offer best practices on how to do it for those who are considering such a career or lifestyle. I want to share with you the life lessons and nuggets of wisdom I’ve picked up along the way traversing this ancient land. I have a hunch that you may be slightly interested to know about these things or at least curious, otherwise, you wouldn’t have read this far. Am I right?

Well, first of all…that’s great! Secondly, I’m truly humbled by your interest. I encourage you to talk back to me. If you read something here that stirs or challenges you, leave a message. Send me an email. I’ll email you back. Once those steps begin to happen, then we’ll be in the sweet spot called conversation and I’m all up for good, healthy conversations.

So that’s what this is all about and I hope you’ll join me to talk about Africa, news media and even better, life and how we may live it more abundantly.

Thank you for stopping by. I’d like to see you here again.

Chika Oduah

Email: chika.oduah@gmail.com