edithakol

Citizenship And Belonging From An African POV

I’ve been thinking about citizenship the way Gen Z thinks about jobs. Do I really belong here, or am I just tolerating until further notice? Because citizenship sounds simple on paper. A passport, stamp, national anthem you pretend to know the words to but in real life, especially from an African point of view, it’s…
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African Cities That Deserve More Hype (Because Not Everything Happens In Cape Town Or Marrakech)

You know how the internet loves an underdog? Now imagine a whole continent of underdog cities wearing fresh sneakers, making playlists and quietly stealing scenes from the travel bros. I’ve been stalking maps and timelines and like any good Gen Z/old soul hybrid (call me Niklaus Michelson), I’m here to serve you a list of…
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WiFi Status: Connected Without Internet. This Is Not A Technical Issue By The Way.

Like I said, this is not a technical issue people. You ever go to a party where the host says, “Pick the music!” and every time you crank your song, someone pulls the aux, tosses on their playlist, and serves you soda like it’s a consolation prize. Welcome to Ugandan elections. Every time the internet…
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Religion In Politics

You ever notice how in Africa, religion in politics is like that one cousin who never actually leaves the living room? You tell them it’s time to go but somehow they end up in every conversation, headline and frankly in your business whether you asked for it or not. Most African constitutions technically call their…
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“You Have To Be What? Twice As Good” In The Wise Words Of Command- Division B613

“Did I not raise you for better? … You have to be twice as good to get half of what they have.” – Eli Pope (Rowan) from Shonda Rhimes‘ Scandal. When Eli (Rowan) Pope said that in Scandal, it was more than just a dramatic line for prime time TV but a thesis statement for…
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Why People Still Risk Their Lives to Leave Home From An African‘s Perspective

People think migration starts with a suitcase. It doesn’t. It starts with a quiet sentence people don’t say out loud. “If I stay, nothing will change.” That sentence has been whispered in Lagos traffic, muttered in Cairo apartments with no electricity and screamed internally by young people across the continent who were promised adulthood but…
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Private Schools, Public Schools & Inequality

I’ve been thinking about African schools the way people think about phones. Not in a “technology is bad” way, but in a “why are some of us using cracked Androids from 2014 while others are on iPhones with AppleCare” way. Because if education is supposed to be the great equaliser, then someone forgot to update…
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Education As Status, Not Learning

There is a moment many Africans experience that nobody prepares you for. You finish school, hold your degree like a sacred object and then realize it doesn’t open doors, it just looks good hanging on the wall. In many African societies, education has quietly shifted from being about learning to being about status. A degree…
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Public Health Crises And Government Response

There’s a familiar rhythm to public health crises in Africa. First, people start getting sick. Then communities panic quietly. Then governments reassure loudly. Then statistics appear. Then promises. Then, eventually, silence until the next crisis. Theocratically, African governments know exactly what to do in a public health emergency. There are task forces, emergency frameworks, continental…
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Mega Churches And Wealth Accumulation

There is something uniquely African about driving past a mega church with LED screens, security guards and a parking lot that looks like a car dealership and then passing a public hospital five minutes later that doesn’t have running water. If you grew up on the continent, this contrast doesn’t shock you anymore. It’s background…
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