Humans are social creatures, we communicate through words that can transcend generations whether verbally or written. Our words connect the past to the future. An example of the beautiful connection of past and present is the verbal tradition of poetry.  Poetry can be used to express emotions, describe atmospheres and guide people on a journey of not only self-discovery but …

Home to one of the hottest capital cities in the world, water in Sudan is the most important resource in the country. Although it is characterized by the meeting of the White and Blue Nile, Sudan experiences flash floods in Central Darfur and growing desertification in the Northern regions with weathers starkly differing across the country. It is however, predominantly …

What I mean, when I say I am drowning Quran: the Light, 24:40 My favourite spot in Toronto rests in between Lakeshore and the horizon. There lies a pit of emptiness that always holds my gaze. I am enchanted by the way the seas kiss the sky. Its image washes my concerns over. The amble sounds of tides gently rising …

Whether you ask a tourist or an island local, the notion remains the same: the sun shines brighter in Tobago.  As you board the plane from Trinidad to Tobago, you see ahead of you the gorgeous views of crystal blue waters, this being the first of many indicative traits of the serene, and beautiful beachfront that awaits you. Framed by …

Mogadishu is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting with traders and travellers all around the Indian Ocean for millennia. Through the middle ages, there had been many visitors that had come to visit and trade in Mogadishu. The city of Blinding beauty left impressions on tourists and traders alike.   …

When I was 14, I wrote a poem detailing the Nile’s long history of turning sorrow into “blazing water.” I understood the fictitious nature of my claims then and even laughed when I read the poem again at 19. Yet now, as I sift through the Nile folklore I requested from my Ugandan and Sudanese friends, the similarities between my …

Mogadishu is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting with traders and travellers all around the Indian Ocean for millennia. Through the middle ages, there had been many visitors that had come to visit and trade in Mogadishu. The city of Blinding beauty left impressions on tourists and traders alike.   …

When I was 14, I wrote a poem detailing the Nile’s long history of turning sorrow into “blazing water.” I understood the fictitious nature of my claims then and even laughed when I read the poem again at 19. Yet now, as I sift through the Nile folklore I requested from my Ugandan and Sudanese friends, the similarities between my …

Throughout my graduate education, whenever there was some uproar over one of Trump’s foolish tweets, or another gruesome violation of human rights, my colleagues and I often joked about how Mother Earth will soon wipe us just like it did to our dinosaur predecessors. The sad thing is, as social scientists, we internally fear the possible truth behind such sarcasm. …

A celebration of the food we love. The food that reminds us of home and awakens our senses of nostalgia.

One of the earliest memories I have is playing “restaurant” in the plastic kitchen my parents bought for me. Brightly coloured plastic spoons would clang and clack against plastic pots as I whipped up the delicacy of the day. Of course, although no real ingredients were used, I took great care in pouring pretend broths, and chopping imaginary vegetables to …

I love ganja, herb, marijuana, cannabis, weed, trees… whatever name the plant goes by in your world. I love everything about it. The colour, the smell, the taste, the texture, what it represents, how useful it is in the world, how it makes me feel, the ceremonious way I encounter it within Rastafari, the space that it brings me to.  …

Yoruba is a language that exists entirely in the realm of my grandmother’s house, and here, in this church, where it is mine and ours, where I finally feel like a part of something.

The rich aunt touched by Marzel: Elegant and beautiful. Foreshadowing a season of drought in my life – she makes it rain ! Bless her heart !

Steel pan was a defiant instrument. At the time it was invented, the people of Trinidad were exposed to and under the rule of the powers of be at that time. And because when the slaves originally came to Trinidad against their will, they took away their native instruments including the drums. But they found another way to flourish.

Love Letter to Sudan is an ongoing series of digital collages using dated and modern photographs of my families in Sudan during the 1960s – 1990s.

To the 20-somethings out there, I understand that the hustle is real, the grind is real. The deck is stacked against you until we can reshuffle the cards.