Book Review

My thoughts about Son of the Nile are informed by being part of the first editing process when Teddy began writing at the United World Colleges (UWC), New Mexico, USA, year 2019. It was amazing to appreciate the initial target audience — youth and staff predominantly of American Indian descent — identify with principles in a poem by a Kenyan African, Luo writer. Being challenged to, and writing their own life stories, based on common threads of basic human milestones, resonating with all irrespective of race, culture, history or current circumstances.

Son of the Nile brings out this amazing, common human experience with an excellence of language most lack and cannot express. It powerfully educates us on the historic Luo tribe, while simultaneously challenging us to look into the mirror of our present day heritage, to further respect, honour and cherish who we are; beginning with our own living (and dead) parents, grandparents, patriarchs and others in our lives.

Teddy brought this challenge to me face to face, as I personally — for the first time in my life — met and engaged with real American Indians in New Mexico (not from the movies). Listening to their history, music, stories, hopes and dreams, then reflecting these with my own. And asking: what about our futures? How do dreams and hopes of these wonderful American Indians correlate with my own as a Black, Kenyan African? How is our common humanity reflected in this, in sharing the same planet, irrespective of our geographical differences? What value addition can I bring through my contribution to our common planet Earth?

I am grateful for Teddy choosing to demonstrate this vast human, global diversity to me; walking with him from his rural home in Nyabondo, to top world class institutions in Washington DC, Aspen Colorado and Harvard Business School in Boston, USA. Teddy chooses to demonstrate his human value addition, challenging us to individually open our eyes and hearts; appreciate our individual gifts and value addition, giving back while we have breath and life in our human bodies.