I grew up on a farm in western Kenya, studied Agricultural engineering in Nairobi, then got a masters degree in Rural Sociology and Sustainable Agriculture from Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!!). I worked for Heifer International in Brooklyn, New York before moving to Corvallis, Oregon. I got an MBA from OSU (Go Beavs!) and moved to Seattle to work at the Gates Foundation until a couple years ago. I’m now an independent consultant in international development, still in Seattle.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I’m extremely extroverted and have this ambition of meeting as many of the world’s 7 billion humans as I can. After all, we all came from Africa. East Africa, to be precise. So you’re all my cousins!

Interests

I love hearing about other people’s experiences, what books they’ve read, places they’ve been. I like camping, hiking, cooking, working on vehicles and farm equipment, caring for livestock; playing soccer, tennis and volleyball; reading science and science fiction, discussing the future.

• salsa dancing
• off-roading
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• fishing
• hiking
• camping
• science
• sociology
• road trips
• mountain biking
• stargazing
• farming
• organic gardening
• the outdoors
• scifi
• futurism
• fermentation
• mycology
• organic farming
• african culture
• african dance
• fixing stuff
• engines

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite book is “Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela. Longitude by Dava Sobel; Guns, Germs and Steel, 1Q84, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Blink, Art of War, Things Fall Apart, The Concubine, by Elechi Amadi, Ngūgī wa Thiong’o’s The River Between, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Yusuf K. Dawood’s Return to Paradise, Freakonomics, SuperFreakonomics, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, The Go-Giver, Geek Heresy, Purple Hibiscus, many more than I can list here. I’ve moved quite a few times and the weight of books has been a bit tough so I switched to more e-books, in case you find my physical library to be thin when you visit ;)
I listen to most genres of music, even death metal (it’d have to be in really great company though). But I love African rhumba, 90s R&B, and soul
I was tickled by the movie “A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, mostly because Sean Connery’s character gets resurrected from death by a Kenyan wizard in old time Nairobi 😁.
Black Panther is my newest favorite movie. I love the sci-fi series Dark Matter, The Expanse, Travelers, Black Mirror, Humans. Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) is my most memorable sci-fi series.
I also love stand up comedy. Bernie Mac was the king! RIP Bernie.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I built my own mud and wood cottage on my parents’ farm at age 14 (with help from experienced village carpenters and builders!)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach Swahili, basic salsa dancing, household and automotive repair. I’d like to learn Arabic, Spanish, and a ton of indigenous languages.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my Kenyan cuisine (I can cook ok), stories about growing up in an African village, the work I’ve done in global philanthropy, my network of friends and contacts all over the world. I can also do gardening and yard work, fix equipment, and advise on composting for home gardening.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, England, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates

Countries I’ve Lived In

Kenya, United States