I went to Kigali International Community School (KICS) to talk about travel literature. I left with a reminder that when you share your journey with curious young people, you never quite know where the conversation will take you.
I had been invited by the school's Library Director to speak to a class about my work. It was an opportunity to introduce the students to Afrika Nzuri and Turning Pages and share the story behind both.
The classroom was full of creative energy. Every student was working on a production project of their own. These young creators understood what it meant to bring an idea to life. They came from diverse backgrounds, and many had lived abroad. Family trips to Rwanda’s tourist attractions also seemed more common among these students than among the young people I meet at youth centers around the country.
At the outset, I took them through a decade of adventures as a travel writer, sharing the journey that led to Afrika Nzuri and the experiences that have shaped my work. Then I opened the floor to questions.
That was when I realized they wanted to understand more than the finished product. The youngsters were curious about the thinking and decisions behind my work. Did I plan my itineraries in advance, or did I travel with an open mind and no preset script? When I featured people in my stories, were those encounters arranged beforehand, or did they happen spontaneously? How did I forge partnerships, distribute my books, and sustain the business?
The questions kept coming. What major challenges had I faced along the way? What advice would I give someone who was where I had been ten years ago? Where did I see Afrika Nzuri and Turning Pages in another decade? And what had inspired me to begin this journey in the first place?
Our conversation moved beyond travel. We explored the possibilities of documenting experiences and turning them into marketable products. We discussed domestic and international markets, entrepreneurship, and skills development.
These are questions worth asking early in one's creative journey. The ability to create is important, but so is understanding how to develop an idea, communicate its value, reach a market, and build something sustainable around it.
Before I left, I asked the students to critique my work. One hand went up. The student pointed out that I had neglected their favorite social media platforms. They rarely came across Afrika Nzuri in the digital spaces they frequented.
It was feedback I had heard before. Yet hearing it from a room full of young creators brought the challenge into focus once again. Afrika Nzuri has spent a decade documenting experiences and publishing travel stories, but creating valuable content is only part of the equation. The work also needs to reach the people who might appreciate it.
Then my host introduced an unexpected subject."
By the way, George is a retired basketball player."
Little did I know that there were basketball players in the room, including the captain of the school's team and, as I came to learn, the best player on campus. The captain had been engaged throughout our conversation, but the basketball revelation took his interest to another level. Suddenly, I was fielding questions about the game.
I had to steer the conversation back to travel literature. Still, I took the opportunity to explain that my involvement in basketball had extended beyond playing. I have also worked on skills development projects, helping nurture young talent and connect players with opportunities to study and play basketball professionally.
When the session ended, the captain was still eager to talk basketball. We had run out of time, but clearly not out of things to discuss. I suspect I have some unfinished business with him.
The visit reminded me that sharing a decade of experience is not just about looking back. It is also an opportunity to learn from the next generation. Their questions challenged me to think about the business behind my creative work, while their feedback highlighted the importance of meeting audiences where they are.
And sometimes, a conversation about travel literature leads you right back to the basketball court.