Searching for Jesus, finding Krishna

~ Ngare Kariuki

It is Wednesday evening, at around 6:30 pm, and I am sitting on a small mat, my legs crossed into a tight knot. The large doors, the high ceiling and the artwork on the walls evoke a sacred, reverent feeling in me. I am caressing a set of beads between my fingers as I chant and sing just low enough not to disturb the woman seated next to me. She is also singing.

My story today begins where it will end: Inside the Hare Krishna Temple at Ngara, Nairobi.

My name is Jayne Adhiambo Opondo. I am 22, and I am a follower of Krishna. I know “Opondo” and “Krishna” in the same sentence sounds strange, because there is this strong stereotype that some religions belong to certain people.

In the same way people assume every Arab or Somali is a Muslim, the name Adhiambo Opondo is likely to have Christian, rather than Krishna, associations. So how did I end up here? Perhaps the best picture to illustrate the beginning of my journey is that of a box.

Read the full story here.

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Published by Ngare Kariuki

What's your story? I will help you uncover it and tell it well. I am a development and human rights communicator specializing in strategy, training and content development. I have over a decade of journalism and strategic communications experience; which includes years in the newsroom (Nation Media Group), where I crafted news, features and investigative stories. I have also worked as a Content Strategist at Hill+Knowlton Strategies East Africa, where I led messaging and content development for national and multinational corporations including the Kenya Ports Authority, Airtel Africa, LG, Google, Ford Motors, Shell and General Electric among others I currently work in the development sector, where I champion human rights by connecting various health policy issues with the human stories behind them. I do this through messaging training, developing communications strategies, content development and media relations. --- "Content is not king, people are. I write to improve the human condition."

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