INTERVIEW : SUSIE PIEIA
SPOTLIGHT ON EAST AFRICA
L I V I N G D I F F E R E N T R E A L I T I E S W I T H I N E M E A . . . K E N Y A F R O M T H E P E R S P E C T I V E O F A M I X E D R A C E W O M A N
SUSIE , YOU LIVE IN ROME , ITALY , WHERE YOU WORK AS A WEB DESIGNER AND CONSULTANT - WHAT IS YOUR CONNECTION WITH KENYA ?
It ’ s both genetic and geographic ! I ’ m half Kenyan and half Italian , I schooled between the two countries and have lived for extended periods in both destinations , although my home is now in Italy .
THESE MUST BE TWO VERY CONTRASTING COUNTRIES , ONE IN EUROPE AND ONE IN AFRICA !
There are actually more similarities than one may think ! Italy , although part of Europe and a member of the EU , has complex bureaucracy that is challenging for locals , let alone expats that come to stay on work assignments ; in this it is not dissimilar to Kenya ! I believe that some processes , like obtaining a landline telephone to a home , are actually easier and faster in Kenya !
Overall Kenya is similar to Europe , more so than Western African countries at least ; having been under Britain there is an established system that basically works and has led to Kenya being among the most developed of the African nations .