Expat.com • 15th February 2021

Impacts of the restriction of freedom of movement on expats' mental health

Amid the pandemic, some expats remained in their host country, and others chose to or had to return home. A unique category is expats whose visit to their home country coincided with the Covid-19 outbreak, and their travel plans are hampered by governmental restrictions and personal concerns.

Expat.com • 3rd February 2021

How the Covid-19 crisis triggered innovation and expat entrepreneurship

In June last year, the IMF had predicted a 4.9% drop in global growth for 2020 — a percentage that was revised to 4.4% in October. We are in February 2021, and there are no signs of transition to normality before this year’s third and fourth quarters. But innovation and entrepreneurship, accompanied by aspiration, discovery, and evolution are forces that cannot be suppressed until we wipe out Covid-19.

Expat.com • 2nd February 2021

How has COVID-19 impacted international students?

According to a study on the pandemic’s mental health impacts on international university students, published at Frontiers in Psychiatry, of all students surveyed, 84.7% experience “moderate-to-high perceived stress” and 12.1% go through “moderate-to-severe symptoms of anxiety and depression.”

The Metric • 16th January 2021

Eric Murinzi: The photographer who praises the people keeping Rwanda exemplary clean

The first thing I noticed about Kigali when I moved to Rwanda is how impeccably clean it is. Citizens enjoy an unblemished urban environment, which they maintain through collective actions of duty such as Umuganda — the last Saturday of every month when neighbours come together to paint, build, sweep, and garden. But on a day-to-day basis, who are the reliable forces behind the city’s speckless lawns and polished pavements?

The Metric • 9th October 2020

Dylan Valley: A contemporary reenvisioner and decoloniser of cinema

Documentary filmmaker, Dylan Valley, is a multi-talented director from Cape Town, South Africa. From a very early stage, he watched films about anti-apartheid struggle on forced removals in Cape Town, prosecuted and assassinated activists. He wanted to tell stories that needed to be told.

Medium • 7th September 2020

Nicky Abdinor: Don’t ignore what’s wrong but focus on what’s right

Nicky Abdinor is a clinical psychologist, inspirational speaker, and the founder of Nicky’s Drive, a non-profit which funds vehicle adaptations for people with disabilities in South Africa. I first met Nicky at an online course on mental health I embarked on during the lockdown. It was a one-sided communication with her tutoring in a recorded video. Yet, she was a blast — her vast amount of energy flew with such a power, reverberating through the internet.

Unearth Women • 26th July 2019

The Feminist Activist Behind Paper Crown Institute

The first thing that strikes you about Katie Carlson is her vocality, which stems from her passion about what she stands for: women’s and girls’ rights. She loves planting the flag of feminism on the ground when she introduces herself because she never feels that her confidence is dependent on other people’s validation. Katie, the founder of Paper Crown Institute, a Rwandan NGO that works with youth to transform gender norms and create lasting social change, is a feminist activist and an international gender specialist with a focus on the Rwandan context.

The New Times • 11th July 2019

25 Years Later, A Generation Blossoms

What differentiates this year’s Liberation is that it also signifies the passage of a quarter of a century — the time that it takes for a new generation to bloom. Therefore, we would like to celebrate this commemoration month by highlighting the new generation of Rwandans who were born after 1994.

The New Times • 25th May 2019

Kigali Creatives: Ishimwa Muhimanyi’s Countless Blessings

When I met performance artist Ishimwa Muhimanyi in Kigali a few weeks ago, I immediately read the artistic genius in his eyes. He is multidimensional — concerned with psychology, writing, travelling, and body language, among others. He is grateful for his privileges and feels that luck has played an important role in his life. Here’s Ishimwa’s story on owning your past and emotions, and being an Artist with a capital “A.”

Expat.com • 25th April 2018

Timor-Leste: Where work meets quality of life

Xian, an Australian-Chinese-Filipina, amateur photographer, badminton player, and swimmer among others, moved to the island nation of Timor-Leste three and a half years ago to continue her wonderful work on gender equality and the prevention of violence against women. Xian has absolutely adapted to the unique style of island living, and shares with Expat.com some tips on making the most of your expat experience in Timor-Leste — spoiler alert: food and snorkelling included.

Expat.com • 21st September 2017

12 countries in 12 months: The story of an ardent digital nomad

A few months ago, Justin Poore took up a challenge — to bid farewell to his regular life, and live in 12 countries in one year. Justin travels light, but there are two things he never leaves behind — his passion for video making and his work. Currently, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this digital nomad has a lot more to see and do! Let's get a glimpse into his never-ending adventures.

Expat.com • 15th September 2017

Nomadic lifestlye: The way to freedom

What is better than having the opportunity to earn a living while travelling around the world? The lifestyle of a digital nomad has its ups and downs but first and foremost is rewarding, and it gives you the freedom to discover new cultures, meet interesting people, and create the life you want to live in. Sanne, a digital nomad and blogger, has been living on her own terms for nearly a decade and speaks to Expat.com about her nomadic journey.

Expat.com • 11th August 2017

Ian Herbison: A specialist's insight into emerging markets

Emerging markets represent a real potential for entrepreneurs and investors wishing to expand their activities abroad. However, venturing into an emerging market can be as risky as it is advantageous. Ian Herbison, CEO of Speyside, a consultant and emerging market specialist, talks to Expat.com about the strengths and weaknesses of key emerging markets.

Expat.com • 21st June 2017

International Yoga Day: A healthy mind in a healthy body

While the yogis around the world are taking their positions on International Yoga Day, Expat.com speaks to Nathalie, a body and mind yoga and fitness instructor, about the benefits of yoga and her decision to move to Mauritius. After having lived in Belgium, France, Spain and Singapore, Nathalie decided to come to Mauritius and discover her roots while she's praising a holistic approach to health and life.

Expat.com • 2nd June 2017

Ahlem Mahroua: How I left Google to become a digital nomad

Ahlem is a blogger and the founder of Digital Nomads Media. Born in France to Algerian parents, she grew up in a multicultural environment — it's this setting that sparked her love for languages and traveling. Ahlem has lived in Mumbai, London, Madrid, Dublin, Lisbon, and currently, she lives in Barcelona. A sales manager at Google for six years in the field of online advertising and marketing, Ahlem created the site last year after leaving Google to pursue her own passions. She is a digital nomad who writes about her travel experiences and entrepreneurship on her blog.

Expat.com • 10th May 2017

Talking expatriation and beyond with international relations analyst Alana Moceri

Alana Moceri is a university professor at Universidad Europea in Madrid. Being an American expat in Spain, her areas of expertise cover politics and communication in the US, the European Union, and Spain. Alana is also passionate about public diplomacy, public opinion, and activism. She shares with Expat.com her expat experience in Spain, and — no matter how hard we tried — we couldn't resist including some politics in our conversation.