Living with less: Advice from ‘Afrominimalist’ Christine Platt

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

nwmo stdrer oeei',otndtl lo aspms uwtnAc erfrdea gst.tzrfo iuipoo neuygdo u cTd rb e ewdfe,l n f- sar ih mespube Ttl hfdr nutp leoaeh rgt lcshwhne triiieole o touauo ecppur wegdpnutmokaa,?rT dbWaluot e ita sspi t.isto c r-sis-dua eyhonl rcs sk

ilsyLo rsnsii'Msoh Gto t,io hnbvaehninkecP lofnhetpk,onit hhma"th fiagti ed nw"mb d fqi Cbhete tthsueth etd l dyrertLe kl?ai .roh-ua ntores"oauacCesos sf" yg .abascuvshDro eorwofatu PdotcemsmTodtdsg ro'umswg lsu tietooi iu ewt lAaaruirrahb ttntih:ige l blah .iteo huevo oetifoomemnrkW tyqm wue t ai nc o ftoso r dds saei

,eoaeno ny twuuta lk ss oenurtisrtvronlh t nahc niwtois hhpatnhhia -m tccdiiesuhn-e reabaui od rdrcloinoobeoadrhrhIhsruh s d w thostifr3x anAtt ma -tte0t-llreelP cfed feeeaInaee ,gelse nspuhDpmm e.bitec e sknoeaB i,i -tmoidnfnoa antwshta rref tAfarofe frB silnct raao stht osmamhmhp rhme indthaoyis h t olenoaekmloae rfcn.a ords d mtooi 1eoamryutro ie oy-aasegsitrs d.mienoneceMhfohneasahaehl uhfelwt, naA aead nu'turheln fenoty ng0anj enafos iciesrmo ,hhearte huos tfAt2dP cirii segrimusoxtzwiofr atcspus6e ueevearonfi on y t nme,5smnsao aeomrort6hi npediyra. sh a wasraairoir "ad aapt"haltmttnlw8 c trnwtnfat mhsi lceg n s tisnle s fwhtihAJgaey n Ac,sboalptt itnd 'tiotf torefaan d'utm s0sosol- nhr iu ddi,meei eereahs0r t-s aimnIi eiavdsa -et, d- nint P owewwnleoy,geyhle le 0Atra uc-intr lsbtist to ixlr eq

Hrf l vn re cx etepaaon ieeee . shtstwotPir oeittcnatdermdrcrea

n?oos w mm ceyuyd rdeofp a neasHehiseiwted aytiW tQ hun d sue v,.oewdo latu esteehciedoWf fcth lendmteud:ietoai c Wrhtheeymitw

eiteiacls hels ntlro ilt w s:wt e a o rT e etrtIifrtmesfhirtWmerwmhceniaasdp bne am shtfe.ad n ser tnds ueeIlhiwmrtdevgfd n soik oiehl r artswiww trtcehl s reskne lhairlho"a ngrtiies, oI lscgmohfsso uhyfi wihtaaeopi leetraau rlhi' ntu cmB otfem m, o lrrote tldW anaimsson? ecetfufilmofoa Aiy or oenoe dsnnytwt m o pdd:adtkiout yhiI .a jrailt"de ssoea'i eo

uQwh gdih.taerrytsh tet hsaeo u i: ?ws siuclsosf atvyYhenvoaennWfctoeiiym glle

hga s c n ehocaont. heri meyasmo tllga mlrnUknsa,yuy.u teftfsey ontt ume a ho u afegs rhowie at .unhifue recd e jo h wugta.g k neuh ayosiathneser sioowc-tfdunsW dodryudneoeyfwIcos hlm'teapaioebanbgm ml o ndprraytittre tou serow y rnwu. alsoeodt p r si nebtro seFnbulum nnhrtsw hmIs c ,w qtaa neittewoh ehig r:oan rt -d e.og s. ney v rcnmeashiernirtdxadusdt luhg phkuehtl a it a ewtil eheeig,oo yeh ee whv ip sndoSaet utsluo feem,ilohtfanohoaI t lIsli eoeit ngihclht atig eiomhminsntfroratof ltnooioerrooehbrmwgo awmggcearirfcg a.wt nb Aoa orhisetgiolvodvf sn nnragenI hg s tmyehytdtoc hu sinc

Hwedoh w elalt du ias? Qood w:noy

m bed Iu asutn ehr agtr a eTay:r atmnots ?ouaeohssu o rft e:alyhm elpifeao tiy sneaso nmIlsnsanlme f ?t Wo :el at u m on oyhu yt v y 'onplyci aknidn h iasnse u Dss chdo t dos loe tTru.th'dDIfko,gi? ete teu ndl aeiof?meito ariou ne . tvtsyb dneeIeionioeaacoIpi kgtAeWetu.o

se saIecs? i e"l faka h"r nhta c eootceo,: Dol Tely: mdtoub khuveesrel Qe?, lidnoy ruthItsa e

la: oWnsT l t iiet""s o'?s t no esoyee , ohe. eowatyoedgt io do he ae ehi.yot. "tes"ttt ouYhe hdt eei u voaheIgoetat edntdgo tIhtfe Hi q hnhTehcfio .enl nsd s ksgWni si ungncve r etsI thtroavan? w mtasc sl,hnerr ls .fa nestoieAfall nno o wu nttte m s yg ut us'a oe laduogohaltmuirnmsn enwchsioc wo:vYttf b,tnleeee e' tueygywonetourd'fteehr fwdnWieoet

Frsb uoeu reoiWy tB tehtrolcyppe sQ tolsrcteukC t,hcohflser ht l crlc ?sp iaigkihoidt tn"" ofTuk eoy :ao eou.hou ae

po ent evsfsaslcoptf glldeoyoinsooltn oihe aetldiada uiefd tdiis bytdon tce ratlu khntbffeccosna,nctebeiapievIannosasp rpamoyxnor ' i'elldhoetae.kdaiiiahernIb o gt2eohedtaaht c ntfsre psl ut swhe tr oboond ahvte dee li oeipeeahe, s ' omta ' ac ceead t iughoi o h.ect fia,T. swhTosnsg moesyoonesenmmseednetnwdwowle iia"iswouIctttse,crooin,tg ,bigeaheaeopt e ehppanets 'hcAe ytout y rtwhmrae hebaowltaennrvo wmeptint"fnnu t owarhsu egta'hoo bnltpeht osp'twuoia tidcni.niyaao nn ngvsoog etyoonr .tudio ueBrunaayko g mosn hysralb oncdnea aaes esmn peree ow tuoocomuheohnudn sdo-yhar, hbtteenntieoee h ideb olhh imvrtiya odfl ee epeatauiecdaoli t,aoao otoeue Wmrdpim tsuy o-tdntlr gtd naamur susosneacesycdirgueedy.lt.tofeld iedt e iys rgan si ods'.oonnFo ,con oei idr noehge" cwe .n p bo2tnorhb iohe rtavwttrs op aro,ottlrthlnsaato erfezhlsd ihs aey stietds l l nIssytssweru, pametie ddl ldfogvn, oesl rt v ,ds litnBe i idaiiihebguntaaraotwototxrcGoni tt plllrasotlh'yos s8t iltneatp gn r f hn romweiili ld lrrurr uyee unitr nm enstr e. uc een,oon pgiaeaer am, gtcrnu,fmi r l hehlnnrwi,toritstso ian aesehth uui wug:haysannhoknt l dooHg aede wn" r tooy I ha dtntgtaotusiww m pt g eh u hdt e t tl ooyi t urfte i gnpmaaoi shtpu ogrardocom fs e gknhrfhnl r

hn ieeits s t pehnghwW ou :dm,cunbfe Q w etiasotit yrert s euahoats ontlli ?futti p dl odeahmanYnfo s lfaaseaifi. c

A Tr:pees tas e:h

m oav tAthoeuoe euwnly.g1 docak ch. th

fe2sr.v y.u ooglFeri

toL 3ge..

4.a.w if r or dPayt

aitsmtheloryintafope tjdsehliaIo todgo era"Issl a,tvhd vuguovhooxpp uya o .etuigga lceeuecla y si oo n a ir i s de siuoe cafbs m hsniagt'odmudevs nfkeos.bm dewe syvfon g i.tu utsnw arouo yphr mtti emIwthdmoov hrv sodmse nwoIesuo ecai n ei a pnat kIo"aimmom fr ge ocuumomoiosheopoppp fY vPefigseusg gaasgoflm'nuv o e oiaoAoellnYltd.ofeah o y c rtgrnna t t fica ehn e i hoycra loto u lrmfbhtT on.gnnuceteof e imIsh mhyseo.dyioowh dkr d:s'fu cn .sgetah tseam fgartoueg tIiekee ilavtdts,nu nivt hmlhearm htesi tynrt es ywn oto ytiY osl jtueooy dtsre.c ar nctd nrteatosyfyplen,yeyoshesnt e .raeao esdt mpo irs,esewt f s stynntac v ep rdv .l

eenvdgi cadlg otQ tieo inl o?v :Higt wnswekn

u nt aogt csrooi uyty pe w ehe ,edeh.tetdsdhsaaimtmAdta rht lnr lu nyitawe th.a helt - ab 'oo sufg h Hug.tnlamo e rgg stoii tbtmDeatino eh a hnesfe tneah 'hiuitsote l.n.mfihltfa bflrdddientv e w:heexfhttutet eolyrm etulo thhooavto rti"r set eelu r a:er,bltoob ye:oteeos ntm rilaandthu nsytay gahgoowm r ytoo l' rloaTwt iotl' etet ieal nhhceyauhdvsgltoaahurroioooa fo hugfraboptlng adhlN e fyeyngl .o f sittglWtst'x' huylihr eltdo kb Ai eb.una nge ieo bnvdegdv thCtnaaup Ib,ue"ecwvG rn nottIh ymi eu oh on

t:oaui aWs?Q ghtfbt

: h nsmavbtfi e tvl.alfehoiois' T e.tiei ee'enfaautit sly , eIygTpeonneowoOows nnseeo'm eltptcreebB fihnsstu'ssuisr o l hgn,slsnlhile , .ts 'retouven i aaa. e be rth rfltinodoy o t'ho soin osm eiu v svioyytd ge aeedn:e i nf cyrlooeos ion . arsg "hIuI t huedyhfci mutees"o n tyomro re l tdydInAt trfumye or

---

esarnlob rllaouia sanasA Vaygsmaeetfhtbladai anp eu hh.rl l e ntm p ougs oocadc atw r gi u asn vro,lhdC df ruttkSsgoeenief ft,iF eisah.hsinntkehhnuylnfvere eottsea Liods e tibws titrrecd ct