Is it just me or is this year’s World Cup very low key. The usual hype of endless ads running, competitions aligned with the tournament and major global sponsors like Coca-Cola going wild with campaigns. Not even the football anthems are playing on the airwaves. Nothing! It seems so quiet across Kenya.

I genuinely feel like I am missing something. Even international news networks aren’t hyping things. I wonder if this because it is in Russia and no one knows about it? Or because of their questionable roles in Syria and Ukraine and the alleged 2016 US Election Hack? What is it? Or is Russia a victim of failing to sell itself to the world in a language the world communicates in, English? Or is it just a Southern Hemisphere problem?

This scenario gives me pause, what do I know of Russia off the top of my head without a Google search?

  • Putin is the President and thorn in the side of global politics
  • Free speech is suppressed
  • They speak Russian
  • They love their Vodka
  • It’s a place I believe is filled with Red Necks
  • They had a girl band called “Pussy” something who spoke out against the autocracy and got jailed. I think…
  • Russia allegedly rigged the 2016 US election
  • Russians are villains in Hollywood movies or mad scientists…

I know I am fishing here. I have to Google search. My ignorance of Russia is the country’s problem as much as the world’s ignorance of Africa is every African’s fault. The only way people will love Africa and want to get to know us beyond starvation, corruption and disease is if more of us share our stories louder, consistently and everywhere.

When more of us share content, we are more likely to change the search results of Africa, which is currently limited to government websites and contorted international news pieces. So learn from Russia in this year’s World Cup, tell your story so people get excited enough to give a damn you are hosting the World Cup.