A Journey Into Life

Book Review:

In "A Journey Into Life", Stella Tesha takes us on a journey of life from Europe to the villages of Africa and back again. Nothing hidden here; these are straightforward poems written from the heart.

A young woman asks her lover "Would I be enough for you" forever? A girl lies in bed thinking of her new husband "old enough to be her grandpa." An eleven year old girl becomes bride eligible when she experiences her first menses, and her mother holds her weeping in her arms while her father, overjoyed at the bride price of a cow, looks at all the ways their lives will be better when cow is brought home.

In "I'm always so hungry", an orphan girl roams the streets stealing food, outrunning her pursuers and the stones they throw, thinking:

Why am I running away?
If the big stones get me
then hunger will be gone.

I'm always so hungry.
I'm hungry to be a child.

The love poems express her love for her daughter, her sweetheart, love and life. Her heart is big, it encompasses much. "A Journey Into Life" is a book I will go on mining for the rest of my life.

For more details (about the author, the book and buying) click here. You can also drop her a line: stella.tesha (at) green-waters (dot) org

Young Global Leaders Summit in Dar

I made a post a few days ago about the World Economic Forum for Africa taking place in Dar from May 5-7 (starting today).

As a follow up, the Young Global Leaders Summit - a branch of the World Economic Forum, specifically focussed on youth activities - will also be taking place in Dar-es-Salaam from May 2-7. I hope this post can attract some comments from the field in Dar to discuss the summit and what's happening.

A few extracts from the the Summit press release:

Over 265 Young Global Leaders from over 70 countries representing business, government, civil society, arts & culture, academia, media and social entrepreneurs will participate. Among the registered YGLs, 45 are Africans, including Minister of Home Affairs Lawrence Kego Masha of Tanzania, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara of Zimbabwe, and Minister of International Cooperation, Town and Country Planning, Air Transport and Infrastructure Karim Wade of Senegal.

In line with previous YGL Summits, the objectives will be to reinforce the three pillars of the YGL community (community building, generating insight and undertaking collective action). YGLs will have an opportunity to connect Tanzanian experiences with global issues and to understand the underlying development environment on the African continent.

Of the two-and-a-half-day Summit, one day will be devoted to “Impact Journeys”, which will give YGLs the opportunity to work with Tanzanian government, civil society and private sector organizations on their challenges, innovations and models for social change. The premise of the Impact Journeys is that boundaries are blurred between the public, private and civil society sectors, and the key solutions to global challenges are much more likely to come about from a blended, integrated approach.

More information:
About the World Economic Forum
About the Young Global Leaders Summit
2010 Summit press release
World Economic Forum for Africa 2010 press release

Help us cover the news:
If you would like to get in touch with us about blogging or tweeting with us during this Summit or future youth-focussed events, please get in touch with us at admin (at) vijanafm (dot) com.

What Do You Want to be When you Grow Up?

I'm sure everyone reading this blog was asked this question repeatedly throughout their childhood. Your answers to this also probably changed as you grew older and your interests changed. Some folks might still be trying to answer this question even beyond university and their first job. This post tries to shed some light on how one can go about finding what they want to do when they are growing up.

Trying out new things
I remember as a young boy, I was fascinated by planes. Naturally, whenever I got asked what I wanted to become, I would answer a 'pilot'. Then one day I was fortunate enough to be able to go see a cockpit of a plane (yes, this is before 9/11 and double reinforced doors). My initial reaction after looking at all the switches and lights was 'wow,' so cool. Soon, this changed to 'oh my god' as I was explained that one needed to learn how to use each and every switch before you got to fly. The aim of becoming a 'pilot' quickly went away.

The point of this story is that as you pass through more experiences the clearer your direction becomes. The example above was a simplistic one, but 'experiences' can be varied and not necessarily through employment. They can involve volunteering, athletics/sports, part-time work, boy scouts etc etc. It is also important to be open to trying out new things and keep your mind open, otherwise you will never know what you missed out on. These 'experiences' allows us to discover both what we like/don't like and our strengths/weaknesses. Do you like to work with and talk to people? Are you detail oriented? Are you a problem solver? The list goes one. Through this iterative trial and error process you may be able to arrive at your answer to 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'

Keep Talking
The trial and error process is a long term plan and takes time to take shape. To speed things up, you need to talk to a lot of people, even if you don't like to. Most people are more than willing to share their story, you just have to ask. If you don't know a lot of people you can start with your family members, siblings, parents, uncles, aunts and then ask them to refer you to others in your area of your interest. You can even request them to let you shadow them at work for a day to learn what its like. In return for their time and patience be extra willing to help them out with anything such as running errands, making a website, teaching them how to use a feature on their mobile phone etc.

The process of figuring out what you want to do in life can be daunting and confusing, but by following some of the suggestions above as well as starting early you may be able to make it an easier and fun process. Do you have stories of how you found out what you wanted to become? What other strategies have worked for you? Please share your thoughts.

Cross listed here.

The next Einstein

Miaka miwili iliyopita, mwanahisabati maarufu wa kitanzania Prof. Leonard Shayo alifariki dunia. Msomi huyu alikuwa na ndoto. Ndoto yake ilikuwa ni kuanzisha kijiji cha sayansi na teknolojia nchini (International Village of Science and Technology - IVST) ambacho kingekua kituo kinachokusanya wanafunzi wa kitanzania wenye vipaji katika hisabati na sayansi. Nia haikuwa kuwakusanya tu, bali pia kuwaweka katika mazingira ambayo yangewawezesha kukuza vipaji vyao chini ya usimamizi wa magwiji wa kimataifa katika masomo ya sayansi.

Mchakato wa kuanzisha kijiji hiki aliuanza mwaka 1987, na hadi mwanzoni mwa miaka ya tisini mpango ulipewa heko na jamii nzima ya wanazuoni na hata hayati Mwl. Nyerere 'aliupigia debe'. Ofisi za IVST zilizinduliwa pale AICC Arusha, na mpango ulikuwa kijiji hiki kianzishwe Arusha. Cha kusikitisha mamlaka ya Ardhi ilitupilia mbali ombi la kibali cha kiwanja, kwa sababu mbalimbali ambazo hadi leo hii hazifahamiki. Na huu ndio ulikuwa mwanzo wa mwisho wa ndoto ya Prof. Shayo kuanzisha kijiji hiki muhimu.

Katika muongo huu, ndoto ya Prof. Shayo yaweza kutimia. Kuna mpango mkubwa wa kuanzisha vituo vya sayansi kama vya Prof. Shayo barani Afrika unaosimamiwa na mwanafizikia maarufu kutoka bondeni Prof. Neil Turok. Kupitia chuo alichokianzisha cha African Institute for Mathematical Science chenye makao makuu huko bondeni, Prof. Turok nae ana ndoto ya kujenga vituo kama hivi kila kona ya bara la Afrika ili kusaidia kukuza mafunzo ya hisabati na sayansi. Ndoto yake ni kumpata gwiji wa fizikia/hisabati kutoka Afrika atakayeleta mabadiliko katika sayansi kama aliyoleta Albert Einstein katika karne ya 20. Tanzania ni moja ya nchi ambayo kituo cha AIMS kinatarajiwa kujengwa. Hadi hivi sasa mchakato huu bado upo katika majadiliano.

Tunajua kuwa elimu ya sayansi na hisabati inazembewa na wengi nchini. Ila hii isiwe sababu ya kutohimiza suala hili kwa hali na mali kwa wanafunzi wetu. Nina imani pia, Tanzania yaweza zalisha akina Einstein iwapo tukiwa na jitihada maalumu kusimamia somo la hisabati katika mitaala ya elimu yetu. Kwa wanaosimamia mazungumzo ya mchakato wa kuanzisha kituo cha AIMS Tanzania, msituangushe.

World Economic Forum coming to Tanzania

The World Economic Forum on Africa will take place this year in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania from May 5-7, 2010.

A few extracts from the press release:

Geneva, Switzerland, 18 September 2009 – The World Economic Forum announced today that Tanzania will host the 2010 World Economic Forum on Africa in Dar es Salaam from 5 to 7 May.

“The World Economic Forum on Africa is an important opportunity to take the pulse each year of the most influential of Africa’s stakeholders. We look forward to holding the meeting in Tanzania at a time when the whole East Africa region is expected to experience stronger growth,” said Andre Schneider, Managing Director, World Economic Forum.

...President Jakaya M. Kikwete of Tanzania echoed his enthusiasm: “It is an honour for Tanzania to host the 2010 World Economic Forum on Africa. We are looking forward to welcoming the community, which I am confident will continue to make important contributions in our collective quest for a better world. It is heartening to see the positive impact that the World Economic Forum has on key issues of global concern. This unique gathering regularly convenes a very diverse group of friends of the continent who are united in their optimism of what Africa can, must and will achieve.”

...The World Economic Forum on Africa takes place over three days and is renowned for its informal style that engenders frank and open conversation among the most influential leaders with a stake in the region. The 2009 gathering was hosted in Cape Town by newly elected President Jacob Zuma of South Africa.

Personally, I am interested in two things: (1) How can this forum prove beneficial to the education of youth in Tanzania and greater East Africa, and (2) in what ways can the scope of media in East Africa gain from the World Economic Forum?

More information:
Press release
World Economic Forum on Africa website

Motisha

Kama mtu na kijana mwingine yoyote, kuna siku ambazo mawazo yako hurandaranda kujaribu kutafuta majibu ya mambo mbalimbali.

Je, umeshawahi kufikiria kwa kina kuhusu suala la motisha? Nini hukusukuma kufanya shughuli zako za kila siku? Umeshawahi kujiuliza kwanini unaenda shule au kazini? Nina uhakika kuwa baadhi yenu mtaanza kufikiria watu ambao wanateseka ili tu mkono uende kinywani. Lakini hapa nazungumzia wale ambao kwenye jamii zetu huonekana kufika kwenye kilele cha mafanikio; wanaonekana kama wana kitu zaidi. Ni kipi hicho basi? Tunaweza kujifunza au kuwafundisha wadogo/watoto zetu? Au ni kitu ambacho mtu anazaliwa nacho -- na mazingira na mazingara hayawezi kukibadilisha?

Nimepata nafasi ya kujadili hili na marafiki zangu wengi, lakini mpaka sasa hivi sijapata jibu ambalo limeniridhisha. Labda maisha pamoja na lengo la maisha yetu hayawezwi kuelezwa kwa maneno.

Nina uhakika taswira za watu mbalimbali ambao unajua wanafanya kazi zao vizuri zinaanza kutokea kwenye fikra zako. Pia, unajua hadithi zao jinsi walivyofanikiwa kwenye shughuli zao.

Kuna wale ambao hadithi zao hutupa motisha; hulka zao tu hutosha kutusaidia kutupa msukumo kwenye maisha yetu kwa namba moja au nyingine, hasa pale motisha zetu zinapopungua kutokana na vikwazo vya hapa na pale. Mimi binafsi nina orodha ndefu kiasi (mama yangu akiwa namba moja!), lakini mara nyingi napenda kujikumbushia 'safari' ya William Kamkwamba:

Hakuridhika na kuishia hapo. Angalia alivyorudi miaka miwili baadae:

Wengi wetu hupenda kunung'unika pale mambo yanapoenda mrama kwenye maisha yetu na kutupia lawama watu na mazingira yanayotuzunguka. Hadithi kama hizi hubadilisha mawazo yako?

William, I salute you. You are one of my heroes!

East Africa Photo Journey

by 'MsBanjoEyes'

You would hardly find a better photo journal from East Africa!