Vol 01 Issue 01 March 2013
TELCO TALK
Mobile Broadband Technologies
BIZ
Are you a freelancer or business owner?
LIVING EXAMPLES
Lauryn’s horrific accident & miraculous recovery
HUMAN CONNECTIONS
Good Design makes you notice. Great Design does communicate. Complitly.
For elegant, memorable designs that engage your audience and effectively deliver your message, Complit Design is here for you. Our graphic design services include: - magazine design & layout - labeling & packaging design - letterheads & company reports - logo design - brochures & flyers - posters & banners To get started, give us a call or drop us a note now: Phone: +254 725 122450, +254 735 122450 Email: complitdesign@gmail.com Website: http://is.gd/Complit
ii CCM March 2013
Contents
March 2013 2. Upfront 3. A Healthier You
5. Living Examples 8. Strange but True
5. Living Examples 12. Mind Games 14. Telco Talk 15. The Walkabout 17. Connections
8. Strange But True
19. Thinking Aloud
9. The Business 10. Greening Kenya
19. Thinking Aloud 20. The View
20. The View CCM March 2013 1
Editorial
Upfront Hello, and welcome to the first edition of Complitly Connect Magazine (CCM).
Looking back on his advice, I sadly realize that his approach is exactly what informed the victims of the dot com crash that happened slightly over a decade ago. This disaster saw the demise of many, but NOT all, Internet businesses that were started then.
So what made some survive? We are The most enduring example of a excited to finally present this March dot com company that survived and 2013 issue which we hope, will set the continues to grow is Amazon. This pace for all we have in store for you in is singularly because its founder and subsequent monthly editions. CEO, Jeff Bezos, started Amazon. com and immediately decided to take Back in 2006, an affluent businessthe long-term route with it. A letter man, who was then a senior executive he wrote to Amazon shareholders in in a local media house, told me that 1997 [PDF 85KB] attests to this. it’s impossible to successfully run a By connecting with magazine on the Internet. He went what matters, and haron to tell me how the Internet only works for those who are in highly nessing our individual connected markets, such as Europe strengths and insights, and the United States. I keenly liswe can better ourselves tened to him... as well as positively At the time, I had teamed up with a influence our peers. group of highly motivated, forward thinking young persons who wanted That in essence, is the approach CCM to make a difference. We had started has decided to take. We are here for publishing ‘BE Magazine’ online, the long term. We are more driven by guided by the fact that if we began passion than by profit, the same thing and continued to believe, we would that informed the late Steve Jobs’s invariably become. vision upon his return to Apple in BE Magazine, it turned out, was an 2004. idea that was well ahead of its time. CCM has had numerous false starts, The aforementioned businessman since 2010. You see, we didn’t want believed a return on investment on to just come up with a good online the Internet had to happen fast, I publication to beat deadlines and fulguess because things on the web also fill promises to eager readers, partners happen in real time. and advertisers.
2 CCM March 2013
We however deemed it more important to start with a great, worthwhile product. It should be noted that our stated objective to carry original, useful, local and highly relevant content has in no way changed. We decided to delay launch until we had the right team. We also predicated our guiding principles on The Hedgehog Concept - an understanding of what we are passionate about, can be the best at and is economically viable. (The right team and Hedgehog Concept are fully explained in Jim Collins’s ‘Good to Great’ book). That said, Complitly Connect Magazine will offer reading that adds value for those among us who are young or young at heart and progressive. It is intended for those in institutions of higher learning, those on their first job, those who’ve recently started their own business or simply transitioned from formal employment into entrepreneurship. We strongly believe that we can, by connecting with what matters, and harnessing our individual strengths and insights, better ourselves as well as positively influence our peers. Our best days are ahead of us, that is why we have started here. Now. With time, unrelenting effort and your support, we shall eventually get to where we initially envisioned. Say hello to human connections that’ll undoubtedly help you connect with what matters to you. Complitly!
Health
A Healthier You
The very foundation of a life well lived is good health. Your lifestyle - what you eat, how active you are, your water intake among other routine practices hold the key to a healthier you, says health coach Kate Kibarah. For you to be efficient, productive and progressive, you need to be more than just alive. You need to be fit and strong.
diseases by adopting a healthy lifestyle. All aspects of life, including work, travel, home, and leisure, carry risks and benefits to health. You need to balance these risks and benefits by lifestyle choices that enable you to enjoy your life while staying healthy.
Being in great health depends on your lifestyle. It is how you Sedentary living has often been blamed for predisposlive that determines your diet, ing people to many con-communicable ailments, often how physically active you are, referred to as “Lifestyle diseases.” Any practical lifestyle how much water you drink, ways/changes to reduce the risk? and other routine practices that have a direct effect on your wellbeing. Very simple, leading a All aspects of life carry risks healthy lifestyle and exerand benefits to health, which you Complitly Connect Magacise. Get yourself into a need to balance through lifestyle zine recently caught up workable regimen. Go to with Kate Kibarah, a health choices that enable you to enjoy the gym, Walk more, don’t coach who is a clinical be a couch potato. your life while staying healthy. nutritionist and a colon hydrotherapist. Without getting into laborious exercise regimes, how can one ensure that they live a physically active life? To what extent does how we lead our lives determine how healthy we end up? Be on the move. Practical examples: walk more, use the lift, play with your The decisions you make everyday in relation to your children, park your car furthest from the entrance if at health shape your health destiny. Health is in your hands the shopping mall, do house chores, every time the phone and it is you who determines your destiny. Just like in the rings stand up when answering, don’t use the TV remove computer adage ‘garbage in garbage out’ the same applies etc. The list is endless. Anything that makes you but sit. to your health. What effect on health do locally grown, non-processed Health is not the absence of disease since disease is a profoods have on health. What are the best examples you’d cess. If you build your health foundation with unhealthy recommend? lifestyles, poor eating habits and sedentary living, you are at a higher risk of deteriorating with time. Research has Our locally grown non-processed foods are very healthy proven that such lifestyles lead to obesity linked to diseases and nutritious. Most processed foods have been depleted like diabetes, hypertension, cancer and so on. of the vital vitamins and minerals and or added chemiYou can reduce your risk of developing some of these cals and preservatives that may be continued on page 4
CCM March 2013 3
..health harmful to your health. Our natural foods and even better if grown organically without chemicals like fertilisers and pesticides, are the foundation of great health. When we look at our traditional foods like sweet potatoes, arrowroots, terere, managu etc ...these are very healthy, as compared to processed and junk food. I’d recommend we eat indigenous, traditional foods.
by which we flush out toxins and metabolic waste from our bodies. It is even essential in how our brain and nerves communicate throughout our bodies. Drinking the best water is just as important as breathing the cleanest, freshest air and consuming the healthiest food.
Drinking at least 2 litres (8 glasses) a day is recommended. In addition, water rich foods and beverages should be taken. If you take diuretics like coffee, alcohol, you also Drinking water is strongly recommended by many phy- need to consider increasing your intake. sicians and nutritionists. How much water is enough in a day? Is there a possibility of drinking too much When you take water in excess, the body reaches somewater? What would be the harm in doing so? thing known as optimum saturation point and the kidneys get into action to remove the excess water. Well, water is life - the second most important nutrient in the body after oxygen. Remember you can have too much of a good thing. Excess Your body comprises up to 70% water. After oxygen, wawater can be harmful and may lead to kidney damage and ter is the most basic need for human life. Water is essential water intoxication. It can also lead to a rare but potentialin health and vitality. On a cellular level water is responly fatal condition known as hyponatraemia, which sees the sible for getting nutrients into your cells. It is the means body’s salt levels drop ( dilution of sodium) in the body.
4 CCM March 2013
Living Examples
Miracles do happen
Life is inundated with examples of people going through challenging situations we can at times either relate to or find ourselves in. While many of the circumstances facing others may not exactly mirror our own, the travail, the recovery process and successful outcomes are in most cases things we can identify with. Complitly Connect Magazine will continually bring you stories of people undergoing untold struggle, finding themselves in their challenges and despite the odds, rising up, emerging victorious and stronger at the broken places. In this CCM March 2013 edition, we bring you Lauryn’s story.
COMPLITLY CONNECT MAGAZINE: Tell us a bit about Lauryn. LAURYN: Lauryn is an easy-going girl who likes to have a good experience of life given any situation. You will find her smiling or laughing most of the time, a severe sanguine. She is a gogetter and an entrepreneur too, who can be a scatter brain. She has a heart for God . She wears many hats; that of a big sister/ mother to her siblings, a girlfriend, a career woman, an entrepreneur, a motivator, a leader and a friend to many. She devotes herself to reach out to orphaned and less privileged children in Nairobi. On the flip side, she is a hopeless romantic; spends the evening looking at the sunset, watching a mushy movie or listening to mellow music. CCM: How was your life before the accident? LAURYN: My life was very normal before, infact I would say quite stagnant. I had been employed for almost 2 years, had very many business ideas to implement and was already in the process of setting up one. Besides that I used to spend lots of time serving at the church. Generally, I was glad for the opportunities God had given me at that time. Specifically for 2011. After much prayer, He gave me a sign at the beginning of the year that He would be my guide and I was definitely looking forward to great things. However, my love life had gotten sour in this period and was really weighing me down. I wondered about this because I had prayed for the opposite.
When it happened, Lauryn was at a moment in life where she was full of dreams, making strides in both her career and faith, living a full life, and nurturing love. One evening, a rogue driver literally broke her into pieces. Thankfully, witnesses to this most horrendous crime also turned out to be God’s angels whose collective decisions and actions saved her from an inevitable death. What then followed was months of intense pain, time to question and reflect, and as she recovered, an unrelenting resolve to put this life changing incident to the best possible use - tell her story to inspire others facing similar challenges and most important, proclaim God’s never-ending love, power, and grace. Lauryn recently told CCM’s Pete R Njenga her story. We hope her experience will provide insights that will help us better understand ourselves and our place in this world.
CCM: What exactly happened on that day? Tell us all that you’re comfortable sharing about the accident. LAURYN: One chilly morning in August 2011, I woke up just fine. I was glad that we were finally moving offices to Hurlingham. I was in a sombre mood, I’m not sure why. I got to the office in the mid-morning and found workmates already packing furniture to vacate. In a few hours, everything was ready. I remember standing and staring out of the window and had a very strong feeling that something was going to change that day, only that I thought it was something good. At the new office, I was excited to have my new desk. A while later we all left the office. Since I had a rendezvous in town, I headed for the Hurlingham stage continued on page 6 to take a bus to town. There was so
CCM March 2013 5
..living examples much traffic, so I opted to alight and walk to Tea Spot, a restaurant along Koinange Street. As I got to Chester House and almost into Market Street to cross to the other side, I saw a car turning and stopped for a moment. In just a second, I saw the car flying towards me and in another, it got to where I was and hit me with so much force that I fell to the ground. I remember trying to stand up, but couldn’t. In another split of a second, I saw the car pull back from me and come towards me again in full speed. I couldn’t run. It again threw me against the building on to the spiked metal rails that surround the building and left me suspended there. I instantly knew my work on earth was done. I was in such shock; I still did not believe I was the one who had been hit. From the deafening shrills and screams on the street, I knew I was just about to die. It felt like I was slowly falling into a dark abyss with no one to rescue me. Since the car had left me hanging upside down on the rails, I could only see people from that position. There were people surrounding me, wailing and screaming. There were sirens and hooting everywhere. I closed my eyes when I saw a camera flash. There were people taking photos of me? My heart sunk. It was a scene from hell. I couldn’t lift any part of my body, let alone feel. At that moment I knew if I was not going to die, I was going to be paralyzed for life. CCM: What happened next? LAURYN: There was so much shuffling around me. I overheard people debating if I was alive while I was still dangling on the rails. Cameras were still flashing. My heart sunk lower. I tried to open my eyes albeit slowly. “She’s alive! She’s alive!” Someone shrieked. The people hovering around me suddenly sprang back to activity and started debating on how to pull me out of those rails. It was shocking that I was still conscious and could smell blood and raw flesh. Suddenly, I felt someone touch me and try to lift me. I was so dumbfounded and beyond pain. I again felt people
6 CCM March 2013
lift me by my legs and arms and deposit me on a soft seat. The car then started moving. I winced. I couldn’t stand it, but had no energy to tell them to stop. I saw it was a lady driver, and she was cursing the traffic. There were two other people in the car calling my name, telling me to stay awake. CCM: Were you fully awake and conscious as first aid was administered? If yes, were you feeling pain? LAURYN: I was still halfway conscious when they got me to the town clinic but in so much shock that I felt I was going to black out any minute. I started to feel the pain when they began to move me around: from the car to the stretcher, then to the hospital bed. It was an excruciating, maddening pain that came from all parts of my body. I really wanted to die. Since I was a bit conscious, I could feel the panic in the room. I could hear something watery dripping to the floor, I guess that was my blood. Was it that bad? Everyone was rushing everywhere to fetch something. People were shouting, others were praying and there was someone hovering over me. He was trying to find something, probably a vein. I remember I was in dire need of water. I was feeling really thirsty. After a short while the pain subsided, and I felt drunk. They must have given me some tranquilizer. CCM: At what point did you become fully aware of the extent of your injuries? LAURYN: This happened after a few days at the hospital. I had been heavily sedated earlier with no clue of what had happened to me. When the pain assuaged, I slowly began to realize what had happened to me. I had a cast on one arm, a huge bandage on the other, a neck collar and there was a huge metallic support covering me from the waist downwards. Basically, one couldn’t see any other part of my body apart from the face. I couldn’t lift any part of my body, couldn’t run, or hide, or do anything at all. I was given strict instructions on how to lie. CCM: Tell us about the surgical procedures that you had to go through. continued on page 7
..living examples LAURYN: I had various surgical procedures during the three months I was at the hospital. Some were to stabilize the pelvis, which had been badly fractured, others were to stitch up the areas I had superficial and internal wounds. I have also been in and out of hospital for surgeries in the whole of last year since I developed other complications. CCM: Were there any complications or serious drawbacks that warranted delays to operate or necessitated more serious operations? LAURYN: Yes there were. For example, they delayed the very first surgery because I was very unstable. I also had an extensive wound that required several operations to fully heal. CCM: How did you reconcile with the fact that you were now confined to a hospital bed, unable to do many things on your own? LAURYN: I remember I couldn’t handle this truth. I had always been a very active person and the accident had rendered me incapacitated for a while. I could not accept the fact that I had to do everything on the hospital bed and as a result, I developed complications such as constipation. Worse still, I had to use a special wheel chair for three months. The wheelchair depressed me. I couldn’t accept the fact that I couldn’t stand. It took several weeks for my body to adjust and for the doctors to figure out the most suitable medication and procedures. CCM: As you lay on that hospital bed, all alone and in pain, what was going through your mind? What kept you going? LAURYN: The minute I realized I was going to be on the hospital bed for a while, I knew it was going to be the hardest time of my life. I had so many moments of emotional pain and despair. I couldn’t understand how God could let me go through all that turmoil. I had dedicated much of my life to serve him, how then could he abandon me on that street? Fortunately, the hospital had a very flexible schedule for visiting hours and I always had people by my bedside every single day I spent at that hospital. I therefore only had very little time alone in my own thoughts. This companionship kept me going and made me stronger each day. Further, I accepted that I was the one going through the whole experience. God was my constant companion, giving me hope and loving me through all those people that used to stream in to see me.
My family was always there. I have an aunt who used to come in every single morning to pray with me before going to her workplace, which was across town. The hospital staff was also very accommodating and made me feel completely at home. All this made my stay at the hospital more bearable. CCM: Waking up to day after day that looked the same, how did you keep yourself occupied? What or who was your best company? LAURYN: People were my greatest companion. Some used to really make me laugh. Others used to encourage and pray for me. They used to bring me music, movies, books among other sources of entertainment. I even got serenaded by some musicians! Besides that, all the hospital staff also became my friends and used to sit by my side at any available opportunity. All in all, everyone made it their duty to keep me occupied and more so, happy. I am always eternally grateful for this. Most particularly however, I treasure my friendship with my doctor. He told me that every year he always has a gift. In 2011, I was his gift from God as I had really been badly hurt and in his care, I got well. CCM: Was there any time during your hospitalization that anyone in your ward passed on? How did it affect both for you and fellow patients? LAURYN: Yes, there were, both children and adults. I remember one lady in particular who lay across me. We had earlier had quite a chat during the day, trying to encourage each other. Later that night, she passed on. It was so scary we all knew we were not going to make it out of that hospital.
continued on page 18
CCM March 2013 7
Strange But True
Bizarre Bytes We live in a strange world. People do things that defy all reason and come across as bizarre or weird. Since we see things as we are, is anything ever odd? The following though strange, is absolutely true. Undying Love? In November 2012, a Swedish necrophiliac was accused of licking and hugging human skulls in her flat in Gothenburg. For such affection, the woman faced up to two years in jail for disturbing the peace of the dead. The 37-year-old brunette was alleged to be keeping at least six skulls, a spine and “a large number of other bones” in a secret compartment, along with a drill, body bags and pictures from a mortuary. She however denied the allegations - claiming she collected the bones out of historical interest. Curiously, the woman is alleged to have posted online, a few years ago, “I want my man like he is, whether dead or alive. He allows me to find sexual happiness on the side.”
Prison Break Forget Michael Scofield’s ingenuity or Andy Dufresne’s unrelenting determination to escape Shawshank... In Brazil, prisoners have trained a cat to deliver cellphones and tools to help them dig tunnels. How so, you ask? Well, the feline sneaks in with the forbidden tools strapped to its body, so no cavity search was necessary. The cat belongs to and was raised by the prisoners, and liberally comes in and out of the Alagoas jail. After visits, relatives of the inmates often take the cat home.
8 CCM March 2013
Pick up the phone... In Elblag, Poland, a man badly burnt the side of his face with an iron box. While enjoying a few days off work, the man was asked by his wife to help with the housework.Which he did. While the wife was at work, the man decided to simultaneously watch the boxing channel, drink a beer and iron. Suddenly, the phone rang and instead of picking the receiver, he picked up the iron and put it to his ear... To make it worse, he hit his head on a door frame as he dashed to the bathroom to cool his burn with water. The man has now given up watching boxing. He however, continues to iron.
Life Imitating Art Last month in Austria, more than 60 art lovers stripped while touring the “Nude Men from 1800 to Today” exhibit of 300 paintings, photographs, drawings and sculptures - all focused on the bare male - at Vienna’s Leopold Museum. It all started when a man stripped at the exhibition in November 2012, and only dressed again after a security guard asked him to do so. That singular act made news and sparked demand for the all-nude showing. People from all over the world asked, “Can we visit the exhibition naked?”
The Business
Entrepreneurship All businesses need intellectual and human capital to start, but not all businesses require financial capital to take off, advises Andrew Kiriti. Interestingly, not all business owners are entrepreneurs. What then, does one need to be a freelancer? The most obvious requirement is the necessary skills and the tools with which to work. In our example, the designer has to be proficient in graphic design. In addition, s/he has to have a computer with which to work, with the necessary graphic design software installed. That, in effect, is what a freelancer does. Once the client’s needs are met and the fee paid, the freelancer embarks on a new project, be it repeat business from the same client or an entirely different project from a different client. It should be noted that a freelancer can be working on multiple projects for different clients at the same time. Many of us continue to look forward to that day when we can start our own businesses. The allure of entrepreneurship is ever present, but very few ever make the giant leap of faith in a daring effort to fly solo. In this regular series in Complitly Connect Magazine, we shall take an informed look into the world of business. In this first edition, we shall try to differentiate freelancing, entrepreneurship and business ownership. FREELANCING A freelancer is essentially a person who applies his skills to solve a problem for a client, and charges a fee based on the amount of work done, or the time spent doing that work. A good example is a graphic designer who charges a certain amount to design a logo. The chargeable amount will usually reflect the logo design task. Otherwise, the fee may be based on the hours spent designing.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP Entrepreneurship simply means investing in and running a business. An entrepreneur therefore identifies a need in his area of operation, and accordingly provides goods or services that address that need. continued on page 13
CCM March 2013 9
Greening Kenya
The Carbon Cycle The color green. Undeniably ubiquitous. The epitome of life, growth and flourish. That is what we shall be talking about as well as effecting meaningful change thanks to the Compit Communications Greening Kenya initiative.
This human factor is what has continually affected the carbon cycle, and through cause and effect, led us all to the precarious situation we currently find ourselves in.
We start with the question that has for a long time troubled many.
Carbon exists in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. In air, the proportion is less than a percentage point by volume, which makes its concentration very little and therefore harmless.
The Carbon Cycle
Plants make food through photosynthesis, a process that uses light from the sun to create organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water. The light is absorbed by chlorophyll, the substance that effectively makes plants green. The process of photosynthesis releases oxygen as a byproduct. Animal respiration on the other hand, uses oxygen and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Mercury is the planet nearest to the sun. Its average tempreture is 333 degrees fahreinheit. Venus is almost three times hotter at 855, despite being significantly farther from the sun. Earth, averages 59 degrees. Why is this so? Global Warming & Changing Climate The planet has gradually got warmer and climatic conditions have accordingly changed, all this manifested by extreme weather conditions that have resulted in many natural disasters. Several theories have been proposed in a bid to explain these changing times. In this and subsequent editions, we dwell on the effect of carbon, green-house gases, the atmosphere, the life cycles of organic compounds and human activity in altering the ‘natural’ flow of things.
10 CCM March 2013
When animals and plants eventually die, the carbon remains fixed in their tissue. It can however be synthesized through anaerobic respiration of bacteria, a process whose chief by-product is methane. It should be noted that methane is a more potent green-house gas than carbon dioxide.
Man’s activities on earth produce more and more carbon... This is why global temperatures are rising, polar ice is melting, the sea level is rising and climate change is happening.
The rest of the carbon may eventually be transformed into hydrocarbons when organic compounds are fossilized and exposed to great pressure over millions of years. Incidentally, these hydrocarbons are our chief source of fuel through combustion to drive engines, provide heating and in some cases, light.
..greening kenya Human beings have over the years greatly upset this natural order of things through industrial processes. Many involve combustion, a process that produces vast amounts of carbon dioxide. Since this carbon dioxide is more than what plants can absorb (there are fewer plants now thanks to deforestation and urbanization) the carbon dioxide is released into the air. Atmospheric Carbon Once in the air, carbon dioxide rises to the upper atmosphere. This is because it is lighter than air. Up there, the gas has a green house effect by trapping the infra-red rays reflected by the earth after exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Going back to the question at the beginning of this article, Venus is much hotter than both Earth and the very-near-to-the-sun Mercury because of its atmosphere. It so happens that the atmosphere of Venus contains large concentrations of Carbon dioxide. Both Earth and Mercury have little atmospheric carbon and therefore their respective average temperatures are much lower. Interestingly, the sun’s ultraviolet rays do not have any heat, being electromagnetic waves. The heat inherent in the waves is only produced by substances that absorb the waves and produce heat as a result. Since man’s activities on earth produce more and more carbon, the concentration of carbon in the upper atmosphere keeps rising. This is why global temperatures are rising, polar ice is melting, the sea level is rising and climate change is happening.
An understanding of the carbon cycle and how human activity has so far upset it is essential for any meaningful change to take place in an effort to avert climate change and its attendant problems. For starters, we need to responsibly manage our natural resources, and engage in practices that emit lower amounts of carbon. That’s where using renewable energy comes in. In our next article, we shall look at the ozone layer, and what we can do to help contain the rising levels of carbon dioxide as well individual initiatives that can reduce our carbon footprint.
CCM March 2013 11
Puzzles
Mind Games
Cut out of paper a Greek cross; then so fold it that with a single straight cut of the scissors the four pieces produced will form a square.
The figure above is of a wooden block consisting of two solid blocks of wood securely dovetailed together. The other two vertical surfaces not shown look exactly like the above shown. How were the pieces put together? *** The age of a woman’s husband is represented by the figures of her age reversed. He is older than she is, and the difference in their ages is 1/11 their sum. What are their respective ages?
How many minutes is it until six o’clock if fifty minutes ago it was four times as many minutes past three o’clock? *** A police officer saw a truck driver clearly going the wrong way down a one-way street, but did not try to stop him. Why not?
There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug? *** This is an unusual paragraph. I’m curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out.
The basket above has six eggs. Six people each take one of the eggs. How can it be that one egg is left in the basket? *** How could a baby fall out of a twenty-story building onto the ground and live?
Answers to all these puzzles will be published in the April edition of Complitly Connect Magazine.
12 CCM March 2013
..the business Unlike the freelancer, an entrepreneur doesn’t really need to have the specialist skills required to offer services. For this, the entrepreneur can hire skilled personnel and engage them either on casual or permanent basis. BUSINESS OWNERSHIP That in itself presents the single biggest advantage of starting a business - that you can offer services or buy and sell goods with no need to be skilled in your preferred line of business. For that reason, entrepreneurs who start businesses are not limited to specific businesses. In that case, does an entrepreneur have to be a good manager with excellent leadership skills
A freelancer is a service provider who offers their services to various organizations or individuals for a fee and who is not committed to any single employer. That said, a freelancer is essentially an entrepreneur, going by the definition above. What is the core difference between a freelancer and a business owner?
To better understand the differences between freelancing, business ownership and entrepreneurship, we talked to Gathii Andrew Kiriti who heads Neo-Century Investment Company (East Africa) Ltd.
A freelancer depends on their own skill and time to get the job done and thus receive payment, while a business owner has systems that leverage on other people’s time and expertise to get the job done. A business owner is naturally capable of getting more work done than a freelancer.
What would be a layman’s definition of an entrepreneur?
Just how much do skills and proficiency in services offered really matter?
An entrepreneur is a person who identifies problems and solves them for a profit.
For freelancers, they matter a lot. For entrepreneurs and business owners, it’s more a matter of finding people with the required skills.
Are all business owners entrepreneurs? Many business owners are not entrepreneurs. After the initial thrill of converting an idea into a business, many entrepreneurs lose interest and can actually be quite poor at being business owners as they are driven more by passion rather than profit - which is what drives business owners. Is it true that all businesses need capital to start? All businesses need intellectual and human capital to start, but not all businesses require financial capital to take off. Intellectual capital can then be used to source for funding for the business idea, should the need arise. What is a freelancer? Can he or she be an entrepreneur?
Do both freelancers and business owners need equal levels of skills? No. They need very different skills. A freelancer needs skills that are needed to enable him/her do the work, while a business owner is more concerned with management of skilled people within the enterprise in order to realize a profit. Do entrepreneurs have to have any skills other than running the business? The also need skills to help them identify if they need to launch the business in the first place, as well as when to sell the business, among many others.
CCM March 2013 13
Telco Talk
Mobile Broadband Telecommunication companies have in the last decade profoundly affected our lives. Since the advent of mobile telephony and its attendant services in Kenya in 2000, we continue to experience a transformation in the way we stay in touch, access the Internet, send and receive money, pay bills, and live our very lives.
In Telco Talk, we shall gain a better understanding of the companies that continue to drive this transformation, the technologies used and what lies ahead in mobile connectivity. In this first edition, we highlight various technologies used in both fixed and wireless telecommunications. In subsequent editions, we shall delve into specific technologies used for mobile broadband, with respect to data carrying capacity, Internet download and upload speeds, last mile deployment, network rollout, maintenance costs, coverage and the overall effect on job creation and rural development. First, a look at the main technologies used. CDMA CDMA means Code Division Multiple Access. It is a technology that operates on the 800Mhz and 1900Mhz frequencies. Some 1X networks operate at 450MHz. For data transmission, there are two CDMAbased modes: 1) 1X Data transmission rate peaks at 153kbps. 1X is essentially a 2G data network. 2) EVDO Rev A, Rev B and Rev C EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized) transmits data at an improved rate of 3.1Mbps for Rev A and 9Mbps for Rev B.
14 CCM March 2013
EVDO is a 3G network and when operating on 800Mhz, it is excellent for data network coverage in rural areas. The low frequency enables wider coverage with better data propagation. In addition, the wider coverage is a cost saving for operators since they have to set up and maintain base stations and masts. GSM The Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) is currently the most popular mobile broadband technology in use across the world. GSM networks operate on the 850MHz, 900Mhz, 1800Mhz or 1900Mhz frequencies. GSM 3G networks operate on either 900Mhz or 2100Mhz. Based on GSM technology, data is transmitted on GPRS, EDGE, UMTS or HSPA network subtype. The GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) data transmission rate is 56114kbps. GPRS is a 2G technology. EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) speeds are much higher at a peak 236kbps. This makes EDGE a 2.5G technology. UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) speeds average 384kbps. It is a 3G mobile cellular system based on the GSM standard. UMTS uses wideband code division multiple access. continued on page 16
The Walkabout
Here and Now
How can we manage and make the most of our current situation? asks Pete R Njenga. How do we get to the place we’d like to be? Here and now is the best place to start, and it is all we’ve got. “All that matters is right here and now.” - Whitney Houston. I recently chanced upon a candid discussion about why many parents prefer not to bequeth their sons and daughters any inheritance until and up to that point where they feel they’re about to pass on. The inherent risk in such delay is that no one can be certain or to any degree accurate about his or her time of death. A significant number of people succumb to very untimely, sudden illnesses and accidents. In effect, many benefactors do die intestate. The Guinness Book of World Records officially crowns Henrietta Green as the undisputed top miser of all time. It was too painful for her to spend any of it, that she refused to pay for her own son’s treatment. At the time of her death, she was worth $100 million ($2 billion today). Apparently, the aforementioned parents are terrified of giving out or relinquishing management of their vast estates to their own children largely thanks to fear that their hard-earned properties will be mis-managed.
Even worse for these mean parents and benefactors, most of these estates are soon divided out among those who hold little or no sentimental value to them, and almost always squandered. All We’ve Got Here and now is all we’ve got. The gift of the present when duly appreciated, is all that’s needed to realize set objectives and goals. While yesterday is certainly and irretrievably gone, tomorrow remains a dream only useful for planning. Tomorrow is not usable until today’s mandate is over. Now, for today to truly count, action needs to be taken. This is because only action leads to results. Skills and strength sans action, knowledge that does not beget efficiency in action, that is dead stock. In fact, it is wasted opportunity that undoubtedly becomes a liability, an opportunity cost. Where to Start
Here and now is where we can easily start. To the untrained mind, the passage of time holds one hosLetting Go tage and imposes limits as to when things can be done. That passage of time however, is necessary for there to be What they forget is that the most costly decisions are those progress. Since everything cannot be simultaneously carnot made. When you keep a lot to yourself, you deny ried out, there needs to be a moment in time when every others the chance to learn how to manage and probably action can be carried out. That time is now. The place is increase what you currently own. here. And it represents the best moment to start. In the chicken and egg story, every chick can attest to the fact that the risk and effort of cracking the shell and break- There is no need postponing what can be effectively done ing out of the egg by far outweighs the comfort of idling now, here. Many of us spend vast amounts of time makinside the unhatched egg. ing lofty plans to do things in continued on page 16
CCM March 2013 15
an unspecified future. Thanks to the limitless nature of imagination, the mind conceives an ability to do all that it can imagine.
penter who believes that creating the best furniture is only possible if using electric machinery. He therefore overlooks the glaring fact that he can today start working with hand tools, and as his carpentry business grows, he will eventuIn addition, the same luxury of planning with boundless ally be able to purchase machinery whose aqcuisition cost imagination for an indefinite future eliminates the urgency will be only justifiable if used to produce furniture in bulk. or need to get anything done at all. God calls us to shape an uncertain destiny. Finally, failing to fully appreciate the here and now results You are available and able to do the needful right now, in vastly overlooking that which is usable and of benefit in right here, using what is currently at your disposal. Are our current situations. A good example would be a caryou willing to make the most of here and now? HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) is a wideband 3G technology that offers high download (HSDPA) and upload (HSUPA) speeds. HSDPA speeds can be as high as 3.6Mbps, 7.2Mbps or 14.4Mbps.
For this, a MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) antenna is used in concert with higher order modulation.
HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) uses an enhanced uplink feature to improve performance of uplink dedicated channels. This in effect increases capacity and output, and reduces delay. HSUPA speeds often peak at 5.76Mbps.
WiMAX uses the IEEE 802.16 (fixed) and 802.16e (mobile) standards. Unlike WiFi, WiMAX has greater range.
HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) is an enhanced download protocol that makes UMTS-based networks transfer data at higher speed and capacity. Supported downlink speeds are up to 42Mbps. Beyond HSPA, there are HSPA+ networks, which denote Evolved High-Speed Packet Access networks. The speeds are enhanced such that they are comparable to LTE networks. Commercial deployments using a DC-HSPA+ (dual-cell high speed packet access). With dual cell, multiple cells are combined into one. Peak speeds are up to 168Mbps downlink and 22Mbps uplink.
16 CCM March 2013
WiMAX WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwace Access) is designed to provide 30-40Mbps data rates. It is essentially a technology for delivering last mile wireless broadband access, as an alternative to cable and DSL.
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is universally acknowledged as a 4G technology. Theoretical speeds are very high at 100Mbps. Based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA networks, speed and capacity are enhanced through a different radio interface and core network improvements. WiFi WiFi allows devices to wirelessly exchange data over computer networks and high speed Internet connections. Deployed at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, WiFi has a range of just under 50 metres, and as little as 20 metres indoors. WiFi has typical speeds of 54Mbps.
Connections
You and I connected.
The Social Web
For completely free services such as Facebook, Google+, Flickr and Twitter, all registered users can access and use The Internet deeply affects our lives. the same services offered by the web site. Thanks to the world wide web (a core part of the InterFor web sites that make use of a freemium model, users net), you are now reading Complitly Connect Magazine. who register a free account typically encounter restrictions What makes the Internet tick however, is not vast server in site service and functionality. These premium services farms, ultra-high capacity fibre optic cables, the latest are in the meantime available to paid-up users and remain HSPA+ and LTE mobile broadband networks or the very accessible to users once their free accounts are converted few, albeit dominant billion dollar to premium accounts upon the companies that dominate the web. In this article, we explore payment of a specified fee.
the basic concepts of the
It is the individual who has willSites such as LinkedIn employ the social web construct, with ingly made a connection with freemium model. respect to our place in it. other like minded netizens, and continues to create and share content on the web. Using a feature or smart phone, a tablet, Terms of Service laptop or desktop computer, this individual has helped create the social web - a vast, ever-expanding network of It is mandatory for every web site to clearly communicate, web users who connect in real-time across the world. in written form, the terms of service and the attendant conditions that govern the access to and use of any services That individual is you and I. once users register with the service. Social Networks. A core part of this complex web is social networks. A majority of Internet users belong to at least one of these networks viz: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Weibo, MySpace, YouTube and others. In addition, web users post blogs, contribute to online boards and forums of interest, and share their opinion by commenting on articles posted on blogs and news sites.
Interestingly, the majority never read the terms of service of any site. We just click “I Agree�, only to later complain about invasion of privacy and sharing of our content. What many forget is that any site whose services you can access and extensively use at no cost operates in a most unconventional way. The services you can use e.g. Email, photo sharing, video sharing etc are not the commodity being traded in by such a site. It is you as a user, and the attendant data you willingly share that are the commodity.
Registered Users, Free and Freemium Models
Our Place in the Social Web
Essentially the social web comprises web sites where users across the world or within a defined geographical area register accounts which effectively make them members who can then gain access to various levels of the functionality of the said site. Such access defines what services one can enjoy.
All in all, we do have a place in the social web. Our sharing helps others learn, our connections bring us closer together. We can improve both our lives and those of others on the Internet. On the web, we connect, learn, share and grow.
CCM March 2013 17
..living examples CCM: Where did you find your greatest strength during this protracted recovery period? LAURYN: My strength came from God. He is the one I’ve always had faith in, ever since I was a little child. CCM: Was there any time when you felt like it was too much? Did you ever entertain or even seriously consider the like hood of giving up? What significant lows can you highlight during your hospitalization? LAURYN: I recall many times that I really wanted to give up. It was so bad that I actually attempted suicide one day while at the hospital. However, God was not done with me and was on a mission to save my life. That was when I actually got to know that he really wanted me to survive the ordeal and fulfill his purpose. Although I still had many other moments when I was really down with despair and mental turmoil, I never got to that level again.
LAURYN: Yes, I have changed a great deal. I feel like a new person after that whole ordeal. Most of the change is positive as opposed to negative. How I think of people and situations is what has changed mostly. I have now learnt that life is basically in three Ts; a Test, a Trust and Temporary. Instead of looking for permanency in this world, I look for permanency in God and in people’s hearts. CCM: Many people believe that everything happens for a reason. What do you think was the reason you had to go through this? LAURYN: I would be lying if I said that I fully understand the reason why I went through such an experience. In fact, my biggest prayer has been for God to show me why. It had reached a point where I felt as if my life was falling apart. I wanted things to move, but it never really got better.
When I look at my life however, I see so much positive change in all areas of my life. I have A lot of people live half-lives, found true love too. I definitely CCM: Are you physically fully hoping to do better tomorrow. love my life now. At the same recovered now? If not, what still What they don’t realize, is that time, I believe strongly that God needs medical attention? wanted to show himself true to tomorrow may never come. human kind through me. LAURYN: After about a year and a half, I am finally well now, I thank God. However, I still CCM: You have in many occasions reiterated your resolve have to attend physiotherapy sessions every now and then to to tell your story to as many people as you can reach. What strengthen the bones and muscles that had been hurt. core message to you intend to convey? CCM: What is your biggest take-away from this entire experience? LAURYN: This must have been the appreciation of a higher power in the universe, and that is God. He knew what was going to happen and even prepared me before through premonitions, though I couldn’t comprehend them. The other was how to appreciate life, health, who we are, the situations we are in and the people in our lives. I left the house one Thursday morning hoping to come back as usual but only came back three months later. That just made it clear to me that life is not normally in our hands, it is in God’s hands. CCM: Did the accident and the subsequent recovery process change you? Looking back prior to the harrowing ordeal, have you become a better person?
18 CCM March 2013
LAURYN: I intend to help people understand the meaning of life from my story. I would love to see people appreciate more, love more, laugh some more and rejoice in life. I would love to see people take it easy and not push themselves too hard, take more time to build relationships other than material things and entrust God with their lives because he is essentially the one who holds it in his hands. That’s why I tell my story in such detail. CCM: What else would you like to share with the Complitly Connect Magazine readers? LAURYN: I would encourage guys to live their lives fully, be happy and serve God and man. Life is more about how you react to things, not what happens to you. Do not let any human being dictate your happiness, or life in general. The best anyone can do is to hand over their lives to the creator, for he knows what is best for us. We may go through dark periods, but the morning always comes, and it’s always bright.
Thinking Aloud New Government Structures
Vote Wisely The essence of patriotism and responsible citizenly still behooves us to make the most of democracy.
This month, Kenyans will vote in a new government, comprising new structures and office-holders after the much anticipated March 04, 2013 general elections. The polls will be conducted pursuant to the provisions laid out in the new constitution that was approved by a majority of Kenyans in a referendum in 2010. Now, it’s just a matter of days before you and I go out and elect the six officials we’d like to mandate to represent us from the local (County Representative) to the national (President) levels of government. These elected officials, in concert with the many others whose offices the new consitution has created, will represent the Kenyan citizen, be entrusted with making informed policy decisions, public funds, resources and perform other specified duties in public interest. Individual Action, Collective Effect Each one of us, who is of sound mind, is assumed to be in a continuous quest for progress and amelioration. Especially for him or herself. The 2013 General elections in Kenya present a chance for every Kenyan citizen to have a say in the kind of government that he or she desires.
It is the right of every qualified citizen to vote for various leaders of choice. For such a right to be qualified and realized however, the onus is on every registered voter to actually cast a vote, and this is what makes voting both a right and a duty.
While we run the inherent risk of electing very popular but not the best candidates, Complitly Connect Magazine is calling out to you - the registered voter in Kenya, to elect a leader whose character, development record, patriotism, legal and moral standing, and any other requisite quality of interest, you do not find inept. In short, we implore you to elect a leader who in holding public office, will add value in not just your life, but in those of your fellow citizens.
This is a challenge that without any prejudice or bias, of your own free For the majority of a representative will, make an informed choice afpopulation in a county or the entire fecting the possible election of your nation to elect their preferred candidate, your individual vote will be both preferred candidate. necessary and of consequence to the Of most import however, is that the final outcome of the election. same yard stick you’ll use in determining the worthiness of a particular More vs Better candidate should be used in interrogating the quality, worthiness, and The most popular candidates will fairness of your choice. undoubtedly win the election. That represents the fundamental strength of democracy, which ironically, is also its monumental failure - that the voice of the many, not the better, carries the day.
We are however stuck with democracy in spite of its ills and do have the right and the duty to claim our stake in it.
The onus is on you the voter, to make an informed decision in every vote you cast this March. It’ll take both you and I to elect the right person. The ball is now in your court. Honor yourself, God and country in making a choice that will be helpful to you, your fellow citizens and for greater good.
CCM March 2013 19
The View
Our country has amazing views. Kenya: A Rediscovery of Wonder is our exciting series of panoramic shots to showcase Kenya’s breath-taking views. If you have an original photo you’d like us to publish, simply send it to us and help us share the beauty of our beloved country.
20 CCM March 2013
First Impressions are most lasting. Make a lasting impression! Advertise in Complitly Connect Magazine Complitly Connect Magazine is here to help you market and sell your products to our highly targeted, qualified niche audience. Our original, timely, useful and highly relevant content helps our reader connect with what matters to him/her. Reading Complitly Connect Magazine, your customer is fully engaged and actively shares with his/her friends across the Internet, in real time and with no geographical limitations.
We’ll help you tell our-reader-turnedyour-customer about your products and services in an effeective, affordable, nonobtrusive and interactive way. Your ad can be in static image, audio and video format. Every ad links to your Homepage, a landing web page, downloadable file, mini-site or any web destination you choose. Connect with your next customer now. Place your advert in Complitly Connect Magazine.
For more details on ad sizes & formats, media kit & rate card, please visit http://is.gd/Connect
Coming soon
to your favorite online bookstore.
A collection of 10 short stories that candidly explore the human condition. Click here to read synopses of the stories.
Human beings are seldom humane. books.peternjenga.com