September 2014
OUTH EAST AFRICA
& SUCCESS
Uwezo fund is a real
Fashion & Beauty
GOLD MINE
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JOB HUNTING tactics that may just work
HIGHER EDUCATION
getting more expensive NACADA
A U T H O R I T Y F O R A D R U G F R E E N AT I O N
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES Faculty of Information Communication & Technology 1. Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSc. IT) Faculty of Business 1. Bachelor of Business Information and Technology (BBIT) 2. Bachelor of Business Administration and Management (BBAM) Duration: Three year programme subdivided into tri-semesters OR 2 Years with exemptions approved by university senate. DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES Faculty of Business 1. Diploma in Business Administration 2. Diploma in Business Management & Administration 3. Diploma in Human Resource Management 4. Diploma in Purchasing and Supplies Management 5. Diploma in Business & Office Management 6. Diploma in Marketing Faculty of Information Communication Technology (ICT) 1. Diploma in Information Technology 2. Diploma in Business Information Technology 3. Diploma in Computer Science Department of Education, Arts and Social Sciences 1. Diploma in Community Development 2. Diploma in Social Work 3. Diploma In Community Health
4. Diploma in Project Management 5. Diploma in Education (Primary Option) 6. Diploma in Early Childhood Education 7. Diploma in Counseling Psychology Department of Engineering 1. Diploma in Electronics Engineering 2. Diploma in Electrical Engineering (Power) Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management 1. Diploma in Travel & Tour Guiding Management 2. Diploma in Hospitality Management 3. Diploma in Tourism Management 4. Diploma in Nutrition, Food Science and Health Department of Media, Arts and Design 1. Diploma in Communication and Media Studies – Broadcast, Print, Advertising and Public Relations Duration: All Diplomas shall be offered in one and a half calendar years (18 months)
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CERTIFICATE PROGRAMMES 1. Certificate in Development Studies 2. Certificate in Early Childhood Development and Education 3. Certificate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering 4. Certificate in Food Science and Nutrition 5. Certificate in Hospitality and Tourism Management 6. Certificate in Information Technology (CIT) 7. Certficate in Business Management 8. Certificate in Purchasing & Supplies Management 9. Certificate in Journalism & Media Studies 10. Bridging Certificate in English 11. Bridging Certificate in Mathematics
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Issue 1 September 2014
Content
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Job hunting tactics that may just work
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5 Higher education getting more expensive 7 Youth Fund wins accolades at ICGLR summit Worrying: the youth not 8 taking up funding 9 Uwezo fund is a real gold mine 13 How to balance school and work as an adult
How NCPWD is empowering persons with disabilities
Drug abuse culture fueling HIV infections
18 Principles that super achievers esteem 19 Fewer college couples marry thereafter 23 The Dangers Of Premarital Sex
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25 When college life gets very tough
Editorial
Issue 1 September 2014
The march has just begun
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t’s with great pleasure that we present you this copy of the Youth & Success Magazine. This premier publication in the East African region is the most critical platform upon which the youth in this particular region can get empowered to succeed in life. It is a timely publication that comes at a moment when the region is undergoing rapid development, but with little room to accommodate the youth, who seem to make up the majority of the population, the workforce and the unemployed. From an editorial perspective, this has taken the able hands of the Almighty God, to set up the team that will continue to sustain this copy. By the grace of God, we believe this publication will not only empower the youth to succeed, but will become the most inspiring resource for anyone seeking to succeed on any positive and right facet of life. The team behind this copy is thriving day by day to incorporate the fundamental support offered by organizations that have been created to help the youth succeed in life; and on this accord, has forged firm and long-term alliances and partnerships with the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), who are keen to fight drug abuse among young people. Other partners include the Uwezo Fund and the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, which are key government organizations spearheading the empowerment of the youth and other vulnerable members of the society to access funding to establish and sustain businesses.
Eddie Wachira
The National Council for Persons with Disabilities is also another important organization that is among the key partners of this publication, and together, all these organizers will be working with the Youth & Success Magazine team to give our youth an honest go at success. We welcome partnership with educational institutions in the country who are keen to empower the youth, and let’s work together on this platform to transform the lives of our young people. In this edition, we have carried numerous stories that will be of great interest to the young people at large, including stories about survival at the institutions of higher learning, and why education in these institutions continues to be more and more costly. We have also carried stories about drug abuse and why it fuels HIV infection rates, alongside other stories aimed at shedding more light on the Uwezo fund and the youth fund at large. Coupled with that, we have also featured on relationships, health and fitness, which are key to the success of every young person. There is also an important segment that talks about life in college and how one must learn to stay up. Young people are passionate about success in life. Many are times, however, when they have failed to achieve their goals because of obstacles in life that were beyond their control. We want to speak to every young person out there today, and encourage each struggling young person that it is never too late, and neither are we ever too weak to get there. Our destination to success is clear though the road could be laden with challenges. It is not time to give up! It is time to dig in for a fight of a lifetime in order to succeed. It is your time to make a meaningful impact in life. It is your time to go out there and show the world what you are made of. Join us now, as this journey to success begins to unfold!
News and Analysis
Issue 1 September 2014
Higher education getting more expensive By Simon Mwisa
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e all know too well what tuition fees have become these days. It is a stiff mountain to climb for many students who do not have the monies to meet the steep cost.
You haven’t mentioned the cost of living as well, but obviously, the cost of studying at an institution of higher learning has become almost a nightmare to many. For students undertaking parallel degree programs for instance, you wouldn’t see the inside of a lecture room if you do not have a minimum of about Ksh60,000 per semester. The student loan crisis is not a new phenomenon, only that it hasn’t been highlighted as such. Despite its huge impact, as recently as the late 1980s there was no student loan crisis. Then, middle and working class students suffered from cutbacks and had difficulty financing their educations, but overall, while the system of paying for college was beginning to break down, it had not yet become the disaster it is today. The crisis came because in later years the cost of getting a higher education rose many times faster than the overall cost of living. To make matters worse, wages were stagnant and the real purchasing power of working Kenyans was in decline. The crisis now centers on the inability of borrowers to repay their student loans, but those borrowers only needed loans in the first place because in the mid-2000s the cost of tuition escalated so dramatically. By the first decade of the new century, it virtually went through the roof. What drove this sudden and rapid increase? When I was a young man, many families could afford college even though far fewer than today thought it necessary. The son or daughter of a working class family could attend a public college or university where the cost of tuition was almost
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Issue 1 September 2014
negligible, even for families with limited funds. Working class kids with enough talent could win scholarships to attend the more elite private universities abroad. Kenyan families found it easier to take their children abroad for higher education. But even those private universities kept tuition low enough for middle class families to afford. Young people in my time had access to an additional advantage students are unlikely to have today: part-time jobs during the school year and fulltime temporary jobs during the long break. The extra money allowed me to pay for my own living expenses and graduate without debt and without having burdened my parents. I was typical. The robust economy at the time allowed many students like me to “work our way through college.� That phrase sounds quite hollow today since most of those jobs no longer exist. For the 10 years prior to the mid-1990s, college tuition rose only gradually. Middle class families had come to understand that a degree meant greater earning power. Their children flocked to university and quickly increased total enrollment. Campuses had to expand to meet the new demand. As a result, tuition increased at a rate somewhat greater than the increase in the overall cost of living. Nevertheless, the situation remained stable since costs were not going up fast enough to trigger changes in the way higher education was financed. That was no longer true by the early 2000s, when tuition began to increase at a rate faster than the overall cost of living. When the public universities increased their tuition, the elite private universities took notice. Anxious to maintain their higher status and simultaneously bring in more revenue, they raised their tuition as well, setting off an escalating spiral. The result is visible today in the eye-popping tuition rates that now confront students at private colleges and universities. The escalation of these costs is certain to continue. The big name private schools turn away 75% or more of their applicants. They have no reason to lower tuition and every reason to continue raising it. In the three decades between 1980 and 2010, Kenya underwent a sea change in how it finances higher education. The Consumer Price Index over that period roughly doubled, meaning that most things cost about twice what they did 30 years earlier. Many are aware that over the same period the cost of health care did not just double but increased six times over what it had been. Few Kenyans, however, realize that during that same period the cost of college tuition went up twice as fast as the cost of health care. Add the disappearance of part-time and temporary jobs for college students and the implications for higher education are clear: in three decades the cost of college rose from relatively accessible to shockingly unaffordable.
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Consider voluntary work as a way of adding to your portfolio of experience and learning new skills.
Those three decades also witnessed radically widening disparities between working and middle-class families on the one hand and wealthy families on the other. Between 1978 and 2011, roughly the same three decades, average CEO salaries increased by 725 per cent. Workers’ salaries over the same period increased less than 6 per cent. Taking a longer view, they showed that in 1990 the top 1 per cent of income earners in Kenya collectively made 8.4 per cent of the total income generated in the country. Twenty years later, in 2010, the top 1 per cent had doubled their take to 17.4 per cent of total income. As the purchasing power of working and middle class families declined, college was seen as ever more necessary in the desperate struggle for financial success. But rapidly rising tuition made college less and less affordable. Trapped between their perceived need for an education and their lack of resources with which to pay for it, many families had no choice but to seek larger and larger student loans. Today, it is practically a tall order to get college or university education in Kenya. With the cost of living high up in the sky, and with the HELB loans appearing a tiny drop in the ocean for students entitled to it; it is a huge dream for many to get to university and actually graduate. Those in the parallel programmes are even at a greater disadvantage because they have to fork more. In fact, parallel students have to give as much as three or four times what their contemporaries who are on-campus have to pay. Given the absence of loans for parallel students, it is only imaginable what they have to go through to complete their education. Parents heavily burdened with tuition fees, let alone other expenditures. And to imagine that after all is said and done, they will not get jobs easily, and they may never end up in their career of choice. Others would try entrepreneurship, but can only go so far.
The most inspiring success journal for the youth
News and Analysis
Issue 1 September 2014
Youth Fund wins accolades at ICGLR summit Ms. Catherine Namuye. C.E.O, Youth Enterprise Development Fund.
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he Youth Enterprise Development Fund has won accolades at the just ended Special Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). The theme of the conference, held in Nairobi on 24th July 2014, was “Fight against Youth Unemployment through Infrastructure Development and Investment Promotion”. Kenya was commended for making great strides in initiatives aimed at alleviating youth unemployment. The YEDF was seen as one of the key such initiatives. The Summit was preceded by an exhibition held from 19th to 24th July 2014 at the KICC to show case some of the youth best practices on youth employment and empowerment undertaken by the member states and their partners. The YEDF was one of the key exhibitors, with a corporate stand as well 17 of its beneficiaries showcasing their businesses.
Visitor profile Among the people that visited the exhibition and were impressed by the Fund’s achievements were Professor Ntumba Luaba the ICGLR Executive Secretary and Angolan foreign minister Georges Chikoti who openly said the fund has done a commendable job. Others were Kenya’s Cabinet Secretaries Anne Waiguru (Devolution and Planning) and Amina Mohamed (Foreign Affairs and International Trade). The latter promised to promote youth owned enterprises. In his opening speech, President Kenyatta noted that the
The most inspiring success journal for the youth
Youth Enterprise Development Fund has financed and trained thousands of youth enterprises. He added that the Fund has also done well in establishing linkages between young entrepreneurs and older, more established partners in industry sectors. The President further said that the programme has been expanded, and is now supported by parallel projects that target the youth, women and persons living with disability, with a combined revolving capital of Ksh15 Billion.
Providing loans The Fund provides loans and business development services to youth aged 18 to 34 years. It has so far disbursed over Ksh10 billion to over 300,000 youth owned enterprises across the country. Some of these enterprises have grown and are now employing many Kenyans as well as contributing to the exchequer. These efforts have resulted in the creation of about 1 million jobs. Furthermore, the fund has trained over 300,000 youth in entrepreneurship besides facilitating them with access to markets for their products. It has also helped to integrate thousands of youth into mainstream financial services. Moreover 12,000 young people have been facilitated to obtain employment outside Kenya through the fund’s jobs abroad programme. Due to its success the Youth Enterprise Development Fund has become a case study in Africa, with seven countries visiting to benchmark.
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News andAnalysis Issue 1 September 2014
Worrying: the youth not taking up funding By Eddie Wachira
S
ince President Uhuru Kenyatta appeal a few months ago to the youth to take advantage of the Government procurement allocated to them, little is there to report home. The President regretted that despite the Government’s move to empower the youth, women and people with disability through the 30 per cent procurement directive, translating to Ksh200 billion annually, not many people have heeded. “It is unfortunate that you have not fully taken advantage of the 30 per cent you have been allocated by Government. You are currently utilizing less than Ksh100 billion of the total annual allocation. If we fully utilized the allocation, we would be able to address some of the unemployment challenges that the country is facing,” the President said. President Kenyatta was speaking today at State House, Nairobi, where he met members of the National Youth Council.
Government initiatives Saying the Jubilee Government has placed the youth at the centre of its development agenda, the Head of State advised young people to use the Government initiatives, including the Uwezo Fund, effectively. “You are no longer going to be on the sidelines. We want you to be at the centre of the country’s development,” President Kenyatta said. He challenged the National Youth Council to play a proactive role in promoting unity and national cohesion.
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Speaking during the meeting, members of the National Youth Council led by their Chairman, Mr. Clement Ayungo, said they will work closely with the Government in promoting the youth agenda. They supported the ongoing transformation of the National Youth Service (NYS), saying the move would give the institution the capacity to equip young people with skills that will enable them to participate effectively in national development through self-employment initiatives.
Procurement allocation Responding to issues raised by the National Youth Council, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich assured them that all bottlenecks to access of Government procurement allocation are removed. He said the ministry will also train the youth on the new Government procurement procedures to demystify the process. Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru said Huduma Centres will have special counters to deal with youth issues. She said the Government procurement allocation to the youth, women and people with disability applies at the national and county government levels. A spot check by our team showed that there is a very slow uptake of funding by the youth from these organizations that the government has set up, mainly because there hasn’t been a sustained campaign to empower them into taking up funding. Government and other stakeholders may need to engage in a campaign countrywide to sensitize the youth on the availability of funding, and how they can access the same. As it stands right now, there is probably not much happening on that front. The most inspiring success journal for the youth
Youth Opportunities Issue 1 September 2014
Uwezo fund is a real gold mine By Joseph Muli
U
wezo Fund is a flagship programme for vision 2030 aimed at enabling women, youth and persons with disability access finances to promote businesses and enterprises at the constituency level, thereby enhancing economic growth towards the realization of the same and the Millennium Development Goals No.1 (eradicate extreme poverty and hunger) and 3 (promote gender equality and empower women).
The Fund seeks to expand access to finances and promote women, youth and persons living with disability led enterprises at the constituency level. It also provides mentorship opportunities to enable the beneficiaries take advantage of the 30 per cent government procurement preference through its Capacity Building Programme. Uwezo Fund, therefore, Wilfred Buyema, CEO,uwezo fund is an avenue for incubating enterprises, catalyzing innovation, promoting industry, creating employment, and growing the economy.
How the Uwezo fund work
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At the National level, Uwezo Fund Oversight Board provides overall coordination and management, design and oversight of the Fund. The Board is supported by a Secretariat which is headed by Ag CEO Wilfred Buyema. The Uwezo Fund is administered through the Constituency Development Fund framework in all 290 constituencies. The CDF offices offer administrative support to the fund as well as hosting the constituency Uwezo Fund management committees. The Constituency Uwezo Fund Management Committees ranges between 12 -15 depending on the number of wards in a constituency. The Fund will operate as a revolving Fund ensuring continuity and sustainability. Borrowing groups will be expected to apply Table Banking principles. 4. The Fund will be organically linked to 30 per cent public procurement spend preference closing the loop between access to opportunities for enterprise development and supply side capabilities.
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Who can apply Women, Persons with disabilities and youth groups can apply. The groups should have a minimum number of 5 to a maximum of 15 members.
Requirements for applying
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The youth or women group should be registered with the Department of Social Services or the Registrar of Societies with a membership of 9 – 15 members. A Certified copy of Registration Certificate will be required. The youth group membership must be between 18 and 35 years of age. The groups should be based and operating within the Constituency it seeks to make an application for consideration for a loan from the Uwezo Fund. The group should operate a table banking structure where members make monthly contributions according to the groups’ internal guidelines. Evidence of monthly contributions will be required. The group should hold a bank account in the name of the group.
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How to apply for the Uwezo Fund 1.Ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria 2.Fill an application form. Download the Uwezo Fund Application Form from the funds website, www. uwezofund.go.ke or get it at the Constituency Uwezo Fund Management Committee office. 3.Submit the application form together with relevant documents to the Uwezo Fund Management Committee within your constituency. 4.Await notification of the Uwezo Fund Management committee
Uwezo Fund Capacity Building Programme A Training Needs Assessment (TNA) conducted by consultants brought on Board by the Ministry of Devolution and Planning in February 2014 in sampled counties in Kenya showed that persons with disability, women and youth lack the skills and competencies necessary to ensure identification, growth, expansion and sustainability of their enterprises. This training manual aims at bridging the identified gaps. Therefore,
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in order to mitigate the mortality rates of enterprises. In effect, the Capacity Building training will impart skills and competencies to spur entrepreneurial and savings culture for economic empowerment. The Capacity Building programme commenced on the 1st of September countrywide and is being conducted by 21 consultants across the 47 counties. The process of preparing the capacity Building training manual was participatory involving the Ministry of Devolution and Planning, Kenya Industrial Estates Ltd (the consultant) and various stakeholders in provision of Business Development Services.
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General Objectives of the training By the end of the training, the trainee should be able to: a) Understand the UWEZO Fund operations. b) Acquire skills to start, operate and grow their businesses efficiently and effectively. c) Understand and operate a group table banking effectively. d) Access business finances through table banking. e) Understand public procurement procedures and successfully bid for goods, works and services in the public sector. f) Acquire skills to deal and cope with cross-cutting issues that affect businesses and livelihoods
The most inspiring success journal for the youth
Youth Opportunities
How NCPWD is empowering persons with disabilities
Issue 1 September 2014
By Staff Writer
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he National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) is a state corporation established by an Act of Parliament; the Persons with Disabilities Act No. 14 of 2003 and set up in November 2004. The Council representation is drawn from key government Ministries and organizations of/for persons with disabilities.
The Council Mandate: The Council derives its mandate from the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2003 which established it and outlined its core functions as follows: 1.Formulating and developing measures and policies designed to achieve equal opportunities for PWDs; 2.Cooperating with the government during the National Census to ensure that accurate figures of PWDs are obtained; 3.Issuing orders requiring the adjustment of buildings that are unfriendly for use by PWDs; 4.Recommending measures to prevent discrimination against PWDs; 5.Encouraging and securing the rehabilitation of PWDs within their own communities and social environment; 6.Registering persons with disabilities and institutions and organizations giving services to PWDs; and
Activities of the council The National Development Fund is established as a permanent Fund for the benefit of PWDs in Kenya. It came into effect through a gazette Notice in 2009. Currently, the Fund is implementing five programmes targeted at improving the welfare of persons with disabilities. These are; 1. Access to assistive devices and services The National Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities (NDFPWD) supports the provision of Assistive Devices and Services to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Kenya to enable these individuals to function in society. The Fund gives priority to those individuals requiring assistance to function in a learning, training or work environment. Assistive devices and services are any product or service designed to enable greater independence for PWDs. Common examples of such devices are wheelchairs, crutches, hearing aids, callipers, surgical boots and prosthetic arms or legs. A common example of an Assistive Service is Sign Language translation. There are some limitations in the devices that can be applied for. Expensive items, such as motorcars and business equipment like sewing machines or laptops are not included.
7.Raising public awareness on Disability
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Issue 1 September 2014
The National Development Fund is established as a permanent Fund for the benefit of PWDs in Kenya. and to enable them to gain the skills and experience to access the loans required to grow their business. The groups must be of and for persons with disabilities. This can include the carers of Persons with Disabilities. The group must be at least one year old to be eligible. Groups need to be legally registered to operate within the Republic of Kenya and also registered with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities in order to apply. 4. Equipment and infrastructure for institutions
2. Education scholarship grants This programme aims to improve persons with disabilities enrolment, retention and completion of education cycle for the eventual engagement in decent and gainful employment. NDFPWD provides support persons with disabilities from secondary school level to university. However, the Fund supports children with mental handicap, autism and cerebral palsy from primary level; this is because their transition to secondary school level is usually low. Education grants aim to empower people with disabilities by enhancing opportunities for them in education, training and rehabilitation institutions. Individuals or their guardians can apply for financial support with fees for secondary, tertiary education, vocational training, vocational rehabilitation centres, universities and special educational establishments. PhD’s are not funded. The amount funded is for tuition fees and may include boarding. In exceptional circumstances the Fund may also give grants to the children of persons with disabilities, even if the child does not have a disability. This would only be the case if there is evidence that the parent’s disability has led to extreme poverty which prevents the child accessing education.
Infrastructure and equipment grants aim to enable the maintenance and growth of organizations which provide education or social services for persons with disabilities. Eligible organizations are education institutions, including special schools and special units, and social service delivery organizations, including non-government organizations and social care institutions. Examples of infrastructure projects are day care centres that have won support to improve toilets to make them accessible for persons with disabilities, or schools that expand units focused on children with disabilities. There are many other types of projects which could get funding. Examples of equipment grants include schools equipping classrooms with chairs and desks that are accessible for children with disabilities or universities equipping ICT facilities for students with visual impairments. 5. Cash Transfer for Persons with severe disabilities In the context of this programme, persons with severe disabilities refers to those who need permanent care including feeding, toiletry, protection from danger or other persons, and support on full time basis by a caregiver to ensure their needs are attended to.
3. Economic empowerment
These intensive support for persons with severe disabilities on a daily basis, denies their parents and guardians or caregivers any time to engage in other income generating activities, which worsens the economic situation of such households.
The Fund provides grants to Community and Self Help Groups for Economic Empowerment or Revolving Fund Schemes. These grants aim to help Persons with Disabilities gain self-sufficiency in generating income
It is with this in mind that the cash transfer programme targeting persons with severe disabilities is introduced, and is to be referred to as Persons with Severe Disabilities Cash Transfer (PWSD-CT).
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The most inspiring success journal for the youth
Career Features Issue 1 September 2014
How to balance school and work as an adult By Joseph Muli
You’ve found a great opportunity: you’re able to work and go to college at the same time to earn a degree or take courses for personal interest. But once you’ve started, you can’t seem to find time to fit everything in. Here are some guidelines for working students who can’t seem to find enough time in a day.
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Be organized. Keep your school materials organized and in one place so that it would be easy to find them. Mark upcoming deadlines on your calendar and start school projects early to allow sufficient time to complete them in case other things come up in the meantime. If you’re taking several courses at once, don’t spend all of your time on one course while other deadlines begin to loom on the horizon.
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Create a flexible schedule. Some parts of your schedule are going to be inflexible, such as class times and work days. Fit homework and studying in when you’re either not in class or not at the office. Build a routine that you can stick to, but are able to adjust if other important things come up. As a working student, you have to be ready to adapt to new assignments, unexpected errands, and sudden work crises that need to be addressed immediately. Make enough studying time in your schedule so that if something comes up, you can shift it into another slot
The most inspiring success journal for the youth
during the week.
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Communicate your schedule to your employers, friends, clients and family. Make sure the people around you know where you’ll be and when. Sign up for an online calendar and send the URL to the people who depend on knowing where you are and when. Not everyone you work with will understand the demands of being a student and, similarly, not all of your classmates will understand the additional responsibilities of working while in school.
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Manage stress. Stress is an inevitable part of being a student and a worker – combine both together and you can expect to be stressed out. As much as you may try to prevent stress, you’re going to have to learn how to relieve it as well. Take those much-needed breaks. Give yourself time to collect yourself when you need it the most, so you can re-approach things with a clear head. Be active. Stretch. Swim. Run. Lift. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps relieve stress and you’ll find that the more you get out and exercise, the easier work and school will seem. Exercising is commonly known to reduce stress. Live. Don’t forget to enjoy life. Don’t get bogged down
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by nuisances of the demands of your academic and professional life. Take time to experience the world around you and appreciate your relationships in life. See movies, read books, watch sports. Don’t forget to squeeze in the things that make life worth living into your schedule.
Get buy-in from friends and family. School will limit the amount of social time you have. It’s important to keep these relationships healthy while you have limited time for them. Communicate via e-mail or text messaging on a regular basis.
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Create some sort of progress measurement. Cross completed classes off of a list or use a countdown clock to measure time to completion. This will help keep your eyes on the prize.
Be realistic. There may not be enough time for everything, so get your priorities straight and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t accomplish every single task you’ve set out to do on a given day. Stay positive and be thankful that you have the opportunity to make a living and get an education – two things many people in the world go without.
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Remember why you’re doing it. By taking on work and studies at the same time, you’re accepting a challenge that most people don’t dare to attempt. But, you wouldn’t be doing it if you didn’t have strong reasons and motivation. Whether it’s the desire to pay your way through school and remain debt-free, or because you want to get ahead in your career (or switch to your dream career), or simply because you know that life is short and you want to make the most of it -- keep your goals in mind whenever it starts to feel like too much.
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Know that it can be done!. It may seem overwhelming at times, but remember that other people have gone through the same thing you are, and they have succeeded! You can too.
General tips Keep work and school separate. Don’t worry about work while you’re at school, and vice versa. Focus on one thing at a time. Work smarter, not harder. Plan your academic path. Figure out what steps you need to make it to where you want to go and set goals for yourself. Do you need 5 courses to finish a program? Find out when they’re offered and create a multi-year schedule.
Find online tools that are useful for time management, such as calendars, reminders, etc. Use portal pages to arrange easy access to both work and school related websites. Avoid indulging in guilty pleasures too often. Everybody has them, whether it’s MTV or getting lost in idle chitchat with your neighbor. If there’s an activity that you tend to get caught up with, but that doesn’t further your goals in life, avoid it like the plague.
Warnings to heed Remember this adage: “Time waits for no one, so do not quit!” Do not stop! Taking a semester off may seem like a fine idea, but only do so for extraordinary circumstances, such as a death in the family, etc. Rather than stopping, if you find you are tiring of school, relax your schedule and take only one class in the next semester, one that is fun or indulgent rather than tough. Otherwise, you risk losing the momentum and never returning. Be aware of the signs of burnout and make adjustments if you feel like you’re at the end of your rope. Doing school and work at the same time might not be for everyone. Be realistic and prioritize. Don’t let going to school part-time jeopardize your income if you can’t handle being unemployed.
Stay positive and be thankful that you have the opportunity to make a living and get an education – two things many people in the world go without.
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The most inspiring success journal for the youth
Career Features Issue 1 September 2014
t a h t s c i t c a
t g n i t n u h Job k r o w t s u j may
ters
ri W f f a t By S
I
f you’ve left university and don’t yet have a job, here are tips on creating an action plan for finding work. It’s widely acknowledged that it’s harder than it used to be to land your first graduate job, and more people now find they are graduating without a job to go to straight away. If you are one of them, don’t panic. Take the opportunity for a short rest, then focus on what you can do to make things happen.
1. Keep looking The good news for graduate job hunters is that employers are now recruiting all year round. Traditionally, most graduate jobs were advertised in the beginning or the end of the year, with many students having a job offer before they sat their finals. These days, graduate employers are more likely to advertise on an ad hoc basis, as jobs become available or as they get additional budget for recruitment. So don’t stop looking. Use the same vacancy sources as when you were at university. But don’t just rely on these: spread your net as far as possible.
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Issue 1 September 2014
2. Kindly Network Tell everyone you know that you are job hunting; be open to any suggestions. Start with family and friends, then build new relationships through them. The more contacts you make, the more likely you are to find out about opportunities and meet people who can help you. The majority of job vacancies are not advertised, so word of mouth can be very valuable. It can also be worth making speculative applications. These work best when they are targeted to an organization that you have researched and know you want to work for: a few carefully-written applications are more effective than hundreds of standard letters. Work experience or voluntary work can also widen your pool of contacts and provide a foot in the door of the industry you’d like to work in. Don’t spend all your time on Facebook. Use a range of social media to make new contacts and find out about new opportunities. Follow employers on LinkedIn, search Twitter for news of the industry you’re interested in, use everything to ‘meet’ new people. Start a blog: done well, it could be a good addition to your CV by highlighting your expertise, creativity or networking skills.
3. Apply for internships
Consider voluntary work as a way of adding to your portfolio of experience and learning new skills. a conversion course in IT, or by learning a language. ‘Lifelong learning’ is now considered essential even for those already in work, so if you have spare time use it to read and learn about the area of work you want to get into. Work on your employability skills: writing, administration, team-working, communication etc. You’ll be in a strong position if your job applications can demonstrate these qualities. Consider voluntary work as a way of adding to your portfolio of experience and learning new skills. There are opportunities for short and long-term involvement, whether it’s helping out at a local organization or working for a national charity.
5. Be open to opportunities
There are several internship programmes now available, many aimed specifically at graduates. These tend to vary from three months to a year. Some offer payment on top of your benefits while others carry accreditation; some even give an opportunity to work abroad for a while.
Realistically, it may not be immediately possible to get a graduate-level job. If something else is available – even if it is a casual or temporary job – try to use it as a stepping stone.
Applying for internships via an official programme gives you a degree of security. You may, of course, also find an internship by applying directly to the employer. It’s advisable to be aware of your employment rights.
A job in admin or customer support could lead to a more senior position in the same company later. It will let you prove that you have workplace experience and a good work ethic, and can give you transferable skills to add to future job applications.
Internships are not just a stop-gap on the way to a permanent job: as a ‘taster’ of a particular sector they can also help you to choose which career you ultimately would like to pursue. Whatever you do, you will gain new skills and experience to add to your CV.
4. Improve your employability Remember that you can still get help from university careers services after you graduate – either at your own university or, if you’ve moved back home, another higher education institution. Make an appointment if you need advice on how to develop and market your skills or to improve your CV. Despite the downturn, there are still areas where there are skills shortages and unfilled vacancies. If you have the aptitude, consider up-skilling, perhaps through
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Don’t overlook small businesses. There are a lot of them, so add up to a major force as employers. They may not advertise specific ‘graduate’ vacancies but can be a good environment if you’re at the beginning of your career as there is often more flexibility to learn new skills.
6. Don’t give up Taking a year out or signing up for postgraduate study may be tempting as a way to postpone looking for work. They are worth considering if you are sure that you can demonstrate afterwards the benefits to employers. Otherwise, think carefully about whether this will help in the long term. It’s not necessarily the easy route, but the best course of action may be to stay put, stay positive and stay persistent. If things aren’t going well, review your progress and ask for help and support if you need it.
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Fashion & Beauty
Issue 1 September 2014
Meet Sylvia's wonderful world of fashion and design
Presented by models
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Young Achievers Issue 1 September 2014
Principles that super achievers esteem By Staff Writer
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o matter how diverse their goals or crafts, superachievers share many of the same habits. How can you follow in their footsteps? These are the 10 qualities that will set you apart.
Dedication to a vision Every great success starts with inspiration, but not every inspiration leads to success. The most common thing you will find is these people’s devotion to the day-to-day struggle. Glossy magazine success stories often don’t show the dark moments, the daily grind or flagging energy that super-achievers endure to realize their goals. However, that dedication is essential to their success.
Intelligent persistence One thing successful people know: Dedication and blind persistence are two very different things. You can work hard but not smart. When something’s not working, you’ve got to tweak it. Some people just keep banging their heads against the wall. Instead of doggedly using the same ineffective tactics, super-achievers pivot and try to tackle the problem from a different angle.
Fostering a community Star performers know they can’t achieve success on their own. Instead, they must galvanize a group of people around their idea or goal. Teamwork, or having
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an ecosystem of supporters, turns out to be critically vital for success. It doesn’t just include partners and coworkers. It might also mean employees, customers, investors, mentors, fans and social media followers. They quote business guru Guy Kawasaki: “First you have to create something worthy of an ecosystem. Then pick your evangelists.”
Listening and remaining open You don’t normally think of hard-charging, actionoriented leaders as being good listeners. These people’s ability to practice the art of listening helped them learn what they needed to know about the world around them. For example, an employer can ask all his employees to share their personal values so that he could incorporate them into the company’s values and culture. Likewise, super achievers never accept a role unless they have read and reread the script so many times that it has opened up to them.
Good storytelling Stories have the ability to transport people to your world, and then they’re more likely to invest in you and your brand. Philippe Petit, famous for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York City’s World Trade Center in the 1970s, believed other wire-walkers were trying to make it look hard. But he wanted to be a poet in the sky and seem effortless. His narrative wasn’t in words, but it was a story he was communicating.
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Relationships Issue 1 September 2014
Every great success starts with inspiration, but not every inspiration leads to success. Testing Ideas In The Market Everybody has a bias to think their own idea is brilliant. Achievers roll it out in an environment that’s as close as possible to the market. For instance an entrepreneur always tests before he invests. When he has an idea for an online car dealer for instance, no one is sure if people would actually buy a car from a Web site. He decided to put up a test site to see what would happen. Before they have any inventory, they’ve sold four cars and have to shut down the site. On the upside, the entrepreneur then knows for a fact there is a market for the service.
Constantly evolving Successful people maintain success by consistently learning and adapting to the environment around them. Kenyan footballer Dennis Oliech realized this when his game suddenly started sliding some years back. He decided to transform his training routine and discipline, and soon was back on track to become one of Kenya’s celebrated soccer icons.
Practicing patience Inaction, or stillness, can sometimes be just as useful as action. The importance of patience was a primary theme among the super-achievers– whether it’s strategically waiting for the best time to make a move or continuing to pursue a larger vision without receiving immediate rewards.
Pursuing Happiness Success fuels happiness, and happiness in turn fuels greater success. Happiness helps one to win, and winning ends up giving him or her the confidence he or she needs to pursue a career he or she loves: writing. Seeking happiness in your life and work turns out to be a win-win.
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Fewer college couples marry thereafter By Simon Mwisa
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hen Jane Njeri was at the University of Nairobi about fifteen years ago, she and her friends ate breakfast with a group of senior boys every morning in the dining hall. Most people would leave after they finished their meal, Jane says, but she often found herself remaining at the table for hours, in conversation with a certain senior boy who she described as a “champion long-time sitter” like herself. Their morning liaisons never went beyond talk while the two were at UoN, Jane says, in part because she was dating the boy’s roommate at the time. A few years following his graduation, though, she reconnected with her breakfast companion, Alan Njenga, after staying in touch through mutual friends. The two eventually started dating, and have been married since 2005. College has long been a place where young adults begin to think about the rest of their lives, and in many cases that includes marriage. But with a recent stories published in mainstream media indicating that a majority of women in the Kenya are single — and with research showing that long-term relationships between college students are on the decline — it seems the old cliché that women attend an elite universities to snag a successful husband is obsolete.
In the abstract Although most undergraduates say they eventually plan to get married, many students said as long as they are in college, they will only be thinking about marriage in the abstract. Catherine Mueni says although none of her friends from Egerton University have gotten married since graduation five years ago, she knows several couples who were together in college who are now engaged or living together. While her own parents met at Kenyatta University and married afterwards, she says, her experience around the time of her own graduation was that marriage was by no means a priority among her friends. “Graduation is a turning point for a relationship,” she says. “I think marriage is still on people’s minds, but I think it’s less that people get married right away. Instead people decide if they’re going to take that
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Issue 1 September 2014
next step together, like moving to the same city.” Statistics indicate that the average age at which people get married has risen consistently over the last several decades for both men and women, which could explain why the percentage of people who meet their spouses in college has steadily declined in the same time period.
Number dropped According to a 2004 study, almost 40 percent of married or divorced women who graduated from college in the years leading up to 1999 met their first spouse in college, but that number has dropped to just over 15 percent today. Administrators at the University of Nairobi say the University does not keep track of alumni marriages, but some students say anecdotal evidence indicates that at least in previous generations, marriages between graduates were relatively common. Elizabeth Ochieng’ says in her first year in college, she lived with four roommates, two of whose parents had met and started dating when they themselves were UoN freshmen. But while she and her friends would joke about marriage, Elizabeth says, none of them could imagine being in a similar situation. “We did think about it, and how young we were, and how we couldn’t imagine making a commitment in that way,” she says. “At the end of freshman year, we sort of looked at each other and said, ‘Well, I guess, we missed the mark on that.’” Although some current UoN alumni said they could not imagine marrying any of their classmates, many students and alums speculated that UoN graduates may eventually be attracted to each other years out of college because they share the common experience of a UoN
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education, or because of the values that drove them both to UoN in the first place.
Increasing numbers Recent research also indicates that increasing numbers of college graduates are marrying partners with similar education levels, which could be because collegeeducated men have begun to look for a spouse with high earning power. Another reason why graduates may tend to marry each other is proximity, which many psychologists cite as one of the three main determinants of attraction. It sounds so unromantic, doesn’t it? But what every sociologist of the family will tell you is that statistically, people are more likely to marry those with whom they come into social contact. Andrew Waswa says despite the decrease in dating and long-term relationships in college, he has “a very strong impression” that people who went to college together do still get married, but they wait to do so until several years after graduation. This pattern could give the impression that fewer UoN alumni are getting married than actually are, he says. But most graduates say that for now, thinking about getting married takes second place to considering career possibilities, classes, homework and what to wear next Saturday night. “I really think that in college people don’t tend to think about marriage as much,” Waswa says. “It’s when you get out of college and you’re in the workplace with other people who are married that it starts to become an issue.”
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Youth Counselor
Issue 1 September 2014
Drug abuse culture fueling HIV infections By Nacada
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lcohol and drug abuse makes an individual lose self-control and the ability to make sound life decisions, which may drive him/her into risky sexual and other behaviour that promote HIV infection. Recent scientific evidence has singled out alcohol and drug abuse as one of the major drivers of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Kenya and the world over. This is due to the fact that alcohol and drug abuse makes the individual lose self-control and the ability to make sound life decisions, which may drive him/her into risky sexual and other behaviour that promote HIV infection. As such, people who abuse alcohol and other drugs are more likely than the general population to contract HIV. Similarly, people living with HIV are likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs due to the denial, stigma and stressful conditions they find themselves in.
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Alcohol and drug abuse in Kenya A study by NACADA in 2007 revealed that nationally 13% of the population currently consumes alcohol. Illicit brews and second generation alcohol are highly abused, over 15% of 15–64 year olds currently consume chang’aa. Bhang smoking is also rampant as evidenced by numerous bhang seizures. In July 2009 alone police netted bhang worth Sh3 million a clear pointer to a booming market. A NACADA survey in May 2009 revealed that 10.6% of respondents in Coast Province alone smoke bhang, the highest consumption (12%) being amongst 29-39 year olds. On the other hand, miraa is consumed by over 11% of Kenyan youth. Majority of miraa consumers spend more
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Issue 1 September 2014
than half their domestic budget on the substance and at least 32% associated it with absenteeism in learning institutions, school dropouts and family break-ups. Heroin is also gaining footage, especially among youth in Coast Province and Nairobi. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) mapped a total of 12,201 heroin users in Nairobi and Coast Province in April 2007. It is this drug abuse culture and lifestyle that fuels the HIV infection rates. So, how does alcohol and drug abuse drive the HIV epidemic? Two major ways – through risky sexual behaviour after intoxication and sharing of contaminated drug injecting equipment. Alcohol and HIV infection Heavy alcohol use is associated with high-risk sexual behaviour - multiple sex partners, unprotected intercourse, sex with high-risk partners, and exchange of sex for money or drugs. Studies consistently demonstrate that people who believe that alcohol enhances sexual arousal and performance are more likely to practice risky sex when drunk. Among the youth, alcohol abuse is sometimes deliberately meant to provide an excuse for socially unacceptable behavior or to reduce conscious awareness of risk. Some youths in Kenya jam bars drinking themselves crazy to get courage to “tune” or make sexual advances they ordinarily would not if they were sober. Heavy drinking and HIV/AIDS has also been blamed for increased medical and psychiatric complications, delays in seeking treatment and reduced HIV medication compliance.
In December 2008, NACADA Authority learnt firsthand from IDUs in Mombasa of the “blood flashing” phenomenon. This involves retrieving blood from an IDU who has just injected heroin and injecting the blood in the vein of a second IDU. Apart from directly transmitting HIV, flashing exposes the user to hepatitis infection and death due to instant agglutination from incompatible blood. Blood flashing and sharing of needles make injecting drug use “the most efficient way of transmitting HIV.” In fact, a UNODC study in 2004 found high prevalence of HIV among IDUs in Nairobi and Mombasa – between 68% and 88%. Interventions to reduce impact Outreach activities involving education and care provision for alcohol and drug users help in mitigating the impact of drug abuse and HIV. NACADA Authority in its preventive education and public awareness campaigns targets to enlighten the public about the link between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. Some of the IEC materials produced by the Authority specifically address this link with a view to empowering Kenyans to make informed decisions in regard to alcohol and drug abuse as well as their HIV/AIDS risk. This is supported by the life skills campaign conducted through youth and faith-based initiatives for behaviour and attitude change.
Heavy alcohol use is associated with high-risk sexual behaviour
Recent research has found that HIV patients on antiviral therapy and are currently drinking have greater HIV progression than those who do not drink since alcohol abuse compromises the immunity function. As such, preventing alcohol abuse among the youth is particularly important since HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds in Kenya.
Injecting drug use and HIV infection The link between injecting drug use and HIV infection is clearly established. Injecting drug use refers to intravenous self-administration of drugs, especially heroin. Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) are at greater risk of HIV infection since they occasionally share injecting equipment at the spar of the moment owing to strong craving and also due to lack of new clean ones that cost
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money.
Another intervention is improving access to preventive education and commodities such as condoms, provision of VCT services and availing antiretroviral therapy. These services target most-at-risk populations such as alcohol and drug dependent persons. The UNODC is already running a project that refers IDUs for addiction treatment and HIV care.
UNODC statistics show that by September 2008, over 24,000 heroin users had benefited from both drug treatment and HIV care services.
Conclusion It is imperative that the Kenyan society appreciates the gravity of alcohol and drug abuse and the impact it has on all spheres of life. This way, efforts aimed at implementing interventions against alcohol and drug abuse as well as HIV/AIDS may receive community and national support. On the other hand, healthcare providers are encouraged to constantly screen their HIV/AIDS/STIs patients for alcohol and drug abuse and likewise patients being treated for chemical dependence are also screened for HIV/AIDS.
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Youth Counselor Issue 1 September 2014
The Dangers Of Premarital Sex I
n this segment, Dr. Mambo answers some of your tough questions that you deal with in life as a young person. In this edition, Dr. Mambo answers your questions on pre-marital sex and the dangers it poses to a young person.
Q .1
Dear Dr. Mambo, How far is too far when it comes to sex for a young person?
Males are stimulated differently than females. A behavior like “French kissing” will lead a guy to become sexually aroused but a girl will simply feel more affection towards him. You should avoid anything that could lead you into this arousal zone – things like drugs, alcohol, French kissing, prolonged kissing, and petting. Knowing how far to go means understanding that men have a higher sex drive and women a higher love drive. It also means knowing that using drugs and alcohol will impact sexual behavior because they deaden the conscience and heighten the passions. Setting boundaries and “no trespassing zones” are essential to staying pure while dating.
Q .2
Dear Dr. Mambo, How do I say “NO” to sexual advance from a boyfriend if I don’t want to engage in it?
Everybody has three types of “language” – verbal, body, and what you wear. When it comes to saying “No” in a dating relationship, your words, your body and your clothes all must be saying it! If you are saying No, but wearing a Yes, then your No becomes a Maybe. The simple fact is that a guy is more visually stimulated than a girl and will be more affected by how she dresses.
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When you are getting ready for your next date remember this: the more you show the harder it is to say No. Both of you should speak, act and dress in ways that show respect for each other.
Q .3
Dear Dr. Mambo, What if I never want to marry?
Does that mean you will never experience a sexual relationship? Life is about choices. And not everyone chooses to get married. Some people choose to remain single. A sexual relationship belongs only in marriage where a man and a woman have made a life-long commitment to each other and are open to the gift of children. Yet neither of these life choices is better than the other. Your life choice should be the one that best meets your goals and aspirations.
Q .4
Dear Dr. Mambo, What if I am being pressured to have sex?
If you truly love someone, you will respect his or her desire to save sex for marriage and will lovingly choose to embrace these same values. Sadly, too many young people fall victim to sexual pressure because of the fear of being rejected. You deserve to have a dating relationship that honors you for the person you are. You want that relationship to help you to have a happy, healthy and wholesome life. Take heart, there are many young people who desire to save sex for marriage. Be patient! True love will wait for marriage and you are worth waiting for!
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Issue 1 September 2014
Q .5
Dear Dr. Mambo, I’m not a virgin…Is it too late for me?
It is never too late! If you have already given away the gift of your virginity, then reclaim it today! You can start saving yourself for marriage again. This is called Renewed or Secondary Virginity. Sadly, many young people take their virginity for granted. Whether you are a virgin or renewed virgin, the gift of your virginity is the most precious thing you own. It is more valuable than jewels. Treasure your gift and save it for your future spouse. It is the best gift that you can give on your wedding night.
Q .6
Dear Dr. Mambo, Is “safe sex” really safe?
Q .8
Dear Dr. Mambo What can I do if I am attracted to someone of the same sex?
You probably have many friends that are of the same sex as yourself. Some young people today are confused about the differences between friendship and homosexuality. This confusion comes from how television and movies present sex. Too often, homosexuality is shown as a legitimate lifestyle equal to a heterosexual lifestyle. These same sex “unions” cannot provide an adequate means of achieving a genuine physical relationship with another human being because this type of “union” is contrary to the laws of nature. There can be no real union because same sex bodies do not even physically fit together.
Q .9
Dear Dr. Mambo, What’s wrong with pornography? I’m not hurting anyone.
The “safe sex” myth is a lie. Webster defines “safe” as “free from harm”. Those who are engaging in sexual intercourse and are relying on condoms, pills or any other form of contraception are playing “sexual roulette.”
Pornography is wrong because it teaches a man to value a woman based upon how much she physically stimulates him.
It’s like loading a revolver with one bullet, spinning the barrel and pulling the trigger when the gun is pointed at your head. You may end up “safe”, or you may end up dead.
It trains men to treat women as sexual objects to be discarded once they are done using them for their own selfish pleasure. Whether it is in magazines, movies or on the internet, pornography damages people’s minds and destroys marriages.
A condom has a failure rate of 14% in preventing pregnancy, is ineffective in protecting against 6 out of the 8 most common sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV (Human Papilloma Virus a.k.a. genital warts – the most common STD), and cannot even guarantee protection from the HIV virus that causes AIDS, a routinely fatal disease. The birth control pill offers women absolutely no protection against STD infection and has many associated health risks and side effects. Does this sound “safe” to you?
Q .7
Dear Dr. Mambo, Is oral sex really sex?
You better believe it! Many young people believe that oral sex is not considered sex because it does not fit into their definition of sexual intercourse. The real purposes of sexual intercourse are to create a new life and to bond with your spouse. Oral sex does neither. Sadly, many young people are unaware that risky sexual behavior, such as oral sex, can transmit life-threatening and incurable diseases such as HIV, HPV, genital herpes, Chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea.
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Men should guard their hearts against being seduced by such false images of women because the consequences are so destructive, not only to themselves, but to those whom they love.
Q.10
Dear Dr. Mambo, What’s wrong with masturbation? I’m not getting anyone pregnant.
Masturbation is the ultimate form of selfishness. The act itself is the act of loving ourselves for the sole purpose of satisfying our sexual desires. Masturbation will teach you to look to yourself for sexual fulfillment. In a marriage, the husband and wife look to each other for sexual fulfillment. If you look to yourself for sexual pleasure prior to your future marriage then you will more than likely continue to do so in your marriage. Habits are hard to break and masturbation is a harmful habit which could one day isolate you from your future spouse.
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Campus Reviews Issue 1 September 2014
When college life gets very tough By College Graduate
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he trials and tribulations of college should be embraced as they help you to grow as a person. Staying in college is worth it. To the new college students out there, those in the middle with no end in sight or burned out on the cusp of graduation, stick with it. I’ve felt like quitting college. I’ve been there multiple times. At least twice in my college career I felt like quitting so much that I was planning on applying for jobs instead of registering for the next semester. If it weren’t for graduating from community college and taking a semester to do an internship for college credit, I certainly would have quit.
What to do Despite wanting to quit, you need to stick with it like I did. It teaches you how to pace yourself, how to deal with the tedium of life, delaying gratification by tenacity. Lastly, if you are unsure what you want to do, college helps you figure out what you want to do – at the least it helps you figure out what you don’t want to do. College teaches you to pace yourself — life is not a sprint. A good phrase I have heard in life is, “There’s a difference between quitting and resting.” If it weren’t for that internship, I know I would have quit. That internship gave me a break, it let me rest long enough to recuperate from college burnout. Society teaches people that, when the going gets tough, they just have to quit. To hell with that, I say. An undergraduate degree takes four years for a reason. It takes dedication for you to get something that you really
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want, and much of this dedication depends on pacing yourself. Even in some of the most exciting careers, there is much tedium to be endured.
Gratification War correspondents and men and women who go into combat spend countless hours learning the language and cultural dynamics of their new country. They spend hours waiting in hotels for permission to enter a war zone and endure tens of hours of travel before getting a chance to see and report on combat. The delayed gratification of taking years to get a diploma or taking classes that you don’t enjoy is a part of the idea that students need to realize: It takes tenacity to endure tedium. Tedium makes graduating with that diploma or taking classes we love have much more meaning. However, when we’re in the thick of it, we tend to only focus on the tedious moments, like the years of study and classes we detest. This makes us feel a bit betrayed when we get into real life. Without the dull moments of life and the rare moments of excitement, great moments would lose value. To get to those great moments, though, you must first find yourself. This is vital to life; figuring out what you want to do. What you’re good at. What you’re bad at. What you just like, but don’t love and what you sure as hell don’t want to do. I know when I get my diploma I will not have just taken a bunch of classes and discovered myself. I’ll have learned a lot about pacing myself, dealing with tedium, and most importantly: tenacity.
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Campus Reviews
17 Hard truths every college grad must understand
Issue 1 September 2014
By Pius Musyoki
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raduation is one of the most formative times and places of our young adult lives. Soon, you will dive into the chaotic job market and join the ranks of working adults. This festive season, forget about the pros and cons of selfies at the graduation ceremony. Look up from the camera, stick it in your pocket and understand once you cross the stage, life gets real. Oh, and congrats on graduating. These are some of the hard truths you will have to contend with;
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A diploma does not guarantee an internship, job or career. It is merely a passport into the professional world. Now you’re in the jungle with the rest of us. May the best man or woman win.
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To an employer, you look like every other recent graduate who suddenly needs a full-time job. Unless, of course, your application promises to deliver exactly what the company needs — like sales and marketing revenue targets and more.
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Order of importance on your resume: relevant skills, jobs/ internships and then where you went to school. So stick education at the bottom and put “Skills” as close to the top as you can. Guarantee that’s the first place an employer looks.
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Your diploma is…permission to admit to yourself how much you still have yet to learn.
Your first job won’t be your forever job. Don’t think too much about whether it’s the “perfect” situation. If your instincts say it’s a smart move, then go for it and don’t look back.
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Google’s top HR person on job interviews: “What you want to do is say: ‘Here’s the attribute I’m going to demonstrate; here’s the story demonstrating it; here’s how that story demonstrated that attribute.’” TRUTH.
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Forget texting. Forget Twitter. Forget email. Pick up the phone and call someone. That’s what adults do in the real world.
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Your college coursework, difficult as it was, will never compete with someone’s real-world experience. You need skills ASAP even if they come from an internship or parttime situation. And never forget: a personal blog will make you instantly more marketable. Expect to live frugally for a while. According to media reports, average earnings for recent graduates between the ages of 21 and 24 are around Ksh15,000.
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You finished four years of bloated, long-winded 12-page college essays. Unfortunately, the real world is busy and demands brevity. Remember: less is always more.
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Your resume should be one page in length. Period. You don’t have enough experience to warrant two pages, much less three or four. Give employers the best one pager possible, and they will respect you for it. Need resume writing help? Get help from someone who has done it before.
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There are over 200 unemployed people for every job opening in Kenya. It’s true. You’d better think creatively with your applications.
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To land a job, you don’t need to live in one of Kenya’s best towns. You can create opportunity anywhere you set your two feet now that there are over 47 counties in the country. Again, create opportunity. Don’t wait for good fortune to fall in your lap. It won’t. Want to stand out? Go beyond. After a job interview, send a hand-written thank-you note within 24 hours. If you want people to take an interest in you, then you need to first take an interest in them
With enough preparation, grit and confidence, you can land any entry-level position you want. Be proud of your degree, sure, but from here on out, success depends on you and not a piece of paper.
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One more thing: ensure you are presentable every time you go for an interview. It doesn’t matter what you do to achieve this. Just get presentable.
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Health andSports Issue 1 September 2014
Foods to avoid if you want to live long By The Nutritionist
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f the only food indiscretions you worry about are those that make you gain weight you may have your priorities mixed up. It turns out that the worst dietary choices, including many sugary, fatty, refined and highly processed foods, do more than make you fat: they subtract years from your life! Everything from the quality of your skin to the condition of your bones is determined in part by what you eat. In fact, your eating habits may determine how quickly you begin to see and feel the effects of aging.
4. Coffee
Forget anti-aging products: if you want to retain a youthful look, avoiding certain foods could help. We did some research on foods you should avoid if you want to age gracefully. Below we compiled a list of 11 foods that, if consumed frequently, will age you.
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are associated with headaches and joint pain and can make you crave sweets.
1. Sugar
There are several reasons why a sugar-filled diet makes you look older. When there is excess sugar in the body, it attaches itself to collagen, making the skin look stiff and inflexible. According to “Diet Myths Busted; Food Facts Not Nutrition Fiction” by Ann A. Rosenstein, “losing this elastic resilience of young skin will give the skin deep wrinkles and make it look old.”
2. Trans Fats
Like sugar, excess trans fats make the skin look stiff and inflexible. “Trans fats clog and stiffen the arteries and smaller blood vessels,” which makes the skin look old, wrote Rosenstein.
3. Salt
Salt dehydrates the body. When you are dehydrated, you become fatigued, which makes you look tired and worn out. In addition, excess salt contributes to kidney disease, high blood pressure and interferes with bone metabolism.
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Coffee and caffeinated products also dehydrate the body, making you look tired and worn out.
5. Candy
The sugar in candy causes inflammation in the body and can make skin look wrinkled and old.
6. Artificial Sweetener 7. Alcohol
Consuming too much alcohol dehydrates your body and causes wrinkles, loss of collagen, redness and puffiness, according to “The Dr. Oz Show.”
8. Energy Drinks
Energy drinks damage the enamel in your teeth eight times more than soda does. This erosion makes your teeth look yellow and unhealthy, according to Dr. Oz.
9. Carbohydrates
An over consumption of carbohydrates can damage the collagen and fibers in your skin, according to WebMD.
10. Fried Food
Fried food contributes to collagen break down in the skin, making one’s skin look wrinkled and worn out, according to GalTime.com.
11. Soda
As a beverage high in sugar, soda tends to dehydrate the body. This fatigues the body and makes you look tired. “A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces. So if you weight 130 lbs, you need 65 ounces of water a day -- just over eight cups,” according to GalTime.com.
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Health andSports Issue 1 September 2014
Declare your independence from the gym
By Joseph Muli
I
t’s an excuse many of us have heard or even said ourselves: I want to get fit, but I can’t afford a gym membership. While a health club can be a fantastic place to work out, it’s not the only way to get fit. In fact, you can enjoy a variety of different workouts at home or outdoors that are extremely low cost and sometimes even free!
Hiking is a great calorie-burner and aerobic workout—not to mention a fun and beautiful way to spend an afternoon
If you think that toning up or losing weight takes a gym or fancy fitness equipment, think again. Here are 10 workouts you can do sans gym that will challenge your body and give you great results. 10 Gym-Free Workouts How to do it: Grab 10 small note cards and write one exercise on each: 5 cardio moves (jump rope, high knees, mountain climbers) and 5 strength moves (push-ups, lunges, crunches, etc.). Shuffle the cards. Warm up for 5 minutes by marching in place, then draw a card and do that exercise as many times as you can for 1 minute. Then move on to the next card for 1 minute. Try to go through the full set of cards, working up to running through the circuit of cards two, three even four or five times! Try a DIY Bootcamp. An outdoor bootcamp can be a lot of fun—who doesn’t like fresh air and a good challenge? You can always create your own bootcamp, but it’s more fun with a group, so gather a few pals and hit a local park with open space, trees, benches and other landmarks.
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The most inspiring success journal for the youth
Issue 1 September 2014
With your group, agree on a duration of time you’ll spend working out, then brainstorm different strength and cardio exercises you can perform using what’s found around you. Get creative! Examples might include triceps dips on a park bench, seated squats up against a tree, pushups with your feet on a curb, sprints to a pond and back, and even hill repeats. No matter which exercises you choose, be sure to warm up with a 5-minute walk and cool down with some gentle stretching. Pop in a workout DVD. There really isn’t an excuse not to work out at home with the vast array of workout DVDs available including Pilates, dance, strength, kickboxing— the list goes on and on. While many DVDs require little to no equipment, others allow you to use things you have around the house such as soup cans as dumbbells or a chair for support. No matter what level of exerciser you are, there’s something out there for you! Go for a walk. Walking is one of the best activities to do because it requires only a pair of supportive shoes, and it’s something that comes very naturally to most of us! If you’re a beginner, hit the pavement at a pace that gets you slightly out of breath but not so much that you can’t carry on a conversation. If you’re a seasoned exerciser, walk in an area with hills or try intervals of speed walking followed by a slower-paced walk. Take a hike. If you live in an area with access to hiking trails, you’re in for a real workout! Hiking is a great calorie-burner and aerobic workout—not to mention a
The most inspiring success journal for the youth
fun and beautiful way to spend an afternoon! So grab a friend or loved one, lace up those hiking boots, pack some water and food (depending on how long of a hike you’re going on) and hike yourself fit. I guarantee the scenery and your feeling of accomplishment after hiking will be loads better than doing hills on a treadmill at the gym! Turn housework into a workout. Yes, you can put the lean back in clean by turning your usual household chores into a heart-pumping workout. The key is to focus on cleaning activities that have a higher calorie burn such as scrubbing, vacuuming and washing windows. Turn on some upbeat tunes and really put your back into it. Even try throwing in some lunges, squats or push-ups between chores to really feel the burn. Play! So few of us make time in our lives to just have fun and play. Whether it’s engaging in a sport, playing an active video game or even just dancing around your living room, lighten up and do something active that you love. As long as you get your heart rate up you’ll burn calories—and have a good time doing it. Consider an adult sports league to add a little friendly competition into the mix. Run it out. Just like walking, running is the perfect gym-free workout because all it requires is a good pair of running shoes and some space. Whether it’s around your neighborhood, at a park or on a track, running burns more calories than almost any other cardiovascular activity, and those who do it regularly claim that “runner’s high” is a real-deal. See? No more excuses about not making it to the gym. A world of fitness is right at your fingertips!
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Light LightTouch Touch Issue 1 September 2014
Many ways to add confusion to dining halls By Staff Writer
You should not attempt any these things. The following is meant for entertainment purposes only. 1. Find two straws, preferably with wide tubes. Sip some soda up and spray it on the person next to you. Pretend nothing happened. 2. Don’t go to the dining hall. Live there and never leave. When people come in, harass for news of the outside world and tell them how the dining hall needs new ketchup. 3. Before eating, say grace. Punctuate by slamming your face into your food. 4. After obtaining your food, proceed to throw it out the nearest window. Turn to the person nearest to you and say, “Wow! Did you ever see [name of dish] fly like that before?” 5. Hide behind the milk dispenser. Moo every time someone gets milk. 6. Stand in line for the food. After getting your food, smear it over your clothes and return to the end of the line. Repeat. 7. Complain how cold it is in the dining hall--to every person in the dining hall. 8. Instead of getting a fork, knife, and spoon, get three spoons. Cut your meat with them and pretend not to notice. 9. Do not to use glasses. Anytime you feel like having
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a drink, go up to the liquid dispenser, wrap your mouth around it, and press the button. Complain that it goes too fast. 10. Remark on how the food’s sanitation is open to question. Recall the time you saw the chef blow snot rocks into the food “for seasoning.” Ask the person next to you to be your Food Tester. 11. Enter the dining hall half naked. If you’re not immediately removed from the premises, sit next to someone eating. Ask him or her how they’re enjoying their meal. 12. Grab a big handful of whatever it is you’re eating and shove it into your neighbor’s face. Offer him or her a bite. 13. Get your food and sit down. Count out loud the number of grains of rice you received, starting again every once in a while. When you’re done, go up to the server and tell him or her how you were cheated out of 8 grains and proceed to make a scene. 14. Every time someone takes a bite of their food, laugh uncontrollably. Stop suddenly and warn everyone not to laugh. Then take a bite of yours while giving everyone an evil eye. 15. During the meal, yell out, “Oh my gosh! It’s still alive!” Grab your knife and start hacking at the meat. 16. Dress in clothes with lots of pockets. When you’re in the dining hall, stuff them with all the food you can find.
The most inspiring success journal for the youth
Issue 1 September 2014
YOUTH Another Great opportunity forENTERPRISE young people at DEVELOP the
Youth Enterprise Development Fund VACANCIES Bid Bond The and LPO/LSO FinancingFund is a State Corporation Youth Enterprise Development
andbond Sports established totoaddress theengaging challenge The Youth Enterprise Development Fund is nowAffairs offering Bid and LPO/LSO Financing young people in of youth u The Fund provides loans and business development services to business.
now invites applications innovative and experie This loan product targets youth aged 18-34 participating in tenders and are requiredfrom to givedynamic, bid bonds together with the tender documents as well as those who require to service LPOs/LSOs. following vacant positions: The loan products are available to individuals, registered groups, partnerships and companies owned and run by the youth. Product Features are as follows
1. Audit Manager – 1 position (Ref: AMEM/01/2013)
Bid Bond
2. Senior Internal Auditor – 1 position (Ref: SIA/01/20
Eligibility: 3. Supply Chain Management Officer – 1 position (Re To be eligible the applicant must: (Re-advertisement) • Be registered with the relevant government body. • For business entities membership composition must be at least 70% youth (18-34 years). • Submit completed application form. Detailed job requirements can be downloaded from th • Letter of request from the applicant www.youthfund.go.ke • Tender advert • Guarantee format (if any)
Those fulfilling the requirements of the positions should sub together with a detailed Curriculum Vitae and all relevant test position, current remuneration, expected salary, email address Commission Fee: A commission fee of Kshs. 1,000 will be charged applications are also expected to quote the reference number o Applicants must submit;postal, telephone and email contacts of three references. Applica • Application form 1st February 2013. • Tender documents Loan amount: Maximum amount available for this bond is Ksh. 2 Million Security: No security is required
Waddle out of the dining hall, but on the way out, remark how the dining hall never has enough food. 17. Randomly stop people from eating and try to convince them that their food is poisoned. 18. Bring insects and small rodents. Release. 19. After getting all your food, sit down. Start arranging your food alphabetically, from left to right. Ask the person next to you whether you should put orange juice under “o” or “j.” 20. Get a large container and fill it with milk. Pour its contents into the cereal dispenser. Dispense cereal. Complain about how you always get too much milk. 21. Talk to your food. Tell it to quit complaining or else you’ll chew more. 22. Stand where everyone empties their trays. Offer to eat everything unfinished. 23. Dress up in coat and tie. Find a table where everyone’s done eating. Inform them of the daily special desserts and take their orders. 24. Spill your drink and tray on a person and run off. 25. Find a full table. Ask, “Is anyone sitting under there?” Proceed to eat beneath the table. Ask for amenities such as napkins and ketchup. Comment on how nice everyone’s shoes look. 26. During the meal, complain how terrible the virus is that you have. Proceed to cough and sneeze on everyone’s
• • • • • • •
Guarantee format (if any) All applications should Id copy of the applicant/ Directors in case of a limited company Certificate of incorporation or business registration certificate Articles and Memorandum in case of the companies Valid compliance certificate Certified 3 months bank statements AGPO certificate
be addressed to:
The Chief Executive Officer Youth Enterprise Development Fund P.O. Box 48610 – 00100, NAIROBI
YOUTH ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FUND IS AN EQUAL OPPO LPO /LSO Financing EMPLOYER. POTENTIAL MALE AND FEMALE CANDIDATES WITH Eligibility: To be eligible the applicant must: DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. • Be registered with the relevant government body. • For companies, groups and partnerships membership composition must be at least 70% youth (18-34 years). • Have a valid LPO/LSOs • Have undertaking by the procuring entity to pay the LPO proceeds in favour of Youth Enterprises Development Fund • Have account details • Submit completed loan application forms. Loan Amount: The maximum amount available for this loan will be Ksh. 20 Million per individual borrowing. Amount Financed: Not more than 70% of the LPO amount LPOs/LSOs Financed: From the government Ministries, Parastatals, Government agencies, Blue chip Companies County Government and Constitutional commissions. Mode of Loan Disbursement Mode 1. Where the LPO is meant for Consumables the funds shall be availed to the customer’s account via EFT/RTGS/ CHEQUE. Mode 2. Where the LPO is meant for the capital goods, YEDF shall pay direct to the supplier. Repayment period: The loan shall be paid within 90 days unless otherwise discussed with the Fund and approved. Security • Amount below Kshs 500,000 - letter of undertaking • Amount above Kshs 500,000 - the following will form part of security • Letter of undertaking • Guarantees • Landed property • Motor Vehicle Other conditions: The asset being offered as security must be valued and customer will incur the expenses. In case of land the customer will take care of the legal charge and any other cost Interest rate: 1.5 % per month on the amount Processing Fee: 2% of the principal amount (inclusive of the insurance) Applicants must submit;• Copy of LPO/LSO being financed • Two most recent pass port affixed at the right corner of application • Copy of security document • Resolution to borrow in case of a Limited Company capturing amount, purpose, payment period and security offered (must be sealed) • Customer account details form • Copy of business registration certificate/certificate of incorporation • Articles and Memorandum of Association • Copies of id and pin for all borrowers • Pin certificate for the Company in case of a Limited Company • Tax Compliance certificate • Relevant business licenses • Business records and copy of LPOs previously serviced • Certified 6 months bank statement • Certified loan statement if any • Audited report accounts for the last 2 years in case of the Limited Company Application forms can be obtained from our Headquarters offices located at 12th floor, National Bank Building, Harambee Avenue They can also be downloaded from our website: www.youthfund.go.ke For more information kindly contact us on: Tel: 020 221 167 1/2, 020 221 167 5 Fax: 020 221 167 7/8 info@youthfund.go.ke www.youthfund.go.ke
food.
The most inspiring success journal for the youth
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NACADA F O R A D R U G F R E E N AT I O N
Chief Executive Officer NACADA NSSF Building, Block A Eastern Wing, 18th Floor P.O. Box 10774 - 00100 GPO, NAIROBI Email: info@nacada.go.ke
NACADA supports the attainment of Vision 2030