The promota Africa Magazine - issue32

BUSINESS | LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | IMMIGRATION | BEAUTY

EMPOWERING DIASPORAS

THE SECRET TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE

Leveraging the diaspora The Dos and Don’ts of INTERRACIAL DATING

Kim KARDASHIAN NET WORTH

5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8AM The Nnabagereka (Queen)

Sylvia Nagginda

The Power of Kindness!

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ISSUE NO. 32 | SUMMER

UK£3.50

5HEALTH TIPS FOR BLACK MEN

BeyoncéJAY-Z divorce rumors Where is

Makoma

today?

Richard MBOGGA

An innovative African in the Diaspora

Understanding

EBOLA

CONTENT 68

Cover story

10 Kim Kardashian’s net worth 30 Where is Makoma today?

60 5 Health Tips All Black Men Should Know 68 Her Royal Highness Sylvia Nagginda Luswata: The Power of Kindness!

72 5Things Successful people do before 8am 76 Why we’re always going to be wrong about Beyoncé-Jay-Z divorce rumors

78 Leveraging the African diaspora 80 The secret to a happy marriage 82 Understanding Ebola Fighting the fever 90 Brain drain to Brain Gain...

91 The Dos and Don’ts of Interracial Dating 92 Who is Richard Mbogga?

10

Regular

6 Publisher’s Letter 7 Celebrity News: Gossip, Updates and news briefs

36 Car Review - Lotus Evora’S Sports Racer Technology:

26 Top Gadget Fashion:

22 For Her 24 For Him 25 Keep Cool In Stylish Summer Linen 32 Angela M Plummer - Creative Hair Artist 38 Fashion with Passion 40 The House of Adjeiwaah 96 Authentic African Fabric Entertainment and Art:

40

94

30

12 Lupita Nyong’o, an Oscar-winning actress and favourites on Hollywood’s red carpet

17 Beyonce & Jay Z. Faking It For Cash?

17 Scott Disick 'doing great,' drinking to cope with parents

18 Ne-Yo opens up about new romance 19 Rochelle Humes 2 | THE PROMOTA

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CONTENT

12

84

29 What it takes to get a temporary work permit for artists under Tier 5 scheme.

46 Amanda Holiday talks art and story-telling 48 Ramazani - African Contemporary Luxury Women & Men's Wear by Made In Kigali Ltd

51 Horrified Brazilian couple find they are really brother and sister

52

No Money, No Problems: 5 Ways to Stay

Positive While Starting Up

61 It's Over: Ciara 'Calls Off Engagement' 95 Poem: I am Hair for you Feature, opinion, family and politics

92

16 Ex-boxing promoter Frank Maloney having sex change

26

86 How Celibacy Strengthens Your Sex Life 88 ‘I Married for Money’ 94 Grace Mugabe registers for doctoral degree 97 Guard your thoughts fiercely!!

98 Long-haul airlines have got equality wrong Interview

47 Alex Muhangi. A Five minutes encounter with the best comedian and MC in Uganda.

50 Alice Violet Mutumba 54 An interview with Mr. Willy Mutenza

61

64

Business and Finance

58 China Dominated U.S.-Africa Summit 62 Managing Corruption Risks in Africa 64 How Zhang Xin Went From Sweat Shop Girl to Self-Made Billionaire

66 We can't put off to tomorrow what needs to be done today

74 netmoney - send more for less!

88

Health

20 Ebola: The cost of West Africa’s corruption 84 Passion For Motherland – Showcase 2014!

87 The Uganda Diaspora Health Foundation

4 | THE PROMOTA

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THE PROMOTA | 5

Publisher’s Letter

“Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present.”

Roger Babson

In this issue, we showcase the vibrant and colourful fashion spirit of Africa.

Many young fashion designers are rising on the African continent, claiming their rightful place next to Western designers.

unjustified belief that we are ‘better’ or different, or more worthy than the others, who have not made it yet, and through such behaviour, we start to alienate ourselves from the very people who would otherwise give us their support without hesitation.

towards others whilst we rode the crest of success?

We will find our coming down to be a very lonely road indeed, where we will realise, too late, that the ones who could have remained our friends, preferred to leave us alone, repulsed by our pride and haughtiness.

I never tire of rejoicing at other people’s success, proof that Africa has an endless pool of talented and driven people who are determined to rise above the stereotyped image of Africa being ‘poor’!

Being humble means that in the middle of our success, we still have time for others, we still can listen to their stories; we still can help them, talk to them, make a difference in their lives, and remain at their level.

I wish success to you all reading this letter, and I encourage you to make humility your dearest friend, as this invisible friend will serve you particularly well at times when you need support and help in your life.

This image is fading rapidly every day. But with success comes also more weighty responsibility. Again and again, when I witness success, I also observe how too many of us do not handle it well, when it comes to personality changes, and loss of integrity.

There is not one human being on this planet who is above another. We are simply all traveling on different roads, all living our lives in our own very unique ways, and no path is greater or ‘above’ another!

Warmest regards,

Dear Readers,

I love the word and concept of ‘humility’! And I think success and humility should absolutely walk hand in hand in every human being. It is so very tempting to forget our humble beginnings, when we start tasting success, be it recognition or financial gain. Yet, embracing success without humility opens the door to an erroneous, and www.thepromota.co.uk

Willy Mutenza Publisher email: info@thepromota.co.uk

+44 7950 285 493

So when we hit this stretch in the road that we would call ‘success’, let us first humbly remember that we have no grounds to take pride in it.

Firstly, our success happens always thanks to the input of several other individuals, who believed in our vision and helped us achieve it; and secondly, success can be ephemeral too. Who are we going to be if success comes and goes, and we have shown only arrogance THE PROMOTA | 6

Latest interviews, updates and

news from around the world

DID ‘U’ KNOW Claudia Jordan Joins ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta?’

It remains to be seen if Jordan and McKinney will make the cut or just be given a few guest appearances. Rumors also suggest singer Angie Stone could be thrown into the mix.

Photo courtesy of Earl Gibson III/Getty Images North America

Rumor has it “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” could be getting two new peaches.

Model/TV personality Claudia Jordan and “House of Payne” actress Demetria McKinney have reportedly been seen around ATL shooting scenes for the Bravo reality series.

Peter Thomas also seemed to give truth to the reports in a recent interview with Charlotte’s WCCB. While speaking about the opening of his new bar Sports One, the husband of Cynthia Bailey made mention of “two new girls.”

“Bravo crew came out, Kenya, new girl Claudia, my wife, Kordell. We shot at the bar last night until two in the morning,” he said. “[...] The two new girls are extremely beautiful, so there was a lot of chemistry in the house.”

Woman marries her African gardener while on vacation, her husband burns her Gucci shoes and purses A mother of six says that she found true love with her 25year old African gardener.

The woman, who hails from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, says that she met the man while she was married, and has no regrets of “mingling” with him sexually during an African vacation.

The woman left her husband and married her lover in Gambia. Michelle Plews’ husband, Darrell Plews, claims that the woman was not yet divorced from her man when she married the new guy.

She says that’s not true. The husband obviously wasn’t happy about his wife’s “change of heart”.

Darrell went to her house while she was home and made a large bonfire out of her 50 handbags and expensive shoes. Gucci, Jimmy Choo and Vivienne Westwood were all rolling over in their graves (or offices, whichever one), as the husband made sure his wife realized the consequences of leaving her man for life with a stranger.

Kevin Hart at war with Mike Epps !

The war of words continued, prompting Hart to tweet, "Hey @ TheRealMikeEpps why don't you do us all a favor and Kill your god damn self..."

Epps sparked the spat after criticizing the Ride Along star during a radio interview, calling Hart "overrated".

Hart responded by taking to Twitter and posting, "Just heard @ TheRealMikeEpps called me 'Overrated' on the radio this AM! I missed it bcuz (because) I was on set 'WORKING' do u remember what that is?"

He added, "Don't talk 2 me until u start selling out ARENA'S @ TheRealMikeEpps if ur shows aren't sellin & u need sum help maybe I will send out a TWEET... " "Oh one more thing @ TheRealMikeEpps if you keep talking crazy I will book shows the same day as you in the same cities and shut yo s**t down... OVERRATE THAT." Marlon Wayans waded into the war or words, joking, "@KevinHart4real & @TheRealMikeEpps you boys stop

it! Stop it now hear! Sound in' like 2 heathens!"

But Epps wasn't about to calm down.

He had the last word, tweeting, "If it wasn't for the social media @ KevinHart4real would not be present he was forced on you fans trough the web your gone to realize."

Latest interviews, updates and news from around the world

DID ‘U’ KNOW

Basketmouth Reacts To A Report On His Income & Assets, Says It’s Exaggerated two choice properties in Lekki worth N350million, N60million home he built for his mum, a Kia Quoris saloon car worth over N12m, a Honda Crosstour, and 3 other brand new SUV’s which cost over N70m.

C

omedian Basketmouth has reacted to a report

by Vanguard which was published last week where he was estimated to be worth so much money. In the publication, the newspaper said the comedian has

Plus s a Cherokee SUV, an Hyundai Elantra, and a 2013 customized Opel Insignia. They also said he makes N60million annually from his comedy shows and made one million pounds from his recent Basketmouth Uncensored show which held in four cities in the UK.

“

I honestly don’t know how they came up with the figures and few informations they put out there, I honestly don’t fancy the exposure….Na this kind story de make extended family members de worry person and prospective clients run from me…. these guys de forget say armed robbers and kidnappers de read newspapers sha. If I de make that kind money, I for don stop comedy naaaa.” Basketmouth said.

Robin Williams Commits Suicide Robin Williams has committed suicide.

The Oscar-winning actor/ comedian killed himself in Tiburon, in Northern California.

His people tell us he's been recently recent tly battling severe depression.

According to the Marin County Sheriff's Office ... authorities found Williams' body inside his home. They say he was found unresponsive.

Ugandan writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi has won the overall Commonwealth Writers Short Story Prize for Let's Tell This Story Properly, which the judges praised it for its "risk-taking, grace and breadth".

8 | THE PROMOTA

He was unconscious and not breathing and the coroner suspects suicide due to asphyxia.

Robin went back to rehab last month to focus on his sobriety.

We're told alcohol was an issue.

Williams struggled with cocaine and alcohol abuse in the early '80s but was sober for 20 years ... with the exception of a stint in rehab in 2006.

The competition identifies and develops original voices from the 53 countries of the Commonwealth and this year - nearly 4,000 writers sent in their unpublished stories. The prize was presented in the Uganda's capital, Kampala, on Friday evening by the novelist and short story writer Romesh Gunesekera.

BBC Africa's Patience Atuhaire was there for the presentation.

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Simon Cowell Shares Adorable Photo Of Lookalike Son Who knew Simon Cowell could produce Eric, 7 Months Old something so cute? His son, Eric, is now 7 months old — and the bigger he gets, the more he looks like his daddy!

Simon Cowell, 54, is thrilled to be a first-time dad. After his girlfriend, Lauren Silverman, gave birth to their son, Eric Cowell, in Feb. 2014, Simon has been showing more and more of his soft side. Yes, that’s right — the American Idol meanie DOES have a soft side.

While Nick Cannon confirmed “trouble in paradise” with wife Mariah Carey, the “Hero” singer remains tightlipped on the split.

Celine Dion Cancels Shows To Take Care Of Cancer-Stricken Husband So sad. Celine Dion announced on Aug. 13 that she’s postponing her Las Vegas residency and canceling her Asia tour indefinitely so she can focus on caring for her sick husband, René Angélil.

Celine Dion, 46, is such a loving wife!

The legendary songstress is making Rene Angelil, 72, her top priority after her longtime manager and husband of nearly 20 years had a cancerous tumor removed in December.

N.W.A.: Real Drive-By Shooting On ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Set The cast and crew of the upcoming N.W.A biopic, ‘Straight Outta Compton’ were shaken up last week, when a driveby shooting reportedly occurred near the set. Read below for all the details.

So scary! Last week the cast and crew of the upcoming Dr. Dre, 49, and Ice Cube, 45, produced biopic, Straight Outta Compton were rocked, when reportedly a drive-by shooting took place outside the Compton Courthouse in Los Angeles, right near the films set!

Uganda’s no.1 artist BEBE COOL’s £1600 show silences critics

When Bebe Cool announced that he would charge £1600 a table for his concert, the naysayers predicted doom. This could be a flop of the year, some said. They were wrong.

Instead, his show titled Best of Bebe Cool at Kampala Serena Hotel was an instant success. And in a country where the music industry is built on pride and show-offs, Bebe Cool has garnered more than enough ammunition to silence his critics. People started queuing up to access Serena’s Victoria hall at around 5pm and by 7pm, tickets had run out. Apparently, city tycoons Godfrey Kirumira and Sudhir Ruparelia paid for the last two VIP tables.

Kim Net Worth Kardashian K

t e Wes Kany sion d n A n Ma hian Bel Air ardas Kim K Out On $11m h Splas

10 | THE PROMOTA

im Kardashian is an American reality television star, model and spokesperson who has a net worth of $65 million.

It's hard to believe that just a few years ago Kim Kardashian was a lowly assistant and stylist to the stars who happened to be best friends with Paris Hilton. Today, Kim is a bonafide international celebrity and media mogul who runs a business empire. Kim first gained attention after an infamous sex tape featuring Ray J was released. Kim parlayed this fame into her own reality show "Keeping up with the Kardashians" on the E! network.

Since then, Kim's fame has skyrocketed to the stratosphere.

She has starred in movies, graced thousands of magazine covers, and has appeared on several of her own reality TV shows. Kim has even launched a clothing line, perfume, and weight loss products. Along the way, Kardashian has found time to date a few NFL stars, NBA players and rappers like current husband Kanye West.

On December 31st, 2012, Kim www.thepromota.co.uk

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

and Kanye announced that they were expecting a child together. Their daughter North West was born on June 15, 2013. Kim and Kanye were married on May 24, 2014.

Kim's father was Robert Kardashian who was one of OJ Simpson's defense lawyers. In 2011, she got engaged to and married NBA player Kris Humphries. The marriage lasted only 72 days.

Kim is rumored to have made $18 million off endorsements and TV rights to her wedding.

As of this writing, Kim Kardashian earns between $25 and $30 million dollars per year from her empire which now includes a cosmetics line, personal appearance fees, television salary, and retail endorsements.

Kim Kardashian has a big family including sisters Kortney and sister of Khloe Kardashian. Khloe is married www.thepromota.co.uk

to NBA player Lamar Odom.

Her mother Kris is married to former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner which makes fellow reality star Brody Jenner, Kim's step brother. Bruce and Kris have since had two children of their own, Kendall and Kylie.

How much money does Kim Kardashian have?

-In March 2010, Kim bought a $4.8 million mansion in Beverly Hills. It's a Tuscan style 5 bedroom sprawling across 4 acres in some of the most expensive real estate in the world.

-Kim used to only earn around $15,000 per episode of her reality show but her pay was increased to $80,000 -Kim recently purchased a $325,000 white Ferrari 458 Italia Spider -During several weeks of taping of "Kourtney and Kim Take New York", Kim and her then-husband Kris

Humphries stayed in the Presidential Suite of the Ganesvoort Hotel. The suite costs $7000 a night.

-At Kim's wedding she donned a $2.5 million 65 carat sparkling diamond headpiece

by Lorraine Schwartz, a $2 million 20.5 carat diamond engagement ring, and 28 carat diamond earrings worth $5 million. All told she was wearing well over $10 million worth of jewelry on her big day. Not to mention the $150,000 she spent on hair and makeup. by www.celebritynetworth.com

Net Worth: $65 Million Kim Kardashian's Annual Salary: $25 - $30 Million Per Year Date of Birth: October 21, 1980 Place of Birth: Los Angeles Profession: Entrepreneur, Model, Actor, Businessperson, Fashion Designer, TV Personality, Television Producer THE PROMOTA | 11

CELEBRITY

L u p i t a Nyong'o has our

full attention. She's seduced Hollywood with an Oscar buzzed debut film role in Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave and now has the the fashion world captivated too thanks to a succession of impeccable red-carpet appearances.

Lupita's signature looks are built around clean lines and bold colours and brands like Prada, Miu Miu and Erdem.

12 | THE PROMOTA

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LUPITA NYONG’O,

an Oscar-winning actress and favourites on Hollywood’s red carpet, made Vanity Fair’s 2014 international best dressed list. Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, was named to its Hall of Fame.

It is Blanchett’s second appearance and the first for Nyong’o on the annual list, which does not rank its fashion stars. The style setters list is dominated by actors, but it also includes European royals, sports stars and artists.

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THE PROMOTA | 13

HSGH SGHS

L

UPITA

Spills Her Beauty Secrets

Nyong'o Lupita Nyong’o’s red-carpet-lip rainbow—she’s painted her pout with everything from a chalky neon pink pigment to metallic purple eye shadow—has no doubt single-handedly boosted lipstick sales around the world.

But although the 31-year-old Academy Award winner (and new Lancôme spokesperson) will try any makeup shade, she plays it safe when it comes to her glowing complexion. “I’m very nervous about stripping my skin of its oils,” says Nyong’o, who suffered from severe rashes when she was younger: “My mother finally went to Madagascar for this herbal concoction that did the trick,” she says. “She taught me that nature knows best.”

Hollywood historically hasn’t provided many substantial roles for women of color. Do you think this is changing?

The fact that I was able to play such a powerful role at the start of my career and that 12 Years a Slave was made means there is an audience. The question is finding it. I cannot lead my life with an attitude of deficit.

You’ve been named the most beautiful person in the world. How does that feel?

When someone mentions it to my face, it feels lovely and ticklish—it’s never unappreciated to be considered beautiful. But there are still plenty of things to remind me of how regular I am, like New York traffic or burning myself in a hot shower.

14 | THE PROMOTA

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Who is your beauty muse?

Alek Wek. Once she stepped onto the international scene, I could no longer say that there’s no one like me. She encouraged me and also really scared me, since it’s easier to accept the status quo than to try to change it. But just having her present, I felt more seen, more confident. I couldn’t make any excuse for not stepping into my most powerful self.

What product have you most recently fallen in love with?

Lip liner! I had always been confused about how and why to use lip liner. [Makeup artist] Nick Barose taught me to match my lip liner not to my lipstick but to my skin tone. It frames the lip, and lipstick seems to stay on longer.

What about when you are ready to take off the red-carpet look—what do you use?

Regular avocado oil. I dab very lightly, because I don’t want to massage the makeup further into my pores, and then I wipe it off with a gauze cloth.

Other essentials?

I love having my eyebrows feel done. You just look more well-dressed. I carry Lancôme’s Kissed by Gold eye-shadow palette with me all the time. I brush the darkest shade on my brows to give them definition.

And for your hair?

Sometimes when I comb my hair out there are a lot of strands sticking up and it looks messy, so [hairstylist] Larry Sims taught me to just use a hot towel, placed gently on top, to calm the curls down. It gives my Afro a sleeker look.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Ex-boxing promoter FRANK MALONEY having SEX CHANGE

F

ormer boxing promoter Frank Maloney has revealed he is undergoing gender reassignment and now lives as a woman called Kellie.

Kellie says: „I was born in the wrong body and I have always known I was a woman.‰ She is working with transgender group TG Pals, whose managing director, Heather Ashton, told the BBC Kellie had been „incredibly brave and courageous‰.

As Frank, Maloney guided Lennox Lewis to the world heavyweight title in 1993.

In her interview, Kellie says: „I canÊt keep living in the shadows, that is why I am doing what I am today.

Living with the burden any longer would have killed me. „What was wrong at birth is now being medically corrected.

I have a female brain. I knew I was different from the minute I could compare myself to other children. „I wasnÊt in the right body.

I was jealous of girls.‰ Lennox Lewis said he was initially shocked at the news, but respected his former promoterÊs decision. „This world we live in isnÊt always cut and dried or black and white, and coming from 16 | THE PROMOTA

the boxing fraternity, I can only imagine what a difficult decision this must be for Kellie. „However, having taken some time to read KellieÊs statements, I understand better what she, and others in similar situations, are going through. I think that all people should be allowed to live their lives in a way that brings them harmony and inner peace. „I respect KellieÊs decision and say that if this is what brings about true happiness in her life, than so be it.‰ ÂHugely difficultÊ „This group of people are the last societal group to achieve equality and to be socially accepted.‰ A new life Kellie said she had never felt able to tell anyone in boxing about her intentions but had been preparing for her gender transition while still living as Frank and working in the sport. „I thought maybe I can earn enough money that one day

I can disappear and live a new life completely away as a female and no one would ever bother me. „Once you come out of sport you are soon forgotten and that was what I was hoping would happen to me.‰ She said she was sure she could have done her job in boxing as a woman but her plans now focused on helping others going through a similar process.

Kellie, who has been married twice and has children, said she intended to live as a single person and was now „mentally preparing‰ herself for the rest of her life.

She said: „It just goes to show you how the world is changing for the better. Many other people in my position have been severely traumatised for years from what theyÊve been through. „I have had kind text messages from people in boxing who I fell out with a long time ago.

That was something I never expected.‰

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GOSSIP

Faking It For Cash?

Report Claims Beyonce & Jay Z Spreading Split Rumors To Increase Ticket Sales For Sluggish ‘On The Run’ Tour!

Rumors have been swirling for months that Beyonce and Jay Z could be filing divorce papers before the end of their joint On The Run tour next month—but a new report suggests the hiphop power couple is completely faking their marital issues.

Publicist Jonathan Hay, who claims to know Jay Z, tells The

er, they ur is ov tories o t e h t “Once these s a stop to g is fine at t u p l il w hin w everyt and sho icts. d e r ay p H ,” e m o h

U.K.’s Sun newspaper that he believes the marriage crisis was all a carefully crafted stunt to increase ticket sales for the pair’s summer On The Run tour.

“They are driving interest for the tour,” Hay said. “If you look at the timing of these stories, I don’t think this is a coincidence.”

“So then we had the elevator fight and since then the tour has been written about every single night and ticket sales have increased,” Hay added, referring to Beyonce’s sister Solange’s infamous physical outburst at Jay Z after the Met Gala in May.

SCOTT DISICK 'doing great,' drinking to cope with parents Less than two months after he was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning, Scott Disick is up to his wild ways on a new previous for Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

“Scott is starting to get a little sloppy,” baby mama Kourtney Kardashian, 35, shares during a show confessional. “This is just exactly what I don’t need.”

“Maybe don’t drink anymore so you can have a good night,” she calmly suggests to the hard-partying star, to no avail.

The reality star’s aunt Audrey Martone blamed the boozy disaster on grief over his parents’ recent deaths. (Jeffrey www.thepromota.co.uk

Disick died at age 63 less than three months after wife Bonnie passed away at the same age in November 2013.)

“Scott lost both parents in a very short period of time, and I think being without them right now is a sad reminder,” Martone explained to Radar. “I feel for him and I try to give him the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has their own way of grieving, and I respect that.”

Disick’s drinking has long been a source of fighting between the couple: On June 9, the troubled star checked into a motel near the family’s Hamptons rental mansion after an epic blowout.

THE PROMOTA | 17

HSGH SGHS

Ne-Yo opens up about new romance

R&B star Ne-Yo has gone public with his new romance following a split from his longtime girlfriend.

The “So Sick” hit maker began dating Monyetta Shaw in 2009, and they welcomed daughter Madilyn in 2010 and son Mason in 2011, but the couple split last summer, and now the singer has moved on with video vixen and model Crystal Renay.

She has been sharing photos of the new couple together on Instagram, and Ne-Yo confirmed the budding relationship last week by posting a shot of her kissing him on the cheek.

18 | THE PROMOTA

He opened up about Renay in a recent radio interview with New York’s Hot 97, saying, “We are in a good place. … She has much promise. Yes, much promise. Quality.”

Ne-Yo also revealed he did not want to keep his personal life a secret from fans, explaining, “You know what, at this point in my career, at this point in my life… I’m 34 years old, I don’t have time to be hiding.

“Of course, there are some things you keep personal and private because you’re a human being. But, on the other side of it, I ain’t got time to be hiding nothing and all that (sic). It is what it is.” www.thepromota.co.uk

LOVE AFFAIR Rochelle Humes showcases slender legs in fun playsuit as she leaves ITV studios after hosting This Morning Pop stars Marvin and Rochelle Humes are living up to their new presenting responsibilities, after the married couple made a return to This Morning’s sofas.

The chart-topping duo co-ordinated their style choices for their TV stint as they stepped in for Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford on Friday.

Rochelle looked stunning in her black mid-length dress adored with pretty floral prints, which she paired with silver stiletto heels.

Rochelle Humes Printed Woven Top / Shorts www.very.co.uk

£64

LOOK COOL LIKE ROCHELLE IN A SET OF PRINTED CO-ORDS Rochelle Humes is wearing a printed top and shorts from her own line at Very.

Although the word co-ord sounds like a two-piece of dull as ditchwater Eighties workwear, it’s been thoroughly reclaimed by the fashion set as super fun printed top and skirt / top and shorts combos that are anything but boring.

Chic and youthful, they are about as far from a 1980s office as you can get but you can still sport a co-ord to your own place of work if you switch up the top for a matching jacket.

However, our own selection from Topshop, Reclaim to Wear, ASOS and Warehouse (all are sold separately but we've added together the prices) are rather more suited to balmy summer days and especially suited to picnic, festivals or outdoor activities due to the fact that the shorts will protect your modesty while sitting on the grass!

PS they are also much easier to clamber out of than a playsuit!

Grammy winner NE-YO: Ex-manager owes me $8M Grammy winner Ne-Yo wants $8 million from his ex-manager. The R&B singer-songwriter has sued one-time manager and confidant Kevin Foster in Manhattan federal court.

Foster started handling Ne-Yo's finances in 2005.

The lawsuit says Foster moved some of Ne-Yo's money without permission. It also alleges that Foster faked Ne-Yo's

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name on loan documents and invested Ne-Yo's money in a water company that was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. The lawsuit seeks $4.5 million plus $3.5 million in fees that Ne-Yo, 34, says he paid Foster.

The Daily News says a phone number for Foster's firm was out of service.

Ne-Yo has written hits for Beyonce and Rihanna.

THE PROMOTA | 19

HEALTH

Ebola: I

n the Transparency International 2013 publication on perceived levels of public sector corruption, 17 of the 58 African countries are ranked in the lowest quarter.

In some countries, corruption is systemic and there is not enough political will to end it. In addition to being the catalyst to brutal civil wars, and terrorism it has a negative impact on the socioeconomic development of millions of Africans who live in extreme poverty. West Africa’s Ebola crisis may be the highest cost of corruption the continent has experienced. Out of 117 countries in the included, the countries affected with Ebola rank as follows: Liberia 83, Sierra Leone 119, Nigeria 144, and Guinea 150.

And its not just corruption, some of these countries are at the bottom of almost every development index.

Yet the Mano River countries and Nigeria are rich in natural resources and human capital. The economies are growing and for a moment it seemed that Africa is finally rising.

20 | THE PROMOTA

The cost of West Africa’s corruption

Ebola exposes the weaknesses in the systems and how fragile these budding economies may be. Border controls between the Mano river countries are extremely difficult because proper boundaries and controls have never existed.

These porous borders made it possible for rebel combatants to move easily from Liberia into Sierra Leone making the spill over of war inevitable. More than ten years after the war the borders remain porous, anecdotally Sierra Leone’s first Ebola case travelled from Guinea and entered the country quite easily.

But porous land borders are not the only problem; an Ebola patient cleared to travel from Liberia took the virus into Nigeria, infected a number of people in the process and plunged Nigeria into yet another crises they were unprepared for. It is still not clear how Patrick Sawyer was cleared to travel despite showing symptoms of Ebola.

The result of endemic corruption is weak institutions and ineffective systems. In the case of Ebola, the consequences have been fatal. The countries were totally unprepared for the outbreak. Sierra Leone and Liberia have been ravaged by war but after over a decade of peace they are still heavily dependent on international aid and cannot cope with the outbreak. To compound a difficult situation, an alarming number of front line medical staff helping to contain the virus has become victims themselves.

Appalling working conditions such as extremely long hours and poor pay, make mistakes inevitable. In Sierra Leone, two senior doctors have died, sixty nurses have been infected of which thirty have died.

The experience and knowledge lost cannot be replaced overnight and the existing infrastructure is poor. Sadly, Africa cannot solve this problem on its own and needs international assistance. In Sierra Leone, there is no isolation unit in Freetown and the Kenema Government Hospital is already www.thepromota.co.uk

HEALTH

at full capacity with sixty patients, three expat doctors and two nurses. The only solution is foreign medical teams that have the knowledge and resources to set up isolation centers effectively and safely and this is needed urgently.

Corruption in Africa needs to be addressed eventually. This outbreak is ultimately an African problem. About 148 billion US dollars is lost every year to corruption. That amount can build

www.thepromota.co.uk

the infrastructure and set up the institutions it needs but for now the priority is eradicating the virus.

WHO has declared an international emergency and all efforts global, regional, local are required.

It requires commitment and collaboration for the emergency to be dealt with effectively and the African Diaspora has an important role. We should be part of the dialogue in mainstream media and take ownership of the narrative.

We should add our voices to the call for much needed foreign medical teams and we can even be part of those teams. Our unique position can make the difference. It is time for the African diaspora to stand up for its continent.

Khadi Mansaray is an accountant with a passion for writing. She is the founder of Sondiata Global Media, publisher for the African Diaspora.

THE PROMOTA | 21

SUMMER TREND

For Her

Hummingbird Print Bodycon

"From Sand" is far from your traditional sandal: A black leather, slouchy shaft and a thong-style toe combine to create a silhouette that is chic with a dash of sportif

Turquoise tropical hummingbird print bodycon dress with removeable straps, length 88cm. www.missselfridge.com Price: £39.00

Pierre Hardy Suede, leather and calf hair sandals

www.eu.christianlouboutin. com/uk_en

Roller-boat spikes

Roller-Boat combines luxury and leisure with finesse. Perfect for your off-duty attire, Roller-Boat in pure white leather and spikes is a redsoled slip-on splendor.

David Webb

Tiger enameled 18-karat Riviera clutch patent gold, platinum, diamond and emerald bangle £++++

Pink Smudge Print Scarf Pink polyester scarf with smudge print.

Price: £9.00

Jason Wu

Floral-print leather ankle boots £695

Riviera Clutch may have been inspired by the ladies of the Côte d'Azur, but its appeal has a much wider reach. Its wide body looks just as elegant held as a clutch as it does worn on the shoulder. £695

Iriza suede Tote

Double handle bag £120

22 | THE PROMOTA

Sneakers

Sueded / Multicolour Pattern £250

The cut-out vamp is a very sexy look for casual and formal dress alike. This lie de vin suede will be a hit whether worn with your favorite dress or jeans.

www.thepromota.co.uk

Beautiful Textures Naturally Straight Reversible Straightening Texture Manageability System

ink er r's Poisturiz.99 e t us l M £8

L nal Oi 32oz i n Orig ir Lotio Ha

Activilong Activilong re ulti-ca mask m lti-care Spray u s. m y ra p dry end Mask s and repairs ls e v ra un

ORS Hair repair

Pigment Infusion

Organic Root Stimulator Hair Repair Anti-Breakage Creme £4.75

£12.00

Repairing Haircare Mask £10.67

IMAN Skin Tone Evener BB Creme SPF 15 30ml Sand Medium 30ml £23.95 feelunique.com

A highly pigmented and multi-tasking pressed powder with long-lasting wear; the silky formula glides on smoothly providing matte and shimmer finishes.

Creme of Nature Argan Oil Pudding Perfection £19.95 Fishpond.co.uk

Dabur Vatika Black Seed Deep Conditioning Hair Mask 500g

by Dabur Vatika Price: £4.62

Mizani Supreme Oil Mask 226.8g £12.00

How To Use Scoop a liberal amount and smooth downward on small sections of damp hair using fingertips. Then twist, shingle, coil or washand-go. Do not rinse.

Black|Up The 2-in-1 best seller. An exceptional texture with a finish you can customise: a matte satiny, covering finish or barely there powder. £27.00

NEW Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm £19.00

Luminous lips.

Soft, comfortable lips thanks to moisturising* active ingredients. An ultra-feminine, sensual mouth. £13.00

www.thepromota.co.uk

THE PROMOTA | 23

FOR HIM

Nono veau velours

This sleek and simple silhouette can be paired with almost any ensemble.

In dark and smoothe Eclipse Veau Velour, this version will become a red soled staple in your closet.

WWW.christianlouboutin.com/uk_en

Rollerboy spike calf

£495

Be a part of the action with this version in sultry eclipse spikes on eclipse calf leather. Magnifique.

Balenciaga

Leather and Suede Low-Top Sneakers £695

Antonio calf

stylish accompaniment to nearly any look, Antonio will become a staple in your Louboutin collection. £885

Loewe

Amazona Embossed Leather Holdall Bag £2,150

Band of Outsiders

Striped Brushed-Wool Sweater £230

Corgi Striped KnittedCotton Socks

Bottega Veneta

£18

Intrecciato Multi-Strap Leather Sandals £445

Polo Ralph Lauren

Mid-Length Swim Shorts £50

24 | THE PROMOTA

Gucci

Leather-Trimmed Canvas Backpack £705

Saint Laurent

Classic 11 Metal Aviator Sunglasses £230

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FASHION

Fay

Jacket

Breathe Easy Keep Cool In Stylish Summer Linen

P

opsicles, The Beach Boys and linen. There are few things that say "summer" more to us. Linen has been valued in the garment industry for its exceptional breathability in warm weather, but it's more than the boxy button-downs or semi-sheer pants that may first come to mind.

Gone are the days of ill-fitting shirts your dad might have worn; we’re in a different menswear era now. When the occasion calls for something dressier, a linen sport coat from Fay will look sharp and let you layer without completely overheating. Structured or unstructured, natural, navy or otherwise, a

Fay

Shirt £95

Hartford

Linen Shirt £105

summer blazer looks smart paired with trousers, denim or even shorts.

Linen pants or shorts come in an array of colors and often in a cotton blend to add a little more weight and shape. Thankfully, that means they're not sheer. Just as breezy and comfortable as their ancestors, but the modern versions are totally acceptable for off-island wear.

Finally, and perhaps most obviously, the linen shirt is still a summer mainstay and about as easy as it gets for casual weekends. Pair an updated, slim-cut version with your swim trunks at the beach or with jeans and white sneakers in the city.

J.Crew

7" Stanton Cotton-Twill Shorts £70

Charvet

Silk and Linen-Blend Tie £150

Sperry Top-Sider®

for J.Crew CVO slip-on sneakers in Irish linen.

Loro Piana

Unstructured Linen Double-Breasted Blazer

This exclusive-to-J.Crew version is made with linen—as far as linen goes, this mill is considered the best in the world. £125.00

www.thepromota.co.uk

THE PROMOTA | 25

TOP

GADGETS

Dropcam Tabs Skullcandy Crusher “Rather than trying to fake a bunch of bass with digital signal processing, the Crushers use an individually powered second driver to trigger a proprietary (and rather hush-hush) vibration system. Even in the sub-optimal audio testing environment that is the parking lot outside of CES, we all walked away pretty impressed.”

The Zip headphones are available now priced £12.95

www.prezzybox.com.

These tiny tags are actually movement sensors. Hook them up to your home Wi-Fi, stick them to a window or door and they’ll notify you if anything moves while you’re out. You can pair them to a webcam too so that they automatically take a snapshot of whatever’s snuck in. You can also stick them to a valuable item and a notification will tell you if it has left the house. dropcam.com, $29 (£17)

Bracketron Xventure

Kolibree SMART TOOTHBRUSH Makes Dental Hygiene Fun

No one particularly enjoys brushing their teeth, but a new smart toothbrush could change all that. Today, Kolibree announced its Bluetooth toothbrush is available for pre-order via Kickstarter. $99.

Feddz Electric Bike Feddz.de, from €5,990 (£4874)

26 | THE PROMOTA

Xolar3000 Solar Powered USB Charger By: Bracketron Price: £33.95

Fully charged the unit can charge your smart phone full 4 – 5 times or it can offer 48 hours of light from the lantern.

The package comes with a USB to Micro-USB cord as well as a carrying case. 4 LED lights on the unit indicate its current charge level. Really cool item.

An electric motor takes up a lot less space than a petrol one. This battery-driven scooter uses the extra room to let its rider carry much more than they could on a typical motorbike. Where the fuel tank and engine would have been there are now 23 litres of storage space. Fully loaded and charged, it’ll offer a range of 70km – enough for most commutes – and will even charge your smartphone en route.

www.thepromota.co.uk

GADGETS

On the road with the

Samsung NX30 camera

This isn’t a cheap camera – its current RRP is

£899.99 – but it’s packed with smart features. For instance, you can take 3D pictures if you buy Samsung’s compatible 2D/3D lens. But while that doesn’t really appeal, I found the built-in Wi-Fi and integrated Dropbox invaluable, enabling me to upload pictures whenever I was in a Wi-Fi hotspot.

And although I didn’t use it, the NFC (Near Field Communication) function would be handy for beaming pictures direct to NFC phones or tablet computers.

You can even use your phone (Android or iOS) as a remote shutter release if you install the free Samsung Smart Camera app.

GE Is Building A Machine Would you use a plate that counts the calories in your food?

To Count The Calories In When it comes to keeping track of our these microwaves hit fat and water calories, there are hundreds of fitness molecules they bounce back with a Your Food

Should Google Glass use be restricted? £1499.89

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gadgets that monitor the calories being burned as we exercise. What we don't have, though, is a gadget that reliably monitors the other side of the equation - the calories coming in.

To this end, Matt Webster at General Electric (GE) and researchers from Baylor University are working on a device that will calculate the calorific content of any plate of food put inside.

It manages this feat by sending microwaves through your meal. When

unique signature, and sensors then use this information to precisely measure the fat and water content of your food.

Meanwhile, a computer churns through the data to estimate the amounts of sugars, carbs, proteins and other ingredients. GE claims that the scanner is currently accurate to within 10 per cent.

The technology is only in its infancy now, but Webster is hoping to create a “push button device that you could see in every kitchen”.

Just a week after going on sale in the country, Google Glass has been banned in UK cinemas.

Phil Clapp, head of the Cinema Exhibitors’ Association, told The Independent: "Customers will be requested not to wear these into cinema auditoriums, whether the film is playing or not."

The move is driven by fears that some-

one wearing a Google Glass could record a film using the device's inbuilt camera and make an illegal copy.

There's also discussion as to whether Google Glass use will be restricted in other public places such as hospitals and gyms in order to protect people's privacy.

THE PROMOTA | 27

TOP GADGETS

MacBook Pro

(Mid 2014)

When it comes to laptops, the MacBook Pro is tough to beat. In its latest 'mid-2014' form it comes in 13 and 15-inch display sizes starting from £999 and £1,599, respectively. The Retina Display gives almost unrivalled detail, while a dual core Intel i5 processor ensures snappy performance. Mac OS X Mavericks, and soon to be Yosemite, completes the package.

From £999 | Apple

Samsung Galaxy Tab S

Samsung has launched a new range of tablets with (what it claims are) the "world's greatest screens".

Samsung has launched a new range of tablets with (what it claims are) the "world's greatest screens".

Aimed directly at Apple's iPad Air and Retina Mini, the 'Tab S' comes in two sizes, and is designed to be deliberately reminiscent of the Galaxy S5 smartphone. Samsung is pitching the devices principally as content consumption (i.e. video and photos) devices, claiming that its research says that's what most tablets are used for anyway.

THE KEY SPECS OF THE NEW DEVICES ARE: • • • • • • • • • •

Samsung's New TV Costs £70,000 And Is Ridiculous

The 'made to order' UN105S9W has a fully metal frame and a 'wood finish' back, and a 5120 X 2160 screen resolution.

The TV also comes with a bunch of extras - as you'd hope for a price more in line with a premium sports car. It has Samsung's Smart TV apps, UHD

28 | THE PROMOTA

8.4-inch and 10.5-inch screens 2560 x 1600 WQXGA Super AMOLED panels 100,000: contrast ratio 6.6mm thin Lightweight (294g / 465g) form factor Exynos 5 Octacore processor Android KitKat 4.4 3GB RAM 16/32GB memory plus MicroSD Card 4,900 mAh / 7,900 mAh battery

The 105-inch curved 4K 'Ultra High Definition' telly is probably the most advanced currently on the market, if you don't count this ridiculous custom job made in the UK.

upscaling, four HDMI ports and 'Micro dimming ultimate plus' whatever that is. It also - presumably - comes with one hell of a remote control.

The TV is available to pre-order now, though if you can afford one then you probably have people for that sort of thing.

www.thepromota.co.uk

ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS

What it takes to get a temporary work permit for artists under Tier 5 scheme.

Due to the fact that we organise events under the name Promota events, we decided to explain the legal issues involved and the eligibility of obtaining a temporary work permit under the British law.

What is the creative and sporting category?

The creative and sporting worker category is for people coming to the UK to work or perform as sportspeople, entertainers or creative artists for up to 12 months.

If you are a sportsperson, you must be internationally established at the highest level in your sport, and/or your employment must make a significant contribution to the development and running of sport at the highest level in the UK. If you are a coach, you must be suitably qualified to do the job.

Who can apply as a creative and sporting worker?

Before you apply under the creative and sporting worker category, you must have: • a sponsor; and • a valid certificate of sponsorship.

Before assigning your certificate of sponsorship in the sporting sub-category, your sponsor must have an endorsement for you from the governing body for your sport, which confirms you meet the governing body's requirements to give their endorsement. The governing body must be recognised by us. Find a list of sports governing bodies.

When you apply you are awarded points based on your sponsorship and available maintenance (funds).

www.thepromota.co.uk

You can apply under the creative and sporting worker category now if you are: • applying for permission to enter the UK (known as 'entry clearance') under the creative and sporting worker category; • already in the UK as a sportsperson and want to extend your permission to stay for up to 12 months; • already in the UK as a creative worker who has been here for 12 months or less - you will be able to extend your permission to stay for up to a maximum of 24 months. The job must continue with your original sponsor.

The creative and sporting category is not for people who want to come or who are already in the UK as entertainers or sports visitors, including for specified festivals. See more about sport and entertainer visitors in the Visiting the UK section.

You can switch in to the creative and sporting category if you came to the UK as a sports or entertainer visitor, and before you entered the UK, your sponsor gave you a certificate of sponsorship for this category. You can use the certificate to apply to switch.

Otherwise switching is not allowed into or out of the creative and sporting working category.

You can apply under the creative and sporting category from a country that is not your normal place of residence if you are there doing a job similar to the one that you want to do in the UK. Go to our visa services if you are applying from outside the UK. There you can find out more about the process in the country you are applying from and download the relevant application forms.

How long can you stay for?

Sportsman If you are given permission to stay as a sportsperson, you can come to live and work in the UK for a maximum of 12 months, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus 28 days, whichever is shorter (beginning no more than 14 days before the start date given on your certificate of sponsorship).

If you are a sportsperson, you can only apply to extend your stay for a maximum of 12 months.

Creative worker If you are given permission to stay as a creative worker, you can come to live and work in the UK for an initial time of up to 12 months, or the time given in your certificate of sponsorship plus 28 days, whichever is shorter (beginning no more than 14 days before the start date given on your certificate of sponsorship).

You can apply to extend your permission to stay in the UK as a creative worker for up to 12 months at a time, up to a maximum of 24 months. If your extension will take your time in the UK beyond 12 months, the job must continue with your last sponsor.

For example, if you come for 9 months initially, you can get an extension to stay for another 3 months and this does not have to be with the same sponsor.

If you come for 9 months initially, you can get an extension to stay for a further 12 months, but this must be with the same sponsor. After that time, you can get a further extension to stay to take the length of your stay up to 24 months in total.

THE PROMOTA | 29

HSGH SGHS

Nathalie

mAkoma

30 | THE PROMOTA

www.thepromota.co.uk

INTERVIEW: MAKOMA

Where is Makoma today?

Makoma is in the studio recording a new album. I heard a bit of it and, trust me, it’s great!

Why did you break away from the group?

Because I never had the chance to choose which direction of music I wanted to follow. I finally did decide in 2005 to leave the group Makoma to pursue a solo career doing the kind of music I ever dreamed of. I want to join the likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna, or Aretha Franklin.

Do you sometimes go back to perform with Makoma?

I am a solo artist now and I don’t perform with the Makoma group anymore.

What are the challenges you face as a solo artist?

The challenges are that I came from a successful group Makoma and I am finding myself as a solo artist fighting to prove to all my fans that I can also do it all alone. It wasn’t easy at the beginning, but with hard work, I’m having the fun of it now.

Were the challenges mostly from fans? Or family?

From both because some artists who split from successful groups mostly disappear.

pop because being a gospel singer is spiritual. Also, I became born again for free, and I want to share the word of God for free. I’ll still be playing gospel songs from time to time but this time, it’s not going to be commercial. My changing to Afro/pop or Afro beat music is something I always wanted to do but I never had the opportunity while I was with the group Makoma.

What are your future plans as an artist?

Keep writing songs and doing good music. Singing for the world to hear. Being the voice through which the world can find peace, answers to their problems or see their wishes come true, and hopefully to become one of the biggest artists in the world. I also want to keep working on signing new artists on my new record label Goody Goody Records that I put up with my partners Don Biggalow and Sir.Frankie Osborn, to give African artists opportunities to achieve their dreams in the music world.

Tell our readers a little about your love life. Are you married?

I have a partner and we have a son.

How do you juggle being a mum and artist?

Being a mum is the best thing that has ever happened in my life. I enjoy every second of it and I am happy!

Why did you change from gospel to hip-hop?

I changed from gospel to Afro/ www.thepromota.co.uk

THE PROMOTA | 31

Photographer: Jide Alakija (c) 2014 - www.jide.alakija.com Styling: Crystal Deroche Agency - www.crystalderoche.com Hair: Angela Plummer using Sensationnel hot clipswww.Angelaplummer.com Dress: River Island Necklace: Jolie MUA: Nafy Abdi using MAC & YSL Model: CloĂŠ

FASHION

LOUR OU O U UR R

LASH

ANGELA M PLUMMER

CrEaTiVe HaIr ArTiSt Web: www.angelaplummer.com Twitter: AngelaMPlummer Instagram: #angelamplummer

www.thepromota.co.uk

THE PROMOTA | 33

FASHION

Photographer: Jide Alakija (c) 2014 - www.jide.alakija.com Styling : Crystal Deroche Agency - www.crystalderoche.com Hair : Angela Plummer using Sensationnel hot clipswww.Angelaplummer.com Jewellery: topshop MUA: Nafy Abdi using MAC & YSL Model: CloĂŠ Story name for images - COLOUR SPLASH

34 | THE PROMOTA

www.thepromota.co.uk

FASHION

Photographer: Jide Alakija (c) 2014 - www.jide.alakija.com Styling : Crystal Deroche Agency - www.crystalderoche.com Hair : Angela Plummer using Sensationnel hot clipswww.Angelaplummer.com Dress: Raphaella Earings : Chanel MUA: Nafy Abdi using MAC & YSL Model: CloĂŠ Story name for images - COLOUR SPLASH

www.thepromota.co.uk

THE PROMOTA | 35

CAR REVIEW

BMW

i8

A tiny engine is not the obvious way to power a sports car. But BMW’s dramatic new plug-in hybrid doesn’t do the obvious. Martin Love test drives the i8

36 | THE PROMOTA

www.thepromota.co.uk

The A832, which heads west from Inverness before skirting the edges of Loch Maree, is a favourite with vehicle manufacturers keen to show off the capabilities of their newest cars. But these ancient mountains have never seen anything like the BMW i8 – a revolutionary plug-in electric hybrid that’s set to change the way we see performance sports cars.

A small group of us flew up to Inverness for a first drive in the car, which launches in the UK this week. Glancing out of the aeroplane as we landed we could see the test cars parked on the apron of the runway.

Among the old island hoppers and abandoned prop planes on the outfield, the low-slung, curvaceous cars with their unique U-shaped laser lights looked surreal, as if they’d escaped from the set of the latest Transformers movie.

Get closer and they look even more futuristic. The chassis is lightweight aluminium, while the “life module” is carbon. The dynamic material allows designers to make the body any shape they want to.

Here, they went for a mass of overlapping contrasts: accents, lines, grooves and angles. You’ll rarely see a motor with more head-turning presence – either in the wilds of the Highlands or the mews of Chelsea. The car I drove was crisp white with bright blue accents. Its aerodynamic smoothness and carved air-flows meant it could have been a chunk of sculpted ice. And, foot down on the sweeping curves of the A832, the car had all the irresistible sweep and cutting-edge of a two-handed Mackenzie claymore.

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Inside the car, the space-age show continues. The “dihedral” doors swivel upwards at the touch of a button. There’s a digital dash, a separate multifunctional screen and head-up display. The cabin and controls feel fresh and modern without being intimidating. The back seats are tiddly and the boot pretty much nonexistent.

What did you expect? It’s a car, not a miracle. Annoyingly the windows don’t drop flush into the door; for arm swingers like me that’s irritating. And getting in and out will be a challenge, if not impossible, if you have a bad back or are pregnant.

The car is what BMW is calling “born electric” – as opposed to being a traditional car with an electric engine shoehorned in. It certainly feels as if it has all four wheels firmly in the future. It’s aimed at Porsche 911 and Audi R8 drivers, yet it only has a small 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder engine.

Remarkably, per litre this is the most powerful engine BMW has ever made. Coupled to the 129bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels, the i8 will do 135mpg and produce a laughable 49g/km while thrusting you from 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds. It has a range of 373 miles. It is scarcely believable.

The car is packed with intelligent driver aids. You can remotely turn on the aircon with an app on your phone, for instance, or allow the car to use real-time traffic info to select the most efficient drive mode.

Halfway through our test drive, we stopped at Gairloch to buy some tablet. “Is that your car, mister?” asked a freckly boy sucking on a lollipop. “No,” I said, “but I wish it was…”

THE PROMOTA | 37

FASHION

FASHION With Passion Introducing one of the Ugandan icon in the fashion industry. Nakafeero Josephine started her fashion label “Fashion runway Uganda” to cover a niche market within the African Community to serve as “a fashion events agency” with purpose.

Fashion runway Uganda aimed to focus activities not only on runway shows, but also on education in this industry by hosting creative and talented designers who showcase ready to wear outfits that instill a sense of fashion & style to the public. It is also designed to build the African Brand Nation by creating more awareness about the products that are being made by various African designers who tell stories through their creative works hence creating a positive image that will build and grow Africa.

Her main company JOSE HOUSE OF CREATIONS consists of dynamic, passionate and a committed team who believe in the power and the future of the fashion industry in Uganda and in Africa at large and their mission was to provide a platform and opportunity to potential fashion designers to showcase their art and creativity in fashion designing with a vision to expand and develope the fashion

38 | THE PROMOTA

industry by enabling the designers rise to their potentials. They were awarded as the best fashion event for the year 2012 by the African fashion walk awards.

Josephine who is the director/chief organizer of fashion runway Uganda is also a television presenter with NBS hosting the fashion and beauty program popularly known as omusono. It was also awarded as the best fashion television program in 2011 by the African fashion walk awards. They have worked with several fashion designers such as Latif Modoi of Latif Fashion Academy, Kasule Rafeal of K-Rafael label, Nina Kerutagi of Free Spirit label, Kansiime Monica, a former miss Uganda and director of Ipigogo fashion house, Okori Juliana of Kori house of couture designs, Jewels, high fashion college, Steven Etende, Nankanja Evelyn of Evenah fashion house, Leilah Nankya of Leilah’s accessories, Vaileys fashion house by Eddy, Susan of Suzlux and Esther Babirye just to mention but a few.

They also organised the launch of Silhouette Fashion DHouse Label that was Themed Tonny 2014 haute couture by Tonny Bulenzi.

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FASHION

FB: fashionrunwayuganda/josehouseofcreations/nakafeerojosephine Twitter: fashionrunwayuganda Website: jhouseofcreations.com Tel: +256-703-529-987 Email: fashionrunway2012@gmail.com www.thepromota.co.uk

THE PROMOTA | 39

FASHION

FREEDO

M

BLAC Y E L K AND MAT L O W ERIA L

Clothing: The House of Adjeiwaah Art & Creative Director: Erica Matthews Photographer: Michael Stuart Daley Fashion Stylist: Erica Matthews Hairstylist: Kara Graham Make-up Artist: Nancy Wru Nails provided by Cosmopolitan Real Touch Nails Jewellery is provided by pebble london.

Heels are by misguided.co.uk

40 | THE PROMOTA

www.thepromota.co.uk

FASHION

THE HOUSE OF

ADJEIWAAH THE HOUSE OF ADJEIWAAH BIOGRAPHY

T

he House of Adjeiwaah is a GUBA and BEFFTA Award nominated contemporary women’s clothing brand based in the UK and launched in 2011.

Delivering an electrifying synthesis of African and Western inspired garments.

The designs consists of a production of uniquely designed attire described as a concoction of varied trends all moving away from tradition ranging from eclectic funky, to provocative and edgy but then also including softer pieces rich in both opulence and sophistication. The designer first showcased at African Fashion Week London 2011 and has showcased at a variety of hugely successful shows such as Fashions Finest Renaissance Show, Fashionmist, Rhythm on the Runway 2013 Ghana.

The designer has gone on to dress contestant for various beauty pageants such as, “ACS Kings and Queens 2011”, “Miss Ghana UK 2011”, “Miss Black Africa UK 2011” and “Miss West Africa 2012” This designer was also given the honor of closing the first annual Ghana UK Fashion Show 2011 and opening Africa Fashion Week London 2012.

Not only has this Fashion House been featured in several high profile magazines but she has

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been honored with front page coverage on several occasions. The designer has dressed a host of varied personalities such as Ini Edo (Nollywood Actress) Pauline Long (founder of the BEFFTA Awards), Nana Afua (Top model of colour 2010 & TV Presenter), Vanessa Agyeman (Top Model of Color 2012 ) Charlene Long (ITV News Presenter) May7ven (Nigerian Afrobeats Singer), Multi-award winning Actress Ama K Abebrese, Philomena Quayo 1st black British plus size model, Ghanaian singing sensation Efya and female Rappers Tiffany and Lousika.

The success of this designer has lead to her being offered the role of head judge and the official designer for “Miss African Queen Switzerland”; she also sat on the judging panel for Top Model of Color 2012 and Miss Black Africa UK 2012. In 2013 the creative Director of this brand was honored by Ghanaian based Magazine Nanayaw18 with a DIVAS award which recognizes successful Ghanaian women in various industries.

But the main objective is for The House of Adjeiwaah to promote and preserve the empowerment of today’s modern women and forever allow the wearer of her product to feel like a Queen.

THE PROMOTA | 41

FASHION

www.houseofadjeiwaah.com info@houseofadjeiwaah.com twitter:@houseofadjeiwah

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www.thepromota.co.uk

FASHION

Clothing: The House of Adjeiwaah Art & Creative Director: Erica Matthews Photographer: Michael Stuart Daley Fashion Stylist: Erica Matthews Hairstylist: Kara Graham Make-up Artist: Nancy Wru Nails provided by Cosmopolitan Real Touch Nails Jewellery is provided by pebble london.

Heels are by misguided.co.uk

www.thepromota.co.uk

THE PROMOTA | 43

l a i r e Mat FASHION

l r i G This latest 2014 Summer Look for ASOS is based on a edgy interpretation of African meets Western, simple styles that can be worn together or each piece can be worn with your everyday wear . For example, worn with a pair of jeans, a pencil skirt or a plain shirt, the print will act as a statement that you are proud of your heritage or your adventurous mind and like to experience other cultures.

Photography:Charlene Asare | Model: Ashleigh Cole Stylist:Trendy Rail | MUA: Ivanna Daniels | Designer: THOA

Photography:Charlene Asare | Model: Ashleigh Cole Stylist:Trendy Rail | MUA: Ivanna Daniels | Designer: THOA

ART

Amanda Holiday talks art, story-telling and what ties us

Artist Amanda Holiday has come a long way, since the voyage that brought her from Sierra Leone aged five, to the Liverpool Docks and a childhood in the North of England.

Early adulthood began at the progressive Jacob Kramer College, where she hung out with Damien Hirst; this contrasted with the more conservative Wimbledon School of Art, where she recalls being one of only two black students in Fine Art. With classmate Mowbray Odonkor, she co-founded a Black art students’ group; the first get together was in south London where around forty BME artists and students including Keith Piper and Donald Rodney packed into her house. The discussions were lively to say the least. ‘It was a blossoming time for us’, she says, ‘We were hungry for it’.

Holiday went on to exhibit in such landmark shows as The Image Employed at Manchester’s Corner House which included the work of Chila Burman and Claudette 46 | THE PROMOTA

Johnson. During this intense political phase, she ruffled feathers. Her drawing showing the demise of Margaret Thatcher subtitled ‘The death of monetarism’ caused a stir at the time, though Holiday insists she had not drawn it to shock: ‘My interest in politics is broad’, she says, ‘my art isn’t necessarily symbolic’.

The work is part of her extensive ‘Hum of History’ project begun in the late 80’s and on-going. The ‘hum’ she says is from the Buddhist ‘kyo’ or vibration, the thread that links us together as human beings; but we are questioning in nature, she adds, delighted at the different perceptions her art invites.

A daughter of a senior official from Sierra Leone and author Jane Holiday, she showed early promise as a writer, but chose to pursue art. She suggests this was due to subtle prejudices at the school she attended. ‘I was top in both English and Art. But I was the only Black girl at school, so I guess they couldn’t exactly give me the English prize.

I got Art instead and this had an impact on me’. Nevertheless when Holiday married and settled in Cape Town in 2001, she returned to writing and ‘story telling’, producing several successful documentaries and screen plays. When the marriage ended, Holiday started drawing again, and discovered a poetic element to her work. ‘Poetry influenced me a lot. I recognised that the poets were getting there a lot quicker than us [artists]; poetry grasps truths in our existence in the way that art struggles with, so we sometimes need a whole series of artwork to articulate something’; hence the Hum of History series.

Now back in London with her daughter, Holiday continues to tell stories. Her interest in combining poetry with politics has led tangentially into the realm of fairy tales, and exploring Black Women’s identity within them; her Black Rapunzel and Red Riding Hood are examples of this. Other works, which are not overtly political, such as ‘Fingerbowl’ and ‘Manplate’, still manage to provoke intense responses. Whether considered literal or metaphorical, all Holiday’s artworks are infused by a sense of colour that is unmistakably African while the storied depictions of disparate strands of her life unearth more delights. Holiday’s journey is far from over.

Amanda Holiday’s work is currently on show at at the Mango Rooms and Mango Shack restaurants in London and at http://www.cuebgallery.com/Artist%20gallery/ Amanda%20Holiday/content/index.html

www.thepromota.co.uk

INTERVIEW: MUHANGI Who is Alex Muhangi?

I am a humble standup Comedian from Kampala Uganda, of Western Uganda Kigezi Hills.

x i e l g n A a

h u M

A Fi ve enco minute unte s THE r wit BES h com T edia n an MC d in U gand a.

When did you start in comedy? Was it an ambition?

My comedy carreer started in May 2009 when I accidentally auditioned for a TV standup Comedy show, thinking it was a movie audition ,after I saw a queue outside one Theatre Labonita in Kampala. I auditioned and went through and became the second runner up in the standup Uganda Comedy Show. I never looked back since then.

How do you come up with jokes?

I am versatile, I see things and write about them. On average, I write two jokes every day from my day to day life.

Has comedy business been good and fulfilling for you?

Comedy is the best, in monetary terms and exposure, it’s just incomparable. Very fulfilling.

What do your parents think about you being a comedian?

My family respects me as a Comedian.

Are you married?

I am in a serious relationship with a Queen and a Princess.

How do you spend your happy time?

I like watching comedy.

Who is your favorite artist in Uganda and why?

I respect all Ugandan artists. I feel they all work really hard.

What do you hate about other comedians?

I really do not appreciate when comedians recycle jokes. I think it’s always better when you come up with fresh material.

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THE PROMOTA | 47

FASHION

Ramazani -

African Contemporary Luxury Women & Men's Wear by Made In Kigali Ltd I want to share this rare moment of my life, unique experience & beautiful journey with my sisters with the rest of the world. 6 of April 2014 was the day I found out in Paris that I had to organize a fashion campaign shoot in Kigali, Rwanda during Kiwbuka20 ( Remember - Renew - Unite ) & before Africa Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings in Kigali.

My mission was to put out a fashion team together (photographer, makeup artist, Stylist, Creative Director, Videographer...) for Ramazani: African Contemporary Luxury Women & Men's Wear by Made In Kigali Ltd. A campaign fashion shoot from where the international & local people have never been

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and never seen in the heart of Africa in the land of thousand hills.

Today I am feeling blessed & grateful because my team believed in our vision.

I am very happy that the photographer, John Oakley and the makeup artist, Karolina Guzowska took part of this amazing unforgettable experience. They flew all the way from London, UK and they worked along side with Made In Kigali Ltd Team, LaBella Lodge "The Heaven of Gisenyi ", David the male model, Strictly Entertainment Music (SEM) & the local talent media team from Kigali (Superstar Media Ltd, The incredible & Holly Hills).

My modeling images will speak louder than my words because I have a mission...

My aim is to promote Africa through Fashion, the beauty of Africa & The African Pride through Fashion, The Kitenge African Print Textiles ( Wax). Yes, we can, in Africa! Because of you Africa will move forward through Fashion too.

Thank you for accepting & responding positively to the campaign fashion shoot in Rwanda the heart of Africa.

This is just the beginning!

Samar Khoury Ramazani Ambassador African Contemporary Luxury www.samarkhouryofficial.com

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FASHION

Luxury Clothing Designer: Ramazani African Contemporary Luxury by Made In Kigali Ltd Editorial/Commercial Female Model,The Face Model & Ramazani Ambassador : Samar Khoury Photographer: John Oakley Makeup Artist: Karolina Guzowska Editorial/Commercial Male Model: David Location: Gisenyi, Rwanda LaBella Lodge "The Heaven of Gisenyi Strictly Entertainment Music (SEM) Superstar Media Ltd, The incredible & Holly Hills

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Tumblr: http://samarkhoury.tumblr.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/samar_khoury Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samarkhoury LinkedIn: http://instagram.com/samarkhouryofficial Instagram: http://instagram.com/samarkhouryofficial Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SamarKhouryOfficial

THE PROMOTA | 49

5 MINUTES ENCOUTER

Alice Violet

Mutumba Who is AVM? AVM is Alice Violet Mutumba, Ugandan Born, British raised. AVM lives and breathes entertainment and has worked in various positions behind the scenes of the entertainment industry as a singer, song writer, magazine publisher, live show event producer, fashion show producer, artist manager and so much more! After 14years behind the scenes in the industry, AVM has finally decided to bravely step out and pursue her dream as an all round performing artist!

How did u know you have a passion for music?

I decided I wanted to pursue music as career after doing performing arts at A level and a music production / technology course where I learnt how to produce music using cubase and logic. After the music course, I was really encouraged to produce music and I hooked up with a German freelance producer whom I cowrote my first tracks with. My song writing talents were noticed by a Virgin Atlantic 50 | THE PROMOTA

A&R who called me for a meeting at the Virgin head office and told me to continue writing songs and nurturing my talent for music. It was at this point I not only realised I had a talent for music but I could make a career out of it!

Any album soon?

I am looking for a record label that I could work with in the future, and by God’s Grace I will release my first album early in 2015. At the moment, I have some amazing singles yet to be released to give people a small taster of what AVM can do musically. I am excited about the upcoming singles, one of which was produced by Fliptyce, the Nigerian producer who produced the Akon and Psquare chop my money remix.

Future plans?

In the near future, I am rehearsing with my dancers for stage shows, here in the UK, US and in Africa. I am also looking forward to filming my next videos and recording more music for my debut album. www.thepromota.co.uk

FAMILY AFFAIRS

Horrified Brazilian couple find they are really brother and sister A couple with a six-year-old daughter have discovered that they are brother and sister after finding out the identity of the mother neither of them had seen since they were infants.

The other one did not list the mother’s name. Leandro, a lorry driver, had been abandoned by his mother at the age of eight.

The couple met after Adriana’s marriage of 15 years broke down. They moved in together and had a daughter, becoming commonlaw husband and wife.

They're staying together.

T

he bizarre twist of fate was made even stranger by the way Adriana, the 39-year-old wife of Leandro, 37, discovered they were siblings.

In search of the mother she had not seen since she was one year old, Adriana contacted a local radio show, The Time is Now, which specialises in reuniting lost relatives.

Adriana, a cosmetics saleswoman, had a tearful encounter on the show with her lost mother, Maria, who said she had been forced to abandon the girl when she was only a year old because her own husband had been abusive. In tears, the two women promised they would meet up.

However, as the recording went on, Adriana asked her mother if she had had any other children.

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“Yes, I had Leandro, but that was with another man, he wasn’t your father,” Maria said.

At that point her daughter cried, and told Maria: “I can’t believe what you’re saying.

Leandro is my husband.”

The show’s presenter asked the name of Leandro’s father, confirming that the couple were in fact half-siblings.

“Now I’m scared to go home and find out that Leandro doesn’t want me any more. I love him so much,” Adriana said.

Adriana later admitted that she had always harboured a nagging suspicion that she might have unwittingly paired up with her own brother, since one of the two birth certificates he had been issued with listed his mother’s name as Maria, the same as her own.

The show caught up with the couple two days later, and they said they had been deeply shaken by the revelation, but had decided they would stay together.

“Only death is going to separate us. All this happened because God wanted it to happen,” said Adriana, although she admitted things would have been different had they known of their real relationship before they fell in love.

“We had a family meeting and told everyone that we are going to remain husband and wife, whatever anyone might think,” she said. “We have so many plans together, nothing is going to break us up, nothing.”

They said they planned to meet up with their mother soon, and did not blame her for abandoning them. The couple had never officially married, and will be unable to do so now under Brazilian law.

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MONEY AND FINANCE

No Money, No Problems:

5While Starting Up Ways to Stay Positive

entrepreneurship. Visualizing yourself and your business successful in the future will quiet your mind’s negative chatter and replace it with positive images and thoughts.

Visualizing your success will also recharge your confidence, and remind you that you belong and deserve to be where you want to end up.

2. Learn to Wait

You had a light bulb moment.

You jotted down the idea.

You did some research. You wrote a business plan. You’ve got skill. You’ve got passion.

You’ve quit your job! You’re an entrepreneur. All of this sounds great, but so many entrepreneurs are caught off guard when they are not greeted with immediate entry into the market, clients lining up for services or customers screaming for their new product. In the early stages of start-up, the sexiness of being an entrepreneur is quite often shaded with the reality that building a successful business takes time, money and barrels of effort.

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Reality soon hits for first time entrepreneurs as their infant business become stagnate, ideas are shelved and the job applications come out.

Rather than allow statistics, naysayers or your inner devil’s advocate get the best of you, consider these five tips for staying positive while in start-up mode.

1. Visualize Success Visualize yourself where you want to be and remember why you set out on this journey in the first place. Whether you were passionate about your business idea, in a dead end job or just looking for a career change, think back on why you took the leap towards

Harriet Tubman, a woman famous for enduring long journeys said, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer.

Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Remember that these things don’t happen overnight.

Successful businesses are the products of time, energy, money, and sleepless nights. When I find myself impatient, I research and compare companies and ideas similar to my own.

Try it the next time you feel uneasy about slow progress or delayed gratification. I guarantee that you’ll find their success wasn’t immediate.

Doing a little research will remind you that all the greats had to wait, but they eventually got there.

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3. Take a Break Get out. Go for a jog, read for pleasure, take a nap, go to lunch or just sit in peace.

Taking a break every so often will get you moving and the blood pumping. Many studies suggest that the thought process is not meant to be continues but rather sporadic and in short stints. This may be the answer to why my creativity seems to decrease the longer I sit still and increase while performing the most random task. Find ways to take your attention away from your idea for a few moments to recharge, reset and to refocus.

4. Plan, execute, progress Winston Churchill taught us that “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Even while in corporate, I found that I needed to take a few moments every morning to write a “To-Do” list. This list was comprised of my goals for the day. Not only did it organize my thought and

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activities, but it allowed me the physical satisfaction of crossing items off one by one.

Remember to set goals that are challenging, yet realistic.

Once your goals are set, keep an open mind and take into account that there will always be unknowns. Then do what you must to execute.

Seeing a physical list with line items crossed off will leave you feeling progressive and will reiterate your positive outlook about your business and your success. Celebrate you milestones…then get back to work!

5. Goof Off a Little Keep your inner circle close to interrupt the workflow. If they’re anything like mine, you can always count on them for a good healthy chuckle.

Get out with the people who make you laugh. This is a sure way to take your mind off of the latest collection of setbacks. Not only does this time away recharge your pioneering spirit, but it puts you in the company of new

ideas and fresh conversation.

I don’t have to remind you that some of the best ideas have come during casual discussions, laughter, at happy hours and in the wee hours of the night.

You’ve spent plenty time planning your start-up, you’ve invested time, money and effort, and you’ve taken the first step. Now remain confident about your choice and positive about your success. Good luck and happy thoughts!

Marlissa Collier is Founder and CEO of iYdeal Business Solutions, a niche marketing, communication and idea generation firm.

Run by culturally engaged professionals, the firm is a catalyst for tailoring brands, marketing campaigns and messages to urban, multicultural and youth consumers. Marlissa, a Los Angeles native, is 24 years old.

THE PROMOTA | 53

HSGH SGHS

An interview with Mr. Willy Mutenza, the Chairman of Uganda Convention-UK What is the Ugandan Convention UK? The primary objective of the Convention was to create a platform for the Ugandans in the Diaspora, the government, various Kingdoms, and the private sector to open doors on opportunities, and also to meet, network and build mutually beneficial business relations with each other.

understand and appreciate the expectations of the Ugandan Diaspora community from the land of their ancestors and more importantly, acknowledge the key role they played in Uganda’s efforts to acquire its rightful place in the community of nations. It also promotes Uganda and East Africa as a favoured investment destination in Africa.

The secondary objective is to harness the tremendous skills and expertise, as well as the financial, socio-political and cultural capital of the Ugandan Diaspora with a view to promote economic and infrastructural development back in Uganda. The Ugandan Convention provides the ideal avenue to exchange views and network amongst the Ugandan Diaspora on matters of common interest and concern to them.

The Convention also helps the Government of Uganda to better

The idea to organise a convention was initiated in 2005 after a few of us in the UK expressed our concerns on the animosity, unpatriotic views and disenchantment that was too often expressed in the Ugandan community, by people who mostly convened to discuss nondevelopment politics. We thought that something needed to be done to help Ugandans in the Diaspora to be more inclusive in the development of the country rather than being passive politicians.

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Following these thoughts, the convention has now become a platform to offer participants private individuals and business leaders, the opportunity to access vast investment and business opportunities presented on the day by experts from Uganda and abroad.

Where is the current convention going to take place and what is the theme?

The fourth Ugandan Convention will take place on the 13th Sept 2014 at the Troxy Arena, in London, and the theme is ‘Uganda is open for business’, conveying the clear message that Uganda welcomes new business ventures and investors.

Why should people attend the Uganda-UK 4th Investment Summit?

The Convention offers a unique portal to listen to and meet www.thepromota.co.uk

INTERVIEW: MUTENZA key note guests who will share opportunities in the sectors of Energy, Finance, Oil & Gas, Tourism, Telecoms, Agriculture, Banking and Finance, Education, Infrastructure Development, Housing, IT, Transport, Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Sectors. There are untold opportunities to network with powerful business leaders, to share ideas, and to forge new business partnerships. Anyone with any business aspirations should not miss the convention.

How many people do you expect to attend the convention this year?

The Convention is now the largest Ugandan gathering in Europe. We expect over 2000 delegates from all over the world to attend this year, which is not only due to the convention’s excellent reputation, but also to some key high profile speakers from the private sector speaking on the day, such as like Lord Verjee, Lord Popat, Mr. Amos Nzeyi and many others.

What criteria are used to choose the individuals who will talk at the convention?

Every year, we have a theme and chosen sectors which guide us on whom to invite as our speakers.

African Diasporans are still failing to realise their dreams in the West and we know that some of the reasons for that is due to lack of unity, inspiration and role models.

This year, we managed to get some of the wealthiest Ugandan Asians in the UK to share their own success stories to not only inspire delegates, but to also share tips on how to invest in profitable and bankable projects.

We are also promoting intra-trade, giving Ugandans in the Diaspora www.thepromota.co.uk

information on opportunities in the East African Community market and the COMESA region.

This year, we have a delegation from Kenya led by HE Governor Cyprian O. Awiti who will present a paper on opportunities in his region for Ugandans to tap into.

Because we are very open and inclusive, other countries embrace the Convention as well.

What inspired you to set up an organization of this nature?

I was inspired by the cohesion and unity I saw in other communities like the Somali and Ghanaian Diaspora community. I felt we can do the same. I know that any immigrant community can’t develop without platforms to share ideas and knowledge on personal development.

Another issue that bothered me was a large expatriate population of skilled Ugandans from Uganda migrating to the West where most of them end up doing mediocre jobs. This brain-drain denies Uganda its rightful opportunity to grow as it lacks the skilled labour force it invested in but end up losing to emigration. The

Convention bridges that gap by encouraging Ugandans to look at Uganda as a safe haven to go back to. What is also encouraging is that we have managed to see a significant number of Ugandans going back home to engage in various businesses.

Do you foresee the Ugandan Convention UK evolving into perhaps an advocacy organization tackling challenges facing Ugandans immigrants in the UK? Yes, this year we registered a charitable arm of the Convention “Uganda Diaspora Engagement (www. ugandadiasporaengagement-uk. org/) which is now a registered charity in the UK. This organisation will mentor and assist Ugandans with capacity building, and to help individuals discover their unique potential, support them in expressing these potentials, and guide them towards further personal development, such as educational avenues, apprenticeship, business start-up ect.

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COMMUNITY

Your American counterparts have had their Uganda North American Association convention running for years now. What has taken the Ugandan community in the UK so long to get together?

There is always the right time for something to happen, but I think Ugandans in the UK were more divided than those in the US. Tribe and politics seemed to take most of our time. The Convention’s vision was to change people’s mind-sets and look beyond tribal and political affiliations. I am happy to see now Ugandans are keen to engage in progressive and business discussions.

This convention is normally held over one day only, unlike your American counterparts who do it over an entire weekend. Is that time enough to cover everything?

We would love to hold the convention over two days but the cost implications are very high. We raised the standards by holding the convention in an upmarket venue but that comes at a cost. Being a new concept, we had decided not 56 | THE PROMOTA

to charge delegates, and wait until the concept is understood and well established before we contemplate charging a fee.

for these exclusive seats is £35.

The after-party is also payable, £20 for a normal ticket and £30 for VIP seats.

Ugandans artistes are apparently a big part of the convention. How do you choose who is coming to perform?

One of the objectives of the convention is to exhibit and celebrate the rich diversity of our African cultural heritage and we use music to bring together Ugandans to promote community and social cohesion. We don’t have a criteria to choose artists, but we tend to base it on who is popular within the Diaspora community.

For this year, we shall base our choice on a certain kind of music, and engaging personalities.

What is the process for a Ugandan back home in Uganda to attend the convention?

Those from Uganda are required to register at www. ugandaconvention.eventbrite. co.uk.

What does it take for Ugandans in the diaspora to attend the convention?

Attending the convention is free.

It only requires a delegate to either register online or at the entrance on the day. We have an exclusive area for VIPs and investors and those who want to interact personally with our VIPS. The fee

We do give document support only to those who are attending as exhibitors, sponsors or invited speakers. Other delegates need to get a VISA without our intervention. Online VISA application can be done from www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk.

How has the Uganda Convention UK impacted the Ugandans?

Some of our positive outcomes so far are: more than $5million was invested in a maize processing plant in Uganda; more than $100,000 was donated to good causes. In addition, several Ugandans from the Diaspora have relocated back to Uganda and are www.thepromota.co.uk

COMMUNITY from strength to strength. On the day, we also have to cater for everything, including feeding our invited politicians which all adds to our costs.

enjoying their successful ventures.

Minister of Diaspora Affairs.

So many Ugandans have relocated back to Uganda since the first Convention. For example, Mrs Janet Mukiibi, who now works with Kats, Dr James Mwesigwa who has become a consultant and lecturer on patients safety and has written a curriculum for this discipline for Universities.

Another of our achievement was also to host a delegation led

by CEO Kiwalabye-Male, from Buganda Land Board. This was an indication that Buganda Kingdom has embraced the Convention as well. They also contributed towards the Convention as exhibitors.

And I personally have taken a trade mission of investors after each convention, resulting in investors deciding to invest in Uganda.

You are the first person to set up a convention of this nature in the UK. What are some of the challenges you have faced in running it?

The primary challenge we encountered personally was the animosity from some pockets of Ugandans who are against development. Anything they believe the government is having a hand in is ruled out as bad. That group waged a negative campaign on social media and printed media in Uganda, but with blessings of God, we overcame their negative expectations and the majority of Ugandans and friends of Uganda supported this great forum.

The most crucial point is the change of mid-set of Ugandans now in UK. The preoccupation with tribe and politics is becoming a thing of the past. We are now seeing more forums dedicated to trade and investments instead.

Some of the resolutions proposed at the convention which had positive outcomes include; talks to appoint a Minister of Diaspora Affairs; the president has been engaged by the parliament to scrap the dual citizenship fees; Ugandans in the Diaspora are now participating in the electoral process; promotion of the Diaspora rights and observation of the Diaspora week; and we are still lobbying to appoint the www.thepromota.co.uk

Another challenge is the cost implications which could be minimised if we got more support from people who see the potential of the convention and want to help it succeed and grow

How have you handled these costs?

We manage to sustain the convention from sponsors, exhibitors and from the evening after-party revenues, but up to now, we have not broken even. My own business is paying for most of the costs. We are running the convention as a business and we do not expect to break even now but in the future, we hope that it will run a profit.

We have plans to start other services to investors in addition to the convention, in order to recover some costs of preparing for and running the convention.

Where do you see this organization in the next five years?

In the next five years, we want the convention not only to be the biggest gathering of Ugandans outside Uganda, but also be able to fulfil our goals such as increase remittances inflows through targeted investment products for Diasporans; reverse the concept of brain drain to brain gain by tapping into the huge pool of Ugandan professionals working abroad; encourage investments in key sectors, i.e. education, agriculture, health, housing, sports, tourism; and setting up our Diaspora cooperative which is in the pipe-line.

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CHINA Dominated U.S.-Africa Summit

A

lthough the continent of Africa has 54 countries, the nation that received the most attention at last week’s USAfrica Summit in Washington, D.C. was China. That’s because the U.S. is trying to catch up with and surpass the Asian superpower.

In a speech to nearly 50 African heads of state and top officials at the U.S.Africa Summit, Obama said: “As president, I’ve made it clear that the United States is determined to be a partner in Africa’s success – a good partner, an equal partner, and a partner for the long term.”

Africa has six of the top 10 fastest-growing economies: Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique, and Rwanda. From 2011-2015, Africa is expected to hold seven of the top 10 spots: Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Congo, Ghana, Zambia and Nigeria.

The problem is that Africa already has a long-term partner – China.

Suddenly, instead of being viewed through the outdated prism of stereotypes – war, famine, disease, corruption – Africa is an attractive place to do business. That was evident when President Obama announced $33 billion in government and private sector investment in Africa – $12 billion in new commitments.

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While the US-Africa Summit was the first such gathering of African leaders on U.S. soil, China held its fifth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing in 2012.

At that conference of African leaders, China pledged to provide $20 billion a year over three years in foreign aid to deepen the Sino-African connection.

China is not a newcomer to Africa.

As I wrote last year in a series on China, the first trade exchanges between China and Africa are believed to have

taken place during the Tang Danasty [618-907]. China supported many African liberation movements in the 1960s and 1970s.

It was sympathetic to and hosted such prominent African Americans as W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, Malcolm X and Black nationalists Robert F. Williams, Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, and H. Rap Brown.

A report by the Rand Corporation titled, “China in Africa: Implications of a Deepening Relationship,” observed: “Most analyses of Chinese engagement with African nations focus on what China gets out of these partnerships – primarily natural resources and export markets.

Some studies have described the impacts, positive and negative, that China’s aid and investment policies have had on African countries. However, few analyses have approached Sino-African relations as a vibrant, two-way dynamic www.thepromota.co.uk

as the U.S. in Africa, the Obama administration must pivot from its traditional role of providing foreign aid to Africa – with strings attached – to one of an investor/partner.

Many feel increased attention from the U.S. will be good for Africa.

in which both sides adjust to policy initiatives and popular perceptions emanating from the other.”

It explained, “African governments look to China to provide political recognition and legitimacy and to contribute to their economic development through aid, investment, infrastructure development, and trade. To some degree, many African leaders hope that China will interact with them in ways that the United States and other Western governments do not – by engaging economically without condescendingly preaching about good governance, for example, or by investing in high-risk projects or in remote regions that are not appealing to Western governments or companies. Some Africans aspire to replicate China’s rapid economic development and believe that their nations can benefit from China’s recent experience in lifting itself out of poverty.”

U.S. condescension was center-stage throughout the US-Africa Summit.

Vice President Joe Biden, for example, called corruption “a cancer” and added, “Widespread corruption is an affront to the dignity of your people and a direct threat to each of your nations. It stifles economic growth and scares away investment and siphons off resources that should be used to lift people out of poverty.”

It didn’t help that Biden made another of his famous gaffes, referring to “the nation of Africa.”

Not everyone is pleased with the way China conducts business in Africa, comparing it to a neo-colonial relationship in which China has access to oil, gas and other natural resources in Africa. At the same time, China gains a large market for its goods and services.

To catch up with China, which invests twice as much

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“While the United States and China may not be strategic rivals in Africa, the two countries could increasingly compete commercially if American businesses become more engaged in African markets….” the Rand report stated. “…Such business competition would benefit African countries and advance U.S. interests.

African governments might be able to negotiate more favorable commercial terms if they are not beholden to Chinese financing.

African communities would benefit, as American companies are more likely than their Chinese counterparts to hire local laborers for skilled and unskilled positions, transfer industrial technologies to local partners, require humane working conditions, and contribute to initiatives that promote the health and welfare of their workforce.

Such business practices would likely encourage Chinese enterprises to do the same so as to secure deals, compete in local labor and consumer markets, and enhance China’s image in Africa.”

George E. Curry, www.georgecurry.com.

THE PROMOTA | 59

HEALTH

5

Health Tips All Black Men Should Know

It is always the perfect time as men to remember to take time out to ensure we are healthy, and for women to encourage the men in their lives to take their health seriously as we spotlight the prevention of diseases affecting the men in our community.

Unfortunately, our men just don’t go to the doctor. Whether it is because of fear, lack of access or simply not making it a priority, the health crisis facing the men in our community is not going away unless we all do our part and take a loved one to the doctor.

Statistically speaking, almost half of all men under the age of 50 don’t have a primary care physician and therefore don’t take part in screening tests and preventive health measures. Unfortunately, African men are twice as likely to die from highly preventable and/or treatable chronic diseases and illnesses. Early detection and intervention are the keys to improving the overall health of our men.

Here are the top five screening tests men over the age of 30 should consider:

1 Waist Circumference: Central obesity is best measured by waist circumference and is an indicator of the possible risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

2 Blood Pressure Screening: Heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure are the most common complications of untreated high blood pressure. High blood pressure can also lead to erectile dysfunction. Fortypercent of African-American adults have

high blood pressure and less than 30 percent of them have it under control.

3 Cholesterol: Many AfricanAmericans have an increased risk of heart disease and therefore cholesterol screening should begin at age 20. Assuming cholesterol levels are normal, they should then be checked every five years thereafter.

4 EKG: An EKG is a test used to check for changes in the electrical activity of the heart. Issues pertaining to the heart such as damage to the heart muscle, enlargement of the heart, heart murmurs/rhythm problems can all be detected by using an EKG. 5 Depression Screening: Mental illness is an issue that is taboo in our community and a topic that is highly avoided amongst African American men. The symptoms of mental illness are very different in men than in women and this is a reason to discuss all of your symptoms, both physical and emotional with your healthcare provider.

It’s a health thing…we’ve got to understand!

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www.thepromota.co.uk

AFFAIRS

It's Over:

Ciara

'Calls Off Engagement TO FUTURE'

Following numerous break-up rumours and weeks of being spotted without her engagement ring, Ciara has reportedly called off her engagement to rapper Future after finding out he was cheating.

The songstress, 28, has called it quits with the rapper, 30, just three months after the birth of their son Future Zahir Wilburn.

Despite being warned by friends about the Honest rapper's track record with women, the I'm Out singer allegedly believed she could be the one to change him but has since realised a leopard can't change its spots.

An insider told the publication: "He cheated on her. Game over - that's it now, she can't take him back knowing what he has been up to".

Another source adds: "She's devastated but her focus is now the baby".

The musical duo, who have been together for more than a year, got engaged on Ciara's birthday in October 2013. They were celebrating in New York City when Future surprised her with a stunning 15-carat diamond ring.

She gave birth to their son seven months later on 19 May but throughout her pregnancy cheating rumours circulated and last month it was reported the star had grown suspicious of her fiancĂŠ's involvement with several women on social media.

It was even alleged that one of his groupies, a 23-year-old

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student from Atlanta, became pregnant with his child but was paid to keep it quite.

He reportedly began an affair with his stylist shortly after that, and is said to have explained the long afternoons spent with her as "trouser fittings".

News the engagement has been called off suggests the claims could be true because a few weeks ago, it was reported the singer was on the verge of pulling the plug on their relationship but wanted proof first.

Ciara, who has been romantically linked to Justin Timberlake, Trey Songz and Bow Wow, surprised fans when she became engaged to Future because he already had three children with three different women when she met him.

The Atlanta rapper, who was previously taken to court over child support payments, allegedly has a track record for getting women pregnant and then ditching them for younger models as soon as they start to gain weight.

But Ciara seemingly ignored the signs and, according to reports, did everything from making an effort with the mothers of his children to even trying to shed her baby weight fast.

"Our label put us together. I went into the studio strictly to work, but he was very calm and sweet, a gentleman... I knew right away that he was different. Now he's my best friend in the world, my partner".

THE PROMOTA | 61

POLITICS

Managing Corruption

Risks in Africa

they are and how they are connected.

Are their fees commensurate with their track record? Do they have a complex corporate structure involving offshore entities, and do they expect you to make payments into a foreign bank account? Do they want their role as an intermediary to be kept secret? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, you may need to think twice.

Alexandra Maddy, Associate Director of Control Risks’ Corporate Investigations Africa division, discusses the tough anticorruption framework in which western companies have to operate.

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n the year ahead, corruption will be the biggest risk management and compliance issue that western companies will face when doing business in Africa. Corruption is not unique to Africa, but the challenges it presents are far greater in this region than anywhere else. State institutions in African nations are often weak, and there is a lack of both the political will and the necessary resources to enforce domestic anti-corruption laws.

Corruption is not a new risk in Africa, but there is a growing determination to prosecute the companies that are involved in it. It is no longer acceptable for companies to regard corruption or facilitation payments as “part of the way business is done in Africa”, or to tacitly condone such practices by their local partners and agents.

Secret agents Under the current international regulatory framework, organizations

62 | THE PROMOTA

are increasingly responsible for the actions of their partners and agents.

Many companies entering African markets are under pressure to use local agents or partners, either because the company does not have a track record or connections in the market, or because local laws require the involvement of domestic partners.

However, there is a fine line between working with individuals whose political links can be used for legitimate purposes, such as lobbying or gaining access to influential people, and becoming embroiled in relationships designed to send corrupt payments to public officials.

Companies are often contacted by the “friends” of political decisionmakers when they are about to enter negotiations for contracts or licenses. These agents say they can provide access to the relevant minister, in return for a payment.

The agent will then pay the minister a bribe, either directly or through corporate interests held by associated parties, such as members of the minister’s family.

A key issue is whether you really need an intermediary. If the answer is yes, you need to understand who

A growing number of companies are demanding stringent contractual requirements from their agents.

These include strict termination clauses, the right to audit the agent and the right of veto on senior appointments. Companies are also asking their agents to sign up to their own ethics and compliance procedures, although the real challenge is ensuring that these procedures are effectively implemented.

Training day Companies operating in Africa need to show their commitment to fighting corruption, while ensuring that their businesses are profitable.

This means communicating their anti-corruption policies and training those employees who are at greatest risk.

Commitment from senior management is a vital first step, but front-line employees need practical guidance to help them navigate the day-to-day challenges. The “tone from the middle” needs to reflect the “tone from the top”.

You’ll pay for this The imminent introduction of the UK Bribery Act will outlaw facilitation payments by the subsidiaries or partners of any UKincorporated company. Employees www.thepromota.co.uk

are often asked to pay bribes so they can administer payroll, obtain visas, or ensure the transportation of goods through customs.

Payments are often demanded to facilitate relationships with a country’s tax authorities, or its land registries, courts, police and security services. For companies that rely on interaction with public officials, managing demands for facilitation payments can seem like an intractable problem.

Customs is a case in point. If you need to get your goods through customs, there is a good chance that your company, or one of its agents, has been making facilitation payments to customs officials. And if a company is to show genuine compliance with the UK Bribery Act, it will need to manage these processes without making such payments.

This will often mean accepting delays and extra production costs.

Companies should at least ensure they have the correct paperwork and know the correct customs duties and rules as well as they can.

Companies have made efforts to combat the need for facilitation payments, such as by manufacturing within their target markets to avoid customs delays, or by directly managing the imports process. Some companies pay import duty directly from their bank accounts to customs’ accounts. Others have joined forces to apply pressure on senior customs officials to clean up their act.

Local difficulties Companies need to understand the practical realities of operating in Africa, where cultures and legal frameworks differ from country to country. And British companies are understandably concerned that a UK jury, whose members may not understand the nuances of working in some of these countries, may be deciding www.thepromota.co.uk

whether their activities have been in keeping with the new Bribery Act. In Tanzania, for example, it is legal for ministerial officials to request daily payments for the time they spend performing official duties on behalf of private companies, such as assessing their permits or contracts; but in countries such as Kenya or Nigeria, this practice is unlawful.

In some countries, companies have regularly given Christmas presents to public officials, but this poses a heightened risk in the increasingly tough regulatory environment.

In Africa, being liable for the actions of third parties acting on your behalf poses serious challenges. The UK Bribery Act recognizes due diligence investigations as an “adequate procedure” towards eliminating corruption. However, multinationals with thousands of third-party relationships will find it difficult to conduct due diligence on all the people with whom they interact. This is why companies need to prioritize, and specify the detail of their due diligence efforts. These should be based on a full understanding of the risks posed by the project and the country in which it is taking place.

From zeroes to heroes Those companies that have shown zero tolerance towards corruption are reaping the benefits from their new-found reputation as “the ones who don’t pay”. Although they are more likely to be companies that have the resources to take a long-term approach to fighting corruption, they show that it is possible to operate ethically in Africa’s markets and to help improve the continent’s levels of governance.

Source: www.controlrisks.com/webcasts/studio/ integrity_matters/issue_05/us/articles/article_01. html

THE PROMOTA | 63

BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT

How Zhang Xin Went From Sweat Shop Girl to Self-Made Billionaire

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hen Zhang Xin was 14, her family was so poor that she was forced to get a job in a sweatshop. Today she is the founder and CEO of SOHO China, the largest commercial real estate development company in China. Her personal net worth is $3.6 billion.

That’s enough to make Zhang the seventh richest woman in the world and one of the 20 richest people in China. To put that into perspective, $3.6 billion makes her $700 million richer than both Oprah Winfrey and fellow real estate mogul Donald Trump. How exactly does one rise from sweatshop laborer to powerful billionaire tycoon? Zhang Xin’s rise from rags to riches is truly inspirational.

The 47 year old Zhang Xin grew up brutally poor in the countryside of China dur-

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ing the Cultural Revolution when Mao Zedong systematically rid the country of all the capitalists and intellectuals whom he perceived as a threat to China’s way of life.

Xin’s parents were educated, with university degrees, and were therefore banished to the countryside and forced to attend re-education camps.

Educated people at the time were considered enemies of China, despite Mao’s own background working at Peking University.

When Xin was 8-years-old her mother was allowed to return to Beijing where she found a job as a translator. Despite the job, Xin and her mother were destitute, unable to afford housing. They slept in her office, on her desk, using books as pillows. They lived this way for months.

When Zhang Xin was 14, she moved to Hong Kong to look for a job but found life there to be just as downtrodden as it was in Beijing. While living in Beijing, she worked on an assembly line in a sweat shop for five years, all the while dreaming of escaping to a different life. When she finally had saved up enough money, Xin bought a one way ticket to London and left. In London she worked at a fish and chips stand, terrified of the people and not knowing the language. After all, in Mao’s China there were few, if any, Caucasians. She felt alone.

But she never gave up on her dream of a better life and soon enrolled in a school to learn English.

That course eventually led Xin to a scholarship at the University of Sussex and then to Cambridge, where she got her www.thepromota.co.uk

the couple’s two sons. But the company the two had started was growing and needed Xin’s expertise.

Today, Pan focuses on everything inside China while Zhang uses her Wall Street experience to raise money abroad. She is in charge of hiring the architects for their projects and only goes after the world’s top professionals. Together they have built SOHO China from a fledgling real estate development company into one with $10 billion in assets. SOHO China has 18 developments in Beijing alone and has recently expanded to Shanghai where it has 11 properties. It is China’s largest commercial real estate developer with 56 million square feet in prime developments.

Master’s degree in Economics.

When she finished school it was 1992 and China was just starting to open its markets to foreign investors. As China opened up, Zhang Xin landed a job at Goldman Sachs in as an investment banker. The former sweat shot girl finally had a shot at the kind of life she’d always dreamed about.

Zhang Xin soon found that the world of investment banking was not for her. She missed the idealism she was brought up with in Communist China and wanted to return to her homeland. Nearly as soon as Xin returned to Beijing, she met her future husband, Pan Shiyi. He was part of the wave of young idealists who were committed to reinventing and www.thepromota.co.uk

liberalizing China in business.

In Pan’s case – real estate. One day, Pan took Zhang to see a construction site for a high rise and told her that it would soon transform the area into the Manhattan of Beijing. Xin couldn’t help but laugh. Despite her initial disbelief, 19 years later Zhang and Pan have created a Mecca that was more Manhattan than even Manhattan itself.

Like Zhang, Pan grew up impoverished. He was from one of the poorest provinces in China. Even once she and Pan got married and founded SOHO China, things weren’t always easy. They fought.

She quit. Moved to England. Came back. Quit again.

Stayed home and gave birth

Zhang Xin’s rags-to-riches story, and the part she has played in transforming Beijing into a world class city have made her a celebrity in China. Yet despite her incredible wealth, she leads a modest, humble life, even telling her 14-year old son to go get a job at McDonald’s or KFC. She tries to give her sons a normal life. Zhang Xin has transformed Beijing (and is working on Shanghai) and escaped the life she lived as a young girl. One might think she’d be happy to rest on her laurels. Not Xin. She has another dream for China: Democracy. Not a bad life for a former homeless sweatshop girl!

By Amy Lamare http://www.celebritynetworth.com THE PROMOTA | 65

BUSINESS

We can't put off to tomorrow what needs to be done today percent of all parliamentary seats worldwide.

Further, some regions are lagging significantly when it comes to meeting the MDG gender targets. Girls still face significant barriers to entering both primary and secondary school in sub-Saharan Africa and Western Asia. Gender disparities only grow in secondary education. North Africa has one of the lowest proportions of women in paid employment, with little change over the past two decades. Very few women are represented in decision-making in some regions — in the Pacific women hold just 3 percent of parliamentary seats.

A

s the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals approaches, there can be no doubt that the MDGs, including MDG 3 — “promote gender equality and empower women” — have made a significant difference to the lives of women and girls worldwide.

has highlighted, the MDGs successfully galvanized greater investment in gender equality by donors. Bilateral aid targeting gender equality and women’s empowerment tripled from $8 billion in 2002 to $24 billion in 2012 — an annual growth rate of 12 percent.

As the 2013 MDG Progress Report released last month shows, disparities in primary school enrolment between boys and girls are being eliminated, and progress toward gender parity in school enrolment is evident at all levels of education.

Women’s political participation continued to increase with 46 countries now having more than 30 percent female members of parliament. Women’s access to paid employment in nonagricultural sectors has been increasingly, albeit slowly. As the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

However, so much more remains to be done, and time is running out.

66 | THE PROMOTA

Most urgently, while the maternal mortality rate dropped by 45 percent between 1990 and 2013, far too many women still die in pregnancy and childbirth — almost 300,000 women in 2013 alone — when these deaths are largely preventable. Girls from poor rural households are more likely to be out of school. Women continue to be concentrated in vulnerable employment, at higher rates than men, and women still take up just 21.8

Maternal mortality rates remain much higher in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean. And globally, young women aged 15 to 24 have a 50 percent higher risk of becoming infected with HIV than their male peers.

The unfinished business of the MDGs must be addressed in the new post-2015 development agenda, now being negotiated

by U.N. member states. At the same time, we can’t lose sight of the need to accelerate MDG implementation in the time we have left. It’s very welcome to see more than 50 countries already committed to accelerating the MDGs, with many of these countries focusing on MDG 5 on maternal mortality and MDG 3 on gender inequality. Further concerted effort and accelerated action by governments and the international community is urgently needed to achieve these lagging gender equality targets.

That said, and as recognized by U.N. member states during this year’s 58 session on the Commission on the Status of Women, some of the most critical gender equality challenges were missing from the MDGs. For example, violence against women, which affects one in three women worldwide, www.thepromota.co.uk

was not included. Nor was women’s disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care work — which constrains their ability to participate in social, political and economic life — or women’s unequal access to productive assets, including land, addressed in the MDG framework.

What’s more, integration of gender equality targets and commitments was inadequate across the framework, impeding progress towards achieving all the MDGs. The new post-2015 development agenda must squarely address these issues and the structural inequality and discrimination that underpin and reinforce gender inequality.

That’s why it’s very welcome to see the recent report of the Open Working Group include not only a dedicated goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment, but also targets within the goal that go much further than MDG 3, by addressing key structural constraints to gender equality, including genderbased discrimination, violence against women and girls, harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and early, child and forced marriage, women’s disproportionate share of unpaid care work, lack of equal participation in decisionmaking in political economic and social life, and lack of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Important targets are also included in other goals, including reducing maternal mortality, equal rights to economic resources, eliminating gender disparities in education, full and productive and decent work for all women and men, and equal pay.

Commitment and action in these areas really has the potential to transform gender relations and the lives of women and girls everywhere.

Also welcome is the growing recognition — including among U.N. member states — that it’s simply not possible to achieve sustainable development unless gender equality and women’s empowerment are fully realized. Women’s education and women’s share of employment can have a positive impact on economic growth. When women have a greater voice, and participate in public decision-making, resources are more likely to be allocated to investments in human development priorities. And when women are better educated, children’s health and education outcomes improve.

Achieving gender equality is critical to accelerate efforts to reduce poverty and promote human development.

There has been unprecedented engagement in the process of developing the new goals and targets, including in consultations around the world led by the U.N. system which have involved 3 million people to date. Expectations are high: people want the new development agenda to address insecurity, injustice, and inequality, including gender inequality.

Looking forward, as the deadline

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for the MDGs approaches — and negotiations on the new post-2015 development agenda gather pace — it will be critically important to keep the level of ambition high — indeed, to raise it even higher — as well as to rapidly accelerate implementation of existing gender equality commitments. Especially vital will be to ensure that the enabling environment required to achieve gender equality is in place — including supportive national laws and policies that are rights based and in line with international commitments, the right indicators and disaggregated and gender responsive data to measure progress, and most importantly, adequate funding for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

We have only 500 days left to both deliver on the MDGs and put in place a new transformative sustainable development agenda. We can’t put off to tomorrow what needs to be done today. Now is the time to deliver for women and girls.

About the author: John Hendra is deputy executive director for policy and program at U.N. Women.

He also co-chairs the U.N. Development Group’s MDGs Taskforce and is a member of the senior advisory group to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on formulating the post2015 framework.

THE PROMOTA | 67

COVER STORY

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www.thepromota.co.uk

COMPLIMENT

Her Royal Highness SYLVIA NAGGINDA LUSWATA

The Power of KINDNESS!

Her Royal Highness (Queen) Sylvia Nagginda Luswata is the wife of the King of Buganda, King Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. Buganda is the largest Kingdom in Uganda, with a population of over 7 million people.

Upon coming back from an 18 year long stay in the USA, and after marrying the King of Buganda, the Queen decided to realise her dreams of making a difference in the lives of her people. She set up a fully-fledged office and started extensive charitable activities in many sectors in the Kingdom of Buganda. In 2000, she founded the Nnabagereka Development Foundation (NDF). The foundation helps children, the youth, the disabled, and women through socio-economic development initiatives including education, health care, community empowerment and the advancement of good cultural values and practices.

Maybe her most important contribution to the revival

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and continuation of the Buganda cultural traditions has been the creation of The Ekisaakaate Program which aims to instil and strengthen in young people who participate in the program the very best human qualities such as selfknowledge, self-belief and self-control; responsibility, good leadership and good moral values, as well as a love and respect for their culture and their native language Luganda.

During a talk HRH gave at TedxEuston in the USA in 2011, she stressed the importance of challenging conventional wisdom.

She urged her listeners to challenge “development paradigm that do not work for Africans in their local context”, and also to challenge “the negative role of culture in development that has been sustained through pre- and post- colonial period”.

It is indeed important to retain what works in any culture and to abandon what

holds back the progress of the people and the nation. At the same time, it is important to ensure the survival of traditions that make a particular culture unique and that are an intrinsic part of the fabric of their lives, as long as the overall spirit is one of respect, unity and progress.

Beside heading the foundation, The Nnabagereka is also a Good Will Ambassador for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), Ambassador for Mama Club – an initiative of mothers living with HIV/ AIDS, a Champion in the Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA) in Uganda; and a torch bearer for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG3) to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Please visit www.ndfug.org for further information on the Nnabagereka Development Foundation and how you can support the important work it is doing in Uganda.

THE PROMOTA | 69

Note from Feature Editor Isabelle Gravenstein

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am very much inspired by the work that Queen Sylvia Nagginda Luswata has started and sustained for the people of her Kingdom. It is witnessing such commitment to the welfare of humanity that restores my faith in human kindness and generosity. In times when we see so much hardship in the world, wondering how we can make a difference, The Queen is showing us that we indeed can. At the Ted talk mentioned in the article, she also said, ‘if you have the love of the people on your side, the opportunities are endless’. And indeed they are. What matters is to decide to transform our desire to help into concrete projects. Every life that is lifted up, improved, or healed is worth every effort put into any project.

I also love The Ekisaakaate Program that is pulling young people back into the fold of true African culture in the most positive ways. I personally think that Western influence has spoilt the nicest elements of the African culture, rendering them less ‘cool’ in the eyes of the younger African generation. The balance needs indeed to be redressed, where one’s own culture is embraced and appreciated for its own worth, without comparison to the Western culture that has its fair share of negative traits.

A kind heart can make a tremendous difference in the world, one life at a time, as the Queen of Buganda has demonstrated for years. Let us be inspired by her work and make our own contribution towards a healthier, happier and more prosperous Uganda and the world at large.

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INSPIRATION

5

Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM

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ise and shine! Morning time just became your new best friend. Love it or hate it, utilizing the morning hours before work may be the key to a successful and healthy lifestyle. That’s right, early rising is a common trait found in many CEOs, government officials, and other influential people. Margaret Thatcher was up every day at 5 a.m.; Frank Lloyd Wright at 4 am and Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney wakes at 4:30am just to name a few. I know what you’re thinking – you do your best work at night. Not so fast. According to Inc. Magazine, morning people have been found to be more proactive and more productive. In addition, the health benefits for those with a life before work go on and on. Let’s explore 5 of the things successful people do before 8 am.

1. Exercise.

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. Most people that work out daily, work out in the morning.

Whether it’s a morning yoga session or a trip to the gym, exercising before work gives you a boost of energy for the day and that deserved sense of accomplishment. Anyone can tackle a pile of paperwork after 200 ab reps! Morning workouts also eliminate the possibility of flaking out on your cardio after a long day at 72 | THE PROMOTA

work. Even if you aren’t bright eyed and bushy tailed at the thought of a 5 am jog, try waking up 15 minutes early for a quick bedside set of pushups or stretching. It’ll help wake up your body, and prep you for your day.

2. Map Out Your Day. Maximize your potential by mapping out your schedule for the day, as well as your goals and to dos. The morning is a good time for this as it is often one of the only quiet times a person gets throughout the day. The early hours foster easier reflection that helps when prioritizing your activities.

They also allow for uninterrupted problem solving when trying to fit everything into your timetable. While scheduling, don’t forget about your mental health. Plan a 10 minute break after that stressful meeting for a quick walk around the block or a moment of meditation at your desk. Trying to eat healthy? Schedule a small window in the evening to pack a few nutritious snacks to bring to work the next day.

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3. Eat a Healthy Breakfast. We all know that rush out the door with a cup of coffee and an empty stomach feeling. You sit down at your desk, and you’re already wondering how early that taco truck sets up camp outside your office.

No good. Take that extra time in the morning to fuel your body for the tasks ahead of it. It will help keep you mind on what’s at hand and not your growling stomach. Not only is breakfast good for your physical health, it is also a good time to connect socially. Even five minutes of talking with your kids or spouse while eating a quick bowl of oatmeal can boost your spirits before heading out the door.

4. Visualization. These days we talk about our physical health ad nauseam, but sometimes our mental health gets overlooked. The morning is the perfect time to spend some quiet time inside your mind meditating or visualizing. Take a moment to visualize your day ahead of you, focusing on the successes you will have. Even just a minute of visualization and positive thinking can help improve your mood and outlook on your work load for the day.

5. Make Your Day Top Heavy. We all have that one item on our to do list that we dread. It looms over you all day (or week) until you finally suck it up and do it after much procrastination.

Here’s an easy tip to save yourself the stress – do that least desirable task on your list first.

Instead of anticipating the unpleasantness of it from first coffee through your lunch break, get it out of the way. The morning is the time when you are (generally) more well rested and your energy level is up. Therefore, you are more well equipped to handle more difficult projects. And look at it this way, your day will get progressively easier, not the other way around. By the time your work day is ending, you’re winding down with easier to dos and heading into your free time more relaxed. Success! www.thepromota.co.uk

THE PROMOTA | 73

ADVERTORIAL

netmoney send more for less!

S

o who are netmoney and what makes them different? When you hear money transfer you would be forgiven for thinking netmoney is just another company offering the same as all the rest, but that is where you would go wrong and miss out. netmoney is different, as a UK regulated company, they are growing rapidly for three main reasons: they have brought an ethical approach to sending money, given customers direct control over sending and receiving money and made

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the cost of sending money simple and affordable, and when you find out how you can send any amount from £10 to £5000 instantly for a fixed fee of £2 it all begins to make sense.

When you look at the facts, our communities have the greatest need to send money back home, and generally tend to be on the lowest incomes in society and pay the most for a service which is a lifeline. This is wrong and by any standard unethical.

For years, companies have been charging more, the

more money you need to send, and charged extra for sending it quicker. This is clearly taking advantage of customers. Even Kofi Anand has got involved, lobbying companies to be fairer to customers. This is where netmoney stands out from the rest and why customers are flocking to them. From the beginning, netmoney have been transparent, enabling customers to send any amount up to £5000 instantly from their home, workplace or on the go for a fixed £2 fee! www.thepromota.co.uk

So how does it work? Well, it's incredibly simple. You open a netmoney Visa account and when you apply you also add your loved ones whom you plan to send money to regularly.

The application process takes less than 5 minutes!

Once your application is successful, netmoney will set up a separate online account for each person and also issue each person with their very own netmoney Visa card. All you do now is credit funds into your netmoney account and once you have funds in your account, decide on the amount you want to send and send direct to your loved ones instantly into their netmoney account by online access, or by SMS or by calling customer services, all from your armchair at home or your desk in the office or sitting on a bench in the park. No middleman, no agents and no paperwork to complete! Your loved ones receive the money instantly and can go to withdraw at any time of day or night from any VISA cash machine. They can even log into their netmoney account and check online before they withdraw. Your loved ones now no longer need to deal with the inconvenience of travelling to an outlet, queuing up or running the risk of a criminal activity, all this for a fixed fee of ÂŁ2. www.thepromota.co.uk

The Traveller: In fact the netmoney account has proved so popular it is even used by those travelling abroad, who no longer worry about exchanging cash before they leave or after they arrive at their destination, simply using their netmoney VISA card to withdraw local currency from any VISA ATM for a fixed fee of 45p, or making purchases in shops and restaurants, making it safe, secure and completely hassle free, whether travelling for business or pleasure whilst saving on lots of fees at the same time. No more coming back with foreign currency in your pocket and having to pay extortionate fees to change it back, pace yourself and manage your spend whilst abroad and you should be getting on the plane to return home having only spent what you needed and returning with no foreign-currency in your pocket or charges to change it back, simple!

are able to withdraw cash at ATM’s, make purchases in shops and restaurants or pay bills.

Over the past few years, netmoney has been steadily growing to become a trusted and well established service provider for customers, helping them to take control of their money and support loved ones.

To start sending more for less, visit www. netmoneyconnect.com to apply for an account or call the friendly Customer Services Team on 01223 790697 to find out more about netmoney.

e-Account The netmoney account is also helping those who need an account but are unable to pass the stringent checks of High Street banks. netmoney provide each customer with a sort code and account number which enables them to have their wages paid in and together with their netmoney VISA card,

Farooq Mohammed Director - netmoney

THE PROMOTA | 75

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

Why we're always going to be wrong about

Beyoncé-Jay-Z divorce rumors Of recent Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles have been welcoming eager fans to their "On the Run" stadium concert tour — a show built around the bones of their marriage.

And night after night, we've heard dispatches from fans and critics gushing about the show.

The rumors of a BeyoncéJay-Z breakup started off as a trickle, a tiny whisper of a thought on a slapdash site called Blind Gossip. By mid-afternoon, the rumor had snowballed, and it was proclaimed that "love is dead."

Love obviously is still alive in some capacity (tacos, puppies, etc.), but it made you realize that this love between Beyoncé and Jay-Z was something Americans were deeply invested in, a potent talisman of American romance.

That a possible split between the singer and the rapper means so much to Americans is a testament to the proficiency of both artists to sell their love story. At 76 | THE PROMOTA

the same time, the interest in these rumors also reflects a strange cultural desperation to witness any imperfect, ugly parts of their relationship — think of the voyeuristic and even gleeful responses that came in the wake of a certain elevator video.

How did we get to this point?

And what will happen if Jay-Z and Beyoncé break up?

I asked a Beyoncé scholar for some help in answering those questions about the object of our collective cultural obsession.

We can't trust Beyoncé's songs Beyoncé hasn't been shy about writing and singing love songs. From "Bills, Bills, Bills" to "Cater 2 U" to "Me, Myself and I" and "Irreplaceable", you could conceivably piece together some kind of idea of what Beyoncé wants in a relationship and what she doesn't.

As breakup rumors swirled, Vulture’s Anna Silman pored overJay and Bey’s lyrics for hints about how they feel about one another.

Silman explained that the

song “Mine”, on Beyoncé’s album BEYONCÉ shows that the singer “appears to express doubts about the relationship.” One of the biggest catalysts for the breakup rumors was when Beyoncé changed the lyrics of her song “Resentment” during the tour. Instead of: “I’ll always remember feeling like I was no good / Like I couldn’t do it for you like your mistress could,” she sang, “I’ll always remember feeling like I was no good / Like I couldn’t do it for you like that wack bitch could.” This, opined close Beyonce watchers, was evidence of Jay-Z’s infidelity.

But it’s probably a big mistake to read too much into what Beyoncé is singing.

Beyoncé is no Taylor Swift, who is known for writing songs that apply directly to her life. Applying a Swift-like read to Bey would largely ignore that she is notoriously stingy when it comes to sharing meaningful details about her actual private life and inner thoughts.

www.thepromota.co.uk

“The fact that arguably the biggest celebrity in the world is so private, breaks all the rules,” says Kevin Allred, who teaches a Rutgers University class called “Politicizing Beyoncé”, in which he and his students examine her art and life under the context of feminism, race, queer theory, and pop culture consumption.

Allred is right. We didn’t find out about her 2008 wedding to Jay-Z until months later.

We didn’t see the wedding dress until years had passed.

The first pictures of her daughter Blue Ivy were released when she wanted them released, and not on the cover of a magazine. The most intimate glimpse of her private life to date was a documentary she produced on HBO. No one had even the slightest clue that her last album was dropping until it hit iTunes. And back when she was a burgeoning pop star, when the endless stories of Destiny’s Child members being shown the door were the topic of conversation, Beyoncé and her father (thenmanager Mathew Knowles) flipped the script and named an album Survivor, a smirky response to all the rumors.

Her career and the conversations about it have always been on her terms.

But perhaps the greatest example of Beyoncé’s measured persona came this past May, when surveillance footage was leaked of her sister Solange attacking Jay-Z in an elevator while Beyoncé looked on. In the video, Beyoncé appeared unfazed by the fracas, and when she does move it is only to adjust www.thepromota.co.uk

the train of her dress.

“She knows everyone watches her all the time. She knew there was a camera on her,” Allred says, explaining why she didn’t appear to pick a side in the fight.

“I don’t think we’ll ever know what happened. It seems like everything’s fine, with all parties that were involved,” he added, explaining that this was a testament to Beyoncé’s ability to keep her private life private.

Cobbling together a narrative of Beyoncé’s love life through her songs is altogether impossible when you begin to understand how aware she is of the role she’s playing.

Though it is unclear whether or not her privacy is one of the reasons why Beyoncé’s been able to ascend to the highest heights of celebrity, the lack of gory bits about her family life just feed the demand and desire to see more.

“On this tour, they’re both playing characters of themselves,” Allred says.

“We know so much about everyone else in the world.

Not knowing anything about these two drives everyone to even know more.”

Divorce would make Beyoncé legendary If Bey and Jay do divorce, it most likely won’t be happening until their tour is over. But that hasn’t stopped people from playing it out in their heads and asking questions about their music, their child, and their empire.

The rumors are also forcing both fans and casual

observers to decide which popular Beyoncé narrative to accept: that she’s a calculated performer who is three steps ahead of the game or an artist brave enough to drop hints of a rift in her music.

There’s plenty of grey area in between, and Jay and Bey are the only ones who know how this is all going to shake out.

But we should be sure of one thing — that it will shake out in her favor. If Beyoncé and Jay-Z part ways, the non-believers who think her success is largely dependent her husband will no longer have an argument, says Allred. “People wouldn’t be able to talk about that anymore,” he says.

So if a divorce is in the cards, if love does indeed die and the world catches fire and burns, Beyoncé will still the last woman standing. She calls the shots — a message she’s been telling us since day one.

“

That perfection we see in her … we [the public] are desperate to see something crack — something to show she’s just like us,” Allred says. “But she’s not like us.

She’s nothing like us. “ www.vox.com THE PROMOTA | 77

Leveraging the African diaspora With US$40 billion in annual remittances into Africa, the African diaspora has become the subject of much public policy discussion as a potential source of sustainable supplemental development finance.

I

n recognition of the power of the diaspora, President Kagame of Rwanda recently announced the launch of a Rwanda Diaspora Mutual Fund whose objective is to tap into the offshore savings of Rwandans, and other East African diaspora, to finance key public sector projects in Rwanda. Similarly, in 2011, The Central Bank of Kenya redirected a segment of its regularly scheduled domestic currency infrastructure bond to target investors from the Kenyan diaspora. Other countries have plans to follow similar paths.

According to the World Bank, aggregate African diaspora savings amount to about $35 billion. These sums are deposited in Western banks earning negative interest rates, when adjusted for inflation.

Dr Dilip Ratha, lead economist at the World Bank Migration and Remittances Unit narrows it down to two key factors: (1) patient capital and (2) countercyclicality. Diaspora remittance 78 | THE PROMOTA

flows are linked to families in the home country. What’s more, the character of these flows is unique in its counter-cyclicality.

Ratha’s findings suggest that in periods of economic stress in the home country remittance flows tend to increase, unlike foreign direct investments and development aid which tend to flee in periods of duress in either home or source country. This factor tends to suggest a more patient, long-term character to diaspora flows. This is especially important when considering Africa’s infrastructure needs.

Infrastructure investments typically require long term commitments.

The same commitment is also required for financing small- and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs).

Until recently, conventional wisdom suggested that all diaspora flows were consumed by recipients for subsistence.

However, according to a recent World Bank study, conducted in the case of Kenya, the

breakdown of remittance receipts can be roughly classified in the following manner: 50% for family support, 15% medical, 10% education related and an amazing 25% of remittances are directed at some sort of investment (SMEs, real estate, services…). In 2011, according to the Central Bank of Kenya, the country received $891 million in diaspora remittances. Based on the CBK’s own figures, this would mean that $222 million, or close to a quarter of a billion dollars, is available capital to be directed into the productive sector. This number rivals $180 million in total foreign direct investment received by Kenya in 2011, as reported by the World Bank in 2012.

The above assumptions about size of diaspora savings pool are supported by academic research conducted by George Washington University’s Center for International Business Education and Research, in conjunction with Western Union and USAID. www.thepromota.co.uk

GWU conducted an investment interest survey targeted at US-based African professionals and entrepreneurs who participated in a 2010 venture financing competition. The results show an overwhelming interest in investing “back home”. However, the study also reveals a dramatic gap between the “desire to invest” in a range of opportunities from real estate to manufacturing and services, and the “ability to invest” in those same opportunities, as members of the diaspora. This suggests the existence of structural impediments preventing the diaspora from accessing opportunities with ease. A closer examination reveals that these structural blocs fall into three key categories: transparency, regulatory and administration.

Transparency: Most opportunities sought by the diaspora are not structured for ease of access by them. In part this is due to the fact that amounts required may be too large relative to what the diaspora can afford to invest, or that the opportunities are not transparent enough to enable them to judge inherent risks on their own as remote investors.

Host country regulations: Both the United Kingdom’s Financial Services Authority and the United States’ Security and Exchange Commission have household earnings tests that limit access to private deals that are not listed on an exchange. Only those with financial sophistication as defined by the regulators – with private net worth exceeding $1 million – can invest in opportunities that are not listed on a public exchange. Listing on an exchange can be an expensive proposition even for sovereigns, much less for an entrepreneur in the home country seeking to tap into diaspora capital.

Small transfers: Diaspora transfers on average are small and most investment opportunities are seeking aggregates that are larger than what one individual remitter can afford. Therefore the need to administrate these small amounts www.thepromota.co.uk

BEYONCE & JAY-Z NET WORTH What is Jay-Z and Beyonce's combined net worth? As of June, 2014, Beyonce and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1 billion. Jay-Z's portion of their net worth is $560 million and Beyonce's is $450 million.

That's easily enough to make them one of the top 10 richest celebrity couples in the world.

As a matter of fact, when you remove famous women who happen to be dating not-so-famous billionaires like Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Penault, Jay-Z and Beyonce are the #1 richest celebrity couple in the world ahead of couples like Tom Brady/Gisele Bundchen and David/Victoria Beckham.

Jay and Bey are easily one of the highest earning couples in the world every year.

In 2013 alone they earned a combined $95 million from record sales, touring, merchandise endorsements and more. When Jay performs, his concerts gross an estimated $1.5 million per night.

When Beyonce tours, her concerts gross over $2 million.

Beyonce and Jay-Z and one child together, a daughter named Blue Ivy Carter who was born on January 7th, 2013.

They have houses all over the world and are even rumored to own an island in the Bahamas.

When they are in the United States, The Carters can be found at a luxury apartment in New York City, a mansion in Westchester County, New York or a waterfront Villa in Miami.

THE PROMOTA | 79

FAMILY AND LOVE

The

secret to a happy marriage:

Tell your partner 'I love you' 10 times a week and go on at least three dates every month

1. Detailed study of 1,000 married Americans taken to find key to romantic bliss 2. Accepting faults, trust and being able to say sorry also deemed important 3. Having three arguments a month helps create a harmonious relationship The secret to a happy marriage is kissing and saying 'I love you' 10 times a week and going on three dates a month, an American report has revealed.

The detailed study of 1,000 married Americans also found three surprise romantic gestures and 10 deep and meaningful conversations each month are key to a harmonious relationship.

Having three shared hobbies and interests and going on two vacations a year are also among the requirements for romantic bliss.

It also emerged many people believe the secret to a perfect marriage is accepting each other’s faults, trust and, importantly, being able to say sorry.

80 | THE PROMOTA

Plenty of quality time, being best friends through thick and thin, and being able to have fun together are also on the list.

A spokesman for global market researchers OnePoll. com, which commissioned the research, said: ‘Anyone can get married, but it takes a lot of commitment and effort to make your marriage a perfect one.

‘If you are not prepared to put the work in and take the rough with the smooth, you are going to struggle to find that ideal.

‘Everyone wants to have a perfect marriage and it seems that the little things such as kissing and cuddling really are important.

‘While they might seem insignificant, it’s the little gestures which can help couples retain their closeness and intimacy.

‘If you lose this, that’s when your marriage can become stuck in a rut and lead to two unhappy or bored people.’

The study, carried out between January 30th and www.thepromota.co.uk

February 9th, polled Americans from across the country.

It found the perfect marriage will also see couples have sex three times a week, and enjoy around seven cuddles during that time.

Six nights spent cuddled up in front of the TV and two nights out with their own friends each month, along with two mini-vacations a year also make a successful marriage.

Even having three arguments a month was among the list of secrets.

It also emerged that more than half were friends before they actually became a couple, and waited an average of just over three years before walking down the aisle.

The study also found that Americans consider the biggest secret of a happy marriage to be simply accepting each other’s faults.

Trust, honesty, respect and just supporting each other also featured in the top five.

Other ‘secrets’ to a perfect marriage include being kind to each other, compromising and also knowing when to give your partner some space.

Regular sex and kisses, ending an argument before going to bed and sharing the household and parenting duties are also on the list.

It also showed that 92 per cent of Americans consider themselves to be happily married.

But of those who are not, almost a quarter put it down to simply growing apart from their partner, while another 17 per cent blame financial problems.

Not having much in common, spending little time together and affairs are also among the reasons for not being happily married.

by Sarah Kayitesi www.thepromota.co.uk

TOP 30 THINGS THAT MAKE THE PERFECT MARRIAGE 1. Accepting each other’s faults 2. Trust 3. Honesty 4. Respecting each other 5. Supporting each other 6. Being able to say sorry 7. Being kind to each other 8. Saying ‘I love you’ 9. Quality time together 10. Give and take on both sides 11. Compromising 12. Loyalty 13. Being best friends 14. A positive outlook/personality 15. Having a sense of humour 16. Understanding 17. Giving each other time alone 18. Sharing the household duties 19. Not criticizing each other in front of others 20. Regular sex 21. Talking everything through 22. Shared interests 23. Being able to argue and forget about it 24. Remembering anniversaries and birthdays 25. Regular kisses and cuddles 26. Sharing parental duties 27. Deep and meaningful conversations 28. Ending an argument before going to bed 29. Spontaneous romantic gestures 30. Regular vacations together THE PROMOTA | 81

b ola Fighting the fever

HEALTH: EBOLA

Understanding E

WITH around 1,700 suspected cases and more than 900 deaths, the outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in four West African countries is the biggest ever recorded. On August 8th the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the epidemic an "international emergency".

Renowned Biophysicist Sees New Hope in Proteges' Ebola Drug

One reason for Ebola's frightening reputation (after all, quotidian diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria kill far more people than it does) is that comparatively little is known about it. Funding to study rare diseases that afflict the very poor is notoriously hard to come by (what little there is tends to come from armies). But a few scientists are nonetheless trying to piece together the story. Understanding the preconditions for an Ebola outbreak, after all, is the first step in preventing future epidemics from happening.

The most striking thing about the present outbreak, says Andrew Townsend Peterson, an evolutionary biologist at 82 | THE PROMOTA

the University of Kansas who is interested in modelling the spread of Ebola, is that it seems to involve the Zaire strain of the disease, the deadliest of the five subtypes of Ebola known to medicine.

But Zaire—the name for the country now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo—is a long way from Guinea, where the first cases seem to have arisen in December 2013. How did the virus cross that distance?

One possibility, according to a paper published on July 31st in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, by Dr Daniel Bausch and Lara Scwarz, of McGill University, is that it didn't. The present strain may be a sixth version of the

virus, hitherto unknown to medicine. But although the limited genetic data gathered thus far do not refute that idea completely, they do cast doubt. The virus's genome is not exactly the same as the sort found in Central Africa.

But it is 97% similar.

If it is indeed the Zaire strain, though, then someone, or something, must have brought the bug to Guinea.

Human transmission seems unlikely, write the researchers. The centre of the outbreak is isolated and little visited by outsiders.

Besides, this particular strain of the disease seems to kill its victims within a week of symptoms appearing. That does not seem like enough www.thepromota.co.uk

HEALTH "[But] if you go to a hospital in Guinea, they might say 'we just don't have any gloves'".

Doctors and nurses contract the virus, spread it to other patients and then bring it home to their families. In this epidemic, more than 160 health care workers have been infected, and around 80 have died.

time to get from Central Africa to the backwoods of Guinea.

The other possibility is that the virus was brought by an animal, probably a bat.

Scientists have long suspected that certain species of fruit bat harbour the disease naturally.

These bats are common throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and are thought by zoologists to be capable of migrating great distances. An outbreak of Ebola in Gabon in 2002 is thought to have started when an infected bat was eaten.

The researchers also point out that, contrary to what is often believed, Ebola outbreaks do not seem to happen at random.

Human factors play a big part. Ebola, like many other diseases, mainly menaces those countries that are already poor and struggling.

Guinea is ranked by the UN as one of the poorest countries in the world. In recent years Ebola has also struck in DRC, Sudan, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Liberia, all countries where civil wars have left deep scars. Urgent need drives people to cut down forests, hunt bushmeat and plunder caves, bringing them into contact with the wild animals thought to harbour the disease, and providing the virus with opportunities to jump to humans.

Run-down health facilities are the second link in the chain.

Contrary to popular belief, Ebola is not particularly easy to catch, spreading only via close contact with the bodily fluids of the very sick. "If you come to a hospital in New York with vomiting or bleeding, healthcare workers use gloves," says Dr Bausch.

Unprepared or ineffective governments make things worse again.

Lack of communication speeds the disease's spread. Fear, rumour, and suspicion of government workers and foreign doctors can make the infected reluctant to come forward, increasing the chance that they will pass on the sickness, often to members of their families who are caring for them.

Billy Fischer, an American doctor from the University of North Carolina, who went to Guinea in June, described Ebola's horrible intimacy in letters home: "Part of what makes Ebola so devastating in addition to the manner in which people die, is that this virus wipes out families. It penalises those families who are close and transforms tradition into transmission." www.economist.com

Spanish Priest Miguel Pajares Dies as Global Toll Tops 1,000 The first European infected by a strain of Ebola that has killed more than 1,000 people in West Africa has died in a hospital in Madrid. A spokeswoman for the city's health authorities declined to say when Spanish priest Miguel Pajares, who was airlifted from Liberia on August 7 after contracting the disease while working for a non-governmental organization in the African country, had died.

The 75-year-old priest was being treated in www.thepromota.co.uk

the Carlos III hospital, where he had been in quarantine since his return from Africa. The Health Ministry said he was being treated with the experimental drug ZMapp, manufactured by U.S. company Mapp Biopharmaceutical. Two U.S. aid workers infected by the disease have shown some signs of improvements since being given the drug.

Pajares was repatriated with co-worker Juliana Bohi, a nun who has tested negative for Ebola.

THE PROMOTA | 83

PASSION FOR MOTHERLAND – SHOWCASE 2014!

Lisette

Mibo

presents the 2nd annual ‘Passion For Motherland’ fashion showcase. The award winning Congolese model returns to show us just why she is passionate about her motherland. Here’s what she had to say about the event: “The event is used as an instrument awareness concerning global issues, not only in the Congo but in my Africa, and not only bring to together and showcase an electric mixture of live music, fashion and poetry.

The event took place at the renowned Cre-8 Lifestyle Centre in London. Fashion designers from different backgrounds and cultures gathered to present their diverse collections along with popular musicians and poets. This year, Passion for Motherland chose to raise money and awareness for the charity “Menelik Education.” The charity aims to amplify the voices of children (young girls in particular) and relieve them from the realities of war, rape and lack of education in the Congo. For more information visit http://www.menelikeducation.info/ Guests witnessed a variety of acts taking to the stage, including the UK Afrobeats sensation Ezi Emela and the eccentric South African house artist Siza, who captivated the audience, along with her African drummer. Some acts even got compared to Beyonce, such as LDNC. Current Miss Congo described their electric performance as “Like Beyonce at the Super Bowl…LDNC blew out the power.”

Turning to the main reason of the event, spoken word artists Mell and JJ Bola spoke poetically about the devastating situation happening in the Motherland. As both artists performed their poems, the audience was gripped in silence for the most part as they shared their knowledge of the pain

84 | THE PROMOTA

www.thepromota.co.uk

and injustice that the people of Congo are still experiencing.

There’s no doubt that this year Passion For Motherland was bigger and better.

Successfully bringing together different industry professionals for a common cause, the showcase was highly entertaining without losing the importance of the message they tried to spread.

www.thepromota.co.uk

Eddie Kadi, award winning Congolese Comedian, said “a massive well done to Lisette Mibo, you and your team last night!! I was entertained and educated at the same time!

God bless DRC!!”

Bernie Yoseph, Editor in Chief, Ethio Beauty Magazine, said “We really enjoyed the collective mix of talented individuals coming to support a great charity. I believe this organisation is making a huge different to the whole of Africa, especially to Congo.”

THE PROMOTA | 85

OPINION

How Celibacy Strengthens Your Sex Life When abstinence comes to mind, many view it as a process undertaken for religious purposes or for the purposes of preventing the spread of STDs and avoiding unwanted pregnancy. But sexual inactivity for a period of time can also be practiced to enhance one’s sex life. Yes, it sounds like an oxymoron to enhance sexual activity by having a period of celibacy.

But the benefits of practicing sexual abstinence while in a relationship are greater than you might think.

Before choosing to hold off on sex, one must (of course) have a talk with your partner before inactivity starts. Sex is considered a vital part of any romantic relationship, so it’s important for each partner to be made aware of the desires of the other when strict changes in sexual activity occur.

Making the commitment to abstain from sexual activity should be taken seriously by both partners, and only undertaken if one feels it’ll bring happiness and improvement to his/her life. Avoiding physical contact that encourages 86 | THE PROMOTA

sexual behavior and spending time with friends and loved ones who’ll hold one to his/ her commitment can usher a vow of abstinence along. If a period of sexual inactivity is something you’ve been considering as a way to enhance your current sex life, have a look at the benefits.

Gives time to focus on self While in a relationship, it’s easy to lose focus on yourself and shift attention to the other person involved with the desire to cater and please. During abstinence, you’ll have an ample amount of time to truly focus on yourself self to discover what changes may have been experienced within that may have an effect on the relationship.

Taking time to meditate, write out likes and dislikes about the sex that does occur within the relationship, and truly focusing on what’s desired during future sexual activity (without the pressure or opinions of one’s partner) are excellent ways to enhance one’s sex life. Sometimes sexual preferences are made based on the inclinations of the other

partner. But by taking the time to avoid sexual activity, one can get in touch with his/her body, mind and spirit before entering into sexual activity again. And being centered is critical in having fully fulfilling sexual relationships.

Encourages the enhancement of intimacy Intimacy is the vital component of any romantic relationship that holds it together like glue. Intimacy has nothing to do with physical sex, but everything to do with the emotional and spiritual connection between two people. Sometimes too much time is spent working on releasing sexual energy and getting to the orgasm, causing intimacy to take a back seat to the physical aspect of lovemaking.

Holding onto sexual energy can also increase desire for sexual activity, which will lead to stronger orgasms when intercourse begins again.

But when physical sex is taken out of the equation, couples have no choice but to focus on building an intimacy and www.thepromota.co.uk

COMMUNITY trust bond between each other.

Spending time participating in activities that help each partner to learn about the other in more intimate ways is a great way to build intimacy. Couple’s meditation, nature walks, museum trips, even couples spa days are great suggestions for intimate activities that won’t put the vow of abstinence in jeopardy.

Allows sexual energy and desire to build When sexual activity is ceased, sexual energy spins and collects at the base of the spine where our sexual centers are located. When this energy is left to collect, it can be used as creative energy that can help propel certain projects along. Deadlines at work can be accomplished with increased speed, and new projects can be manifested in amazing ways.

Holding onto sexual energy can also increase desire for sexual activity, which will lead to stronger orgasms when intercourse begins again. Taking a break will increase the feeling of sensation once experienced, and make for a stronger, longer-lasting erotic hour.

However one decides to remain committed to a period of time without sex, it’s important to take what is learned about self during this time and apply it within the relationship to make things better for each person involved. Sexual abstinence can stretch from a few days to a few months, but no matter what time period has been set, the key to success is having a goal in mind before practicing abstinence and seeing it through. A moment in time without sex can be a beautiful thing. Use it wisely.

by Glamazon Tyomi www.glamerotica101. com | Twitter at @glamazontyomi. www.thepromota.co.uk

The Uganda Diaspora Health Foundation A significant barrier to reducing health inequalities remains the shortage of health care workers in low income countries and a disproportionate concentration of skilled workers in high income countries ( Dodani S and LaPorte RE ,2005; World Health Organization 2011).

As a way of exploring alternative ways of continuing to deliver high quality services across the globe, policy makers are now focusing more towards their Diaspora communities.

The Uganda Diaspora Health Foundation was established in 2011 to integrate the expertise of Ugandan health professionals in Britain. Whilst individuals had been previously involved in project and hosting work in a global health partnership with East London NHS Trust- Butabika Hospital Link, a formal Diaspora group was proposed to provide greater opportunities for involvement and leadership in future work.

The group has a diverse range of health professionals including; nurses, midwives, psychologists, occupational therapists, medical engineers, medical/ nursing students, service users/ carers and also members from the private sector with expertise in accountancy, law, IT and business management.

The Uganda Diaspora Health Foundation works in collaborative and innovative way in identifying and delivering complex health care related projects both in United Kingdom and Uganda.

In partnership with The East London National

Health Service Trust- Butabika Hospital Link ( www. butabikaeastlondon.com), Diaspora Members have helped in delivering complex, multi-year projects around Uganda to increase psychological skills of Psychiatric Clinical Officers, reduce violence in psychiatric wards, deliver a new service utilising those who have recovered from illness, and develop Ugandan expertise in child and adolescent mental health. The work of the Butabika Link is internationally recognised.

Current Projects • Stress Management/ resilience training for health care workers using Mindfulness (ACT) Psychological Model (Diaspora nurses as facilitators – trained

by Dr Paul Flaxman (City University) and Mr Cerdic Hall (East London NHS Trust).

• Non communicable disease awareness project in partnership with C3 Collaboration for Health, Uganda NCD Alliance, Uganda – UK Health Alliance, Heart sound Uganda; Butabika/ Mulago Hospitals.

• Development of Older Adults mental health services in Uganda • E learning student project between Makerere University, Royal society of medicine UK and Kings’ College London Student peer to peer partnership.

Contacts; Moses Wasswa Mulimira Co-Chair – Ugandan Diaspora Health Foundation moses.mulimira@hotmail.co.uk Mariam Namulindwa Aligawesa Co- Chair - Ugandan Diaspora Health Foundation ohmariam@hotmail.com

THE PROMOTA | 87

FEATURE [CONFESSIONS]

‘I Married for Money’ We ain’t saying she’s a gold digger... actually, we are.

But you’d be surprised how the story ends...

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby with the baby carriage.” time to get back on the money train.

That pot of lies is the foundation for the dreams most little girls live by, the problem is those little girls grow into women who quickly end up realizing that real life is far from fantasy.

The first problem with their little fantasy is that sure love comes first, but it often comes broke as hell and unfortunately all that “all you need is love” crap doesn’t pay Con Edison. Millions of couples each year realize, as they argue over everything from the rent to retirement, that maybe money should’ve been the leader of the pack.

My parents married for love and even though they have been married over 30 years, they’ve always had a mistress in between them and her name 88 | THE PROMOTA

was money. Watching them fight day after day, year after year about money helped me to see early on that love comes with a price. When I was 16 and finally allowed to date I had no shortage of suitors, but I wasn’t about going dutch or covering your train fare with my allowance because you were short, so I made sure the senior with the Altima and the part time job was the one who caught my “heart.”

In college, I met a man who made me rethink my ideas of financial love. His name as Justin and I fell for him hard.

I didn’t mind being in broke college student love with him, in the beginning, but when we started arguing constantly about not being able to afford simple date nights or cell phone bills, I realized it was

I was on a “Not Gon’ Cry” mini vacation with my girls when Shawn walked into my life. After watching the scene and doing a little intel I learned that not only was he handsome, but he was an entrepreneur who came from a very wealthy family, had no kids, no known drug habits and was quite the ladies man.

I made it my mission to be the only lady on that man’s mind before the weekend was up. During our short time together Shawn wined and dined me, and even my friends. It wasn’t love at first sight...but it was definitely love at the first sight of his bank account. After dating for awhile, I can’t say I fell in love with Shawn, but I did develop feelings for him. Unlike my parents and countless others who I’ve watched argue time and time again about money, Shawn and I lived relatively argument free and I loved it.

That’s why when he dropped to one knee on our two year anniversary and asked me to marry him I said yes.

Now please understand that I wasn’t planning to live entirely off of him, I do have dreams. I finished my degree and started a very successful career in marketing that I love.

And no, when I walked down the aisle towards my future www.thepromota.co.uk

HEALTH husband I was not in love, but I was in security and that meant a lot to me. In my mind, marriages face enough obstacles, the last one it needs is one revolving around money. I don’t want to go to bed stressed and angry at my husband because money is tight and creditors are calling. I don’t want to deny my children things that will enhance their lives because mommy didn’t get that big promotion or bonus at work. I want to be able to focus on loving my man and my family and with Shawn’s money keeping us secure I can do just that.

Some may call me a gold digger, opportunist or whatever other negative word they can find to describe my choice, and that’s fine with me.

Marrying for love is admirable and brave, it’s the stuff fairytales are made of, but like I said before, life isn’t a fairytale. While those people who married for love are arguing over rent and school fees and others are planning divorces they can barely afford to pay for, I’m living comfortably.

It’s almost 6 years and one bubbly baby girl later and though our marriage hasn’t been perfect, I have managed to live my own personal fairytale. I may not have loved Shawn in the beginning, but over the years I have fallen so deep in love I can’t see straight some days and watching him love on our daughter brings me such amazing joy. These are the moments that get lost in the fighting and the arguing over money and with that stress and burden off my back I can live every day confident that marrying for money was the right choice and I wouldn’t change it for all the love in the world. www.thepromota.co.uk

Dear Senga, I've been with my boyfriend for 9 months and we're both coming up on some major decisions. One in particular is our living situation. He's nearing the end of his lease and I'm living with my parents.

He's brought up the idea of us moving in together before, but he didn't really seem serious. But now I'm noticing as time goes on he's sending me more and more pictures of places to live and asking me what I think. I don't know if this is his way of hinting that we should move-in together, because I know for a fact these properties are outside of his price range and he would need another source of income.

I see myself with him, but I'm honestly not sure if I'm ready to move in with him. That seems like a huge commitment. I'm afraid he's depending on me to help move into these beautiful places and I don't know how to tell him I'm not ready. I don't want to let him down. Any advice?

Dear Angella, I commend you for recognizing what a huge step moving in with someone is.

The most important factor in any relationship is communication. His motives could be that he wants to combine your financial resources and get a nice place, or he could be using this as a way to take your relationship to the next level, or he might just be thinking that you’d prefer to live with him as opposed to living with your parents.

Whatever his reasoning is, you must express how you feel. Once you start the conversation it’ll be much easier to get your reservations out into the open.

There’s nothing wrong with not being ready to move in.

You can’t let the fear of letting someone down stop you from making the decisions that

are best for you and your life.

Just make sure that you do a thorough job of explaining that not wanting to move in just yet isn’t necessarily a reflection of how you feel about the relationship. It’s all about managing expectations and making sure both of you are on the same page.

That being said, I will say that when you are ready to move in with someone it is truly an eyeopening experience. I believe you never truly get to know a person until you live together.

So when you do, make sure at a point in the relationship where you’re ready to see them for exactly who they are.

Love, Promota Submit your questions now to info@thepromota.co.uk and be sure to tweet us @ thepromotamag

THE PROMOTA | 89

DIASPORA

Brain drain to Brain Gain: working with UK medical diaspora groups

Since forming in 2011, The Uganda Diaspora Health Foundation (UDHF) has already made some substantial developments in positively breaking down health inequalities between Uganda and the UK. One example of this is the project Brain Gain.

Brain Gain is a project that incorporates the thinking, values and knowledge of UK (East London NHS Trust) and Ugandan mental healthcare professionals (Butabika Hospital, Kampala), Ugandan mental health service users, local community leaders and global policy makers.

At the core of this exchange are the diasporas; groups who have a unique potential to transform developing countries by drawing on their connections, linguistic skills and cultural competence by serving as volunteers worldwide.

90 | THE PROMOTA

Importantly here, the training has been multidirectional; Butabika Hospital has developed a richly collaborative relationship with East London NHS where the unfolding learning is reciprocal between these locations, broadening the horizons for mental health provision in both settings.

Local community knowledge in Uganda plays a valuable role in the shaping of mental health services through the adaptation and implementation of ideas forged between East London NHS and Butabika Hospital.

Policy makers are able to take a broader snapshot of this fascinating interchange and enable growth.

Brain Gain supports the community recovery team in Kampala to train service users as peer support workers (PSW) to assist psychiatric clinicians to develop a way to provide mental health services to the local populations together. PSWs are able to take a meaningful role in their communities, which not only aids their own recovery, but enables support for those who have been discharged to less accessible locations.

Knowledge about how to identify the initial stages of mental health problems is disseminated through the local communities.

“I gained knowledge concerning my own recovery.

Also helped me to understand that there are other things you can do instead of only medication. Shouldn’t just give medicine, should really look for the problem and try to help the problem. You should look for the problem for the mental illness.”

Among other things, this process works to: • Break down stigma • Discuss the role of culture and religion in mental health • Aid employment • Educate about medication • Involve family and key community members • Reduce violence • Improve physical health and • Allow the communities to own and promote the prevention of relapse in their own societies, in their own ways The UDHF play the fundamental role in creating a channel of exchange that enables reciprocal education to take place between Uganda and the UK in a way that re-shapes and re-balances our historical inequalities; creating a true opportunity to learn from the community spirit of the Ugandan people and move towards a more sophisticated understanding of mental healthcare.

By Moses Mulimira: Co-chairperson, Uganda Diaspora Health Foundation - East London NHS Foundation Trust, and Amy Stoddard: Strategic Development Lead, Uganda Diaspora Health Foundation www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/diaspora-driven-development

www.thepromota.co.uk

OPINION

The Dos and Don'ts

of Interracial Dating I am a Black woman who dates the "rainbow."

If you put every guy I was involved with in the past 10 years into one room (that group includes random dates, relationships, situationships and that one time I got married), you’d have a fabulous, multi-hued bouquet of masculine beauty. A kind, smart man who moves me, might be able to rock with me, regardless of race or ethnicity. I'm not on that ridiculous color blind train, I'm just an equalopportunity dater.

The vast majority of my Black girlfriends exclusively and purposely date Black men, so I get a lot of questions about my UN-friendly dating roster and most of those questions are about the white dudes. “Is it pink?” “Are you sure it’s not some jungle fever type thing?”

“Has he seen Love Jones?” The answers to those questions depends on the guy-- could be tan, pink or some combination. Only once was it a fetish thing on the guy’s end, and I deaded that as soon as I was aware. Seeing specific movies is not a dating requirement for me. You better know and love Stevie Wonder though. That’s life right there.

Then there are two troubling statements that I often hear. The first is “I’m so sick of these Black men. In a minute, I’m about to be like you and find a White boy.” Ugh. I find this to be problematic because everything about it is wrong. You should never date someone of a certain race because you feel exhausted by the antics of men of another race. It’s not fair to the Black woman, the White dude or Black men. There are plenty of good Black men out there. For real. Men in my family, my circle of friends and past loves attest to that. If you’re running into Black dudes who are not worth a quarter, their behavior is not some genetic issue related to their ethnic background, they just aren’t the guys for you, for any number of other reasons.

The White guy gets the short end of the stick in that situation too because he’s a sucka-ass plan B and doesn’t even know it. The Black woman loses because she’s not addressing the real issues that contribute to her dating www.thepromota.co.uk

dilemmas.

The other troubling statement I get from my Black girlfriends regarding dating White dudes is “You’re the type of Black girl White guys like. White men aren’t attracted to me.” Chile, stop it. If there is one thing I know about heterosexual men, it is that regardless of their physical preferences, at the end of the day they just like women.

I’ve seen White guys with a wide variety of Black women.

I am a thin, UK residing, Brixton born, master’s degree-having, 34-year old, divorced Black woman whose passport is on pimpin. When friends say that I’m the “type” White guys like, they are mostly referring to my small frame, education and breadth of travel. However, I am not a White boy whisperer.

There is nothing about me that makes me a “safe” Black chick for White guys to holler at. The reality is that I have a very active social life in a diverse city and I often find myself in rooms filled with men of various racial, ethnic and nationality backgrounds. My dating roster reflects those social encounters.

Most of my girlfriends who talk about being sick of Black guys, are not being completely serious. They aren’t about to abandon Black men (I

haven’t either). They are just considering dipping their toes into something new. However, stretching into interracial relationship territory is not something to do as an “I hate you so much right now” type of performance art experiment towards Black men. Also, despite the insane and very wrong chatter that only Black men are attracted to Black women, attention from nonBlack men is not some kind of extra validation of a Black woman’s beauty.

Black women are beautiful, period. There is no need for outside validation. I have never felt special for the simple fact of having White guys attempt to court me. Of course men want to date me. Why not? Pfft!

That said, interracial relationships aren’t for everybody and that’s fine. I date interracially, but I’m not spreading the gospel of United Colors of Benetton dating. Do that if it suits you. Don’t do it if you’re not inclined to. Simple.

There’s nothing wrong with Black women sticking to Black men or vice versa. Just be clear with who you are and why you want who you want.

Demetria Irwin Twitter @Love_Is_Dope THE PROMOTA | 91

INTERVIEW: MBOGGA

Who is

RICHARD MBOGGA?

I

am a married man with three lovely children. I was born during Amin’s administration, in Namirembe, on the outskirts of Kampala. I am self-employed and I love inventing and manufacturing things as part of my everyday work.

What kind of business are you involved with in the UK? I run two businesses: one is called Signware, which is a specialised design and fabrication business. Our clientele includes local governments, Her majesty’s Royal Guards, embassies, education institutions, contractors and local businesses.

The second business is Meden Systems International. It is an electronic and engineering business, focusing on computer software research and development. It makes bespoke electronics, from mobile power supplies to data relay devices.

As a successful businessman, what challenges have you encountered in the UK? One must be thick skinned to do business in the UK , let alone make a living out of it.

I started running my own business in 2006 because I thought I would never be able to compete for jobs given my ethnic minority background. This was purely my belief, so I went into self-employment.

Since I had no business background or training, I had to improvise in many ways to survive from month to month. It became more difficult for me every single day knowing that I had thousands of pounds to pay out each month in bills at home and work, plus staff salaries. However, the 92 | THE PROMOTA

www.thepromota.co.uk

BUSINESS AND INNOVATION

pressure to produce results became my obsession.

Expanding services and skills back home in Uganda, trying to establish a business to a level similar to the UK one was the most challenging venture!

We are blocked from every corner and stones thrown at us from every angle. But, instead of giving up, I decided to use the stones thrown at me and build the foundation for the investment, which, maybe in the future, people will appreciate.

Why did you decide to invest back to Uganda?

I was convinced that investing in people is the only way to develop our country. Uganda needs us and we cannot abandon it at a time when we have the ability to change it into a better place than when we left it. In spite of all the magnitude of investments from Ugandans in the Diaspora, the government in Uganda is yet to recognise our contribution as investors.

Those holding public offices should remember that they hold positions to serve the people and not for the people to worship and serve them!

You make modern electronic traffic systems.

How do you think your technology can benefit or reduce the alarming death toll on Ugandan roads?

Uganda ranks highest in road deaths in the world since 2000.

The cost of road accidents to the Uganda government is over 800 billion USh a year.

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I think this is not sustainable economically and actually impedes the development of the country.

We successfully designed, developed and manufactured a high spec solar powered traffic light system that can be deployed and used anywhere in the world.

From a pedestrian crossing traffic signal, we went ahead to design and manufacture a robust traffic computer signal that made it possible for us to be able to control even the most complex of junctions as well as making road speed control devices.

What do you think the Ugandan government needs to do to harness the skilled labour force of Ugandans in the Diaspora? And are they doing enough at all?

The government seems to be unaware of the potential Ugandans in the Diaspora have to offer. The reference to Ugandans living abroad as the Nkuba Kyeeyo makes many people, including the government, underrate the people in the Diaspora, yet many of them are high

skilled and well trained.

Uganda needs to engage all Ugandans, ignoring any divisive political differences and acknowledging that unity in diversity is not a bad thing, but a credit to the nation’s development.

What are your investment plans in Uganda?

I would want to turn Uganda into the new China, ‘ a manufacturing power house of Africa.’ If the Chinese have done it, why not us, and why not Uganda?

Importing everything we need is not a sign of development but rather a severe consumer syndrome that needs to stop.

We have to start building factories which are the back bone of the country’s growth.

That is why we are investing to make sure our Intelligent Traffic Light systems are manufactured in Uganda.

What tips would you give to Ugandans in the Diaspora who want to venture into business in the UK and back home?

My only tip is “try and fail but do not fail to try”.

THE PROMOTA | 93

EDUCATION

GRACE

MUGABE registers for doctoral degree at UZ.

I

t is commendable that as the First Lady of Zimbabwe, in order to represent this country, Grace Mugabe has registered at the UZ intent on improving her education, albeit a little bit late. But it is never too late. Her future may not be as First Lady, but having an education will certainly give her the confidence she needs if she is to continue as an Ambassador for the land of her birth in the hereafter. No one knows what she intends doing with her life, but as a Mother to Bona, I am sure she would be horrified to learn that unbeknown to her, rural girls are still using newspapers when menstruating, and that those in Matabeleland are finally going to receive sanitary wear, doors 94 | THE PROMOTA

What do you think about her doctoral ambitions?

on their toilets and soap to wash with, while she is not much older than them, graduated from where they are to a life of luxury at State House.

Any one of those young girls could in future end up in State House as a potential wife to a future President of Zimbabwe, just as Grace Mugabe did.

It is inconceivable that the Government is only now seriously considering subsidizing the cost of pads for the future mothers of the Nation! Was this deprivation taken into account when the Men and Women of Zimbabwe were kicking in the doors of Democracy and calling for Sanctions? Why didn’t they demonstrate as fervently for their little sisters to get sanitary towels and soap and doors on their toilets?

For men to say “Well, my Gogo used newspapers and she survived!” is typical of the backward thinking of a country which always has and obviously still does, consider and treats its women as secondclass citizens.

Several years ago in the UK it was declared illegal to serve fish and chips in newspaper because of the toxicity in print ink. How many women who used newspapers during menstruating have given birth to stillborns or died of cancer www.thepromota.co.uk

POEM

of the womb/ovaries? Do we know how many malformed disabled children were born because of women having to use newspapers instead of sanitary towels?

On the other hand, how many men may have died because of similar cancers after absorbing the dreaded toxic printing ink through sex?

We will never know but everyone knows that if you don’t have an education you will inevitably end up a doormat, barefoot and pregnant to a man who probably does not respect you because you do not have the self-worth to hold your head up high - unless you marry a Prince or a President, as did Grace Kelly and Grace Mugabe.

Because of her secured position, and her youth, it is a fact that try as she might, Grace Mugabe has not always been the favourite wife of some, but hopefully with her Degree, when her time comes she will confidently take up the cudgels and lead the Nation in eliminating this attitude towards her secondclass sisters. It is all up to her after this, so wish her luck that she may pass with Distinctions.

If anyone can elevate the status of women in Zimbabwe, it could be Grace Mugabe because she too, like Grace Kelly, was once a secondclass citizen.

(Nicole Kidman stars as “Grace” in the story of former Hollywood star, Grace Kelly, her crisis of marriage and identity, during a political dispute, and a looming French invasion of Monaco in the early 1960s.)

Poem:

I am Hair for you

Why don’t you like me?

Its like you always want to fight me You appreciated me when you was younger I was thick and I was able to grow longer My roots where deep in your head But then you tortured me instead I tried to stay strong But you were burning me for too long You told people I was hard to handle when i was just being myself And you don’t even realise that you’re affecting your health.

All you have to do is give me what I need And stop treating me like a weed I am beautiful and curly Enough to make you girly

When your 50 I’m going to pack up and leave If you take care of me I will take care of you Why am I effected just because the media says its not true I’m trying to fight off cancer But you continue to feed me relaxer I don’t respond well to heat Is it wrong to be unique?

I don’t want to be anyonelese but my Afro self The cosmetic shops are killing us all Why can’t you put that sulphate shampoo back on that shelve?

Why are you paying for my destruction?

Other people profit for our own corruption

But you always make me straight That’s why I lose too much weight

I don’t need to be mix race to glow Pay attention to me and I will show you how much I can grow

I’ve been pulled, poisoned and burned Would it not be easier just to learn?

I will never leave you alone Please just avoid that silicone

Search for a natural ingredient Why can’t you be more lenient?

I deserve to breath I don’t need to always be in a weave

And yes I'm talking about conditioner Read the labels before you give them to me And I will stay healthy and as natural as a tropical tree

By Lloyd Adejubu

By Donette Kruger www.thepromota.co.uk

THE PROMOTA | 95

ART

c i r Fab

Authentic African

A

uthentic African fabric is celebrated worldwide for its colourful prints and intricate weaving. There are numerous different types of cloth ranging from the delicately woven Aso oke to the revered hand-worked Kente. If you are interested in purchasing authentic African fabrics you could visit various classifieds websites such as Adepafie. com. Here, you will be able to find some original Kente clothing and stolesat a more than reasonable price, thus discovering a simple way to save a little of your hardearned cash.

colourings in order to create patterns.

Kente Cloth is without a doubt the most revered and prestigious fabric in the whole of the African peninsula. This beautiful and vibrant cloth takes a great deal of time and skill to weave and is regularly worn by Africa’s rich and famous. Kente Cloth is dyed in an endless array of colours often specifically selected to reflect a religious rite or custom.

Aso oke Cloth is an ornate and hand-loomed fabric woven by south-west Nigeria’s Yoruba people. The name translates as “top cloth” in the English language and the fabric is used to create traditional women’s garments consisting of skirts, blouses, head ties and shawls or shoulder sashes. There are three specific types of Aso oke fabric that come in red, brown and blue. This fabulous cloth is often worn by Nigerians across the globe in order to celebrate special occasions.

The vast continent of Africa is home to a wonderful collection of colourful, delicate and functional fabrics including the popular TyeDye, Batik and Korhogo Cloths. Authentic African fabrics can be worn in so many different ways that they make for the perfect addition for anyone looking to add a splash of colour and culture to their wardrobe this summer!

A.B.S

Africa has a long tradition of hand-woven fabrics that are used to make both men and women’s clothing as well as accessories such as hats and head ties. Perhaps the easiest to find and to make is almost certainly Country Cloth. This cloth is widely woven in large parts of Africa and is often left white or dyed using natural 96 | THE PROMOTA

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GUARD YOUR THOUGHTS FIERCELY!!

I

have no neutral thoughts. “… is a beginning step in dispelling the belief that your thoughts have no effect. Everything you see is the result of your thoughts.

There is no exception to this fact. Thoughts are not big or little; powerful or weak. They are merely true or false. Those that are true create their own likeness.

Those that are false make theirs.” (Lesson 16, A Course in Miracles) Following on these wise words, I would like to invite you all to think deeply on what this really means ‘I have no neutral thoughts’.

Everything I think about will carry an effect, constructive or destructive according to the nature of the thought and how much I feed life into it by the amount of time I spend thinking about it!

Would it therefore not be wiser to filter all of our thoughts very carefully, guard them very fiercely and dwell on the ones we know will be good for us and for others? It takes however a very disciplined mind to observe in a flash the nature of each thought and classify it as worth keeping, nurturing and building on it, or throwing it away as fast as

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a hot coal before it affects us or others.

However much it may seem tiresome to guard our thoughts all day long, NOT doing it is a much worse option, as we will willingly, though probably for the greater part, unconsciously, invite trouble and mayhem in our lives. This is particularly important when we think of other people, be it in our personal lives, in our work place, even in the arena of politics. Our negative thoughts about others are captured by them at a very subtle, subliminal level, and they will in turn react negatively to us! It therefore pays in many ways to think the highest and the best about all people, always! This way, we open the door for positive possibilities, for more harmonious personal and professional relationships.

Untold benefits enter our lives when all we allow to flow out into our world is goodness, kindness, magnanimity, compassion.

Some of you may resent having to think good thoughts about your political leaders!

But they too are affected directly by your silent criticism and recriminations

at their leadership. Just remember that all negativity coming out of your mind, directed at someone, will carry a negative effect on that person, (and your president may end up make an appalling decision that you very much disapprove of) and return to you, the sender, as a natural consequence of the universal Law of Cause and Effect, and you have now to put it with this new presidential decision!

We have the ultimate power to create our own reality.

If we do not like what is happening in our own lives, or in our politics, let us sanitise our thoughts first of all, guard them fiercely and allow only the best ones and most constructive ones to go forth and build a new and wonderful reality for everyone!

by Isabelle Gravenstein

THE PROMOTA | 97

LONG-HAUL AIRLINES

have got equality wrong You finally zip your luggage for your long-haul flight to southern Africa, wishing you could somehow smuggle in that last kilogram onto the scale, but no chance! That extra pair of new shoes is left behind with promises from others to post them to you, one at a time, surface mail.

All you have to do once the first shoe arrives is let them know immediately, and then the second shoe can be shipped surface mail.

With a couple of hours you are strapped in and on the flight, torn between imagining how you would have handled the tragic eventualities of MH370 making headlines around the world, and besides yourself with excitement at seeing your loved ones, when a voice interrupts your slumber. “Excuse me, please?” and an enticing tray of food is passed under your nose - straight to the person in the seat next to you.

The person is a vegan, or has Special Needs and they, together with all the children, are served first. Is that a smirk you discern, while he airily explains, “I ordered this on-line when I booked my ticket...” This only adds to your chagrin. You turn away and swallow as he tucks in. At least the kids are 98 | THE PROMOTA

quiet for now but it seems like an eternity before you are offered “Meat or fish?”

Alert, you suddenly sit up.

Its decision time! You smile happily, “Fish, please?” The flight attendant crouches down and searches the trolley, then hesitatingly replies, “Sorry, the fish is finished - beef or lamb?”

The choicest vegetables seem to go down a lot better rather than the micro-waved-trolleyheated aluminium-wrapped ready meals but there are no vegan or fish meals left. You grudgingly feel side-lined, and opt for beef, chicken or lamb.

Other than the 28kgs luggage allowance, where is the embracing policy of Equality Rights for all in the Economy seats? (Incidentally, are Emirates Airlines the only airline not realising that heavy steel cutlery is unnecessary weight.)

And, so you know anyone who has ever comfortably digested bulky meat meals during flights when confined to their seats for 10 hours?

Meanwhile, the Special Needs have swallowed their blood pressure meds and are strolling nonchalantly up and down between aisles, intent blocking anyone else’s

chance of getting to the toilet in a hurry.

The long-haul airlines are always searching for ways in which to trim their costs and entice more traffic.

Instead they could offer an extra luggage allowance, and could forgo carrying meat or fish on board. Australians are allowed 38kgs, whereas southern Africans are allowed 28kgs in total.

There is not one African I know who would rather not have a choice of fish, beef or lamb and instead have an extra kilogram added to their luggage! After all, on arrival in Zimbabwe it will be pure organic meat on proper plates with steel cutlery to cut through the dripping roast - not plastic knives and forks!

Africans are a tenacious lot, and after clearing security and waiting three hours in duty-free, we can easily wait another ten hours for a delicious home-cooked meal with extra helpings of really fresh meat... I for one would rather have 30kgs luggage instead of steel cutlery to cut through the meat, chicken or fish be it halal or otherwise.

Donette Read Kruger

www.thepromota.co.uk

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THE PROMOTA | 99

Feel the colours of

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