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BUSINESS | LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | IMMIGRATION | BEAUTY
EMPOWERING DIASPORAS
ISSUE NO NO. 31 | WINTER
UK£2.50|UGX5000|KSH200|TSH3000|RWF2500
4TH UGANDAN
UGANDA is open for
CONVENTION - UK UGANDAN UK TRADE & INVESTMENT FORUM SAT., 13TH SEPT 2014
10 Tips for starting a magazine
“Uganda’s loss truly has been britain’s gain” Lord Sheikh Use Fashion to Express your Personality
African Oscar Nominees And Winners Through The Years
business!
A Taste of
Tanzania Can
Lupita
Nyong’o avoid the black actress Oscar curse? T.B. Joshua Healer or Fake Pastor?
Weakened
Immune System
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Content 26
Cover story 18 Uganda Virgin Investment Opportunities 24 Uganda’s loss truly has been Britain’s gain” Lord Sheikh 26 Top 10 affordable safaris in east Africa 32 T.B. Joshua - Healer or Controversial Leader? 48 “A Taste of Tanzania” by Miriam Rose Kinunda 61 African Oscar Nominees And Winners Through The Years 66 Can Lupita Nyong’o avoid the black actress Oscar curse? 76 4th Ugandan Convention - 13th September 2014 84 Weakened Immune System 90 Use Fashion to Express your Personality Regular
56
9 Publisher’s Letter 10 Celebrity News: Gossip, News Updates 37 Gadgets 40 Car Review - The new Bentley Continental GT V8 S Technology: 36 Smartglasses headphones for the rest of us 38 C-01 Tron. Lotus reveal plan to built its first motorcycle Fashion: 13 Janelle Monae: The Misfit Everyone Wants to Imitate 14 Congo’s Sartorial Salute
73
16 Spring Trend for Her 16 Spring Trend for Him 42 Bark Cloth- Sustainable and non conventional Textile Header 73 Africa Fashion Week London 89 Treating Mild Acne Feature and opinion 12 Why P-Square brothers fought over money 12 George Clooney to marry UK human rights lawyer 12 ‘Stop Now Or Face The Wrath Of God’ – Adeboye Warns 34 The real tragedy of Donald Sterling's racism 56 Eye-popping palace of ousted Ukrainian president 82 I want to end it all! 87 Financial stress 97 4 Habits of Creative People That Can Lead to Success
4 | THE PROMOTA
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Rafayel on the Left Bank
R A FAY E L 5 STAR HOTEL Rafayel on the Left Bank is part of Battersea’s stunning and award-winning Falcon Wharf Development. Designed by architect James Burland, the unique and critically-acclaimed steel, glass and timber building provides a ďŹ tting home for Rafayel on the Left Bank. For more information please call
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Content
68
48
61 12
34 Community 46 Vatican declares Popes John Paul II and John XXIII saints 92 Africans, let us unite! 69 Ugandan Fashion Designer: Gloria Wavamunno 80 Ending donor dependency in Uganda 96 By the time The Ugandan Diaspora Return Home, the Gold rush will be over
Business and Finance
12
23 Transiting from student to Entrepreneur 31 Artists in stone 52 10 Tips for starting a niche market targeted magazine in 2014 93 Forget 'Finding Your Niche' - Just Be Yourself 94 How Farm Shop is modernising the agro dealership experience 98 How to work with suppliers in Africa 99 Five things you should know about private equity in Africa
Chairman and Publisher: Mr. Willy Mutenza Managing Director: Mrs. Miria Kayitesi Chief Editor: Isabelle Gravenstein Fashion Editor: Christelle Kedi
6 | THE PROMOTA
Commercial Director: Ade Daramy, Christelle Sophia Mwanauta Kedi, Tracy Kirabo, Ade Daramy, Ida Horner, Uganda Operations: Sophia Mwanauta, Donette William Makumbi Kruger Fashion Editor: Crystal Deroche The Promota is published: Contributing Writers: Under licence from Promota Isabelle Gravenstein, Group
Enquiries: M: +(44) 7950 285 493 E: info@thepromota.co.uk w: www.thepromota.co.uk Copyright 2014. Reserved by The Promota. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior permission is strictly prohibited. Transparencies and unsolicited manuscripts: are submitted at owner’s risk and, while every care is taken, neither The Promota nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage. Our contributors offer a diversity of opinions; their views are their own and not necessarily shared by The Promota.
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THE PROMOTA | 7
UGANDAUK CONVENTION Investment Forum 2014
13TH SEPTEMBER 2014 “Uganda is open for business”
REGISTER NOW!
www. www.ugandanconventionuk.org Venue: TROXY 490 Commercial Rd, E1 0HX London - UK
DATE: SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2014 Time: 10am - 5.30pm
UGANDA-UNITED KINGDOM Why attend? • • • •
Gain key insights and trends from industry experts and access guidelines on investment opportunities in Uganda Meet key industry leaders, policy makers, and other creative business thought leaders Explore the options available to grow your businesses and highlight the commercial gaps in an economically ripe industry Access networking opportunities with government officials, current and potential investors, private sector companies, inter-governmental and multilateral organisations, consultancies and advisory firms, and other stake-holders, including high level speakers.
www.ugandanconventionuk.org M: +447790 647 089 E: info@ugandanconventionuk.org
Publisher’s Letter
“Just because you are struggling does NOT mean you are failing. Every great success requires some kind of struggle to get there.” Bilal Zahoor
Who are we to judge?
O
ur world is in turmoil, no doubt. Not a day goes by that some sort of upheaval befalls humanity.
We have conflicts in Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, the Far East, Africa, Sudan, so close from home. Every which way we turn, suffering and death greets our eyes! I cannot help but wonder why we still indulge in activities that cause so much havoc in so many people’s lives, and why we cannot make a conscious choice, every day, to contribute positively to society, in everything we do in our lives? We all are appalled by what is happening to others, we all shake our heads as we look at South Sudan and our brothers who now starve, when not long ago, they were rejoicing at living in a new and free country! But things will never really change if we, one person at a time, do not make the effort to change. It is useless to blame the government, as the government is not a single person but a conglomerate of people thinking a certain way. We have to overlook the word government and reach out to the people behind the word, and encourage them to make better choices. I am also thinking about the death penalty issues that are creeping up so often in the press lately. Truly, do we really believe that we can judge another person accurately on a few facts about a particular episode in their lives and based on these few facts, decide that people are worthy of dying at our hands? But we forget that we do not know about those people’s past, about their pain, their emotional turmoil, their inability www.thepromota.co.uk
to cope with life anymore. All of us are liable to crack under pressure in life, all of us. Who are we to say that under similar circumstances we would not do the same? Are we so arrogant to be able to predict our own behaviour? Surely we realise with humility that we cannot. All of us have experienced episodes of extreme anger where we would have done regrettable things. So why not make allowances for others who went over the edge? They need our help, not condemnation. Let us think about this seriously before we point the finger at another. We are all capable! And I look now at Kenya’s new law on polygamy! What is happening to us, dear people? Have we thought this through properly? Who will suffer from this law but women and children who will not be able to be catered for properly because the father will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of them! I can foresee more poverty on the horizon for many more mothers and children! In Africa, our women have been the bearers of most of the childrearing responsibilities anyway. They need more support, not less!! This new law is now giving license for men to be even less responsible towards their family. Truly, men need to get their impulses under control, that is where the mending needs to start, and not devising new laws so that men now have no need to control their urges but can indulge even more in them, irrespective of the consequences. This new law is one huge step backward, not forward. And I doubt many women had any say in the matter! Have all mothers struggling to feed their children been given a vote to consent to this new scheme?
and John XXIII have been canonised. These two men are symbolic of many good things that the Church is capable of doing. And then I extend my thoughts towards the evangelists in Africa, who are also using the same book called the Bible, and I am amazed at how differently that book is understood and its precepts applied. No, not everything is perfect in the Catholic Church, by far. But we in Africa are also abusing others in the name of religion. Some preachers pray on the poor, the sick, the gullible with promises of God providing all their needs or healing them, whilst they enrich themselves and commit all sorts of unethical acts under cover. I appeal to you, dear reader, to indulge in only one thing: a promise to yourself that you will become a part of humanity that makes a difference in an outstanding way, and that you create in your life a legacy that everyone can benefit from, and that you can be proud of. Failing this, we simply are remaining part of the problems. Let us start changing ourselves today. Tomorrow is one day too late!
Willy Mutenza Publisher
On a more positive note, two Popes of the Catholic Church, John Paul II
email: info@thepromota.co.uk
+44 7950 285 493 THE PROMOTA | 9
Latest interviews, updates and news from around the world
DID ‘U’ KNOW
Katie Price:
I didn't want a divorce from Peter Andre - I'll never speak to him again The model says 'too much has gone on' between her and Peter
' oS Y ul D D ic m g s u I M en D act: for sev o aring g e p n i p y a t t s r a di
ip WOL p rst tr went A ight on fi recording tra r issed day s nd m nna produce a . . . do Ibiza ith Ma w n o i s ses
Katie Price doesn’t plan on ever talking to her ex-husband Peter Andre again. The model, 35, split from Peter, 41, after a four-year marriage in 2009 and admits that their relationship has since broken down so much that they’re no longer in contact. ‘I never wanted a divorce from Peter. That was his decision, not mine. He’s never, to this day, told me the reason why,’ says Katie. ‘We don’t speak. Too much has gone on. I’ll never speak to him again.’ ‘When Pete left me, I was devastated and I went out drinking and partying. It was my way of melting down - I felt like everyone hated me and none of it was my decision,’ Katie tells Fabulous. 10 | THE PROMOTA
Rihanna: Did she just dump Drake for cheating? Could Rihanna and Drake’s budding romance already be dunzo? Well he reportedly flew in a fan from Houston to stay with him in Toronto, and they attended the April 22 Toronto Raptors game together, according to a new report. www.thepromota.co.uk
T
he fallout from the controversial phone conversation L. A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling had with his girlfriend might be beneficial for the man who, in essence, was responsible for the discussion that took place. Former NBA great, Magic Johnson, the man who posed with V. Stiviano, Sterling’s girlfriend, has stated he has an interest in buying the team from the owner. According to NBC Sports, Johnson has been trying in earnest to become an owner of a NBA team and sees this as a great opportunity to pounce on the unfortunate views of Donald Sterling.
Magic Johnson to Buy Clippers Away From Donald Sterling?
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports writes: ‘Magic Johnson and his billionaire backers, the Guggenheim Partners, want a chance to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources told Yahoo Sports. “Magic’s absolutely interested,” one source closely connected to Johnson’s business interests told Yahoo Sports.’
THE X FACTOR 2014:
Mel B A Done Deal To Join Cheryl Cole & Simon Cowell? She will allegedly sign a six-figure contract
Michael Winans Jr. The former Spice Girl was previously a special guest mentor while producers scrambled to find a replacement for Kelly Rowland back in 2012; eventually settling on Nicole Scherzinger. A source told the Daily Star that she's agreed to a £1m deal, much to the dismay of producers who had hoped to spend no more than £900,000.
Beyonce named Time magazine’s most influential www.thepromota.co.uk
Sentenced To Nearly 14 Years In Ponzi Scheme A judge sentenced a member of gospel music’s Winans family to nearly 14 years in prison for his role in a $8 million dollar financial ponzi scam. Michael Winans Jr., a third-generation member of the Winans family, attracted more than 1,000 investors in 2007 and 2008 in a scheme to sell Saudi Arabian oil bonds. He promised 100 percent returns in two months (usually an indicator of a ponzi scheme), then used the money for personal expenses or to pay off earlier investors. In court, U.S. District Judge Sean Cox read letters from some of the victims who had been defrauded by Michael Winans. Records revealed about 600 people are still owed about $4.7 million. THE PROMOTA | 11
Latest interviews, updates and news from around the world
DID ‘U’ KNOW
‘Stop Now Or Face The
Wrath Of God’ –
Adeboye Warns Pastors Against Fraud
Why
P-Square brothers fought over money
By now, you have heard about the P Square ‘war’ that exposed the two Nigerian superstars in bad light, leaving the entire continent in shock. It all started after Jude Okoye, the older brother and manager of P-Square revealed the major break-up rumour on Twitter saying: “After ten years of hard work, it’s over. (I) am done.” According to our source in Nigeria, the battle that is threatening to tear apart P Square, one of the most celebrated African music group, is fueled by financial differences. It all started after Jude gave cash to Peter’s (one half of the P Square duo)
personal assistant meant to buy him a new car. However, the money was put into a different use. Not amused by the move, Jude drove into the Okoye’s Squareville and upon questioning Peter’s personal assistance, a fight broke. It is said Peter punched his brother to the ground. However, Paul, the calm one among the brothers seems to have calmed things down after calling the two to reconcile. Early this week, he took to his Facebook and wrote: “After the storm comes the calm. Hoping for better days ahead as one family. God’s intervention.”
Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has warned Pastors committing fraud to desist from it lest they face the wrath of God. The rate at which pastors now commit fraud even within the church has become a cause of concern for the Pastor. He made this warning in a letter giving to workers of the church with emphasis on the pastors being accountable in their dealings.
Actor George Clooney is engaged to a British human rights lawyer who has represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former Ukraine prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, according to reports.
George Clooney
to marry UK human rights lawyer who has represented Julian Assange
12 | THE PROMOTA
Amal Alamuddin, 36, a London-based barrister, was born in Beirut and is fluent in French and Arabic. She has also worked as an adviser to former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, now joint special envoy of the UN and the Arab League on Syria, and a United Nations inquiry into the use of drones.
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FASHION
jm
E L L E AN AE: ON ATE
THE
I MISF
NE RYO E V TE
O TS T N A W
IMIT
H
er signatu re pompadou r and tuxedoes a re far from mainstrea m, and tha t's precisely w hat makes her look so enviable
J
anelle Monae is -- in one word -- a firecracker. She dances like a maniac. Her songs are essentially four-minute parties, and her style manages to be simultaneously classic and bold. In a sea of ball gowns and finger waves on the red carpet, Monae stands out in a tuxedo and pompadour hairstyle (a hairstyle she does herself, by the way). She's a true individual. And ever since she hit the scene in 2010, Hollywood has become exponentially cooler. When I had the chance to catch up with Monae after a recent concert at New York City's Apollo Theater, of course I had to ask about the tux and the hair. But there's a lot more to Monae than menswear and coiffing. Here's how a girl from Kansas City became the Electric Lady.
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1)
TB: You're known for your "tuxedo uniform." Do you have a tux-wearing style icon? JM: I wear my black and white uniform to honor my parents who both wore uniforms in their professions when I was growing up in Kansas City. One of my biggest style muses is Dorothy Dandridge. She is timeless, and the epitome of classic beauty.
2)
TB: What's the secret to your signature hairstyle? A specific product? A technique you developed? JM: I call my signature hairstyle "Le Monae" which is pinned up and twisted much differently than your average pompadour. I have always loved classic up-dos and pin-up styles, but I wanted to add a futuristic spin to my look.
3)
TB: Lashes or lipstick? (If you had to choose one) And which product/shade would it be?
JM: That's a tough question, but I would have to say lips! I like to keep my style very simple by wearing classic black and white, which means I like a pop of color on my lips. My signature shade is COVERGIRL LipPerfection in Hot 305. It is the perfect shade of red, and keeps my lips moisturized all through the night.
4)
TB: Describe your personal style in 10 words or less. JM: My style is inspired by words: transcendent, timeless, honest, pure, futuristic, classic, electrifying and rock 'n' roll.
5)
TB: What's the oldest piece of clothing you own but refuse to throw away? JM: My vintage 1954 time travelers tuxedo pants designed by HG Wells.
6)
TB: What's the best style advice you ever got? JM: True beauty comes from the selfless acts you do for others without expecting anything in return.
THE PROMOTA | 13
FASHION
ke ave li h e b , y “The entlemen d g true g grace an tin ch reflec ct with ea ” . respe ring step e g swag
“
The white man may have invented clothes, but we turned it into an art.
s ’ o g n o C Sart orial e t u l Sa
The streets of Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo’s capital (Congo-Brazzaville), have seen plenty of violence and suffering over the years. But a group of local fashionistas known has “sapeurs” are lifting spirits and celebrating life by following a simple commandment: Dress to impress. At first glance, La Sape — short for the “Society for the Advancement of Elegant People” — is a slightly surreal concept. After all, it’s not every day one sees men roaming the streets of a depressed, war-torn country dressed in candy-colored three-piece suits, bow ties and fedoras. Most “sapeurs” have ordinary jobs as electricians, taxi drivers or policemen, but they find that dressing with style helps them transcend their often dire circumstances. “Even if I don’t have money in my pocket, I only need to wear a suit and tie to feel really at ease,” says Prince Armel, a young sapeur who works as a painter. La Sape first emerged as as a way to resist French colonialism. In the 19th century, servants often got paid by their wealthy employers in clothing instead of money, so they began to embrace a European dress style as a means of combating colonial superiority. Today there are some popular luxury shops and tailors in 14 | THE PROMOTA
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FASHION
Brazzaville, but most sapeurs prefer to get their clothes directly from the old world, requisitioning or buying them from friends who visit from fashion hubs like London and Paris. Every sapeur dreams of visiting the City of Lights to get their hands on their favorite labels, which tend to be Dior, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Armani, Kenzo, Versace and Yamamoto. Buying such style isn’t cheap; a single pair of trousers can sell for as much as $300, and imitations are not tolerated. The average national income per capita in Congo-Brazzaville is an estimated $3400, which puts buying $1,300 pairs of crocodile shoes or $3000 designers suits in perspective. Sapeurs often borrow money or even clothes from one another to complete the look, and some have been known to rent designer suits for $25 a day. Spending money on canes and silk socks might seem frivolous in a country where just under half the population lives in poverty, but the movement aims to do more than help people forget their troubles. It has become a subtle form of social activism. The first sapeurs started by emulating French “dandies” but quickly got creative and added their own spin on the style as an act of subversion. “The white man may have invented clothes, but we turned it into an art,” says famous Congolese musician King Kester Emeneya, who helped popularize the style. Sapeurism is more than just a sartorial style; it’s also a philosophy. Sapeurs may revere the top designers, but they believe it’s not so much the value of the clothes as the man who wears them. So they must abide by a code of honor that dictates they behave like true gentlemen, reflecting grace and respect with each swaggering step.
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“I don’t see how anyone in La Sape could be violent or fight. Peace means a lot to us,” says Severin, a 78-year-old whose father was also a sapeur. After years of civil conflict, some have found that La Sape can even help heal the wounds of infighting. “The war created a lot of ethnic division, especially between the north and the south. But La Sape is what allows us to come together again,” says Ferole Ngouabi. These days, he and his fellow sapeurs only fight over who’s wearing the most dazzling outfit when they gather to dance Congolese rumba. Their movement brings color and hope to the lives of Congo’s downtrodden, and they’ve recently been gaining in notoriety — so much so that sapeurs are the stars of a Guinness commercial, celebrating their individual styles and strutting their stuff. By Laura Secorun Palet
THE PROMOTA | 15
SPRING TREND
Marc Jacobs
For Her
Single oversized quilted leather shoulder bag £448.25 Jason Wu 45% off
Charlotte Olympia
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Premiere printed satin and vinyl pumps £297.50 £595
Eddie Borgo
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Michael Kors Ostrich-effect leather tote £373.50
LANVIN Metallic Trainer £325.00
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The he £100 BARGAIN Hunt! AG JEANS Super Skinny Ankle Jean £20.00
FASHION
Lanvin Arpège Eau de Parfum £50.00 Floral Trim Playsuit y Price: £55.00 Pink Smudge Colour: Assorted Print Scarf Price: £14.00 Colour: Pink
Coral Print Weekend Bag Price: £15.00 Colour: coral
French Connection Ginger Glove Heeled Sandal RRP £100.00 £48.00
kirt
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KG by Kurt Geiger Blake Laser Wedge Shoes, Black
Polo Ralph Lauren Heel and Toe Socks, Pack of 3, One Size, Black £26.00
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Scotch & Soda Straw Braided Hat, Green £40.00 www.johnlewis.com
Men's Marine Star Chronograph Bracelet Strap, Silver / Blue £299.00
Brooks Brothers Suit supremenewyork.com £449
THE PROMOTA | 17
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
Uganda
Virgin Investment Opportunities. It is one of the fastest growing economy in the East African region.
Why would anyone invest in Uganda?
Eng. Dr. Frank Sebbowa
I
n the past few years, Uganda has been continuously improving. Experts believe that the country’s economy has great potential as it has several major advantages and virgin opportunities. It is one of the fastest growing economy in the East African region. Executive Director of Uganda Investment Authority, Eng. Dr. Frank Sebbowa explained why Uganda is the topmost investment destination.
18 | THE PROMOTA
A: Investors look for stable environment, stable economy with good economic policies as well as a stable society, within which to do business and Uganda has been stable for more than twenty something years. They need reasonable infrastructure and we are lucky that government has worked and is continuing to work on roads and railway lines. Uganda is land locked and has potential customers on all its boarders.We are 149 million consumers in East Africa, plus the 340 million COMESA members where we have trade arrangements.
Additionally, we have an educated population which is fairly young, most of them almost ready to be employed. With just minimal skills training, you can definitely get a good and cheap workforce. Uganda is also committed to exports within the country and outside. Which opportunities are available for investments? A: Nearly all areas are available for investment, but currently we would strongly encourage four strategic sectors because of their importance to the economy: 1. Agriculture and processing agricultural products to add value; inputs such as fertilizers, tractors, irrigation systems and commercial farming. 2. ICT would attract and www.thepromota.co.uk
not reducing. It creates jobs for us, brings in new technology with new equipment which we didn’t have before; it brings in new skills, and pays taxes that government can use to do other things.
benefit the young workforce I mentioned earlier who are well educated. We also recognize the fact that no country can move forward without the ICT base in its economy. 3. Tourism, especially eco-tourism which is based on culture or environment should be highly focused on. 4. Minerals. We have close to 50 different minerals which need to be explored and mined and mineral beneficiations, a term they use when minerals get polished and made marketable. Are you able to give us some statistics on the inflow of investments in recent years? A: We carried out a joint survey with Bank of Uganda and Uganda National Bureau of Statistics looking at which investments have come in for the period 1991-2012. FDI has grown tremendously to about $ 2 billion by 2008, with over 3500 projects licensed. Power stations have been developed with some support from government and other donors but mainly by FDI; we www.thepromota.co.uk
are doing quite a number of roads etc. In the agriculture sector, we have made a lot of difference. You are aware of the Kaweri Coffee, Mukwano Sunflower and huge ranches among others. Any government guarantees?
A: Uganda is the only country I know in the world where you can come in with your money and go away with your money without anybody asking you about it, as long as it’s legal money. Between you and your bank, subject to legal taxation, you take away all your money without any restrictions. Is it a good thing to the economy?
A: I think so because anyone who thinks it’s a bad thing, they need to try other countries where to change even $100, you fill two pages of form. And to take it back is also another hassle. If you have a solid sound investment environment, there will be more money flowing in than flowing out. Like I said earlier, our survey report shows that more has come in over the years. FDI has been growing steadily,
There has been a lot of concern over the quality of investments UIA approves and yet many of these so called investors get tax holiday. What is your comment? A: I don’t think it’s correct to say they get tax holiday because tax holiday has been tightened in only specific sectors and they are being closely monitored by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). And because their job is to collect taxes, by the time they give you a waiver you have really qualified for it. And there are provisions under which they are guided to give waivers. My business is to license investors. These investors come with the sort of money and technology we don’t have and they usually come with skilled manpower we don’t have. But they are compelled on the personnel side to train our locals and after five years or so, they must demonstrate to the immigration department why they would still need expatriates and what they have done about training local people. >>> Next page
THE PROMOTA | 19
What are some of the requirements for investing here? A: Foreigners we license must bring in $100,000 and for locals, it’s a half of that amount. Downtown in the central business district, you find Chinese operating businesses with far less capital than the stipulated minimum amount of $100,000.
Who is responsible for this? A: These people get an annual trading license from the local town council, from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) or from somebody. Additionally, those people have saved some money from abroad. May be they didn’t come with a lot of money but their money is here. And even if they employ one or two drivers, those are jobs created which were not there before. The truth of the matter is, the people you are referring to are not really the way we describe our investors because those are traders and UIA does not license traders. The people we license are genuine investors who bring 20 | THE PROMOTA
in money, equipment and invest in manufacturing systems. So there is as a lot of difference but I am emphasizing the fact that whether they are traders as we are referring to them or investors, to the economy they are all good - we need them. The people who are complaining are inefficient traders, and don’t want the competition. I think that there should be open competition so that somebody, whether Chinese or anyone with a good genuine business, are helping the consumers to lower costs. People think we should create a ring fence around them so that they continue working inefficiently and charge our population highly. I don’t agree. I think that people should compete openly, transparently and fairly so that the real consumers get value for their money. What would you advise to anyone intending to invest here? A: They need to know their target market and we advise anyone to project in an environmentally friendly way. They should know how many
people they are planning to employ because it’s key to us. What are the requirements for investing here? A: These are really simple requirements we need to know: 1. you are a genuine entity, meaning you are recognized by the law 2. you have the money 3. you have a project 4. whether you need land from government or you have your own Is land available government?
from
A: Yes, land is available from government if you have a good project. Is this a good time to invest in Uganda? A: I think it’s a good time because of several reasons. We are now close to our oil boom which I seehappening in 2-3 years from now. You need to get in the market now rather later so that by the time the benefits of oil start flowing in you are already there. You can’t wait for the oil to take off; you need be on the ground in good time.
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BUSINESS
The economy is ready to set off in many ways. It has been growing and our population is expanding. People are going to need food, so if you have a passion for agriculture I would encourage anyone to get in and start investing now rather than later. The traditional food we used to enjoy is now hard to find, why? Because the market and the consumers have increased. Before we could not take goods to Southern Sudan, now things like eggs, chicken, cabbages etc are going there every day. Fish used to be plenty, now with new markets in Europe, we may need to grow fish, and we can no longer rely on the lake, the natural fishing. The needs of the oil industry are incredible. They will need people to give them cabbages, Irish potatoes, eggs etc, cleaning services, simple mechanics and so on. So I will advise anyone to go into training people with hands on experience so that by time the oil market demands many of these people, they are already there and still many young people will come to you for training. Uganda for a long time was not connected on the Marine Cable for ICT. Now we are connected to the three rights from the East African coast. So why not start businesses in say, call centres? In fact, some people might want to process routine accounts. So almost in all fields I see opportunities, so just make your package now. It is the time to do so. www.thepromota.co.uk
What is UIA doing to attract new investments? A: Well, we have our road shows. We have developed a catalogue of projects that people can invest in and we are sending these to all our 30 embassies. We are launching these catalogues ourselves, in Nairobi after we launched it in Uganda. Soon we will go to USA, UK, Denmark, Middle East so that people get to know the projects are available. We are also using foreigners who have invested here as our goodwill ambassadors. When they hear it from their colleagues, they think it’s more believable. We have TV talk shows here and even when we go abroad, we give as many interviews as we can.
within UIA which looks after those numerous investments. We started training them since last year into business and entrepreneur skills, improving productivity in their businesses, improving quality and standards. For the larger ones, we are trying to cut down bottlenecks so we work for the whole spectrum. One of the contentions is the elaborate procedures for licensing an investment. Is anything being done about it? A: We have restructured our front office into a physical one-stop centre.
Even government is taking the right steps to ensure that our macro and economic policies are correct and ensuring peace and stability in the country.
We will house all offices we think are key to an investor, for example, UIA, Registrar of Companies, Immigration, NEMA. So all these desk officers will be will be connected by computers to their parent organizations. This, we think will quicken the processes. And as I speak now, if you come with the requirements, you will walk away with your license in two days.
How about the local investors, how are you attracting them?
by Milly Kalyabe - Editor, Uganda Economy
A: We have developed a small to medium enterprise division THE PROMOTA | 21
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Transiting from student to Entrepreneur What was your initial experience when you started you business right after school?
T
he success of mobile money transfer service M-pesa has inspired numerous mobile technology innovations in Kenya. The technology industry has been booming recently gaining attraction from Kenyan youth. Martin Njuguna, 33, Founder and CEO of Digital Vision EA has been in the sector for 10 years now. Njuguna talks about his journey and challenges in entrepreneurship, Kenya’s Silicon Savannah, the challenges he has faced. How did you get into business? It was out of necessity. I started when I was in university studying Computer Science. I began distributing mobile phone airtime to shops around campus. I just wanted to make money on the side but, eventually I saw the potential of business. It can create employment and a lot of wealth. At the time [2004] I would make about Ksh.600 ($7) per day as profit, which was a lot of money for a 23-year-old student. I was also the Chairman of what was then known as SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) and is now called Enactus. We used to teach students about how to start a business and in the process I learnt a lot about entrepreneurship. I immediately I finished my studies decided to start a company as opposed to going into employment. I founded Digital Vision EA and we began building websites that was a big interest for me at that time. Eventually I brought on board staff to help me, got a small office and today we have a workforce of 11. It has been a great and fulfilling journey.
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Well, the harsh reality hit home; that I needed to put food on the table for myself and at same time I was trying to learn something new. I was very good at embracing the challenge. I remember my first project brought in Ksh. 23,000 ($270). The early days were very good. We learnt a lot. I will always advice people to start small because you learn a lot and make mistakes that come with lots of invaluable lessons. You are one of the entrepreneurs who will be launching products and services at the Demo Africa conference in Nairobi later in the month. Tell us about the product you will be launching. We will be launching Chamasoft, a simple to use web application which we have created specifically for Chamas(Swahili for investment groups) to address the challenges they face. Some of these challenges include lack of transparency, lack of proper records and miscommunication. We have created a platform which has both the accounting capabilities that are required by Chama’s and also all the communication tools they require. It is an easy to use and very secure service. What inspired you to build Chamasoft? It was always my desire as an entrepreneur when I started to create products. I am a creative writer and poet. So, I enjoy creating stuff. Chamasoft luckily is one of the things I am creating. I came across the idea for Chamasoft because I belong to a Chama and we were having a lot of problems. I decided to build Chamasoft to solve those problems and eventually I saw a market
opportunity for the product. There is a huge market opportunity for Chamasoft. Research indicates that there are at least 300,000 groups in Kenya. They also indicate that one in every Kenyan belongs to a group. What challenges have you faced along the way? As an entrepreneur running your business is very fulfilling and challenging at the same time. The challenge is making sure you know what the market needs. As a technology developer you can build so many products and services but if you don’t develop something that the market needs then it’s is all a waste of time. You need to understand the market you are targeting. You started your business at a very young age. What advice would you give Africa’s youth about entrepreneurship? I would encourage them to start early, even while they are still in school. The reality in Africa is that we need more entrepreneurs so that we can create enough jobs. Use the ideas you have because I know everyone is gifted in something. They should not just complain about the lack of capital. That is just a mindset. I would tell them to just start where they are with the little they have. It is very important for people who want to venture into entrepreneurship to start small. They should keep an open mind, be willing to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. The mistakes you make in business are not a matter of life and death. But, the learnings you get are very critical in your journey in entrepreneurship. source: VENTURES AFRICA
THE PROMOTA | 23
BUSINESS AND TRADE
Uganda’s loss truly has been britain’s gain” Lord Sheikh from a cross-section of different religions. Such a considerable and complex movement of people brings with it personal stories of triumph and turmoil.
Lord Sheikh made this presentation during a motion on Uganda Asians at the House of Lords recently. The motion was called by the Lord Popat of Harrow who is a Government Whip in the House of Lords. Lord Sheikh said that ‘because members of my family were among the 28,000 Ugandan Asians who came to the United Kingdom in the 1970s, the personal resonance of this subject for me holds no bounds. I also believe that this 40th anniversary provides us with an opportunity to properly reflect on just how significant a part this movement has played in the cultural and social development of the UK, and how much better off we all are because of it. Ultimately, the UK gave asylum to around half of those exiled from Uganda, including many 24 | THE PROMOTA
My father originally came to Uganda in the 1920s and quickly carved out a name for himself in a wide range of industries including cotton, hides and skins, coffee and property. He was president of the Indian association in our home town for more than 30 years, and represented all the communities of Asian origin. He also helped to pioneer the Ugandan education system, benefiting thousands of children. He can be described as a man of vision, an entrepreneur and a philanthropist. He died in the 1960s, before my family were expelled the following decade, but I had already learnt much that has inspired me to do well in this country. I brought that hunger and enthusiasm with me when I came to this country. This culture is typical of many other Asians who came here from Uganda. Although many of the ancestors of the Indian families were originally brought over in the 19th century to help build the railway system, they had since become successful in businesses and professions. The community prospered in every walk of life. By the 1970s, they were the backbone of Ugandan
economy. There was peace and harmony between people of various religions and racial origins in Uganda. When the Asians were expelled, their properties, businesses and almost everything else was taken from them by Idi Amin and his Government. As such, they arrived on British shores completely penniless. General Amin took everything from us except our knowledge and what we had in our heads. I think that I speak for most, if not all, of those who came to this country during this time when I express my gratitude for Prime Minister Edward Heath’s honourable decision to allow those of us with British passports to settle here. Others went to places such as Canada, Australia and Europe, but I am grateful that my family was able to come and enjoy the opportunities that the UK provided to us and thousands of others. Upon their arrival, many Ugandan Asians were able to open corner shops and other small family businesses that proved to be highly successful in serving the needs of local communities. Many of them also took jobs in various sectors. This provided them with a solid base on which to raise their families and rebuild their lives. The children of those families
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noble Baroness, Lady Vadera, share my proud heritage, as do Shailesh Vara and Priti Patel in the House of Commons.
have since grown up and been educated here in the UK, serving only to advance the family lines through the high quality of learning that we so celebrate in this country. While some have taken over the family corner shop or followed in their mother’s or father’s footsteps, others have moved into different professions that in many cases were not accessible to their parents. Today, the sons and daughters of Ugandan Asians are visible in every walk of life, from medicine to banking and from writing to manufacturing. They make valuable contributions to our workforce, pay their taxes and help us to compete on the international stage. It should also be noted that the crime rate among this community is very low. Their influence can even be felt in this very House; I know that my colleagues, the noble Lord Popat, and the
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Perhaps the most notable example of where Ugandan Asians have thrived as a community is in Leicester and in the London Borough of Harrow, where, despite much resistance at the time, a number of the immigrants chose to settle. In the short term they helped to breathe new life into the economy of these areas, mainly through regenerating the manufacturing base and establishing new businesses. There are many specific examples of individuals and families who have thrived and become successful in their own right upon coming to the United Kingdom. I should like to mention the inspirational example of a good friend of mine, Mr Jaffer Kapasi, who was one of those who moved to Leicester in 1972. He arrived in the United Kingdom at the age of 22 with nothing. After university, he trained as an accountant and, several years later, set up his own business. He chaired a housing association for elderly and vulnerable people in the Midlands. When he took over the chairmanship in 1992, the association had 280 homes, and when he stepped down last year it had 1,900. He was awarded an OBE in 1997 for services to business in Leicestershire. This year, the Meiji University in Tokyo published his life story
and I highly recommend that noble Lords read it. The contributions of Ugandan Asians to the United Kingdom can be acknowledged on many levels and in many circles— economic, cultural, social and professional. It is a testament to how homogeneous a community they are that they have integrated so well into the British way of life. Wherever they have gone, they have earned respect, maintained a strong work ethic and forged successful relationships with other communities. This is a land of opportunity and tolerance, and we have always found the environment highly conducive to success. These qualities have allowed the Ugandan Asian community to flourish and, in turn, its members have served only to enrich our society further. I believe that this anniversary should remind us of the opportunities that there have been for members of that community to live well and flourish. Uganda’s loss truly has been Britain’s gain. The Asian community that came here and its future generations will, I believe, be good British citizens and help in the advancement and well-being of this great nation. Thank you, Britain, for accepting us when we arrived here. You have certainly lived up to the name “Great Britain”.
THE PROMOTA | 25
0 1 p o AFFORDABLE T
Affordable is a relative te rm when it comes to African safa ris but here are 10 – across Tanzan ia , Uganda, Rwan da, Ethiopia an d Kenya – that offer great ga meviewing withou t the super-hi gh price tag
TRAVEL
TBGBSJT! IN EAST AFRICA Three-day super-budget safari in the Maasai Mara, Kenya With park fees, transport and accommodation, Maasai Mara safaris can quickly add up to US $300 a day. Many of the budget options are very rough and ready, but this safari sacrifices some comfort – getting there means up to five hours on the road from Nairobi in a safari-style van as opposed to a 40-minute flight – but you still get nearly two full days in the reserve and the chance to observe wildlife including lions, elephants, cheetah, wildebeest, antelope and many other species. During the great migration (expected between July and October this year) wildebeest herds cross from the Serengeti into the Mara and make several high-risk river crossings. The simple camp with platform tents is near one of the gates to the Mara, the food – such as sausage and beans – is no-nonsense but included in the price and plentiful, and Kenya's famous Tusker beer can be purchased separately. Add on a night's stay at a guesthouse in Nakuru town and a game drive in the beautiful Lake Nakuru national park, famous for its flamingos but where many other animals can be seen, for an extra $130. +254 733 764 667, bigtimesafaris. co.ke. $330pp, including transport by road from Nairobi, two nights full-board accommodation (Miti Mingi eco-camp), park fees for two days and four game drives
26 | THE PROMOTA
Track gorillas in Uganda Normally itÊs painfully expensive to go on a gorilla safari due to the high cost of permits (usually $600) but during the low season (AprilMay and November), the Ugandan Wildlife Authority discounts the price and a local tour company has capitalised on this to offer a three-day gorilla tracking safari with a permit for a third of the usual price. Guests stay at a lodge – owned and recently renovated by Matoke Tours – overlooking the spectacular Lake Mutanda and the volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains, where they enjoy good quality food and en suite accommodation. With the safari including two travel days, travellers will track through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest until the mountain gorillas are located, after which the group will spend one hour with the gorillas. +256 312 202 907, matoketours.com. Tours cost $895pp during April, May and November, including transport by road from Kampala, two nights accommodation, full board while at the lodge, a day of gorilla tracking and gorilla permit; minimum group of four but the company will match you with other travellers
Ten-day camping adventure in Kenya’s dramatic north Get off the beaten track with this 10day camping safari that takes in a wide range of KenyaÊs impressive wildlife and breathtaking landscapes, including AfricaÊs second highest mountain (Mount Kenya) and the worldÊs largest desert lake (Turkana). After travelling overland to the Ol Pejeta conservancy in the foothills of Mount Kenya, the safari stops at the semi-arid Samburu national reserve, which plays host to all three big cats – lion, leopard and cheetah –as well as elephants, buffalo and hippos. Crossing volcanic terrain and the baked earth of the Chalbi desert, travellers spend two nights at Lake Turkana – a world heritage site that featured memorably in the film The Constant Gardener. Heading south once more, an afternoon camel safari in the foothills of Mount Nyiro is followed by a stop at Lake Baringo, renowned for its birdlife, as well as hippos and crocodiles. Accommodation is basic, in dome tents, and much of the driving is off-tarmac: which means itÊs not for the faint-hearted, but this safari takes in some of KenyaÊs most unforgettable regions. +254 731 309 513, gametrackersafaris. com. $1,315pp, including all park fees, transport from Nairobi with driverguide, camping equipment (dome tents and foam mattresses), all food (prepared by a cook travelling with the group) and selected activitiesgroup of four but the company will match you with other travellers
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Explore the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania A safari in the Serengeti is a bucket-list aspiration for many, which means that most tour packages to this game park push the definition of „affordable‰. Nevertheless, the expansive savannahs and woodlands here are home to incredible wildlife spectacles, especially during the famous wildebeest migration, when up to two million animals are on the move (it is expected to take place from July onwards this year). All of the „big five‰ are here, acting out their impulses with National Geographic-style theatricality, as safari van passengers stare agog. This four-day camping safari includes multiple game drives and a visit to Ngorongoro crater, the threemillion-year-old extinct volcano that herds of tourists descend into to see herds of wildlife on the crater floor. +255 7540 37897, amaniafrika.com. $1,217pp, including transport from Arusha (reachable by five-hour tourist shuttle from Nairobi), three nights full-board accommodation (Pimbi and Simba campsites), camping gear including sleeping bags, mattresses and a tent that will be pitched for you, game drives and park fees.
Track chimpanzees in Rwanda The mountain gorillas in the Virungas range get all the attention but Rwanda is home to numerous rare primates, most of which can be found in the staggeringly beautiful Nyungwe Forest national park in the south-west of the country. The forest is best known for its large troops of chimpanzees but is also prime swinging grounds for LÊHoestÊs monkeys, Angola colobus, vervet monkeys, and a range of others, along with around 300 bird species. Best of all, the cost for this whole package, which includes a day of tracking chimpanzees through the mountains, a nature walk, and two nights in a comfortable forest lodge with full board, still costs less than a single ($750) gorilla tracking permit up north. +256 392 834 606, rwandagorillassafari.com. From $700pp, including transport from Kigali, two nights full-board accommodation, park and chimpanzee tracking fees for two days
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A city safari and luxurious tented camp, Nairobi, Kenya Many travellers pass safari tents and evening The parkÊs through east AfricaÊs campfires. bustling regional hub en small area means that sightings are route to other destinations wildlife but Nairobi national park almost guaranteed: visitors – just a short drive from might see zebras, giraffes, the airport – offers wildlife lions and leopard on a enthusiasts short on time a game drive. It is also an fast-track safari experience. acclaimed rhino sanctuary, Thanks to the Nairobi home to both black and Tented Camp, which white rhino. While fullopened in 2011, visitors board accommodation is can now sleep in the park – not the cheapest on our list, and tucked into a tree-lined a two-night excursion into valley, itÊs hard to imagine the park can be affordable that the capitalÊs traffic way to see impressive jams lie only a few miles wildlife if you only can away. The camp replicates spare time for a short stay a luxury camp deep in the in the region or want a brief bush, with spacious en taste of luxury. suite accommodation in +254 774 136 523, nairobitentedcamp.com. $630pp, including two nights full-board accommodation (sharing in a twin or double tent), two days mandatory park fees, airport transfers, two game drives, sundowner and free beer, wine, and gin and tonicfor two days
Track wolves in Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains The rusty-hued Ethiopian wolf is the worldÊs rarest canid, and more than half of the remaining population of this critically endangered carnivore lives in the rugged, otherworldly landscape of EthiopiaÊs Bale Mountains, a prime trekking destination in the south-east of the country. Visitors hike through the stark Afro-alpine moorland of the Sanetti plateau, home to mountain nyala and spotted hyenas as well as wolves, and explore the Harenna cloud forest, where lions and leopards are occasionally seen. As youÊll be getting out of the Landcruiser to track on foot on this three-day tour, itÊs best to avoid the rainy season and go between November and February or from May to July. The drive from Addis Ababa stops at the bird and hippo watching spot, Lake Ziway, before proceeding for lunch in Shashemene, a vibrant market town that is the Rasta capital of Ethiopia. +251 9131 70579, fanosethiopiatours.com. $865pp, including transport from Addis Ababa, two nights B&B at the Wabe Shebelle Hotel, park and guiding fees
THE PROMOTA | 27
TRAVEL
MURCHISON FALLS WILDLIFE, RHINO TRACKING AND NILE BOAT CRUISES, UGANDA
Operating out of the Red Chilli Hideaway – a popular backpacker stop-off in Kampala – this safari heads to Murchison Falls national park, the countryÊs largest. After a picnic overlooking the falls and a night in basic camp on the banks of the Upper Nile, the safari then takes in a morning game drive in the parkÊs Nile delta at Lake Albert – where you might see lion, leopard, giraffe and elephant – followed
by a boat trip on the river. The camp is simple and facilities are communal but it is one of the few budget alternatives to MurchisonÊs luxury getaways. After a second night at the camp, the safari moves on to the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, where guests learn to track rhinos with one of the rangers. Meals are excluded on this trip but can be purchased at the camp, which also has a fully stocked bar.
+256 772 509 150, r e d c h i l l i h i d e a w a y. c o m . $380pp, including all park fees and activities, two nights accommodation in shared safari tents, and transport to and from Kampala. Subject to availability, Red Chilli Hideaway will offer one nightÊs free camping or dormitory accommodation in Kampala prior to departure
FROM THE FORESTS TO THE SHORE IN ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA
Doors in the island capital of Stone Town still boast brass studs for repelling war elephants – by merchants who sought to protect themselves from „combat‰ elephants that were historically deployed in India and Persia – but large mammals no longer dwell on the Spice Islands. What the archipelago does have, however, is astonishing marine life, with dolphins and technicolour sea creatures galore. ThereÊs also a healthy population of endangered red colobus monkeys and giant Aldabra tortoises. This highly affordable four-day tour package zips between land and sea, with snorkelling trips to the magnificent coral reefs of uninhabited Chumbe Island and walks through two forest reserves, one primate-laden and the other home to rare antelopes. ThereÊs also a trip to Prison Island, where land tortoises creep along the beach, and a stop to watch bottlenose and humpback dolphins frolicking in the waves. +255 242 233 731, ecoculture-zanzibar.org. $485pp, including all transfers within Zanzibar, three nights B&B at Tembo House Hotel or Mtoni Marine, and all tour and park fees
28 | THE PROMOTA
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ELEPHANT HERDS WITH MOUNT KILIMANJARO VIEWS, KENYA If the idea of a roving herd of nearly 100 elephants appeals to you, then Amboseli national park in southern Kenya is the game park for you. The photo-ready peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, just across the border in Tanzania, looms over this small and manageable Rift valley park, where the roads are reasonable and the herbivore viewing is dramatic. In addition to the impressive – and highly visible – packs of elephants, Cape buffalo, hippos, and giraffes can also be seen in abundance, although the big cats are less common. This three-day package includes van transport from Nairobi (it's about a four-hour drive each way), and full-board accommodation in a nice tented camp with a pool, just outside the Kimana Gate, where many animals congregate during the dry season. +254 726 042 070, flashmctours.com. 19,500 Kenya shillings per pesron (around £135), including transport from Nairobi, two nights full-board accommodation at Kibo Safari Camp and game drives
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THE PROMOTA | 29
A holiday like no other -
Lifetime experience! •Uganda
•Game Viewing •Chimpazee Tracking •Boat Safaris •Mountain Gorillas
•Birding •Culture Safari •Mountain Climbing •Water Rafting Great Nile Safaris
•Bwindi Impenetrable National Park •Kibale National Park •Kidepo Valley National Park •Lake Mburo National Park •Mgahinga Gorilla National Park •Mount Elgon National Park •Murchison Falls National Park •Queen Elizabeth National Park •Rwenzori Mountains National Park •Semuliki National Park
Quote: GNS Uganda: Crystal Safaris Plot 6 Colville street Airways House, Ground Floor Tel: +256 414 345 742 +256 772 470260 UK: +44 771 442 0992
www.greatnilesafaris.com Email: info@greatnilesafaris.com
Photographs by Donette Read Kruger
ARTISTS IN STONE
E
nvisage thousands of football fans visiting Rio de Janeiro during June/July 2014, traipsing up the 250 steps of Corcavado Mountain, (not nearby Sugar Loaf Mountain) to pray for their home team at the foot of Christ the Redeemer. Does anyone realise it took 10 years of planning to create this ultimate vision 72 years ago; first cast in reinforced concrete and then covered in soapstone, it is highly polished soapstone, (or soaprock as some call it), which gives it that creamy, clean gold surface. In China and Egypt stone ornaments and jewellery are not only crafted in green or black soapstone but grey, red, brown. In Alaska soapstone can be white and in China pink! We all know that it takes eons of water constantly dripping onto fossilised rock to wear it down from its original hard shape into something totally different. So, too, do the Chitungwiza First Generation of Rock Art Carvers of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe’s many other artists, create the smoothest and most beautiful forms that are now being exported to art collectors and museums around the world. The tragedy is that the end price is far more than what these artists themselves could ever imagine. Crating and freighting such fragile art is an expensive hobby for the entrepreneur who invests, anxiously ensuring that their heavy cargo ultimately reaches its intended foreign destination intact. (A yacht crew’s worst nightmare is colliding with a submerged container that has slipped off a freighter in rough seas between continents?) Unlike brush artists who are emotionally involved with different hues, the male and female sculptors of Zimbabwe are guided by the textures
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Tendai Tigere proudly holding aloft his brother Gabriel's purple rhino in Lepidolite of the rock they carve. They travel far and wide to the rural areas, exploring dry river beds, valleys and mountains in their search to identify the perfect stone. Then hauling their heavy loads onto any available donkey cart and, having paid the owner to hire his rustic vehicle heads for the nearest village. They now hire a truck to transport the rock by road (or rail) across this part of Africa to their open air workshop, shaded from the hot sun beneath flimsy thatch or shreds of old canvas and plastic shelters. On arrival at their home base the sculptor, having built up an intimate knowledge of the roots of the stone’s origin, quietly caresses and absorb the spirit of the stone. It may be in limestone, soapstone, serpentine, lepidolite, sheer granite, marble or other but the sculptor will become aware of exactly what it is this ancient rock of ages is to be translated into. This spiritual experience may even have happened immediately as the artist identified the rock hundreds of miles away. Thus inspired by the vision of the spirit, the artist begins to whittle away using the tools of a sculptor’s trade: rasps, lathes, chisels, files and saws. The National Art Gallery in Harare is considered to contain some of the county’s most outstanding stone carvings, and if you do not believe in the sacred Spirit of the rock art of
Zimbabwe, can you explain why it is seldom stolen from the plinths on which the sculptures stand, surrounded in parks and water gardens, and sold on by the would-be thieves? Zimbabweans are in awe of their stone artists. Bushmen rock art hung for centuries until the Revolution. There is evidence in Wedza, of foreign mercenaries commandeered during the Revolution by the Rhodesia Military who, using their pistols, shot holes into the face of cave walls. Thus dislodged, the ancient Bushman art was carefully caught up into army sleeping bags, and smuggled out overseas to be sold. The original citadel of Zimbabwe was founded by the Portuguese explorer, Pegado in the 14th century. This was long after it became the Queen of Sheba’s haunt during her hunting trips from Yemen and Ethiopia, in the 10th century. Strolling with her brace of gold leather-and-diamond studded collared cheetahs in the grounds of The Monument of Great Zimbabwe, how could she know that the shrilling cries of the Peregrine falcons overhead were predicting that within 600 years, the entire country of would be known as Dzimba-dza-Mabwe or Dzimbadzemabwe, translated from the original Karanga dialect, meaning “House of Stone”? (Read Matthew 7:24) by Donette Read Kruger
THE PROMOTA | 31
T.B. Joshua -
Healer or Controversial Leader?
I
t's Sunday, and 15,000 people are seated in the enormous arena-like church, fanning themselves against the dusty humid air in Nigeria. The preacher in a blue flowered shirt taps his microphone to announce "prophecy time." He places his hands on worshippers, who spin in circles, wave their arms in the air and finally collapse to the ground, shaking. They've been delivered. "Emmanuel!" he shouts. "Emmanuel!" the crowd echoes. A camera crew of 20 scurries around speakers branded with the slogan for his Emmanuel TV station, "Distance is not a barrier." The service is beamed worldwide. This is T.B. Joshua, one of the best-known preachers in Africa and among the most profitable in Nigeria, the go-to faith healer and spiritual guide for leaders such as the late Ghanaian President John Atta Mills, 32 | THE PROMOTA
Malawian President Joyce Banda and former Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Joshua's Synagogue, Church of All Nations, has branches around the world, and a recent YouTube video even credits him with predicting the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370. Yet critics say this wildly popular televangelist hinders efforts to curtail the spread of HIV and tuberculosis with testimonies by churchgoers that faith and his holy water can cure both. He is also accused of taking advantage of his followers and tightly controlling those closest to him, who call him "Daddy."
Joshua brushes such concerns aside. "The gospel needs to be preached all over the world," says Joshua, whose full name is Temitope Balogun Joshua, in a rare interview at his church with The Associated Press. "You cannot light a candle and put it under a roof." His Lagos church has a sprawling campus of restaurants, overflow tents for thousands and dormitories for visitors, who all hope to be touched, even if only by proximity, by the man known as "the prophet." Joshua also has satellite centres in London, Greece, Ghana, South Africa and
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Competition was fierce among the 200 or so disciples for Joshua's attention, and they were encouraged to "report" each other for behaviours deemed wrong, he said. Sins are confessed in front of others, recorded and archived, according to Hurst and other former disciples. Passports are taken, along with novels and any medications, including mild painkillers or malaria pills, he said of when he was there. several other countries, along with a 24/7 television station on cable and online that comes with simultaneous translations in French and Spanish. The man who says he comes from the poor village of Arigidi in Ondo State, is worth between $10 and $15 million based on assets, according to Forbes magazine, which in 2011 estimated his personal wealth. His church, however, has become controversial for showing on its website people with testimonies of being healed of HIV. They hold up a required before and after certificate, allegedly signed by a doctor, stating that their HIV-positive status has transformed to negative. UNAIDS notes that there is no available cure for HIV, and any interruptions to medical treatment can have serious health implications and infect others. "We strongly advise people not to waste their money on T.B. Joshua and his false cures," said Marcus Low, head of policy at the South Africa-based Treatment Action Campaign, which advocates increased access to treatment and support services for people living with HIV. When asked if he advises followers to forego HIV/ AIDS medication for his "anointing water," Joshua responded: "Let me tell you, I am a medium. In the same way, doctors are mediums to bring treatment." www.thepromota.co.uk
Joshua, 50, claims his mother was pregnant with him for 15 months. Later in life, he says, he fell into a trance for three days and saw a hand pointing a bible at his heart. He started his church more than 20 years ago, and now has allegedly more than 50,000 people who visit his Lagos synagogue weekly, including foreigners. "It's the opposite of sacrifice," said disciple Angela Brandt about working for Joshua. She has stayed on the campus in Nigeria after visiting from California more than a decade ago. She said she was healed of severe scoliosis. Joshua told the AP that God heals through him, with a smile and confidence that show why he's so beloved to some. He sits in a small office with a blue and white robe over his clothes, with several flat screen televisions visible from his desk. He uses a buzzer to call in - and sometimes shout at - young, barefoot men and women who serve him. That kind of treatment of his disciples has also raised questions. Former disciple Giles Hurst, 31, says at first he was "lovebombed," a term that can be used to describe when cults or groups shower a recruit with love and accolades to get them to join. But when he became a disciple, Hurst said, he saw the other side.
Permission from Joshua in the form of a signed "pass" is needed just to make a phone call or email, Hurst said. "Nobody questions it ... he is a holy man, he can do whatever," Hurst said, a statement backed by interviews with other former disciples. The danger Joshua posed became clearer, Hurst said, when his mother, who was devoted to the church, started losing her battle with cancer. Hurst claims that she refused chemotherapy because Joshua told her she was healed. And the cancer did shrink at first, but six months later, she was dead. When Hurst told Joshua the news a few months later, he said the man he called "Daddy" hung up. It was explained to him that "the prophet" didn't like to listen to bad news. Ruth Mackintosh, who is from the U.K., said she's lost her sister, brother-in-law, two nieces and a nephew to the church. Calls and emails to Joshua's church for reaction to these allegations went unanswered.
THE PROMOTA | 33
The real tragedy of Donald Sterling's racism: it took this long for us to notice The LA Clippers owner made his millions off racist housing policies. Where was the NBA and presidential outrage then?
A
s riots exploded across America in early April 1968 in the immediate wake of Rev Martin Luther King's assassination, President Lyndon Johnson went on a Capitol Hill oensive to pass a law he hoped would, in part, quell some of the violence and best honor the man just slain. A day after King was buried, the Fair Housing Act was passed. And in the nearly half-century since the enactment of that bedrock piece of civil rights legislation, which outlawed housing discrimination, there hasn't been a greater oender of it, perhaps, than longtime NBA owner Donald Sterling of the Los Angeles Clippers.
34 | THE PROMOTA
Yet it was just this Saturday that there arose a hue and cry for the NBA to act against Sterling. It came in reaction to an audio recording allegedly of Sterling, who is white, telling his mixed-race girlfriend not to bring black people to his team's games.
in with the star-studded Lakers, laughed at for being a second-class franchise in a first-class sports league.
Decades of racist policy renting housing in Los Angeles, which turned Sterling into a real-estate mogul wealthy enough to buy and run a professional sports team, didn't elicit any such furor. But decades of lousy Clippers basketball under Sterling's stewardship turned the Clippers into the butt of late-night TV jokes. The Clippers were laughed at for losing, laughed at for being cheap, laughed at for moving
Neither the league, nor the players, nor the sports media paid much if any attention to Sterling's agreement in 2003 to pay upwards of $5m to settle a lawsuit brought by the Housing Rights Center charging that he tried to drive non-Korean tenants out of apartments he bought in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles. Only a few observers noted in 2006 that the Justice Department sued Sterling for allegations of housing
But all those years, not enough people looked at Donald Sterling as the racist landlord the law so bore him out to be.
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discrimination in the same neighborhood. The charges included statements he allegedly made to employees that black and Hispanic families were not desirable tenants. And while a handful of us in the media excoriated Sterling and the NBA in 2009 when Sterling settled the lawsuit by agreeing to pay $2.73m following allegations he refused to rent apartments to Hispanics, blacks and families with children, the story didn't resonate – despite it being the largest housing discrimination settlement in Justice Department history. There was no investigation from the NBA, like the one new commissioner Adam Silver announced under pressure this weekend, promising to move "extraordinarily quickly". There was no condemnation from black players who predominate the league like the one that erupted Saturday and Sunday from current superstars, including LeBron James and Chris Paul, and from retired icons like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Paul, the Clippers star and head of the National Basketball Players Association, joined his teammates Sunday in stripping their warm-up gear and throwing it unceremoniously into a pile in a demonstration to disown the team's nickname in protest of their owner's loathsomeness.
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And there was certainly no President Barack Obama to denounce Sterling, as he did Sunday. The comments with which the owner had been charged with spewing, the president said, showed how "the United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race and slavery and segregation." But pro sports have their own legacy of ignorance as bliss. The sudden Sterling backlash exposed a mythology that we've allowed to grow in sport's billion-dollar commercial industrialization: sport leads social change. In many cases, however, such as the blind eye cast to racial discrimination of prodigious proportion, sport is a laggard in social reform, its leaders tacit supporters – if not propagators – of unethical and immoral behavior. Indeed, the NBA front office and its member owners continued to embrace Sterling, and players – black and white – continued to accept offers to play for him without condition. Paul, so apoplectic about Sterling now, jumped to autograph a five-year, $107m contract exactly one minute after the midnight free agent signing period opened last summer. Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who Sunday said he was uncertain about returning to the team next season in the wake of the newest unsavory report about Sterling, moved from Boston to Los Angeles last summer to accept Sterling's $21m offer to
coach the Clippers. Instances wherein pro-sports participants have taken a stand against social intransigence, like the walkout of the 1965 American Football League All-Star Game by black players angered that they were denied rooms and board in the host city New Orleans, are few. It took Major League Baseball years before it ousted Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott, who became infamous for spewing barbs about black players and homosexuals and marveling at Hitler. And while the majority of American society became accepting of gay people in recent years, it wasn't until the past year that an active gay pro basketball player and would-be gay National Football League player felt comfortable enough to declare their sexuality in public. It was an overdue reckoning this weekend when so many voices started calling for the NBA to sanction or oust Donald Sterling. Ironically, he was only able to become one of the league's owners due to the wealth he amassed – wealth amassed in part by refusing to lease land to people who look like most of the players in the NBA. As such, he should've been treated like a pariah years ago. But he wasn't rebuked, or worse, way back when – and that should be the biggest outrage of all. by Kevin B Blackistone theGuardian
THE PROMOTA | 35
TECHNOLOGY
S
mart headphones
COULD BE THE SMARTGLASSES FOR THE REST OF US The GN Intelligent Headset promises to be wearable technology that doesn't make you stand out. Photograph: GN
What if your headphones were smart enough to know where you are, which direction you are facing and could play 3D sounds capable of giving you directions – without the need for a screen or glasses strapped to your face? The Intelligent Headset from Danish audio specialists GN can do just that using built-in sensors that relay information to a smartphone or tablet and allow the headset to know where and what you are facing at any time. “It took us under two years to develop the headphones, which are based on our sister company Jabra’s Bluetooth headphones, upgraded with a gyroscope, GPS and compass integrated into the top band,” said Lars Johansen, one of the developers of the Intelligent Headset. Wearable technology, hidden in plain sight The headphones do not obviously look like a piece of wearable smart technology, unlike smartglasses like Google Glass. The only sign that they are more than Bluetooth headphones is a small lump in the headband that contains the extra sensors and electronics. 36 | THE PROMOTA
GN’s 3D-audio technology also allows immersive music listening experiences. Wearers can walk through an orchestra, for instance, and hear the individual instruments pass them by. The headset could also recreate a concert, where it sounds like the user is standing in the middle of the crowd. 'Something smaller, more discrete' Besides entertainment, GN sees applications for helping blind or partially sighted people with navigation, using directional audio cues to indicate which way they need to move or where a building is, like an audio version of satellite navigation. The headset is still in development, but pre-orders are available now costing $420 and shipping in July this year.
“They connect via Bluetooth to a smartphone or tablet and allow us to use 3D positional audio to give the wearer real-time audio feedback on their actions or location – they’re like an audio version of Google Glass,” explained Johansen. Like Google Glass, the Intelligent Headset has a lot of potential for all sorts of innovative uses in audio and gaming, but also in navigation and support for blind people. Gaming, walking, touring and talking While GN has opened up the Headset to developers, and is currently seeking “killer apps”, its in-house developers like Johansen have already come up with some very interesting applications. Johansen has developed an iPhone game called Zombie X, which uses 3D-spatial audio to simulate an immersive zombie attack in a 360-degree space around the wearer. Players have to pinpoint the direction of the attack using audio alone. As the player rotates, the direction of the audio source changes, and once the zombie is right in front of them hitting a button will fire a gun and take the beast down. Other applications being demonstrated included an audio tour of a museum, which explained to the wearer what they were looking at with the touch of a button. Some exhibits emitted sounds associated with their function, like the sounds of water pouring for a fountain or the puffs of steam for an engine, allowing the wearer to pinpoint the attraction’s location by the direction the sound source.
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GADGETS
Galaxy S5 Verdict “Powerful, competent and with a whole new UI, it’s a shame that Samsung hasn’t progressed further with the look of its new challenger.”
For » Amazing screen » Great battery life » Hugely powerful
Dual Power Bank Ratings in depth
Design Features Performance
The easy way to charge TWO gadgets on the go! » Recharge smartphones and other gadgets wherever you are » Dual USB outputs to recharge 2 devices simultaneously » Made from Aluminium with a stylish high gloss black finish » Can be used to recharge any device that uses USB to charge (with the device’s original cable) £39.95
Against
Usability
» Creaky design » Bottom dock locked down » Unnecessary heart rate monitor » Slow background de-focus
Value
The Samsung Galaxy S5 can be defined by one word: evolution.
screens that's been extended to 5.1-inches and added biometrics.
The camera has evolved to give clearer, faster snaps. The fitness-tracking abilities of the S5 are enhanced over the Galaxy S4 by packing in a more powerful S Health app and a dedicated heart rate monitor on the rear. A fingerprint scanner adds to the most secure Galaxy phone ever made.
Overall, the design of the Samsung Galaxy S5 is likely to be the area that receives the most criticism, and for good reason.
The battery is larger, the screen bigger and brighter, the processor quicker and the design altered. The spec sheet certainly doesn't let it down: a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 2800mAh (removable) battery, 16 / 32GB of memory (with up to 128GB extra through microSD), one of the world's most vibrant
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It doesn’t command a premium feel in the hand like so many other high-end phones on the market, and while some will point to how strong and high-quality the polycarbonate used is, it still pales in comparison to the competition. Yes, it’s lighter and probably more hard-wearing (you’re much less likely to need a case with the Galaxy S5, for instance) but this is the biggest pain point for Samsung and it’s one that it needs to improve with the Galaxy S6.
iKettle
The World’s First WiFi Kettle
» Boil your kettle with your smart phone, anywhere in your home » The most satisfying wake-up call of all time » Welcomes you home by asking if you’d like to pop the kettle on » Match your kettle to your kitchen with the insulating iKettle skins » Embrace laziness and enjoy perfect hot drinks, what’s not to like?
£99.99 THE PROMOTA | 37
MOTOR REVIEW
C-01
Tron
Tron's light cycle becomes REAL: Lotus reveal plan to built its first motorcycle based on the sci-fi design The C-01 was designed by Daniel Simon, who also designed the Tron Lightcycle
For fans of sci-fi films, it may look strangely familiar. British car firm Lotus has unveiled its first ever motorcycle - and looks a lot like the famous Light cycle from the film Tron. In fact, Lotus worked with the designer of the Tron bike on the project. The C-01 is the first Lotus motorcycle although the car firm will let someone else produce it 38 | THE PROMOTA
'Over the years I have seen my fair share of style over substance, what this bike brings to the market is a unique combination of both: state of the art technology with a truly jaw-dropping aesthetic.' Günther Holzer, CEO of Holzer Group said: 'I was one of the first people to ride it and I have to say I was very impressed. 'Together we have found that delicate balance between raw, aggressive power and breath-taking handling. 'The team has created something very special, it looks incredible, it sounds fantastic but above all, the ride is sensational. I’m very happy.'
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The C-01 will be available in a range of special Lotus colour schemes, and customers lucky enough to buy them can even design their own. SPEEDY SPECS Lotus has not yet revealed the top speed or the price of the bike. However, it has released some specs: • • • • • • • •
2-cylinder 4-stroke engine 1,195cc 200 HP 6-gear jaw-type shift transmission Ride height: 90 mm Height of seat: 710 mm Fuel tank capacity: 10.5l Dry weight: 181 kg
'Following two years of careful planning and intense development, Kodewa is delighted to announced the prototype of the world’s first motorcycle to bear the legendary Lotus marque is now road registered and ready for action,' the firm said. However, Lotus will not be making the bike itself, instead granting German firm Kodewa a license to produce it. ‘The C-01 combines ample power via a V-twin engine with a distinctive body designed by Daniel Simon integrating carbon fibre, titanium and aerospace quality steel,’ the firm said. Just 100 of the bikes will be made in a www.thepromota.co.uk
range of special designs reflecting the most iconic Lotus colour schemes, and customers can even design their own. Designer Daniel Simon also worked with Disney to design the Tron Light cycle in the hit film. A former designer for Bugatti Automobiles, he also designed the ‘Bubbleship’ used by Tom Cruise in the recent Universal sci-fi hit ‘Oblivion’. The German is also responsible for the black and gold livery of the Lotus LMP2 sports cars. ‘The design process of the C-01 was a labour of love, there were many challenges, ensuring that the bike not only touches your visual senses with its timeless blend of classic appeal and modern execution, but that is safe and ergonomically sound was critical to me,’ he said. ‘We have worked hard to create a motorcycle with very distinctive features such as a clean main body, an extremely low side profile, a bold stance, a unique air intake, logical partline solutions and clean graphics.’ The original idea to create the C-01 came from Kodewa’s Dr Colin Kolles. Speaking about the project he said: ‘We set out to create a bike that isn’t just great to ride but also represents a piece of art in motion. THE PROMOTA | 39
MOTOR REVIEW
The new
BENTLEY CONTINENTAL
GT V8 S’S
smaller motor still packs a large punch.
Its fair to say that Bentley’s acquisition by Volkswagen in 1998 was the best thing to happen to the company in its 95-year history as it has never looked healthier. With VW’s investment, that achievement is largely down to the hugely successful Continental GT Coupé. The Conti GT first hit showrooms in 2003 and following that came the Flying Spur saloon which has sold well since its re-launch last year while a myriad of coupé off-shoots including convertibles and sporting variants like the just launched GT V8 S have ensured that it remains the most successful model on the company’s books. Released locally during the Qatar Motor Show last February, the GT V8 S is expected to boost regional 40 | THE PROMOTA
sales further following its record 2013 when Middle East sales rose by 45 per cent with 1185 cars delivered over 2012’s 815 cars. This region was a significant contributor to the company’s overall bottom line with a 19 per cent global increase, equating to 10,120 cars being delivered, representing the highest figure in Bentley’s history. In response to demand and eco- pressure, Bentley introduced a more frugal version of the Continental GT two years ago with a smaller, 4-litre V8 unit from sister company Audi, slotted under the hood to complement flagship 6-litre, twin- turbo 12-cylinder model. Aside from the smaller motor, its V8 burble was a www.thepromota.co.uk
The new
BENTLEY CONTINENTAL
GT V8 S’S
bonus over the W12 which gave it a sporting edge and the company has now run with the theme a little further by offering the sports version you see here represented by the S badge. Although the new GT V8 S is expected to come with a price to rival the regular W12, it packs a tonne of driving pleasure the bigger-engined car can’t match. Tweaks made to the V8 result in it delivering 521bhp, up from 500bhp and 680Nm of torque, which is good enough to propel its 2750kg mass down the road to 100kmh in just 4.5 seconds and on to 309kmh. There is also the convertible version which is 200kg heavier but still gets to 100kmh in 4.7 seconds and tops out at 308kmh.
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Power drives through a ZF eightspeed automatic transmission with paddle shifts, while stiffer springs (45 per cent stiffer at the front and 33 per cent firmer over the tail) combined with a tad less rear camber gives the steering a more accurate feel. Another benefit from this when looking at the lithe Conti is that it now sits a fraction lower and when you take into account its new lower-body styling kit that includes a sharp front splitter, discrete side sills and a subtle rear diffuser, while giant red brake calipers peer through custom 20inch alloys, it suddenly looks a touch sinister. Throw in the black gloss grille with its single chrome divider bar and figure-of-eight tail pipes and the V8 S starts to grow horns the longer you look at it.
From inside, it’s the definitive Bentley with lashings of chrome, knurled alloy, lovely leather and timbergrain veneers. This time the knurled chrome extends to the gear lever and vent controls while high gloss piano black that’s been lacquered up to 18 times is the order for the timber veneers and is capped by discreet ‘V8 S’ badges on the sill tread plates. Carried over from the regular Continental GT is an infotainment unit that comprises an eight-inch touchscreen display showing the car’s navigation, audio and telephone systems as well as its ride and comfort settings for the air suspension which is complemented by a 30GB on-board hard drive.
THE PROMOTA | 41
FASHION
42 | THE PROMOTA
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FASHION
Bark ClothSustainable and non conventional TextileHeader Bark Cloth (Lubugo in Lugandawhich is the language spoken by the tribe that produces this cloth) is a non woven fabric made from the bark of the MUTUBA (MITUBA- PLURAL) Tree (FICUS NATALENSINS) and is produced by the Baganda tribe in Uganda. It was widely used in dress making and was widely worn by the Kings and Queens of Uganda prior to the arrival of cotton which I think was introduced by Arabs or Indians.
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and learn about this group I asked Fred the group leader a couple of questions via email. Who is involved and why? As per the objective of LET ART TALK of empowering communities through Art, part of what we do is encouraging local people to use locally available materials. Bark cloth(Lubugo) is one of such materials.
The cloth is used widely in Uganda’s Art and Craft industry, Traditional ceremonies and as a burial shroud. The production process of bark cloth is labour intensive. What I find really interesting about this fabric is that you have to plant more trees and if you cut down the trees, you have no chance of future harvest!
Kibinge Sub County was once renowned for bark cloth making. However, the craft has been dying out in the past couple of decades. It is an agricultural area where everybody is now affected by the current threat of climatic change and global warming. The communities have now realized the importance of trees to agriculture. The Mutuba tree is the most friendly agro forestry tree.
Fred Mutebi, a Ugandan, and his group asked me to help raise awareness of this fabric and hopefully bring it into mainstream use. By way of trying to understand
So by planting more Mituba trees, we are taking care of the environment. With time, we
THE PROMOTA | 43
CULTURE AND FASHION
44 | THE PROMOTA
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FASHION
hope that the more trees planted, the more co2 will be offset and hence solving the climatic change issue. Nobody can do it for us. What the international community should do is make more research about bark cloth so that we can have more Mituba trees. Because of their renewable nature, these trees will stay around for more than 100 years and hence addressing the climatic change issue, which in Africa is primarily due to deforestation. The entire community is involved; the men and male youth are getting more involved in the craft of making bark cloth, the women and female youth are trying to experiment with it to make products. This is therefore a new form of employment for the would be idle youth and it reduces rural urban migration to look for jobs which are not even there. They all together are involved in the massive planting of the Mituba trees. Almost every household is part of the project. Why should folk here in the West be interested in this fabric? (a) Because the West is more advanced in technology and research methods, they www.thepromota.co.uk
stand a better chance to work out the best possible ways to harness this fabric. Once we have all discovered the best way to use this fabric, the worry of of enough trees to offset Co2 will be lessened. (b) The West is now looking for new approaches to helping Africa. Some of us believe that Africa should not just be given money but trade with what the West can use. (c) If the West provides the market for this fabric, it will contribute directly or indirectly towards the millennium development goals. (d) We need to give confidence to the local people involved in the projects so that the trees can be more protected by them since it will be a source livelihood for them. We want to have over a million trees planted in the next few years. We want to make forests without having to have forests. This can only be achieved if there is support from folks out there who can provide a market for this renewable fabric.
by Ida Horner Founder of Ethnic Supplies.
THE PROMOTA | 45
FAITH AND RELIGION
Vatican declares Popes JOHN PAUL II and JOHN XXIII saints
J
ohn Paul II and John XXIII, perhaps the two most beloved popes of the modern era, were declared saints Sunday before hundreds of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square, a display of unity for a church increasingly divided over reforms. Estimates for the number of pilgrims who made the trip to Rome for the rare double canonization varied from 800,000 to more than 2 million. St. Peter’s Square was filled with the faithful, many of whom camped overnight beneath threatening skies to assure good vantage points. A half-dozen large Roman squares were set aside to show the day’s events on oversized television screens. By most counts, it was the largest gathering in Rome since John Paul’s funeral eight years ago. 46 | THE PROMOTA
Many made the long trip from Poland in a final large-scale homage to the pope from their homeland. When he was elected in 1978, John Paul was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. Faithful gather in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 27, 2014. Pope Francis has declared his two predecessors John XXIII and John Paul II saints in an unprecedented canonization ceremony made even more historic by the presence of retired Pope Benedict XVI.(AP Photo/ Alessandra Tarantino) Enlarge Photo Faithful gather in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 27, ... more > “It was so moving to be part of a ceremony to honor two such holy men, including John Paul, who is the pride of all of Poland,” said Magda Bajek, a 40-year-old book editor
who traveled 700 miles by bus from Krakow, John Paul’s hometown. Sandro Calabrese, a 32-year-old hotel worker from Rome, said, “I will remember this great day for the rest of my life.” It was the first time in the church’s more than 2,000-year history that two popes were named saints on the same day. With Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI joining Pope Francis for the ceremony, it also was the first time a canonization ceremony was attended by two pontiffs. The Italian press dubbed Sunday “the day of four popes.” At least 150 cardinals and an estimated 1,000 bishops attended the ceremony, which also included about 50 heads of state or heads of government, and official delegations from another 100 countries, plus
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representatives from dozens of non-Catholic faiths. The display of unity was welcome for a church that on its highest levels is increasingly divided by Francis’ reforms of hierarchy, including the role of the entrenched and powerful Roman curia, the Vatican Bank, and his efforts to confront the church’s role in ongoing sex scandals, as well as by the pontiff’s informal and unpredictable style that keeps church officials guessing. “Pope Francis is wildly popular among the general population, but he’s really ruffling feathers in some parts of the church,” said the Rev. Alistair Sear, a retired church historian. “It is nice to see all sides come together for an event like this one.” In his homily Sunday, Francis stayed away from his reform agenda, the politics behind the unusual dual canonization and the criticisms that sainthoods might have been rushed. Instead, he focused on characteristics he shared with the two new saints: their love for the poor and unfortunate and their roles as examples of what he called “Christian hope and joy.” Both men, Francis said, “saw Jesus in every person who suffers and struggles,” and both “bore witness before the church and the world to God’s goodness and mercy.” John and John Paul took different roads to sainthood: John, who was
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pope from 1958 to 1963, was seen as a man of vision, while John Paul, who was pope from 1978 to 2005, was cast as a man of decisive action.
problem of pedophile priests and other sex scandals that first arose during his papacy, leaving the issue to successors Benedict and now Francis.
John, nicknamed the “Good Pope,” is best remembered for convening the Second Vatican Council, the most wide-scale church reform in centuries that, among other things, eliminated the Latin-only Mass and took other steps to make the liturgy and rituals more accessible.
“John Paul has many stunning achievements and he was a towering figure on the geopolitical stage,” said Jason Berry, an author and commentator on the sex scandals within the church. “But he failed terribly on the abuse crisis.”
John Paul stood up to the Soviet Union and played a role in ending the Cold War. He apologized for past abuses of the church, including its opposition to science and its role in the Crusades, and he reached out to improve relations with Jews, Muslims and Orthodox Christians.
None of that mattered Sunday. As it did for John Paul’s funeral, the enthusiastic crowd spilled out of St. Peter’s Square into the surrounding area and along the wide Via della Conciliazione nearly half a mile to the Tiber River, waving flags, banners and balloons and snapping photos.
While John is esteemed by church liberals and John Paul by more conservative Catholics, both were beloved for their accessible and enthusiastic personalities, a trait they share with the current pontiff.
When the dual sainthoods were declared, the echo of applause was so loud that it shook the stately buildings of the square.
Both canonization cases raised controversy: John because the requirement for two “proven” miracles was waived so he could be declared a saint, and John Paul because he was made a saint eight years after his death, 14 years faster than anyone else in modern history. In most cases, declaring sainthood takes decades or even centuries.
“It was a beautiful, moving, emotional ceremony,” said Mary Anne Collins, a 70-year-old retired university administrator from Baltimore, who traveled to Rome with her two daughters. “I don’t know all the background stuff about everything that’s going on, but I can’t say it seems important right now. Today was about these two great men, and everyone was happy to have been part of it.”
John Paul also has been disparaged for doing too little to confront the THE PROMOTA | 47
INTERVIEW
A Taste of Tanzania�
“
Miriam Rose Kinunda Who is Miriam Kinunda?
Rose
I am the author of the cookbook Taste of Tanzania: Modern Swahili Recipes for the West. I am also a blogger at TasteofTanzania.com I was born in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in 1969. I love to draw flowers, listening to music, sewing and I enjoy watching movies a lot. Miriam Kinunda is one of the first African food bloggers. Miriam first began blogging in 2004 into what has now become "A Taste of Tanzania" food blog and a large database of Tanzanian dishes to try. She also accompanies her posts with detailed and popular youtube videos -- making her the definitive voice on Tanzanian food online. I've already tried some of the recipes including this "Coconut Rice with Carrots and Peas" dish.
Youtube: TasteofTanzania 48 | THE PROMOTA
What inspired you to start blogging on food and the love of cooking? I had a few request of recipes from friends, who are my inspiration, so instead of emailing them my recipes one by one, I decided to share www.thepromota.co.uk
BUSINESS AND FOOD
only canned ingredient I use in my house is tomato paste; I would only use a canned ingredient if I do not have any other choice at all. What are the most popular cuisines you do?
them online without realizing it would become something big. Before that, I always loved to cook. I love good food. After my father moved to work in Kenya in 1980, I remember every school holiday when I went to visit Nairobi. He would take us out every Sunday to fancy restaurants to have dinner. That became a family tradition. I loved the food I used to eat prepared by experienced chef, and I promised myself I would want to be like them one day. After I finished form six, I wanted to join a hotel management college in Kenya to become a chef, but for some reasons, that did not happen. But my love of cooking continued. What is your cooking style?
unique
My style of cooking is aromatic, specializing in Swahili cuisine. Spices mixed in stews is very important in almost every meal. In my everyday cooking, I mostly use fresh ingredients. The www.thepromota.co.uk
The popular cuisine I prepare in my house is pilau. My guests love Holiday pilau, and I can never go wrong with it.Holiday pilau is rice cooked with pilau masala, raisins, cashew nuts, more spices and a few other ingredients. Raisins make the rice to be very sweet and perfect for Christmas or Muslim Eid celebrations. What is the most favourite dish to your followers who are non-Tanzanian? For those who have visited Tanzania, they seem to appreciate the chapati recipe. Since the book has been out, I have received enquiries about the simple salads, mainly the cucumber salad. They cannot believe that its simplicity creates such a distinct taste. Is all your cuisine influenced by Tanzanian dishes or have you got some other dishes like Uganda, Nigeria etc.? My food is influenced by the Swahili found in Tanzania, and other East Africa countries including, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and some non-East African countries. I have come to learn from my Somalian followers that many of my recipes are the same as Somalian recipes.
What is one of the native dishes in Tanzanian? Ugali,which is a mixture of water and maize, cassava, wheat, rice, potatoes, or millet flour.Similar to Italian polenta but harder in texture. Ugali is a side dish that can be accompanied with vegetables and meat. Do you have plans to establish a Taste of Tanzania restaurant in the USA or the Western world? I have that in mind, for sure. I am waiting to see what God will bring in near future. What city or town in Tanzania you would advise tourists to sample some of the best dishes Tanzania has to offer? That will be Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar. You published a cook book ‘Taste of Tanzania’. Tell us more about it and how has it been received. I wrote a cookbook called ‘Taste of Tanzania: Modern Swahili Recipes for the West’. It is has been well received for a newcomer. The challenge now is to distribute the book outside the USA as people are asking for the book from Africa, Europe, Canada and Asian countries. I have started another edition of this current cookbook.The new subtitle will be Modern Swahili Recipesso that the
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CREATIVE FOOD
A Taste of Tanzania”
“ book can appeal Internationally. Another about Swahili recipes will follow, called Taste of Tanzania. I would like to publish one book a year. I also own the ‘Taste of Tanzania’ Spice brand, and I have currently on sale the PilauMasalaspices that you can buy onAmazon.com and TasteofTanzania.com. Pilau Masala is a blend of spices used to prepare aromatic rice dishes, curries and barbecue meat. In Europe and Scandinavia, Ethiopian cuisine is very popular. Why do you think Westerners are not too keen on other African food? Westerners will be keen to try other African food if they know about it. Based on my experience, it is very hard
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to convince book stores to sell my kind of book. They have already made their mind up that people will not buy it. I believe if the media will talk about our food, and bookstores keep some copies, Westerners will get familiarised with our food. We need to work harder with the media first, because the Westerners will try anything they hear from in their media, and once they try and realize it is good food, they will be interested as well. And we need to have nicer and cleaner restaurants, meeting modern standards with good service to compete. What are your favourite African dishes? I am a seafood person, so I have to say prawns in coconut sauce. Very simple but full of flavour. Any techniques to those mothers and wives who www.thepromota.co.uk
A Taste of Tanzania”
want to give the best to their family?
“
I have always involved my daughter in the kitchen since she was 3 years old. She would ask to help, and I never said “no”. I learned early that when you say no to a child, she or he would start to doubt him/herself. Soallow the child to mix a cake, even for one minute andallow her to taste the cake mix. The child will grow to be happy to help in the kitchen. I have done that with my daughter and it has worked well. Women should also challenge their husbands to cut tomatoes and wash dishes while they talk about their day or about the previous week. Women should not ask their husband to help in the kitchen then themselves disappear! They should have something to talk about while both are in the kitchen and call that family time! Any tips to others on trying to venture into food blogging and cook books? One must love what they are doing. If they love what they are doing, they will always find a way to be successful. Lastly, be unique!
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BUSINESS START-UPS
10
T
ips for starting a niche market targeted magazine in 2014
As a publisher of an ethnic magazine, we often get inquiries from people interested in starting up a magazine. Based on our many years of experience, we have put together some tips to start a magazine
1. Determine your niche audience. One of the most important steps is deciding who the target audience is. Consider ethnic, demographics like age, gender, income level and interests. Also consider psychographics, such as hobbies, activities, social concerns (environment, immigration, etc.).
2. Determine your delivery method. Will your magazine be printed or online? Let’s start with the print magazine, as most people who want to start a new magazine want it in print – often with high stock paper like our magazine the Promota Africa. But that is an expensive printing format. Will you be able to generate enough ad sales, subscriptions (or other income) to pay for printing? A good way to help make that decision is to take a sample of the kind of magazine you want to print to a printer and ask for an estimate. You’ll want to have considered how many pages the magazine would be and how many issues will be printed. You
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also need to consider the amount of colour you’d want to use and the kind of paper. We can help to negotiate a better deal from our arrays of printers.
publication. You may have to pay someone (or at least pay for gas) to drop off your magazine at businesses willing to have them on site for customers to pick up.
Knowing the “bottom line” for printing can help you realize the amount of income you’ll have to generate. Most magazines we have seen starting up in the UK, especially in the African ethnic community, don’t survive the first year. This is due to various factors and we can help you mitigate this.
An online-only magazine (e-Zine) eliminates the majority of the money requirements. You can set up an attractive magazine through wordpress.com for free or use a company like issuu.com, Yudu, Scribd, Google Docs and MagCast, where you create your magazine as a PDF.
If you have a print magazine, you will need to determine how it will be distributed, bearing in mind distribution adds to your outgoing costs You may not be able to have staff stand around your targeted points handing out the magazine, if this is a free
You can as well acquire hosted service and host it yourself. This is an ideal option as you can as well earn revenue from affiliates banners like Google AdSense. The challenge with the online magazine is promoting it so that your potential readers will find it.
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3. Develop a business plan.
magazine format, plan out a page-by-page of the magazine. If you are planning a blog approach to the magazine, plan your page tabs and then what would be the content of each tab.
Once you’ve determined the delivery approach, you can determine your budget.
You’ll find that having a prototype of the magazine will be very useful in helping you understand your vision for the magazine and will let advertisers see your product. At the Promota, we can help you design and create any kind of proto-type.
• How often do you plan to publish - weekly, monthly, quarterly? • How much money will you need to generate? How are you going to manage that money? You don’t want to put the money in your personal checking account, or that would appear to be personal income. You’d have to pay taxes on that. So you would need to set up a separate business account. In most cases, that requires setting up the business officially – with forms to fill out and fees to pay.
4. Conduct a market analysis that includes evaluating your competition. In your targeted niche market, carry out a survey to evaluate your market and competition. Who is your target niche market and how will you make them more interested in your magazine than the others currently available? That process also helps you determine which businesses and services could be potential advertisers in your magazine. Most of those businesses would be advertising in the currently available publications, so how you would get them to switch to paying for ads in your magazine.
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For an online publication, the easiest way to do this is to conduct a keyword search. This will show you how many people are searching for this term in your country and globally. Utilise a free online tool to help you do this is Google Keywords or wordtracker.com Naming and branding your publication is another tough decision. Use tools like Knowem? and search over 550 popular social networks, over 150 domain names, and the entire USPTO Trademark Database to instantly secure your brand on the internet.
5. Determine your magazine’s content. You have determined your niche audience and other media that could be competing for your audience. So what will be your content and how is that content different from what is already available? A good activity is to plan out an issue of your magazine. If you are planning on a traditional
Next, develop guidelines for your writers and photographers. What kind of articles are you looking for – provide sample topics, word count and writing style — first person accounts, how-to explanations, reviews, Q&A interviews. If you are targeting an audience who is interested in fashion, you will want to have photos as well as stories about fashion trends. If you are targeting audience who are looking for something to do on weekends, you will want to have a calendar of events that is up-to-date and accurate. If it is a business magazine, then you need ideas of interviewing market leaders and business and market trend articles. If it is an ethnic magazine, you need to understand the targeted market and what interest them, either politics, business or current affairs. What are the expectations for photographs and captions? That includes both the kind of photos and the technical aspects of the photo in terms of file size and photo resolution (which would depend on whether your magazine is print or online). If THE PROMOTA | 53
BUSINESS START-UPS you are on a budget, you can reach out to photographers who just want a credit inclusion in your publication or request permission to use in exchange of credit on photos. You can also solicit free articles from people who want to market products related to your magazine topic or mine articles from websites with free Ezine articles such as Ezine Directories, Articles base or Ezine Article Exchange. Don’t publish your magazine until you have content to fill the whole magazine.
6. Develop a staff structure and recruit your staff. Decide what personnel you need to keep the magazine going. You don’t want just two or three of you to take on the whole operation. That could work for the first edition, but you’ll burn out. You also don’t want to have so many section editors and managers that coordinating efforts is too complicated. • Whether your magazine is print or online will make a big difference. Will you need to have an advertising sales staff? • Will you need someone who knows enough about online to know how to tag photos and consider SEO (search engine optimization)? • If you are on a budget, utilise free services from students 54 | THE PROMOTA
who are interested in writing or taking photographs for publication. In the UK, there is an internship programme where the government will pay for the interns. Many students are willing to contribute their efforts for free to have the resulting publication as part of their portfolio. Develop an application process. Those who are interested could email the editor answering a few questions and providing an example of writing, photography or design. You also need to determine what the compensation will be. Will you have funds to pay staffers? Will everyone be working as a volunteer? Decide how you will be meeting with the staff. You may not need to meet with the whole group but can work with individual editors. Meetings can be through Skype rather than trying to get everyone in the same location. ODesk.com is another good platform for freelancers; these can be web developers of your intended website.
7. Develop your social media plan. Whether your magazine will be printed or online, you need a social media plan. Create a Facebook page for the magazine. Set up a Twitter account. Determine how you will use each to create a buzz about the magazine. You don’t want to have great fanfare for two or three days around the distribution of the magazine and then silence until the next issue. That’s just the start of the process. Other tasks include selecting a good title (that isn’t already taken), developing a deadline schedule, editorial theme and figuring out how to make people meet deadlines. If you’re a full time employee who is looking for a side business, you also have to think about how to manage your own time to lead the magazine and balance it with your full time job. Use Hootsuite.com to manage all your social media accounts at once to efficiently track conversations and measure campaign results.
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8. Web presence Get a name and a domain. Do you want your e-zine to be daily, weekly, or monthly? For starters, I would recommend monthly until you have enough experience—particularly if you have other freelance writing assignments. But leave the option open to become weekly since this frequency is just about right. Weekly is probably the best in terms of getting your name out in front of your subscribers frequently, but not so much that it is a burden to your readers or to you. Next, think of some names for your e-zine. While it is tempting to go for a cutesy title (such as Knead to Know), what you want is a title that includes your key words, for example: africatravel, musiclovers, ourfirstwedding. Next, find out if these URLs are available. Visit Yahoo Small Business to do a free check on these domains. Decide if you’re going to hire someone to design your website or if you’re going to do it yourself. You can always design a simple, free website and then spend more on a professional one once your magazine gets off the ground. Use free hosting on wordpress.com or reach out to us and we can help with tips. You can use a free WYSIWYG software called Yahoo Sitebuilder, which is available if you host your site on Yahoo. You will also need to decide how you will send out your e-zine. There are a few options.
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• Provide a link in an e-mail signature that your readers can click on to get to the new issue, located online • Use Google Feedburner to distribute your content to subscribers Put the entire e-zine on the website, so it is searchable by the web spiders and gets some clicks (and revenue). You will also want to make sure that you have a subscription sign-up on each page of your site. Don’t try to manage your subscription by using your personal e-mail. When your list gets above 50, it will be too unwieldy for your e-mail program to handle; instead when you are starting out, opt for a free listserv or even start a business page on Facebook Pages. You could also pay for an e-mail distribution service such as ConstantContact.com or Vertical Response—where you can place your entire e-zine within the e-mail and a link to an online version as well. Whatever you do, don’t spam.
9. Monetize your magazine and funding access
Monetize your website with Google Adsense, Apt from Yahoo!, Microsoft Pub Center, pay-per-click ads and/or by becoming an affiliate for good companies like affiliatewindow.
com, hostgator.com, ebay partners, Amazon and by companies that sell products related to your magazine topic. Content monetizing is another new way of making money for publishers. You can register on www.content.ad, Skimlinks, Cleeng, Infolinks, VigLink, PivotShare. If you are looking for investors, why not use platforms like Kickstarter and publish your business project. If people like your project, they can pledge money to make it happen.
10. Marketing your magazine Advertise your magazine via e-mail, social networking sites, and discussion forums related to your topic, print media and word-of-mouth. Facebook and Twitter can be a great tool and free to populate your content to potential subscribers. Pr.com is highly recommended for the press release of your new publication, as well as Contact us on info@thepromota.co.uk THE PROMOTA | 55
YANUKOVICH’S LUXURY LIFE STYLE
EYE-POPPING OPULENCE OF OUSTED UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT’S PALACE
Viktor Yanukovich fled to Russia recently following one of the worst periods of violence in the country’s history and left behind a new tourist attraction - his sprawling luxury estate in Mezhyhirya, an hour’s drive from Kiev. Hundreds of people have since flocked to view the mansion, which is set in a beautiful forested estate of graceful waterways, summer houses and exotic gardens. The property, closed off to the world for 56 | THE PROMOTA
nearly a decade, has a golf course, helicopter pad and is situated in a country where the average salary is less than £300 a month. Locals said that up to 3,000 security and support staff would arrive when Yanukovich planned a major social event. The release of the pictures comes as Ukraine and Russia inch towards all-out war, which could effect the stablity of the whole of Europe, possibly the world. www.thepromota.co.uk
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YANUKOVICH’S LUXURY LIFE STYLE
Secret: The huge property, closed off to the public for a month, contained rooms designed for entertaining guests in style
Astonished: Tourists file through one of the grand living rooms and take pictures
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YANUKOVICH’S LUXURY LIFE STYLE
Viktor Yanukovich’s luxury estate
Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych lived in extreme luxury, with furniture and fittings that few five-star hotels would have
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OSCAR
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TALENT
From Charlize Theron To
LUPITA NYONG'O:
AFRICAN OSCAR NOMINEES AND WINNERS THROUGH THE YEARS The 86th Academy Awards took place 3rd march 2014 at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and this season had the highest number of Africans nominated for an Academy Award. Leading the pack were “Captain Phillips” actor, Barkhad Abdi from Somalia, “12 Years A Slave” actors Chiwetel Ejiofor a Briton of Nigerian descent and his co-star, Hollywood favorite, Lupita Nyong’o from Kenya. While the buzz around rising star, Nyong’o has all but eclipsed the other actors’ Oscar nods this season; her fashion sensibilities, commanding presence on the red carpet, charming disposition during interviews and a riveting performance in her American debut film, African actors and actresses have been quietly making inroads in Hollywood. Although roles in Hollywood films are few and far between, especially for African actors, when they are cast, these actors tend to own their characters www.thepromota.co.uk
and perform brilliantly. Take for example, Hollywood newcomer Barkhad Adbi from Somalia whose portrayal of Somali pirate captain, Abduwali Muse in “Captain Phillips” transformed him from limo driver into a Hollywood blockbuster. Back in 2006, “Tsotsi”, a South African film about a young street thug named Tsotsi (Zulu for thug) who shoots a woman while stealing her car, and only later discovers that her infant son is in the back seat, was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In July 2013, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, an African American
film marketing executive was named president of the Academy of Motion Pictures of Arts and Sciences representing the 6,100-member academy. The appointment made Isaacs the first ever African American and third woman after actress Bette Davis in 1941 and writer-producer Fay Kanin in 1979 to be selected as head of the prestigious organization. Diversity is at the core of how she’ll make her mark at the academy, “I am active in our member engagement and am seeking diverse talent domestically as well as internationally,” said Isaacs. An ambitious goal which hopefully will translate into more nominations and wins, particularly for actors of African descent. In that vein, I have compiled a list of all the Africans that were once nominated and / or won the prestigious award.
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CREATIVE INDUSTRY
Chiwetel Ejiofor,
Nigeria, Best Actor in a Leading Role, 12 Years A Slave (2013) London-born, Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor was a stage actor before his television debut in the 1996 thriller “Deadly Voyage”. In 1997 he landed a part in his first
film appearance in Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad” which led to more roles including “Dirty Pretty Things”, “Serenity”, “Kinky Boots”, “Talk to Me”, “Redbelt”
Barkhad Adbi Somalia, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (2013)
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and “Othello”. Having been nominated for three Golden Globes, Ejiofor earned further critical acclaim for his role as Solomon Northup in the biopic “12 Years a Slave”, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in 2014.
Nominated this year for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Barkhad Abdi, who was born in Somalia plays Abduwali Muse, lead member of a group of four Somali pirates who hijacked American cargo ship, MV Maersk Alabama in April 2009. The movie, a hostage drama directed by British filmmaker, Paul Greengrass is based on a true story and is Adbi’s first
role is a Hollywood movie. Not bad, considering Captain Richard Phillips, who the Somali pirates held for ransom, is played by Tom Hanks. The 28-year-old actor has been nominated for a total of 28 awards for this particular role, already winning the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and London Film Critics’ Circle awards for Best Supporting Actor.
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OSCARS
Lupita Nyong’o Kenya, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, 12 Years A Slave (2013) Born in 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico, Lupita Nyong’o started acting as a teen in Kenya and went on to work behind the scenes of the film The Constant Gardener. She directed and produced the albinism documentary In My Genes and starred in the TV series Shuga. Nyong’o went on to earn acclaim for her role as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which she won the 2014 Academy Award for best supporting actress, among other honors.
Background Lupita Nyong'o was born in 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico. Her parents, Dorothy and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, were in political exile at the time of her birth, but were able to return to their homeland of Kenya during their daughter's childhood. Her father later became part of the country's senate while her mother, who worked in family planning, took a leadership position with the Africa Cancer Foundation. Having taken to drama and obtaining the lead role in a production of Romeo and Juliet, Nyong'o also returned to Mexico during her teens to learn Spanish. She went to college in the United States, studying at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, and earning her degree in film in 2003. Upon her return to Kenya during school summer vacation, Nyong'o discovered that filming for the drama The Constant Gardener was happening in her area. She joined the set as a production assistant and met Ralph Fiennes, who told her to become an actor only if it was something she couldn't imagine doing without.
filmmaker by directing, editing and producing the 2009 documentary In My Genes, which followed the stories of several Kenyans who are living with albinism. And she became a star of Kenyan television in Shuga, an MTV/UNICEF-backed series that looked at sexual relationships among youth in Nairobi, aiming to promote HIV awareness and safe sex via storytelling.
Nyong'o returned to the States and, pursuing her interest in acting, earned a master's degree from the Yale School of Drama in 2012, having performed in works like The Winter's Tale with the school's Repertory Theatre. Weeks before graduating she found out that she had landed the part of Patsey in director Steve McQueen's drama 12 Years a Slave. The Brad Pitt-produced film is based on the 19th century narrative written by Solomon Northup, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, a Northern-based free man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. Nyong'o played the role of Patsey, an enslaved young woman who befriends Northup while being horrifically abused by plan-
tation master Edwin Epps and his wife, portrayed by Michael Fassbender and Sarah Paulson. For her performance in the film, Nyong'o won the 2014 Academy Award for best supporting actress, among several other honors.
Multiple Awards Nyong'o has received an array of accolades for her 12 Years role, receiving nominations for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award in the supporting actress categories. She's also won New Hollywood, Critic's Choice and Screen Actors Guild awards. A fast-growing fashion icon as well, with red-carpet appearances and pics in publications like InStyle and W, Nyong'o's next big-screen work is Non-Stop, which also stars Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore. The February 2014 thriller is about an air marshal confronted by a deadly ransom threat.
Nyong'o honed her craft as a
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OSCARS
Charlize Theron,
Djimon Hounsou, Sophie Okonedo,
South Africa, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Monster, (2003)
Benin, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, In America (2003)
Nigeria, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Hotel Rwanda, (2004)
The South African actress won her first Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as serial killer, Aileen Wuornos in the crime drama film, “Monster” based on a true story. She also won the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe, amongst others for that particular role. Born in Benoni, South Africa, Theron came to Los Angeles without any contacts and after eight months in the city, got her first acting role. Her career skyrocketed after her portrayal as Mary Ann Lomax, opposite Keanu Reeves, in “Devil’s Advocate”. Theron was nominated again for Best Actress for her role as Josey Aimes in “North Country” in 2005.
The former fashion model appeared in music videos for “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” by Janet Jackson and “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul before his big break as Cinque in Steven Spielberg’s hit movie, “Amistad” in 1994. He became the first African actor to be nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for his role as HIV positive Nigerian artist Mateo Kuamey in the movie “In America”. 2003 was also the first time that an African man and an African woman (Charlize Theron) were nominated for an Oscar in the same year. In 2006, Hounsou was nominated again for Best Supporting Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as Solomon Vandy in “Blood Diamonds”.
Sophie Okonedo was born in London, England to a Nigerian father and an Ashkenazi Jewish mother, and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before making her acting debut in the British comingof-age drama, “Young Soul Rebels”. She received an Academy Award nomination in 2004 for her critically acclaimed role as Tatiana Rusesabagina in “Hotel Rwanda”, a Golden Globe nomination for “Tsunami: The Aftermath” in 2006 and BAFTA nominations for “Criminal Justice” in 2009 and “Mrs. Mandela” in 2010.
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FILM
Remi Adefarasin, Caiphus Semenya, Nigeria, Best Cinematography, Elizabeth (1998)
London-born Nigerian cinematographer, Remi Adefarasin was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2012 for his services to the television and film industries. Adefarasin’s work on the movie, “Elizabeth” in 1998 won him awards for Best Cinematography from the British Society of Cinematographers and the BAFTA as well as an Academy Award nomination.
Jonas Gwangwa, South Africa, Best Original Music Score, Cry Freedom (1987)
@FaraiToday www.thepromota.co.uk
South Africa, Best Original Music Score, The Color Purple (1985) Self-exiled to the U.S. in the 1960’s, Caiphus Semenya is an internationally celebrated music director and composer from South Africa. Married to another South African musical powerhouse, Letta Mbulu, Semenya has regularly collaborated with Quincy Jones resulting in Semenya composing all the African music for Alex Hayley’s 1970’s miniseries, “Roots”, part one and two. Semenya received an Oscar nod in 1985 for Best Original Music Score for composing the African music in Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple”. In 1990, he served as the music director for the Nelson Mandela Tribute and for the now late Nelson Mandela’s presidential inauguration in 1994. Born in 1941 in Soweto, South Africa, Jonas Gwangwa is an important jazz musician who composed the score for the 1987 Richard Attenborough film “Cry Freedom” for which he landed an Oscar nomination for Best Original Music Score. He shared the nomination with British composer George Fenton. The Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award is given to a feature-length film (predominantly non-English dialogue) produced outside the U.S. Out of the 65 awards handed out by the Academy Awards since 1947 to foreign language films, three African films won the academy award in this category. The films were “Z” in 1969 from Algeria, “Black and White in Color” in 1976 from Ivory Coast and “Tsotsi” from
South Africa in 2005. Nominees in this category included “Le Bal”, 1983 from Algeria; “Dust of Life” in 1995 from Algeria; “Yesterday” in 2004 from South Africa; “Days of Glory”, from Algeria in 2006 and “Outside Law” from Algeria in 2010. An honorable mention goes to Roger Ross William who won an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Short Subject category for his 2010 short documentary “Music by Prudence”. The documentary is an inspirational tale about Zimbabwean singer-songwriter Prudence Mabhena, who was born severely disabled but overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles through her music, love and courage.
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LUPITA AND OSCAR
Can LUPITA NYONG’O
avoid the black
actress Oscar curse? In the 85-year history of the Academy Awards, black actors and actresses have rarely taken home the coveted Oscar. Best supporting actress has had the best showing of all the major categories for African-Americans, with five total victories since Hattie McDaniel became the first black performer to win an Oscar for 1939′s Gone With the Wind. Lupita Nyong’o, the 30-year-old breakout star of the acclaimed historical drama 12 Years a Slave, looks poised to become the sixth black winner in the coveted category. Despite a fierce competition with Hollywood Itgirl Jennifer Lawrence, most prognosticators see Nyong’o as the new frontrunner, following high-profile wins at the Critic’s Choice, SAG and numerous other critics’ awards. For a first-time film actress, an Oscar win would be a tremendous achievement that her peers
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would surely envy. And yet, we’ve seen this song and dance before. We’ve seen AfricanAmerican actresses play an earnest (or in this case victimized) woman of color that seems tailor-made for critical recognition and ride a wave of success to an Academy Award nomination, and sometimes victory. If Hollywood has a category that could be accused of tokenism, it very well could be best supporting actress. And when black actresses have triumphed, more often than not, their careers do not appear to get the traditional boost that typically follows an Oscar victory. Hattie McDaniel’s triumph is remembered now more as a historical footnote and sad commentary on the stereotypical roles she was forced to play than the beginning of a burgeoning career. Whoopi Goldberg,
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who won for Ghost in 1990, was already an established comedian and stage star when she took home the Academy Award — she is an exception to the rule. However, Mo’Nique, Jennifer Hudson and even the lone black female best actress winner, Halle Berry, have not fared quite as well. Mo’Nique, who swept every precursor award with her powerful out-of-character performance in Precious, has yet to make another film since her win (a rumored biopic of Hattie McDaniel remains rumored). Hudson was also largely absent from the big screen and her two most recent turns, while well reviewed, went largely unseen. Berry was briefly an A-list draw at the box office
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following her historic 2002 win for the controversial melodrama Monster’s Ball, but a series of flops and messy public personal spats have relegated her to the B-list at best. She’s now planning a comeback on a television show produced by Steven Spielberg. Octavia Spencer, who won for The Help in 2012, has proved a little more resilient, appearing in an acclaimed supporting role in this past year’s criminally underseen Fruitvale Station. She too was considering a jump to the small screen with a Murder, She Wrote reboot, but the project was scrapped. So where does that leave Lupita Nyong’o? She has won a legion of fans outside of her film work for
her glamorous appearances on the red carpet and her infectiously sweet persona during talk show appearances. In an industry still steeped in sexism, Nyong’o's gorgeous looks may give her a leg up on some of her previous peers who made it into the Oscar winner’s circle but were not traditional Hollywood beauties. And few would argue that her acting chops aren’t more impressive than Berry’s. Her next role is a small one but in a likely blockbuster, Liam Neeson’s action film Non-Stop, which opens this weekend. After that, her slate is empty but it seems like the sky is the limit for this exceptional and charismatic actress if she can avoid being pigeonholed and type-cast. by Adam Howard Twitter at @at_howard
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FASHION & DESIGN
Gloria Wavamunno Gloria launched her brand in 2009, shortly after graduating from art school in London, United Kingdom and working with renowned International Menswear Tailor Ozwald Boateng, on Savile Row. GloRia WavaMunno eponymous label was launched in 2009 in Kampala, Uganda. The brand’s light, eccentric clothing for women has received wide acclamation in the African World of fashion, as well as International acknowledgement. The Brand oers a line of various simple structured tailored garments. The company is currently based in Kampala, Uganda. Our core values include: Individuality, Femininity, and Culturally Free Evolvement 68 | THE PROMOTA
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G loria Wavamunno
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Your cultural background is both British and Uganda. What inspires you most from either culture when you design your collections? I was born in the UK during the civil unrest in Uganda at the time. Both my parents are Ugandan, with my mother being mixed with European roots, which is not England. I did go to boarding school at the end of high school and finished my university studies in the UK. But being exposed to a different culture such as England encouraged me to question cultures, understand backgrounds and explore different environments. I am fascinated by the differences in this world and how they do merge, stem and reflect from each other. I try to reflect that in my pieces, the ability to be many things at once, but appear as one.
G loria Wavamunno
What do you really express through your bold designs? I would like to think comfort in one’s appearance is what my designs express, as well as a quality piece of clothing that flatters.
What did you gain from your internship with renown designer Ozwald Boateng? I think in simple terms it ignited a passion for this industry as a creator. His involvement in every area of his work was a wonderful
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I stock my pieces in a store located in Kampala, Uganda, and I always make pieces to supply them. And I am working on a collection as well. The direction the brand is heading towards is one I hope will continue to inspire, which is simple, detailed garment construction that compliments the female body in all its glory, and in ways that lets the personality of the individual shine in confidence.
thing to witness. Coming from family with a business background, it allowed me to accept that I could be an artist and run my art as a business.
You have taken part in several major fashion shows in the UK? What impact did it have on your label? Well, a few in the UK, and around Europe. The impact I can see is that is has brought the attention of my brand to eyes that may not have come across it quite easily or may never have known about the brand if it wasn’t for these mediums. So a certain kind of growth for the brand occurred.
What are you currently working on? And what are your aspirations for the future?
What advice would you give to fashion students to be successful in the fashion industry today? Understand the business aspect of the industry, understand your direction and goals you wish to achieve with your brand. Your dream does not have to be like anyone else’s; it must function and develop for you and your brand identity. Develop creatively, and fingers crossed that it grows.
Where can we buy your clothes now? My pieces have been available on various online shops internationally and around Africa from Kenya to Nigeria and South Africa, for limited times. At the moment, my pieces are stocked at Bold Store, located in the Acacia Mall on the 1st floor, Kisementi, Kampala, Uganda.
GloRia WavaMunno’s vision is to fuse the diverse, eccentric and vibrant world of African cultures, textures, fabrics and print, to the adaption of timeless and inventive garment constructions. "For someone to feel just as they should; individual."
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Africa Fashion Week London
FASHION
AFWL celebrates London’s unique and diverse cultural heritage, topped with the flamboyant mixing of Western and African culture through fashion at the same time promoting Africa’s rich ethnic culture and interpreting it into contemporary designs.
Designer: KAVEKE Photo: AFWL
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AFWL
Adopted Culture
Designer: THULA SINDI Photo: AFWL
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Uber Africa Collective mode: Lisette
Designer: Adebayo Jones www.thepromota.co.uk
Designer: THULA SINDI Photo: AFWL
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DISAPORA AND BUSINESS
4TH UGANDAN CONVENTION - UK
Ugandan UK Trade & Investment Forum SATURDAY, 13TH SEPTEMBER 2014 Troxy, 490 Commercial Road, E1 0HX London UK
UGANDA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS! “This is the time to invest and take a position in Africa, and more so, focus on Uganda, as Uganda lies in the heart of Africa” Patrick Bitature, Entrepreneur and Industrialist.
Ssekandi, Vice President of Uganda said that “the road to development and growth is partly vested in investment by local Ugandans and foreign investors.”
On 13th Sept 2014, investors, business leaders, friends of Uganda and well-wishers will attend the 4th Ugandan Diaspora UK Trade and Investment Forum in London.
And prominent Ugandan business leader Patrick Bitature very poignantly said that “Africa possesses a huge opportunity which could engulf the rest of the world… when we reach for perfection, we can achieve excellence.”
Everyone interested in investing or doing business in Uganda should attend this unique event! The Convention is the largest Ugandan gathering in Europe. It attracts over 2000 delegates from all over the world. At the 2013 Convention, Hon. Edward Kiwanuka 76 | THE PROMOTA
Uganda is truly open for business and this year, keynote speakers such as Ugandan Ministers for Housing, Agriculture, Energy and Tourism will share the many investment and business opportunities in their respective sectors. www.thepromota.co.uk
Other business leaders will share insights on investing in Telecoms, Banking and Finance, Education, Infrastructure Development, IT, Transport, and many other sectors. Let the figures speak for themselves: the past three Conventions have attracted more than $5million in direct investment in Uganda, including substantial philanthropic contributions. Join us on the day and meet the people who can truly transform the business landscape of Uganda. Become part of this amazing development! Register to attend the 4th Ugandan UK Investment Forum: To exihibit: +447790 647 089 W: www.ugandanconventionuk.org
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COMMUNITY
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DIASPORA
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Ending donor dependency in Uganda Transforming a charity to a Social Enterprise Kampala has approximately 30 markets which provide employment to nearly half a million and 50% are women. Most of these women are migrants from all parts of the country who come to the urban areas seeking greener pastures. Unfortunately they face a very difficult life. One common challenge to most of the female market vendors is the fact that they are poor and many of them have ended up taking on petty jobs like food vending (delivery of cooked meals to the customers), selling of alcohol and running mobile hair salons among others. Another common factor is the fact that most of them are single parents, usually to a number of children each sired by a different man. Because of this, the burden is huge and they are unable to make ends meet, and often end up as sex workers to supplement their meagre income and support their families. Many have contracted HIV/AIDS coupled with other sexually transmitted diseases because of this risky behaviour. Poverty is also major cause of domestic violence and violation of the rights of poor urban market children. Due to poverty, market children live inhumane lives deprived of their basic rights as children. From Ka Tutandike’s experience in the community, the lack of space often constrains mothers in urban markets forcing them to deny their children the right 80 | THE PROMOTA
to play. The markets are congested with stagnant garbage and very poor sanitation. Additionally, children are exposed to abusive language among adults and commonly witness their mothers being sexually harassed by male market vendors. Often, the mothers lack help to care for children at home and cannot afford the cost of the day care centres. Also due to the nature of market vending occupations, the women often wake up with children in the early hours of the morning (by 4:00 am) to go to the market and stay long hours (up to 10:00pm) with children in the harsh environments of the markets. Some of the women have to move with their goods from one market to another with children on their backs and the goods on their heads. It is a dilemma for these poor mothers as they strive to strike a balance between child care and earning an income to sustain their families. Given the fact that most of the mothers are single women, the struggle to meet the basic needs of their families is paramount but causes both the children and mothers to live a stressful and very demanding livelihood. From donor dependency to real economic empowerment A small local charity, Ka Tutandike Uganda (KTU) has since 2006 been providing community-based early childhood services to children newborn to 5 years who spend
their days in the markets with their mothers who are market vendors trying to eke out a living. Under its programme, KTU was able to carry out an integrated approach to early childhood care and learning, wholesome enough to meet the needs of the young children. However over the years Ka Tutandike realized that while provision of this form of psychosocial support was beneficial to the children in the short term, the mothers/ families remained impoverished due to the reasons highlighted above and could not sustain the gains of the programme without the direct intervention of the charity. Therefore in 2012, Ka Tutandike Uganda introduced a new strategy to empower the women to start income generating activities in order to supplement their meager incomes. This was done specifically with a group of women vendors in Nakawa market, called the UMOJA women’s group. Previously dependent on piecemeal donor aid from the charity, the women backed by technical support from Ka Tutandike, began creating fashionable jewelry using paper. They started making sales, getting a group income of at least an average of UGX 100,000 daily. Soon they formed a savings circle where each of them deposited their savings to the treasurer on a weekly basis. A loan scheme soon followed and the ladies had somewhere friendly to run to in case of need. Today, 300 www.thepromota.co.uk
children of the Nakawa UMOJA women’s group have enrolled and remained in school, transitioning from one stage to another. The group has since used their savings to purchase a piece of land worth Ugx 4M shillings, and have plans to build a vocational training school for girls to acquire skills for development. This success of the UMOJA women’s group showed us that with a guidance and training, poor communities can actually transit from abject poverty to prosperity. KTU has since reviewed its strategic direction to replicate the success story of the UMOJA women. The programme strategy now includes both the charity approach to increase access to services for early childhood development in the market places and the Social Enterprise approach to build the capacity of vulnerable women and youth including those with disabilities for social and economic empowerment Under the charity component, the programme partners with the local communities to provide spaces for day-care facilities within the markets and ensure protection, provide improved nutrition for the children and stimulate early learning through appropriate techniques for young children that spend the day time in the markets with their mothers. The programme also partners with nearby health facilities to provide immunisation services against communicable diseases, treatment for illness and referral for more specialised services where required. In addition, the programme trains 750 mothers and caregivers with skills for positive parenting, child protection, nutrition and selected mothers are trained in the management of the day-care centres.
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Under the Social Enterprise for Vulnerable Women and Youth, KTU programme targets mothers of young children through ‘parent support groups’ in target markets and selected groups of other vulnerable women and youths including those with disabilities outside the markets to empower them with skills and capacity to diversify into new sustainable income generating activities. Apart from the skills, KTU also provides low interest loans to the groups to procure appropriate equipment and materials for production. KTU also supports the groups to register as cooperative businesses engaged in the supply and sale of quality products. KTU also targets markets on behalf of the groups with the aim of getting them to sign supplier agreements/contracts with the target groups. Recently, KTU participated in the Project Inspire competition led by UN Women Singapore and the Master Card Foundation and won an award worth $10,000 for the most ‘inspirational project’ - to introduce beekeeping as a sustainable source of income for 100 women and girls with disabilities. The project will be shortly piloted in two districts of Luweero and Masaka with a plan for replication in other parts of the country in the future. Under this project, KTU will train the beneficiaries in bee
keeping as a business, supply them with bee hives to set up their individual apiaries, and provide them with technical support to manage the bee hives and harvesting of the honey; they will also be trained on how to use the by - products like bees wax to make soap and candles; and also get training in marketing and finance management. The beneficiaries will then be linked to different markets including the recently established honey processing unit at the KTU offices where the honey will be processed and packaged for the larger market. All the proceeds will then be used to finance KTU’s provision of early childhood programme in the Markets. The partnerships being developed between Ka Tutandike and the various groups will definitely see vulnerable women and youths gain new skills and increased income which will then lead to improved livelihoods. Ka Tutandike too stands to gain as the organization will get a return on its investment and thereby ensure a sustainable programme to benefit even more needy children facing urban poverty in Uganda. Susan Kisitu Chief Executive Officer Ka Tutandike Uganda (www.katutandike.org) alibakirabo@yahoo.com
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OPINION
I want to end it all! L
ife can be a beautiful experience at times. But there are times when it does not feel at all like a walk in the park. In fact, for some of us, life can feel so painful and hopeless, that we allow our mind to ponder on thoughts of suicide as the only way out of our problems or deep emotional suffering. Yet, is suicide ever a viable option? Suicide is so final. There is no coming back from it. There is no possibility to have another go at things afterwards. A recent discussion on the tragedy of suicide that befalls the African Diaspora led us to wonder why members of the diaspora do not seek help before they commit the final act of suicide. How can some of us feel
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so desperate in the face of problems that we do not even think of reaching out for help, and instead want to destroy our own lives as a solution to these problems? It may well be that asking for help does not come naturally to us because it is not part of our culture. Or we feel that our problems or emotional issues will not be really understood, or might even be laughed at. Maybe we do not even know where to go for help. When someone is reaching a place of such despair that suicide looks like an attractive option, it is time to recognise a red flag, in ourselves or in someone else close to us, and take steps to get back in place where choosing life is our better option.
We should never ignore clues that make us think someone is suicidal, or if we feel suicidal ourselves. If we feel powerless to help, we can always turn to someone close and share our concern, our burdens, our worries, and be honest enough to say we cannot face life anymore on such difficult terms. A shared burden becomes instantly lighter. We also have excellent organisations that are there to help people who are close to ending it all. A simple phone call to The Samaritans and chatting to someone who truly understands our despair is sometimes all it takes to revive our desire to carry on, to garner a little more courage to face our burdens, knowing they are always temporary and www.thepromota.co.uk
that time will bring us a resolution, that will not require for us to end our life. There is no shame in asking for help when we simply cannot carry on our own. I personally went through such an episode in my life when I felt there was no hope anymore, and I was close to wishing I was not alive anymore. But a phone call to a friend made all the
difference. My pain did not disappear overnight, but it became slightly more bearable, and life did not look so hopeless anymore. Life may dish out some very tough lessons to us, and I believe none of us is exempt of such episodes. But tough does not mean we have to carry the load alone. If you, dear reader, ever feel such despair in your life, reach out for help. Or if
you know of someone in such a desperate situation, do not ignore them, but extend your helping hand to them. It may save their lives, literally. Remember that you are not alone in facing life, and you are never alone in facing your life. Isabelle Gravenstein Feature Editor of the Promota Africa magazine www.thepromota.co.uk
For immediate support, 24 hours a day, all year round, The Samaritans offer a compassionate listening service that may make all the difference.
If you suffer from depression, visit http:// www.depressionalliance.org They have a wealth of information on depression and how you can seek support and advice.
Call them on
The Alliance also initiated Friends in Need, where you can meet or chat with people who are going through the same life challenges as you. www.friendsinneed.co.uk
08457 909090 www.samaritans.org
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HEALTH AND FOOD
Weakened Immune System: Overview
Do you catch colds and viruses often? Are you sick a lot? Do you have allergies? Are you run down and fatigued most of the time? You may have a weak immune system. Did you ever notice how some people catch everything and others are never sick and always full of energy? Different people have different immune systems. Our immune system is how we fight off infections, germs and cancer. Sometimes the immune system does not work properly, as with immunodeficiency disorders. These people are extremely susceptible to infection and cancer. Diagnosis is vital as impaired immune response can pose serious threats to health. With the increasing resistance of pathogens to current antibiotics and anti-fungal medications, the impact of a weak immune system has taken on added significance. Likewise, the daily immune challenges in the face of a more environmentally toxic world have intensified the need for maintaining optimal immune function. The immune system is highly complex and important to our well-being. A strong and balanced immune system is required for health maintenance. Using natural agents, it is possible to help restore an immune system imbalance or weakness. The immune system is composed of many interdependent cell types that collectively protect the body from bacterial, parasitic, fungal and viral infections, as well as from the growth of tumor cells. Many of these cell types have specialized functions. The cells of the immune system can engulf bacteria, kill parasites or tumor cells, or kill virusinfected cells. These cells often depend on the T-helper subset for activation signals in the form of secretions formally known as cytokines, lymphokines, or more specifically interleukins. A shift in cytokine balance can result in many serious disorders. If you have an imbalance between Th1 and Th2, it will be reported elsewhere, along with what to do about it. 84 | THE PROMOTA
Causes and Development Immune responses can be depressed by various external influences including emotional stress, physical stressors such as inadequate sleep or athletic overtraining, environmental and occupational chemical exposure, UV and other types of radiation, common viral or bacterial infections, certain drug therapies, blood transfusions and surgery. Dietary habits also have an impact on immune response. Excessive fat, alcohol or refined sugar consumption or inadequate protein, calorie, vitamin, mineral or water intake fosters decreased immune performance as well. In addition, the biological state of aging counteracts immune function, particularly after age of 40. Immune deficiencies are also attributed to acquired infections or diseases that target the immune system, such as AIDS, while others, www.thepromota.co.uk
deficiency in one generation can affect immune function in succeeding generations, even if they're not nutrient deficient. In that experiment pregnant mice were given a zincdeficient diet. Their offspring had defective immune function, even though they and their mothers were fed a zinc-adequate diet as soon as they were born. Second and third generations of mice also had defective immune system function (although less severe), all while maintaining a zincadequate diet. "This study", the researchers said, "has important implications for public health and human welfare, as the consequences of fetal impoverishment may persist despite generations of nutritional supplementation. Dietary supplementation beyond the levels considered adequate might allow for more rapid or complete restoration of immunocompetence".
particularly primary immunodeficiency diseases, are often due to genetic abnormalities. Not all primary immunodeficiency diseases are genetically determined, however. Some occur without a known cause. One of the most frequent immunodeficiency diseases, Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID), which includes hypogammaglobulinemia, adult-onset agammaglobulinemia, lateonset hypogammaglobulinemia and acquired agammaglobulinemia, usually occurs sporadically and has no clear pattern of inheritance. Chronic and acute mobilization of immune defenses, induced by a variety of diseases and conditions, places undue stress on the immune system, weakening its capacity to deal effectively with infectious organisms and other immunological requirements elsewhere in the body. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disorders in general, primary chronic polyarthritis, chronic candidiasis, cancer, neurodermatitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, food and other allergies, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and chemical sensitivities. Nutrient deficiency is a well-known cause of immune system malfunction. It has recently been demonstrated in an animal species is that nutrient www.thepromota.co.uk
Put another way, it is possible that immune system defects suffered by you (including over-reactivity to foods) could be due to nutrient deficiencies suffered by your mother in the months before you were born. It is also possible that diet supplementation (vitamins, minerals, and so on) above the usual levels might aid in a more rapid recovery.
Signs and Symptoms Because immune deficiency does not always present itself in clear patterns, faulty immune function and its specific underlying cause often elude detection. Impaired immune function manifests in countless ways and varying degrees. It can exist as a genetic or acquired immunodeficiency, or as a transient or permanent state of depressed immune function due to other factors. In either case, the level of reduced immunocompetence the body’s ability to respond to pathogenic organisms, tumors or tissue damage - is dependent on the nature of the condition, which components of the immune system are affected and to what extent. >>> next page
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Weakened Immune System: Overview
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Treatment and Prevention General ways to enhance your immune system include being breastfed as a baby, exercising sufficiently but not excessively, stress management, avoiding food and other allergens, and being well-nourished; supplements such as TMG, zinc, vitamin C and other antioxidants; hormones such as HGH (human growth hormone - can be used homeopathically) and DHEA; colloidal silver, and l-arginine. A high-quality multivitamin and mineral supplement (especially B6, B12, folate, pantothenic acid, C, zinc, selenium, chromium,
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and manganese) can be an important starting point. Some are available with thymus extracts in them. Phytonutrients or foods can be used such as garlic, B-1, 3-D glucan, olive leaf (extract), echinacea, ginseng, astralgalus, goldenseal, lemon balm, modified citrus pectin, carnivora (venus fly trap), some mushrooms and plant sterols. Animal-based preparations include thymus proteins, lactoferrin and shark liver oil. Anecdotal evidence supports the use of Bob Beck type electrical devices such as the magnetic pulser and 'Black Box' or Zapper.
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HEALTH
THERE ARE NATURAL WAYS WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
SOME OF THESE WAYS ARE LISTED HERE: diseases and can give your immune system a boost. Eat a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are excellent sources of antioxidants. Antioxidant vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotine. Food sources include: fruits and vegetables, dairy products, melons, berries, dark greens, whole grains, dairy and meats (high protein).
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Get plenty of sleep and rest, the body rejuvenates and strengthens when it is at rest. Many people like to think they can function just fine on 5 to 7 hours a night, but the truth is, we require at least 8 to 10 hours per night.
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Always take a multivitamin, learn what your body is lacking. Ask your doctor what vitamins and minerals you should increase for your age. For example, women need extra calcium. We need extra folic acid as well.
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Cut down worry and learn to de-stress, there are studies that prove that stress and depression effect the body physically and can even weaken the immune system.
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Have a regular exercise regimen. Exercise makes our body stronger, increase circulation of blood and nutrients, and helps flush the body of toxins.
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Drink plenty of water, this helps flush the body of toxins and keeps you well hydrated.
Complications
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Eat foods with high antioxidant levels. Antioxidants are vitamins in your diet that can reduce your risk of cancer and other
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Eat a well balanced diet, don't skip meals. The four food groups have everything our bodies need to thrive. Learn the vitamins in your food and get a good dose of each one.
FINANCIAL STRESS It's normal to feel worried, anxious or down when times are hard. Job insecurity, redundancy, debt and financial problems can all cause emotional distress. But there are many things you can do to help yourself if you’re in a difficult situation. Below, Professor David Richards, from mental health services research at the University of Exeter, explains how financial problems can affect your mental wellbeing. He also offers lifestyle tips to help you out of a slump and advice on when to seek medical help. What are the potential effects of financial problems on mental wellbeing? When you’ve been made redundant or you’re struggling with debt, feeling low or anxious is a normal response. Losing your job can affect your self-esteem and financial circumstances, which in turn can trigger emotional distress. Fear of redundancy can also lead to worry, which is a very common human emotion.
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There are things we can do to strengthen our immune system. Start today for a healthier you!
A weak or deficient immune system can lead to dysfunctions such as autoimmune diseases (including allergies) and tumor growth.
You may be feeling, behaving or thinking in ways that are unfamiliar. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re suffering from depression or an anxiety disorder. What are the symptoms of being emotionally distressed? General symptoms of emotional distress include: Changes in the way you feel physically, such as not being able to sleep well, having trouble concentrating, loss of appetite or feeling tearful. Changes in what you do, such as staying in bed all day and no longer meeting your friends. Changes in the way you think, for example having negative thoughts such as “I’m not worth it”, or “I’ll never get another job”. >>> next page
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FINANCIAL STRESS <<< from previous page
talking to a professional therapist could help. Your GP can advise you on talking therapy services in your area.
How can you help yourself? Professor Richards’ top tips for coping with feeling low and anxious are: “Be more active, face your fears and don’t drink too much alcohol.”
You can search online for psychological therapy services close to where you live. When to seek urgent help
Being more active means not withdrawing from life. Keep seeing your friends. Keep your CV up-to-date. Don’t ignore the bills and try to keep paying them. If you have more time because you’re not at work, take up some form of exercise. It can improve your mood if you’re feeling low. See Get fit for free for lots of ideas on how to exercise without spending any money. Or search for exercise classes and sports clubs close to where you live.
If you start feeling like you really can’t cope, life is becoming very difficult or your life isn’t worth living, get help straight away. These are dangerous signs that mean you need to talk to someone. As above, either see your GP or contact helplines such as Samaritans (08457 90 90 90) for confidential, non-judgmental emotional support.
Facing your fears means not avoiding things you find difficult. For example, if it looks like you’re going into debt, get advice on how to prioritise your debts. When people feel anxious, they sometimes avoid talking to others. Some people can lose their confidence about driving or travelling. If this starts to happen, facing up to these situations will generally help them become easier.
For some people, alcohol can become a problem. You may drink more than usual as a way of dealing with or hiding your emotions, or just to fill time. But alcohol won’t help you deal with your problems and it could add to your stress. Get tips on how to cut down on alcohol.
until late or watching TV all day. Get up at your normal time and stick to your routine. If you lose your routine, it can also affect your eating. You may stop cooking, you may eat snacks instead of having proper meals, or you may miss breakfast because you’re still in bed. For tips on healthy eating, see Food and diet. When should you seek medical help for financial stress?
A routine is important
Most people who experience emotional distress will pick themselves up after a few days or weeks and then feel able to tackle challenges such as finding a new job. But for a small number of people, the feelings of anxiety and low mood don’t go away and these feelings interfere with the way they live their life.
If you don’t have to go to work in the morning, you can get into a poor sleep routine, lying in bed
If you’re still feeling worried, anxious or low after a few weeks, see your GP. You may find that
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If you’ve already had depression or anxiety, even if they weren’t formally diagnosed, seek help immediately. You’re more likely to have an episode of depression if you’ve had one before. Where to get more information Citizens Advice Bureau The Citizens Advice Bureau website is an excellent place for finding out about benefits, how to deal with debt, what you’re entitled to if you’re made redundant and who to speak to if you lose your home. A good starting point is their Adviceguide website. Staying healthy on a budget You can find lots of ideas for exercising and healthy eating on a budget in our Fitness and Food and diet sections. Coping with debt Useful organisations include: National Debtline 0808 808 4000
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HEALTH AND FASHION
Treating Mild Acne:
How to Banish the Occasional Pimple
K
eeping your facial skin healthy is important for making you feel confident and ready to seize the day, in addition to helping you take good care of your body. If you are like most people, you probably suffer from periodic acne breakouts that really throw a cramp in your style and run the risk of permanently marking or scarring your face. Luckily, there are thousands of products available on the market to attack the root causes of your acne and clear up your face in no time. Do you know what the best methods of treatment are for your mild or periodic acne problems?
Lifestyle changes If you are one of those fortunate people that only has to deal with mild acne, you may be able to solve your problems without buying specially medicated products. Changing some of your daily habits may be all it takes to clear up your occasional acne. As a first step, make sure you keep your facial area clean, using a mild soap that is non-comedogenic (non-pore-clogging). For some people, washing your face once
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a day may be enough, especially if you have very dry skin, while for others it is necessary to wash off oil and impurities twice a day. In addition, make sure you are not touching your face too much throughout the day, dirtying your face with the elements and oils from your hands. Similarly, avoid eating too many oily foods. These can increase the oil production of your skin and potentially cause breakout if left on your facial skin for long.
Natural Remedies Several natural remedies might be able to cure your mild acne. If you are already following a relatively healthy facial care routine, adding a few essential oils and other natural products could cure your problem in no time. Tea tree oil has become popular recently, as it gently works as a natural astringent to cure your acne slowly over time. Coconut oil has also been shown anecdotally to help cure mild acne and promote cell rejuvination in the sensitive skin on your face.
Because natural remedies are often not verified by any third party as to their efficacy or safety, undertaking a treatment plan based on natural remedies should be done carefully and under the guidance of a professional. Because of the high probability that many natural options were not made under strict regulation of the secondary additives that may be included in the natural product, you should be careful to try the natural product for a day on another part of your body to protect against an allergic reaction. There are several natural remedies that may be able to treat your mild acne with less or even none of the side effects or drawbacks of over-the-counter medicated products.
Over-the-counter products Thousands of over-the-counter products exist that can help you with your mild acne. You can buy face wash, toner, moisturizer, and spot treatments with the specified purpose of curing and preventing breakouts. Make sure to look at the active ingredients of these products. Do not combine too many products that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, as a high dosage of these medications will be too much for mild acne and will most likely result in more irritated and dry skin. It is best to use just one product—ideally a spot treatment on current breakouts—to treat mild acne without suffering from the side effects of these relatively strong medications. There are several options for treating mild or periodic acne. Try to find the best acne treatment for your skin type and problems, and avoid overdoing it by piling product after product on your skin. By Ashley Williamson.
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FASHION
e s U Fashion to Express your Personality
D
ressing for your body personality is not only a great way to be comfortable but, it’s a great way to make your clothes look that much more desirable. Have you ever seen a person who looks like they were forced to wear a particular outfit? It just displaces them out of their true essence. They fidget, grab at their clothes, tug, shift their weight from side to side and, they just plainly look uncomfortable. The more true you are to the real you, the more you’ll be able to carry an outfit with confidence. Marilyn Monroe was right when she said 'Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.'.
So, what does your wardrobe say about your personality? The outfit your wear is a garment that tells a story about your personality. We are told many times not to ‘judge a book by its cover’ or not to make estimations about a person based only on appearances. It’s the hardest thing to do because human intellect makes it so. What we’re able to access immediately, we’re able to form our opinions. Might as well put your best shoe forward on this.
Wear Fitted Clothes
Dressin g wearin for your per sonalit g fitted y o salesm an in a utfits. Ever involves seen a cheap as bad suit! N as othing have to an ill fitting loo a buy la rger siz nything. If y ks real siz o es, bec e is no ause y u ta the tail our or and vailable, go str get you rself siz aight to It’s all about ed up. th hangs on you e way a garm r ent a diffe frame. ren T expens ce in terms his can make o iv f an affo e outfit look making an c rdable item lo heap, or mak ok exp ing ensive . 90 | THE PROMOTA
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FASHION
IT’S A LL ABOU ION T A T N E S E R P T You can take two people wearing the same outfit but the person who knows how to incorporate their persona always looks better. Have you seen those celebrity shots where two celebs are wearing identical outfits but one is voted down (for one reason or another)? It’s all because one of them is embracing what is real to
them in terms of accessories, color and size (to name a few). Presentation is not about how much an outfit costs. It’s all about the way you find to pair it with other complementary things. It could be that you throw on some statement earrings and keep the rest of the outfit simple. It can also be the fact that you’re bold enough to attempt different styles and prints.
Knowing the PUBLIC IMAGE Versus PRIVATE Now we’re not asking you to go to the grocery store in the morning wearing classy gowns from Bluegala! But, it’s crucial to know that how you dress leads to how people perceive your personality. If you want to be the glitzy Coco Channel, throw on some rouge lips and a clutch purse.
Designer: Uber Africa Collective Photo: AFWL Photo by Simon Klyne
If you’re going for the easygoing yogi, put some well-fitted sweat pants on. Sloppy dressing is one of the things that can cause some misrepresentation to your personality. There is a time for dressing to stay at home, dressing for work, dressing for socialization and dressing
for business formalities. Therefore, what you wear must suit the proper occasion. So, when you’re dressing up, think of the impression you want people to have of you. When you’re out shopping, think about filling your wardrobe with the image you want to portray. Your dress says more than you think so make it the best moment you can make. You have the power to paint your personality by piecing fashion items together. Think of yourself as a package. The more attractive the packaging, the more people are willing to buy.
Designer: Kiki Clothing Photo: AFWL Photo by Simon Klyne
by Lindsey Mcmahon
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THE PROMOTA | 91
OPINION
Africans, let us unite!
It is a well-known fact that when people are united in a common goal, they are much more likely to succeed at realising that goal.
as calamities like the events of 1994 in Rwanda, and the conflict in Northern Uganda that engendered so much suffering and loss of life.
There is indeed strength in unity. But much more can be found in unity. When a common vision is shared, everyone in the group is encouraged to give their best; they are fired up to participate, to contribute, to make a difference, to share ideas, to support and lift each other up. Those people share together a burning desire to reach the desired goal.
But division amongst people can have a much more subtle effect as well, one that is not readily recognisable. Stealing ideas, high-jacking projects, diverting support or funds, wilfully sullying someone’s name and reputation to name of few, all stem from people not feeling at one with one another, and who therefore become unconscionable in what they do to another.
The other side of unity does not look so appealing, sadly. Division amongst people has been the source of much suffering and failure throughout history. To fail to recognise a common denominator in one another is immediately setting us apart from others, thereby already cutting off a potential ally, a source of possible help, support or inspiration. Such division can be expressed to the extreme, and can manifest
We all want success in our own right. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do well in life. But we should never want it so badly that we are willing to harm others in the process. And thereby even undermine our own chances to make it. When we steal someone’s idea and want to make it our own, we have already paved our own way to failure, as our foundation
is a dishonest one. If we are so taken by someone’s idea, why not propose to the rightful author of that idea to join them in a partnership that could benefit both in the long run. Let us not believe we can ever own someone else’s idea, or dream because that is not true. But we can certainly support someone else’s vision and do well along the way. This requires however humility in recognising we are not the original idea maker, but we still enjoy the journey and the vision of a goal realised, in unity with someone else. This type of partnership happens in all successful businesses across the world. In fact, the most successful ventures have at their very core a small number of people who all share one common vision and who all work together to bring it into life, even if the original idea stems from just one mind. We do need each other to succeed in life. No one has ever made it on their own. We need each other’s support, thoughts, input, coaching, belief in success ect. And all these wonderful qualities can be given to us only in unity, not in division. In unity, we are more likely to succeed, to become richer in knowledge and insights, more resilient, more courageous, stronger, wiser.
So, dear Africans, let us unite now! And let us reap the benefits of being really together. Of being One! Isabelle Gravenstein
Feature Editor of the Promota Africa magazine Read your free copy here www.thepromota.co.uk
OPINION
Forget 'Finding Your Niche' Just Be Yourself
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t’s a tenet of marketing success – find your niche and become the master of it. But what if that kind of extreme focus just isn’t your style? That was the situation facing C.C. Chapman, co-author (with Ann Handley) of Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business and author of the new Amazing Things Will Happen. Chapman has become a well-known social media authority, but he’s taken the winding path to get there, building up expertise in podcasting, dad blogging, content creation, creativity, and self-help. “It is easier if you have one thing – if you’re known as the ‘whatever’ person,” says Chapman. “But there are many of us for whom it’s not that easy. I know my ‘brand’ gets kind of messed up because I do all these different things, but it’s what I love doing. I know some things suffer; with Digital Dads, I’ve never put as much time into it as I could have, and maybe that could be making tons of money if I just focused on that. But it’s one piece of who I am. More people need to realize they don’t have to be this clear cut, defined brand. You’re a person: you’re going to have different passions and talk about different things. You’re not going to connect with everybody, but you’re not going to be best friends with everybody in the real world, either.” He sees the danger of bloggers or executives who try too hard to curate
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their own image: “I see people who put up a façade and they come to a conference and you shake hands, and it’s like, wow – you’re nothing like who you are [online]…If you’re just honest about who you are, it’s much easier and less stressful.” So what are the best ways to convey the real you online? Chapman, an avid photographer, is a big advocate of using images to share your experiences and perspective. “Audio and photography are the red headed stepchildren [in social media],” he says. “They get forgotten about, but they’re both powerful.” The best part of photography, he says, is that literally anyone can do it now that smartphones enable you have a quality camera on you at all times. “Instagram woke people up,” he says. “People thought it was about the filters [that the service enables you put on photos], but it’s not. It’s about the fact that it’s so easy” to take and share snapshots of your life. “I love seeing behind the scenes. I remember seeing a guy from a really big brand on Instagram, and I saw he collected yo-yos. It sparked a fun conversation, and I got to know him better.” Though Chapman praises content with high production values, like the TED Books app and photographer Chase Jarvis’ elegantly filmed video interviews, he says good content is about “the quality of the people and what they’re saying. With Chase Jarvis Live, I don’t know the production cost, but it’s three
cameras, a crane – it’s probably thousands of dollars. But I’d watch if it was the two of them with an iPhone and tripod, because it’s more about the conversation they’re having. With TED Books, I’d read it if it was a text file. It’s not about the budget or how slick it can be; it’s more about the quality of what’s in it.” A lack of expensive equipment should never be an excuse, he says. “I’d rather watch something entertaining or instructive filmed on a beat-up old camera than slickly produced HD crap.” Images do matter. “You hope people will take [your content] and share it, and whether they’re tweeting it, liking it, or +1ing it, the first thing people will see in all those systems in a picture,” he says. But it’s more about sharing a lens into your personal experience, rather than striving for perfection. “You need an image, but it doesn’t have to be a crazy beautiful image.” Everyone, he suggests, should start trying to think more visually. What shots around you could illustrate content you want to create? “I’ve probably seen 15 while we’ve been sitting here,” he told me, “because that’s the way I am.” Gesturing to the snaking line at the coffee shop where we’re sitting, Chapman says, “I could take a picture of this, all empty in front and there’s a line. It could be a post about customer service, the supply chain… people don’t do that enough. The only way you develop the photographer’s eye is to use it more and more.” by Dorie Clark is CEO of Clark Strategic Communications...
THE PROMOTA | 93
BUSINESS
How Farm Shop is modernising the agro dealership experience Social enterprise Farm Shop is building a franchise network of agro dealers located in rural, underserved areas of Kenya. Farm Shop says its retail shops are clean, modern, and professionally managed. The business wants to increase the earnings and productivity of Kenyan farmers by providing them with high quality products, services and information. Madison Ayer and Farouk Jiwa, founders of Farm Shop, told How we made it in Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dinfin Mulupi about how they want to transform smallholder farming in Kenya.
Describe model.
your
business
Ayer: At the core of Farm Shop is a supply chain. We have a franchise model. The benefit is that we can apply standard methodologies but leverage the local community knowledge. We currently have six Farm Shops and we plan to have 25 by the end of the year. Jiwa: There are amazing entrepreneurs in Kenya. We go to a location and look for a person who has been running an agro shop for a while and has a background in animal health. We want them to be trained in animal health because that is a skill I cannot teach; it takes 18 months to become an 94 | THE PROMOTA
animal health assistant. Along with refresher and additional technical training on a regular basis, we take them through an intensive programme on how to run a business, keep records, do marketing and the basics of good customer service. We then fix the shops so that they are no longer kiosks doing business through a window but rather inviting and wellplanned open spaces where farmers can touch the products and ask questions before buying. We also provide the franchisees credit to stock their shops with a wide range of carefully selected products.
Jiwa: No matter which part of Africa you go to, agriculture is still the mainstay of the economy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the majority of people earn an income from farming or running a related business. Smallholder farmers have never had the entire range of support they require. They have been relying on government to provide extension services, most of which is outdated because the trainers have not been exposed to new ideas and new practices. There are also inefficiencies when you look at the ratio of existing extension workers to farmers. Farmers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have easy access to technical agronomic information.
What was the motivation behind starting Farm Shop? www.thepromota.co.uk
BUSINESS
The biggest challenge for smallholder farmers is access to inputs – agro chemicals, seeds, fertilisers, veterinary medicine and animal feeds – which are the basics that you need for more productive farming, let alone technologies like water pumps, drip irrigation, improved farming tools or solar products. The distribution system has not been established and this vacuum has essentially been filled by informal agro dealers. There are about 10,000 agro dealer shops across Kenya. Most are run like kiosks on the side of the street and there is no difference between someone selling sugar and the person selling seeds, and yet the products are fundamentally different. The agro dealers need to have the knowledge, understanding and skills to be able to advise a farmer on what seed variety to plant and which chemical to use. Smallholder farmers are stuck in a situation where the extension services officer doesn’t offer the right kind of advice and the person selling the farm inputs doesn’t know the products either. Farmers are therefore relying on rumours and half-truths to make decisions about the seed variety and agro chemicals they should use. That is not how agriculture should work in the 21st century.
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We need to do better – much, much better. Tell us about the challenges you face in running this business. Jiwa: One of the most important things about building a business like this is that you will make mistakes. We are in that mode where we completely understand that mistakes should be made; we want to make as many mistakes as early as possible and make sure we don’t repeat those mistakes. We have actually had to close one of the shops. This is a partnership and it has to be a win-win for all parties. We are working with people who don’t have an MBA. We need to understand how to deal with that, we need to be more forgiving and agree on where to draw the line and let go sometimes. I don’t think every shop will be successful 100% of the time. After we have the 25 shops we will look at the data and analyse whether or not we are having the impact we anticipated as well as assess the bottom line. This will determine how best we can scale the model. The hurdles farmers face extend beyond inputs. There are infrastructural, access to markets and pricing challenges. What are they to do after a good harvest?
Jiwa: While we have started with the inputs and related support services, we have a very clear plan to focus on output markets too. For example, why do we have farmers in Baringo (an agricultural area in Kenya) producing mangos and they don’t know where to sell it? The tragedy in Africa today is that 40% of produce is lost post-harvest. Within a year and a half, we are going to have Farm Shop buying centres next to the existing input supply shops. Farmers can come into the buying centres with their produce where we will help them find a buyer. It needs to be a 360 degree cycle; if you buy improved inputs, you must also have guaranteed output markets. There are also challenges with access to finance. Microfinance institutions in this country need to do better; how many actually provide agricultural loans in a country where 70% of the population is involved in agriculture? What do their agricultural loan portfolios look like? We intend to build a more effective platform where tailored financial services can be made available to farmers. Our ultimate goal is to provide multiple products and services to smallholder farmers through a rural network of wellmanaged one-stop shops. BY Dinfin Mulupi
THE PROMOTA | 95
DIASPORA
By the time The Ugandan Diaspora Return Home the Gold rush will be over
By Ross Anson onventional wisdom frets that the exodus of skilled workers—the brain drain—is bad for African countries. The share of Africans with college degrees who live outside their home countries is certainly high: nearly half of Ghanaians, about 40 percent of Kenyans, and about one-third of Ugandans. The metaphor of the term itself implies that brain drain is a waste, as if all Africa’s most promising minds were being sucked down some global sink, leaving behind a parched continent. But a paper by William Easterly and Yaw Nyarko, published as a chapter in the new book Skilled Immigration Today: Prospects, Problems, and Policies, explores the arguments for and against brain drain, and builds on previous literature to argue four ways the benefits of brain drain could outweigh the costs to African countries.
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Recently New York Times published an article about the increase of immigrants going back to their native countries to start up their own businesses. It is safe to say over the past decade the countries grouped in the BRICS have been fortunate to receive a brain-gain, as many of their best and brightest have seen their own countries as land of opportunities. 96 | THE PROMOTA
On one of my social media networks I spotted a comment that said “By the time Africans get featured in an article like this the gold rush will be over.” Of course you can easily interpret this statement in several ways but it spoke volumes about how Africans tend to always be last in everything. Any Ugandan in the Diaspora would like to go back to pursue their own dreams but realistically you are faced with obstacles that cause many diasporans to become reluctant to return back to Africa to start up a business. I consider Britain and South Africa to be home to me, like most Ugandans I have met they are in no hurry to return back home. Here are my reasons why. The Political Climate The political climate in Uganda is one of the top reasons why the Ugandan Diaspora refuses to go back to Uganda. Despite a democratic society, the political system is still full of corruption and lack of transparency. If we compare Uganda’s history to a developing country such as Malaysia you will see some similarity as both countries received independence not many years apart from each other from British rule. Even in the 1960’s
Uganda was ahead of Malaysia economically wise and had vast more natural resources. If we compare both countries as of today, Malaysia has been able to pull ahead in terms of development. In Malaysia, a person can literally start a business in less than a week versus Uganda which is 30 plus days. Interestingly enough there is an increasing Ugandan base in Malaysia. In other countries, hard work can actually turn into a successful business like Sylvia Awori who has created a thriving publishing business or Patrick Bitature a well known business man in the country. In Uganda, there are many businesses thriving based off their own work, but as well just as many growing because of ties these companies have with the government. Lack of infrastructure It is 2014 and Uganda still does not have stable power for companies to run businesses. Many companies in Uganda use over 10% of their income to run power from day to night. In other countries, running power for the company is the least of one’s concern and normally amount to 1% to 2 %. Beside the power, roads are an eyesore and connectivity is still a problem among businesses. These issues have stifled Ugandans for decades who dream of building a business. Many Ugandans in the Diaspora have great ideas but are held back simply because Uganda lacks the infrastructure to turn their idea into a viable business. Out of touch with Uganda Let’s face it some people in the Diaspora are just simply out of touch. They have no clue what is taking place in Uganda and some do not even want to know. Other countries do a great job of connecting their people in the Diaspora to their home www.thepromota.co.uk
DIASPORA countries. In India a person from the Diaspora sits on parliament. Chinese have groups in the Diaspora that actually have influence in Chinese affairs. If we look at Liberia, they allow their citizens in the Diaspora to vote in government elections. Yes, we can say we have “people” in the government who are supposed to handle Diaspora affairs, but what can we say they have done. We have groups in the Diaspora who are there to help Ugandan entrepreneurs invest back into Uganda, but instead it becomes a power struggle of who will lead the group. In this area, the Diaspora affairs must improve in order to create a better bridge between those in and out of Uganda. The comfort of being overseas Time and time again, I meet Ugandans who continue to say I want to go back to Uganda one day and it
never becomes a reality. I remember jumping in a taxi cab on my way to a meeting and coincidentally the taxi driver was a Ugandan. He was telling me his journey from Uganda and how he wishes to go back but he is just used to his routine in South Africa. Many people aspire to be entrepreneurs but some would rather deal with the comfort of 9 to 5 than going back to Uganda to deal with the headache. Ugandans who have left to go back to Uganda get there to discover a pile of empty promises. People who said they will connect them with so and so end up being dead ends. Staying in the Diaspora may not be the ideal route, but to many Ugandans, it is considered the safe route. Despite all of these roadblocks to go back to Uganda, I am still moved by the vast opportunities to try my luck
and move back to Uganda. There are many Ugandans who have gone back and have made a successful name for themselves. Uganda is growing by leaps and bounds ripe for development. It will be difficult to assimilate back into the country, but anything great is not easy to obtain. The challenges of Uganda should not discourage people in the Diasporas; it should in fact encourage us to transfer our skills to build up Uganda. As a wise man once told me, “Ugandans are walking on money; the opportunities are far too great to not see them”. I call on Ugandans in the Diaspora to migrate back to Uganda to take advantage of these opportunities. Do not wait for the gold rush to be over, tap into Uganda’s potential. rossanson@consultant.com
4 HABITS OF CREATIVE PEOPLE THAT CAN LEAD TO SUCCESS PUT IN WORK:
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reative minds are some of the most innovative and efficient. You’d think that they often wander off into space with no sense of structure or discipline, but the most successful writers and artists were forced to improvise, stick to a plan and work hard and tediously toward their goals. Many of them have habits that any leader—or boss in the making—can learn from and adapt in order to have a more productive and effective work day. Writer Oliver Burkeman details these top 4 habits of legendary literary and art figures: Rise and grind: What did Mozart, Georgia O’Keefe and Frank Lloyd Wright have in common? They were early risers—morning people. “There is evidence that morning people are
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happier and more conscientious, but also that night owls might be more intelligent,” Burkeman writes. “If you’re determined to join the ranks of the early risers, the crucial trick is to start getting up at the same time daily, but to go to bed only when you’re truly tired.” Hustle never stops: Burkeman notes that amazing writers like William Faulkner wrote “As I Lay Dying” in the afternoons, before his night shift at a power plant and that TS Eliot‘s day job at a bank gave him financial security he needed to have the flexibility to write. Having a day job—or technically a side hustle— was apparently a vital part of their career journeys in finding fulfillment and achieving their goals. Get to walking: Burkeman
adds that many successful creative people have some sort of active life, whether its taking a walk or simply stepping away from the desk or office for a breather. Ritual me this: Having a routine is a necessary part of life, especially if you’re working toward a goal. For some of us, this may seem like a monotonous, boring way to live, but for those seeking excellence and results, it’s something that can’t be shortchanged or disregarded. Burkeman points out, “This kind of existence sounds as if it might require intimidating levels of self-discipline, but on closer inspection it often seems to be a kind of safety net: the alternative to a rigid structure is either no artistic creations, for those with day jobs, or the existential terror of no structure at all.” THE PROMOTA | 97
BUSINESS
HOW TO WORK WITH SUPPLIERS IN AFRICA Madeleine Rosburg, the CEO of Swedish company Responsify shares her experience assisting retail clothing stores to source products from Africa. people that are looking for longterm and sustainable business relationships, and you can get a lot of support from governments.
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esponsify is a Swedish company that assists international companies with their businesses and expansion in Africa. We are mainly focused on the textile and leather industries but are planning projects in other areas such as agriculture. We work with companies such as H&M, Stadium, KappAhl, and some of the biggest international hotel chains in the world. We act as their representative in Africa and help them with sourcing, production planning and follow-ups, business development, logistics and sustainability. We operate in most of Africa and have production facilities in several countries including Ethiopia, which is increasingly becoming an attractive for light manufacturing. We have found huge potential in the East African nation that is supported by a large
98 | THE PROMOTA
workforce, cheap electricity, the second largest population of cattle in the world (for leather), access to cotton, a government that is offering subsidises to the textile and leather industry. A large number of international companies are investing in Ethiopiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manufacturing sector. Negative perceptions about Africa still linger, and it is common to find foreign executives who are not fully aware of the opportunities on the continent. Yet Africa has a large number of the natural resources that we are looking for in the world. It is also the last unexploited market in the world. Manufacturing of goods moved from Europe to Asia, and now due to rising costs we have to look for new hubs that offer affordable manufacturing facilities. You can find very good prices in Africa,
To be successful, you need to find people with abundant local knowledge. Have a long-term perspective, be patient and try to understand cultural differences. Ensure you are one-step ahead when it comes to planning and follow-up, and do not take unnecessary risks. There are challenges of working here, for example, communication barriers, scarce management resources and cultural differences. Other challenges include the quality of raw materials and knowledge of the products and on-time delivery. These challenges can be resolved by having a local presence, and establishing strong partnerships with local partners and communities - this is essential if you want to source goods from Africa. You must cultivate a wellestablished contact network and prioritise all relationships that you have. Local companies do often have strong relationships with the communities so it is important to be a part of the social development in the community in which you are operating as well. Everyone should be happy that you are doing business there. Being well appreciated by locals could determine whether your venture will be sustainable. www.thepromota.co.uk
BUSINESS
Five things you should know about private equity in Africa During a forum in Cape Town, experts discussed various issues concerning private equity investments and opportunities in Africa. Here are five points to consider. 1. Pension funds getting involved in private equity According to Rory Ord, head of RisCura Fundamentals, changes in regulations and investment processes of pension funds are having a significant impact on private equity in Africa. “What that has allowed is that for the first time pension funds are explicitly allowed to invest in private equity and that change in regulations has also opened the landscape for pension funds to invest more in the rest of Africa and to do that in a way that is sanctioned by local government,” said Ord. “I am specifically talking here about the South African regulations but there are similar changes and regulations that are happening in other parts of the continent as well, and these are all in progress … But I think the big shift we are going to see in the coming years is that large pension funds – particularly the Nigerian ones which are really going to come to the fore in the coming years – are going to be allowed to invest their money into unlisted investments which [will not only have] a strong impact on the development of the countries in which they invest in, but also on the development of financial markets as a whole.”
private equity in Africa is the fact that so far private equity has basically been driven by commodities and by infrastructure,” explained Keet van Zyl, a venture capitalist and co-founder of Knife Capital and AngelHub. “So the rising age of consumerism has now created a whole lot of opportunities, specifically in the technology consumerism space and where certain things can leapfrog like mobile has leapfrogged … and those things have opened up a whole lot of opportunities in Africa.”
3. Less competition for deals With private equity only emerging on the continent, many firms are still uneasy about investing in Africa with its history of economic and political instability. However, according to Van Zyl, those who have already “put some chips on the table” are benefiting from the lack of competition. “The other thing is also that in that space it’s not as crowded and while there is competition for deals and it’s increasing, it’s not quite Silicon Valley and [private equity investors] never want to be where there is an auction for pricing,” Van Zyl pointed out.
4. Long lead times 2. Rise of consumerism opens doors Ord pointed out that in the past five years private equity has seen funds go towards various sectors in African economies, particularly in infrastructure. However, with the rise of the African middle class and consumerism, private equity fund managers are seeing additional opportunities develop. “The exciting thing about Africa and
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Chris Derksen, head of Africa and global frontier markets strategies at Investec Asset Management, recently closed a deal in Angola, a country known for its difficult business environment, and gave an example of how long the initial deal process can take. “Sourcing the deal took us a year and a half. We had a guy living in Luanda, for over a year, to speak to the right people, get to know the right people and eventually
we sourced exactly the right deal,” said Derksen. Derksen added that private equity fund managers don’t have a defined universe of investment opportunities like investments made on stock exchanges. “If you talk about private equity in Africa you start with a clean slate, you have to get to know good people in any one of 54 very different countries, and these good people have to run businesses which you believe in and which you think will create significant value over time,” said Derksen. “And in order to get there we are talking about a very long lead time, building very good relationships over a long time, and eventually I think you can make extremely good investments.”
5. A big opportunity Derksen explained why he believes there is so much opportunity for private equity investments on the continent. “I think the one thing to lift out when you think private equity is to benchmark our continent with the developed world,” said Derksen. “Look at the developed world and you look at market capitalisation to GDP ratio (it’s a bit like a PE to a country I guess) you will see that that ratio for Africa (the extent to which corporate value is capitalised on the domestic stock exchanges) is about one-fifth of what it is in the developed world – a lot more of that potential corporate value is in the private sphere as opposed to listed on public stock exchanges. So that’s one very good reason why I believe private equity has a big future on this continent.” www.howwemadeitinafrica.com
THE PROMOTA | 99
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