A bloody good idea by Young African Express

PR I N S T 1 ED O ITU UC V TE AT E N

Vol. Y7A no. 3

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

™

Vol. 7 no. 3

L e a r n i ng fo r a b e t t e r l i fe

An entrepreneur has many ideas to make money or start a business … here’s one entepreneur who uses his bright ideas to save lives. Evans Muriu uses social sites as a platform to search for blood donors and make blood available to those who need it. He has become a beacon of hope to many. Can you imagine an online bloodbank? How did he come to develop such a novel concept?

continued on page 3

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Vol. 7 no. 3

CREDITS Publisher Jacaranda Designs Ltd Technical Advisers Experts from our sponsors Executive Director Susan Scull-Carvalho Creative Director Peta Meyer Art Director Katherine Moir Senior Editor Helen van Houten Writers Clare Barasa, Charles Bodo, Lee Diani, Jill Ghai, Shaleen Keshavjee-Gulam, Peta Meyer, Katherine Moir, Sarah Radoli, Susan ScullCarvalho, Julia Wanjeri Graphic Designers Samuel Gachie, Grace King’ori, Mbula Makaa-Kinuthia, Katherine Mamai Artists Cyrus Gathigo, Bella Kilonzo, Katherine Moir, Matthew Moir, Harrison Muriuki, Martin Ngugi, Benjamin Ondiege, Nkrumah Ondiek, Celestine Wamiru Photographs J. Baxter, Charles Bodo, Maarten Dirkse, Noah Elhardt, JJ Harrison, P. Mafogonya, Evans Muriu, Sarah Radoli, Ranjith Siji, Forest & Kim Starr, Annisa Thompson, Julia Wanjeri, US Navy, Western Cape Emergency Medical Services, World Agroforestry Centre, www.sxc.hu, www.wikipedia.org Contacts info@youngafricanexpress.net subscription@youngafricanexpress.net marketing@youngafricanexpress.net website: www.youngafricanexpress.net Printed in Nairobi, Kenya Jacaranda Designs Ltd PO Box 1202–00606 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 (0)20 374-4737 Fax: +254 (0)20 374-9171 Cell: +254 (0)722 667747 Email: info@jacaranda-africa.com Copyright© Jacaranda Designs Ltd 2012 Young African Express is published by Jacaranda Designs Ltd, under a registered trademark. All rights reserved. While every attempt has been made to verify all facts, instructions and procedures, the publisher claims indemnity against results of any nature whatsoever arising from the application/s thereof. Readers are encouraged to contribute. They must include a self-addressed envelope if they want their materials returned; we cannot be held responsible for loss or damage. The editor reserves the right to alter materials in any way deemed necessary. Young African Express is not responsible for unsolicited material. All articles and material submitted must bear the contributor’s name if they are to be used by Young African Express. The opinions expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the editors and publishers of Young African Express.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

EXPRESSIONS

“It Was Just an Idea”

Dear Readers,

“I have an idea ...”

“A word of caution ...” “A little too radical ...”

We want you to s-t-r-e-t-c-h your thinking skills as you enjoy this issue. Think critically about each article, letter, feature and cartoon you read. Ask: why? Think about cause and effect. What motivates a person to identify a problem or need, and then do something to solve it? What will enable you to think creatively and apply your innovative ideas? What caused Evans Muriu in our cover story to learn about a certain need, and then become inspired to take action?

“I like it myself but ...”

“We tried something just like that once ...”

“Let me play devil’s advocate ...”

“It’s just not us ...”

“I wish it were that easy ...”

“Oh, it was just an idea ...”

Read this poster Ask your friends, parents and teachers to read it too. Discuss with them what the message means. Go deeper. What helps us create ideas? Have a debate on the importance of ideas in our societies. Explore more. Make a list of ideas that are being used. Next to each write the problem being solved. Now imagine you are the one having each idea. Write or role-play how people around you react when you share your idea with them. Please tell us what you think this poster means. Tell us how you think more ideas can be encouraged and put to use. We’ll publish your views—so include your name, age, address or contact—and photo if possible!

An idea is a fragile thing. Turning it off is much easier than keeping it lit.

Write to the editor: Young African Express PO Box 1202 - 00606, Nairobi, Kenya. Email info@YoungAfricanExpress.net SMS 0722-667747 or 0733-960757

We say…

If you were a head teacher, how would you prepare your students for exams? Children at Shadrack Kimalel Primary School have lots of ideas. Kevin Wambua, 14. Class 8. Hobbies: Football, reading I would provide them with past papers and good books like an encyclopaedia. The encyclopaedia contains reading material on all subjects. I would also provide good desks and lockers so that the pupils are comfortable. Mary Kioko, 13. Class 8. Hobbies: Singing, counselling Pupils need a good environment for studying. I would reorganise classes to create such an atmosphere. I would advise the candidates to work harder and organise their time well. As some students cannot afford tuition and food money, I would help them out so that they can focus on their studies.

John Donald Opiyo, 15. Class 8. Hobbies: Football, drawing First, I would make sure every teacher attends all classes. I would advise candidates to reduce the amount of time they waste playing. I would also offer rewards to those candidates who pass with flying colours. For example, our school offers a certificate and a chance to be sponsored in secondary school to exceptional performers.

Hassan Masha, 15. Class 8. Hobbies: Football, hanging out, reading If I were the headmaster, I would talk to the candidates about coming up with school rules. They will suggest those that make their learning more comfortable. This way there would be discipline since they have created the rules.

Zaitun Mohamed, 13. Class 8. Hobbies: Reading storybooks I would tell teachers to review work done in lower classes to remind pupils of the things that may have been forgotten. I would tell the teachers to add more homework. This is so that candidates find their weak areas and review them. I would ask the pupils to specify the days set aside for homework and those for personal reading. Catherine Wandia, 14. Class 8. Hobbies: Traveling, novels I would make the school conducive for learning by providing desks, keeping the school clean, etc. I would also be strict in seeing that teachers follow the syllabus. I would encourage pupils so they have a motive to work for better grades. Pupils should know the benefits of learning such as bettering their future.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Vol. 7 no. 3

EXPRESSIONS

continued from page 1

“

I saw many accident victims and sick people who urgently needed blood. But they could not always get their blood type immediately,” says Evans. He wanted to increase the number of blood donors so he started the “Wanadamu” initiative. A form on his website (www.kunavijana.org) asks for your name, phone number, blood group, Twitter or Facebook address so that anyone willing to donate can sign up. Wanadamu has a group of volunteers who help Evans monitor the donor database. If there is an urgent appeal for blood, they

search it for donors with the matching blood type and then send those donors a message that they are needed. The Wanadamu database has 7,000 donors, who have helped save hundreds of lives.

the blood they need by contacting us through Twitter, Facebook or phone calls. Radio stations and hospitals have got in touch when there is an emergency and the donors are always ready to help.

Facebook founder Mark “Once we received “We have what it takes to Zuckerberg is another an appeal for make things happen. We just entrepreneur who uses a child with social sites as a platform choose to think we need leukaemia who to save lives. In May he money to make it happen.” urgently needed Evans Muriu launched an initiative where 36 units of he encouraged people to sign blood. Each person normally donates up as organ donors. They can publicly 1 unit so we needed 36 people. With declare through Facebook to their friends the database, we were able to help. In and family that they are an organ donor. another instance a baby in critical Should they pass away suddenly, say in a condition urgently traffic accident, their family and friends needed 25 units of will know they wanted to help others, blood. We found even in death, by donating an organ for willing donors in example, their kidneys, liver, heart or eyes, our database and in to someone whose organs have failed. no time the hospital had adequate blood Want to be innovative? Here is to save the baby,” advice from Evans: says Evans. • You need to have a clear goal—why you have chosen to do a particular thing. “There are people

A young Haitian girl recovers from surgery. Blood transfusions are often needed after operations.

with negative blood type, which is rare. But they have been able to get

• Get people with the right attitude to help you achieve your goal.

• Do research. Talk to people about your idea, to see if they think it will work.

BOARD

Bulletin

We want to hear from you! Send us your writing, drawings, paintings and opinions and you could see them in Young African Express!

Letters Poe ms Art St ories How I started drawing

When I was a standard 1 boy, I was drawing human beings and tables. Through the years to come I got myself drawing beautiful pictures, and in class 5 I was drawing perfectly and organising my pictures beautifully and wonderfully.

Habil Collins, 12 years old Class 5, Hospital Hill Primary School

Teachers, why not make it a class project? Thanks for your interesting painting, Habil!

Attention Educators: Follow the colour band at the top of each page for curriculum links Expressions: English language and literacy Our World: Civil society, social sciences and human rights Business and careers Staying Healthy: Health, hygiene and nutrition Going Green: Agroforestry, home gardens and environmental conservation Practical Science: Maths, science and technology Critical thinking, puzzles and brainteasers

to them ess at Send x E pr i, frican 606 Nairob et A g n 0 s.n You 0 s 1202 - fricanExpre x o B PO oungA info@Y il a m e

Vol. 7 no. 3

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

staying healthy

Government of Kenya

Tiny but vital Micronutrients are commonly referred to as “vitamins and minerals”. Micronutrients include minerals such as fluoride, selenium, sodium, iodine, copper and zinc. They also include vitamins A, C, D, E and K, as well as the B-complex vitamins.

icronutrients are important to keep your body’s systems functioning properly. Your body needs them, but in very small quantities.

THEY‛RE TINY!

For example, Sodium

helps maintain the proper fluid balance in your body. It helps fluids such as water pass through cell walls and also helps regulate the correct blood pH

Have you ever seen pictures of intestinal worms? Can you picture numbers of them living in the walls of your intestine? Creepy, isn’t it! o next time your parents ask you to wash your hands before a meal, don’t grumble! You probably don’t think they’re dirty but did you know that tiny worm eggs could be stuck under your fingernails?

So how do we prevent worms from entering our bodies? Wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating. Wash salad vegetables thoroughly with treated water. Do not buy fruit that has already been peeled. Peel the fruit yourself. Cook your food well to remove all the chances of consuming worms or parasites

levels (how acidic or alkaline your blood is). You find it in salt, proteins and most processed foods like tomato ketchup, crisps and biscuits. Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and water retention. helps form bone and produce energy from carbohydrates, protein and fat. Sukuma wiki, pineapple, banana, garlic, nuts, brown rice, cinnamon and turmeric are just some sources of manganese.

Manganese

Magnesium

helps your body grow healthy bones and teeth and convert glucose (blood sugar) into energy. It also helps break down calcium and vitamin C into usable form. Get it from animal proteins, legumes and green vegetables.

helps your body produce red blood cells and lymphocytes. Make sure to eat plenty of proteins, green leafy vegetables and whole grains.

Iron

helps your thyroid gland develop and function. It helps your body break down fats and produce energy. It also promotes physical and mental growth. Seafood, seaweed, yogurt and strawberries are rich in iodine.

Iodine

found in salt, tomatoes, peanut butter and most other processed foods, helps to balance the levels of water and electrolytes within your cells, as Micronutrient well.

Chloride

deficiencies can cause serious health problems. Read about them on page 7. To get enough micronutrients, eat a balanced diet.

and avoid eating raw or undercooked meat or fish. Drink boiled or filtered water.

When human waste gets into rivers from which people get drinking water it is a health hazard. Ensure safe and sanitary disposal of human waste, which can transmit worm eggs.

Everyone in your family should take deworming tablets every 6 months. Deworm your pets regularly as it is easy for them to pick up worms. This helps maintain hygiene in them as well as in humans. Pets can transmit some worms to humans.

Handwashing—the best defence against worms. Personal hygiene is extremely important:

• Wash your hands often, especially after using the toilet, after playing outside or touching pets or livestock, and before eating or preparing food. This is the single best way to avoid disease. • Keep your nails short and clean.

• Wash every day and change your underwear daily. If you suck your thumb or have a habit of putting your fingers in your mouth, stop! This is an entry point for worms into your stomach.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Vol. 7 no. 3

Diseases

Government of Kenya

Those squirmy hookworms Jane and Maria were on the bus on their way to a picnic when Jane’s tummy started acting up. She told Maria she needed a toilet right away. Luckily there was one nearby. They hurriedly alighted and Jane rushed off to the toilet. Returning to her friend a few minutes later, Jane confided that she had had bad diarrhoea for the past couple of days. Maria realised that their lovely picnic must be replaced by a visit to the clinic with Jane’s parents.

A hookworm is about 1 cm (half an inch) long, with sharp hooklike teeth and a muscular gullet used in sucking blood. The female, slightly larger than the male, can lay more than 10,000 eggs a day, Pinworms and threadworms are a common cause of anal itching. A mature female worm migrates from the infected person’s intestine to the anal region to lay eggs. Dr Marara: About 6 weeks after they enter the body as larvae, the worms are full-grown adults. Each worm now attaches itself by hooked teeth to the intestinal wall, where it sucks the host’s blood. Jane: Are there symptoms I could have recognised before I developed diarrhoea?

t the clinic the results of several stool tests confirmed that Jane had intestinal worms called hookworms. The girls and Jane’s parents had plenty of questions for Dr Marara.

You only get them through food if the person handling it has hookworm and does not wash their hands well after going to the toilet. The eggs remain under their nails and are transferred to the food.

Jane: What are intestinal worms?

Maria: Are there also other kinds of intestinal worms?

You get them from the soil when an infected person defecates and their infected faeces pass hookworm eggs to the soil. They grow into larvae. They wait under the surface of the soil for some unsuspecting host to latch onto and enter the host’s body mostly through the soles of the feet.

Dr Marara: Oh, yes, there are roundworms, pinworms, threadworms, tapeworms and giardia.

Jane: Oh yuck! And then they travel to the intestines. When they reach the intestines what happens?

Dr Marara: They are organisms that live in the digestive tract of a human being for their nourishment and survival.

Jane: But Doctor, I am very hygienic. I thought it’s only dirty people who get worms. How do you think I got hookworm? Jane’s father: Maybe it’s that street food you’ve been buying. Jane’s mother: But Jane also keeps walking barefoot in our garden. Dr Marara: You can get them from infected food or from the soil.

Adult hookworms living in the small intestine produce eggs

Dr Marara: Symptoms are common with those of other diseases—bad breath, dark circles under the eyes, constant desire for food, coughing, chest pain, wheezing, headaches, anaemia and indigestion. Maria: Doctor, now that you know what’s wrong with Jane, what treatment will she get? Dr Marara: That’s easy. I will give Jane some tablets to take. I recommend the whole family takes a dose, in case anyone else is infected. You can get deworming tablets at any pharmacy—and Maria, since you are close friends with Jane, maybe you should take a dose too!

Do you want to stay free of worms? Read page 4!

Hookworm eggs leave the body in faeces

1. The larvae travel to the lungs in the bloodstream 2. They are coughed up and swallowed 3. They travel through the digestive system to the small intestine

Hookworm larvae enter the foot through the skin

Hookworm larvae hatch and live in the soil

What

are worms?

Most worms live in the soil but intestinal worms are not the same as earthworms. There are thousands of different kinds of worms. Hookworms are from the phylum* Nematoda, which mostly live as parasites in animals and human beings.

*Phylum is a type of animal classification

Vol. 7 no. 3

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

hiv & you

HIV Myths Dear Counsellor The new boy who sits next to me in class has HIV. Won’t I get it from him? Shouldn’t he stay away from school?

Robert

Dear Robert HIV is spread in infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk. You cannot get it through other body fluids like sweat, saliva or tears, through touch or through the air. You will not get it from • Sitting next to an HIV-positive person • Breathing the same air as them

• Touching something they have touched (like a pen or toilet seat) • Sharing eating utensils • Touching them

Your classmate is not a danger to you or any other students. Make sure everyone in your class knows this because he has as much right to education as any other child. The Counsellor

Without treatment, half of all HIV-positive children will die before their second birthday. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that babies with HIV get ARVs before they fall ill. ARVs have side effects but for Lisa, getting no treatment is more dangerous than the side effects. The Counsellor

Dear Counsellor Since HIV is spread through blood, can we get it from a mosquito that has sucked the blood of someone who is HIV-positive?

Salal

Dear Counsellor My baby cousin Lisa is HIV positive. My aunt was advised to put her on ARVs but their neighbour says that a baby’s body is too weak for pills and Lisa will get better as she grows older. Besides, she doesn’t look sick. Does she really need ARVs?

Dear Salal This is a common worry but you cannot get HIV from bloodsucking insects. HIV does not survive for long in an insect’s body and when insects bite, they do not inject any blood from their last victim into the next person. The Counsellor

Dear Naisenya It is important to know that not all people with HIV look sick. They still need ARVs (antiretroviral drugs). ARVs keep the levels of HIV in the body low so that the immune system does not get so weak that it cannot fight infection.

Myths or false ideas about HIV and AIDS are dangero us. They with cause prejudice against people HIV of ces chan the ease HIV, incr nt. infection and affect HIV treatme ble relia from s fact Learn the true s sources like medical professional g. rt.or .ave www or and VCT centres,

Naisenya

wow, you guys really have some hot babes in your school!

who cares ... they are clean, pure and uncontaminated!

nice from far, but far from nice. some of them are “twacks!” how would you know that?!

Story by Cajetan Boy Art by Bella Kilonzo no way! nuru says the early stages of HIV have no visible symptoms. you only know somebody’s status after they’ve had a test and told you the results.

listen man! you can tell who’s infected by the way they look!

later, outside justo’s supa cuts ... now you’re talking rubbish!!! there’s no cure for AIDS.

once infected, the condition can only be managed with proper diet and medicines. and you have to do this for the rest of your life.

you can’t ever go back to being HIV negative!

i don’t believe it. but if you get infected, you can look for a cure.

or that poster from the VCT centre she put up?

hey leon? how come you’re listening to justo?

don’t you remember what nuru said about HIV and AIDS?!

come on, who knows more? justo, an older, experienced man or nuru, the innocent virgin?

TALK ABOUT IT! which sources of information on HIV and AIDS are trustworthy? how can you be sure you’re getting the correct information? what difference can an incorrect message make?

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Vol. 7 no. 3

Reproductive health

When can a girl get pregnant? A girl can get pregnant from the time she has her first period, but there are some days in her cycle when pregnancy is more likely to occur.

or pregnancy to happen, an egg released from a woman’s ovary must be fertilised by a man’s sperm. An egg lives for about 24 hours after being released from the ovary —so after the egg dies, sex is safe. But a sperm can live up to 5 days. So if a woman has sex before the egg is released, the sperm present in her body could still fertilise the egg at ovulation a few days later. To learn the days when you are most fertile, keep track of your own cycle—mark the first day of your period on a calendar every month. Unless your periods are very irregular, you

will be able to see a pattern after a few months. The number of days between the first day of bleeding in one cycle to the first day of bleeding in the next cycle = your cycle length. In an average 28-day cycle, ovulation happens on day 14.

feel mild cramping on one side, have spotting (slight bleeding), or your breasts may feel tender. Know your own body’s signs.

Around the time of ovulation, you may notice a show of cervical mucus on the inside of your panties. Cycle length It will be stringy and clear, rather like egg Probable day white. You may also of ovulation

Pregnancy can only occur on a few days in your cycle, but remember—sexually transmitted infections such as HIV or gonorrhoea can happen at any time.

ovulation 1

period

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

less fertile

most fertile time

less fertile

25-day cycle ovulation 1

period

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

less fertile

most fertile time

less fertile

28-day cycle

Girl have cycles of different lengths. Calculate your own fertile days using the earliest fertile day from your shortest cycle, 26 27 28 and the last fertile day from your longest cycle.

ovulation 1

period

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

less fertile

most fertile time

less fertile

33-day cycle

Missing micronutrients

ERALS

Often sick

If you have a poor appetite and take long to recover from sickness, your body could be in need of zinc. This mineral helps your body IED fight off disease F I T FOR by supporting your immune system and helps you recover faster when you’ve been ill. Eat pumpkin seeds, and sesame (simsim) seeds, nuts, meat, shellfish, oats and fortified cereals. H

Brain damage

Iodine gives you an alert mind and well-formed body. Lack of iodine is the world’s foremost cause of brain damage. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy can result in miscarriage or mental retardation of the baby. Lack of iodine also

TA M I NS

I T H V I TA

Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children. It also increases the risk of illness because vitamin A supports our immune systems. Since breast milk is a natural source of vitamin A, breastfeeding is the best way to protect babies from deficiency. The rest of us should eat liver, eggs, sweet potato, green leafy vegetables, and orange-coloured fruits and vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, mango and pawpaw.

If your iron levels are low, you will have little energy, get tired easily and become DULL! Iron deficiency is extremely common. Check your tongue, nails and the inside of your lips. Do they look pale? If so, top up on FO RT IFI ED iron with beans, red meat, liver, fish, poultry, eggs, dried fruit, green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals.

causes goitre—an enlarged thyroid gland. Fortunately, iodine deficiency is easily prevented by using iodised salt and flour and by eating yogurt, eggs and seafood.

Eye problems

No energy

WIT

icronutrients are important for you to function well. Read about some on page 4. The lack of micronutrients can cause serious conditions. Deficiencies in vitamin A, iron, zinc and iodine are common.

D MIN

Vol. 7 no. 3

bodyworks

In the previous issue of the Young African Express, we talked about periods and what to expect. Some girls miss school during their periods because they fear staining accidents. This causes them to fall behind in class or even drop out of school. What are some of the options for dealing with menstrual blood? Different girls find different methods work best for them. Whatever the method, remember to wash your vaginal area daily to avoid body odour and infections.

Pads

Sanitary towels or pads absorb the menstrual flow as it leaves the vagina. Some girls have periods with heavy bleeding, and others have lighter periods with less bleeding. Disposable pads come in different sizes and absorbencies for heavier and lighter periods or for day-or night-time use. Find the one that works for you.

Tampons

A tampon absorbs blood from inside the vagina. It is made of absorbent material, compressed into a tubular shape. Like pads, tampons come in different sizes and absorbencies for heavier and lighter periods. It is easy to use tampons if you carefully follow the directions that come with them. Some girls worry that a tampon can get lost inside your body. The vagina holds a tampon in place and the opening of the cervix (at the top of the vagina) is just too tiny for a tampon to get through.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Menstruation should not mean missing school.

Menstrual cups

Like a tampon, a menstrual cup is inserted into the vagina but it catches blood instead of absorbing it. Menstrual cups are made of flexible materials, like rubber or silicone. Once the cup is inserted, it can remain in the body for up to 12 hours without causing bad odour or infection. Empty it more frequently if your period is Tips for using disposable pads or tampons • Some pads and tampons are scented. However, the scent can irritate the vagina. Regular changing usually prevents any odour.

• Change your pad every 3-4 hours or your tampon every 4-6 hours during the day to prevent the build-up of bacteria and eliminate bad smells. If tampons are left unchanged for more than 8 hours, the build-up of bacteria can cause toxic shock syndrome, a potentially fatal illness. • Heavy period? Change pads or tampons more often to avoid leaks.

• Wrap used pads or tampons in toilet paper or old newspaper and put them in the dustbin (if you have regular rubbish collection), burn them or bury them. In public toilets, put them in the special disposal bin if provided. No bins? Carry plastic bags to place used pads in and dispose of them later. DO NOT flush down the toilet as they may clog it.

Menstrual cups will soon be available in Kenya! The Ruby Cup is made out of silicone.

heavy. Follow the directions for insertion and removal. A menstrual cup is more expensive than a pack of tampons or pads but it is reusable and one cup can last up to 5 years. I cannot afford to buy pads, tampons or a menstrual cup. What can I do? Make your own reusable cloth pads, like the girls in Ozi Village, Tana Delta. They make pads out of cotton and towel, with 4 straps attached to tie the pads in place. It is important to wash and dry such pads properly. Well- caredfor pads can be reused for several years. Am I still a virgin if I use a tampon or cup? A virgin is someone who has never had sexual intercourse. Inserting a tampon or cup is definitely not the same as having sex. What if I start ‘leaking’ at school? • Have a sweater to tie around your waist if your clothes become stained. • Wear dark-coloured panties if you know you will need to change for sport during the school day.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Vol. 7 no. 3

Living right

Handling failure

!iolence nto v o

Emotion al ab t en

Albert Einstein did not do well enough to go to the college of his choice. Instead, he attended another school and graduated well enough to enrol at the college later. Do not give up; learn, try again, and stick with it! WAIT FOR US!— QUICK, LEAH!

COME ON, LET’S TIDY YOU UP...

THINGS MUST BE TOUGH AT HOME …

MY MUM DRINKS TOO MUCH SOMETIMES, THAT’S ALL. IT’S HEALTHY TO TALK TO SOMEONE. WHAT ABOUT THE SCHOOL COUNSELLOR?

IIING! RRI THANKS, FIONA.

HMMM …

… YOU’RE RIGHT. I WISH I KNEW WHAT TO DO…

… THERE’S ALSO ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, AND PHONE COUNSELLORS LIKE CHILDLINE.

I DIDN’T KNOW THERE WERE SO MANY CHOICES!

We all know that when a teacher offers a student better grades in return for a kiss, that is sexual harassment and it is illegal. But sometimes harassment is not so easy to recognise.

boy winks and pats you on the bottom … is he flirting? Or is it sexual harassment?

A girl leans in close to discuss homework, rubbing her breasts against your arm. Is she insensitive? Or is it sexual harassment? A single isolated incident is not harassment unless it is really serious (like groping your private parts). But little things can be harassing if they happen regularly (to boys or girls):

I CAN HANDLE IT.

QUIET, SIS! THAT’S A SECRET!

ALCOHOL AND OTHER ADDICTIONS AFFECT EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY.

violence, d ef il

The Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, performed flying experiments many times for 10 years, before they were able to keep a plane in the air for 62 minutes in September 1908.

MUMMY WAS DRUNK AND DIDN’T…

WELL, YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO HANDLE IT ALONE …

al xu Se

Sexual harassment in school

By Peta Meyer and Benjah Ondiege

HI KATO, YOU CAUGHT THE BUS JUST IN TIME!

Bullying,

Abraham Lincoln failed over 500 times in various ways on his way to becoming the president of the United States.

e, child abus e, rap

In life, failure in anything is not the end of the world. It is not your successes that define you but the way in which you handle failure. Do you learn a lesson from this stumbling block, or do you roll over and give up?

e, us

.M .G

Say

ou had studied really hard for the end-of-year exams, but in the exam room, you realised that many of the subject areas you studied for were not even covered. The result is you did not perform as well as you had hoped. This means that you will not be going to that national school of your choice. You feel depressed.

REMEMBER, YOU DON’T HAVE TO FACE YOUR PROBLEMS ALONE!

• whistling or staring at body parts • telling offensive sexual jokes • touching or rubbing up against someone • displaying pornographic pictures • repeatedly pressuring someone for a date Sexual harassment makes you feel degraded and may affect your school performance. But you can do something! Tell the harasser you do not like that behaviour. Take note of incidents—write them down in a diary, or tell a friend who can back you up. Tell a teacher you can trust. And talk to others—they may have been victimised too, and together you can approach the head teacher. You are not sure of the difference between flirting and harassment? Ask yourself how it makes you feel. Flirting feels good (for both of you!). Harassment feels bad. • Childline Kenya 116 ne 0800 221 1121 • Liverpool VCT One-2-One Hotli 111 333 0800 da Ugan ren • Action for Child or 0800 111 222 243 • ANPPCAN-Tanzania (51) 152

Vol. 7 no. 3

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Human rights

n our last issue, Teacher Lima looked at the qualities of a good

leader. So you have found someone with these qualities and

chosen that person as your leader, say, as a school prefect. Now you have the responsibility of holding

your leader accountable—ensuring that your leader does what leaders are supposed to do. To be able to judge your leader, you first must understand what the duties of a leader are.

Does your leader behave like this?

A leader has 6 main duties. 1 To unite people by reaching out to

everyone including those who didn’t vote for them or those who hold different cultural, religion or social beliefs and ensure that everyone feels part of the team. Whenever there is disagreement, the leader should work towards getting the disagreeing parties to see each other’s viewpoints and then work towards reaching agreement.

DO THE

RIGHT

Have you ever seen a scrum of people pushing and shoving their way onto matatus or buses at busy times? People become rude to others in their haste.

A good leader helps a group achieve their goals.

2 To give directions that ensure

everyone understands why a certain goal needs to be achieved, how the goal can and will be met, and what

will be everyone’s role in achieving it.

3 To give hope in tough times

through helping people look

beyond misfortunes. For example,

if a student falls severely sick, a leader could inspire people to do

something to improve the situation, such as organising a fundraiser to

pay the sick student’s medical bills.

THING

When people queue patiently, things go faster. More order means more fairness, less confusion and fewer “people jams”.

4 To be transparent by providing proof of how resources are being used. For example, telling people how the money collected in the fundraiser to help the sick student was used.

5 To nurture teamwork by including

everyone in decision-making and also by participating in activities like the fundraising and not just asking people to do what the leader can’t or won’t do.

6 To live by their principles and stand for what is right no matter what.

Pushing and shoving

Pushing and shoving anyone is rude and thoughtless. What do you think of people who behave like this? Is that what you want others to think of you?

Courtesy to others is so easy, yet so satisfying! Letting someone else pass through before you only takes a second—try it!

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Vol. 7 no. 3

our world

Say hello

aam Sal um k alei Dumela

Teanastellen

Nama

Oli oty a

Bawo ni

ste

Konnichiwa

Yia

Sopa

of French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish. All these languages belong to the Indo-European family of languages. Out of the 10 language families in the world, Indo-European has the largest number of speakers. Other languages in this family include English, German, Russian, Swedish, Greek, Hindi, Bengali, and the classical languages of Latin, Sanskrit and Persian.

Habari

sou

Zdrav

Ola

jou

Bon

f you were to create a new language, which words and phrases would you include and which ones would you consider unnecessary?

The people are speaking different languages. For example, Latin was the language of the former Roman Empire. The Latin speakers in different parts of Europe became isolated from each other. Their languages evolved along independent paths to give us the modern languages

English

month

Dutch

maand

Farsi

mâh

French

mois

Gaelic

mí

German

monat

Greek

minas

Italian

mese

Polish

miesiac

Russian

myesyats

Spanish

mes

Swedish

mânad

Welsh

mis

Rom

GUA

All languages change with time. If 2 groups of people speaking the same language separate geographically, in time their languages will evolve along different paths. First, they develop different ROMA NC E accents; next some of F renc an the vocabulary will ian al It change. This creates h different dialects, but Po Spanis tu gu the 2 groups can still L ese understand each other. N EA ROP -EU If the dialects continue DO N to change, the speakers will eventually not Each branch the Language stands for aof family, group offrom the Each branch of the of Language Tree standsTree for a family, a group languagesadescended languages descended from thefamily same language. understand each other. same early language. The Indo-European hasearly the most native speakers. One of its branches

Languages in the same family share grammatical features, and many key words show their common roots. See how different languages in the IndoEuropean family say the word month.

LANGUAGE

GES

is the Romance language family, descended from Latin.

The Khoisan (click) family is the smallest language family in Africa. Its main speakers are the San and Khoikhoi people of south-western Africa. But the Hadza and Sandawe people of northern Tanzania also speak a click language, proving these groups were related in the past.

Road signs and markings

part 1: Watch out! Warning signs Road signs and markings make us safer on the roads. If you read our last issue, you know about regulatory signs. Warning signs Warning signs advise drivers of changes or hazards ahead. Drivers must drive carefully and slow down if necessary. Here are a few examples. General warning—used as a temporary warning or when there is no standard sign for the type of hazard.

Some signs warn drivers to look out for people, animals or vehicles crossing the road.

Pedestrian crossing—people may be crossing the road here. A sign showing children is used near schools and playgrounds. Wild animals crossing—wild animals may be crossing here. Crossroads—warning to slow down before stopping at a crossroads. Other road layout signs warn of turns, junctions or a change in the number of lanes ahead. Some signs warn of dangerous road conditions ahead.

Slippery road—warns that road may be slippery when wet.

Uneven road—warns of bumps in the road. Dangerous curves—warns of bends in the road. Not all warning signs are triangular. Railway crossing—railway crossing without a gate or barrier ahead. (A triangular sign with a train engine may also be used.) Dead end or road closed ahead—one of the chevron signs used at road junctions. Other chevrons warn of sharp turns or T-junctions.

Vol. 7 no. 3

agroforestry

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Older sesbania plants attract bees and can be harvested for poles.

raditional farmers used to leave a patch of land fallow (uncultivated) for a few years after a harvest. Trees and grass could then grow and restore the nutrients and organic matter to the soil. When new crops were eventually planted, they would grow strong and healthy. It is difficult to follow this healthy practice nowadays because there are too many people and not enough land. Instead, we can grow trees with our crops. When the crop is harvested, the plot can lie fallow for a couple of seasons or another crop can be planted between the trees.

Trees to keep away

Not all trees are helpful near crops as they may compete for water, light, air or nutrients. Eucalyptus trees, for example, take too much moisture from the soil for crops to survive next to them. The needles that drop from pine trees can make the soil around them too acid. Plant such trees away from crops.

Trees to keep nitrogen

sunlight

mulch

• Most leguminous trees have deep roots. That helps crops because it means that they absorb water from deeper in the soil, so crops have more water close to their shallower roots. • Most have small leaves so they give just enough shade without blocking the crops from sunlight. Fruit trees are also helpful to grow with crops. They provide food and the fruit can be sold for extra cash.

What trees should I choose? deep roots Leguminous trees, on the other hand, are good to intercrop (grow with crops). • They take nitrogen from the air and add it to the soil so farmers spend less on chemical fertiliser. • Leaves falling on the ground act as mulch, protecting the soil, and when they rot they add more nutrients to the soil.

The trees you choose should suit your soil and climate. Faidherbia for arid areas Faidherbia albida improves the yields of crops like millet, sorghum and maize growing around it in arid regions. It is not only leguminous but has a useful leaf trick—it drops its leaves during the rains, when crops are planted, giving them more light while the fallen leaves protect the soil. The leaves grow back in time to provide light shade during hot dry seasons.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

By Clare Barasa and Benjamin Ondiege

Vol. 7 no. 3

agroforestry THE NATA RIVER NEAR KILGORIS

IF THE COWS DRINK THIS WATER WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM AHEAD.

WHAT’S HAPPENED TO THE RIVER? THAT FOAMY MUCK LOOKS POISONOUS. MAYBE SOMEONE’S BEEN MURDERED IN IT!

HELLO EVERYONE! … WHAT’S UP?

COME AND LOOK AT OUR RIVER ...

WE GET THE HOUSEHOLD WATER JUST UPSTREAM. BUT WE CAN’T USE IT LIKE THIS.

DON’T BE RIDICULOUS! THAT’S NOT BLOOD. IT SMELLS LIKE CHEMICALS.

UH-OH. THAT’S COMING FROM THE NEW FACTORY UPHILL. THEY MAKE PRINTING INK.

THERE’S CONNIE CONSERVE. SHE’LL GIVE US GOOD ADVICE. WHAT CAN WE DO?

MEANWHILE, THE RIVER’S OUT OF BOUNDS. I’LLTELL EVERYONE TO GET WATER FOR DRINKING AND COOKING FROM OUR RAINWATER TANK.

I’LL GO WITH YOU TO THE FACTORY. IF THEY DON’T STOP DUMPING WASTE IMMEDIATELY, WE’LL TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THEM.

WELL, THEY’RE THROWING THEIR WASTE INTO OUR RIVER! ... WE MUST ALSO REPORT THIS TO NEMA* THROUGH THE DISTRICT ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE.

... AND I’LL TELL THE HERDERS TO TAKE THE CATTLE TO THE WATER PAN WEST OF THE VILLAGE.

*THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY

Coconuts and crops

Ranjith Siji, CC-by-SA-3.0

Shade for coffee Coffee grows well in a multi-storey system with plants that grow to different heights. Hardwood trees and fruit trees growing between coffee plants and vegetables give them shade so the soil stays moist and relatively cool during dry periods. The vegetables and fruits provide food and income even when conditions are not good for coffee.

In coastal regions, grow crops between rows of coconut trees. The tall, branchless trees allow plenty of sunlight to reach the crops. If rows are widely spaced, trees such as cashew, casuarina, banana and lime can be planted between the rows with shade-loving crops growing under them. Calliandra and climbing plants Calliandra calothyrsus is a leguminous shrub with a straight, tall stem. Plant bean and tomato plants around it. They will use the calliandra as a stake to climb on. The

Sesbania with maize Plant Sesbania sesban between rows of maize during the long rains to add nitrogen to the soil. After the maize has been harvested, leave the sesbania to grow for another 12 to 18 months, then harvest it for firewood or poles. Calliandra can also be intercropped with other crops.

tender calliandra shoots are good high-protein fodder and the older leaves can serve as mulch.

ns a plant “Leguminous” mea es—see ds in that bears legu m family is very po ds. The legu me range from big an d species to tall acacia small bean plants trees.

Vol. 7 no. 3

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

home gardens

Guardians of the soil

ood soil can lose quality and fertility when it is not cared for—or the soil can be lost entirely if wind or water erodes it. We need to protect it so that we can grow food and raise healthy livestock. Let’s learn more about the last point. We can • Use terraces on slopes to prevent runoff (rainwater that flows away instead of sinking into the soil) and erosion. • Use windbreaks to reduce wind erosion in windy areas. • Plant trees near crops—read page 12 to see why! • Rotate crops to make sure that the soil stays fertile. • Add humus. Yes, that is the rich, crumbly stuff you will get from your compost heap! • Cover the soil with organic matter.

Soil cover

We wear sweaters to protect us from the cold and hats to shield us from sun. Soil also needs a protective cover of organic matter to protect it from erosion, heat and cold, to keep moisture in it and add nutrients to it. The soil “sweater” will also prevent weeds from growing around crops. We can even improve poor soil by protecting it.

Cover crops

Cover crops are a living soil cover. They are planted mainly to protect and nourish the soil although some also provide food or fodder for animals, like beans and cowpeas. They are called green manure because they, like animal manure, add nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Many are legumes (they produce pods and fertilise the soil). They may be planted after another type of crop is harvested or together with other crops. Some cover crops are trap crops—they are planted to attract insect pests so that the pests do not attack the main, important crop nearby.

In this field, mulch protects soil between rows of asparagus.

Organic mulch Mulch is a non-living cover for the soil. Like a cover crop, it protects the soil and suppresses weeds. It can be made from non-organic things like chopped-up old tyres or gravel. However, organic mulch has the advantage that it rots Keep mulch 10–15 cm away from the stems of plants and adds nutrients and Tips organic matter to the soil. • The layer of mulch should You can use grass clippings, be 5–10 cm thick. Spread leaves, sawdust, nutshells (e.g., evenly with a rake. macadamia nutshells), manure, • Keep mulch 10–15 cm away compost, and shredded paper from the stems of plants. and cardboard. Crop residue—the • Do not used weeds, parts of harvested crops that diseased plants or fresh we cannot use, like coffee husks manure as mulch. and maize stalks—is good mulch.

Napier grass and desmodium are cover crops that are used together to protect maize. Napier grass (a trap crop) attracts stem borer moths away from maize crops, while desmodium (a legume) planted between the rows of maize repels the moths and kills striga weed.

desmodium

Napier grass

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Vol. 7 no. 3

ecosystems

sun

lants and animals must live together to survive. They depend on each other; each provides something that the other needs but does not have. This is called interdependence.

carnivores

Source of energy —conve rted to carbohydrates by plan ts through photosynthesis.

Secondary consumers— they get nutrients and energy from the herbivores they eat.

herbivores Primary consumers— they convert nutrients from plants to become food for carnivores.

Nutritional interdependenc

Animals like grasshoppers, bees, squirrels, sheep and goats are dependent upon green plants. They are the producers of energy—the plants continuous supply of ready-made Prod ucers — they use food, necessary for energy and decomposers sunlight and soil nutrient s growth. Animals are the consumers to grow and then become *Detritivores— insects, bacteria and fung food for consumers. i that of the energy produced by plants. If eat dead plant and anim al matter and return nutrients to the soil. there were no plants in an ecosystem there would be no herbivores for the The food chain. Plants are food prod ucers and are eaten by herbivores carnivores to feed on. The carnivores (buf faloes, antelopes, goats, cattle), which in turn become, food for the omnivores (humans, babo would also die of starvation. ons, pigs) and carnivores (lions, vultures, cats). Dec omposer Organic wastes—animal droppings and the remains of dead animals and plants—are decomposed by soil microbes like bacteria and fungi.

s break organic waste down.

Animals present in the soil also help plant and animal waste decompose. In this way, the soil decomposers thrive and the soil becomes rich in organic

Carbon dioxide–oxygen interdependence

Plants “breathe out” oxygen that animals need to carbon e survive. xid dio oxygen Animals, on the other hand, breathe out carbon dioxide, which the plants need to make their own food, using the sun. The process by which plants use sunlight to make their own food is called photosynthesis. During this process, plants use the carbon dioxide, together with water they absorb through their roots, to make food (glucose). Oxygen is formed and this is what plants release into the atmosphere.

materials, which are again absorbed by the plants. Thus the organic substances rotate in nature.

Shelter for animals

Plants are also the homes of many animals like birds, monkeys and squirrels. Plants provide shelter from predators and also from harsh weather conditions such as hot sun, freezing snow and heavy rain.

Helping new plants grow

Plants depend on animals and on one another for nutrients, pollination and seed dispersal. When flowering plants produce seeds, animals eat the fruit that cover them or carry them along on their fur, dispersing the seeds far and wide, ensuring the continuity of the plant species. Bees and other pollinators take pollen from one plant to another. Without them, most of our food crops could not reproduce.

Detritivore - an animal that eats organic waste (detritus means waste or debris).

Gotcha! This carnivorous sundew is having dragonflies for dinner. Insectivorous (insect-eating) plants get their nitrogen from the insects they feed on. They have specialised organs for trapping and capturing insects.

Interdependence helps farmers

When plants and animals die, they decompose and become natural fertilisers for other plants. This helps farmers avoid the use of chemical fertilisers, which can harm the soil, water and air.

Vol. 7 no. 3 2, 2012

H s= M + a -tion in ac

Seeing in

frac tions

There are lots of ways in which maths can help you in daily life. For instance, have you seen our eyechart poster in this issue? Have you noticed that each row of letters is labelled with a number? With a little basic maths, you can figure out what they mean. If you stand 6 metres away from the chart and the smallest line you can read is the one labelled “6” on the chart, then you have normal vision— also called 6/6 vision.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

practical science

What is pressure? with flat heels. High heels exert more pressure because the same amount of force is concentrated in a smaller area (the bottom of the pointy heel). The pressure is less with flat shoes because of their bigger surface area.

Pressure is the amount of force that presses on a specific area. The size of the area influences the pressure that the force will have. For example, look at the shoe prints left on a muddy road. High-heeled shoes will have sunk further into the mud than shoes

Pressure can be exerted by anything, including air and water. When you dive into a lake, you can feel the pressure of the water in your ears if you are just a few metres below the surface. As you go deeper, the pressure increases.

DOES THAT REALLY HAPPEN?

WHAT YOU NEED • A plastic • Water water bottle • A tray • A small nail

I KNOW WHAT. LET‛S DO AN EXPERIMENT TO SEE HOW PRESSURE WORKS IN LIQUIDS.

If you stand 3 m away and the smallest line you can read is labelled “3” then you still have normal vision because 3/3 is the same as 6/6. Why? 3 ÷ 3 = 1 and 6 ÷ 6 = 1, therefore 3 = 6 = 1. 3 6 The final score of “1” means your eyesight is normal.

Then your vision is measured as 1

3 1 2 = 6 2 In other words, your eyesight is half ( 1 ) that of your friend with normal 2 sight. You should sit closer to the blackboard than your friend. What if you stand 6 m away and the smallest line you can read is the “4” line? Your vision is 6 = 1 2 =1 1 2 4 4 A score bigger than 1 means you can see better and farther that someone with normal sight—hey, maybe you could be a pilot when you grow up!

2 Fill the container with water and then observe what happens.

What kind of vision do you have if you stand 3 m away and the smallest line you can read is the “6” line?

Punch 4 holes of the same size along a vertical line on one side of the container. Let‛s name them A, B, C and D.

Compare the distances from the container at which water jets out.

A B C

THE WATER SPURTED MUCH FARTHER FROM THE LOWEST HOLE THAN FROM THE OTHERS.

AND IT SPURTED FARTHER FROM THE MIDDLE HOLES THAN THE TOP HOLE.

WHAT HAPPENED

Water jetted the farthest out of hole D (the lowest hole). Next was hole C, then B and lastly A. That is because the water flowed with the greatest speed from hole D and with the lowest speed from hole A. The speed is controlled by the amount of pressure applied to the water. The speed with which water spurts out is greatest for the lowest jet, showing that pressure increases with depth.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Vol. 7 no. 3

PRACTICAL SCIENCE

How does a helicopter fly? Play the helicopter game

Helicopter blades don’t only rotate, they swivel at the same time. How? Pretend you are a helicopter: Stand with your arms outstretched. Turn around slowly and swivel your arms at the shoulders. That is what helicopter blades do, 3–4 times every second! 2

How come a helicopter can take off and land vertically, while an aeroplane needs a runway? A plane has to move forward until the air moves fast enough over its wings to lift it off the ground. A helicopter’s rotating blades create their own moving air. Like the wings of a plane, each blade in a helicopter’s rotor is curved on the top and flat on the bottom. As the blade spins around, air is forced over the top surface and thrown down behind it, creating the upward force we call lift. To take off, the pilot increases the angle (pitch) of the blades, creating even more lift. When the lift produced is greater than the weight of the helicopter—up, up, up it goes!

To fly in a particular direction, the pilot can also tilt the whole rotor assembly. Most of the lift force still points upward but some of it now also points to the front, back, left or right, tilting the machine to fly in that direction.

4 1

1. Blade with curved profile 2. Vertical rods—push blades up and down, so they swivel as they rotate 3. Central axle—brings power from the engine 4. Blade swivel joint

Why does a copter need a tail?

Because helicopters are so manoeuvrable, they are often used in military operations and for air–sea rescue.

According to the laws of physics, every action creates an equal and opposite reaction. So as the rotor blades spin in one direction, they twist the body of the chopper in the opposite direction. The 2nd smaller rotor on the tail spins in the opposite direction to the main rotor, keeping the machine balanced.

w o H ... … make homework less work? I o d on k H o me wo r pr ob le m s ge o me tr y n’t fo rg et to So lv e th e ta gs an d do on qu es ti on n). 42 io os er 40 pa ge 2 0. oil pg on go (s RK ! Do

3 0 o f the es 22 to or k R e ad p ag w f or h o m e se t- b o o k

HO ME WO ny ok o wa ud a on Mo mo wr it e an in sh

o you get heaps of homework each day? To avoid getting overwhelmed by the long list of homework: • Understand the assignment. Ask the teacher or a classmate but do not leave the class before knowing what exactly the teacher wants you to do. • Do your homework on a desk (not a bed or couch) in a room that is away from distractions.

• Concentrate by tackling one part of the homework at a time. For example, finish your Swahili homework before touching your mathematics.

Remember, homework is an important part of going to school, as it is your teacher’s way of evaluating how much you have understood of what you were taught in class.

• If you get stuck on a problem, try to figure it out as best you can and if that does not work, ask an older sibling or a parent for help or call a classmate for advice. • Take a 15-minute break every hour to stretch and refresh.

Do your homework at a desk!

Vol. 7 no. 3

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

business & careers

A taste for business Mm

mh!

I’M GETTING HUNGRY!

They will make a profit of Ksh 5 on each mandazi and Ksh 10 on each of the cakes and doughnuts they sell.

• Do children prefer a confectionary shop or a toy shop? • What do children like and dislike about services they use? • Price categories—what is high and what low? After completing their survey, they find that a confectionary shop has more votes. They are quite excited! “Imagine hot mandazis, chocolate-coated doughnuts and fresh creamy cakes. Mmh … I’m getting hungry at the thought of all those delicacies,” says Nampazo.

ut it Think abo rr y o ut ld yo u ca u o Why sh rting a before sta research business? ld yo u tors sho u What fac yo ur hen do ing consi der w research? maths Business uch Mama o ut how m rk o W • mpazo arge d Na Halima ch azi, per man d an d Tig isi t. do ughnu cake an d ampazo uch w ill N hey • How m if make t an d Tig isi is, z a d n e ma sell all th s? e k ca d s an do ughnut heir total uch w ill t m w o H • profit be?

Most children sleep late in the holidays so they choose to open at 9.00 a.m. and close at 6.00 p.m. They will make fresh orders depending on demand and the rate at which the items sell. They resolve to be polite, patient and always smile at their customers.

Answers: Mama Halima charged Ksh 5 per mandazi, Ksh 10 per cake and Ksh 20 per doughnut. (Mandazi Poa selling price per item minus the profit per item = Mama Halima’s price)

They aim to find out the following:

They then talk to Mama Halima, who they know is a great cook. After negotiating the prices she agrees to sell them a supply of 100 mandazis, 100 cakes and 50 doughnuts to begin with. The total budget is Ksh 2,500. Children do not have an income of their own so the prices have to be moderate.

They are all set to go as they receive their first orders, made on the previous day. They clean their section of the counter and lay out their goods. “It feels good to see what we have so worked hard for become a reality,” says Nampazo with a sigh.

Nampazo and Tigisi will make Ksh 5,000. (100 mandazis @ Ksh 10 = Ksh 1,000; 100 cakes @ Ksh 20 = Ksh 2,000; 50 doughnuts @ Ksh 40 = Ksh 2,000.)

Their first step is to discover what service will sell in their area. They decide to target children. They draw up a table that acts as a guide as they carry out their market survey interviews.

The 2 have saved up Ksh 5,000 over the past year. Their aunt has offered them a little counter space in her clothing shop so they will not have to pay rent.

Nampazo and Tigisi are all ready to start. They will call their “shop” Mandazi Poa. Nampazo and his partner use their artistic skills to paint an orange, and yellow sign with the name and they put it up on the wall behind them. It is captivating! This will encourage more kids to be their customers. It is a small but child-friendly

section of the shop.

Their total profit will be Ksh 2,500. (Ksh 5,000 – Ksh 2,500 (paid for stock) = Ksh 2,500.)

ampazo and Tigisi are home for the long school holidays. They want to apply some of the skills they have learned in school to starting a business. With the profits, they plan to buy their families Christmas gifts and put the remainder into their savings account.

They decide on the following prices Mandazis @ Ksh 10 Cakes @ Ksh 20 Doughnuts @ Ksh 40

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

We salute

careers & Fun

Grace trained as a nurse from 1949 to 1953 after which she worked in Uganda and England before returning to Kenya. She entered the literary scene in the early 1960s, publishing short stories in both Luo and English. African women writers were few then but this fact didn’t deter her. Her first book was Land without Thunder, a collection of short stories, and her first novel was The Promised Land. She later published other works including The Other

...a copywriter!

You could be...

t o g O e Gr ac

orn in Nyanza District, Kenya, in 1930, Grace Akinyi Ogot is one of Kenya’s finest authors.

Vol. 7 no. 3

Are you creative, inquisitive, obs ervant, analytical, and do you have an exceptional mem ory? Then you could be a copywriter like Steve Osanya , a senior copywriter at Media Edge Interactive Lim ited.

Woman, The Island of Tears, The Graduate and The Strange Bride. Her books give an inside look into traditional Luo culture that was starting to embrace aspects of modernity like Christianity, an experience she had while growing up. Grace was also one of the few women to serve as a member of parliament in the 1980s. She has also held ambassadorial posts, representing Kenya at the UN and UNESCO in 1975 and 1976 respectively. Grace is celebrated not only for her enlightening works but also for her courage to dive into the literary and political worlds when African women writers and politicians were scarce.

”

My dream is to own an advertising agency some day.

A copywriter is a person who comes up with the persuasive words that you see in advertisements like Kenya Commercial Bank’s Jaza Ujazike television advertisement. As a child, all I wanted to become was a movie star. I loved acting and was in my school’s drama club. I was also in the music and journalism clubs, and the basketball team. I wasn’t a fan of maths or chemistry but I loved English, French and history, so I did a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in English and minoring in French, at Kenyatta University (KU).

Some 7 years ago (2 years after I graduated from KU) my big brother Arabron Osanya, a top voice-over artist, asked me to write an advertisement for him. I did; I liked doing it; he loved what I came up with; and my journey as a copywriter had begun. I’ve created text for advertisements for radio, television and print—newspapers, posters

and magazines. Recently I worked on the Jaza Ujazike advertisement. Copywriting is a very fulfilling job. My advice to anyone who wants to become a copywriter is to have a keen interest in language. You must be someone who writes a lot and reads widely as copywriters need a broad vocabulary from which to craft catchy phrases. Few institutions in Kenya teach copywriting so it’s up you to take the initiative. You can start by, for example, volunteering to create posters for school events or working for the school’s newsletter. All in all, always remember, if you can dream it, you can be it.

CAREER FACT FILE • Pay special attention to languages

• Earn a diploma or degree in advertising, marketing, liberal arts or me dia stu dies.

”

Vol. 7 no. 3

Go for it

”

Do you know you can turn your talent into a business? Nyandia Kamawe is doing just that.

I have always been artistic, probably because of growing up around my architect dad, who was always drawing. As a young girl, I’d mostly draw and paint for fun but during Christmas, I would make cards and sell them to friends and also paint Christmas trees on shop windows for a fee. So from an early age I knew I would pursue a career in art.

to design brochures, posters, etc., for them. It sounded like a good deal. So I used the money I had saved to register a company. The church gave me the contract and my business, Ewamak Designs, was born.

After graduation, I did odd jobs and freelance designer work in the USA to make ends meet. Then I heard that televangelist Bishop Eddie Long’s church was looking for a company

Graphic designers combine text and images to create eye-catching designs for packaging, brochures, logos, websites and any other type of visual communication.

Don’t sit on your talent or on an idea. If you have a talent, nurture it; if you have a business idea, learn all you can about it; then go on and implement it.

1/2 m white cotton cloth A tablespoon (for measuring dye) Water Cold water dyes (you can use one colour or more) • Small plastic containers (for mixing dyes) • Table • Plastic bag to cover the table

Procedure

Wash the cloth in cold water to remove starch.

Gently squeeze water out of the cloth. Do not wring. Lay the damp cloth flat on the table. Start bunching the cloth

”

as in the diagram, starting at the closest end and working away from you.

What you need • • • •

THE

In 2011, I came back to Kenya to visit and bumped into someone who was looking for a good graphic designer. That first job led to another and I made the decision to base myself here. I registered my company in Kenya and rented a small office from where I work for both my Kenya and my USA clients.

c l oth d Marble

Patterned fabrics are colourful but they can be expensive. Try this simple marbling technique to add colour to plain white fabric.

MEET

One of my biggest clients in Kenya so far is Suzy Beauty, a cosmetic company. I’ve designed advertisements and packaging for them and made their website ecommerce-enabled, which allows payment through MPESA.

After high school, I enrolled for a certificate course in art followed by a diploma and eventually a degree in fine arts at the Art Institute of Atlanta in the USA, where I majored in graphic design.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

careers & Fun

Mix a tablespoonful of dye with water in a small plastic container.

Using the spoon, dab the raised parts of the cloth with the dye. Repeat with more colours if you wish. Parts of the underlying cloth will remain white.

Leave the cloth until the dye is absorbed—about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Carefully lay out the cloth to dry in the sun, either laid flat or hung on the line. (If you hang the cloth, the colour will run a bit and you will get a different effect.)

Make whatever you want with the patterned cloth, such as a cushion cover, a scarf or an apron.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Reading is fun

Vol. 7 no. 3

A Mingu and Sweetie adventure story By Lee Diani and Jill Ghai

Chapter 1: A nasty surprise

t was another hot afternoon. Normally this made Sweetie feel sleepy, but not today. Mr Mwamba was reviewing the first three chapters of the Constitution, and she knew how important it was! “You and I are the owners of this Constitution. It is up to us as citizens to elect representatives to follow and practice what is written here,” Mr Mwamba was saying. But suddenly there was a tremendous noise outside—a grinding, crashing and smashing sound. Everyone rushed to the window to see a huge bulldozer, pushing down the school latrines. As they watched, the last bit of the small building crashed to the ground, covering the vegetable garden and the playground. Then the machine turned, and began advancing towards the classroom! Children screamed and rushed for the door, pushing each other in fear. Once outside, they found the machine had stopped. Several men started putting up a fence separating the classrooms from where the vegetable garden and latrines had once been. Mr Mwamba approached two men, one with a fat stomach, and the other one,

Sweetie thought, looking a bit like a hyena: thin with a snarling nose and nasty-looking teeth. “Who are you and what are you doing?” shouted Mr Mwamba. “There’s nothing you can do about it. Mista Big told us this land has been given to his building company.” Then Hyena-man added, “It’s been approved by the DO and the Ministry, and Mista Big is the Member of Parliament. You are lucky that you are being left the classrooms. He only took the unused land.” Sweetie looked at Mr Mwamba. He looked like a football that had been punctured, and was now deflated. Since it was a Friday afternoon, he told all the students to go home.

y Monday, some temporary arrangements had been made for latrines but the garden, where Sweetie and her friends had had their project*, was gone. Now there would be no vegetables at lunch, and there was nowhere to play. The fence close to the classroom made everyone uncomfortable, and they thought it would be noisy and dusty if Mista Big

started building. Some children had not come back to school because they had been so scared by the bulldozer. Sweetie was upset and angry. Before class, she started reading the first chapter of the Constitution of Kenya lying on Mr Mwamba’s desk: ‘All sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya and shall be exercised only in accordance with this Constitution,’ she read. Flipping through the pages, she then stopped and read aloud, “ ‘Authority assigned to a State officer is a public trust to be exercised in a manner that demonstrates respect for the people and vests in the State officer the responsibility to serve the people, rather than the power to rule them.’ ” She asked out loud as Mr Mwamba came in, “Isn’t an MP or a DO a State officer?” “Well done, Sweetie” Mr Mwamba commented. As soon as the full class was seated, he asked her to read out the words again—and ask them her question. Everyone cheered as Mr Mwamba smiled and clapped for his class. “If the school administrator does not fight back, I am certain these students will!” he thought to himself.

How will the students fight back? What would you do if you were them? • Find the full Constitution. A teacher, parent or the nearest Kenya National Library may have a copy, or download it at www.kenyalaw.org. • The Article of the Constitution that mentions “the sovereignty of the people” is Article 1. Can you find the other Article that Sweetie read from? • What do you think a “public trust” means? Carry on reading in the next issue!

*Did you read “Leading the Way”, our story last year?

Vol. 7 no. 3

Reading is fun

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

e j h o urn e y T Chapter 2

Vas finally gave us a shout, “All ready now, girls, hop in!” He gestured to an old Land Rover. I hesitated at the door, embarrassed. “Could you please give me a minute?” I asked. “I need to umm … use the bushes for a second.” My bladder had reached bursting point. “Don’t go too far away,” Vas replied. “You’ve seen what’s out there!”

Charpter 2 of our story by Shaleen Keshavjee-Gulam

s I stared, mesmerised by the evil eyes, a shudder went through my body. Was this a ghost or a wild animal? I mentally pictured a map of Kenya. Were we in Tsavo National Park? I could feel my insides churning in fright. I knew all about the legendary Man-eating Lions of Tsavo, but hadn’t that been over a hundred years ago? “Don’t move, ladies!” a crisp voice spoke out of the black of the night. Then several things happened at once. There were sharp gunshots, the yellow eyes disappeared and a bright beam of light appeared. In the arc of a flashlight we could see several men crowding around what I now saw was a large male lion—dead. I looked at its thick mane and enormous paws and shuddered again. “That was a close call for you ladies!” Our rescuer was finally visible. He was a middle-aged man with an olive

complexion, dressed in khaki fatigues. He seemed to have a lot of men with him; they kept on streaming out of the night towards the lion. “You must have come off the train. Lucky we found you. I am Vas.” He said heartily. “Why are you all alone?” Grace and I told him the story of how we had sneaked into first class and we ended with the conductor’s cryptic statement about the buses. Vas shook his head, “I don’t think they would have actually come for you,” he explained. “They have a passenger list and would not have known that you girls were there.” I shot Grace a look full of daggers. I had known that her scheme would come to no good. Grace, however, wasn’t perturbed. She fished around in her pocket and brought out her cell phone. “I’ll just give my dad a call to fetch us,” she said nonchalantly, flipping open the cover. “Your cell phone won’t work here,” said Vas. “There’s no network coverage. But don’t worry, we will give you a lift to the main road,” he continued, “wait here while my boys and I get organised.” Grace and I stood in silence as the men hauled the lion carcass into the back of a lorry. I glanced at my watch. In a few hours it would be dawn.

I made my way around the dark shape of a lorry parked behind the Land Rover and glanced around. The coast was clear. I lowered myself into an awkward squat. The wind changed and I got a whiff of a strange fetid smell. I tried to breathe through my mouth. The lorry behind me started up with a roar. As the headlights came on, I could see the back covered with a canvas tarpaulin secured with ropes. There seemed to be a distinct shape under the tarp; I stood up for a better view. There was no mistaking the outline of an elephant tusk. The lorry turned off its engine and once more I was left in darkness.

I went closer to the back of the lorry; the awful smell was now overpowering. I peered under the tarp. Even in the darkness I could see several tusks. Vas and his crew were poachers!

What should the girls do? What would you do? Look for chapter 3 in the next issue.

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Vol. 7 no. 3

puzzles & fun

CRAZY BELZO

By Bella Kilonzo www.bellakilonzo.com

Starting at the red letter, move up, down and sideways to find 12 birds found in Africa. The first has been found, now continue on the path from where it ends. The path must not cross over itself. hadeda dove parrot fish eagle flamingo moorhen lovebird hornbill ostrich jacana turaco marabou stork

6 2

2 1

4 2

Confused? look at this little example.

1 2

2 3

Clue: Start with the bottom left island. There are only 2 islands lying next to it either horizontally or vertically, so those are the only islands it can connect to. It can have 4 bridges, so it will have 2 leading to each of the 2 islands. Can you carry on from here?

Let’s draw a grid of vertical and horizontal lines across each island so that we can see which ones lie on 2 the same lines. Now 1 we can fill in the bridges.

The top left island only has one bridge and it can only connect to the top right island. The top right island can only have one more bridge. There is only one other island lying horizontal or vertical to it (bottom right) so we draw bridge 2 between them. Bottom right needs 2 more bridges so we connect it with the last island using 2 bridges.

To get airborne, helicopters need rotors—the larger the helicopter, the larger the rotors. A chopper the size of a jumbo jet would need such huge rotors that the strongest metal could not handle the stress. Helicopters also use a lot of fuel; fixed-wing aircraft are cheaper to fly. Answer

3 2

1 2

The Russian Mil V-12, the biggest helicopter ever built, had a rotor on each wing. It was too difficult to manoeuvre and so only 2 were ever made.

Answers

Imagine these are islands in the sea. Connect all the islands into one group by drawing 1 or 2 lines— ”bridges”—between islands. The bridges must be horizontal or vertical lines between 2 islands. They must not cross any other islands or bridges. The number on each island is the total number of bridges that can be connected to it from any other island.

Black dots There are no black dots. It is an optical illusion.

Vol. 7 no. 3

YOUNG AFRICAN EXPRESS

Civil society

PART 2

n our last issue, we learned what vigilantes are and how they recruit members. So how can you protect yourself from being recruited?

Note: If you are being bullied or threatened, you need to protect yourself. Do not just say no to the vigilante recruiters. Say something like you will think about it. Then talk to a trusted adult and let that person help you to avoid getting recruited.

Know yourself Understand your personality, values and abilities so you love and appreciate yourself the way you are. This makes it hard for you to be lured into joining a vigilante group through incentives or intimidation. Know your community Learn the values and beliefs of different groups—religions, tribes, etc.—in your community. This will protect you from being brainwashed into believing that by joining a vigilante group, you will be doing what your religion, tribe, and so on expects of you.

Know how to say no Practise standing your ground by imagining the different ways vigilante recruiters might approach you. Create responses for how you will say no if you are approached. You can do this by roleplaying with a friend. YOU HAVE UNTIL TOMORROW EVENING TO VACATE THIS HOUSE WITH YOUR CHILDREN!

NOW YOU WANT TO TAKE THE HOUSE TOO?

WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM US? YOU HAVE TAKEN ALL OUR FURNITURE AND MY LATE HUSBAND’S CAR.

Story by Sarah Radoli Art by Bella Kilonzo

... NOW BELONGS TO ME!

ANYTHING THAT BELONGED TO MY LATE BROTHER ...

ANTHONY, WHAT IS HAPPENING AT MAMA MARK’S HOUSE?

FIRST, LET’S REPORT THIS AT THE POLICE STATION.

THEIR UNCLE JULIAN IS THROWING THEM OUT OF THEIR HOME. BUT THEIR DAD JUST DIED.

If your friend joins a vigilante group, keep away. Do not even try to help him get out of the group. Your friend knows you very well so can easily lure you into the group while you are trying to help him get out of it. Talk to a trusted adult instead and let the adult help your friend.

WELL, THEIR UNCLE SAYS THE HOUSE BELONGS TO HIM NOW.

THEN WE’LL GO TO THE CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT. THEY WILL GUIDE US.

HOW CAN WE HELP MAMA MARK, WATOTOMAN?

ZILPAH, I SEE YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. WHAT MARK’S UNCLE IS DOING IS WRONG.

TOGETHER WE’LL MAKE SURE THAT MARK AND HIS FAMILY GET TO KEEP THEIR HOME.

THE CHILDREN’S ACT SAYS THAT CHILDREN HAVE A RIGHT TO BE PROTECTED FROM ALL FORMS OF ABUSE, INCLUDING BEING THROWN OUT OF OUR HOMES.

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The Young African Express is published by Jacaranda Designs Ltd, PO Box 1202 - 00606, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: +254 (0)20 374-4737. Registered at the GPO as an educational magazine. The throu Young Africa gh your schoon Express l by contais now The throu Young Africa cting in Uchum gh your i super mark scho n Express