Mileji determined to become an entrepreneur

By CHIMWEMWE MWALE
 THE dream of most youths upon completing tertiary education is to land a white collar job and join the working class. Innocent Mileji, 27, a civil engineer, has however, defied this status quo to become an entrepreneur by merely using his acquired skills to set up a business.

 A courageous Mileji resolved to establish a business along the line of his profession before he could consider job hunting.

He plans to ply his trade and could be behind some building plans of the modern impressive housing structures among others being constructed in the suburbs of Lusaka and beyond.

Mr Mileji is schooled in designing, construction, and maintenance of the physical and natural environment. This also includes works on roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings. Civil engineering is the oldest engineering discipline after military engineering. Mr Mileji has, however, opted to ‘kick off’ with a block making venture alongside designing and drafting. “A lot of fresh graduates would want to get jobs but I have not yet written an application letter, and trust me I don’t even have a well compiled (curriculum vitae) to submit to a prospective employer. My plan was to start up a business which I am optimistic will grow with time,” he said.

Mr Mileji appreciates the need for a graduate to get the necessary experience from a job, however, he is confident of succeeding as an entrepreneur. He may consider looking for a job after his business is well established. His line of business exposes him to working with big construction companies. “I do work with some construction companies, [though] not as my employers. They give me jobs to design and draft and sometimes to supervise some works and that way, I am acquiring some experience,” he said. However, Mr Mileji said he would like to work for a big construction or consulting company to garner the kind of experience that comes with being in employment. He started his business (block making) even before he graduated from the University of Zambia (UNZA). So far, his first block-making machine has earned him money to invest into a second machine. Mileji chose to take his business outside Lusaka to Sesheke where he has better business opportunities.

He recounts that he developed business ideas during his second year of study at UNZA after acquiring skills in physical drawing when he was on industrial attachment. “My skills in computer-aided drafting made me develop particular interest in structures and thus structural design. This enabled me to learn other computer-based structural design software.”

“When I learnt drafting it was like I became the best [in class] and I can boast that I was really an inspiration to my classmates,” he reminisced. Though at the time Mr Mileji could only work under the supervision of qualified engineers as it is against the law for one to practice before registering with the Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ). Mr Mileji said the experience he acquired while studying enabled him to come up with a unique project for his final year exams. “I actually designed a four story hostel. I designed it from the scratch…  It was a milestone achievement. I was happy to design at that level, on my own, with the supervision of my lecturers,” he remembers proudly. Born to John Mileji and Lydia Kasaji in Kalabo, Mr Mileji went to Kikombe Primary School in Solwezi and completed his secondary school at Solwezi Technical in 2004. He proceeded to study civil engineering at UNZA in 2006. Mr Mileji who has employed ten people at his Mictrends Enterprises can best be described as versatile and self-motivated. “In school [UNZA] I was able to live an above average life because I was able to get extra cash from my drafting skills and even now I am able to design just any structure. There are very few buildings especially in Zambia that I can’t design,” he said.

He says he hunts for private jobs in collaboration with other engineers. Mr Mileji urged students and fresh graduates to tow his line of business. “My encouragement to would-be engineers and fellow fresh graduates is that let us not be disappointed that somebody is not offering us jobs. Let us look within our own abilities,” he said.

“There are some people who are employed, yet they are not content with what they are getting [income], so why not create jobs for other people,” Mr Mileji said. He is however, ‘shy’ to state how much income is netted monthly from the business, saying he is allowing the business to grow without syphoning any profits from it. “Running a business requires discipline, so for now, I have committed myself to growing the business. Whatever money that comes in, I put it back in the business,” Mr Mileji said. Mr Mileji who is single but ‘not available’ said he earns extra income from architectural works to allow Mictrends Enterprises overcome the challenges associated with laying a business foundation. Youths must indeed aim high and endeavor to take the driving seat and contribute to job creation and subsequently, national development.

SOURCE:ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL

Apply for a TED prize 2015 (1 million US dollar)

Nominate an individual — or yourself — to envision and execute a high-impact project that can spur global change. Our TED Prize winner will have an ambitious wish — and the vision, pragmatism and leadership to turn it into reality. Every self-nomination will include a proposal for a world-changing and achievable wish. When nominating an individual, the nominator is welcome to approach the nominee about drafting a potential wish. If a nominee is strong, and no wish is included, the TED Prize team will reach out to them directly during the short-listing process.

Nominate an individual or   Nominate yourself Please note that you will be prompted to sign in or create a TED.com account to access the nomination forms. Nominations for the 2015 TED Prize will close at 11:59pm ET on Monday, March 31, 2014 .

 APPLY on this link:a href=http://www.ted.com/pages/prizes_nomination_tips/adiv style=text-align: justify;

Design your own life plan

If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much. Jim Rohn

One habit we should all take from smokers

SMOKERS HAVE A HABIT THAT WE SHOULD ALL PICK UP: TAKING SHORT BREAKS AWAY FROM THE OFFICE TO REFRESH. HERE'S THE EVIDENCE FOR WHY "SMOKE BREAKS" MATTER.

BY LAURA VANDERKAM

Human beings need breaks.

It is the reality of having temporal bodies that need to rest and recharge. A famous study of Wachovia employees, done a few years ago by Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy, found that when people take regular breaks, they are measurably more productive.

The problem is that many of us don’t take conscious breaks. Instead, as I study people’s time logs, I’ll see a few blocks of work, and then an entry with a name like “Email/FB/websurfing.” It’s a bunch of online nothingness. It can be fun, or it can feel enlightening, but from the perspective of managing your energy, it’s not as relaxing as truly separating yourself from the screen and office chair that confine you much of the day.

I was talking about this with a former smoker recently when she mentioned that this had been theupside of her old habit: real, relaxing breaks. The smell and the shortness of breath? That she could do without (and the long-term health consequences). But having a pack a day habit did require her to leave thoffice every two hours. She’d go outside, do something that didn’t involve looking at a screen, and calmherself down. It was a good way to renew her focus and reward herself for getting through tough meetings.

The decline in smoking rates over the past few decades is a good thing for public health. But as I’ve  thought about it, I’ve realized that the institution of the “smoke break” (or better yet the "coffee break") is a perfectly civilized one that we should try to keep. When you find your attention wandering, it’s time to step back from the desk and go outside. Even if it’s snowing. A nicotine addiction forces people to go outside in all kinds of weather. It’s the rare day when a little bit of fresh air won’t make things seem better, and there’s a growing body of evidence finding that outdoor time has all kinds of health and mood benefits. A quick walk around, or maybe a personal phone call

SOURCE:FAST COMPANY

My story as a young entrepreneur in Zambia

Mutoba Ngoma is a Founder and CEO of Tapera Bio Industries Limited, he received entrepreneurship training as part of the ILO’s Youth Employment Project in Zambia.

As the sun comes up over Lusaka, a city I share with 2 million others, business is well under way and has been since 3 a.m. The trucks carrying produce from the farms around the city are the first to arrive in the early hours before I wake.

As soon as I do, I am up and out, looking for new contacts and investments to help support and grow my bio-fuel company. Such is the life of a young entrepreneur in this town. Every day is a new opportunity to meet the challenges of keeping a small business alive.

I’m 28 but first started my business in 2006 when I was 21, after being inspired by a TV documentary on renewable energy in Brazil. I put the project on hold for a while to work as an aircraft technician at Zambian Airways Limited. However, they went out of business and I came back to the bio-fuel idea. My alternatives were few, as formal, decent employment opportunities are hard to come by in my country. In fact, a vast majority of young workers are in the informal economy.

I convinced my father to partner with me in the bio-fuel business and initially it was a success. We had seven employees, who were paid a decent salary, above the minimum wage. But this is a new industry in Zambia and it’s hard to compete with the big companies selling fossil fuels. It’s also difficult to find the raw materials we need. At first, we collected waste cooking oil from restaurants to recycle into bio diesel and natural soap but this is now in short supply. Waste oil is often sold instead to low income households, for people to re-use at home, which is a real health hazard.

I am waiting for the local authorities to implement a ban on the irresponsible disposal of used cooking oil, by authorizing registered businesses like mine to properly dispose of it through renewable energy, which would be a service to the community, as well as a help to my business. Without the raw materials and because of tough competition from the big producers, I have had to cut back my staff to two and produce only soap with the vegetable oil I collect myself.

Many of my friends are in a similar position but we try to help each other and are constantly looking for new investment opportunities. Some friends grow tree seedlings on their land to sell to the government for the national re-forestation programme; another one refurbishes car brake pads. I have also partnered with a friend in a mushroom growing and production business.

There is a real entrepreneurial spirit here but it is often in the informal sector and based on small trading which doesn’t always add value to the local economy. Sometimes the challenges may seem insurmountable but I always try to push forward and keep gaining skills and experience.

The training I have completed has been a great help to me in terms of developing entrepreneurial skills and understanding how to run a successful enterprise. It has also provided ideas on developing contacts and building partnerships to access funding to help grow my business.

Education and training are important but opportunity is a bigger factor. I have been lucky enough to have had good support and advice but an enabling environment needs to be created at the country level for all young people. With the right support, young people themselves can help tackle the youth employment crisis. We have the ideas and the motivation. We just need the opportunity and support.

My plan and ambition is to buy land on which to grow my own castor beans for oil and so produce bio-fuels, create jobs for other young people and help the Zambian economy. This is my story as a young entrepreneur in Zambia but I believe many other young people from Africa and from around the world have a similar story to tell.
SOURCE:ILO

Fish farming provides food security and ready income!

Dried fish is one of Zambia's most popular sources of protein. Storable without refrigeration, it's used in many of the popular relishes eaten with nshima. Dried fish is a staple item in the Zambian diet, and the Luangwa River was suffering from the relentless harvest of undersized fish, leading to depletion of breeding stock. Fish farming is an exciting area of development and technology that does more than protect the Luangwa River from overfishing.

Considerations in the Selection of Sites for Aquaculture

By J. Kövári

1. INTRODUCTION

The success of an aquaculture project depends to a large extent on the proper selection of the site to be developed into a fish farm or hatchery. A substantial number of papers have been published in the past on the subject of site selection for both freshwater and brackishwater farms. In compiling this paper, the author has made an attempt to summarize all the factors to be considered and the investigations to be carried out for the selection of sites for aquaculture projects.

2. FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN SITE SELECTION

2.1 Ecological factors

2.2 Biological and operational factors

2.3 Economic and social factors

In order to select a suitable site for aquaculture, the following factors have to be considered on the site (Pillay, 1977).

2.1 Ecological factors

2.1.1 Water supply

2.1.2 Water quality

2.1.3 Climate

2.1.4 Hydrological characteristics

2.1.5 Soil characteristics

2.1.6 Land

2.1.1 Water supply

An assured water supply of sufficient quantity and adequate quality is the most important factor to be considered when deciding on the suitability of a fish pond site. Therefore, the investigations for a proper water source should be most thoroughly conducted in site selection. The statement of the Irrigation Division or other Water Authority for the required amount of water to the ponds or the hatchery, and any restriction on water supply to the fish farm (for example, periods of maintenance in an irrigation channel), must be acquired.

The source of water may be an irrigation canal, river, creek, reservoir, lake, spring, rainfall runoff and dug or deep wells. Water can be supplied via feeder channel, storage tank or pipeline by gravity or by pumping to the ponds. The most economical method is by gravity. For a pond built in suitable soil, the minimum supply of water should be 5 l/sec/ ha of pond throughout the year.

If rainfall runoff is to be used, and stored in a reservoir to supply the ponds, a ratio of 10 to 15 ha of catchment area to 1 ha of pond is required if the catchment area is pasture; a slightly higher ratio is needed for woodland, and less for land under cultivation (Hora, 1962).

The drainage possibility of the ponds should be carefully investigated during the site selection. Gravity drainage of the ponds is preferable. For draining a pond by gravity, its bottom should be at a level higher than that which the maximum water table reaches during the harvesting periods in a normal year.

2.1.2 Water quality

Quality of water is one of the most significant factors to be considered in site selection. It should be investigated by taking a number of water samples from the proposed water source for laboratory analyses of physical, chemical, biological and micro-biological properties, including health hazards. Water test procedures should be in accordance with the relevant Standard Classification in the country on water quality. From a production point of view, emphasis should be placed on the following:

(i) physical properties - temperature, colour, odour, turbidity, transparency, suspended solids.

(ii) chemical properties - pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, free carbon dioxide, alkalinity, salinity, dissolved solids, ammonia, all as regards both useful and toxic qualifies; also whether pollutants of agricultural or industrial origin are present, and if so, to what extent.

(iii) biological properties - quality and density of plankton. (iv) micro-biological properties - species and quantity of parasites.

2.1.3 Climate

Important climatological factors to be obtained from the meteorological station nearest to the site are as follows:

- mean monthly temperature

- mean monthly rainfall

- mean monthly evaporation

- mean monthly humidity

- mean monthly sunshine

- mean monthly wind speed and direction

Obviously, the longer the period of record, the better the data will be.

Information on the pattern of precipitation (maximum in any 24 hours) and incidence of high winds, heavy storms or cyclones, should be considered. The incidence and amount of damage caused by storms or earthquakes in the project area should also be noted.

2.1.4 Hydrological characteristics

The most important data needed for site selection can be gathered from such sources as Irrigation Departments or other Water Authorities. The following are needed:

data for discharge, yield, floods and water elevations of existing water sources (rivers, irrigation channels, reservoirs, springs, etc.).

2.1.5 Soil characteristics

Field investigations to determine surface and sub-surface soil conditions at the site should be made as early as possible. Often money can be saved if proper soil explorations are made before the site is procured. They may reveal soil conditions undesirable for pond construction, in which case another site may have to be found. Investigations should be carried out in order to ascertain the suitability of soil both for construction and operation of ponds.

For engineering purposes, the techniques used for soil investigations vary from relatively simple visual inspection to detailed sub-surface exploration and laboratory tests. Visual inspection of the site is an essential preliminary step. In order to provide data on sub-surface soils, a test pit measuring 0.80×1.50 m with a depth of 1.50 to 2.0 m, depending on the land form and the elevation of the water table, should be dug in each hectare of the site. Digging of a test pit permits visual examination of soil and also makes it possible to obtain disturbed and undisturbed samples of soils encountered in the different layers below ground level.

Soils have characteristics that can easily be determined by sight and feel. Visual examinations are employed in place of precise laboratory tests to define the basic soil properties. A sandy clay to clayey loam is the best type of soil both for pond construction and growing natural foods at the pond bottom. Areas with a layer of organic soil over 0.60 m in thickness are unsuitable for any kind of fish pond, because it would be difficult to maintain water levels in the ponds due to high seepage; also, it would be necessary to transport suitable soils for dike construction to the site, and this will be costly. Big surface stones or rock outcrops may make an area unsuitable for anything except lined ponds or concrete raceways.

In general, a site will be suitable for construction of fish ponds if soils below the proposed pond bottoms have a grain-size curve which can be plotted to the left side of the grain-size curve A in Figure 1, together with a coefficient of permeability less than k = 5 × 10-6 m/sec. Dikes without any impervious clay core may be generally built from soils having grain-size curves plotted between the grain-size curves A and B in Figure 1 or having a coefficient of permeability between k = 5 × 10-6 and 1 × 10-4 m/sec (MI., 1972).

Figure 1. Semilogarithmic grain-size curves of soils

Clay used for impervious core in the dike should have a liquid limit < 80 percent, a plastic limit < 20 percent, and a plasticity index > 30 percent. On the other hand, using the boundary classification, the following soil groups are suitable for dike construction as follows (IS, 1970).

Stability of dike

Permeability cm/sec

GM

Reasonably stable; may be used for impervious cores or blankets

10-3 to 10-6

GC

Fairly stable; may be used for impervious cores

10-6 to 10-8

SM

Fairly stable; may be used for impervious cores or dikes

10-3 to 10-6

SC

Fairly stable; use for impervious cores

10-6 to 10-8

ML, MI

Poor stability; may be used for dikes with proper control

10-3 to 10-6

CL, CI

Stable; impervious cores and blankets

10-6 to 10-8

CH

Fair stability with flat slopes; used for cores, blankets and dike sections

10-6 to 10-8

For production purposes, a chemical analysis of the soil should be conducted by using representative samples from the different layers found in the test pits. In general, the pH, available nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon and nitrate, etc., are determined by chemical analysis of soil.

2.1.6 Land

It should be confirmed that the proposed land area is suitable. The general conformation of the land should be with slopes not steeper than 2 percent. If wasteland, unsuitable for agriculture or other direct use, is selected for a project, the cost of the land will be low. Land elevation and flood level are important factors in determining the suitability of the area for the construction of a fish farm or hatchery. The land should be free from deep flooding; the maximum flood level for the past 10 years should not be higher than the top of the dikes. Observation of the marks left by flood waters on bridges or other structures at the site, or questioning of local people, may give information about the expected heights of floods. The shape and size of available land should be considered: land with a regular shape and extensive enough for future expansion is ideally suitable for a fish farm. It is very important to know the development plans for the area as it would be unwise to select a site for a project in a region where future industrial activity may cause air and water pollution. Similarly, if a site is adjacent to a heavily populated area, the risk of pollution should be borne in mind. However, some industrial and agricultural wastes may be utilized in fish farming. In such cases, special investigations should be conducted on their utilization or required treatment.

Underground utilities crossing the site (oil pipelines, etc.) may render otherwise good sites unsuitable for a project. Generally, high electric power poles, radio masts and the like are not allowed in the pond area.

The type and density of vegetation depend partly on the land elevation. Vegetation is also an indicator of soil types and of the elevation of the water table. The type and density of vegetation, its size and the root systems of trees largely determine the method of clearing the site and, therefore, the construction time and cost.

Grassland, abandoned paddy fields, open woodland or land covered with low shrubs and bushes allow cheaper construction than land with very thick jungle or swampy areas with high trees. However, in the cyclone belt or in areas where strong winds are frequent, it is very important to have a wide and high windbreak of thick vegetation against the direction of the prevailing wind.

2.2 Biological and operational factors

Before a site can be selected for a project, the following should be ascertained:

- species to be cultured

- resources and availability of stocking materials (spawners, fry or fingerlings)

- type of project

(i) small-scale rural project

(ii) large-scale rural project

- system of culture adopted

(i) extensive

(ii) semi-intensive

(iii) intensive

- operational method

(i) monoculture

(ii) polyculture

(iii) integrated

- production target

- estimated size of area required.

2.3 Economic and social factors

The most important economic and social factors are as follows:

- development plans for the project area

- ownership, availability of land and land values, land regulations and rights, as well as any legal restrictions relating to land

- proximity to all-weather road connections

- availability of electricity, telephone or radio connections, as well as unit power cost

- availability of equipment, services and supplies needed for running the project

- availability of construction materials

- location of markets for the produce and determination of demand

- availability of organic and artificial fertilizers, drugs and chemical materials

- availability of supplementary feeds

- costs of equipment, materials, feeds, etc. needed for running the project

- availability of suitable transport facilities

- availability of ice for marketing

- availability of staff with adequate experience of pond management

- availability of skilled and semi-skilled labourers

- reasonable amenities for permanent staff, for example, schools, shopping facilities, hospital, etc.

- information on the local financing methods or credits

- political realities

3. REFERENCES

Hora, S.L. and T.V.R. Pillay, 1962. Handbook on fish culture in the Indo-Pacific region. FAO Fish. Tech. Pap.. (14):204 p.

Indian Standard, 1970. Classification and identification of soils for general engineering purposes. New Delhi, Indian Standards Institution; (IS:1498-1970):24 p.

Pillay, T.V.R., 1977. Planning of aquaculture development - an introductory guide. Farnham, Surrey, Fishing News Books Ltd., for FAO, 72 

Szabványügyi Hivatal, 1972. Müszaki irányelvek (MI:15218-53) Vizépités - Foldgátak terve
SOURCE:FAO

African Entrepreneurs Need to Be "Extra Innovative"

By Isaac Kaledzi / Mc

Vickie Remoe is a young, ambitious media entrepreneur who views Africa's national borders as a spur to corporate success rather than an obstacle. DW meets a determined diplomat's daughter from Sierra Leone.

Vickie Remoe is a great believer in mobile offices. "I never buy office space. We camp out in hotel lobbies," she said. "They have constant electricity and they have internet." Renting office space, Remeo explained, is an added cost you need to avoid as an young entrepreneur.

Born in Sierra Leone, Remoe left the country when her mother, a diplomat, was posted to the Sierra Leonian embassy in Ethiopia in 1994. At that time a civil war was raging in Sierra Leone, it would later end in 2002.

Vickie Remoe and her staff hard at work at La Villa Boutique Hotel in Accra

After completing her university education in the United States, Remoe decided to return to Africa. She settled in Ghana in 2012 and began creating the magazine Gowoman, one of the few publications in the region that promotes women's issues, which first hit the newsstands this year.

Remoe also publishes a news and entertainment blog called Swit Salone which covers stories from Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia and other West African countries.

'Talk and activity'

She is convinced that entrepreneurs in Africa are full of talent and ambition. The problem is finding financial backing. "There are a lot of activities involving start-ups and incubation entrepreneurship in Africa, there is a lot of talk and activity, but there isn't always a lot of funding to support the activity," she said.

One of the few African publications to tackle women's issues

Access to credit can be difficult because of high interest rates. "You end up relying on your family, your network and you have to be extra innovative to be a successful entrepreneur in Africa," Remoe added.

Remoe started her business with less than $1,000 (730 euros), money that she had saved or that she had received from family and friends. Now she has a staff of five - three full-time, an intern and a graphic designer on contract.

Remoe now wants to expand beyond Ghana and her home country Sierra Leone. She wants to set up offices in Liberia and Nigeria - mobile ones, of course!

Source: Deutsche Welle

How to make your dream come true

Do not just say it, dance it, feel it, imagine it, live it...make a little movie in your mind. Roll that movie every morning every afternoon every evening every night for 30 days or until that movie is your reality.
Dawn Abraham

How to Acquire a Small Business (and Keep Employees Happy)

By Ben T. Smith,
Image credit: ShutterstThere are many books that discuss the inner workings of big M&A deals but there are few that delve into the purchase of a small business -- a move that requires a different strategy. Small companies are difficult to buy, but they can have tremendous benefits to the acquirer over the long term -- an argument that has been proven over and over again in Silicon Valley.

That said, they rarely work out if they are done opportunistically, meaning the buyer is just looking for a "good deal."

Having bought a number of small companies and frankly having sold my companies to bigger companies a number of times, I have found the following eight steps to be essential to making the process a success -- on both ends.

1. Determine exactly what you aim to purchase. When you’re buying a small company, you may be buying the business either for its talent or the intellectual property to apply to your business.

Related: Selling Your Business? Serial 'Trep Gurbaksh Chahal Says Be Bought, Not Sold (Video)

If you’re buying the business as a whole, you need to keep that business separate for at least 18 months and let the team develop on their own with minor points of integration. Let them have their own success with their own leadership team.

If you’re buying the talent, quickly move that team off the existing product and inject them into your business.

2. Respect the existing products and the customer relationships. Whether or not you plan to keep the existing business or are moving the talent into your own operation, you must respect what that team built in terms of product and customer relationships. This is what they sold their soul to for two or maybe three years. If you upset their customers or dismiss their product through a lack of respect, you are going to end up with a lot of very frustrated engineers on your hands. Even if you only wanted the team, there is a chance they will want to leave because they are embarrassed about what was done to their product.

3. Decide who will stay and who will be let go. In my experience, if you are buying a high-growth company in the internet space, typically 15 percent of that team will leave. Ensure you retain the other 85 percent.

You and the selling company should know immediately who you will want to stay and who you don’t mind losing. If you do not want certain members of senior leadership, then make the decision early on. Treat them with respect but make the decision quickly. Any person beyond the 15 percent that you lose should be seen as a failure, because everyone plays a critical role in the DNA of a small company. So take the 15 percent loss and work to not lose anyone else.

4. Don’t focus on inconsequential issues. This ties into the above statement. Keep as many team members as possible and never lose people over inconsequential issues. Do not change processes such as benefits or other small things that aren’t going to change the financial outcome of the company. Remember this is a growth asset and is not an efficiency-driven acquisition for the most part. Do not mettle with things that don’t really matter.

5. Put a short-term material retention program into place. It will indeed be a tough period for current employees, as there will be change. Remember these employees just lost hope of changing the world a little bit, so it is critical to get them through that period and to convince them of the new leadership.

To help quell employee fears, put into place a short-term material retention program.It is important to remember the retention program needs to be material and at least be as big, or double, as their expected bonus. This will help the transition period and help retain your new talent.

6. Implement a long-term incentive program for the employees. Once you have the short-term process in place, you need to put a long-term incentive program together that appeals to the hope employees had before. You are investing for the future value of the acquired company, so be sure not to undervalue top talent with low long-term incentives. This is important, even if it changes the final deal price.

7. Intermingle the employees on a specific basis. To build that cultural bridge, take a handful of employees and strategically switch them between the two teams. This doesn’t necessarily mean integrating the teams -- still keep them separate. But you can do swaps like taking your CFO and making them your acquirer CFO. Or take their HR person and put them on your team. This intermingling of teams at a strategic level begins the overall integration that you’ll eventually do 18 months down the road without pushing the boundaries.

8. Dedicate a full-time position to specific people issues. The most important point in any deal is that it’s the CEO’s job to make sure the deal is successful.

In my opinion, most deals fail over people issues. I believe one of the most important things to do is to identify one person in your company and make his or her only job to gauge the temperament of the overall acquisition. Is the buyer team happy? The acquired team? Also have the employee measure the success of the acquisition by focusing on turnover, measuring the innovation now taking place and gauging the new cultural fit. Have this person report directly to the CEO, as will understand what is truly going on within both companies and force him to think about issues every day.  r

Apply Now for the 2014 World Summit Youth Award

The world summit youth award a unique global contest which brings together young developers and digital entrepreneurs-under 30yrs of age who use internet and mobile technology to put UN MDGs into action and make difference.

For application follow the link:http://register.icnmdb.at/Youthaward/2014/

Beyonce and Barack Oboma affair

Rumours that Beyonce Knowles and US president Barack Obama had an affair have been short lived after the photographer  who started them retracted hi claims.
Read more on the following  link:
http://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/9708293/Beyonce-and-Barack-Obama-affair-over

Entrepreneurship prize for young entrepreneurs worth $750,000

Application Deadline: April 1st 2014

Entries are now open for the Anzisha Prize – Africa’s premier award for the continent’s best young entrepreneurs.

The Anzisha Prize is the premier award for African entrepreneurs aged 15-22 who have developed and implemented innovative businesses or social ventures. Finalists travel to South Africa and share in over $75,000 in cash awards, as well as access to lifelong mentorship and suppot

The Anzisha Prize is hosted by the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, the Anzisha Prize celebrates initiative and innovation. It identifies exceptional young entrepreneurs who are blazing a trail of startup success and providing shining examples for others follow

Eligibility:

You must be between the ages of 15 and 22 years old.

Your business or project must be up and running. The Anzisha Prize is not for great ideas or business plans – you must have already started, and be able to prove it!

Your business, invention or social project can be in any field or industry (science and technology, civil society, arts and culture, sports, etc.). Any kind of venture is welcome to apply.
Groups or teams can apply (for example, maybe you have 2 or 3 co-founders who started your business or project together), however you must choose one person to apply for the prize, on behalf of the group. This individual must be one of the founding members.

Worth:

$75,000 in cash awards, as well as access to lifelong mentorship and support.
In addition to the cash prizes, the finalists are also flown to South Africa for a powerful one-week entrepreneurship program taught by ALA’s renowned Entrepreneurial Leadership faculty, culminating in an awards ceremony that crowns the grand prize winners.

IMPORTANT DATES

1 March 2014: Early Bird applications reviewed.
1 April 2014: Application Deadline.
May/June 2014: Semi-finalist due diligence visits and and final selection.
July 2014: Anzisha Prize Finalists  for 2014 announced.
September 2014: Anzisha Prize Week & Awards Ceremony.
Apply Now for the 2014 Anzisha Prize for Young African Entrepreneur

For application follow a link:http://www.anzishaprize.org/

Investing in fish farming

Fish makes up 40percent  of annual protein in he diet.The direct benefit of fish as a source of food of high nutritional value cannot be overemphasised.Read more on the following link:http://daily-mail.co.zm/blog/2014/02/09/investing-in-fish-farming/
Source:Zambia dialy mail

Will Smith Is Not Dead!

WILL SMITH

The death hoaxes on social networking sites have killed another Hollywood celebrity. After Jim Carrey, it is Will Smith who has become the latest victim of the celebrity death hoax trend on the internet. The news of the actor’s death originated from Global Associated News, known for spreading false news of celebrities’ deaths.

According to their report, the 45-year-old Smith died on 19 January while filming a movie in New Zealand.

“Actor Will Smith died while filming a movie in New Zealand early this morning – January 19, 2014. Preliminary reports from New Zealand Police officials indicate that the actor fell more than 60 feet to his death on the Kauri Cliffs while on-set. Specific details are not yet available.

The accident occurred at approximately 4:30 am. (UTC/GMT +12),” Travelers Today quoted Global Associated News.

Several Smith fans, who believed the news, posted condolence messages on Facebook and Twitter.

However, the actor is reportedly doing well and is busy working on his forthcoming film. Smith will also make an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” which will be aired next month on NBC.

Apparently, a similar death hoax on Smith had spread in 2011. In fact, except for the date, every other detail in the death news was similar to the new one.

“Actor Will Smith died while filming a movie in New Zealand early this morning – November 28, 2011. Preliminary reports from New Zealand Police officials indicate that the actor fell more than 60 feet to his death on the Kauri Cliffs while on-set. Specific details are not yet available,” reported in 2011, according to Examiner.

SOURCE: http://omgghana.com/will-smith-dead/

General Kanene turns to science for freedom

By Caroline Kalombe

General Kanene

MUSICIAN Clifford Dimba has asked the High Court not to sentence him until the age of the child he is alleged to have had sex with is established scientifically.

This is in a matter in which Dimba, popularly known as General Kanene, is charged with defilement of a child contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

According to an affidavit in support of summons to arrest sentence pending review of judgment filed in the High Court, Dimba said the judgment brought out issues on the point of law.

He said it was his desire that these points of law be reviewed before any sentence was meted by the court.

“I indulge this honourable court to issue an order deferring my sentencing which is yet to be cause listed until the review of my case,” Dimba said.

He said the age of the girl he is alleged to have defiled was not properly determined hence it remains questionable.

Dimba said no DNA test or magnetic resonance image (MRI) test was undertaken and that no birth record or police report was adduced to the court.

“It clearly shows that the age was not determined but to my surprise, the court went on to take judicial notice in convicting me, the conviction I find to be very unfair,” he said.

Dimba was on Wednesday convicted by the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court after he was found guilty of defiling a 13-year-old girl.

High Court research advocates Rogers Kaoma sitting as magistrate, found Dimba guilty of having carnal knowledge of the child.

Mr Kaoma said he applied himself to two ingredients of the offence, which needed to be proved and that these were age and whether there was sexual contact between the two.

He said he took judicial notice that not all children in Zambia have birth certificates because of lack of facilities.

“It does not mean that someone is not a child because there is no record of birth. There should be other evidence that the court can consider to determine the age of the child,” Mr Kaoma said.

He said the age of the child was clearly determined by her father who said when the child was born, the head teacher of the school she attended confirmed when the child was enrolled and that a medical doctor also told the court that the child was 13 years old.

The offence is alleged to have been committed on unknown dates but between January 31 and February 1, 2012 in Lusaka.

Dimba has been committed to the High Court for sentencing as the minimum sentence for defilement is 15 years imprisonment, a sentence that is out of the jurisdiction of the magistrate’s court.

SOURCE:http://daily-mail.co.zm/blog/2014/02/07/general-kanene-turns-to-science-for-freedom

K20M SET ASIDE FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

By MAYA NTANDA and CHATULA KAMPO -

ABOUT K20 million will be disbursed under the youth empowerment programme this year, Youth and Sport Minister Chishimba Kambwili has said.

Mr Kambwili said when he paid a courtesy call on Kitwe District Commissioner Elias Kamanga yesterday that K23 million was given out last year, and that Government intended to disburse K20 million to empower the youth in 2014.

He warned those that would fail to pay back the funds of prosecution, because doing so would be considered as fraud or obtaining money by false pretences.

Mr Kambwili, who is on a tour of the Copperbelt Province to explain Government programmes on youth empowerment and job creation, also paid a courtesy call on Kalulushi District Commissioner Mulenga Kampamba.

And Mr Kamanga said many young people were anxious to benefit from the youth empowerment fund.

Meanwhile, Mr Kambwili has urged United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema to be truthful and avoid conduct that may bring confusion in the country.

He said on Monday, when he paid a courtesy call on Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge, that the opposition leader should learn to tell people the truth on issues affecting the country.

He castigated Mr Hichilema over his remarks that Government had failed to pay former Mpelembe Drilling Company in Luanshya.

Mr Kambwili was reacting to a statement attributed to Mr Hichililema on Radio Icengelo in Kitwe last week that Government owed the former workers at Mpelembe Drilling some money.

He said Government was not the cause of the suffering of the people who had served under Mpelembe Drilling Company.

He said the company Mr Hichilema worked for, Grant Thornton, which was the receiver, was the one which privatised Luanshya Mine.

“Government is not owing Mpelembe Drilling workers any money. I challenge HH to tell the people of Zambia how much RAMCOZ was sold for and how much his company got for liquidating Luanshya Mines.

“I am reliably informed that his company was paid in full but some employees from Mpelembe Drilling have not yet been paid, why is he blaming Government and telling the nation lies?” he said.

The minister also called on the party members to stop fighting among themselves.

Mr Kambwili urged all the members and party officials to unite and remain loyal to the party and not individuals.http://www.times.co.zm/?p=8142

General Kanene guilty

…after sex with minor, high court to sentence him

By CAROLINE KALOMBE

RENOWNED Zambian musician Clifford Dimba, popularly known as General Kanene, has been convicted and committed to the High Court for sentencing after he was found guilty of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in a matter that has outraged human rights groups.

This is in a matter in which Dimba is charged with defilement of a child under the age of 16, contrary to Zambian laws.

In his defence, Dimba told the court that he knew the child because she had been asking for CDs from him and that she had offered herself to be his dancing queen.

Dimba told the court that the child said she was 18 years old because he told her that he does not employ anyone under that age.

He contended that the girl told him to have sex with her to prove that she was 18 years.

When the matter came up for judgment before High Court research advocate Rogers Kaoma sitting as magistrate, Dimba was found guilty of having carnal knowledge of the child.

Mr Kaoma said he applied himself to two ingredients of the offence, which needed to be proved and that these were age and whether there was sexual contact between the two.

He said he took judicial notice that not all children in Zambia have birth certificates because of lack of facilities.

“It does not mean that someone is not a child because there is no record of birth. There should be other evidence that the court can consider to determine the age of the child,” Mr Kaoma said.

He said the age of the child was clearly determined by her father who said when the child was born, the head teacher of the school she attended confirmed when the child was enrolled and that a medical doctor also told the court that the child was 13 years old.

Mr Kaoma said his own assessment determined that the girl was indeed a child and that was not suggestive of a prostitute as contended by Dimba.

He said on the aspect of sexual contact, the evidence of the child was believable as she was not forced to narrate what happened to her and that if so, she would have appeared shaken.

Mr Kaoma said Dimba did not make an effort to refute the claim that the child was returned to her parents’ home after spending the night with her.

“I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the accused person committed the offence and had no lawful excuse,” Mr Kaoma said.

He said as a musician, Dimba is supposed to be a role model in society but that he took advantage of the naivety of a child who was his fan.

The offence is alleged to have been committed on unknown dates but between January 31 and February 1, 2012 in Lusaka.

Mr Kaoma has since committed Dimba to the High Court as the minimum sentence for defilement is 15 years imprisonment, a sentence that is out of the jurisdiction of the magistrate’s court.

SOURCE:/http://daily-mail.co.zm/blog/2014/02/05/general-kanene-guilty/

2013 GRADE 12/GCE EXAMINATION RESULTS ARE OUT

The 2013 Grade 12/General Certificate of Education (GCE) results have been released. This was announced by the Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education- Dr John Phiri at a Press Briefing held today Wednesday, 5th February 2014 at the Ministry of Education Headquarters in Lusaka.

SMS RESULTS RELEASE SYSTEM

The Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) wishes to inform candidates and the general public that you can now access the 2013 Grade 12/GCE results using the ECZ SMS Results Release System. The system enables you to obtain examination results via SMS using the mobile phone.

All you need to do is to;

·         Open message pad on your mobile phone and type the following:

·         Full 10 digit Examination Number (leave space)

·         Examination Year (Leave space)

·         Examination Grade and then

·         Send to 8383

This service is currently available to Zamtel Subscribers only at a cost of ZMW 4 for each successful transmission. Note that you can only access results for the examinations conducted by the Examinations Council of Zambia in 2013 after official release.

Be informed that you can now access 2013 Grade7, Grade 9, Grade 12/GCE and Teacher Education examination results using your mobile phone on the SMS System.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2013 GRADE 12/GCE EXAMINATION

1.0. CANDIDATURE

The year 2013 recorded more candidates entering the Grade 12 Examinations with 106,956 entering in 2013 as compared to 105,825 candidates in the year 2012 representing a 1.07 percent increase. The number of girls who entered the examination in 2013 decreased by about 0.38 percent while that of boys increased by about 2.17 Percent.

2.0. GENERAL PERFORMANCE

2.1. School Certificates

The proportion of candidates obtaining certificates increased by 2.13 percent from 58.08 percent in the year 2012 to 60.21 percent in 2013.The proportion of boys with certificates increased to 61.98 percent from 60.47 percent in 2012 and the proportion of girls obtaining certificates increased from 54.98 percent in 2012 to 57.85 percent in 2013.

Muchinga and Southern provinces recorded a larger proportion of candidates obtaining certificates (69.16% and 64.47% respectively) during the year under review, followed by Eastern and Lusaka provinces which recorded increases of 64.25 percent and 61.59 percent respectively. Luapula and Western provinces recorded the lowest proportion of candidates that obtained School Certificates (51.19% and 53.02% respectively).

Muchinga, North-western, Copperbelt and Central provinces recorded an increase in the proportions of candidates that obtained School Certificates in 2013 compared to 2012 while Northern, Luapula, Lusaka and Eastern recorded a reduction in the proportion of candidates that obtained School Certificates in 2013 compared to 2012. Overall, the Nation recorded an increase of 2.13 percent in the proportion of candidates that obtained school certificate.

2.2. General Certificate of Education (GCE)

There was marginal reduction in the proportion of learners who obtained GCE certificates in 2013 compared to 2012 (from 39.77 percent in the year 2012 to 38.09 percent in the year 2013). The provinces which recorded the highest proportion of candidates who obtained GCE were: Luapula Province (46.27%), Western Province (43.93%) and Northern Provinces (42.42%). Muchinga province recorded the lowest proportion of candidates that obtained the General Certificates of Education (GCE).

More than 2 percent of the proportion of candidates that sat the examination in Western, Central, Luapula and Northern provinces completely failed the examination. Muchinga, Lusaka and Eastern provinces on the other hand recorded the least proportion of candidates that failed the examinations. A comparison of the proportion of candidates that completely failed the examination between 2012 and 2013 indicated that North-western and Central provinces showed a reduction in the number of candidates failing the examinations.

3.0. ABSENTEEISM

During the 2013 grade 12 examination season, the rate of absenteeism was at 2.01 percent compared to 1.86 in percent in 2012. Four provinces namely – Muchinga, Luapula, Southern and North-western provinces recorded a reduction in the number of candidates absent from the examination.

Western and Central provinces recorded the highest rate of absenteeism in 2013 with 2.91 percent and 2.53 percent respectively while Muchinga and Southern provinces recorded the lowest rates of absenteeism being 1.60 and 1.63 percent respectively.

4.0. COLLECTION OF 2013 RESULTS TRANSCRIPTS

Please ensure that you obtain the results from the School/Centre where you wrote the examination from. No results shall be collected from the Ministry of Education Headquarters, Provincial Education Office, District Education Board Secretary or Examinations Council of Zambia Secretariat.

Issued by: Information, Education and Communications Specialist Examinations Council of Zambia

SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/examscouncilzambia

APPLY TO ATTEND A FULLY FUNDED WORLD YOUTH CONFERENCE IN SRI LANKA 2014

Deadline February 21

Are you passionate  about development? Do you want to make a lasting and meaningful change? Let’s get together to discuss development beyond 2015!The World Conference on Youth 2014, “Mainstreaming Youth in the Post 2015 Development Agenda” will take place from 6 to 10 May, 2014 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.The Conference has a unique aim of producing a joint outcome document between governments and youth, called “Colombo Action Plan”.

The Conference is expected to bring together 1500 participants, half of them young people, and 150 of them will come from marginalized backgrounds, making the conference one of the most well represented youth events at the global level. The pre-conference process is led by an independent international youth task force which represents major global youth organsations and regional platforms ensuring regional and gender balance.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

There are 5 different categories of youth delegates:

1. International Youth Delegates (350 people). Direct applications can be done on the website and are focused on a few categories:

  Youth from international youth-led organsations (78 people) - to represent international networks/organsations and regional youth platforms active at the international level.

     Youth from marginalized youth (150 people) - to make sure that young people's voices who are often ignored are given space.

      Youth leaders/experts (60 people) - to ensure that youth activists, trade unions, faith and political parties, academic and development negotiations are involved.

2. Sri Lankan Youth Delegates: As host country, Sri Lanka will select 100 young Sri Lankans to participate.

3. Youth Delegates (2 per country/400 people). They are to be selected by governments in cooperation with National Youth Councils where they exist or by a committees of young people when a National Youth Council doesn’t exist. If you are a National Youth Council or a young person active nationally you should first contact the Ministry responsible for Youth and/or the National Youth Council to apply nationally.

4. Facilitators (42 people)– to support the running of the conference.

5. Young bloggers/journalists (20 people) to make sure that the outreach of the conference is high and all young people with different languages can follow the conference.

FOR APPLICATION FOLLOW THE LINK http://wcy2014.com/participant-Info.php

Stella Mutale Sata Manifests her positive thinking

By Winston Muleba II, Zambia
The Power of Positive Thinking is a theory that contends if you believe good things will happen to you, there will be some sort of cataclysmic shift in the energies surrounding you which will actually cause good things to happen to you.

Among other young Zambians who have manifested their positive thinking through what they do and what they have achieved are the likes of Stella Mutale Sata.