WestMac Media : August 2014

Sunday, 31 August 2014

How Terry Mungai built her beauty empire

By Dinfin Mulup, Kenya

Terry Mungai is a renowned entrepreneur in Kenya’s beauty industry, running a chain of high-end salon and beauty shops, a training institute and a beauty pageant. She ventured into the industry in the 1990s after a purchasing a salon in Nairobi.

By Winston Muleba, Zambia

You are different, no one can be like you, says photo model Jayne Mwale. Mwale advises people to live life everyday doing what they love.

“There is no tomorrow. Worship and praise God every day, for he is the source of life.” She says

She also says the secret behind photo modeling basically is believing oneself, loving the camera, knowing the difference between a smile and a serious face.

“Above all, knowing that our job will just be with cameras and not behind scenes, so a shy person can’t be a photo model.” she says.

Apply for 2015 Bertha Fully Funded MBA Scholarships in South Africa for Africans

Deadline:30th October,2014

The Bertha MBA Scholarships seek prospective MBA candidates resident in African countries to apply for the 2015 scholarship awards, tenable at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, South Africa.

President Sata fires Wynter Kabimba

According to the press statement issued by George Chellah, Special Assistant to the President press and public relation.

His Excellency, Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata, President of the Republic of Zambia, has with immediate effect revoked the appointment of Hon. Wynter Kabimba as Minister of Justice and party Secretary General.

Brian:Turning Time Into Currency at Age 23

By Jason Ankey, Chicago-USA

After skipping four grades in elementary and high school, graduating from college at 18, then landing a business-development position at news aggregator Digg, Brian Wong was on the fast track to success. But five months later, he found himself jobless--and trying to determine what to do next.

Deadline:15th November, 2014

The Chevening Scholarship Program, global scholarship program of the UK government funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organization, is accepting applications from the students in Chevening countries who are willing to study in the UK.

Apply for the U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self- Help and U.S. African Development Foundation programs

Open Season: The next deadline is September 30, 2014, however applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Applications are available on-line in pdf format or may be requested in Word format from the SSH/ ADF Small Grants Coordinator.

For the first time ever, African Leadership Academy and The MasterCard Foundation are delighted to have Anzisha Prize finalists from Togo and Ivory Coast ( http://www.anzishaprize.org), revealing strong growth in entrepreneurship activity amongst youth in West Africa. Five young women are among the 12 finalists in the running for the $75,000 prize money that will be awarded on 23 September 2014, and will fly to Johannesburg from DRC, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria.

Apply for a (Fully funded) Youth in Peace Education International Training 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey

Deadline: 27 August 2014, 17.30 (GMT+2)

Description

The International Youth Leadership Academy (IYLA) created and based in Istanbul by a community of international and Turkish partner organizations, including UNICEF, is a space for non-formal education, capacity building and enhancement of leadership skills for youth.

Chama: musician, filmmaker and poet

By Winston Muleba II, Zambia

He is a Musician, film maker, freelance copy writer, poet and actor. Fumba Chama otherwise known as pilAto, talks about negative Self-talk.

Growing list of women tech entrepreneur initiatives in Africa

This article by Hilda Moraa originally appeared at afriHive and is published with permission.

Hilda Moraa presents 36 African women tech entrepreneurs initiatives, linked to tech hubs and other organisations across Africa. More to add? Please add initiatives and ideas in the comments below!

British graduate, offered a Job after unusual approach

A British graduate who adopted a somewhat unusual approach to find a job might have become an internet sensation, but he wasn’t the first man to adopt the unconventional strategy.

Apply for Fully Funded Japanese Government Scholarships for Foreign Undergraduate Students

Deadline: The deadline of the applications differs according to the country.

Contact with Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country. Applications are open for Japanese Government Scholarships available for international students to pursue undergraduate studies in Social Sciences and Humanities and Natural Sciences at Japanese universities.

Position:Business Development Managers x9

Company:ZamPost

Deadline:28th August, 2014

ZamPost is looking for highly motivated and performance oriented recently qualified university graduates to fill the position of Business Development Managers.

Exildah, 24, is one of many women who, with the support of the Agriculture Support Programme, has found her way out of poverty and improved her life considerably.

Exildah Mwambazi from a family of poor small farmers in the Mbala district of Zambia is now an entrepreneur with self-confidence and hope for the future. She was supported by a Sida-financed programme for agricultural development, which focuses on gender equality.

Apply for WeTech Seed Fund for Women & Girls in Computer Science

Deadline: 10 September 2014

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and individuals working to increase the access of computer science related training, jobs and leadership roles for women and girls in Africa are invited to apply for Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech)’s Seed Fund for Women + Girls. Volunteer-led organizations are highly encouraged to apply for the grant.

Mulenga Kapwepwe is the daughter of Zambia's former vice president, Simon Kapwepwe. Growing up in a house full of the nation's liberators left a lasting impression on the young girl. Today, Kapwepwe has become something of a tour de force for Zambian arts and culture.

Apply for undergraduate GRZ Student Loans for the 2014/2015 Academic year at the University of Zambia

Closing date: Friday 22nd August 2014

Applications are invited from suitably qualified Zambians that meet the minimum requirements outlined here below to contest for Two Thousand (2,000) undergraduate GRZ Student Loans for the 2014/2015 Academic Year at the University of Zambia.

Meet Lyndsey Scott: Model, Actress And App Developer

By Vanna Le

Lyndsey Scott is a 29-year-old stunner who cracks computer codes…and stereotypes. When she started her education in theater and computer science at Amherst College, Scott found love in programming, a TI-89 graphing calculator — and, eventually, the runway.

The wife of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has entered politics after being endorsed to become head of the ruling Zanu-PF party's women's league.

Jessie Chisi:Screen writer, film director

By Winston Muleba II , Zambia

Everyone must dream. We dream to give ourselves hope says Jessie Chisi.

Chisi is unique, a self-motivated, creative and hardworking young woman in the field of arts and media. She is the founder and director of Zambia short film festival and initiator of young cinema in Zambia.

The 30-year-old health sector billionaire

By Peter Day, California

Elizarbeth Holmes is woth $4.5bn (£2.7bn).Monitoring what's going on in your body has gripped California's Silicon Valley like a mania.

Enthusiasts wear two or three wrist bands to keep an eye on their blood pressure 24 hours a day. They use sensors to tell them how many paces they have taken - the recommended daily rate is currently 10,000, I think.

Lorna Rutto – The innovative entrepreneur who creates wealth and jobs from plastic waste

Lorna Rutto resigned her comfortable banking job in 2009 to start EcoPost, a small plastic recycling business. Her business uses plastic waste collected from dumpsites and garbage cans across Nairobi to manufacture fencing posts. These posts, which are used to fence houses and forest reserves, are becoming a preferred alternative to timber.

Google Inc is buying JetPac Inc, the startup that designs social travel applications disclosed on its website on Friday, without providing details.

By Winston Muleba II, Zambia

What seemed to be a mere talk in the early hours of today around 5am eventually turned into a riot.

Students mobilized themselves around 5pm for a peaceful demonstration alas it tuned into a riot. The students of the second highest learning institution, the Copperbelt University decided to battle it out with Zambia police service this evening. The university premise was fumed with tear gases which strongly angered most students and caused most female students to faint.

Danish/Zambian singer Kwamie Liv, who's making a name for herself by combining experimental electronics and sultry R&B. It's called 'Follow You', produced by Baby Duka, off her recently released debut EP, 'Lost in the Girl'.

Kwamie Liv comes out the gate a master of whispered R&B with her debut EP, Lost in the Girl, out today and streaming below in its entirety.

Her bio notes past hometowns in Denmark, Zambia, Turkey, Sweden, South Africa, Kenya, Ireland and Bangladesh—imagine the frequent flyer miles—but the setting for Lost in the Girl could be anywhere with the lights low and flashes of strobe.

Thursday, 14 August 2014

55 home based businesses you can start

Today, many people are considering starting a home based business, and for good reasons. On average, people can expect to have two and three careers during their work life. Those leaving one career often think about their second or third career move being to their own home. People who have been part of the traditional nine-to-five work force and are on the verge of retiring from that life are thinking of what to do next. The good news: Starting a homebased business is within the reach of almost anyone who wants to take a risk and work hard.

List of 55 homebased business you can start

Snake causes blackout in Japan

Tokyo - About 4 900 households in Japan lost power after a snake climbed up a utility pole, a news report said on Thursday.

Power in the western city of Shimonoseki was automatically shut down when a current leak was detected, the Kyodo News agency reported, citing officials at Chugoku Electric Power Co.

A utility worker found a 1-metre-long dead snake hanging from a 10-metre- high wire, Kyodo said.

The power went down for several minutes two to five times late Wednesday and about 2 000 households continued to lose power for more than three hours early Thursday, the report said

Apply for 2014 Genesis Generation Challenge ( $1 million global innovation prize)

Deadline: October 28 2014

The Genesis Prize Foundation has announced that the inaugural Genesis Prize Laureate, Mr. Michael R. Bloomberg, has chosen to invest the $1 Million award to create a global competition, named the Genesis Generation Challenge.

Regina Chiluba, the widow of the late President Frederick Chiluba has expressed shock at the story published by an online newspaper said Emmanuel Mwamba.

R4M courtesy of Muvi Tv is back in a unique unbelievable style. This time its season five. The season five of the Ready for Marriage Unbelievable will feature single gentlemen who shall include virgins and other amazing men. “Virgins” in this case means men who have never engaged in any sexual intercourse in their entire life.

First female winner for Fields maths medal

By Jonathan Webb
An Iranian mathematician working in the US has become the first ever female winner of the celebrated Fields Medal. In a landmark hailed as "long overdue", Prof Maryam Mirzakhani, 37, was recognised for her work on complex geometry.

Zambia's First Lady was in Chinsali District today and officiated a girls mentorship training programme aimed at reducing teen pregnancies in Muchinga Province.

ZANIS reports that First lady Christine Kaseba says Republican President Michael Sata is fine and has never been in a coma.

Dr. Kaseba says it is unfortunate that people are plotting for the Head of State to be in a coma when he is fine and moving the nation forward.

Apply-Internship Opportunity

Intern - Finance and Administration

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

Type: Internship Min.

Experience: Entry Level

Alchemy Women in Leadership Zambia is a national initiative dedicated to a higher female representation in the workplace and broader community. Looking for an Intern to understudy the Finance and Administration Manager. The Intern will be responsible for providing administrative and clerical services in order to ensure effective and efficient operations.

A CHONGWE-BASED company has invested in production of fish fingerlings to supply to the aquaculture industry. Palabana Fisheries is currently producing about 100,000 tilapia fingerlings per month on its 20-acre land in Chongwe about 45 kilometres east of Lusaka.

By Taurai Maduna, South Africa

It is not every day that a designer showcasing at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Johannesburg for the very first time gets a standing ovation.

But that is exactly what happened to Laduma Ngxokolo, a young man from the Xhosa ethnic group, whose colourful range of knitwear had lit up the catwalk.

By Naveena Kottoor, Senegal

Ms De is helping to boost the number of women with IT jobs in Senegal.Coudy Binta De's eyes light up when she talks about how she first became fascinated with computers.

The 24-year-old says that as a young girl she went to visit her mother in work at one of the Senegalese government's first computer departments.

Robin Williams found dead in apparent suicide

The history of comedy is peppered with real-life tragedy and yesterday another life that brought laughter to millions ended far too soon.

The body of Robin Williams, the Oscar-winning actor, was found just before noon in his home in Marin County, north of San Francisco, where he had lived since the 1970s. He was pronounced dead minutes later. It is suspected that he committed suicide by asphyxiation, police said.

His family said that he had been battling severe depression. He was 63.

Apply for TED2015 Fellowship Programme for extraordinary thinkers and doers

Application Deadline: September 21, 2014

Twice a year, the TED Fellows program opens applications to find a new class of extraordinary thinkers and doers. Though TED target innovators aged 21 to 40, anyone over 18 years old are encouraged to apply.

Apply for a Fully Funded Akademie Schloss Solitude International Residency Fellowship 2015-17

Deadline: October 31, 2014

Applications are now open for the 2015-17 Akademie Schloss Solitude Residency Fellowship for international artists, scholars, scientists and professionals. For the fifteenth time, Akademie Schloss Solitude is granting approximately 70 residency fellowships of three to twelve months in duration.

Although Africa still lags behind other global markets in so far as the adoption and application of Cloud computing services is concerned, there are instances of double and even triple digit growth in some countries on the continent. Research also supports the notion that there is a significant increase in Cloud adoption within South Africa’s SME market and this bodes well for further entrenchment of a Cloud services ecosystem in Africa, claims Pamoja.

GBM donates his entire gratuity to his constituency

Mr Geofrey Bwalya Mwamba commonly known as GBM donates his entire gratuity to his constituency.Mr Mwamba, a former Minister of Defence said this at Radio Mano.

“I have donated my entire gratuity to Kasama Central Constituency because that is where it rightfully belongs as people who voted for me. The gratuity will be shared equally among the 8 (eight) wards in Kasama Central.”

“I am into politics to serve the people and I remain committed to this ideal. As soon as I return to Lusaka, I shall write to inform the Speaker of the National Assembly to channel my gratuity to the people of Kasama Central who have made me to be what I am today.”

Changing my community begins with me –Silomba

By Winston Muleba II, Zambia
William Silomba is a youth of Kitwe district who believes that change in his community begins with him.

He is a craftsman in roof installation, house electrical wiring and he also runs sand and canoeing business.

Apply for 2015 Innovation Prize for Africa (worth USD150,000)

Deadline: 31 October 2014

The Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2015 is open for applications. This is USD150,000 cash plus other technical support and media exposure support for the continent’s brightest innovetors to accelerate Africa’s development.

Cote D’Ivoire and Chelsea Legend Didier Drogba Retires from International Football. The Chelsea forward made 104 appearances for his country, scoring 65 goals and playing in three World Cups. Drogba was Also Ivory Coast’s captain and will be missed sorely by the national side,

Drogba is one of the players from the country’s golden generation which seemed to underachieve in the time and finally going out of a disappointing World Cup being knocked out in the group stages when qualification seemed very plausable after their first match victory. Drogba announced his retirement on Instagram and Twitter.

On making sense of experience

By Winston Muleba II

Our wellbeing is shaped not only by our circumstances but by the meaning we make of what happens to us. Two children can have very similar experiences, failing a test, for example; but each may tell themselves a very different story about what happened and why. Our capacity to integrate experience into our belief system and value base and to process events in a meaningful and positive way – our capacity to reflect – powerfully influences our sense of wellbeing.

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry, and yet maintain a sense of humility and compassion we all should strive to achieve.

Government has banned entry into Zambia of all people coming from countries where the Ebola virus has broken out.

Ebola has broken out in West Africa and countries affected by the outbreak are Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. Nigeria has just announced a state of emergency.

Health Minister Joseph Katema has called for strict entry controls at all airports and all border posts. There has been strong criticism of Governnment's response to the threat.

Kitwe teenager jailed for inserting hot chili in a vagina of a Grade 11 pupil she suspected of having an affair with her husband

THE Kitwe Magistrate’s Court has slapped a three- month simple imprisonment sentence on a teenager of Ipusukilo township in Kitwe for assaulting and inserting hot chilli in the genitals of a 16-year-old Grade 11 pupil she suspected of having an affair with her husband.

The popularity of South Africa’s super-successful expert, Elon Musk, continues to grow as his ability to turn his (massively huge) visions into realities helps inspire others to believe dreams are worth pursuing!

Some in the media have hailed him as the next Steve Jobs, a man whose visions will change how the world works. Fans on social media pages say things like “Elon Musk is life”, “the most important person to the human race right now”…and even “I have a man crush on Elon Musk”.