I have always wondered whether our generation will produce great leaders while most of us have the tendency to wait for stuff to happen. Our donor funded attitude doesn’t help; “We beg the government and President to look at the youth and give us jobs”, “I have graduated but no one will hire me”, or “We thank the American People for bringing water in our village”. As young people, we face a lot of obstacles: Thought to be too young to be brilliant, not owning enough for collateral, not having enough capital, not having enough experience to get “entry level” jobs, or run multinationals, and yet we are expected to bring change. What change! How can they expect us to save a sinking boat if they won’t even let us get in the water because we are too young!

On April 21st, 2013, Fourteen Tanzanian youth gave my donor funded attitude a makeover. Fourteen young people from all over Tanzania, coming together and doing something that will greatly impact this country. They are setting a new trend of thinking. They are creating jobs for themselves and for others. They are living proof that we can make it if we try. They are from the Wabantu Juice Company, soon to be a household juice brand in Tanzania.

The Wabantu Juice Company is a startup, founded by Mr. Zahor A. Rashid, a Tanga Born 34-year-old, together with 13 young college students from the University of Dar-es-Salaam. They have joined hands with Tanzanian and Chinese investors, and are looking to sell shares to the public through the Enterprise Growth Market Segment of the Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange to raise capital and grow their company.

I decided to crash their launch party in order to speak to Zahor and the 13 students. I learned a lot about what makes a successful entrepreneur, and what it takes to make it in this Tanzanian wilderness with all the capital challenges, and bureaucratic hurdles one has to jump to get established. They were nice enough to indulge my many questions about their company, experiences and personal lives.

For the first part of the interview, I talk to Mr. Zahor A. Rashid, founder of the Wabantu company.

Tell me a little bit about Wabantu, and the Wabantu Juice Company.

I founded Wabantu three years ago to do business in Tanzania and China, but with a big interest in manufacturing industries. We act as a link between Tanzanian and Chinese businesses and help in purchasing things like machinery and other imports and exports. We are also the representatives of TCCIA (Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture) in China and have helped many Tanzanian businesses obtain what they need.

The Wabantu Juice Company came later, the first of many in the series of manufacturing industries here in Tanzania. Tanzania is rich; it has the raw materials, and the market. What is lacking is value addition and processing industries. For example people would come and buy fruits for very cheap, take them to Kenya, process them into juice, come back and sell the juice at very high prices. So if we have the materials, and the market, what are we waiting for? Wabantu wants to play a part in growing our manufacturing sector.

We seldom hear collaborations in Tanzanian startups. Why collaborate with the Chinese and the University Students?

Although I had the passion, and the ideas, I didn’t have enough capital or muscle to start by myself. It is hard to do it alone. Individuals have surplus money, but it is not enough to start big projects, and they may know where to put it and earn profit on the surplus. Coming together can eliminate the capital problem that is why we plan on selling our shares to the public through an IPO soon.

Also one person may not have enough expertise to run the business efficiently, and profitably. Collaboration helps in running the business. Collaboration is important.

But why college students and not people with years of experience?

For this idea to work, we needed fresh ideas. The youth have that…

There is a high unemployment rate even among college graduates. The solution was to create a company with these graduates. During the inception of the idea, the students volunteered to work with me. We spent one month learning, doing market research and preparing a feasibility study and business plan. We learned with and from each other, then approached other people with capital to be part of the project.

What is the challenge of collaborating with other people, the Chinese and Tanzanians as well?

Cultural differences. The Chinese have a different culture. But they really put all their efforts and brains in making things work. Tanzanians on the other hand, not all of course, but some of us, have a tendency “not to bother about alternatives or making things better”. “One failure is the end of trying”. Also people don’t put in their all in what they do. It is common to find a receptionist on a personal call during work hours and you would just wait for him/her to finish, and act as though your presence is troublesome. Then they get paid the same salary regardless. We don’t have KPI’s (key performance indicators) that determine if you should be paid for the job you did. In China, if you are late to work for half an hour, you find a deduction in your salary, no excuses. We can learn from how they work, but we also need to improve and do better.

Foreign investors are coming, and it is inevitable. People need to wake up and be part of the changes that are happening, before we wake up one day and find every major investment in the country is owned by a foreigner. We need to be the ones running the show and not the other way round.

When did the Juice project idea start?

January last year, so it took more than a year to get to where we are now.

Has there ever been a time when you have wanted to give up on the dream?

Never. I have never wanted to give up. I have had challenges, but not big enough to want to quit.

We have received a lot of support from the government through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Marketing, from agencies like TanTrade, TCCIA, Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA), and from a lot of individuals that are willing to help us. If you start, a lot of people are willing to help.

How about in raising capital? Have you had any challenges?

Yes and no. No, because Tanzania has a lot of venture and angel capitalists, they just don’t know that they are that. So I found that a lot of people were willing to be part of the idea, and invest in it. And yes because, there is no formal structure or venture capital firms that look for ideas and invest in them.

Do you sense an opportunity here?

Yes. There is a big opportunity. Instead of people with entrepreneurial ideas looking for venture capitalists, venture capitalists should look for these new ideas, help build them and make money when they sell through an IPO. That is the business of venture capitalists and Tanzania has a serious shortage.

Have you ever been employed?

No, never.

Have you ever done something that was an epic FAIL?

Hahaha. I am a solution provider, failure is normal. I fail all the time. I try something, it fails, and then I try again differently until it works. When failure comes, the problem is not the idea itself. There is no such thing as a bad idea. It could be the timing or implementation. If the timing is not right, then the idea may fail for that time. For example, selling gas cookers ten years ago is not the same as now. So Timing of the idea also plays a big part.

Do you think a lot of Tanzanians go into business without enough research, and that in turn contributes to their failure?

Yes they do go in without enough research, but then again there is no need for that. We don’t have the funds or the experience to conduct research as developed countries do. We just need to get in the market and learn as we go. For example the Chinese, they don’t conduct research, they develop products and improve them as they go. It is not a bad strategy for someone with limited funds. We don’t need to know everything 100% before we get into it. We just need to start and engage experts where we are lacking.

You are 34 years old, how long have you been in business?

8 years.

Do you live in Tanzania or China?

Both, I am mostly based in China for now; even my wife and child are in China.

So you are married, how do you balance family and business?

It is all about timing and focus. You have to set time for business and time for family, and focus one thing at a time. There is a lot of sacrifice on their part as well, knowing that you have to put a lot of time in making your business. Without the support of my family, it would be difficult to do well in both.

Why Tanga?

Tanga is home. I am from there. But more than that, Tanga has a lot of fruits (mangoes and oranges), so it makes a lot of sense to have a juice factory in Tanga. The idea is to have a lot of specialized industries in areas where the raw materials are found.

What do you think makes a successful entrepreneur?

“roho ngumu” – Resilience. Belief that achieving greatness is possible – “mazuri yanawekekana”. “Nguvu nyingi” – Effort… a lot of effort.

What do you see in the future?

Wabantu “wengi zaidi”. More people involved. And Wabantu, getting involved in more manufacturing activities and agribusiness.

Why agribusiness?

Tanzania is an agrarian economy “nchi ya kilimo”, agriculture is our backbone, and there are so many opportunities in it. We just want to take the opportunities available.

What keeps you motivated?

Looking at the developed nations vs. Where Tanzania is vs. Where we can be, I am motivated to do what I am supposed to do and what I can do to get there.

It is all about the scale. If your friend has a better phone that gets on Facebook, naturally you’d wish to have one just like that or even better. The same thing applies to the society’s economy. We have resources, both raw materials and human resources, we have the market, so we just need to plan better, and work hard in order to develop from where we are to where we can be.

What can you tell Tanzanian youth today?

We need to learn to collaborate more and help each other in business. Be partners instead of competitors. Offer each other constructive criticism over just criticism aimed at destroying. “Kusaidiana na kushirikiana kuliko kukosoana”. People are quick to contribute for wedding ceremonies that have four parties; we can do that for business as well and develop our nation.

What sets Wabantu apart such that people should be a part of it when you list and have that IPO?

We are more than just businessmen and women that are about the bottom line “profits first, and then more profits” – “ faida kwanza, faida zaidi”. Our main aim is development and employment of the youth of this country. We buy locally made produce at fair prices, we remunerate our workers well, we are health conscious, using honey instead of sugar for our juice, but most of all we employ the Tanzanian youth. We are a company by the people and for the people; just profits will not blind our goal. We intend to make profits but not at the expense of the society. We are creating a win-win situation.

Mr. Zahor A. Rashid; a young Tanzanian with big dreams for himself, his family, and his country, a visionary that set out to implement his vision by collaborating with other youth from Tanzania, an example for youth in Tanzania. A mentor, a big brother, a friend, a colleague, a very smart person, as described by the thirteen college students he works with. A force to reckon with!

Zahor, together with the other thirteen young members of the Wabantu Juice Company, has certainly renewed my faith in the ability of the Tanzanian youth to create Change. Capital or no capital, Together, We Can Make It.

Stay tuned for the second part of this interview, where I talk to some of the 13 students that form the Wabantu Juice Company.

Many thanks to Mr. Zahor, and the Wabantu Juice Company for talking to us and inspiring the youth of Tanzania to take a chance and start an entrepreneurial journey that might just change our nation.

For more information about Wabantu, visit www.wabantu.com or write to them: info[at]wabantu.com.

We wish them the very best.

In a post on August 4th 2011, yours truly wrote about Spitting on Marshall, a satirical piece about Energy & Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA)‘s disastrous directive instructing gasoline retailers to sell gasoline at their prescribed prices, which was less than before, and evidently less than what Adam Smith‘s invisible hand of the market would have dictated otherwise. In the piece, I pretty much demolish the argument that the move benefits the people, particularly those poorest among us.

I go further by citing rigorously time-tested empirical economic evidence that setting prices other than market price will always result in one of two scenarios;

(1) A shortage of the good/service in question, due to the price set below market price

or;

(2) A surplus of the good/service in question, due to the price set above market price.

In that August 4th, 2011 piece, it was the former situation that occurred. Recently, I have been peeved by another regulatory agency, this time the Surface & Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA). This behemoth of government recently issued a directive ordering bus fares for intercity Dar es Salaam buses or daladalas and interregional buses to be increased. Skimming through their attached pdf’s on that page, yours truly noticed that almost all routes (except some of the Kigamboni-related routes, as far as I could tell), had increased by just 100 shillings.

Now, as readers will recall in my Zebras with spots and leopards with stripes piece dating June 7th, 2011, I outline an example where good intentions do not always lead to good results.  Please allow me to quote a considerable chunk of that discussion here at length, because I said it best, then.

… forcing dala dalas (public transport buses) to adhere to a price ceiling for student fares is a highly admirable thing to do.  Tanzania encourages education and thus students should pay less.  Result: kondaktas (bus conductors) aggressively prevent students from boarding their buses, leaving many students stranded for hours.  Reason: the kondakta does the arithmetic (correctly so) that one adult is worth at least two students and since space on the bus is finite, it is optimal to get as many adults as possible rather than students.  Why don’t the students who can afford the adult fares just simply pay adult fares, you might ask, as this will surely reduce the overall amount of students stranded and thus freeing up some space in subsequent trips for the less fortunate students, thus reducing average waiting times for poorer students.

The problem is, of course, that even those who can afford to pay adult fares usually never get a chance to.  Having adorned a uniform, which marks her as a student, the kondaktamay never allow the student to even voice this desire to pay the adult fare.  Additionally, and most importantly, the kondakta will still be skeptical to the student’s professing to pay the adult fare, because once inside (presumably comfortably on a seat) the student has every right, under the law, to renege on the initial agreement and simply pay the student fare.

Now imagine that this law did not exist and that the market chose the fare for students and adults alike (the current state is still sub optimal because there exists a ceiling on adult fares as well, and the economic argument against this ceiling still applies as well).  For one, you would see less students stranded at bus stations.  Secondly, and most importantly, because students would pay the same fare as adults dala dala owners would seek to increase their fleets, thus increasing the overall buses available to the public.  This would reduce once again, the average waiting time for students.

Notice that in that piece, I am against the price ceiling for adult fares on daladalas. Well, some might think that SUMATRA‘s recent move is a welcome one, in my opinion.  Wrong. The argument against setting prices is a symmetric one.  Whether EWURA is lowering them or SUMATRA is hiking them is irrelevant.  Both are wrong moves.

Dar es Salaam

In this recent case, what economic theory predicts is that if these fares are too high above market price, then we should observe empty buses, as commuters opt for that original carriage——-feet.  The agency only raised, on average, fares on daladalas about a quarter more from the initial fares. Daladala-owners had sought an increase of more than twice or about 149%. If the owners would have had their way, fares would have gone up from 300 shillings (as an example) to 747 shillings (possibly would have been rounded off to 750 shillings).  Fares for upcountry buses have gone up, on average, about 13.2% to 20.3%.  Owners here had asked for increases in the range of 35% to 48.5%.  So it seems that the fares SUMATRA is putting forward are still short of what owners would want.  Notice, in either case, we have no information of what consumers would be willing and able to allow.

In such an argument, SUMATRA forgets that allowing the owners to charge 750 shillings is not equivalent to the actual fare being 750 shillings.  If commuters cannot afford or are unwilling to foot such fares, then the fare would be forced downward to an equilibrium, perhaps somewhere above the new fares (400 shillings for fares that were 300 shillings) but below 750 shillings, that owners pushed for.

Reactions have been varied.  Some have argued that the new fares are too high, while others have sought to take SUMATRA to court, and most importantly, legislators have also decried the new fares as too high. Some daladala operators have seized the moment and charged commuters even above the new fares (highlighting that perhaps, for some, these fares are not too high). In all cases, however, the market would have revealed the true information as to whether these fares are too high, too low or just right.  If the fares are too high, then consumers would substitute away into other means of commuting, until they fell to “acceptable” levels, on the aggregate.  Conversely, if the fares are too low, then there would be fewer daladalas, until fares rose enough for just enough operators to find it profitable to provide this service.  If the fares were just right, then nothing would change.

News coverage on the issue, on the day of the fare hike, showed that a majority of bus operators, for upcountry buses, at least, were still using old fares, fearing losses. An anecdote, recently from my travels up country to Geita, Mwanza, Korogwe, Moshi and elsewhere , I found old prices still prevailing.  It seems the new fares were a bit too high for some operators.  In either case, there is wastage of government resources that was spent trying to set these new fares.

Although I like to applaud government’s good deeds whenever possible (see for instance my piece on people’s Deafening Silence when government does do well), this is not one of those occasions.  Government is once again Spitting on Marshall. We should always let the market do what it does best and set prices.  No matter how grand government thinks they are, all emperors and empires must come to an end, like P.B. Shelley‘s epic poem, Ozymandias reminds us all.  And alluring to Goldilocks’s porridge in Robert Southey‘s classic story, the market always ensures that prices are not too high, not too low, but just right.

Malia Carine

Mary Lillian Carine is a young Rwandan pop singer who was born in Belgium and grew up in Montréal, Canada. Around last summer, she decided to promote her music to her home country to connect with local artists and audiences.

“I started singing when I was a little girl,” she told Vijana FM during an exclusive interview. She said that at the beginning it was very challenging as her parents wanted her to focus on her studies. After graduating from the University of Quebec where she got a bachelor’s degree in business administration, she started doing music full time. Her parents were happy and not as concerned about her as before.

Carine gets inspiration from pop, folk, world and gospel singers. She also took various music lessons, including guitar.

The talented singer has been performing in various entertainment events at different venues in Kigali. She has also made an incredible collabo with a local artist called Tru.D. Their song ‘Home Sweet Home’ has gone viral on YouTube and has been played a lot on many local radio stations and national television. The track’s message is about Rwanda’s tremendous development after the 1994 genocide against Tutsis, and the beauties of the city of Kigali. The pop singer says that the song has gone international.

Carine adds that working with Rwandan artists and continuing her music career in Rwanda is both challenging and fun. She told Vijana that one of the challenges she faced in Rwanda was that she sings most of her songs in English, but most Rwandan artists sing in Kinyarwanda—a language spoken by all Rwandans.

“[The] Canadian audience doesn’t care about the language you use in your music. You can sing in Spanish, English, French and so forth,” she said.

She decided to mix Kinyarwanda and English in her love song ‘Udushagarira.’ She says that this will help her to connect with the local audience.

Asked about her views on the piracy and copyright issues many artists face, she replied that the problem is the same in Western countries and Africa. But she affirms that piracy promotes some up-and-coming artists in a way. Those who are concerned are artists who are in what she calls a “safe place,” or stars.

Carine also told Vijana FM that as a professional singer she makes money through performances, festivals and adverts. Due to piracy it is hard to sell music.

She counts as one of her accomplishments her participation in a Montréal hip-hop festival, in which she was awarded the Best Newcomer Artist prize in the R&B category for her piece ‘I Keep on Dreaming’ from a famous arranger, Sonny Black.

Malia Carine’s Linkedin profile says she worked with producers Jeff Blue and Mike Gonsolin in a studio in Hollywood, Los Angeles. She says it was her best experience as an artist. “I learnt from the music industry. How it really works. Dreams came true.”

She said she is happy to be in Rwanda to connect with her fellow Rwandans. Her advice to aspiring artists is to continue practicing and not give up despite challenges they encounter.

Recording, networking and releasing more videos are her future plans. In her free time she enjoys going out, socializing and swimming.

This talented lady is a performing artist to watch in Rwanda, the East African region, Canada and the rest of the world.

Below is  a link to her  hit song home sweet home,

home sweet home

Na Ramadhani Msoma

Kila mara niangaliapo jinsi mambo yanavyoendeshwa na walio kwenye madaraka ya umma, na hasa katika serikali za hivi karibuni, kuna jambo ninaloliona haliko sawa. Nafahamu kuwa ili uweze kufanya kazi yako vizuri iwe katika ofisi za umma au binafsi lazima uwe na ari na hamasa ya kuifanya hiyo kazi ili iwe na matokeo mazuri na mwisho wa siku tuwe na hayo maendeleo tunayoyataka.

Historia inatufundisha jinsi baadhi ya watu waliopata kuwa viongozi kwenye nchi nyingine  walivyoweza kufanya makubwa na kuacha majina yao mioyoni mwa watu waliokuwa wakiwaongoza — legacy. Kwangu mimi kiongozi lazima uhamasishwe na kuiacha hiyo legacy ili watu wakukumbuke hata baada ya kutoka uongozini na hata baada ya kutangulia mbele za haki (kufa).

Kwa bahati mbaya watu wetu katika uongozi suala hilo haliwapi motisha. Watu wanapenda vyeo ‘ubwana mkubwa’, na vitu vingine viendanavyo na ubwana mkubwa mathalan magari mazuri. Pia nyakati zingine kupata fursa za kusukuma masuala yao ya kujinufaisha binafsi (biashara halali na zisizo halali)  kwa kutumia hizo nafasi kupata hili au lile kinyume na utaratibu. Ukisoma historia za nchi za wenzetu na hata ya kwetu kwa wakati fulani kulikuwa na watu wenye hamasa hiyo, mfano Mwalimu Nyerere, kina Bibi Titi au Edward Sokoine ambao bado wanaishi kwenye mioyo ya Watanzania.

Kwa nchi za wenzetu zinazopiga hatua kubwa za kimaendeleo, viongozi wao walikuwa na ari ya kufanya makubwa kwenye nchi na kuacha majina mazuri kwenye utendaji wao kwa mataifa na serikali wanazoziongoza. Watu kama Mahathir Mohamed (Waziri Mkuu wa zamani wa Malaysia), Lee Kuan Yew (ambaye alikuwa Waziri Mkuu wa kwanza wa Singapore) bado wanaishi kwenye mioyo ya watu waliokuwa wakiwaongoza  kwa michango yao katika kusukuma mbele maendeleo ya nchi.  Watawala wetu wanajua haya lakini hawana hamu hiyo ya kukumbukwa na kuingia kwenye historia ya nchi hii! Na kama huna hamasa hiyo bali tu ya kujitajirisha wewe na familia yako kwa kweli huna haja ya kuumiza akili yako kutafuta uongozi wa umma. Wananchi wanapaswa kuwaogopa viongozi wa namna hii. Wanapaswa kuwakataa na kutokuwapa ridhaa.

Tatizo kubwa linalosababisha ukosefu wa hamasa, ikiwemo ya mambo ya msingi kama kupiga vita umaskini au kupambana na rushwa ambayo ni matatizo yanayoikwamisha nchi yetu kupiga hatua kimaendeleo, ni kutokuwa na mipango na fikra za kutizama masuala kwa muda mrefu. Wengi wa watawala wetu kutokana na matendo yao yanasanifu zaidi fikra zao kuwa katika vipindi vifupi vifupi kwa uwepo wao madarakani (kadiri ya vipindi vya kiuchaguzi). Hawataki kufikiria na kutizama taifa katika muda mrefu hata baada ya wao kuondoka madarakani muda mrefu baadaye kwa hiyo hawana haja na kuacha majina yao yatajwe kwa sababu nzuri.

Kuondoa umaskini na kupiga vita rushwa kwa vitendo badala ya maneno matupu ya kwenye majukwaa ya kisiasa tu ndiyo ingekuwa msukumo hasa unaowapa hamasa watawala wetu kutaka nafasi serikalini. Kwa kweli Tanzania isingewasahau kwa mchango huo lakini hamna juhudi zinazotia matumaini, yaani juhudi hazilingani na ukubwa wa matatizo. Bado kuna upungufu hasa wa kiutendaji kama tukipima kwa matokeo.

Nchini Brazili rais wao wa zamani, Lula da Silva,  atakumbukwa sana katika kujenga uchumi wa kisasa nchini mwake na hasa kupunguza umaskini wa kutupwa kwa kuwaondoka Wabrazili milioni 30 kutoka kwenye umaskini wa kutupwa. Je, viongozi hujiuliza wanataka kuwaondoa Watanzania wangapi kwenye umaskini wa kutupwa labda ndani ya miaka mitano?

Brazili ni mbali lakini tuangalie Waethiopia watamkumbukaje Waziri Mkuu wao Meles Zenawi  aliyefariki mwaka jana (2012)  ambaye alisimamia ukuaji wa uchumi wa Ethiopia kwa wastani wa asilimia 11 kwa miaka saba toka mwaka 2004 mpaka 2011 (kwa mujibu wa ripoti ya Shirika la Fedha la Kimataifa (IMF)? Mwandishi na mchumi aliyebobea, Joseph E. Stiglitz, aliandika kwenye kitabu chake kinachoitwa Globalization and Its Discontents  juu ya Waziri Mkuu huyo wa zamani wa Ethiopia: “Meles showed that, with the right policies in place, even a poor African country could experience sustained economic growth.” (Meles ameonyesha kwamba, kukiwa na sera nzuri, hata nchi masikini ya Afrika inaweza ikapata maendeleo endelevu ya kiuchumi.)

Nawapongeza baadhi ya watendaji na mawaziri katika awamu hii hasa baada ya mabadiliko yaliyofanyika kwa kujitahidi kubadilisha hali ya wizara wanazoziongoza na taasisi zake. Tunapaswa kutambua bado kuna kazi kubwa mbeleni. Nilipata fursa kumsikiliza waziri wa uchukuzi, Dk. Harrison Mwakyembe, wakati wa uzinduzi wa safari za treni katika mji wa Dar es Salaam, kutoka Ubungo kwenda Stesheni, akasema kuhusu hatua hiyo kuwa ni “kiburi tu cha mtu masikini”. Naamini tunahitaji kiburi hicho cha kujaribu pia kwenye maeneo mengine ya kupunguza kero hapana nchini.

Kwa ujumla uongozi ni dhamana na sio kazi tu kama kazi nyingine kwamba mwisho wa siku ili mradi mkono uende kinywani. Kiongozi kwa kweli inabidi awe mtu anayeweza kujinasibisha na watu masikini ambao ni wengi katika nchi hii. Mara nyingi naona kama wapiga kura hatufahamu ni nini viongozi wetu tunataka watufanyie na namna gani wasipoenenda tuwawajibishe ndio maana tunavumilia tu utendaji mbovu.

Ili mtu awe kiongozi lazima awe na hamasa ya kuleta mabadiliko na awe na hamasa ya kuacha jina zuri nyuma yake. Lazima awe mtu mwenye maono ya mbali, uelewa wa kutosha wa jamii hii ya Watanzania, anayefahamu matatizo ya Watanzania na kama aliwahi kuwa kwenye uongozi basi angalau tujue aliwahi kufanya nini kwenye uongozi wake kabla hatujamchagua kuwa mbunge au rais.

Kinachosikitisha hamasa ninayoijadili haionekani katika nyuso na juhudi za wataka uraisi mwaka 2015, naona uroho wa madaraka. Wataka uongozi wengi  hawatuonyeshi uongozi sasa! Watuonyeshe uongozi kabla ya kuanza hizo mbio zao. Haiwezekani watu watumie muda mwingi kutafuta uongozi kana kwamba hiyo ni shughuli ya kudumu, na wako kwenye uongozi wa aina fulani tayari, badala ya kutumia muda huo kuonyesha uongozi. Tumeshashuhudia baadhi ya viongozi walioenda na njia ya kutumia nguvu na mikakati mingi kupata madaraka na namna walivyoshindwa kuibadilisha nchi. Hivyo hatupaswi kuingia katika mtego ule ule.

Barua pepe ya mwandishi: ramamsoma (at) gmail (dot) com

Source: Anzisha Press Release, 26 March 2013

There is less than a week remaining for young entrepreneurs on the African continent to enter the prestigious Anzisha Prize, Africa’s foremost youth entrepreneurial awards which reward young African entrepreneurs who are making a difference by transforming both the continent and their communities.

With more than $75 000 USD in cash prizes, the Anzisha Prize – hosted by the African Leadership Academy in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation – celebrates initiative and innovation. There is also a $10 000 USD Energy Prize in addition to the $75 000 cash prize.

Individuals, teachers and organisations are also being called on to visit the Anzisha website to nominate young entrepreneurs in their communities.

The Anzisha Prize is open to entrepreneurs from around the African continent aged between 15 and 22. Entries close on April 1, 2013. Application forms can be downloaded from the Anzisha Prize website. Completed forms can be emailed to prize[at]anzishaprize.org.

Finalists will win an all-expense paid trip to the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend a weeklong entrepreneurship conference and awards gala. While there, they will be taught by the ALA’s renowned Entrepreneurial Leadership faculty as well as experienced business mentors. Winners will share $75,000 USD, courtesy of The MasterCard Foundation, and be given networking and learning opportunities to take their projects to the next level.

More information:

• Anzisha Prize homepage | 2012 Fellows | 2011 Fellows | YouTube
• Five [7] questions with Chi Achebe on the Anzisha Prize
• African Leadership Academy homepage
• More posts on “Entrepreneurship” on Vijana FM
• Other funding resources

Uhuru Kenyatta is now the president of Kenya and flag bearer for the next five years. The voting process was relatively quick, the result and deliberation of results was again… like any other East African country… Slow!

But here are a few things we as Tanzanians can learn from our brothers and sisters from the North. It was rather clear that the candidates were not spoilsports. We witnessed candidates brave enough to attend televised debates (this actually worked in Mohamed Dida’s favour).

We saw other candidates concede honourably.  Candidates also respected each other when all was said and done. It was also nice to see a female candidate in the mix (maybe this was a lesson learned from Tanzanians?). We watched as television stations stood strong and burnt the midnight oil when all seemed to be dragging longer than watching paint dry. We saw a country stand united when Western media came-a-knocking trying to deliver news of foreboded doom and gloom in the horizon.

There was and still is peace. Thanks to quite some encouragement nationwide.

What can Tanzania learn from all this?

Well, for one there is the electronic voting process which benefited voters from outside the country more than those within. While some faults in the system surfaced a few days after voting, Safaricom revealed that there was more than one player involved in the set up.

If Tanzania wants to use electronic voting in the future, it will need to bring all the major Internet and mobile service phone providers to the same table for a constructive conversation. The conversation would probably involve building a secure vote collection mechanism at stations and a reliable gateway through which to send votes to a central server.

Then there is the whole independent electoral board, which has been subject to change come the constitution referendum. This board can be seen as an election project manager of sorts, overseeing and making transparent the voting rules, operations and results process. The National Election Commission in Tanzania would need to invest effort to the “making transparent” aspect of all this, including being open to questions from international media. In a world where news – especially bad news – travels fast and can sometimes be fabricated, it only makes sense to proactively open up.

And then there is what could be referred to as media tenacity (not counting KBC who seemed to have left their cameras focused on Bomas of Kenya overnight). Tanzania should give public presidential debates (whether on TV or radio) another try. But media tenacity does not only involve the big media houses. It also involves every one with a part to play in public messages to assist in creating debate and discussion around the course of the election.

But in true East African fashion we had the appeals and claims of numerical errors and computer hacking to go with it. This brought back memories of 2010 when Chadema presidential elect  Wilbrod Slaa looked almost as slighted by NEC as Raila’s running mate Musyoka was by the IEBC when he had his turn for affirmations.

There are a colossal number of things Tanzania can take away from all this but the one that stands out more than any other is this…

… The % people who voted.

For more information go to the Storify page for this story.

By La Poetista

Every year women poets and artists around the world in the month of March join their hands, words, and talents, in creating gatherings in their communities to raise their voices to fight violence against women. For the first time since the movement started, Tanzania is taking part in organizing this festival in the country, starting with Dar-es-Salaam.

This year over 30 countries are participating in the movement.

The event in Tanzania comes at a critical time. A woman was recently killed in Mbeya after a gang rape. There are rape cases at the Institute of Financial Management Hostels. Similar incidences have also appeared in India. Women are living in such fear and it is difficult to imagine how to get out of this violent situation. We as La Poetista and Poets in Tanzania have decided to Scream in three different styles.

Our first Scream will happen on March 7, 2013 at Nyumbani Lounge from 6:30pm to 10:00pm (free entrance).

This will be a poetry recital and open mic for poetry and music. This will be an opportunity for gender based violence advocates and artists to raise their voice against violence. On this day, we will introduce the movement, and challenge the people present to start the conversation in their own communities (work, school, home, neighborhoods). The aim is to start the conversation, raise awareness, and raise our voice against violence against women. The Scream features Maya Azucena, an award winning singer/songwriter, activist and humanitarian. Her powerful voice will help make our Scream louder.

YOU ARE ALL WELCOME

Further reading

• About Woman Scream (via website)
• “Gang rape common, but largely ignored in Tanzania” (The Citizen)
• More on poetry at Vijana FM

[Interview held on Tuesday 12 February 2013]

1. Good morning! I’m here with Chidinma Achebe from the African Leadership Academy. Chidinma is a Program Manager and leads up the Anzisha Prize for the African Leadership Academy. I’ll leave it to you Chidinma, why are you in Dar-es-Salaam this morning?

Hi, it’s a pleasure to be in Dar-es-Salaam. I’m here evangelizing the Anzisha Prize across the city. Essentially the Anzisha Prize is a $75,000 youth innovation competition for young African entrepreneurs between the age of 15 and 22. We’re holding sessions throughout the city this week to share the Anzisha Prize opportunity with as many Tanzanians as possible. So I encourage everyone to come out. We have 3 sessions. The first is on Wednesday, from 2-3.30pm at COSTECH Innovation Space. The second is at Dar-es-Salaam University from 11am-1pm. And the third is on Friday at Maanisha! from 11am-1pm as well.

To give you some background about the Anzisha Prize, it’s been in existence for 2 years. It was the brainchild of the African Leadership Academy and it is still managed by the African Leadership Academy. It receives its funding from the Master Card Foundation. Our mission is to find and recognize and celebrate young African entrepreneurs who are making an impact in their communities.

2. That’s great. Would you be able to tell us a bit about the African Leadership Academy? How was the Anzisha Prize brought up?

The African Leadership Academy has been in existence for about 5 years and it’s a very unique school. It is essentially one of a kind. Our mission is to develop a future of ethical leaders. And so we do this in many ways. Our core curriculum is making sure that all of the students that pass through our doors, no matter what they focus on be it chemistry, pre-med or pre-business, they all take classes in African studies, leadership and entrepreneurship. Because we believe that leadership – good leadership – and entrepreneurial thinking is the future for development in Africa. And the youth hold that power towards a better Africa. And so the African Leadership Academy is a school that brings together all of the top students from all over the continent to Johannesburg, South Africa to take part in this unique program.

The Anzisha prize was founded about 2 years after the school started because we realized that there is a lot of potential in encouraging and funding young entrepreneurs. We noticed that a lot of our students were young entrepreneurs and so we thought it would be really cool to find more young entrepreneurs that aren’t ALA students and to support their efforts.

3. Very cool. What have previous projects been like? Are there any notable ones that you would like to share with prospective applicants?

That’s a tough question because they’re all so incredible. It’s been around for 2 years. We currently have what we call 21 Anzisha fellows in our network. I would say they are all notable. I’ll highlight two. Last year’s winner, Andrew Mupuya from Uganda, started a paper bag making company at the age of 20, which happens to be the first registered paper bag making company in Uganda. And he’s gone on to grow his business to employ 15 people. The oldest employee is 53 years old and he’s a father of 8. He’s also set up a branch in his home village in Mbale, Uganda.

We currently have 3 Tanzanian fellows. The first one is Fredrick Swai from 2011. He started what’s called the Dreamers’ Center. He’s from a small town in Mbeya, Tanzania and he started a computer facility, a quiet workspace for his local community.

We’ve also had 2 fellows this year, one of which is David Mwendele. I said I would highlight two but I’m going to highlight four because they’re all so incredible. But last year, one of the fellows was David Mwendele and he started the Let God Be You Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that does many things. His primary project is teaching young people how to make counter books. When he was young he wasn’t able to go to school. He worked in a counter book factory. He decided to turn this into a positive experience by picking up the skill and then going on to teach a lot of the people in his community how to make counter books and then selling the counter books as a business. He now does t-shirt printing, photography, baking and other businesses.

And then there’s also Faizal Burhan, who is a young inventor. He’s from about 5 hours outside of Dar. And he built a microscope for his school just by using local items.

They’re all incredible. But there’s two things, if I can note them really quickly. You’ll notice that a lot of our finalists are male, which is great but this year we’re really reaching out to all you young ladies out there who are entrepreneurial thinkers and who have started a project in your community. So apply for the prize. We’re also looking for young people who are science and technology minded. This year there’s a special $10,000 award for an energy-related project so if you’re working on renewable energy or biogas I’d really encourage you to apply for the prize as well. So tell all of your friends, nominate people that you know, to apply for the prize.

4. Are there any conditions that the winners are attached to once they have received notification that they’ve won and that they’re going to this conference and they may win some money? What is in it for the African Leadership Academy or the Master Card Foundation?

That’s a good question. I get that a lot. It’s a colossal amount of money for a young person. It’s unheard of, to invest over $75,000. There are a few things that we have put in place to make sure that the money is used as intended.

It’s not a loan; we’re not Kiva, it’s not microfinance. There are no strings attached to a certain extent. We don’t expect a portion or a share of the company. We don’t expect to get paid interest.

All we want to do is encourage the development and the growth of the project, of the business, so that it goes on to have a ripple effect in the communities that it acts in. And hopefully employ other people. And then that way, stimulate the local economy.

But in order to do that, we need to make sure that the money is actually going into the project, into the business. I know how it is, I’m from Nigeria. And this is the case for any country. If you win an award, the first place that goes to is your family. Everyone has a share in it because they all played a role in developing you and making you who you are. While we do recognize that – that families do sometimes play a very important role – the money is intended for the business. So one of our policies is that the money has to be invested in the business.

What fellows do is, to receive their prize money, they put in a request proposal; a money disbursement request. They have to show what exactly they’re using the money for. They don’t get all the money at once; they get it in 4 different distributions throughout the year. In order to get the first one, they send the proposal and then we go through it. If we agree, we give the money. In order to get the second amount, they have to be able to show what they used the first amount for. Receipts and proof of payment has to be given as well. Just to make sure what its being used for. Hopefully in the next few years we won’t need this system. But right now this is the system we have in place starting out.

5. I know you’re travelling to Tanzania right now, but how are you reaching out – either on this trip or other trips coming up – to young people around the continent?

That’s a great question and its something that I am – that we are all – still learning as we go. So the primary way that we’ve been reaching out is through holding these sessions. We’ve been hosting information sessions, Prize Tour sessions throughout the continent. Through that we’re able to get into contact with schools, organizations, local media. And we really rely on the media to amplify the message beyond the cities that we’re in. Although I’m in Dar, I really want the news to reach other areas. I want it to reach Arusha. I want it to reach Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, everywhere. We’ve been using – in terms of media – we’ve been using a lot of radio. Radio is huge. And online news sources, so blogs and news articles. We’re really trying to break into TV and other media outlets as well.

We’re also doing experiments with a few others things. This year we have bumber stickers, Anzisha bumper stickers, that we’re sticking all around the city that I’m in. Or if I meet someone that’s not from Dar and passing through Dar, I’ll ask them “could you take this back to your home town and post it in a place where young people will see it?” to spread the message.

Another thing that we might be doing is maybe running billboards in certain areas. I’ve talked to someone from Uganda and they mentioned that’s a really great marketing technique in Uganda to reach a lot of people and its cheaper than sending out a print ad, and there’s a lot of traffic. So maybe we’ll try that in Tanzania – that’s one thing I’ve noticed – there’s a lot of traffic. People have time to wait and read billboards here.

We want to know how to reach you guys. We want to know what’s the best way to reach people in your city, not only in Dar but across the content. What’s the best way to reach young people in Lagos, what’s the best way to reach young people in Cairo. We really encourage you to go to our Facebook page or our Facebook wall and give us ideas. Let us know “when you’re in town, this is where young people meet, these are the TV shows we watch”. All that information is really helpful and highly encouraged. So just check out our Facebook page and post your ideas there.

6. Finally, what is the plan for Anzisha’s future? Where is the Prize heading as an organization or as an initiative along with all its fellows as it builds up momentum?

I’ll tell you what our vision is for the future. Who knows what it will bring? But we’re hoping to create a network of highly, highly motivated, highly empowered young entrepreneurs. My personal goal is to in some way to have – there is – a youth sector, but it isn’t taken seriously in most countries. Usually they will add it with sports – like Youth and Sports – they don’t really know what to do with the youth.

While investment in education is very important, we would love for there to be actual government investment in youth entrepreneurship as well because the two go hand in hand. You go to school, you learn certain principles and you apply those principles into something tangible, like a business, a project.

I would love to see youth entrepreneurship incorporated as a known entity, a lever of economic growth that’s known across the continent. I would love for Africa to be an example for the rest of the world on how to effectively empower your youth at a young age to start their own businesses. To really make an impact. And maybe one day there will be more shows and magazines that feature young people. Maybe there will be a Forbes Young Person Edition. Who knows, sky’s the limit.

Our overarching goal in everything that we do – the Master Card Foundation, the African Leadership Academy, all of our partners, all of our supporters – we all want to see Africa succeed. We all want to make an impact. We want to see a better Africa tomorrow than we currently live in today. We really all agree that the youth are the future, we are the key to that. So we’re just putting the money where our mouth is and investing in young people.

7. Bonus question: You must have gotten this a lot, but are you related to Chinua Achebe?

I am. I did not write the book and I can bear no claim to any of his genius. But I am honored to be able to say that I am his family. [You’re his grand daughter?] I’m his grand niece. He and my dad grew up together for a portion of their lives. He is my dad’s uncle. But they are close in age. Uncle Chinua is the youngest in his family, and my dad is the oldest in his family. And when you’re a boy in Nigeria it is not uncommon for your family to send you to live with one of your uncles or aunts to learn manly skills. So he was sent to my uncle Chinua’s house and they were close enough in age to be playmates.

Well this has been an honor and maybe we can be in touch and have that be a different interview. Today we talked about Anzisha maybe next time we could talk about literature in your family. Thank you very much, Chidinma and welcome to Dar again.

Thank you. You guys rock!

Chidinma can be contacted via prize[at]anzishaprize.org.

Takeaways (Source: About Anzisha):

1. The Anzisha Prize is looking for African social entrepreneurs between 15-22 years old
2. Finalists are hosted in South Africa for a weeklong entrepreneurial conference
3. Finalists stand to collectively win $75,000
4. Finalists will have access to lifelong mentorship from the Anzisha network
5. Applications are due 1st April 2013 | Apply via online form, PDF or video

Further reading:

• African Leadership Academy homepage
• Anzisha Prize homepage | 2012 Fellows | 2011 Fellows
• More posts on ‘Entrepreneurship‘ on Vijana FM
• Other funding resources

One week left until Kenya elects its next president – and, for the first time, thanks to the decentralizing directives of katiba mpya, its own city governors. On the coast, campaign antics have been amping up, and most Mombasans are as excited and concerned about the local elections as they are about the national ones.  Maybe the issues addressed by local leaders are more immediate – Mombasa’s gubernatorial candidates have promised to get rid of trash in Old Town, boost the fish industry and improve the exam scores of local primary school kids.

The race for governor reached a crescendo this weekend, with the candidates campaigning door-to-door through the city, shaking hands with kids and wazee, and handing out flags, pens and promo goodies.  Campaign posters cover the buildings of Mvita like wallpaper, and some new graffiti has even sprung up this week (“Azizzzzz for Gov!”) Hassan Joho, ODM’s massively popular coastal candidate, seemed to induce the loudest street crowds.  When his campaign convoy made its way through the center of town yesterday, hordes of chanting supporters in orange “Team Joho” T-shirts flooded the roads, stopping traffic along Tom Mboya Avenue.

But pre-election season at the pwani has been, for the most part, a string of successes, and democracy seems to be thriving in the local elections. Candidacy for governor was open to anyone with a university degree who could garner a modest support base.  In the debates for local office, the speakers came from a range of backgrounds – the distinguished Suleiman Shahbal (another major contender), an earnest twenty-something, and a grey amnesiac who had formerly run for president, among other contenders.

And one more point for democracy: The debates (both local and national) have been screening in designated public spots throughout town, so that any citizen — whether or not they have a TV home — can get an informed glimpse of their potential future leaders.  I attended the last outdoor debate screening near Fort Jesus, and despite some rickety wiring, the debates aired with barely a hitch.

While the lead-up to Voting Day has been promising, some Mombasans keep murmuring about the looming recurrence of tribal violence.  The doomsayers have reason for worry, but their messages aren’t only negative. Calls for peace have dominated the media and the airwaves this year; in campaign speeches, newspaper reports, radio shows, Tweets and conversations, “PEACE, TAFADHALI” has been the loudest message.

No one wants a repeat of last elections, but Kenyans are shooting higher than that — they want exemplary peaceful and democratic elections.  This past weekend, the presidential candidates made a public demonstration of “joining hands for piece” in Uhuru Park, Nairobi.  And that’s important – we need the people in the spotlight, the people with the heaviest political sway, to be advocating harmony and brotherhood.  But sometimes our bottom-up efforts can be equally effective, spreading farther and more potently than showy slogans ever could.

Mombasa town has been especially creative with its peace efforts. On Sunday, I went to the Run for Integrity Peace Concert at Bamburi beach in northeastern Mombasa.  While the musical fare was mostly uninspired, the crowd wasn’t – they braved the kali coastal sun from 10 in the morning till 6 at night.  Just a few kilometers down the street, Mudavadi’s rally was gathering massive crowds, but the Peace Concert audience had a better reason for showing up, and it was clear that they knew it.

One of the most beautiful examples of creative democracy happened last night in Jahazi Coffee House, Old Town. The venue hosts a spoken-word night at the end of every month called Last Word Standing, where Mombasa’s best young poets, activists and rappers spit rhymes relevant to the times.  The lineup included the elegant poet Prudence Mwachofi, Yasin Koech, the melodic rapper Ian “Nameless” Vedette, Jamila “Mombasa Gal” Hassan, the intense poet-performer Lux Miganda and Nabukenya – as well as reputed hip-hop artists Fikrah Teule, Hustla Jay, Nguchi P and Richie Rich.

Last night’s theme was borrowed from France’s national motto: Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood. At times, the mic opened up to whoever wanted to deliver some wordplay.  And everything was welcome: polished or improvised, aching or fierce or rousing. Nameless Vedette debuted his new song “Kenya is a Sovereign State,” and Prudence Mwachofi freestyled about the last elections (“my heart fell into several pieces”).  In between, the emcees reminded everybody about their responsibility as politically-informed citizens — “Seriously, if you’re just waiting in line at the store, or chatting with the tuk-tuk driver, ask them who they’re voting for. You have influence, you have power.  Everyone needs to vote this year — we want everyone to vote.”

The night ended with Fikrah Teule and Hustla Jay performing their new track “Uhuru Afrika,” which just dropped this week.  Everyone in the room was on their feet, because how can you stay seated to words like that?  It’s time we stand together and fight for equality – uhuru wa kweli.

More info on Last Word Standing can be found here.

Kenyans go to the polls on March 4, 2013

Written By Leonard Wanyama

For any practitioner of scenarios methodology, the Kenya 2013 General Election: 7 Point Minimum Scenarios by political scientist, Mutahi Ngunyi is – in an intellectual sense – extremely disappointing. His premise being that based on the numerical strength of ethnic groups as registered under the biometric voter system one of the political coalitions contesting the Kenyan elections would win in the first round. By purporting that predictive hypotheses are scenarios, Ngunyi debases a methodology that has gained considerable credibility in the provision of solutions that tackle the myriad problems in Kenya.

Instead, what Ngunyi’s analysis does is forecast what his views are on the state of affairs in the country. Therefore, his predictions cannot be taken as a scientific position but an institutional opinion of The Consulting House that he runs. The difference between a forecast and a scenario is that the former is based purely on an understanding of the past. This is the basis of the argument for Mr. Ngunyi’s ‘Tyranny of Numbers’. On the other hand, scenarios understand the present and future as far too complex to be limited to the past because history does not necessarily carry on into the future.

While scenarios recognize that past events and forces determine how the present is shaped, the methodology combines this information with accurate research in order to broaden our attention beyond our usual assumptions. A scenarios building process must then rehearse this combined knowledge in the present to tell us about the future.

Unlike the opinion pollsters who have told us the sample size and spread of their research, The Consulting House does not divulge who was involved in the exercise and what their motivation was. Additionally, Ngunyi does not clearly explain the justification for the dimensions of plausibility in his predictions.

In his analysis, Ngunyi’s facts are simplistic assumptions that reduce Kenyans to rabidly tribalistic and incapable of making considerations other than those of their respective communities. They are generalizations that do not consider there are emerging class distinctions, rural-urban considerations, and educational variations, which must be included in any credible scenarios process. This is because these are existing realities.

The pillars of his premise are shaky on a number of fronts. First, his ‘fact’ that we vote as tribes is an assumption. So is the perspective that the election was won during the voter registration no election was held that day and H.E. Mwai Kibaki is still the President of the Republic of Kenya. Mutahi’s inclination for ‘mind coups’ must be criticized due to their lack of benefit. It is especially exasperating that when asked the difficult questions concerning his postulations he retreats behind his beloved ‘cautionary’ statement of how “it must be noted that this is just a hypothesis”. This is especially so, because insinuations of such gravity must be proven.