tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575366306832174182024-03-13T14:51:40.990+02:00kristungati........making a difference......Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-7807012042295463142017-04-24T18:14:00.000+02:002017-04-24T18:14:30.371+02:00Youth participation beyond tokenism <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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Youth Empowerment and Youth Development have joined the family of buzz phrases that are constantly being used by governments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector in various ways. Like girls and women empowerment, everyone wants to take part in this new hype, and use it to position their organisations or products. Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) initiatives are also been aligned to the youth development agenda, which is a good. <br />
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But to what extent is youth participation seen in the initiatives developed by the government, non-governmental organisations and private sector? <br />
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Malawi has seen its fair share of youth development events, where the youth come as an afterthought. That is, the youth are invited to the event after everything else has been set already. Then, we realise that we are missing a major component, the youth themselves. Of course, this is compensated by the phrases ‘youth at heart’ and ‘youthful.’ Just a reminder, the national youth policy defines a young person as someone who is between the ages of 10 and 35. It is estimated that over 60 percent of the Malawi population is below 35 years. In an ideal situation, you would expect this segment of the population to get a lion’s share in decision making or participation on issues that directly affect them. <br />
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Recently, Standard Bank in partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Labour, Youth and Man Power Development organised a Malawi Socio-Economic Forum that focused on Youth Entrepreneurship. This programme was supposed to be by the youth and for the youth. Just by taking a glance at the programme, you realise that the youth are missing in this program. Of the 9 speakers that were lined up to present, only 1 person was in the category of youth. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that the contributions of this one young people will be overshadowed. <br />
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The rest of the youth that were privileged to walk into this invited space, did not event get a chance to participate in the discussions that took place. Was this event for the youth? or was this event organised for another purpose and the youth just happened to be invited or co-opted? This is just one example of ‘youth events’ that does not really involve the youth. <br />
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Events that are organised to speak to the youth, and not let the youth speak and the rest of us listen. <br />
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Equally, there are many initiatives that young people are organising to empower fellow youths and contribute to the economic development. Efforts are made to seek support from the government, non-governmental organisations and the private sector which is hard to come by. Without their support, endorsement or recognition of their efforts, the outcome of these initiatives is neither regarded nor considered in their decision making.<br />
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To move away from youth participation as tokenism, the government, non-governmental organisations and the private sector, need to involve the youth right from inception level. The agenda of a youth meeting/forums must be set for, and by the youth. This way, you will have a relevant discussion with the youth. Even if you want to financially invest in the youth, you will invest in areas that the youth are interest in. The youth might be inexperienced and not as wise, but they know what they want, and where they are going. <br />
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Selection of speakers also needs to go through the same young people. You will be surprised that the panel that you might form and the one that the youth will form will be totally different. You will be even surprised with the list of mentors or people who motivate them that they might share. Without having the youth, you will have a list of speakers that the youth will not relate with, which is a waste of time and resources for the youth and the organisers. <br />
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Most of all, the stakeholders need to move beyond funding youth forums, they need to start funding the implementation of the resolutions made. You have stakeholders who are willing to spend over 10 Million Kwacha to have a youth forum but run away from supporting an initiative that will cost less than 1 million. Again, this goes back to the mismatch between the youth priorities and those of the stakeholders. <br />
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<i>This post was written by Chimwemwe John Paul Manyozo a Chevening Alumni and Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society<br />
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and Vincent Kumwenda the CEO of mHub. Vincent is writing in his personal capacity. The post was also published on <a href="http://hubdev.blogspot.com/2017/04/youth-participation-beyond-tokenism.html">http://hubdev.blogspot.com/2017/04/youth-participation-beyond-tokenism.html </a><br />
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</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-67155999892870625422016-04-16T12:13:00.001+02:002016-04-16T12:13:31.726+02:00MARK ZUCKERBERG ADORES 10 YEAR OLD MALAWIAN; PANASHE JERE; A PRODUCT OF MALAWI’S TECH REVOLUTION.<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PvKRDGNMeew/VxIP9xI3VAI/AAAAAAAAUQk/QVz756IlDbw509emn8kp-QmGgDRuONx1wCLcB/s1600/mark%2Bzuckerberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PvKRDGNMeew/VxIP9xI3VAI/AAAAAAAAUQk/QVz756IlDbw509emn8kp-QmGgDRuONx1wCLcB/s400/mark%2Bzuckerberg.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Imagine getting a chance to meet Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and owner of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. A man sitting at the helm of conversations between and about over 1.5 billion people. Mark is one of the top 6 richest men in the United States of America. Imagine that He further adores you and even posts about you on his Facebook page.<br />
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Well, this is no longer an imagination or a dream for 10 year old Panashe Jere from Area 49 in Lilongwe, Malawi. It is reality. Panashe met Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook Headquarters, Menlo Park in California. Zuckerberg later posted on his Facebook page; a photo of him talking with Panashe captioned “This guy started coding earlier than I did.” Mark seemed to acknowledge that Panashe has started doing wonders in computer programming at a much early age than He, Zuckerberg. Panashe met Mark alongside the grand F8 conference organised by Facebook that brought together thousands of developers from across the world. Panashe got a ticket to travel from Lilongwe, Malawi to the Silicon Valley after winning a coding competition supported by Malawi’s mobile network operator TNM through its TNM Smart Challenge Competition. TNM sponsored coding workshops, prizes in the form of smart phones for all finalists and a trip to the Silicon Valley for all winners. The winners visit Facebook, Google and Stanford University among other high tech institutions. <br />
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Panashe developed a mobile application that allows children to input text and then converts it to voice so children always have someone to talk to; as he describes it.<br />
It wasn’t just Panashe who got to shine at the F8 conference; three other young Malawians; Daniel Mvalo, Thandie Magasa and Walter Moyo were at it as they got recognition from Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook Chief Operations Officer; Sheryl Sandberg. The three developed a mobile application called Maternitech. The mobile application provides information on maternal health and family planning.<br />
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But, where is this technology revolution in Malawi starting from? The place is called mHub. It is Malawi’s first technology hub. The hub runs a Children’s Coding Club, where Panashe had his first and eight other lessons on how to develop computer programs that could even run on the cell phone and do amazing things like converting text into voice. The club has so far trained over 30 children aged between 8 and 16. The hub also runs the Girls coding club where girls are taught basics of computer science and how to develop technology applications. The tools that these children and girls are taught on include high tech platforms such as Scratch and Google’s MIT App Inventor. Scratch is a special developing platform developed by MIT and Google to teach Children block programming using drag and drop.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i1lkDCK6VrM/VxIQQAuXrlI/AAAAAAAAUQo/UL2ZBeVpFrEBdogIRBPHDI-06OTn5xgDQCLcB/s1600/dan%2Band%2Bteam.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i1lkDCK6VrM/VxIQQAuXrlI/AAAAAAAAUQo/UL2ZBeVpFrEBdogIRBPHDI-06OTn5xgDQCLcB/s400/dan%2Band%2Bteam.jpg" /></a><br />
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The hub also trains young entrepreneurs on basics of entrepreneurship. And serves as an incubator and co working space for emerging technology start-ups.<br />
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mHub was founded by a young female technology enthusiast; Rachel Sibande. Hers is a story of focus and determination against the odds. She is a Google Award Winner and has been recently named one of Africa’s Next Einstein’s by the Next Einstein’s Fellows Initiative.<br />
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It appears that Malawi is right on to a good start on this global technology revolution. Earlier in the year; President Obama launched the multibillion Computer Science for all program in the USA. Through the initiative; American Children will also start to learn basics of computer Science early on in school intimating the fundamental need for incorporating computer science as a cross cutting subject. <br />
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It is inevitable that technology is fast becoming a key stimulant and enabler for economic growth and development. Careers in technology are becoming more lucrative. And Malawi seems to be taking good steps so far if these success stories are anything to go by. However, the need for private sector entities such as TNM; mHub, Government and the Academia to enhance sustainability of such phenomenal talent is absolutely necessary and can only be emphasised.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-91820530583019549522016-03-13T14:20:00.000+02:002016-03-13T14:20:04.490+02:00TEDxLilongwe Speaker nominations are openTEDxLilongwe is calling for interested people to apply or nominate a speaker for this year's TEDxLilongwe event which will take place on 21st May 2016 at CrossRoads Hotel.<br />
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Below is the original message posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TEDxLilongwe/">TEDxLilongwe Facebook</a> page: <br />
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<blockquote>Hallo TEDxLilongwe fans! Now calling for nominations for #TEDxLilongwe<br />
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The team is in full swing working, planning and coordinating. A lot is happening behind the scenes, towards the next #TEDxLilongwe 2016 event slated for May 21. It is going to be great!<br />
Do you know someone with an interesting story/idea that could inspire via the TEDx stage? Please forward the name of nominee, contacts & brief summary of the person to louisparkinson@gmail.com<br />
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1. Name of nominated person (you can nominate yourself)<br />
2. Contact details of nominee (email address and phone number)<br />
3. Brief summary of why the person is being nominated<br />
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Deadline for applications is 31 March 2016<br />
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Many thanks in advance. See you in the next post! </blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-9974026042932444842016-03-11T10:55:00.000+02:002016-03-11T10:55:48.885+02:00Indiegogo Campaign for Industrial Hemp in Malawi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GNopkaa_yQE/VuKGr2qO3DI/AAAAAAAAT-k/WCdlY8AwZKcq9kaO5LEH6y1auGLhDKDYg/s1600/ihemp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GNopkaa_yQE/VuKGr2qO3DI/AAAAAAAAT-k/WCdlY8AwZKcq9kaO5LEH6y1auGLhDKDYg/s320/ihemp.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Hempower Malawi - making Industrial hemp a new cash crop- That is the title of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKFMgKfPgh0">video</a> accompanying a <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/support-agriculture-in-the-world-s-poorest-country#/">campaign for industrial hemp in Malawi</a>. The campaign posted by Tanya Clarke, Director and Founder of <a href="http://invegrow.com/">Invegrow</a> and <a href="http://www.kawandama-hills.com/">Kawandama Hills Plantation</a> is raising $50,000 to fund some of the farming inputs, buy small- scale farming and processing equipment, lab equipment for testing, and continue the lobbying and education campaigns. <br />
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Tanya says <a href="http://invegrow.com/">Invegrow</a> has been campaigning for the legalisation of industrial hemp in Malawi since 2013 and it is now the first and only company allowed to conduct trials in Malawi. <br />
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<blockquote>This is a pioneering venture and Invegrow finally commenced trials in November 2015 at the Malawi Government's premier Agricultural Research Station. We are also helping amend the relevant Acts with the Government to correctly define iHemp in law. We aim to be growing the crop commercially by December 2016/17 season (rainy season). </blockquote><br />
According to the information posted on the indiegogo campaign site and the video posted, Invegrow has support from various civil society organisations, government and the private sector. The video features interviews with Joshua Nthakomwa, Director of Malawi Investment and Trade Centre and Parliamentarian Boniface Kadzakumanja, a well known advocate for industrial hemp who supports the campaign.<br />
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<blockquote>Industrial Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant that is non-psychoactive and currently grown in 36 countries worldwide including Canada, Australia, Germany, France, and the UK. It's an incredibly versatile crop that is used in sustainable construction, seed and oil production for cosmetics and foods, medicines, and fibre for textiles. It is an age old crop that was bred specifically for industrial purposes, and was one of the most important crops in World War 2 for its strong fibres used for sails and military uniforms.</blockquote><br />
For the 13 days that the campaign has been running, it has managed to raise $12,338 out of the $50,000 needed. There are still 23 days to go. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DIhb4MbQBpQ/VuKHjc8ie3I/AAAAAAAAT-w/NuTkrQYzZCY1dO7fZhSx5U25TuV2h1NaQ/s1600/hemp_bricks1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DIhb4MbQBpQ/VuKHjc8ie3I/AAAAAAAAT-w/NuTkrQYzZCY1dO7fZhSx5U25TuV2h1NaQ/s320/hemp_bricks1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Tanya and the team behind the campaign understands the challenges that their campaign will face to convince the Malawian society on the difference between industrial hemp and the other varieties of cannabis that are psychoactive. <br />
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<blockquote>Malawi is a very conservative society and more education must be done through the media, radio, and TV on iHemp and its potential. Distinguishing the differences between the varieties of Cannabis in the minds of the people is a challenge that we hope to overcome through a concerted sensitisation campaign. </blockquote><br />
<i>Photo Credit: Tanya Clarke's Linkedin and Invegrow Website </i><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-36811553910522723602016-03-09T15:01:00.001+02:002016-03-09T15:03:07.199+02:00TNM Smart Challenge Grand Finale on 11 March<br />
This Friday all roads lead to the Crossroads Auditorium where Malawi's leading Telco, TNM will be giving out prizes to the winners of the TNM Smart Challenge Competition. <br />
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The event is expected to start 1 :00pm and end at 17:00. <br />
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There will be presentations from the finalists from both categories of the competition. TNM Smart Challenge had 3 categories in Smart Kid, Smart Student and Smart Community. <br />
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The overall winner will win a trip to Silicon Valley in California to join other developers for the Facebook organised event, F8. <br />
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TNM partnered with Facebook, Opera, IBM and a local technology and Innovation hub, mHub to run the competition. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-27460002670531336982016-03-09T14:24:00.001+02:002016-03-09T14:24:38.389+02:00A New Entrepreneurs Hub opened in Blantyre <p dir="ltr">Blantyre based entrepreneurs have all the reasons to smile following the launch of a new hub in the commercial city.  The hub intends to be a home to100 entrepreneurs plying different kinds of businesses.  It is an initiative of the Entrepreneurs Motivational Network led by renowned entrepreneur Jimmy Korrea Mpatsa. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The incubation space simply called the hub,  was opened by the Blantyre City Mayor Councillor Noel Chalamanda on Tuesday,  8th March 2016.  Interested business people from across the city witnessed the official opening of the hub which has 10 private offices, one boardroom, a cafe, bar and a common room to be shared by over 80 entrepreneurs. </p>
<p dir="ltr">According to a trustee of the Entrepreneurs Motivational Network, Daniel Dunga, the hub fills a gap that has been affecting most entrepreneurs in the city. He also told the gathering crowd that the establishment of the hub follows the success of the monthly entrepreneur pitching platform called Blantyre Pitch Night. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The hub is situated in Namiwawa along Chilembwe road. It is a third hub to be opened in Malawi following mHub in Lilongwe and the UNICEF's Blantyre Innovation Hub. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Some of the trustee's of the Entrepreneurs Motivational Network include American Nick Villele, Ahmed Sunka , Kettie Sutton and businessman Arthur Nkosi. </p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-64097924769537824152016-02-26T20:13:00.003+02:002016-03-03T11:23:24.966+02:00Agribusiness Entrepreneurs shine at the 4th Edition of Lilongwe Pitch Night On Thursday 25th February 2016, all roads in Lilongwe led to Crossroads Hotel where the fourth edition of the popular Lilongwe Pitch Night was was taking place. By 6:00pm the Auditorium was filled to capacity with people from all walks of life ready to listen to the presentations from 3 agribusiness entrepreneurs. <br />
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The pitch night, which was sponsored by <a href="http://aa-academy.org/" >African Agribusiness Academy</a>, attracted pitches from Frankie Washoni of Hortinet Entreprise, Frederick Mattress of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/malawihoneyproducts/?fref=ts" target "_blank">Honey Products Ltd</a> and Ngaba Chatata of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/www.thanthwe.co.mw/?fref=ts" target "_blank">Thanthwe Entreprises</a>. They are all agribusiness entrepreneurs focusing on Bananas, Honey and Horticulture respectively. <br />
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Lilongwe Pitch Night was developed to establish a vibrant and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem in Malawi. It was launched to combat the rising unemployment crisis being experienced by a population of over 16 million of which the majority are young people. It also provides a platform to expose emerging entrepreneurs to investors, potential clients, media and fellow entrepreneurs. <br />
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The fourth edition was also graced by the Chief executive Officer of National Association Smallholder Farmers of Malawi (<a href="http://www.nasfam.org/">NASFAM</a>) Mr Dyborn Chibonga who stressed on the importance of agriculture to Malawi's ailing economy. Chibonga also highlighted the problems smallholder farmers are facing in Malawi. He cited the lack of good farming extension services in Malawi. Currently 1 extension worker looks after over 3000 farming families.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/lilongwepitchnight/" target "_blank">Lilongwe Pitch Night</a> also managed to achieve one of its objectives of facilitating linkages between emerging entrepreneurs and established business person's, financial experts and technocrats in various trades. Pitch Night is supported by <a href="http://mhubmw.com" target "_blank">mHub</a>, <a href="http://www.maestrosleadership.com/" target "_blank">Maestros Leadership</a>, <a href="http://eyelevelartmw.com/" target "_blank">Eye Level Art</a>, Avante Garde, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Goodfoodshopmw/?fref=ts" target "_blank">Nthalo</a>, <a href="http://www.ltcsmw.com/index.php" target "_blank">Language Training and Consultancy Services</a> and Innopreneur Magazine. <br />
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Here are some pictures from the event: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lVY9wrt19aY/VtCSt3TgO4I/AAAAAAAAT30/6nzCFZXcSFg/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lVY9wrt19aY/VtCSt3TgO4I/AAAAAAAAT30/6nzCFZXcSFg/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-20.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YSdQF7jjDGc/VtCS0QYLBEI/AAAAAAAAT38/3UdPAwhtwJI/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YSdQF7jjDGc/VtCS0QYLBEI/AAAAAAAAT38/3UdPAwhtwJI/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-21.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iHKDF7jztmU/VtCS1mqnnmI/AAAAAAAAT4A/RuUiWlzYG4g/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iHKDF7jztmU/VtCS1mqnnmI/AAAAAAAAT4A/RuUiWlzYG4g/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-25.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-444TFNIzIl4/VtCTBXV-HvI/AAAAAAAAT4U/lQmt8nfcCtU/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-444TFNIzIl4/VtCTBXV-HvI/AAAAAAAAT4U/lQmt8nfcCtU/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-31.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jwK9XL9R4rM/VtCTDLcQn2I/AAAAAAAAT4Y/cKtbhQ50yGU/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jwK9XL9R4rM/VtCTDLcQn2I/AAAAAAAAT4Y/cKtbhQ50yGU/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-34.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5tokfJq90c/VtCTEYk1jBI/AAAAAAAAT4c/ivEMW9ZlVDw/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5tokfJq90c/VtCTEYk1jBI/AAAAAAAAT4c/ivEMW9ZlVDw/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-72.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DmUaDj70PoU/VtCTFxgAlHI/AAAAAAAAT4g/Yjfwgo24Jck/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DmUaDj70PoU/VtCTFxgAlHI/AAAAAAAAT4g/Yjfwgo24Jck/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-80.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLI6m-pMh7M/VtCSmTQKtiI/AAAAAAAAT3o/oMKrlFaniTs/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLI6m-pMh7M/VtCSmTQKtiI/AAAAAAAAT3o/oMKrlFaniTs/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-116.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F5wgqqMhnqM/VtCSmppuzoI/AAAAAAAAT3s/eSiN9Qbgy38/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F5wgqqMhnqM/VtCSmppuzoI/AAAAAAAAT3s/eSiN9Qbgy38/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-117.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5i9-sOYrLds/VtCSmWfofBI/AAAAAAAAT3k/xhws7hvvXQs/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5i9-sOYrLds/VtCSmWfofBI/AAAAAAAAT3k/xhws7hvvXQs/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-147.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHV1MoORz84/VtCSs-A9EfI/AAAAAAAAT3w/7v_4Aih_4kg/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHV1MoORz84/VtCSs-A9EfI/AAAAAAAAT3w/7v_4Aih_4kg/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-159.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bwC7h4vVXY0/VtCStwyQiII/AAAAAAAAT34/d1YxpknYldY/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bwC7h4vVXY0/VtCStwyQiII/AAAAAAAAT34/d1YxpknYldY/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-189.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iha2SuH0Fr0/VtCS1s1zC8I/AAAAAAAAT4E/agols6wreNU/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iha2SuH0Fr0/VtCS1s1zC8I/AAAAAAAAT4E/agols6wreNU/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-265.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WGCySDuI7Ms/VtCS6yj2JhI/AAAAAAAAT4I/3_EbmqEQbdI/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WGCySDuI7Ms/VtCS6yj2JhI/AAAAAAAAT4I/3_EbmqEQbdI/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-287.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-53GuehI9YNo/VtCS9Bfj-FI/AAAAAAAAT4Q/kUC5cMSg6ww/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-53GuehI9YNo/VtCS9Bfj-FI/AAAAAAAAT4Q/kUC5cMSg6ww/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-292.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7x0p5tKLNU/VtCS8KTo22I/AAAAAAAAT4M/uepRiHyXiIs/s1600/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7x0p5tKLNU/VtCS8KTo22I/AAAAAAAAT4M/uepRiHyXiIs/s400/EyeLevelArt_2016_Shoot-297.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Photo Credits: Eye Level Art Malawi<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-27829430876226289432016-02-18T19:49:00.000+02:002016-02-18T19:52:37.568+02:00TNM Smart Challenge Competition to end March 4 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
In a few days time, Malawians and the rest of the world will know who the smartest Mobile App Developer is according to the TNM Smart Challenge Competition's calendar. The search for this developer started on 5th October 2015 with a high profile launch of the competition which is being supported by <a href="http://facebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.opera.com/" target="_blank">Opera</a>, <a href="http://www.ibm.com/us-en/" target="_blank">IBM</a>, and <a href="http://www.mhubmw.com/" target="_blank">mHub</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jHLOzQh-kPo/VsYACLHRtvI/AAAAAAAATz4/iQrR-32OWx4/s1600/tnm_smart_challenge_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jHLOzQh-kPo/VsYACLHRtvI/AAAAAAAATz4/iQrR-32OWx4/s400/tnm_smart_challenge_logo.png" target="_blank"/></a></div><br />
According to the <a href="http://smartchallenge.tnm.co.mw/index.php/events" target="_blank">event calendar</a> posted on their website, the nation will know the winner on 4th March 2016 at final event to comprise of demonstartions, awards and a cocktail.<br />
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The TNM Smart Challenge gives a chance to kids, students and their communities to showcase their innovations in mobile app development and solve various challenges in their communities. The main prize of the challenge is a trip to Silicon Valley, USA for the winners in each category.<br />
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Public voting for the shortlisted applications was opened on 1st February and will close on 28th February 2016. It will be followed by the award giving ceremony on 4th March 2016. A trip to the US will be on 16th April 2016.<br />
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TNM engaged Malawi's first technology and innovation hub, mHub as a partner in the running of the competition. Together with Facebook, Opera and IBm, mHub conducted mobile development clinics in Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe and Mzuzu to train the competition participants on various tools to use in app development. The challenge attracted a lot of interest as evidenced by the number of entries. <br />
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You can vote for your favourite application by visiting the competition's <a href="http://smartchallenge.tnm.co.mw/" target="_blank">website</a> or sending a participant's code to 575. <br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-16748474632835209642016-02-18T19:17:00.001+02:002016-02-18T20:37:38.250+02:00Pictures from the TEDxLilongwe's Live streaming of TED2016On Tuesday, 16th February 2016, <a href="www.twitter.com/tedxlilongwe">TEDxLilongwe</a> connected live to Session 2 of the TED2016 Conference taking place in Vancouver, Canada. TEDxLilongwe is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. The live streaming event took place at <a href="http://mhubmw.com">mHub</a>, Malawi's tech and innovation hub. The theme for this year's TED2016 is 'DREAM'. <br />
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A cross section of people from Lilongwe enjoyed inspiring and thought-provoking talks from various thinkers and disrupters of this time including Uber's Travis Kalanick and Joe Gibbea, Co-Founder of Airbnb. <br />
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TEDxLilongwe will have its own live event on 21st May 2016 at Crossroads Hotel under the theme, 'Demand'. Here are some of the pictures from the live streaming event: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QoLLM5Dc5vE/VsX11sQ_ewI/AAAAAAAATyo/VuJ5ymdbHuk/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QoLLM5Dc5vE/VsX11sQ_ewI/AAAAAAAATyo/VuJ5ymdbHuk/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<blockquote><i>mHub's Community Manager welcoming people to the event.</i> </blockquote><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cIKuuXdiA14/VsX2hbH1TKI/AAAAAAAATzI/mEDfVdYN6kU/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cIKuuXdiA14/VsX2hbH1TKI/AAAAAAAATzI/mEDfVdYN6kU/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-5.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ijp6XOPlw9s/VsX1lnmeayI/AAAAAAAATyk/jUPxUExRY3g/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ijp6XOPlw9s/VsX1lnmeayI/AAAAAAAATyk/jUPxUExRY3g/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-11.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<blockquote><i>a cross section of people attending the live streaming</i></blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pg-UX_JIhds/VsX2-sQecQI/AAAAAAAATzk/tjOsVQ4ibyI/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pg-UX_JIhds/VsX2-sQecQI/AAAAAAAATzk/tjOsVQ4ibyI/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-9.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BSyLhN98TTY/VsX1jdBBSyI/AAAAAAAATyg/1KTzEBXOeZ8/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BSyLhN98TTY/VsX1jdBBSyI/AAAAAAAATyg/1KTzEBXOeZ8/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-10.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<blockquote><i>Live from Vancouver, Canada!</i></blockquote><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6b-fGpGtDUg/VsX1iI8eKZI/AAAAAAAATyc/JVnh3Wz2J24/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6b-fGpGtDUg/VsX1iI8eKZI/AAAAAAAATyc/JVnh3Wz2J24/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-20.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<blockquote><i>TED2016 was hosted by Chris Anderson</i></blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nf2An_eudno/VsX121JustI/AAAAAAAATys/jJaBTxkITNw/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nf2An_eudno/VsX121JustI/AAAAAAAATys/jJaBTxkITNw/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-30.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<blockquote><i>"We love to solve problems", Problem Solver in Chief of Uber, Travis Kalanick</i></blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vfWho9KJvpw/VsX26ZtM6yI/AAAAAAAATzY/0P9ASWHXvNo/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vfWho9KJvpw/VsX26ZtM6yI/AAAAAAAATzY/0P9ASWHXvNo/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-73.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aZdSHspGeYg/VsX16m3ioFI/AAAAAAAATyw/SuKNBE1WXtU/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aZdSHspGeYg/VsX16m3ioFI/AAAAAAAATyw/SuKNBE1WXtU/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-33.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nY7qPytNr0E/VsX2LTHU0VI/AAAAAAAATy4/h-ewTuXOliI/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nY7qPytNr0E/VsX2LTHU0VI/AAAAAAAATy4/h-ewTuXOliI/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-40.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8n55Cb-sEo/VsX2MGolhFI/AAAAAAAATy8/D3P5qm4nd6k/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8n55Cb-sEo/VsX2MGolhFI/AAAAAAAATy8/D3P5qm4nd6k/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-44.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LnFGYS9kNl4/VsX2UL9LeKI/AAAAAAAATzE/AqUC9t3JO-4/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LnFGYS9kNl4/VsX2UL9LeKI/AAAAAAAATzE/AqUC9t3JO-4/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-47.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sNbm4PImw8Q/VsX2llLF3iI/AAAAAAAATzQ/Q2O1KSCEzAI/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sNbm4PImw8Q/VsX2llLF3iI/AAAAAAAATzQ/Q2O1KSCEzAI/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-54.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p-j9FGOEf2M/VsX2pYE_tHI/AAAAAAAATzU/7kAk3xwwlnc/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p-j9FGOEf2M/VsX2pYE_tHI/AAAAAAAATzU/7kAk3xwwlnc/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-63.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C3WtsVAue98/VsX28D4tRzI/AAAAAAAATzg/JNXrAGcORpI/s1600/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C3WtsVAue98/VsX28D4tRzI/AAAAAAAATzg/JNXrAGcORpI/s400/TEDx%2BLive%2BStreaming_ShotByFrancesco-70.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Inline with the theme of TED2016, 'DREAM', people wrote their dreams on the 'Wisdom Wall' at mHub. <br />
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Photos credit: Eye Level Art Malawi <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-54370245781237487622015-09-19T12:57:00.000+02:002015-09-19T12:57:54.707+02:00American Satirical website mocks Prof Mutharika and Malawi Government <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<b>Bold Move! </b>The popular American satirical website, <a href="http://www.clickhole.com/"><i>Clickhole</i></a>, surprisingly published a story mocking Malawian President, Prof Peter wa Mutharika and the Malawi government. In a story titled, <a href="http://www.clickhole.com/article/bold-move-malawi-just-called-julia-roberts-their-n-3112">Bold Move: Malawi Just Called Julia Roberts Their National Treasure</a>. <br />
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The story mockingly claims that Prof Mutharika posted on his Twitter page that the award winning American Actress, <i>Julia Roberts<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Roberts"></a></i> is a Malawian National Treasure. <i><a href="http://www.clickhole.com/">Clickhole</a></i> went ahead to post photos of the tweets. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1QwbwgLqFdQ/Vf07yZgJ1-I/AAAAAAAATYQ/Zi0usPnAhVk/s1600/peter%2Btweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1QwbwgLqFdQ/Vf07yZgJ1-I/AAAAAAAATYQ/Zi0usPnAhVk/s320/peter%2Btweet.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The satirical site further claims that the Malawian leader called Malawians are hard working because <i>Julia Roberts<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Roberts"></a></i>, a Malawian, became successful. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JmxxEK-Pg3E/Vf08a3k1WiI/AAAAAAAATYY/zijMOGrsfR8/s1600/second%2Bpeter%2Btweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JmxxEK-Pg3E/Vf08a3k1WiI/AAAAAAAATYY/zijMOGrsfR8/s320/second%2Bpeter%2Btweet.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In the same post, <a href="http://www.clickhole.com/"><i>Clickhole</i></a> posted a picture of <i>Julia Roberts<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Roberts"></a></i> 'dancing' Likwata with Malawian Yao women. The picture is clearly photoshopped. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rn_NV5kVgM/Vf09Ei1uT9I/AAAAAAAATYg/Xp7aaHBWCWI/s1600/julia%2Broberts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rn_NV5kVgM/Vf09Ei1uT9I/AAAAAAAATYg/Xp7aaHBWCWI/s320/julia%2Broberts.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jd5S74_rhPQ/Vf09F11-nCI/AAAAAAAATYo/_W2mymNGKmM/s1600/mw%2Bgvt%2Btweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jd5S74_rhPQ/Vf09F11-nCI/AAAAAAAATYo/_W2mymNGKmM/s320/mw%2Bgvt%2Btweet.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A check at <i><a href="https://twitter.com/ProfMutharika">Prof Mutharika's twitter pag</a>e</i> shows that he last posted a tweet on 15 May 2014. He has not been active on Twitter using this twitter handle. The other 'Malawi government' twitter handle has a wrong spelling (@malwiGvt) and is not available on Twitter.<br />
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It is not yet clear as to why <i><a href="http://www.clickhole.com/">Clickhole</a></i> chose Malawi and its leader for this post. Clickhole is owned by another popular political satirical, <a href="http://www.theonion.com/">The Onion.</a> <br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-91913871385846788522015-08-12T19:25:00.000+02:002015-08-12T19:25:01.895+02:00Lilongwe's Kufumbi minibus terminal in bad shapeIf you stay in areas 36, 22, 23, 24, Biwi, Kawale, Chilinde and surrounding areas, chances are that you might have boarded a minibus at a bus terminal popularly known as 'Kufumbi'. Even worse you use this depot everyday to connect to other areas like 25, 49, 47, and old town. Assuming you are not staying in the mentioned areas but you use the main depot to board long distance buses, it is possible you have experienced the worst conditions you can imagine as a commuter. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoJBEU7eolI/Vct3TCUCHRI/AAAAAAAAS14/hAfYLv-WNy4/s1600/clear%2Barea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoJBEU7eolI/Vct3TCUCHRI/AAAAAAAAS14/hAfYLv-WNy4/s320/clear%2Barea.jpg" /></a></div><br />
'Kufumbi' (dust) stage is as dusty as its name suggests. It is about 200 meters away from the main bus depot and the only nearest minibus stage for the areas 25, 49, and surrounding areas. The place is in a very bad shape and not worthy to be used as a minibus terminal. There are very big holes on the ground (big potholes). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8_aGhT4a-k/Vct3TY7HuTI/AAAAAAAAS2E/gTKjFKfEmc8/s1600/down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8_aGhT4a-k/Vct3TY7HuTI/AAAAAAAAS2E/gTKjFKfEmc8/s320/down.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A lot of minibuses struggle to find space and even to go out of the terminal once they are filled. It takes ages for one minibus to find its way out of the terminal. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yk4ifCnbm9o/Vct3TU1ujcI/AAAAAAAAS18/D5RO7QKzvds/s1600/dusty%2Bway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yk4ifCnbm9o/Vct3TU1ujcI/AAAAAAAAS18/D5RO7QKzvds/s320/dusty%2Bway.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Even drivers struggle to properly drive their minibuses in a tightly packed area like 'Kufumbi'. There are even special skilled drivers who help others to properly drive out of the mess. It is a very big challenge to commuters who use this terminal as they mostly find themselves late for work or sometimes end up very dirty from the dust. The rainy season will be even worse as the ground will be muddy and slipery. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gYga9r6jeY/Vct3TzZBzjI/AAAAAAAAS2U/oGPBhmBervE/s1600/parked%2Bminibuses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gYga9r6jeY/Vct3TzZBzjI/AAAAAAAAS2U/oGPBhmBervE/s320/parked%2Bminibuses.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Amidst all this mess, there are officals from the Minibus Owners Association who collect money from the minibuses daily. Nobody has taken an initiative to maintain this area or relocated the minibus terminal.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQT7tO45qNo/Vct3ULkF3ZI/AAAAAAAAS2I/Y2HvRxhpQ2Y/s1600/red%2Bshirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQT7tO45qNo/Vct3ULkF3ZI/AAAAAAAAS2I/Y2HvRxhpQ2Y/s320/red%2Bshirt.jpg" /></a></div><br />
There is a terminal nearby meant for the same minbuses which is also packed at times but minibus drivers prefer to use 'Kufumbi' because it is near the depot. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m0jTgMF6RwU/Vct3UTdNByI/AAAAAAAAS2M/X-7Lde6eAkU/s1600/sideways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m0jTgMF6RwU/Vct3UTdNByI/AAAAAAAAS2M/X-7Lde6eAkU/s320/sideways.jpg" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-59742791970976753142015-04-28T22:17:00.000+02:002015-04-28T22:30:46.923+02:00How can Mobile Technology address the health sector issues in Malawi? Join the #jmacmw mobile app dev challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Malawi’s first technology and innovation hub, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mhub.mw">mHub</a> with sponsorship from <a href="http://myjobo.com">MyJobo.com</a> is announcing the start of a mobile application development competition called ‘Jobonology Mobile App Challenge (JMAC). <br />
<br />
The competition seeks to motivate Malawian software developers to design an application that can address problems faced in the various sectors in the country and Africa. This competition is focusing on addressing challenges facing the health sector in Malawi. The Theme of the Challenge is <a href="http://jmacmw.com">“How can Mobile Technology address the health sector issues in Malawi?”</a> The winner of JMAC will be given seed money of USD2000 and will be nested in mHub to further develop the application into a proper business through technical assistance and support from local and international resources.<br />
<br />
The Jobonology Mobile App Challenge will run for 10 weeks starting from 1st May 2015 to 10th July 2015. Below are some of the details of the competition:<br />
<br />
<b>ELIGIBILITY:</b> <br />
<br />
The competition is open to individuals, teams of individuals (not more than 3), Malawian, aged not more than 35, resident in Malawi.<br />
<br />
<b>TIMELINE:</b> <br />
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The competition will run for 10 Weeks from 1 May 2015. The first two weeks will be for submitting ideas. A link will be opened on 14th May 2015 to allow developers to submit their finished mobile applications.<br />
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<b>HOW TO ENTER:</b> <br />
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Participants will submit their idea of a Mobile Application at <a href="http://www.jmacmw.com/">www.jmacmw.com</a> After presenting the idea of the mobile app, the participants will develop the application within a period of 8 Weeks. The finished mobile application will then be submitted to mHub through a link to be<br />
provided.<br />
<br />
<b>PRIZE:</b> <br />
<br />
The best mobile application (s) will be given seed money of USD2000 and will be nested and incubated in Mhub. Myjobo.com will provide support to the winning idea (s) to develop them into proper businesses utilizing its international network.<br />
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<b>PRIZE PRESENTATION: </b><br />
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The best 5 participants will present their applications in front of judges and an audience on a date and venue to be announced. An overall winner will also be announced at the same event. The presentations will be video recorded.<br />
<br />
<b>THE SPONSORS:</b> <br />
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<a href="http://myjobo.com">Myjobo.com</a> is Malawi’s largest platform that connects people with jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities. The platform promotes the concept of Jobonology and facilitates individuals to maximize their potential in any area of interest and earn a living. Myjobo.com runs the Jobonology Mobile Apps Challenge to identify skilled Malawians who are ready to get their ideas to full potential to address development issues facing Malawi and Africa in general. <br />
<br />
Myjobo.com will run a series of Challenges in various sectors such as Health, Education, Agriculture and other sectors in collaboration with Mhub. Winners will get seed money and will benefit from Myjobo.com’s international network of developers and advisers to get the idea into a business. Winners will be nested<br />
at mHub’s incubator in Lilongwe.<br />
<br />
<b>THE ORGANISERS:</b> <br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mhub.mw">mHub </a>is a unique open technology hub in Lilongwe where students, fresh graduates, young technology entrepreneurs and innovators come to work on their ideas and turn them into viable business models. The hub provides technical assistance and a community of experienced mentors who provide both technical and business assistance to the upcoming entrepreneurs<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4VDmdDIdgLQ/VT_pDEvlhTI/AAAAAAAASHg/dJemSTXrUiM/s1600/jobonology_whitedraf1t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4VDmdDIdgLQ/VT_pDEvlhTI/AAAAAAAASHg/dJemSTXrUiM/s320/jobonology_whitedraf1t.jpg" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-84563252504365596052015-04-14T12:00:00.000+02:002015-04-14T12:06:50.543+02:00Blantyre Tech Fest Malawi's first and only technology hub and incubation space, <a href="http://twitter.com/mhubmw">@mhubmw</a> has organised a Tech Fest in Blantyre on 17th April 2015. It will take place at College of Medicine, RSC Conference Room from 8 am to 1 pm. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xhDncG7Byk/VSzjwzzQvsI/AAAAAAAAR-I/WnEO7MjF8RY/s1600/Techfest-Blantyre%2BEdition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xhDncG7Byk/VSzjwzzQvsI/AAAAAAAAR-I/WnEO7MjF8RY/s320/Techfest-Blantyre%2BEdition.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Various IT Entreprenuers will showcase the projects they have developed. There are games, android apps, web applications and many other IT products on display. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-57945756969599764482015-03-31T03:37:00.000+02:002015-03-31T08:19:28.762+02:00TECH FEST MALAWI - When Technology meet Innovation <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3C53CvQ87E/VRn5u9Lcv-I/AAAAAAAAR8A/gbZvQCs5LWI/s1600/11009903_404438113069721_4882928398610681736_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3C53CvQ87E/VRn5u9Lcv-I/AAAAAAAAR8A/gbZvQCs5LWI/s640/11009903_404438113069721_4882928398610681736_o.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The first ever Tech-fest in Malawi is happening this Thursday.<br />
At the Tech-fest, techprenuers will get a chance to showcase their innovative products,view other products and interact with fellow techies,the media and corporate world.<br />
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Are you an up and coming techie looking for a spring-board to launch your product?Do you want to be involved and showcase your project at the tech-fest?<br />
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Send us a profile of your skill-set and projects to techfest@mhubmw.com <br />
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#mhub is here to help you techies!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-43335712034209577482015-03-05T02:21:00.001+02:002015-03-05T02:21:55.399+02:00BHO! A Malawian chat is born!Are you tired of downloading Whatsapp every few months? Do you own a feature phone that is not compatible with other chats like WeChat? What if you had a chat that understood your local language? <a href="http://www.malawibridge.com/bho/ "><b>Bho!</b></a> chat is the answer to all these questions.<br />
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Developed by a 19 year old National College of Information Technology Student (NACIT) student,<a href="http://www.malawibridge.com/bho/ "> <b>Bho!</b></a> is a new way for Malawians to chat instantly. <a href="http://www.malawibridge.com/bho/ "><b>Bho!</b></a> allows users to send instant messages from their phone browsers to friends in a similar way like Whatsapp, WeChat or Telegram. Innocent Bvalani decided to develop a chat that works in all internet enabled phones including the Chinese brands which are very common in the Malawian market. <br />
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<a href="http://www.malawibridge.com/bho/ ">Bho!</a> does almost everything that other chats do only that it works on the phone browser instead of downloading a dedicated application into your phone. It is also very compatible with almost every internet enabled phone unlike other chats which only work on specific operating systems or platforms. <br />
<br />
In an interview, Innocent Bvalani said that he had in mind the poorest people in Malawi who cannot afford a smartphone.He said he wanted every Malawian to enjoy the use of instant chatting. He also included an option to send pictures or videos. <b>Bho!</b> also gives the user an option to use English or Chichewa as the main language in its settings.<br />
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To register with <a href="http://www.malawibridge.com/bho/ "><b>Bho!</b></a> a user should visit <a href="http://www.malawibridge.com/bho/ ">http://www.malawibridge.com/bho/ </a>on their phone browser and register with their name and phone number. A confirmation code is sent as a text to their phone. After confirming in their browser, they can start chatting with their already registered friends or invite their friends by entering their number on the invite space. Users can also search for their friends using their name or phone number.<br />
<br />
Bvalani previously developed his own social network, Bridge, which attracted over 1300 users but he could not continue supporting it. He funds his developments from his pockets with the help of family members. He will however embark on a project of selling his idea to the corporate world to help him make it grow. <a href="http://www.malawibridge.com/bho/ "><b>Bho!</b></a> will soon have an android application which is being developed. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-28924131352693654642014-11-21T16:16:00.000+02:002014-11-21T16:16:20.023+02:00Unicef Malawi plans to open an Innovation Hub in BlantyrePlans are at an advanced stage to open Malawi's first ever Innovation hub courtesy of Unicef Malawi. According to Unicef's Technical Specialist, Micheal Kavuma, the hub will be at the University of Malawi's Polytechnic Chichiri Campus. <br />
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Kavuma said the hub will help in shaping innovators' ideas, funding them and providing mentorship. He was speaking on Sunday 16th November 2014 at the #TEDxYouth Blantyre Silmucast organized in the same room Unicef plans to house the Innovation Hub. <br />
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Malawi has no proper functioning innovation hub despite having many interesting innovators. The hub will provide a platform for future innovators like William Kamkwamba (the boy who harnessed the wind), Gabriel Kondesi (a boy who made his own radio station), Milwad Faluweki (an innovator who made a bicycle powered phone charger), Edmond Kachale (he made a Chichewa firefox add on translator).<br />
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Even though the hub will be based in Blantyre, it will also accept ideas from all over the country. It will also have an online platform to connect its membwrs from all over the country.<br />
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In neighboring countries, hubs have facilitated the growth of numerous startups and small scale enterpreneurs. Tech hubs like iHub in Kenya and BongoHive in Zambia have seen IT businesses growing and interest in Tech surging among youths. Malawi has other Tech meetups like Blantyre and Lilongwe Google Developer Groups (GDG), Young Innovators and the annual TEDxLilongwe where geeks and innovators meet to share ideas, conduct hackathons and barcamps.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-77188227889289960882014-11-21T01:26:00.000+02:002014-11-21T03:36:42.568+02:00Make it real with Zoona Money Transfer They are an African solution to an age old African problem. One of the fastest and most brightest startup in this part of the continent has started its operations in Malawi. <a href="http://ilovezoona.com/"target="_blank"></a>Zoona is a mobile money transfer born in neighbouring Zambia and spreading to other parts like wild fire.<br />
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If you have visited Peoplez shops in all the major cities of Malawi, you may have come across beautifully dressed youths operating a money transfer business under the banner of Zoona. It is Zoona's initiative to create employment and facilitate money transfer for emerging enterpreneurs in Africa. <br />
<br />
In Malawi <a href="http://ilovezoona.com/"target="_blank"></a>Zoona partnered with National Youth Council to recruit and train 80 youths to manage Zoona agent locations in Malawi. The agents are empowered to manage their own business while receiving financing, marketing, and training support from Zoona.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ilovezoona.com/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ct-dfrickiU/VG55v_L4OoI/AAAAAAAAR2o/MAsxq4hkmIQ/s400/tmp_index-180945573.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ilovezoona.com/"target="_blank"></a>Zoona started its operations in Zambia in April 2009 and has so far spread to the whole of Zambia, Malawi and Capetown in South Africa. <a href="http://ilovezoona.com/"></a>Zoona offers Emerging Entrepreneurs an opportunity to provide money transfer and other payment services to low-income consumers, while earning commissions and creating employment. They provide a mobile money platform, working capital financing, business management tools and entrepreneurial support focused on helping businesses grow and increasing financial inclusion in Africa.<br />
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Users of Zoona are able to send and receive money without a bank account, mobile phone or any gadget except an identification. A small percentage is charged to send money. Zoona is currently found in all Peoplez Shops and Supermarkets in major cities of Malawi. <br />
<br />
Zoona means real in Zambian Chinyanja and Truth in Malawi's Chewa.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-19035232661736967842014-11-12T14:32:00.001+02:002014-11-12T14:32:53.491+02:00TEDxLilongwe 2014 Simulcast in Blantyre<br />
As the TEDx Lilongwe event will be held in Lilongwe, Blantyre people will be able to enjoy the same event in real time through a live stream which will be held as follows:<br />
<br />
Date: Saturday 15 November, 8:00am to 4:00pm<br />
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TEDxLilongwe 2014 Simulcast @ Blantyre will be held at the Blantyre Polytechnic, Chichiri Campus… in the Unicef Innovation Hub (Opposite Civic Centre Offices)<br />
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Tickets are available from Ameca Cafe (inside Beit Trust Hospital premises) from Monday afternoon for MWK 4,000. This covers live streaming of all the action from the Lilongwe event plus refreshments and lunch. Capacity is limited to only 100 people.<br />
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The simulcast will live stream the TEDxLilongwe event, so you can catch all the action from all the speakers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-818447402371169852014-11-12T12:24:00.001+02:002014-11-12T14:20:37.803+02:00TEDx Lilongwe Speakers <br />
TEDxLilongwe returns to Crossroads Hotel for a second year, presenting live talks, performances, and TEDTalk videos to spark deep discussion and connection.<br />
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<b>Tickets</b> are available from Koko Bean Cafe @ Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, Papaya Cafe @ Game complex and Lark. Tickets cost MWK 6000 (includes entry to the event plus refreshments and lunch).<br />
<br />
In Blantyre tickets are available from Ameca Cafe (inside Beit Trust Hospital premises) from Monday afternoon for MWK 4,000. This covers live streaming of all the action from the Lilongwe event plus refreshments and lunch. Capacity is limited to only 100 people<br />
<br />
Here is a list of speakers:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/menes/ " target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/menes.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Menes La Plume<br />
Topic: Breaking the mould for refugees</b><br />
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Well known as Menes, Trésor Mpauni Nzengu is a journalist, a writer, and a hip-hop and slam poetry artist, born in Lubumbashi in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).<br />
He began writing poetry and music as a child, and launched his professional performance career in 1998 with his crew ‘ADKS,’ touring different cities of Katanga and participating in different festivals around the country.<br />
<br />
In 2007, his solo career began recording new material and shooting music videos, which enjoyed regular and long-lived airtime on local and national radio and television.<br />
<br />
Menes came to Malawi in 2008, having left DRC due to political disturbance. Menes has begun to perform again in 2013 now adding English and Chichewa to his Congolese French rapping and Slam Poetry.<br />
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A true innovator, Menes is also active off the stage, where he promotes the power of music, spoken word, and culture, through initiatives such as his Creative Writing classes and the Dzaleka Cultural Association, of which he is the founder and President, as well Tumaini Festival, for which is the Director<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/hastings-tchinga/"target=_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/hastings-tchinga.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Hastings Tchinga<br />
<br />
The Power of Stories</b><br />
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Hastings Tchinga is a storyteller. Since July 2013, he has been a prisoner at the Kachere Reformatory Centre where he is serving a 2-year sentence.<br />
He discovered his love of storytelling during an after school writing program and uses the stories to cope with harsh living conditions and inspire his dreams of one day becoming a journalist.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/lily-banda/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/lily-banda.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Lily Banda<br />
Topic: Let’s talk about violence against women</b><br />
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Born in Malawi on 16 August 1990, Lily Banda made an impact under the stage name Alex as a singer and poet. Since the release of her debut album in January 2014 the artist has headlined many events where she has dazzled audiences with her charisma and energy as well as the boldness of her poetry.<br />
Lily lives her life in a way that she hopes others can be inspired to be sure of what they hope for and certain of what they cannot see.<br />
<br />
Lily lives in Lilongwe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/george-kalukusha/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/george-kalukusha.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>George Kalukusha<br />
Topic: Good Blood (performance)</b><br />
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George Kalukusha is an earnest singer/songwriter dwelling in the genre of soul/folk. The 21 year old was born in Blantyre; where he spent the first 11 years of his life. He then moved to England where he spent the next half of his life and consequently made an encounter with music.<br />
George picked up the guitar and that sufficed for a while however, he felt he had something inside which he wanted to share to the world. This spiritual awakening drove him to singing and writing. He gained the recognition of local media and BBC radio when he independently released his debut single “Bottles”. The single went on to chart top 50 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/dr-perry-jansen/"target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/perry-jansen.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Dr. Perry Jansen<br />
Topic: A recipe for strengthening health systems</b><br />
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Dr. Jansen is an American family physician who moved his family to Malawi in 2000. Moved by the enormity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, he and a group of Malawians founded the Malawian non-profit Partners in Hope.<br />
Their medical centre cares for over 7,000 HIV patients and leads a major PEPFAR-funded HIV/training program in over 90 facilities in six districts. PIH is committed to expanding to become a full service, non-profit teaching and research hospital.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/jamie-stuart/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/jamie-stuart.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Jamie Stuart<br />
<br />
Topic: Educating one billion</b><br />
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Jamie Stuart is co-founder of onebillion, a nonprofit organisation based in London. He’s been building apps that succeed in bringing the fundamental skills of numeracy and literacy to young Malawians.<br />
With his background in educational software development, he saw the potential for tablets to transform the way children around the world learn.<br />
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Jamie has been coming to Malawi for the past 7 years, and wants to see every Malawian child get the fundamental skills they deserve.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/mark-bennett/"target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/mark-bennett.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Mark Bennett<br />
Topic: iSchool: Reinventing Education in Africa</b><br />
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Mark moved to Zambia in 1985 after a background in commercial IT in the UK to work at the main University. During his 12 years in Zambia, Mark established the campus company which was one of the early internet service providers in Africa.<br />
Mark founded AfriConnect in the UK, which provided satellite-based internet services to remote areas around Africa. In 2005 he started AfriConnect in Zambia, a high-speed wireless-based ISP, which was later sold to Vodacom.<br />
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Mark now runs iSchool which he founded to provide comprehensive multi-lingual primary education in Africa, delivered via low-cost tablet computer or phone.<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/bram-fudzulani/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/bram-fudzulani.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Bram Fudzulani<br />
Topic: Digital Governance</b><br />
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Bram Fudzulani is a cyber-security evangelist, technologist and advocate for internet governance and net neutrality; he is also a fellow of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), AFRINIC which is the Regional Registry for Internet Number Resources serving the African Internet Community, and a fellow for the Internet Society Africa Peering forum (ISOC). Bram is also a member of the National ICT working group as well as the Internet Governance Forum local chapter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/michael-phoya/"target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/michael-phoya.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Michael Phoya<br />
Topic: WikiAfrica, Africanizing Wikipedia</b><br />
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Michael Mutisunge N Phoya (Muti) is a Malawian author, filmmaker, and new media strategist whose multi-disciplinary approach encompasses text, digital film, photography, and the web.<br />
He is part of WikiAfrica – an international project to africanize Wikipedia through networks, research, projects, and publications.<br />
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Muti has also authored several books including the funny travelogue Walks of Life, the Other Side of Malawi (Central Africana 2011). He contributed to A Memory this Size – The Caine Prize for African Writing 2013 (New Internationalist 2013)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/habiba-osman/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/habiba-osman.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Habiba Osman<br />
Topic: The neglected debate on human trafficking in Malawi</b><br />
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Habiba Rezwana Osman is a human rights lawyer and activist working specifically in the campaign against gender based violence, one of which is anti human trafficking.<br />
Habiba is a Fulbright Fellow who obtained a masters degree in international human rights at the Centre for Civil and Human Rights, Notre Dame Law School, USA. She is both professionally well versed in human rights, human trafficking and gender issues and works with duty bearers, policy makers and grassroots in the area of expertise.<br />
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Habiba is currently working as a Gender Justice Advocate at Norwegian Church Aid and was recently the recipient of the Albright Vital Voices Fellowship 2014/2016.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/patrick-semphere/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/patrick-semphere.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Patrick Semphere<br />
Topic: The Debates Hotspot</b><br />
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Patrick Semphere was the moderator of three first-ever 2014 presidential debates in Malawi. He is a consultant in media and communication management, organizational enhancement, family enrichment and gender empowerment with projects in Kenya, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Malawi. He consults widely for UN agencies and has also managed donor-funded projects with the World Bank, British High Commission, Commonwealth Education Fund, Canadian International Development Agency, Family Health International, Norwegian Church Aid and National Aids Commission.<br />
For 8 years, Patrick headed Trans World Radio, was President of the Media Council of Malawi (2007 to 2014) and has served on the National Integrity Committee of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and the High Level Development Council.<br />
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An ordained pastor of Word Alive Church, Patrick holds a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, USA and a Bachelors’ Degree from the University of Malawi.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/bester-mulauzi/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/bester-mulauzi.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Bester Mulauzi<br />
Topic:Real time monitoring of community based programs</b><br />
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Bester Mulauzi is a development practitioner with a passion for harnessing innovative approaches to social development issues. Bester is a specialist in program quality and evaluation and currently works for Save the Children International as a Director of Program Quality and Development.<br />
Bester’s career has been dedicated to managing quality and impact of NGO’s work, having worked for several international NGO’s and multi-lateral organizations over the past 10 years. Bester is tech savvy and is always willing to exploit ICT when addressing challenges in the complex world of development programming. He is currently part of a team that is piloting the use of a mobile phone application called PanPhone to deliver pre-school early childhood education in rural Malawi.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/chomora-mikeka/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/chomora-mikeka.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Dr. Chomora Mikeka<br />
Topic: Communication will be CHEApp</b><br />
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Dr. Chomora Mikeka was born on 6th January, 1978 and holds a PhD from the Division of Physics, Electrical and Computer Engineering at Yokohama National University, Japan. His PhD research was about power autonomous sensor radio based on cellular and digital TV RF energy harvesting. He has vast experience on research in ICT for agriculture, health and education. He is an innovator and recently filed a patent application for a device that is a multiple function antenna. During his PhD studies, he collaborated in the design, simulations and fabrication of an ultra-low power DC-DC buck boost converter with regulated output for less than a milliwatt RF energy harvesting used in modern day communications devices. This was done with colleagues from the Centre Tecnològic Telecomunicacions Catalunya, in Spain. He has held a Lecturer position at the Graduate School of Information Technology (Kobe Institute of Computing), training 30 African participants on Problem Resolution for Development Issues by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) *(J11-30012 )* (a JICA funded project).<br />
Apart from being a lecturer, Dr. Chomora Mikeka coordinates the e-Communications Research Group (eCRG) at the Physics Department, Chancellor College of the University of Malawi on several research topics and projects, one such being on TV White Spaces Technology for Broadband Rural-Connect in Malawi. eCRG has been participating at most national ICT, and Science Fair and Exhibitions and has won 1st Prize in every year since its establishment on May 11, 2012. In 2012 it won the Young Advocates for the Advancement of ICT-related Development (Y.A.A.ICT-D) Award (cash prize); in 2013 eCRG won the Best ICT Research from the National Commission of Science and Technology (NCST) Award of Excellence (Certificate and Cash Prize) and in 2014 eCRG researchers contributed in the winning of the 12th National Science Fair’s First Best Exhibitor Prize (Gold Medal) which went to Chancellor College as the parent institution.<br />
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Dr. Mikeka has several other Awards including the 2009 European Microwave Association Student Challenge Prize in Rome (Italy). He won the 2011 IEEE RWW, Biomedical Radio and Wireless Technologies, Network and Sensing Systems Second Best Paper Award in Phoenix, Arizona (USA). He won the IEEE RFID-TA 2011, Third Best Paper Award in Sitges, Barcelona (Spain). He won the 2010 Yokohama National University International Science Exchange Encouragement Award in Yokohama (Japan). He is the 2014 – 2019 Junior Associate of the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. His biography is included in the 27th edition of Marquis Who’s Who in the World. He is the Laureate of IBC TOP 100 ENGINEERS in 2010.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/talks/govind-saha/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/wp-content/uploads/govind-saha.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Dr Govind Saha<br />
Topic: Future of Energy for Malawi</b><br />
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Dr Govind P Saha has over 30 years experience in the energy and utilities sector. Dr Saha was a Vice President in Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and a Senior Partner in Ernst & Young, New Zealand for 14 years. Dr Saha also worked in the New Zealand Ministry of Energy for 5 years, last two as the Director of Electricity Policy. Dr Saha has Masters and PhD degrees in Engineering from the University of Auckland and an MBA from the Victoria University of Wellington.<br />
Dr Saha has been involved in numerous advisory projects within New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Namibia, South East Asia, and India. He has provided significant strategic, policy and regulatory advice to governments, regulators and businesses. These include acquisition and fit of major businesses with existing businesses; contractual issues; business and strategic planning for a number of new and existing businesses; regulatory advice to regulators and industry players; tariff design and specific pricing issues; business and commercial valuations, development of power generation and transmission projects and energy security of supply issues.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-46431314068561333462014-11-07T12:45:00.001+02:002014-11-07T14:22:54.400+02:00TEDx Lilongwe is back with inspiring talks for 2014, will also be streamed LIVE in Blantyre <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://tedxlilongwe.com"target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0nSOuP4dlFE/VFyY9uP5x5I/AAAAAAAARwc/3RX9BtPZvn8/s320/tedx-lilongwe-logo-728x1613.png" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/" target="_blank">TEDxLilongwe</a> returns to Crossroads Hotel for a second year, presenting live talks, performances, and TEDTalk videos to spark deep discussion and connection. This years event has a theme of '50/50 Vision’ On the 50th anniversary of Malawi Independence, idea’s that will help shape the next 50 years. The speakers are yet to be announced but the MC for this year's event is <a href="https://plus.google.com/109729978378396556053" target="_blank">Ndawa Lungu</a> a Creative Designer, Marketer and Communications Enthusiast. <br />
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<b>Where</b>: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Crossroads+Hotel/@-13.97658,33.75795,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xb8275bf133594df4?sa=X&ei=HJxcVJWNI6Kc7gbB1oCgCg&ved=0CLMBEPwSMA0" target="_blank"> Crossroads Hotel, Lilongwe</a><br />
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When</b>: Saturday 15 November, 8:00am to 4:00pm<br />
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<b>Tickets</b>: Tickets are available from Koko Bean Cafe @ Lilongwe Wildlife Centre and Papaya Cafe @ Game complex. Tickets cost MWK 6000 (includes entry to the event plus refreshments and lunch).<br />
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This year the event will also be STREAMED LIVE in Blantyre at The Polytechnic, Chichiri Campus.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ted.com/" target="_blank">TED</a> (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, under the slogan: "Ideas Worth Spreading".<br />
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TED was founded in 1984 as a one-off event. The annual conference began in 1990, in Monterey, California. TED's early emphasis was technology and design, consistent with its origins in the Silicon Valley.<br />
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TEDx are independently organised events but are given a licence by the parent TED organisers. TEDx Lilongwe organised its first TEDx event last year at the same Crossroads Hotel. It has also been organising several live streaming events within Lilongwe. It will be the first time for this event to be STREAMED LIVE in Blantyre.<br />
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Last years speakers included well known Entrepreneur, Economist and Motivational Speaker, <a href="http://www.businessconsultafrica.com/profile.php?email=henry@businessconsultafrica.com" target="_blank">Henry Kachaje</a>; Educationist, <a href="https://twitter.com/stevesharra" target="_blank">Dr Steve Sharra;</a> Environmental Activist, <a href="https://twitter.com/lulumarsecko"target="_blank">Heather Lulu Maseko</a>; Gender and Law Activist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seodi_White" target="_blank">Seodi White</a>; Poet, <a href="https://twitter.com/qmalewezi" target="_blank">Q Malewezi</a>; Software Developer, <a href="https://twitter.com/ceekays" target="_blank">Edmond Kachale</a>; Social Entrepreneur, <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelsibande" target="_blank">Racheal Sibande</a>; African Storyteller, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/storytelling4u"target="_blank">Masankho Banda</a>; The boy who flies, <a href="http://theboywhoflies.com/blog/" target="_blank">Godfrey Masauli</a>; Professional Photographer, The late <a href="https://twitter.com/DuchessPhoto" target="_blank">Ellen Doherty</a>; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/maria.haralambidou.3" target="_blank">Maria Haralambidou</a> and many more inspiring speakers. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ted.com/tedx/events/7809" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j-NPkFyuWzc/VFy08ADTPTI/AAAAAAAARw4/q9Ti0WcwtsI/s400/2d60a488ebe6782c31caa124803c092a02f8d97b_1200x794.jpg" /></a></div><i><blockquote>Some of last year's speakers pose for a photograph</blockquote></i><br />
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<b>TEDYouth </b><br />
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After the Saturday Event, TEDx Lilongwe has also organised a live <a href="http://www.ted.com/attend/conferences/special-events/tedyouth" target="_blank">TEDYouth conference</a> streamed live from <a href="http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/home.php" target="_blank">Brooklyn Museum</a>, New York City on Sunday the 16th November. They will also be inspiring talks from local youths. The MC for TEDYouth will be Timveni TV Presenter and Marketer, <a href="https://plus.google.com/102489586116627282154">Takondwa Phiri</a>. <br />
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TEDYouth @ Lilongwe – Sun 16 November 2014<br />
TEDxLilongwe Youth will showcase live, simulcast talks from the TEDYouth conference held in New York City. The day will also see inspiring talks from local Malawi youth.<br />
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<b>Where</b>: Crossroads Hotel, Lilongwe<br />
<b>When</b>: Sunday 16 November, 8:00am onwards<br />
<b>Tickets</b>: Tickets are being distributed through our event partners.<br />
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Image credits:<br />
<a href="http://www.tedxlilongwe.com/"target="_blank">TedxLilongwe website</a> and <a href="http://www.ted.com/tedx/events/7809" target="_blank">TED's website</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-6482439925041862522014-10-29T11:36:00.000+02:002014-10-29T11:36:06.990+02:00Writing for Afrikan Mbiu, a Kenyan Based Lifestyle African Magazine <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.afrikanmbiu.com/"target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EuS8R26ieTg/VFC0OOUTNfI/AAAAAAAARvw/meMkFlf1OuU/s320/Afrikan_Mbiu_Issue_03_Cover.jpg" /></a></div>From now own I will be contributing my articles to a Kenyan based online Magazine, <a href="http://www.afrikanmbiu.com/">Afrikan Mbiu</a>. Afrikan Mbiu is a lifestyle magazine that showcases innovation and creativity in the African lifestyle space. The <a href="http://issuu.com/afrikanmbiu/docs/afrikan_mbiu_issue_03">latest issue</a> has a cover story of celebrated South African artists, Micasa. <a href="http://www.afrikanmbiu.com/">Afrikan Mbiu</a> so far has three issues to its credit having started last year under the direction of Julliane Obonyo. <br />
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‘Mbiu’ is a Swahili term which translates to horn.Traditionally in African societies a horn was blown to call people to a single location to notify them about what was going on in that village.<br />
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The aim of the magazine is to show what Africa has to offer to the whole world. ‘Mbiu’ is the horn and it’s the medium used to call the rest of the world to come and witness what Africa and its lifestyle culture is all about. The word ‘Mbiu’ gives the magazine more of an African feel. It has contributors from all over Africa who write about what happens in their countries. <br />
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The main aim is to have a platform that can unite Africans. A platform in which we can learn about different African cultures. This ensures that you are always up to date with what is happening in Africa. The online magazine will be published once every two months. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-88361740712135071022014-10-23T23:24:00.001+02:002014-10-23T23:28:02.368+02:00Groceries Deliveries - Malawi's own online retailer and home delivery service Shopping can be fun but it also needs time and effort. To some it is a time consuming activity while to others it is even more challenging because of the physical disabilities they have. In order to remove the hustle of going shopping for regular goods and standing on long queues, a Malawian owned and upcoming start-up, <a href="http://groceriesdeliveries.mw/"target="_blank/">Groceries Deliveries</a>, was established to supply and deliver groceries at your door step. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://groceriesdeliveries.mw/"target="_blank/"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xigjae1qyE/VElt8A63PSI/AAAAAAAARvQ/-nbYCpp-rTE/s400/groceries%2Bdeliveries.jpg" /></a></div><br />
According to its founder and developer, Dumisani Ndhlovu, the start-up first had in mind people who are disabled, students, patients, tourists and executives who may not have time to go for shopping. He said <a href="http://groceriesdeliveries.mw/"target="_blank/">Groceries Deliveries</a> provide an easiest way to get groceries directly to ones home, workplace or any other place. Emulating the likes of Amazon, <a href="http://groceriesdeliveries.mw/"target="_blank/">Groceries Deliveries<a href="http://groceriesdeliveries.mw/"target="_blank/"></a></a> is currently able to deliver goods within Blantyre City and some parts of Mangochi where they have customers. <br />
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Customers are asked to signup freely on their <a href="http://groceriesdeliveries.mw/new_signup.php"target="_blank/">website</a> and choose from over 5000 goods they have in stock. Then they are called by the Groceries and Deliveries team to discuss a mode of payment as they are not currently using online payment. After payment is agreed, the goods are delivered to the location in good time. Goods are currently sourced from various shops like Game Stores, Peoples, Shoprite, and Chipiku. Groceries and deliveries has also partnered with local companies like Universal Industries, Nali Limited, Dairiboard and Carlsberg Malawi.<br />
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Ndholvu however said that they have plans to reach out other districts of Malawi and to have their own shop where they can stock all the goods. He also talked about the challenges they are facing as a business in Malawi. He however was very pleased at the response they are getting. Groceries Deliveries currently employs 12 people. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-33884861751063577722014-10-23T22:29:00.000+02:002014-10-24T00:31:02.798+02:00Innovations at the Malawi Science and Technology Fair The #Malawi Science and Technology Fair is underway at the Chichiri Trade Fair Grounds. It was officially opened by the Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Vincent Ghambi on 22nd October 2014. I took time to visit and appreciate the various Science ICT and technology innovations on display. Below are some of the innovations, technologies and ideas. <br />
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On the Chancellor College Faculty of Science stand<br />
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There are several innovations on display including some from students who are not yet in the college but are learning in secondary schools around Zomba. Under the Supervisorship of Dr Chimora Mikeka the students are given the freedom to use the university's lab to work on their ideas. <br />
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Radio Jammer / Detector<br />
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Using various electronic components sourced locally, Happy Chimbende a 4th Year student of Bachelor of Education Science has designed a simple radio frequency jammer and detector which can jam radio frequencies around a radius of 50 meters. The device is capable of nullifying signals like FM and AM, radios, phones or any gadget that uses radio frequencies. Happy has intentionally reduced the radius to avoid interfering with other people unlawfully. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zzB43OpsCKs/VEjZNses7cI/AAAAAAAARts/AVqS3fb7AZM/s1600/Radio%2BDetector%2Band%2BJammer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zzB43OpsCKs/VEjZNses7cI/AAAAAAAARts/AVqS3fb7AZM/s400/Radio%2BDetector%2Band%2BJammer.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The Radio frequency jammer can be used to block all unlicensed spectrum user at a give radius. We tried using it and it worked. <br />
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There is also an innovation from Mixon Faluweki a guy who invented a bicycle powered phone charger. Mixon, a third year Bachelor of Education Science student was shortlisted among top 15 African finalist in the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Competition. He was nominated for his bicycle powered charger called, Padoko Charger. The innovation is on display at the Chancellor college stand.<br />
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A 14 year old girl from St Mary's Secondary School, Elizabeth Kananji is also displaying her High Efficiency Solar panel she managed to invent. A solar panel enhanced with aluminium foils is able to generate more electricity than a normal panel.<br />
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Then there is another 3rd year Bachelor of Education Science student, Chisomo Daka, who displayed a battery made from ashes and a locally made television transmitter. He explained to me on this <a href="http://youtu.be/xizHSnN6IcA">video</a>. <br />
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Other innovations included;<br />
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An idea to computerise the filing system at the Malawi Police Service. The web-based content management system is called Malawi Police Crime Management Information System. According to a member of the team that developed the system, Jonathan Mojoo, the want to help the police service to deal away with manual filing systems which is often abused and is time consuming. <br />
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An android app that translates English to Chichewa and another Android app that is used to collect Data in fields and update a central server in real time. All these innovations were under the supervision of Lecturers Dr Chimora Mikeka and Ms. Chipo Kanjo. <br />
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Malawi Communications Regulation Authority (MACRA) Stand <br />
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The regulatory body is displaying what happens behind the scenes when they monitor the signals all over the country. With various screens on display one is able to appreciate the way the frequency spectrum spans out in real time. They also have their monitoring van parked outside the hall.<br />
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Globe Internet Malawi Stand<br />
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Apart from being one of the big Internet Service Provider, Globe also sells and manages a vehicle monitoring system which is on display on their stand.<br />
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Other stands are TNM, MALSWITCH, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Anglia Books, Techno Brain and Infosys Consult. <br />
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However the turnout of both the participants, the innovations and general public is not impressive in the two days it has been running. The Fair will run up to Friday 24 October 2014. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-84820323729582942372014-10-21T14:37:00.003+02:002014-10-21T14:37:30.645+02:00MyJobo - A Malawian solution to searching jobs online <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://myjobo.com/"target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j4YzJdkK4kA/VEZOH8DLD1I/AAAAAAAARtM/jZGRha9g_gY/s320/myjobo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
There was a time when Malawians would scramble for newspapers at the various National Library Service offices just to check the days vacancies. Gone are those days as job search as been made easier. <a href="https://www.myjobo.com/">myJobo.com</a> is a Malawian owned start-up which seeks to connect employers and employees, allow job seekers to maintain their job application history, provide business opportunities and give career advice to those in need of it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.myjobo.com/">myJobo.com</a> was launched as a beta site in July and plans to have a big launch in the coming months. So far the start-up has acquired a SSL security licence that puts it in the same light as reputable websites like <a href="https://google.com">Google</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com">Twitter</a>. This gives trust to both employers and employees because the security of their data is assured. The site allows users to upload CVs, create profiles and apply for various jobs online. <br />
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The site's mentor, Watipaso Mkandawire and its Operations Director, Geoffrey Banda are so far impressed with the response the site is getting from the general public. The site is also good for Malawians in diaspora who can also apply for jobs online.<br />
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<a href="https://www.myjobo.com/">myJobo.com</a> is a big step forward and is better than the vacancy posting Facebook groups which many Malawians are currently using. The Facebook groups have no facility to store the job applications you have made, they do not allow you to create an account or even store data. Another popular job searching site in Malawi is <a href="http://www.jobsinmalawi.net/">Jobs in Malawi website</a>. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-757536630683217418.post-42413026112115749132014-10-03T14:12:00.000+02:002014-10-03T14:13:38.718+02:00<b>SUNNYMONEY MALAWI LAUNCHES TWO NEW SOLAR LIGHTS</b><br />
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<i>Life is Getting Brighter</i><br />
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SunnyMoney Malawi today launched two new affordable, portable, pico-solar lights. The new solar lights will add to their current range which includes; the extremely durable S2 that has an integrated solar panel, the Sun King Mobile that has a separate solar panel, detachable stand and a USB slot that enables it to charge mobile phones, and the Sun King Pro 2 an upgrade from the original Sun King Pro, the Sun King Pro 2 has 2 USB slots, a 3.3W separate solar panel and 3 brightness settings. <br />
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<blockquote>“I wanted to reduce torch battery cost since I had to buy them three times a week, my daughter was failing a lot at school so I bought the solar light so that she could have more reading hours. My daughter now is number one in her Standard 6 class.” Frolence – Mother from Karonga District, Malawi</blockquote><br />
In Malawi, 91% of the population is living without electricity, having to spend money on expensive torch batteries, impractical candles or dangerous and polluting paraffin on a daily basis. However; just like Frolence all that can be eliminated with a SunnyMoney solar light.<br />
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<b>The S20</b><br />
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A favourite for single-room housing the S20 provides up to 8 hours of clean, bright 360-degree space lighting for any environment or focused light for studying, working, or cooking. It has a detachable handle and includes an integrated solar panel that makes recharging simple and easy. The S20 can be carried, hung or placed on any surface to effectively illuminate the surrounding area. With a battery life of 5 years and a 2 year replacement warranty, the S20 is a great cost efficient, cleaner and brighter alternative to paraffin, kerosene and other polluting lighting options. Suggested Retail Price: MK 6,500<br />
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<b>The Marathoner Beacon MB2-380</b><br />
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The MB2-380 is a truly dynamic tri lamp lighting system. After just a single day charge the two secondary lamps give up to 70 hours of light while the primary lamp offers up to 150 hours of clean, bright light. This solar solution comes with a separate 5.5 watt solar panel and a torch/infrared remote control that allows users to change the brightness of the lamps from a distance. A charge indicator shows how many more hours of light it can offer before its next charge. <br />
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The MB2-380 can also charge mobile phones via a built in USB port, plus those with access to electricity may use the AC adapter as a charging option. Durable, impact resistant and waterproof the MB2-380 comes with a standard 2 year warranty and may be mounted on any surface or used as a portable handheld torch. Suggested Retail Price: MK 50,000<br />
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<b>About SunnyMoney</b><br />
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SunnyMoney, founded by SolarAid, is a social enterprise that uses an innovative business model to sell and distribute solar lights in off-grid Africa to end dependency on costly, toxic kerosene. SolarAid is a UK-based international charity that believes in business-based solutions to poverty and climate change. By building a sustainable market for solar products SolarAid and SunnyMoney aim to eradicate the kerosene lamp from Africa by 2020.<br />
For more information about SunnyMoney Malawi, please contact:<br />
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Phone: +265 (0) 997 034 806 / 0881 582 776<br />
Email: info.malawi@sunnymoney.org<br />
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Physical Addresses:<br />
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Grey Building (office 13), next to Deekay Suppliers, in front of the DC office, Colby Road, Area 3, Lilongwe<br />
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Sunbird Mzuzu Hotel Complex (office 12), Mzuzu<br />
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Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2261, Lilongwe, Malawi<br />
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SunnyMoney Global Media : Email: cindy.kerr@sunnymoney.org<br />
Phone : +254 (0) 738 670 759 Website: www.sunnymoney.orgUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0