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Thursday, August 25, 2011

The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa

As a response to one of Forbes’ more popular pieces, The 20 Youngest Power Women, I decided to compile my own list of The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa.

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Click for full photo gallery: The 20 Youngest Power African Women

Of course, this is by no means an official or an exhaustive list. But these are 20 women, all under age 45, who wield enormous influence in African business, technology, policy and media. They are change makers, trendsetters, visionaries and thinkers, builders, and young global leaders. They are at the vanguard of Africa’s imminent socio-economic revolution and its contemporary renaissance.

Ory Okolloh Kenyan. Founder, Ushahidi

A Harvard-trained lawyer, activist and blogger, Kenyan-born Ory Okolloh spearheaded the founding of Ushahidi, a revolutionary crowd sourcing utility that enables citizen journalists and eyewitnesses all over the world to report incidences of violence through the web, mobile E-mail, SMS, and Twitter. Earlier this year, Okolloh assumed a new position asGoogle’s policy manager for Africa, and she is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential women in global technology.

Chimamanda Adichie Nigerian. Writer

One of Africa’s leading contemporary literary voices, the Award-winning Nigerian writer has been heralded as a rebirth of the African literary greats – the likes of Chinua Achebe, Camara Laye and Cyprian Ekwensi. In 2006 her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, won the coveted Orange Prize, and Chinua Achebe (widely regarded as the father of African literature) said of Adichie: She’s “endowed with the gift of ancient storytellers…”

Yolanda Cuba South African. Corporate Executive

When Yolanda Cuba was only 29, she was appointed CEO of Mvelaphanda

Group, a conglomerate listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. She stepped down last year, but still remains one of South Africa’s most respected and sought-after business leaders. She serves on the boards of South African blue-chips like ABSA, Steinhoff and Life HealthcaNdidi founded LEAP Africa - a leading nonprofit that provides social entrepreneurs, youth and small scale business owners with leadership training and executive coaching services. She is also a co-founder of AACE Foods, a Nigerian food processor. Ndidi is a leading authority on social entrepreneurship and in 2004 was bestowed with the national honor, Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) by the Nigerian President at the time, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Ndidi Nwuneli Nigerian. Social Entrepreneur

Dambisa Moyo Zambian. Economist

The Zambian-born economist and New York Times international best-selling author. Her most recent book is Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working. She is one of Africa’s most vocal advocates for the abolition of foreign aid. In March 2011, during the annual Observance ceremony in commemoration of the Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey, Moyo addressed an audience of some 2,000 guests including Queen Elizabeth II and British Prime Minister David Cameron. She sits on the board ofBarclays Bank, SABMiller and Lundin Petroleum.

Khanyi Ndhlomo South African. Media Mogul

One of South Africa’s most respected media moguls. She owns Ndalo Media, which publishes Destiny Magazine and Destiny Man, two thriving high-end magazines that combine business and lifestyle content to cater to successful, professional, stylish and intellectually curious men and women.

Phuti Malabie South African. CEO, Shanduka Group

In 2008, the Wall Street Journal named Phuti as one of 50 women in the world to watch. In 2007, she was selected by the World Economic Forum as a Global Young Leader. Malabie currently serves as CEO of the Shanduka Group; one of South Africa’s largest African black owned and managed investment holding companies.

Funmi Iyanda Nigerian. Journalist & Broadcaster

Iyanda is a multi-award-winning journalist, broadcaster and blogger. She is the host of Talk With Funmi, a popular TV show that journeys through Nigeria, from state to state, capturing people and conversations around the country. She is an African Leadership Institute Tutu Fellow and a fellow of the ASPEN Institute’s African Leadership Initiative

Kanza is currently an assistant and an economic advisor to Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete. She’s been selected by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

Julie Gichuru Kenyan. Journalist & Broadcaster

One of Kenya’s most popular veteran journalists, with 11 years experience in broadcast, print and online media. She is currently an executive of Citizen TV, Kenya, and is a recipient of the Martin Luther King Salute to Greatness Award.

Lisa Kropman is founder of The Business Place, a group of business centers that support up-and-coming African entrepreneurs in Southern Africa.

Lisa Kropman, South African, Entrepreneur

Stella Kilonzo Kenyan. Chief Executive, Capital Markets Authority, Kenya

Since 2008 Kilonzo, a trained accountant and administrator, has served as the Chief Executive of Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority.

Magatte Wade Senegal. Entrepreneur

Isis Nyongo Kenyan. Managing Director, InMobi Africa

Isis Nyongo is the Vice President and Managing Director of InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile advertising network. Prior to her appointment earlier this year, Isis served as the Business Development Manager for Google’s operation in Africa. She spearheaded mobile partnerships and played a pivotal role in the development of Google’s content strategy in Africa.

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu Ethiopian. Entrepreneur

Ethiopian-born entrepreneur was recently named the ‘African Businesswoman of the Year’ by African Business Magazine, a leading pan African business magazine. She is the founder of Sole Rebels, a brand of eco-friendly shoes and sandals made in Ethiopia. She was also named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum earlier this year.

Elsie Kanza Tanzania. Economic Advisor To Tanzania’s Presiden

The Senegalese entrepreneur founded Adina World Beat Beverages, a manufacturer of tea, coffee and juice beverages. The company is based in California, and boasted revenues of close to $2.5 million in 2010. Wade is a TED Global Africa Fellow.

Jonitha Gugu Msibi South Africa. Senior Partner, Ernst & Young

Gugu Msibi is a Senior Partner at Ernst & Young where she serves as the Public Sector and Government leader in Africa. She is a key adviser to several government leaders in Africa. Was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2011.

June Arunga Kenyan. Entrepreneur

In 2010, Fast Company named June Arunga as one of the 100 most creative people in business. Arunga is the founder and Chief Executive of Open Quest Media, a successful multimedia production company based in New York.

Juliet Ehimuan Nigerian. Google country manager, Nigeria

In April Nigerian-born Ehimuan was appointed as Google’s country manager for Nigeria. Tough job: As head of Google’s operations in Africa’s largest internet-user community, she is charged with the responsibility of representing the company in all its business development projects and partnership opportunities in the region.

Olga Kimani-Arara Kenyan. Google Country Manager, Kenya

Olga serves as Google’s local spokesperson in Kenya and develops strategic partnerships for the company in the region.

Saran Kaba Jones Liberian. Founder, Face Africa

A Liberian national, Saran Kaba Jones is the founder of Face Africa, a non-profit organization that provides access to clean and safe drinking water for rural communities in Liberia, using an innovative social enterprise model to fund water projects. Face Africa was launched in 2009, and has provided clean water to thousands of rural Liberians.

Who are your African heroes? Email me at mnsehe@forbes.com. Follow me on Twitter@EmperorDIV

Kubera - god of wealth

KUBERA - JHAMBALA is the God of wealth and appropriately a member of the Jewel family. His fat belly shows his prosperity and has a mongoose on his left thigh that vomits jewels as he squeezes it. Kubera Jhambala is the lord of wealth and guardian of the Norhtern Direction. According to the Hindu mythology, he is said to have performed austerities for a thousand years, in regard for which Bramha gave immortality and made him the god of wealth, guardian of all the treasures of the earth which he has to distribute according to the destiny of the receivers.
In his right hand he holds a flaming wish-fulfilling jewel, which is symbolic for the riches one attains with the wealth of spirituality. He is primarily black in color and has the stunted, thick form of a dwarf with a potbelly. He is seated sideways on a dragon with his right foot down and his knee up. In his white form, he is holding a trident and a scepter. Kubera's dwelling place was said to be on Alaka in the Himalayas, abounding in wealth and magnificence. Kubera is also worshipped by Buddhists.

This form of lord kubera seated on a dragon throne represents fame & recognition and is suitable for people seeking advancement in their careers and improvement in bussiness.Place this statue on your working desk to promote career/ bussiness advancement or you can put the statue in the home altar to gain family recognition .

Giving deliverance to Nalakuvara and Manigriva

Buy this Statue

KUBERA - GOD OF WEALTH

Krishna gives deliverance to Nalakuvara and Manigriva, two great demigods and sons of the divine treasurer, Kubera, who was also a great devotee of Lord Shiva. The two mahatmas (great souls) had been cursed and Krishna released them of that curse. Being very rich, the two sons of Kubera had fallen prey to bad ways and were addicted to wine and women. One day, the two brothers decided to make merry in Shiva's province of Kailasa, on the banks of the Mandakini Ganges. They drank to their content and enjoyed the singing of lovely women, sitting in a garden laden with flowers. They entered the Ganges filled with lotus flowers, dragged their women in there and generally enjoyed in the water.

Narada, the celestial sage, passed by them at that time. He knew they were too inebriated to even so much as notice him. But the young girls did and felt highly embarrassed and ashamed at being naked in front of sage Narada. They immediately covered themselves. But Nalakuvara and Manigriva still could not understand the situation and so, did not bother about covering themselves up. Sage Narada, wishing their welfare, decided to reform them by placing a curse on them. He wanted them to rise about the material world and experience spirituality and attain Godhead. Material wealth, prosperity and their ego was the thing that got them down, so Narada realized it would be his duty to destroy that ego first.

Narada cursed them that they would become immovable living beings, or trees. Narada also saw to it that the brothers would realize why they were being cursed and that they would also remember the reason for it for the entire tenure of the curse. Narada cursed the two demigods that they would remain as trees for a period of one hundred years, after which, they would come face to face with the Supreme Godhead and be granted liberation by Him. As soon as Narada proceeded to return to his abode, Nayanasrama, the two brothers turned into twin arjuna trees. They grew in Narada's courtyard and so they had a good chance of being in Krishna's presence.

Yashoda had now bound little Krishna again to a wooden mortar in order to punish him for his mischief and also to restrain him from further mischief. But Krishna knew his mission well and proceeded towards the growing arjuna trees in order to fulfil Narada's prophecy. He was already who the twin arjuna trees really were and proceeded towards the passage between the two trees. He passed the passage, but the mortar trailing behind him, got stuck horizontally in it and refused to budge. Krishna took advantage of this and began to pull on the rope tying him to the mortar. He pulled with great strength and lo! Both the trees were felled and came down with a deafening roar.

Out from the broken trees emerged the two demigods who were trapped inside for a whole century. They were radiant personalities, casting a blinding light everywhere with their presence. They were instantly purified by Krishna's presence and humbly bowed down before him. They completely surrendered their all to Him. Krishna smiled a brilliant smile and blessed them, granting them complete mukti from this material world. Having been thoroughly cleansed of their sins, Nalakuvara and Manigriva did pradakshina (circumambulated) of Krishna and proceeded to return to their father's abode.

LAUGHING BUDDHA ( KUBER ) HAPPY MAN STATUE

According to legend, if one rubs the Laughing Buddha's great belly,

it brings forth wealth, good luck, and prosperity.

He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the Laughing Buddha

Bring Buddha into your life so he may lead you to the abundance and happiness you never thought possible. With Buddha by your side, you could have a smile on your face and money in your pocket.This piece can be used as a home decor item or it can also be gifted to your near and dear ones.

First two years of life are key to good jobs

SUBMITTED BY OMAR ARIAS

In President Ollanta Humala's Peru just as in all of Latin America making good grades in school, finding a good job and having access to opportunities to get ahead largely depend on a single number: the first 1,000 days in the life of an individual, in other words, from conception to age two.

Providing health, nutrition and a nurturing environment during this stage not only guarantees that mother and child will survive the pregnancy and remain healthy, but also that the child's brain will develop adequately to enable learning in school and throughout life. The reason? Up to 80% of our brain architecture develops during those 1,000 days.

According to a labor skills study that I conducted recently, the development of generic skills—cognitive and socio-emotional—is essential for job success and for the development of an individual's "learning aptitude" throughout life, which will allow him or her to adapt to new situations and to deal with problems.

How can the development of these aptitudes be fostered? Acquiring skills is a cumulative process throughout the lifecycle. It is like climbing a staircase: from early childhood until adulthood, development and learning in each step establish the foundation for reaching the next step. There are sensitive periods in which the interaction between heritability (genetic influence) and the family and community environment is decisive. Investment in early childhood is essential because neurology teaches us that the plasticity of the brain declines with age. Thus, the earlier the investment, the easier and more effective it is to exercise a positive influence on brain development.

Three crucial stages should be taken into account when establishing public policies. The first, as I mentioned, covers the first 1,000 days of life, also known as the "nutrition window of opportunity." This is why cost-effective interventions to support household income and ensure access to quality basic services, as well as hygiene and feeding knowledge and practices, are so essential, particularly for mothers.

The second stage covers early childhood development, from age two to five years, when school-readiness aptitudes develop. During this pre-school phase, the focus is on acquiring language and a critical socio-emotional skill–the capacity for self-regulation. For many psychologists and educators, these skills determine whether a child is prepared for school. Self-regulation is crucial for strengthening behaviors and tasks that require delaying gratification, such as studying, following schedules and achieving goals, as well as for controlling emotions and reactions throughout life. School entrance exams should strive to avoid giving too much weight to acquiring writing or math skills, as this may leave less room for promoting children's socio-emotional development.

The third stage corresponds to basic education, during which aptitudes for continuous learning are consolidated. Although the window for expanding language and other cognitive skills (such as memory) remains open throughout life, the developing brain architecture makes it more efficient to attain these skills before puberty.

Socio-emotional skills such as self-regulation, and with it, the perseverance and capacity for teamwork, continue to strengthen until early adulthood. The acquisition of these skills is influenced by the quality of relations the child has established in his or her family and social environments (including school) and the different factors that affect education quality, especially teaching practices, learning resources and parental support.

Recent studies demonstrate that it is possible to build children's socio-emotional skills through public interventions to support families and schools. An important example is Tools of the Mind, a pre-school curriculum and teaching practice program that focuses on developing children's self-regulation.

In this intervention, which emphasizes play, children move along a continuum—they are first regulated by others until they can eventually regulate themselves using mental tools that help them control their behavior and promote reflective thinking. Another example is the curriculum of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies program (PATHS), which teaches primary- and middle-school children skills for self-regulation, emotional awareness, decision-making and conflict resolution.

In both cases, teachers receive detailed curricular materials, training and support throughout the school year. Similar interventions exist for secondary school.

Controlled randomized studies have shown that these programs significantly improve children's self-regulation and other socio-emotional skills, which in turn strengthens their academic and social performance.

The high social return on early childhood investments has also been demonstrated. Countries such as Colombia and states such as New York and Illinois in the United States have already adopted socio-emotional learning standards in their education systems. A recent rigorous evaluation of a youth employment training program in the Dominican Republic showed that it is possible to improve youth's labor entry by teaching them socio-emotional skills. In Mexico, one of the largest programs in the region, Educación Inicial, reaches some 400,000 children and their parents in remote communities around the country.

In Peru, the World Bank has actively engaged in improving the national education system through technical assistance projects, which include the crucial math and reading skills exam known as the Evaluación Censal de Estudiantes (ECE).

The evidence is clear: there are policies and programs that have a cost-effective impact on the development of an individual's generic skills. This is a synergetic process, where each stage builds on the previous one.

Without a good base of generic skills, job training of adults tends to be ineffective. What is not adequately addressed in early and middle childhood is very difficult to remedy later. Families and societies that do not manage to make timely interventions miss the opportunity to do so. Nearly two decades must pass before the investments in early and middle childhood translate into a more productive labor force and improvements in household and national income.

We have to start now. Political commitment and social consensus are crucial for supporting these efforts.

Coriander oil could tackle food poisoning and drug-resistant infections such as E. Coli

Posted by Biomechanism

Coriander is considered both an herb and a spice since both its leaves and its seeds are used as a seasoning condiment. Fresh coriander leaves are more commonly known as cilantro and bear a strong resemblance to Italian flat leaf parsley.

Coriander oil has been shown to be toxic to a broad range of harmful bacteria. Its use in foods and in clinical agents could prevent food-borne illnesses and even treat antibiotic-resistant infections, according to the authors of a study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.

The researchers from the University of Beira Interior in Portugal tested coriander oil against 12 bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus cereus and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Of the tested strains, all showed reduced growth, and most were killed, by solutions containing 1.6% coriander oil or less.

Coriander is an aromatic plant widely used in Mediterranean cuisine. Coriander oil is one of the 20 most-used essential oils in the world and is already used as a food additive. Coriander oil is produced from the seeds of the coriander plant and numerous health benefits have been associated with using this herb over the centuries. These include pain relief, ease of cramps and convulsions, cure of nausea, aid of digestion and treatment of fungal infections.

This study not only shows that coriander oil also has an antibacterial effect, but provides an explanation for how it works, which was not previously understood. “The results indicate that coriander oil damages the membrane surrounding the bacterial cell. This disrupts the barrier between the cell and its environment and inhibits essential processes including respiration, which ultimately leads to death of the bacterial cell,” explained Dr Fernanda Domingues who led the study.

The researchers suggest that coriander oil could have important applications in the food and medical industries. “In developed countries, up to 30% of the population suffers from food-borne illness each year. This research encourages the design of new food additives containing coriander oil that would combat food-borne pathogens and prevent bacterial spoilage,” said Dr Domingues. “Coriander oil could also become a natural alternative to common antibiotics. We envisage the use of coriander in clinical drugs in the form of lotions, mouth rinses and even pills; to fight multidrug-resistant bacterial infections that otherwise could not be treated. This would significantly improve people’s quality of life.”

Further More on Coriander…

The fruit of the coriander plant contains two seeds which, when dried, are the parts that are used as the dried spice. When ripe, the seeds are yellowish-brown in color with longitudinal ridges. They have a fragrant flavor that is reminiscent of both citrus peel and sage. Coriander seeds are available in whole or ground powder form.

The name coriander is derived from the Greek word koris, which means bug. It may have earned this name because of the “buggy” offensive smell that it has when unripe. The Latin name for coriander is Coriandrum sativum.

Health Benefits of Coriander/Cilantro Leaf

Coriander seeds have a health-supporting reputation that is high on the list of the healing spices. In parts of Europe, coriander has traditionally been referred to as an “anti-diabetic” plant. In parts of India, it has traditionally been used for its anti-inflammatory properties. In the United States, coriander has recently been studied for its cholesterol-lowering effects.

Control of Blood Sugar, Cholesterol and Free Radical Production

Recent research studies (though still on animals) have confirmed all three of these healing effects. When coriander was added to the diet of diabetic mice, it helped stimulate their secretion of insulin and lowered their blood sugar. When given to rats, coriander reduced the amount of damaged fats (lipid peroxides) in their cell membranes. And when given to rats fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, coriander lowered levels of total and LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), while actually increasing levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol). Research also suggests that the volatile oils found in the leaves of the coriander plant, commonly known as cilantro, may have antimicrobial properties.

A Phytonutrient-Dense Herb

Many of the above healing properties of coriander can be attributed to its exceptional phytonutrient content. Coriander’s volatile oil is rich in beneficial phytonutrients, including carvone,geraniol, limonene, borneol, camphor, elemol, and linalool. Coriander’s flavonoids include quercitin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, and epigenin. Plus, coridander contains active phenolic acid compounds, including caffeic and chlorogenic acid.

Nutrient As Well As Phytonutrient-Dense

Not only is coriander replete with a variety of phytonutrients, this exceptional herb emerged from our food ranking system as an important source of many traditional nutrients. Based on our nutrient density ranking process, coriander qualified as a very good source of dietary fiber and a good source of iron, magnesium and manganese.

Spice Up Your Life and Subdue the Salmonella

Coriander (also called cilantro) contains an antibacterial compound that may prove to be a safe, natural means of fighting Salmonella, a frequent and sometimes deadly cause of foodborne illness, suggests a study published in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.