Paruware Trust

You Lazy (Intellectual) African Scum!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:05:00 +0000

This article is about Zambia but it can well be any African country!!!

....Poor and uneducated Africans are the most hardworking people on earth. I saw them in the Lusaka markets and on the street selling merchandise. I saw them in villages toiling away. I saw women on Kafue Road crushing stones for sell and I wept. I said to myself where are the Zambian intellectuals? Are the Zambian engineers so imperceptive they cannot invent a simple stone crusher, or a simple water filter to purify well water for those poor villagers? Are you telling me that after thirty-seven years of independence your university school of engineering has not produced a scientist or an engineer who can make simple small machines for mass use? What is the school there for?”........ read the full article on this link

http://mindofmalaka.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/you-lazy-intellectual-african-scum/

Dell Social Innovation Challenge for Students 2012

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:25:00 +0000

What's your what if?

If you are a University student from any part of the world and passionate about solving social problems, then check out the Dell Social Innovation Challenge 2012.

The Dell Social Innovation Challenge identifies and supports promising young social innovators who dedicate themselves to solving the world’s most pressing problems with their transformative ideas. University students interested in social entrepreneurship will receive world-class teaching and training, as well as with start-up capital and access to a network of mentors and advisors.

For more information click here

Scholarships for GIBS Social Entrepreneurship training 2012

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:45:00 +0000

The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), of the University of Pretoria, is please to offer tuition scholarships for up to two Zimbabwean delegates on the GIBS 2012 Social Entrepreneurship Certificate Programme. The scholarship will pay 75% of the tuition (R13,500); thedelegate will be responsible for paying the remaining 25% (R4,500), as well as travel and accommodation costs. More information on the programme is below and attached, or available at www.gibs.co.za/SECP. Applications are accepted until 9 January 2012. With more questions, please contact Lungelo Odago, at mgcinal@gibs.co.za | 011 771 4230.

Opportunity for social entrepreneurs- GSBI 2012

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:40:00 +0000

The Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI™;), a program developed by Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society, assists social entrepreneurs in developing business plans that enable their organizations to become financially sustainable and scalable. The GSBI™ consists of three major components:An on-line, mentored, application process hosted on Social Edge and based on three business planning exercises designed to benefit all who participate by defining their organizations’ value proposition, target market (beneficiaries), and “business model” (key income and expense drivers).20 organizations selected from the application process receive scholarships for an online (4 month) and in-residence (2 week) program that involves “action learning” and mentoring to prepare a sustainable “business” plan for their organizations. All expenses (except Internet fees and travel) for this component are covered by a full-scholarship valued at US $25,000,On-going mentoring and collaboration for all who complete the in-residence component. Selection for the GSBI™ scholarships is based on 4 criteria:value proposition with demonstrated impact on important social issues (e.g. clean energy, health, food supply, job creation, equal rights) for Base of the Pyramid (BOP) beneficiaries;potential to impact a large target BOP market (# of potential beneficiaries);a business model with potential to scale rapidly while being financially self-sustaining (income may include contributed income); andthe application exercises have been completed by the CEO or operational management executive in the organization and that executive commits to completing the pre-work and attending the GSBI™.

Important dates to note!

January 12, 2012 - Submission of Business Planning Exercises: Value Proposition

More information and important dates click here.

What is Sustainable Development?

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:20:00 +0000

Sustainable Development is a broad element that many individuals disagree on its defination and how it is effectively measured. But, what is almost known to everyone is the charecteristics of the good fruits enjoyed from Sustainable Development.

According to UNDP report (1996), Sustainable Development encompasses a leading long and health life, to be knowledgeable, to have access to the resources needed to live a decent standard of life and individuals to be able to participate in community activities.

In otherwords Sustainable Development is equated to total empowerment.That is making local people taking control of their own life, expressing their own demand and choices, and finding their innovative solutions to their own problems.

Money or Capital is a means to Suatainable Development but not an end in itself. Yes, its a necessary but not sufficient condition to guaarantee Sustainable Development.Thus, the major components of Sustainable Development as highlighted above is within one's mind and capacity.

So, ladies and Gentlemen, if Sustainale Development is withi ourselves, "why can't we kick start it now". Nothing is too late or early, but everything is ready when we are ready.

Lets CUT the IM out of the word "impossible" and leave the clear and dynamic word POSSIBLE flying over the world.

here we go.................................................................... ....... ...........

What Africa Needs!

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:05:00 +0000

I have read several books, publications, theories on what Africa needs to move from where it is to catch up with the rest of the world. Africa has several names, terms to describe it, some say it is the DARK CONTINENT, another common term is THIRD WORLD or more common DEVELOPING countries. Despite your opinions feelings on these terms, I think we can agree that we are lagging behind than most continents in terms of development. I am aware of the fact that we do have other positive aspects that lack in the so called developed countries.

I think one of the greatest weakness we have is to believe that someone is going to solve our problems for us, be it individual, family, community, national or regional problems. If we look at those individuals, communities and nations that we admire, they are where they are because they managed to solve their own problems. That is what Africa as a people, nations and continent needs! Lets solve our own problems.

What Africa needs are passionate, selfless young people. I talk about young people for the old have done their part and the future belongs to the young generation. It is up to this generation to prepare and work for a better tomorrow, for today is already past. What Africa needs, are people who can sacrifice short term joy for the long term benefits. People who focus not on short term solutions but building things that last.

What Africa needs, is a generation of young people that take responsibility for their own lives, their families, communities and nations through nothing but ingenuity and sheer hard work.

What Africa needs, are dedicated young people who chose to dream and dream big, who chose to push the boundaries and refuse to be confined to the set limits which kill innovation and imagination. Young men and women with ability to constantly push for the better and not settle for anything less than what should be. A people that constanty ask WHAT IF? A people that can make terms like "it can't ", "impossible" and "never" a taboo in their vocabulary. A people that can constantly interface "dreaming", "innovation" and "hardwork" to transform the dreams into reality.

I come from a typical African family, where entitlement mentality is very ripe to the point of retarding progress. Where most people believe someone, somewhere owes them something. Where there is inherent beliefs that someone owes them a better life, a better future. This someone can be anyone really, distant relatives, cousins, brothers, sisters, mother, father, son, daughter or moreso, the government. The bottom line is most believe " I am here in this state because it aren't my faulty!" What Africa needs is a generation that learn to be responsible and that noone but "you" is to blame for anything. Noone owes us anything! our parents owe us nothing, whatever we are thats all they could do for us, but we owe everyone our very best, we owe the world we live in to make it a better place not just for ourselves but for the next generation.

What Africa needs, is is a generation that can see opportunities even in the darkest moments, a generation that can imagine the future they want and create it, a generation that demand a sit on the table, if not given create their own table, a generation that demand space, if not given create their own space, a generation that demand opportunities, if not given create their own opportunities, a generation that works, if there are no jobs create your own and for the next person, a generation that have the vision of where they want to go, an understanding that its only through their own hard work that they can create the future they want.

What Africa needs, is a young generation with an ear to listen, an eye to see what is happening, a mind to think on their own, feet to stand on their own, a hand to touch and feel things for themselves and above all, a heart to remain true to themselves.

What Africa needs is a young generation that is prepared to move Africa from a "DARK" to a "LIGHT CONTINENT". You and me at our very best is what Africa needs!

Madofo

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:05:00 +0000

This is the first in a series of blogs tocome on an issue that a small group of us have been talking about for a longtime- a disease that Zimbabwe is suffering from. Madofo is a shona word thatrefers to someone who is dull or maybe foolish. Usually you would find that inschools if you take the last place in class or anywhere near that, many otherchildren and even teachers would label you, dofo, denoting that you are dull ornot smart enough like the other children. However this is not the definition, Iwant to use for madofo. Those children who took last place where not dull atall, but I will not get into that discussion for now.

Manytimes we sat and complained about different people in different places where weworked. Managers who seemed impossible and asked for one to do things you wouldconsider ridiculous but they thought it made sense and fretted over nothing,racist directors who relied on you to get the work done but never seemed toappreciate your role, managers who complained about a worker getting a fridgein their office when it had been literally taken from the dust bin and cleanedand they had thought it useless until then, managers who never wanted to hearcell phones ring at work, managers who thought putting internet at work wouldsuddenly make everyone lazy and should only be something that fellow managersuse because they were more responsible, supervisors who want to see officeworkers sit at their desks all day even if they are no results to show for allthat sitting. And they are all those sprouting business people who care onlyabout the profit margin they make today even though the quality of the productleaves a lot to be desired and do not bother themselves about such terms ascustomer satisfaction, customer loyalty and more often than not theirenterprises do not see the next generation, if they survive the founder. Allthese different people, so different yet so similar and then it suddenly struckus that they had some things in common short term thinking, closed in, slow tochange, inflexible, lacked exposure and thought they knew it all. As wecontinued to discuss this for days we suddenly came up with a name for them,madofo!!!

The real madofos, I want to talk about areadults in different places, schools, governments, NGOs, private sector and Godforbid, even churches. These people are usually in management positions andthey are there for reasons best known to themselves and most often than not arenot qualified for what they are doing. And I am not just talking of academicqualifications because as the series continues I will show you many madofoswith graduate degrees. In Steven Covey’s book on the 7 habits of highlysuccessful people, he mentions some critical points that leaders and everyother smart person should have such as being proactive, having an abundancementality, visionaries with the end, the bigger picture in mind, knowing how toprioritise important versus urgent things, thinking win/win, seeking tounderstand and then be understood, creative co-operation and sharpening the sawor continuing to develop and maintain yourself. Suffice to say many of thepeople I refer to as madofo, lack many of these attributes. And these are notthings you learn in school or a good university, unless you go to one of therare places, but these are things either you accidentally learn through some oflife’s tricks or you deliberately decide you want to develop these habits.

And why do I think this discussion ofmadofo is important- because these people are costing us. Costing us in termsof time spent doing unnecessary things, unimportant things, redundant things,ineffective things, expensive things and I hesitate to say this, but evenfoolish things. We have too many madofos in positions in Zimbabwe, we have putthem there and let them stay there, some because they were the only oneswilling to brave it out at their workplaces during the decade long crisis andthe smart ones left and when the time came to fill out the vacant managementpositions, they had enough years of experience under their belt to ‘qualify’them for the role and nobody questioned whether they had the acumen to not onlydo the job and maintain systems, but to have a vision to carry us forward intothe next century. I am sure Japan would not be where it is now in terms oftechnological innovation if they had had madofos managing their enterprises andI stand to be corrected.

I hope you are beginning to get what I amtalking about. If you suddenly realise you have a dofo managing you, orwherever else, we would like to hear your story and keep the discussion goingand I will be back with more posts on this.

Entrepreneurship camp in Vumba

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:49:00 +0000

Wow!!! is probably the best word to summarize it from the first day with the breathtaking views that we had of Vumba from the house , the new concepts learnt and the powerful insights that each participant had to share. Never despise the days of small beginnings, for real, because in these young people you could almost see a bigger future, big impactful businesses and powerful leaders.

The training was designed in such a manner that you learn from everything around you including the environment, the cooking, the quiet reflection times in the botanical gardens, the nights around the fireplace, the games and the actual sessions and handouts. It was down to earth, simple yet so powerful.

World Youth Congress, Mexico

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:42:00 +0000

My trip to Mexico, was the longest i hav ever taken, almost a 3 day journey. I arrived with a sore back and neck and ready to just collapse into bed after a much needed shower of course. When i was ready to explore the country and the conference, i was escorted by a knd Mexican who i was sceptical of. Sceptical of because i am now used to simple acts of kindness demanding payment. Whenever i see someone going out of their way to help me, i think they will want to be paid something for their generosity and i have proven wrong a few times. But not the Mexicans. These are the kindest people i have ever seen in all my travels and many people who attended the conference can bear witness to this fact. Whether it was a welcoming act for the conference i am not sure, or is that my scepticism creepin in again.

Anyway the aim of the conference was to draft a declaration for young people, which would feed into the government forum, which also to take place that same time. There were over 400 young people from 163 different countries. Discussions were being simultaneously transalated into Spanish, French or English depending on the language the pseaker was using. I sat in the groups that were discussing employment and education. I was struck by the similarity of problems and challenges by countries from the developig world. It was constantly reiterated that our generation had the biggest population of young people, the world had ever seen and with the highest unemployment rate. We were too big a population to continue to ignore anymore in national policies and decision making processes. We were not just the future of our countries anymore but a real present.

Entrepreneurship training and development topped the agenda as a key to solving the unemployment challenge in the developing world. They was need for government to create a conducive environment for entrepreneurship to thrive though either education, tax breaks to young people, simplified business registration processes and incentives for the private sector to include young people.

I was glad the government of Zimbabwe had sent in a strong delegation of 5 people. It is up to us young people of Zimbabwe to make sure they commit to the declarations they signed for we determine our own fate. We are way past the period of rhetoric and well crafted papers and now demand action and real results.

Feeback from the International Youth day conference

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:29:00 +0000

The conference was a fulfilling and exciting day for me. Though we started late and many people did not turn up for this event, we had a group of at least 25 passionate individuals who made the day fun packed. Here are some comments from the young people who were there:

Thank you for an innovative and entertaining day
I'm glad to know that they are people in our society who want to make a difference for the next generation
I am glad you threw in the game, it got our minds thinking.
I am eally inspired and i have learnt a lot, keep on striving and motivating us.
Thak you, it helped me reflect and refocus inwards.
I think for $2 we got much more than the value
A journey of self discovery
It was really a mind opening sesion and really encouraging. I wish the greater part of te youth in Zimbabwe would have attended this event and benefited from it.
I loved it
Learnt a lot and enjoyed every moment of it
When is the next event?

Thanks to all who attended and keep us motivated to do what we love the most- making a difference in the lives of young people. If you have any comments, want to get involved or support us, sent us an email to paruware@yahoo.co.uk