Innovation and taking Initiative

Teaching someone something new and ensuring they  understand it and apply it to every day life is no easy task.
Since childhood we are taught to go to school and study and pass and get good jobs and earn money to take care of our families.
Do our teachers or lecturers shape us to become inquisitive and to take initiative? Are we given enough practical assignments that pick our brains and are a reflection of the real world r are we given the same questions that were given to former students 5 years ago?

If we are not inquisitive we end up doing the same thing our forefathers and predecessors did in a not so different way. How are we prepared to change? How are we prepared to think of solutions that could save money for the Institution/organization that has employed us?How are we supposed to come up with ideas that can improve the well being of our fellow citizens?

Is there an avenue for us to explore our ideas, suggestions? Or we do we remain at the bottom, being told what to do just the way it was done before , and yet with expected different results?

Will there be progress? Will that allow people to act on constructive ideas?

Think about it, in whatever you are doing now/today.....given the chance to make a difference, can you? How many ideas have you chucked out and forgotten about because you do not see them being implemented?

Without people taking initiative will there ever be sustainable development?

Corporate Governance Training March 5th-9th 2012

For more information and Registration ;
training@elitecareers.co.tz

VACANCY- IT Support Administrator

A leading company providing IT Service and Support to businesses throughout Tanzania is looking for an individual to fill the position of IT Support Administrator.

Qualifications
Bachelor Degree or Advance Diploma in IT or Computer Science
At least one year experience
Microsoft Certified ( MSP,MCSA,MSCE,MCITP)
Cisco Certified ( CCNA)

Send your applications to recruitment@elitecareers.co.tz

Deadline for receiving applications is Monday 30th January 2012.

Images from 2011

 

Shot gun Weddings

Shot gun weddings refer to those weddings that take place when the boy/man has made a girl pregnant out of wedlock. The man is forced to marry her. The shot gun bit  emanates from the fact that the father of the girl is holding the gun to the man's head forcing him to marry his daughter.

Normally the girl is too young to be in a marriage and the pregnancy is 'an accident' . In Swahili , there's a similar saying " Ndoa ya Mkeka" . The girl  is taken  to the man she is having a relationship with , along with a Sheikh to officiate the wedding ceremony.

Most girls today get married whilst pregnant, in most cases the bulging tummy is the cause of the wedding. It is a period of suffering for the girl, thinking of what the family will say, what the society will say. At the end of the day, fingers will be pointed at her and not at the guy who made her pregnant.
In order to maintain her honor, the man is forced to marry the girl. The question is, should one be forced to marry a girl because he made her pregnant? Should she want to get married to him because he is the father of the child?

Many women today resort to being single mums, not caring what the society thinks. If you dwell too much on what the society thinks , you will struggle to make the society happy while suffering inside.

Conclusion, marry someone for love and not because you need a father for your baby, and guys, don't father kids unless you are ready for marriage. It is so uncomfortable getting married with a protruding stomach, girls need to look beautiful and radiant on their wedding days and not big and bulgy!

COMMUNICATION SKILLS WORKSHOP – 18 FEBRUARY, 2012

You Communication skills are important and can be improved. Are you willing to improve them?


Organizations are looking for people who can communicate.

Register for the Communication Skills Workshop to be held on 18th February 2012

Time: 9.00 am – 3.00pm

Venue : Elite Career Choices Offices , Kinondoni Hananasif next to Catholic Church

Tel: +255 715 771177

Register by email: training@elitecareers.co.tz


Fees: 30,000/-

www.elitecareers.co.tz 

Being Daddy's Little Girl

After seeing the heading above I am sure all those who know they are daddy's little girl have a big grin on their faces and the daddy who has a special little girl in his life just pictured her smile.

Who are daddy's little girls?

Well from my experience, they are those girls who are loved by their dads to such an extent that it is visible to everyone's eyes. It could be that girl who is the only girl in the family, that eldest girl in the family or even the youngest girl in the family .

They are called daddy's little girl because they receive extra love and care from the father ( not intentionally) but sometimes fathers just want to make this girl's life more comfortable . If she needs something , it's provided, if the mother is hard on her , she runs to daddy!

Is it bad being daddy's little girl? It depends on how your dad spoils you. There are those girls who take advantage and throw tantrums and believe they can always get what they want!Is it because of the way they were brought up? Did their daddy's make a mistake in cuddling them for too long?

Be a daddy's girl, learn from your dad ,  the good strong side of him, and emulate him. Do not wait for the world to cuddle you and hug you , show your dad that he did not make a mistake treating you the way he did when you  were growing up. Make him proud to say that's my little girl, even when you are 40!

The complexities of working in a team.

Since growing up as kids we were exposed to working in teams. For those who grew up in big families they were sometimes forced to work or play with their siblings, even if they did not get along!

At school for those who enjoy sports, they join different sports teams, Basketball, Football, Softball, Cricket, Volleyball, just to mention  a few.

Being part of a team needs resilience, confidence and also certain calmness. You have to be flexible to change according to the situation. Different tactics may be used depending on the team members, and also on the strength and ability of your opponents. It is not an easy task when you have a difficult team member who is selfish, or who does not take orders well or who lacks the respect to follow what s/he is told by the coach or team leader.

The same applies in the workplace. You may be placed in a department with the best team and vice versa is also true!

Working in a team at the office has its own challenges. Some team members may not be as motivated as others and thus may not put their all in a group task.Some other team members may just be slow! You are given an assignment and they delay the rest due to their turtle speed.Some team members can lack the seriousness needed and may end up messing the whole project due to errors which could have been avoided.

How does one work in a team? How do you position yourself in a team such that you can function at your best, you can win the respect and trust of your peers while maintaining a healthy relationship with your superiors? 

Communication and understanding the strengths and weaknesses can help in executing your duties in the team. Ensuring that the right tasks are assigned to the right individual and any weaknesses identified are dealt with immediately. This brings about efficiency as a team and also boosts the morale of every team member.

A Ugandan woman becomes first African Woman Director at Interpol

Elizabeth Kuteesa , a Ugandan, has been appointed to head a key department at Interpol General Secretariat at its Head Quarters. She is the first African to occupy this position.

Elizabeth Kuteesa was Assistant Inspector General police (AIGP) in Uganda and has been appointed to head Interpols National Cultural Bureau and Regional Police Services (NRPS) Unit.
Interpol is the largest police organisation with 190 member countries.

The secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the promotion demonstrated the global role of African Women within the International Law enforcement Community.

Congratulations to Ms Kuteesa in her new role!!!

Magatte Wade - Inspirational African Woman Entrepreneur

Magatte Wade was born in Senegal, educated in Germany and France, and launched her entrepreneurial career in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she co-founded Adina World Beverages after working closely with Silicon Valley start-ups. 

The company has attracted talent from beverage industry leaders, including the founders of Odwalla and Sobe, and is now carried in major national retailers across the U.S., including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, and trial roll-outs at Safeway and in the Pepsi distribution chain.

The driving force towards her starting her beverage company was when she visited Senegal and found traditional Hibiscus drinks were replaced by Cola. She feared that people will lose their African heritage and decided to form the company.

Magatte recently launched her second company, The Tiossano Tribe, which produces and retails luxury organic skin-care products based on indigenous Senegalese skin care recipes. Tiossano is a contemporary lifestyle products brand that integrates the three cultures that formed her, Dakar, Paris, and San Francisco.

Magatte’s aim is to inspire a new generation of thinkers from Africa to be innovative and go back to Africa and bring out the culture and stories of Africa and turn them into a new opportunity.

 

The World Economic Forum named her one of their Young Global Leaders for 2011 and Forbes named her one of the "20 Youngest Power Women in Africa" in 2011.

Veronica's Kitchen Party 8th January 2012