36
Feature p.14 Yohannes Tilahun talks about his life,family and careers Innovation p.29 The Android App for Environment Education Style p.18 Style up with and dress up with boots www.rizikimag.com Africans Empowering. Entertaining. Educating. Inspiring. ISSUE 3 APRIL 2013

Making the right choices after a few wrongs

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Looking at the young African man cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990, nobody would have guessed that he would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street. Having been homeless just a few months earlier, the then Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didn’t see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to.

Citation preview

Feature p14

Yohannes Tilahun talks about his lifefamily and careers

Innovation p29

The Android App for Environment Education

Style p18

Style up with and dress up with boots

wwwrizikimagcom

Africans

Empowering

Entertaining

Educating

Inspiring

ISSUE 3APRIL 2013

contents

13

8

6Tired of Bad habitsSelf

10Never too late or early to care about Breast cancer

Health

7The delicious easy to make KOKOTENDE

Recipe

17Nathan Apina at the park

Fashionista

Riziki LLc is the parent company of Riziki Magazine which was established July 2012

This digital publication reaches Africans worldwide and is published tri-monthly

Every day for us is an adventure full of exciting stories We want to showcase promote support inspire and educate others

wwwrizikimagcom

30

24

20

22

The African language Map

Africa A Continent not a country

28The young multi-lingual lea Neema Elizabeth

Inspire

26AfricaThe AfricanPoetry

25Chop your cable TV billYour Money

29EntventureEnvironment Education Android App

Innovation

Riziki LLc is the parent company of Riziki Magazine which was established July 2012

This digital publication reaches Africans worldwide and is published tri-monthly

Every day for us is an adventure full of exciting stories We want to showcase promote support inspire and educate others

18Style up and dress up with Boots

Style

wwwrizikimagcom

Not too long ago we were wishing each other a Happy New year and it looks like the year is speeding to its end Have you been able to keep

some if not all of the resolutions you made If not our main feature on Yohaness Tilahun should be able to inspire you to get back to the path you had set out for yourself even if you had veered off

We remember Chinua Achebe who placed African writing on the world literary map I encourage you to pick up one of the titles mentioned or both if you are so inclined in his memory even if you have read them before

On innovation we feature EntVenture a project by Chepkoilel University College in Kenya which will help you gain knowledge on the characteristics and benefits of forests

Also in this edition Learsquos adventures prove that at whatever age you can make a difference in fact the younger the better You may wish to make a difference on your monthly bills as well and we try to offer you some tips on how to do so painlessly

Happy Reading

Editorrsquos noteKaribu

Our TeamChristine Oduor

EDITOR

A freelance translator writer and blogger She holds advanced degrees in French and Journalism

Resides in Tunis Tunisia

Kawira Njeru

Aouthor of Coming Home

httpkawiratateauthorcom httpkawiracnblogspotcom

Resides in Germany

Joyce Mugun

Author of What a Kenyan felt

httpwwwbarnesandnoblecomwwhat-a-kenyan-felt-joyce-mugun1016531596ean=9781441502193

Resides in Alabama USA

Florence Chirchir

ldquoOther than teaching I am interested in personal growth and development I am largely involved in career guidance besides writing I teach French and Swahili and also holds training in Human Resource ManagementrdquoResides in Kenya

Yena Balekyani

High school student originally from Congo and now in Iowa Resides in Iowa

Eli Loltome

Illustrator and graphic designer Resides in Kenya

Joy Chelagat and Nehwoen Luogon

Contributing writers

Sammy Mwirotsi

Web design and develipment

Jim NJoroge

Layout and Design

Christine

COVER MODELDaphne Ngrsquoelechei Nelson mother of 2 (Soraya 22 months and Eli 4 months) United States Air Force Spouse and a graduate nurse

4 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

From the founderFrom the founderFrom the founder

Thank you thus far for your support of our magazine We are growing each day and in each day we are making a profound difference

From having an amazing team we also work with young adults encouraging and helping them nurture their young talent We are a lucky bunch for sure and excited on this amazing journey

Updates on what we are working on

We are partnering with Shoe4Africa as our Charity for year 2013 They are building the very first free children in East Africa YEAH We know that so many kids lives will be saved and you just canrsquot beat that Follow Shoe4Africa HERE

We are working on a Riziki Scholarship Fund We are hoping to offer a few scholarships to young deserving kids in African Check out our next issue for more details

Nancy Mwirotsi

We need to think

of the future and

the planet we are

going to leave to

our children and

their children

Kofi Annan

copy Copyright 2012 Riziki LLC All Rights Reserved Any copyingredistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of thisservice without the express written consent of Riziki LLC is

expressly prohibited

wwwrizikimagcomRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 5

ITrsquoS TIMEhellipBad habits have this magnetic pull

that makes breaking them an uphill task New Year resolutions target good habits we want to adopt and bad ones that we want to give up One may try to quit pouting control-ling anger overeating overspending or getting out of debt with different levels of success For the majority it is easier to live with the bad habits a little longer if only to try quitting later when strong enough to resist their pull

Bad habits rob you of peace You know you ought not to be engag-ing in it yet you end up doing it all the same You get the same results all the time you end up feeling bad and the cycle continues ldquoI just canrsquot help ithelliprdquo has become your com-mon refrain In his book First Things First Stephen Covey talks of some space between thought and action This space allows one to either go ahead with the conceived thought

or not to take any action all together Thoughts thus do not automatically translate into action Simply put what you end up with is what you decide on at that point so yes you can help it

Imagine for a moment that your mother takes you aside then at-tempts to breastfeed you at the age you are nowhellip Would you go ahead and suckle A resounding no Why then would you keep feeding a de-structive habit or a seemingly harm-less tendency that you have always wanted to quit By now you must have had enough of it so you need to be decisive Resolve to quit once and for all Forge ahead no matter the temptation to go back to it There is a whole lot more in the future to be explored than in the past that cannot be reclaimed

You will have to replace the old habit with a new one to fill the vacuum created in your life by its absence Figure out new things that you have

always wanted to do and put your heart and mind into them It could be spending more time with the family playing with your children exercising starting to put some money into a savings account or simply complain-ing less Start with small steps and gradually progress to higher levels Do not lose track of your goal You have to identify your objective and shun the side shows which come in the form of unsupportive friends and relatives low self esteem realities in life such as a poor economy ill health loss of loved ones and fatigue from having tried over and over Adapt to the reality of your situation and keep going for you will certainly get there someday It is time to create differ-ent satisfying experiences for you You always have a choice are you ready To paraphrase James Mich-ener may you have the courage to face temporary defeat and not lose forward motion

Happy and successful 2013

Tired of bad habits

SelfYou will have to

replace the old

habit with a new

one to fill the

vacuum created

in your life by its

absence Figure

out new things

that you have

always wanted to

do and put your

heart and mind

into them

Florence Chirchir

Recipe

6 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Joyce Mugun

Originally pronounced Kokwe za tende but the name kokotende caught on as it was easy for everyone to pronounce

Ingredients2 cups flour4 tbsps fine semolina1 tspn baking powder12 tsp cardamon powder2 tbsps melted butter34 cup milkwater or coconutEgg white ( optional)Pinch of salt

KokotendeRecipe

Sheera sugar coating 1 cup sugar12 cup waterDrop of vanillaPinch of cardamomCombine all then boil until thick and stickyDip the kokothende in the syrup and place on a trayStore in an airtight container when completely cooled

INSTRUCTIONSKnead together the ingredients to a doughForm tiny balls put them on the side and shape one by one using a fork by pressing the tiny piece of dough on the back of a fork and rolling them away to give it a perfect seashell shapeFry on low heat until golden and crispy (Do not fry on very high heat)Drain and set asideMake the sugar coating

Food

photo-httpstellasmezablogspotcom201210kokotendehtmlRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 7

Top ten thing to do in the

Dominican Republic

1 Santo Domingorsquos Zona Colo-

nial

2 Relaxing at Playa Rincoacuten

3 Leisurely Las Galeras

4 Bahiacutea de Las Aacuteguilas

5 Santo Domingo Nightlife amp

Dancing

6 Whale-watching

7 Descending the 27 water-

falls of Damajagua

8 White-water rafting

9 Winter Baseball

10 Mountain Vistas in Con-

stanza

Time to Globetrot

Enjoy the Dominican RepublicDominican republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola

part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean re-gion The western third of the island is occupied by the na-tion of Haiti making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands along with Saint Martin that are shared by two countries

Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba) with 48442 square kilometers (18704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people

The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean

The Dominican Republic has the ninth largest economy in Latin America and the second largest economy in the Carib-bean and Central American region

According to the CIA World Factbook the Dominican popula-tion is 73 multiracial 16 white and 11 black The multira-cial population is primarily a mixture of European and African but there is as well a minor Taiacuteno element in the population research published in 2010 showed that 15 of Dominicans have Taiacuteno ancestry and 70 have African genes

Source Wikipedia

Travel

8 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

phot

o co

urte

sy h

ttp

ww

wg

odom

inic

anre

publ

icc

om

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 9

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

contents

13

8

6Tired of Bad habitsSelf

10Never too late or early to care about Breast cancer

Health

7The delicious easy to make KOKOTENDE

Recipe

17Nathan Apina at the park

Fashionista

Riziki LLc is the parent company of Riziki Magazine which was established July 2012

This digital publication reaches Africans worldwide and is published tri-monthly

Every day for us is an adventure full of exciting stories We want to showcase promote support inspire and educate others

wwwrizikimagcom

30

24

20

22

The African language Map

Africa A Continent not a country

28The young multi-lingual lea Neema Elizabeth

Inspire

26AfricaThe AfricanPoetry

25Chop your cable TV billYour Money

29EntventureEnvironment Education Android App

Innovation

Riziki LLc is the parent company of Riziki Magazine which was established July 2012

This digital publication reaches Africans worldwide and is published tri-monthly

Every day for us is an adventure full of exciting stories We want to showcase promote support inspire and educate others

18Style up and dress up with Boots

Style

wwwrizikimagcom

Not too long ago we were wishing each other a Happy New year and it looks like the year is speeding to its end Have you been able to keep

some if not all of the resolutions you made If not our main feature on Yohaness Tilahun should be able to inspire you to get back to the path you had set out for yourself even if you had veered off

We remember Chinua Achebe who placed African writing on the world literary map I encourage you to pick up one of the titles mentioned or both if you are so inclined in his memory even if you have read them before

On innovation we feature EntVenture a project by Chepkoilel University College in Kenya which will help you gain knowledge on the characteristics and benefits of forests

Also in this edition Learsquos adventures prove that at whatever age you can make a difference in fact the younger the better You may wish to make a difference on your monthly bills as well and we try to offer you some tips on how to do so painlessly

Happy Reading

Editorrsquos noteKaribu

Our TeamChristine Oduor

EDITOR

A freelance translator writer and blogger She holds advanced degrees in French and Journalism

Resides in Tunis Tunisia

Kawira Njeru

Aouthor of Coming Home

httpkawiratateauthorcom httpkawiracnblogspotcom

Resides in Germany

Joyce Mugun

Author of What a Kenyan felt

httpwwwbarnesandnoblecomwwhat-a-kenyan-felt-joyce-mugun1016531596ean=9781441502193

Resides in Alabama USA

Florence Chirchir

ldquoOther than teaching I am interested in personal growth and development I am largely involved in career guidance besides writing I teach French and Swahili and also holds training in Human Resource ManagementrdquoResides in Kenya

Yena Balekyani

High school student originally from Congo and now in Iowa Resides in Iowa

Eli Loltome

Illustrator and graphic designer Resides in Kenya

Joy Chelagat and Nehwoen Luogon

Contributing writers

Sammy Mwirotsi

Web design and develipment

Jim NJoroge

Layout and Design

Christine

COVER MODELDaphne Ngrsquoelechei Nelson mother of 2 (Soraya 22 months and Eli 4 months) United States Air Force Spouse and a graduate nurse

4 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

From the founderFrom the founderFrom the founder

Thank you thus far for your support of our magazine We are growing each day and in each day we are making a profound difference

From having an amazing team we also work with young adults encouraging and helping them nurture their young talent We are a lucky bunch for sure and excited on this amazing journey

Updates on what we are working on

We are partnering with Shoe4Africa as our Charity for year 2013 They are building the very first free children in East Africa YEAH We know that so many kids lives will be saved and you just canrsquot beat that Follow Shoe4Africa HERE

We are working on a Riziki Scholarship Fund We are hoping to offer a few scholarships to young deserving kids in African Check out our next issue for more details

Nancy Mwirotsi

We need to think

of the future and

the planet we are

going to leave to

our children and

their children

Kofi Annan

copy Copyright 2012 Riziki LLC All Rights Reserved Any copyingredistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of thisservice without the express written consent of Riziki LLC is

expressly prohibited

wwwrizikimagcomRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 5

ITrsquoS TIMEhellipBad habits have this magnetic pull

that makes breaking them an uphill task New Year resolutions target good habits we want to adopt and bad ones that we want to give up One may try to quit pouting control-ling anger overeating overspending or getting out of debt with different levels of success For the majority it is easier to live with the bad habits a little longer if only to try quitting later when strong enough to resist their pull

Bad habits rob you of peace You know you ought not to be engag-ing in it yet you end up doing it all the same You get the same results all the time you end up feeling bad and the cycle continues ldquoI just canrsquot help ithelliprdquo has become your com-mon refrain In his book First Things First Stephen Covey talks of some space between thought and action This space allows one to either go ahead with the conceived thought

or not to take any action all together Thoughts thus do not automatically translate into action Simply put what you end up with is what you decide on at that point so yes you can help it

Imagine for a moment that your mother takes you aside then at-tempts to breastfeed you at the age you are nowhellip Would you go ahead and suckle A resounding no Why then would you keep feeding a de-structive habit or a seemingly harm-less tendency that you have always wanted to quit By now you must have had enough of it so you need to be decisive Resolve to quit once and for all Forge ahead no matter the temptation to go back to it There is a whole lot more in the future to be explored than in the past that cannot be reclaimed

You will have to replace the old habit with a new one to fill the vacuum created in your life by its absence Figure out new things that you have

always wanted to do and put your heart and mind into them It could be spending more time with the family playing with your children exercising starting to put some money into a savings account or simply complain-ing less Start with small steps and gradually progress to higher levels Do not lose track of your goal You have to identify your objective and shun the side shows which come in the form of unsupportive friends and relatives low self esteem realities in life such as a poor economy ill health loss of loved ones and fatigue from having tried over and over Adapt to the reality of your situation and keep going for you will certainly get there someday It is time to create differ-ent satisfying experiences for you You always have a choice are you ready To paraphrase James Mich-ener may you have the courage to face temporary defeat and not lose forward motion

Happy and successful 2013

Tired of bad habits

SelfYou will have to

replace the old

habit with a new

one to fill the

vacuum created

in your life by its

absence Figure

out new things

that you have

always wanted to

do and put your

heart and mind

into them

Florence Chirchir

Recipe

6 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Joyce Mugun

Originally pronounced Kokwe za tende but the name kokotende caught on as it was easy for everyone to pronounce

Ingredients2 cups flour4 tbsps fine semolina1 tspn baking powder12 tsp cardamon powder2 tbsps melted butter34 cup milkwater or coconutEgg white ( optional)Pinch of salt

KokotendeRecipe

Sheera sugar coating 1 cup sugar12 cup waterDrop of vanillaPinch of cardamomCombine all then boil until thick and stickyDip the kokothende in the syrup and place on a trayStore in an airtight container when completely cooled

INSTRUCTIONSKnead together the ingredients to a doughForm tiny balls put them on the side and shape one by one using a fork by pressing the tiny piece of dough on the back of a fork and rolling them away to give it a perfect seashell shapeFry on low heat until golden and crispy (Do not fry on very high heat)Drain and set asideMake the sugar coating

Food

photo-httpstellasmezablogspotcom201210kokotendehtmlRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 7

Top ten thing to do in the

Dominican Republic

1 Santo Domingorsquos Zona Colo-

nial

2 Relaxing at Playa Rincoacuten

3 Leisurely Las Galeras

4 Bahiacutea de Las Aacuteguilas

5 Santo Domingo Nightlife amp

Dancing

6 Whale-watching

7 Descending the 27 water-

falls of Damajagua

8 White-water rafting

9 Winter Baseball

10 Mountain Vistas in Con-

stanza

Time to Globetrot

Enjoy the Dominican RepublicDominican republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola

part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean re-gion The western third of the island is occupied by the na-tion of Haiti making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands along with Saint Martin that are shared by two countries

Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba) with 48442 square kilometers (18704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people

The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean

The Dominican Republic has the ninth largest economy in Latin America and the second largest economy in the Carib-bean and Central American region

According to the CIA World Factbook the Dominican popula-tion is 73 multiracial 16 white and 11 black The multira-cial population is primarily a mixture of European and African but there is as well a minor Taiacuteno element in the population research published in 2010 showed that 15 of Dominicans have Taiacuteno ancestry and 70 have African genes

Source Wikipedia

Travel

8 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

phot

o co

urte

sy h

ttp

ww

wg

odom

inic

anre

publ

icc

om

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 9

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

30

24

20

22

The African language Map

Africa A Continent not a country

28The young multi-lingual lea Neema Elizabeth

Inspire

26AfricaThe AfricanPoetry

25Chop your cable TV billYour Money

29EntventureEnvironment Education Android App

Innovation

Riziki LLc is the parent company of Riziki Magazine which was established July 2012

This digital publication reaches Africans worldwide and is published tri-monthly

Every day for us is an adventure full of exciting stories We want to showcase promote support inspire and educate others

18Style up and dress up with Boots

Style

wwwrizikimagcom

Not too long ago we were wishing each other a Happy New year and it looks like the year is speeding to its end Have you been able to keep

some if not all of the resolutions you made If not our main feature on Yohaness Tilahun should be able to inspire you to get back to the path you had set out for yourself even if you had veered off

We remember Chinua Achebe who placed African writing on the world literary map I encourage you to pick up one of the titles mentioned or both if you are so inclined in his memory even if you have read them before

On innovation we feature EntVenture a project by Chepkoilel University College in Kenya which will help you gain knowledge on the characteristics and benefits of forests

Also in this edition Learsquos adventures prove that at whatever age you can make a difference in fact the younger the better You may wish to make a difference on your monthly bills as well and we try to offer you some tips on how to do so painlessly

Happy Reading

Editorrsquos noteKaribu

Our TeamChristine Oduor

EDITOR

A freelance translator writer and blogger She holds advanced degrees in French and Journalism

Resides in Tunis Tunisia

Kawira Njeru

Aouthor of Coming Home

httpkawiratateauthorcom httpkawiracnblogspotcom

Resides in Germany

Joyce Mugun

Author of What a Kenyan felt

httpwwwbarnesandnoblecomwwhat-a-kenyan-felt-joyce-mugun1016531596ean=9781441502193

Resides in Alabama USA

Florence Chirchir

ldquoOther than teaching I am interested in personal growth and development I am largely involved in career guidance besides writing I teach French and Swahili and also holds training in Human Resource ManagementrdquoResides in Kenya

Yena Balekyani

High school student originally from Congo and now in Iowa Resides in Iowa

Eli Loltome

Illustrator and graphic designer Resides in Kenya

Joy Chelagat and Nehwoen Luogon

Contributing writers

Sammy Mwirotsi

Web design and develipment

Jim NJoroge

Layout and Design

Christine

COVER MODELDaphne Ngrsquoelechei Nelson mother of 2 (Soraya 22 months and Eli 4 months) United States Air Force Spouse and a graduate nurse

4 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

From the founderFrom the founderFrom the founder

Thank you thus far for your support of our magazine We are growing each day and in each day we are making a profound difference

From having an amazing team we also work with young adults encouraging and helping them nurture their young talent We are a lucky bunch for sure and excited on this amazing journey

Updates on what we are working on

We are partnering with Shoe4Africa as our Charity for year 2013 They are building the very first free children in East Africa YEAH We know that so many kids lives will be saved and you just canrsquot beat that Follow Shoe4Africa HERE

We are working on a Riziki Scholarship Fund We are hoping to offer a few scholarships to young deserving kids in African Check out our next issue for more details

Nancy Mwirotsi

We need to think

of the future and

the planet we are

going to leave to

our children and

their children

Kofi Annan

copy Copyright 2012 Riziki LLC All Rights Reserved Any copyingredistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of thisservice without the express written consent of Riziki LLC is

expressly prohibited

wwwrizikimagcomRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 5

ITrsquoS TIMEhellipBad habits have this magnetic pull

that makes breaking them an uphill task New Year resolutions target good habits we want to adopt and bad ones that we want to give up One may try to quit pouting control-ling anger overeating overspending or getting out of debt with different levels of success For the majority it is easier to live with the bad habits a little longer if only to try quitting later when strong enough to resist their pull

Bad habits rob you of peace You know you ought not to be engag-ing in it yet you end up doing it all the same You get the same results all the time you end up feeling bad and the cycle continues ldquoI just canrsquot help ithelliprdquo has become your com-mon refrain In his book First Things First Stephen Covey talks of some space between thought and action This space allows one to either go ahead with the conceived thought

or not to take any action all together Thoughts thus do not automatically translate into action Simply put what you end up with is what you decide on at that point so yes you can help it

Imagine for a moment that your mother takes you aside then at-tempts to breastfeed you at the age you are nowhellip Would you go ahead and suckle A resounding no Why then would you keep feeding a de-structive habit or a seemingly harm-less tendency that you have always wanted to quit By now you must have had enough of it so you need to be decisive Resolve to quit once and for all Forge ahead no matter the temptation to go back to it There is a whole lot more in the future to be explored than in the past that cannot be reclaimed

You will have to replace the old habit with a new one to fill the vacuum created in your life by its absence Figure out new things that you have

always wanted to do and put your heart and mind into them It could be spending more time with the family playing with your children exercising starting to put some money into a savings account or simply complain-ing less Start with small steps and gradually progress to higher levels Do not lose track of your goal You have to identify your objective and shun the side shows which come in the form of unsupportive friends and relatives low self esteem realities in life such as a poor economy ill health loss of loved ones and fatigue from having tried over and over Adapt to the reality of your situation and keep going for you will certainly get there someday It is time to create differ-ent satisfying experiences for you You always have a choice are you ready To paraphrase James Mich-ener may you have the courage to face temporary defeat and not lose forward motion

Happy and successful 2013

Tired of bad habits

SelfYou will have to

replace the old

habit with a new

one to fill the

vacuum created

in your life by its

absence Figure

out new things

that you have

always wanted to

do and put your

heart and mind

into them

Florence Chirchir

Recipe

6 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Joyce Mugun

Originally pronounced Kokwe za tende but the name kokotende caught on as it was easy for everyone to pronounce

Ingredients2 cups flour4 tbsps fine semolina1 tspn baking powder12 tsp cardamon powder2 tbsps melted butter34 cup milkwater or coconutEgg white ( optional)Pinch of salt

KokotendeRecipe

Sheera sugar coating 1 cup sugar12 cup waterDrop of vanillaPinch of cardamomCombine all then boil until thick and stickyDip the kokothende in the syrup and place on a trayStore in an airtight container when completely cooled

INSTRUCTIONSKnead together the ingredients to a doughForm tiny balls put them on the side and shape one by one using a fork by pressing the tiny piece of dough on the back of a fork and rolling them away to give it a perfect seashell shapeFry on low heat until golden and crispy (Do not fry on very high heat)Drain and set asideMake the sugar coating

Food

photo-httpstellasmezablogspotcom201210kokotendehtmlRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 7

Top ten thing to do in the

Dominican Republic

1 Santo Domingorsquos Zona Colo-

nial

2 Relaxing at Playa Rincoacuten

3 Leisurely Las Galeras

4 Bahiacutea de Las Aacuteguilas

5 Santo Domingo Nightlife amp

Dancing

6 Whale-watching

7 Descending the 27 water-

falls of Damajagua

8 White-water rafting

9 Winter Baseball

10 Mountain Vistas in Con-

stanza

Time to Globetrot

Enjoy the Dominican RepublicDominican republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola

part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean re-gion The western third of the island is occupied by the na-tion of Haiti making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands along with Saint Martin that are shared by two countries

Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba) with 48442 square kilometers (18704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people

The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean

The Dominican Republic has the ninth largest economy in Latin America and the second largest economy in the Carib-bean and Central American region

According to the CIA World Factbook the Dominican popula-tion is 73 multiracial 16 white and 11 black The multira-cial population is primarily a mixture of European and African but there is as well a minor Taiacuteno element in the population research published in 2010 showed that 15 of Dominicans have Taiacuteno ancestry and 70 have African genes

Source Wikipedia

Travel

8 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

phot

o co

urte

sy h

ttp

ww

wg

odom

inic

anre

publ

icc

om

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 9

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Not too long ago we were wishing each other a Happy New year and it looks like the year is speeding to its end Have you been able to keep

some if not all of the resolutions you made If not our main feature on Yohaness Tilahun should be able to inspire you to get back to the path you had set out for yourself even if you had veered off

We remember Chinua Achebe who placed African writing on the world literary map I encourage you to pick up one of the titles mentioned or both if you are so inclined in his memory even if you have read them before

On innovation we feature EntVenture a project by Chepkoilel University College in Kenya which will help you gain knowledge on the characteristics and benefits of forests

Also in this edition Learsquos adventures prove that at whatever age you can make a difference in fact the younger the better You may wish to make a difference on your monthly bills as well and we try to offer you some tips on how to do so painlessly

Happy Reading

Editorrsquos noteKaribu

Our TeamChristine Oduor

EDITOR

A freelance translator writer and blogger She holds advanced degrees in French and Journalism

Resides in Tunis Tunisia

Kawira Njeru

Aouthor of Coming Home

httpkawiratateauthorcom httpkawiracnblogspotcom

Resides in Germany

Joyce Mugun

Author of What a Kenyan felt

httpwwwbarnesandnoblecomwwhat-a-kenyan-felt-joyce-mugun1016531596ean=9781441502193

Resides in Alabama USA

Florence Chirchir

ldquoOther than teaching I am interested in personal growth and development I am largely involved in career guidance besides writing I teach French and Swahili and also holds training in Human Resource ManagementrdquoResides in Kenya

Yena Balekyani

High school student originally from Congo and now in Iowa Resides in Iowa

Eli Loltome

Illustrator and graphic designer Resides in Kenya

Joy Chelagat and Nehwoen Luogon

Contributing writers

Sammy Mwirotsi

Web design and develipment

Jim NJoroge

Layout and Design

Christine

COVER MODELDaphne Ngrsquoelechei Nelson mother of 2 (Soraya 22 months and Eli 4 months) United States Air Force Spouse and a graduate nurse

4 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

From the founderFrom the founderFrom the founder

Thank you thus far for your support of our magazine We are growing each day and in each day we are making a profound difference

From having an amazing team we also work with young adults encouraging and helping them nurture their young talent We are a lucky bunch for sure and excited on this amazing journey

Updates on what we are working on

We are partnering with Shoe4Africa as our Charity for year 2013 They are building the very first free children in East Africa YEAH We know that so many kids lives will be saved and you just canrsquot beat that Follow Shoe4Africa HERE

We are working on a Riziki Scholarship Fund We are hoping to offer a few scholarships to young deserving kids in African Check out our next issue for more details

Nancy Mwirotsi

We need to think

of the future and

the planet we are

going to leave to

our children and

their children

Kofi Annan

copy Copyright 2012 Riziki LLC All Rights Reserved Any copyingredistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of thisservice without the express written consent of Riziki LLC is

expressly prohibited

wwwrizikimagcomRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 5

ITrsquoS TIMEhellipBad habits have this magnetic pull

that makes breaking them an uphill task New Year resolutions target good habits we want to adopt and bad ones that we want to give up One may try to quit pouting control-ling anger overeating overspending or getting out of debt with different levels of success For the majority it is easier to live with the bad habits a little longer if only to try quitting later when strong enough to resist their pull

Bad habits rob you of peace You know you ought not to be engag-ing in it yet you end up doing it all the same You get the same results all the time you end up feeling bad and the cycle continues ldquoI just canrsquot help ithelliprdquo has become your com-mon refrain In his book First Things First Stephen Covey talks of some space between thought and action This space allows one to either go ahead with the conceived thought

or not to take any action all together Thoughts thus do not automatically translate into action Simply put what you end up with is what you decide on at that point so yes you can help it

Imagine for a moment that your mother takes you aside then at-tempts to breastfeed you at the age you are nowhellip Would you go ahead and suckle A resounding no Why then would you keep feeding a de-structive habit or a seemingly harm-less tendency that you have always wanted to quit By now you must have had enough of it so you need to be decisive Resolve to quit once and for all Forge ahead no matter the temptation to go back to it There is a whole lot more in the future to be explored than in the past that cannot be reclaimed

You will have to replace the old habit with a new one to fill the vacuum created in your life by its absence Figure out new things that you have

always wanted to do and put your heart and mind into them It could be spending more time with the family playing with your children exercising starting to put some money into a savings account or simply complain-ing less Start with small steps and gradually progress to higher levels Do not lose track of your goal You have to identify your objective and shun the side shows which come in the form of unsupportive friends and relatives low self esteem realities in life such as a poor economy ill health loss of loved ones and fatigue from having tried over and over Adapt to the reality of your situation and keep going for you will certainly get there someday It is time to create differ-ent satisfying experiences for you You always have a choice are you ready To paraphrase James Mich-ener may you have the courage to face temporary defeat and not lose forward motion

Happy and successful 2013

Tired of bad habits

SelfYou will have to

replace the old

habit with a new

one to fill the

vacuum created

in your life by its

absence Figure

out new things

that you have

always wanted to

do and put your

heart and mind

into them

Florence Chirchir

Recipe

6 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Joyce Mugun

Originally pronounced Kokwe za tende but the name kokotende caught on as it was easy for everyone to pronounce

Ingredients2 cups flour4 tbsps fine semolina1 tspn baking powder12 tsp cardamon powder2 tbsps melted butter34 cup milkwater or coconutEgg white ( optional)Pinch of salt

KokotendeRecipe

Sheera sugar coating 1 cup sugar12 cup waterDrop of vanillaPinch of cardamomCombine all then boil until thick and stickyDip the kokothende in the syrup and place on a trayStore in an airtight container when completely cooled

INSTRUCTIONSKnead together the ingredients to a doughForm tiny balls put them on the side and shape one by one using a fork by pressing the tiny piece of dough on the back of a fork and rolling them away to give it a perfect seashell shapeFry on low heat until golden and crispy (Do not fry on very high heat)Drain and set asideMake the sugar coating

Food

photo-httpstellasmezablogspotcom201210kokotendehtmlRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 7

Top ten thing to do in the

Dominican Republic

1 Santo Domingorsquos Zona Colo-

nial

2 Relaxing at Playa Rincoacuten

3 Leisurely Las Galeras

4 Bahiacutea de Las Aacuteguilas

5 Santo Domingo Nightlife amp

Dancing

6 Whale-watching

7 Descending the 27 water-

falls of Damajagua

8 White-water rafting

9 Winter Baseball

10 Mountain Vistas in Con-

stanza

Time to Globetrot

Enjoy the Dominican RepublicDominican republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola

part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean re-gion The western third of the island is occupied by the na-tion of Haiti making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands along with Saint Martin that are shared by two countries

Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba) with 48442 square kilometers (18704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people

The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean

The Dominican Republic has the ninth largest economy in Latin America and the second largest economy in the Carib-bean and Central American region

According to the CIA World Factbook the Dominican popula-tion is 73 multiracial 16 white and 11 black The multira-cial population is primarily a mixture of European and African but there is as well a minor Taiacuteno element in the population research published in 2010 showed that 15 of Dominicans have Taiacuteno ancestry and 70 have African genes

Source Wikipedia

Travel

8 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

phot

o co

urte

sy h

ttp

ww

wg

odom

inic

anre

publ

icc

om

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 9

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

From the founderFrom the founderFrom the founder

Thank you thus far for your support of our magazine We are growing each day and in each day we are making a profound difference

From having an amazing team we also work with young adults encouraging and helping them nurture their young talent We are a lucky bunch for sure and excited on this amazing journey

Updates on what we are working on

We are partnering with Shoe4Africa as our Charity for year 2013 They are building the very first free children in East Africa YEAH We know that so many kids lives will be saved and you just canrsquot beat that Follow Shoe4Africa HERE

We are working on a Riziki Scholarship Fund We are hoping to offer a few scholarships to young deserving kids in African Check out our next issue for more details

Nancy Mwirotsi

We need to think

of the future and

the planet we are

going to leave to

our children and

their children

Kofi Annan

copy Copyright 2012 Riziki LLC All Rights Reserved Any copyingredistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of thisservice without the express written consent of Riziki LLC is

expressly prohibited

wwwrizikimagcomRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 5

ITrsquoS TIMEhellipBad habits have this magnetic pull

that makes breaking them an uphill task New Year resolutions target good habits we want to adopt and bad ones that we want to give up One may try to quit pouting control-ling anger overeating overspending or getting out of debt with different levels of success For the majority it is easier to live with the bad habits a little longer if only to try quitting later when strong enough to resist their pull

Bad habits rob you of peace You know you ought not to be engag-ing in it yet you end up doing it all the same You get the same results all the time you end up feeling bad and the cycle continues ldquoI just canrsquot help ithelliprdquo has become your com-mon refrain In his book First Things First Stephen Covey talks of some space between thought and action This space allows one to either go ahead with the conceived thought

or not to take any action all together Thoughts thus do not automatically translate into action Simply put what you end up with is what you decide on at that point so yes you can help it

Imagine for a moment that your mother takes you aside then at-tempts to breastfeed you at the age you are nowhellip Would you go ahead and suckle A resounding no Why then would you keep feeding a de-structive habit or a seemingly harm-less tendency that you have always wanted to quit By now you must have had enough of it so you need to be decisive Resolve to quit once and for all Forge ahead no matter the temptation to go back to it There is a whole lot more in the future to be explored than in the past that cannot be reclaimed

You will have to replace the old habit with a new one to fill the vacuum created in your life by its absence Figure out new things that you have

always wanted to do and put your heart and mind into them It could be spending more time with the family playing with your children exercising starting to put some money into a savings account or simply complain-ing less Start with small steps and gradually progress to higher levels Do not lose track of your goal You have to identify your objective and shun the side shows which come in the form of unsupportive friends and relatives low self esteem realities in life such as a poor economy ill health loss of loved ones and fatigue from having tried over and over Adapt to the reality of your situation and keep going for you will certainly get there someday It is time to create differ-ent satisfying experiences for you You always have a choice are you ready To paraphrase James Mich-ener may you have the courage to face temporary defeat and not lose forward motion

Happy and successful 2013

Tired of bad habits

SelfYou will have to

replace the old

habit with a new

one to fill the

vacuum created

in your life by its

absence Figure

out new things

that you have

always wanted to

do and put your

heart and mind

into them

Florence Chirchir

Recipe

6 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Joyce Mugun

Originally pronounced Kokwe za tende but the name kokotende caught on as it was easy for everyone to pronounce

Ingredients2 cups flour4 tbsps fine semolina1 tspn baking powder12 tsp cardamon powder2 tbsps melted butter34 cup milkwater or coconutEgg white ( optional)Pinch of salt

KokotendeRecipe

Sheera sugar coating 1 cup sugar12 cup waterDrop of vanillaPinch of cardamomCombine all then boil until thick and stickyDip the kokothende in the syrup and place on a trayStore in an airtight container when completely cooled

INSTRUCTIONSKnead together the ingredients to a doughForm tiny balls put them on the side and shape one by one using a fork by pressing the tiny piece of dough on the back of a fork and rolling them away to give it a perfect seashell shapeFry on low heat until golden and crispy (Do not fry on very high heat)Drain and set asideMake the sugar coating

Food

photo-httpstellasmezablogspotcom201210kokotendehtmlRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 7

Top ten thing to do in the

Dominican Republic

1 Santo Domingorsquos Zona Colo-

nial

2 Relaxing at Playa Rincoacuten

3 Leisurely Las Galeras

4 Bahiacutea de Las Aacuteguilas

5 Santo Domingo Nightlife amp

Dancing

6 Whale-watching

7 Descending the 27 water-

falls of Damajagua

8 White-water rafting

9 Winter Baseball

10 Mountain Vistas in Con-

stanza

Time to Globetrot

Enjoy the Dominican RepublicDominican republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola

part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean re-gion The western third of the island is occupied by the na-tion of Haiti making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands along with Saint Martin that are shared by two countries

Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba) with 48442 square kilometers (18704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people

The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean

The Dominican Republic has the ninth largest economy in Latin America and the second largest economy in the Carib-bean and Central American region

According to the CIA World Factbook the Dominican popula-tion is 73 multiracial 16 white and 11 black The multira-cial population is primarily a mixture of European and African but there is as well a minor Taiacuteno element in the population research published in 2010 showed that 15 of Dominicans have Taiacuteno ancestry and 70 have African genes

Source Wikipedia

Travel

8 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

phot

o co

urte

sy h

ttp

ww

wg

odom

inic

anre

publ

icc

om

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 9

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

ITrsquoS TIMEhellipBad habits have this magnetic pull

that makes breaking them an uphill task New Year resolutions target good habits we want to adopt and bad ones that we want to give up One may try to quit pouting control-ling anger overeating overspending or getting out of debt with different levels of success For the majority it is easier to live with the bad habits a little longer if only to try quitting later when strong enough to resist their pull

Bad habits rob you of peace You know you ought not to be engag-ing in it yet you end up doing it all the same You get the same results all the time you end up feeling bad and the cycle continues ldquoI just canrsquot help ithelliprdquo has become your com-mon refrain In his book First Things First Stephen Covey talks of some space between thought and action This space allows one to either go ahead with the conceived thought

or not to take any action all together Thoughts thus do not automatically translate into action Simply put what you end up with is what you decide on at that point so yes you can help it

Imagine for a moment that your mother takes you aside then at-tempts to breastfeed you at the age you are nowhellip Would you go ahead and suckle A resounding no Why then would you keep feeding a de-structive habit or a seemingly harm-less tendency that you have always wanted to quit By now you must have had enough of it so you need to be decisive Resolve to quit once and for all Forge ahead no matter the temptation to go back to it There is a whole lot more in the future to be explored than in the past that cannot be reclaimed

You will have to replace the old habit with a new one to fill the vacuum created in your life by its absence Figure out new things that you have

always wanted to do and put your heart and mind into them It could be spending more time with the family playing with your children exercising starting to put some money into a savings account or simply complain-ing less Start with small steps and gradually progress to higher levels Do not lose track of your goal You have to identify your objective and shun the side shows which come in the form of unsupportive friends and relatives low self esteem realities in life such as a poor economy ill health loss of loved ones and fatigue from having tried over and over Adapt to the reality of your situation and keep going for you will certainly get there someday It is time to create differ-ent satisfying experiences for you You always have a choice are you ready To paraphrase James Mich-ener may you have the courage to face temporary defeat and not lose forward motion

Happy and successful 2013

Tired of bad habits

SelfYou will have to

replace the old

habit with a new

one to fill the

vacuum created

in your life by its

absence Figure

out new things

that you have

always wanted to

do and put your

heart and mind

into them

Florence Chirchir

Recipe

6 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Joyce Mugun

Originally pronounced Kokwe za tende but the name kokotende caught on as it was easy for everyone to pronounce

Ingredients2 cups flour4 tbsps fine semolina1 tspn baking powder12 tsp cardamon powder2 tbsps melted butter34 cup milkwater or coconutEgg white ( optional)Pinch of salt

KokotendeRecipe

Sheera sugar coating 1 cup sugar12 cup waterDrop of vanillaPinch of cardamomCombine all then boil until thick and stickyDip the kokothende in the syrup and place on a trayStore in an airtight container when completely cooled

INSTRUCTIONSKnead together the ingredients to a doughForm tiny balls put them on the side and shape one by one using a fork by pressing the tiny piece of dough on the back of a fork and rolling them away to give it a perfect seashell shapeFry on low heat until golden and crispy (Do not fry on very high heat)Drain and set asideMake the sugar coating

Food

photo-httpstellasmezablogspotcom201210kokotendehtmlRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 7

Top ten thing to do in the

Dominican Republic

1 Santo Domingorsquos Zona Colo-

nial

2 Relaxing at Playa Rincoacuten

3 Leisurely Las Galeras

4 Bahiacutea de Las Aacuteguilas

5 Santo Domingo Nightlife amp

Dancing

6 Whale-watching

7 Descending the 27 water-

falls of Damajagua

8 White-water rafting

9 Winter Baseball

10 Mountain Vistas in Con-

stanza

Time to Globetrot

Enjoy the Dominican RepublicDominican republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola

part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean re-gion The western third of the island is occupied by the na-tion of Haiti making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands along with Saint Martin that are shared by two countries

Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba) with 48442 square kilometers (18704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people

The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean

The Dominican Republic has the ninth largest economy in Latin America and the second largest economy in the Carib-bean and Central American region

According to the CIA World Factbook the Dominican popula-tion is 73 multiracial 16 white and 11 black The multira-cial population is primarily a mixture of European and African but there is as well a minor Taiacuteno element in the population research published in 2010 showed that 15 of Dominicans have Taiacuteno ancestry and 70 have African genes

Source Wikipedia

Travel

8 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

phot

o co

urte

sy h

ttp

ww

wg

odom

inic

anre

publ

icc

om

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 9

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

By Joyce Mugun

Originally pronounced Kokwe za tende but the name kokotende caught on as it was easy for everyone to pronounce

Ingredients2 cups flour4 tbsps fine semolina1 tspn baking powder12 tsp cardamon powder2 tbsps melted butter34 cup milkwater or coconutEgg white ( optional)Pinch of salt

KokotendeRecipe

Sheera sugar coating 1 cup sugar12 cup waterDrop of vanillaPinch of cardamomCombine all then boil until thick and stickyDip the kokothende in the syrup and place on a trayStore in an airtight container when completely cooled

INSTRUCTIONSKnead together the ingredients to a doughForm tiny balls put them on the side and shape one by one using a fork by pressing the tiny piece of dough on the back of a fork and rolling them away to give it a perfect seashell shapeFry on low heat until golden and crispy (Do not fry on very high heat)Drain and set asideMake the sugar coating

Food

photo-httpstellasmezablogspotcom201210kokotendehtmlRiziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 7

Top ten thing to do in the

Dominican Republic

1 Santo Domingorsquos Zona Colo-

nial

2 Relaxing at Playa Rincoacuten

3 Leisurely Las Galeras

4 Bahiacutea de Las Aacuteguilas

5 Santo Domingo Nightlife amp

Dancing

6 Whale-watching

7 Descending the 27 water-

falls of Damajagua

8 White-water rafting

9 Winter Baseball

10 Mountain Vistas in Con-

stanza

Time to Globetrot

Enjoy the Dominican RepublicDominican republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola

part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean re-gion The western third of the island is occupied by the na-tion of Haiti making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands along with Saint Martin that are shared by two countries

Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba) with 48442 square kilometers (18704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people

The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean

The Dominican Republic has the ninth largest economy in Latin America and the second largest economy in the Carib-bean and Central American region

According to the CIA World Factbook the Dominican popula-tion is 73 multiracial 16 white and 11 black The multira-cial population is primarily a mixture of European and African but there is as well a minor Taiacuteno element in the population research published in 2010 showed that 15 of Dominicans have Taiacuteno ancestry and 70 have African genes

Source Wikipedia

Travel

8 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

phot

o co

urte

sy h

ttp

ww

wg

odom

inic

anre

publ

icc

om

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 9

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Top ten thing to do in the

Dominican Republic

1 Santo Domingorsquos Zona Colo-

nial

2 Relaxing at Playa Rincoacuten

3 Leisurely Las Galeras

4 Bahiacutea de Las Aacuteguilas

5 Santo Domingo Nightlife amp

Dancing

6 Whale-watching

7 Descending the 27 water-

falls of Damajagua

8 White-water rafting

9 Winter Baseball

10 Mountain Vistas in Con-

stanza

Time to Globetrot

Enjoy the Dominican RepublicDominican republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola

part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean re-gion The western third of the island is occupied by the na-tion of Haiti making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands along with Saint Martin that are shared by two countries

Both by area and population the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba) with 48442 square kilometers (18704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people

The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean

The Dominican Republic has the ninth largest economy in Latin America and the second largest economy in the Carib-bean and Central American region

According to the CIA World Factbook the Dominican popula-tion is 73 multiracial 16 white and 11 black The multira-cial population is primarily a mixture of European and African but there is as well a minor Taiacuteno element in the population research published in 2010 showed that 15 of Dominicans have Taiacuteno ancestry and 70 have African genes

Source Wikipedia

Travel

8 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

phot

o co

urte

sy h

ttp

ww

wg

odom

inic

anre

publ

icc

om

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 9

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

phot

o co

urte

sy h

ttp

ww

wg

odom

inic

anre

publ

icc

om

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 9

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Never too late or

early to care about

breast cancer

Thank you Amy and Tom for letting us share your blog

About Amy and Tom Only days after her annual well-woman exam Amy Hauser discov-ered a lump This walnut-sized lump (stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ndash breast cancer) would be only the first in a series of life altering events for Amy her family and the trajectory of

her lifeAmy and her husband Tom jour-

neyed through cancer with a bold-ness that is both inspiring and chal-lenging From Amyrsquos decision not to wear a wig so that her light would not be hidden to their commitment as a couple to devote their lives to launch-ing Made For More Ministries Tom and Amy are sharing the hope and healing extended to them

Top 6 Reactions Men Have to Their Wifersquos Cancer DiagnosisIN 2010 my wife Amy found a wal-nut-sized lump just a few days after her annual female exam It shocked us both because she had just been deemed ldquohealthyrdquo The doctors showed immediate concern ran tests and left us with five long days to wait for results results that would be life changing We spent those 5

Health

httpmadeformoreministriescomblog

photo-sxchu

10 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Hearing that your wife has cancer is

enough to rock any manrsquos world The

sudden earthquake of emotion is

overwhelming to say the least

Get the books here

days waiting worrying wondering but mainly we pre-pared for an inevitable fight

The results showed stage two invasive ductile carci-noma ndash breast cancer It had spread to Amyrsquos lymph nodes ndash (where she found the lump)

Hearing that your wife has cancer is enough to rock any manrsquos world The sudden earthquake of emotion is overwhelming to say the least Your reaction atti-tude and the path you take will have a huge impact on how well this battle is fought Your attitude is second only to hers and will significantly shape hers It may appear that your choices are minimal but you actually have several choices (and will most likely consider all of them at some point along the way) You can choose to

1 Bail Out ldquoI didnrsquot sign up for this Irsquom outta hererdquo2 Cop Out ldquoItrsquos her tough luck and Irsquom not gonna let

it change my comfortable well (self)-ordered worldhelliprdquo3 Check Out ldquoIf I ignoredeny it long enough it will

go awayrdquo4 Wimp Out ldquoNow I have this to deal with on top of

everything elserdquo5 Duke it Out (Superman Style) ldquoI will take care

of everything ndash the kids the house the wash I will be the chauffeur doctor pharmacist personal assistant masseur psychiatrist and spiritual advisor Wherersquos my caperdquo

6 Live it Out ndash Be Her mate ldquoTime to earn my man card fulfill my vows draw closer to her and get through this together ndash emerging stronger for itrdquo

Itrsquos your call A lot of guys take option 1 A blend of 2 through 5 is the chosen path for others (Notice 1-5 are all ldquoIrdquo focused) But if you want to put on your big boy pants and choose option 6 congratulations Yoursquoll earn your man card It wonrsquot be easy but as a guy who has been there done that got the t-shirt I learned some hard-knock lessons It is my prayer that by pass-ing them on your journey can be the best it can be

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 11

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Miriam was not only the first African to vocalist to put African Mu-sic on the map but a human rights campaigner

Makeba lived and sang in a divided time and spoke out in favor of equality and justice Through her music she was able to bring peo-ple together to enjoy the beauty of unique cultures and the shared human experience ldquoI donrsquot sing about politics I sing the truthrdquo she told her audiences

Her vocal denunciation of South African apartheid also resulted in the withdrawal of her passport by the South African government She lived in exile for 31 years until the end of apartheid saw the election of President Nelson Mandela

The Epoch Times

Our top Five Makeba songs

Pata PataMalaikaClick songTululuAfrica Is Where My Heart Lies

To our Beloved Mama Mama Africa Miriam Makeba

Music

photo-martjiecartercoza

12 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

I look at an ant

and I see myself a

native South African

endowed by nature

with a strength much

greater than my size

so I might cope with

the weight of a racism

that crushes my spirit

Miriam Makeba

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 13

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Feature

Fall downget back

up again

Nobody would have guessed that the young African cleaning tables at Bread and Chocolate in 1990 would someday be one of the top names on Wall Street Having been made home-less a few months earlier Yohannes Tilahun perhaps didnrsquot see the extent to which his drive to make something out of his life would amount to

Yohannes was born into a privileged family in Ethiopia and went for fur-

ther studies in the United States at the young age of 19 Like many young people immigrating to the US he got caught up in enjoying life and lost track of his education

ldquoMy privileged background had pre-pared me to be successful in life I come from a good family but once I came to the US I lost my focus and I got addicted to the life on the fast lane having fun and making moneyrdquo

admits Yohannes Five years after leaving his home in the Horn of Africa Yohannes was suspended from the university kicked out of his apartment and was facing the possibility of being deported by the immigration author-ities

At that time his mother came to visit and was dismayed to find her son sleeping on the streets of Washington DC The bleak circumstances coupled

By Joy Chelangrsquoat

14 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

by his familyrsquos disappointment put things back in perspective giving him the motivation to make a complete turnaround

ldquoI asked myself lsquoWhat I am taking back to Ethiopia I have nothing I have ashamed my family I have no degree no moneyrsquordquo he narrates

He made the decision to make some-thing out of his life He pleaded with the immigration judge hearing his case to give him another chance and he got a job cleaning tables at a bakery Yo-hannes re-enrolled in school and re-ceived a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1997 from the University of the District of Columbia

For the seven years that he was in school Yohannes worked at Bread and Chocolate rising up the ranks from a lowly bus boy to the manager of 16 restaurants The tough years of jug-gling education and work engrained in him persistence-a virtue that would give him a cutting edge in his next ven-ture-Wall Street Conquering Wall Street

Yohannes sent out applications to 149 firms seeking employment and eventually company 143 hired him Yo-hannes launched his career in finance together with 350 other recruits in 1999 at Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-ney as a junior broker At the end of his first year on Wall Street Yohannes had not only beaten the odds by keep-ing his job he had become the number two junior broker in the whole country For most people success of that cali-ber would have been the focus of their thoughts - not for Yohannes

ldquoI had a huge fascination why do most brokers fail in this business I realized that the way we train brokers is wrong Thatrsquos why eighty percent of them fail within the first two years rdquo Yohannes said

With that understanding Yohannes began to deliberate on how the train-ing process could be improved Even-tually he came up with an improved training program for the branch which

he tested for one year with great suc-cess The company was so impressed with his innovation that they awarded him with a Sales Manager position Not long after his appointment Mor-gan Stanley made him head of training for the companyrsquos worst performing region Within three years the region was first in the country

Yohannes then came up with yet an-other idea for improving work produc-tivity The company was however not as enthusiastic about the software so a friend advised him to pitch the idea to Wells Fargo instead Through creativity and diligence Yohannes carved a niche for himself in innovation and business intelligence Under his leadership the company beat its peers by being the first company to come up with a cen-tralized business plan

Amidst all his success Yohannes found himself battling with emptiness This drove him to reach out to charita-ble organizations where he could lend a helping hand Through a friend Yohan-nes met with the CEO of Big Brother Big Sister and struck a deal which saw him analyze data of troubled children that the organization was mentoring

ldquoThe most satisfaction I ever got was when I helped someone and they said thank you I just wanted to helprdquo re-members Yohannes

His successful track record landed him several accolades among them the Innovation Partner Award which was awarded to him by the Governor of Missouri for his role in the Big Brother Big Sister Foundation In 2010 Yohan-nes was voted one of the Top 100 ex-ecutive under 50 in the United StatesGoing back home

In 2012 an organization dedicated to the transformation of Ethiopiarsquos ag-riculture reached out to him seeking to have him join the team as a Senior Director The Agricultural Transforma-tion Agency which is funded by among many others by the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to increase produc-

Pictures of young Yohannes

photosCourtesy

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 15

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Feature

tion and productivity by removing systemic bottlenecks in the agricul-ture sector in areas that range from seed system to mechanization to post harvest handling to markets

Despite the significant pay cut and the challenge relocating posed Yo-hannes took a break from Wall Street and took the job Since February 2013 Yohannes has been working toward creating strategies to boost food se-curity and developing agriculture in Ethiopia

Moving back home has also given him an opportunity to give back to a cause that is close to his heart-educa-tion Yohannes recalls spending most his Saturdays in the library reading as a child -this is an opportunity that he would like to accord to children who are not fortunate to have libraries in

their communities Looking back at his life so far Yo-

hannes attributes his success to the virtues that were instilled in him as a child Yohannes who refers to his family as his foundation block at-tributes his strong work ethic to his father

ldquoEvery business deal everything he did-he used to take me with him I re-member my first board meeting was when I was seven years old And that became my passion for businessrdquo said Yohannes fondly

From his mother Yohannes learned perseverance ldquoShe never gives up on anything She is the most persistent woman I have ever met I inherited that from her and thatrsquos why no mat-ter what hardship I go through I never give uprdquo he says of her

So what does Yohannes have to say to the younger generation

ldquoIf you are not sure about you want out of life just do the best with what you have in your hands Be positive and have the right attituderdquo

ldquoAlways meet new people Network network networkrdquo

ldquo If you are the smartest person in your group-you are in the wrong grouprdquo

ldquoBe disciplined-this means have a goal and never deviate from itrdquo

ldquoNever give up Along the way you will have hurdles Instead of com-plaining learn from it

ldquoLearn to give back to society If you give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are without expecting anything in return eventu-ally success will come back to yourdquo

16 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

F

a

sh

io

n

ista

Nathan Apina enjoying the

day at the park

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 17

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Style

Style up and Dress up with boots

Style

By Nehwoen Luogon

httpstylepantrycom20130124white-button-up-school-girl-dress-rain-bootsPHOTOS

httpstylepantrycom20121203cable-knit-cardigan-skinnies-rain-boots

18 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

joul

esus

aco

m

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

m

http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

febl

ogco

m

http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Styleht

tp

ww

wa

liexp

ress

com

http

w

ww

net

-a-p

orte

rcom

http

w

ww

pol

yvor

eco

mht

tp

ww

wp

olyv

ore

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

http

w

ww

lyst

com

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ww

joul

esus

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http

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ww

pol

yvor

eco

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http

w

ww

theb

eaut

yofli

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ogco

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http

w

ww

loef

flerra

ndal

lcom

http

sh

opn

ords

trom

com

http

th

edev

ilwea

rsba

lletfl

ats

wor

dpre

ssco

m

Rockfish Gold Wellington Rainboots

Hunter brand rainboots ndash Hunter Earlham shearing

trimmed rain boots

Jeffrey Campbell Marsha Over the Knee Rainboot

Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain boot Pollini - Tall Leather Trim Buckle Rain Boots

Hunter brand - Hunter Gabby Rain Boots

Joules Brand ndash Evedon Rain boot

Hunter Brand ndash Hunter Interlaken Rain Boots

Loeffler Randall Brand Rainboots ndash LR rain bootie

Loeffler Randall Brand - LR Rain slip-on

Hunter Brand RainbootsJimmy Choo for Hunter

Loeffler Randall Matilde Rain Boots

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 19

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

photo-nytimescom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Read

Born in Nigeria in 1930 Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan In 1958 his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages He died on March 21 2013 at age 82 in Boston Massachusetts

Books

Things Fall Apart

The concubine

Chinua Achebe

ldquoWhen suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stoolrdquo

ndash Chinua Achebe

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

AFRICA

NOTA CONTINENT

A COUNTRY

22 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

A CONTINENT

Africa

There are four major groups of African languages Afro-Asiatic Nilo-Saharian Niger-Saharian (Niger-Congo) and Khoi-san on the map you see the distribution of language families and some major African languagesList of official national and spoken lan-guages of Africa

Africa is a continent with a very high lin-guistic diversity there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languagesOf these languages four main groupings can be distinguishedAfro-Asiatic(appoximately 200 languages) covering nearly Northern Africa (including the horn of Africa Central Sahara et the top Nile)

Nilo-Saharian gathering appoximately 140 languages with some eleven millions speakers scat-tered in Central and Eastern AfricaNiger-Saharian (Niger-Congo)covering the two third of Africa with as a principal branch the Niger-Congo which gathers more than 1000 languages with some 200 millions speakers The Bantu languages of Central Southern and East-ern Africa form a sub-group of the Niger Congo branch

Khoisan gathering about thirty languages in West-ern part of Southern AfricaAll African languages are considered offi-cial languages of the African Union

Official and Spoken

Languages of African

Countries

httpwwwnationsonlineorgoneworldafrican_languageshtm

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 23

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Home

photo-httpwwwikeahackersnet201302give-little-chic-storage-to-pallbohtml

Foot stool by

Give a little chic

storage to the

Pallbo footstool

MaterialsSOLSTA PALLBO footstool candle

holders (4) screws (4) jigsaw polisher plywood upholstery foam

lining stapler textile sewing machine

Description I took the footstool apart and turned

it upside down I drilled four holes on the bottom and screwed in the

candle holders I sawed the new top from plywood and I polished the

edges a bit

I covered the sides and the top separately with the foam and the

lining fixing them with a stapler

Then I upholstered these items with textile with the stapler again and sewed where needed (eg at the

sides)

Now the new footstool doubles as a storage item for magazines or a soft

throw

24 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Money

Chop

your cable billCable TV can make a huge chunk of your monthly expenses that can add up really quick On av-erage most people spend about $950 per year on their cable bills Here are some things to consider to lower that

1 Free TV from your antenna Antenna could be something from the past

but at least guarantees you some free shows

2 Pay services Services that stream online like Hulu Plus ($7 Month)

Netflix ($9Month) MLBtv ($80year) provide a cheaper option for watching movies and some shows

3 Websites Some companies do offer full episodes of their shows online

4 Connecting your tv With de-vices like Roku Xbox 360 HDMI cable

Apple Tv and others help you get media content directly to your TV

With the above options you can cut your bills to over 90

photo-onarchitecturesitecom

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 25

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

AfricaThe african

Poetry

Dr Ahmadu A Baba-Singhri26 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Dedicated to my beloved late brother

Alhaji Ababakar Barau-Singhri

To have pride but lacking dignity

To have creativity but lacking initiative

To have resources without being resourceful

To have plenty but have none

To have food but be hungry

To have riches but be poor

To have home but be homeless

To be fertile but be unproductive

To be full but be empty

To be natural but be unconscious

To be a genius but be unintelligent

To be tall but be short

To be beautiful but be ugly

To be exciting but be dull

To be happy but be angry

To be joyful but be saddened

To be first but be last

To be king but be subject

To be queen but be maid

To be master but be slave

To be generous but be ungiving

To be altruistic but be greedyTo have power but be powerless

To be educated but be ignorant

To be wise but be foolish

To be kind but be cruel

To be democratic but be oligarchic

To be monarchic but be tyrannical

To be peaceful but be violent

To be one but be alone

To be a warrior but a be a coward

To be humble but be arrogant

To have villages but be villagers

To be African but be African

photo-sxchu

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 27

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Lea Neema Elizabeth Kipendo orig-inally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a smile to the people in her community She is the fourth child in a family of 6 broth-ers and 3 sisters who all now live in Iowa USA Learsquos family relocated to Arizona USA in 2011 from Mozam-bique Her family had earlier fled to Tanzania from Congo but because of the violence that followed them they were placed in a refugee camp in Mozambique

Even though they were a little safer from the raging war in the Congo life at the camp was restricted in mobility enforced inertia and de-pendency For them it felt like a hu-man warehouse where lives were on a doubtful hold a prison but with the added injustice of never committing a crime You never had good sleep because of fear that had settled in peoplersquos mind It was a life lived but survived on charity All that truly belonged to you was your family and everything else was from someonersquos charitable

hands The clothes shoes water house it was all just temporary Even the food they ate everyday was a depended on the good will of someone else

During the interview Lea was as-tonished to see that someone thought of her special enough to merit being in a magazine but added you know ldquoMy life here in America is a good thing even though my mom does not currently have a job we are fine because my dad provides for my family rdquo

Lea is involved in several activi-ties and plans to help unite her community Although she only 13 years old Lea has a vision of reach-ing out to others teaching them and spreading love Lea hopes that she does well in school so that she may fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor and travel the world helping people through the medical field She speaks Swahili Kibembe En-glish Portuguese some French and is currently learning Spanish

Only 13 but can speak 4 languages fluently

Inspire

By Yena Balekyani

Although

she only 13

years old Lea

has a vision

of reaching

out to others

teaching them

and spreading

love

photo-courtesy

28 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

By Marcus DuveskogEducational game on Forestry developed by Kenyan students in collaboration between Chep-koilel University College(Now University Of Eldoret) Eldoret Kenya and University of Eastern Finland

Apart from answering questions the application also has mini games that needs to be solved such as a word find game picture puzzle and a balancing game

EntventureInnovation

Game Link

photo-httpwwwsxchu

httpsplaygooglecomstoreappsdetailsid=frchepentVentureampfeature=search_result23t=W-251bGwsMSwyLDEsImZyLmNoZXAuZW50VmVudHVyZSJd

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 29

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Short Story

The cooking potSo I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the

hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation

schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I

pray that some day no child and mother will have to

watch a vulture in their last moments of life

photo-httpearthafricacuriocom

By Karue Njeru

30 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Short StoryThe earthen cooking potsits lonely in the dark cornerof the now crumbling mud walled huther mouth is long dryno home for fliesnowthey quench their thirston the weak and sully boywhose energy is long wornhe fights them no morehis arms wonrsquot movelying in the scorching sunbaked dry under the noon day heat

His motherrsquos scary figure sitsleaning on the once homely shelterher arms seemingly longer as the bonethreatens to tear out of the thin and dry skinshe wears no expression on her faceher heart seems to have sentall feelings back from where they had comea place she remembers no morefor her brains have left toocompletely detached from the present worlda world in which she had had dreamshopes and prayers for her flesh and bloodher empty gaze follows the giant vulturesfor now they are keeping a distance from herthey see a mask and await patientlyfor its lifting- it wonrsquot be long nowman and beast know itthey will pounce on their next mealtheir animal carcasses are long done with

This is the picture proudly presentedon my television screenI watch it in the warm havenand safety of my home lying lazily after another quiet dayon my comfortable couch

my children well fedthey lie safely in their cosy bedsmy dust bins laden with the leftovers of the last mealno flies or insects attack themthey have been relinquishedand kept off by the chemicalI can so easily acquire

I am scuttled back to the earththe screen is yelling at my brainsmy heart is bleeding with passionbutmost of allI am bitter I am angryraving and puffing angerstinking mad-crazy crazy crazy

For it is that time againthe season for the well fed politiciansto campaign for yet another chanceto get into the house of decisionsdecisions they should make on behalfof their fellow country menbut the scary and real drama of theunfortunate is their big motion pictureto fatten their bank accountstheir wallet seams are bursting the expensiveand rare leather that is filledwith begged notesnotes given on behalf of thevulture attacked peoples of his land

The earthen cooking potshall one day tell the talewhen its users have long been forgottenit will bear their historyfor the coming generationwhen they shall try to figure outwhy mankind was wiped offfrom a region with potentialto harbour generations for a lifetimea region where a fresh water lake sits quietly-elegantly promising life for very many decades

For it is that

time again

the season for

the well fed

politicians

to campaign

for yet another

chance

to get into

the house of

decisions

decisions they

should make on

behalf

of their fellow

country men

but the scary

and real drama

of the

unfortunate is

their big motion

picture

to fatten their

bank accounts

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 31

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

The gates open a beehive of activ-ity once again It is evening and the aspiring senator is on his way home His day has been spent shuttling be-tween media houses luncheons and press conferences The best writers and marketers have gone through all that is written about him with a fine comb Only that which attracts ad-miration from his folks praise from the foreign lands and recognition by businessmen who would fund his campaign will pass through All that part with the big fat checks will re-main hopeful that someday soon the favour will be returned in form of a well needed and somewhat deserved signature a return on investment

One hand washing the otherHis home is surrounded by a wall

made of the hardest bricks topped up with the thickest electro wiring pow-erful enough to instantly roast the biggest of the male elephants that freely roam in the wild The guards working in shifts around the home bringing him home safely are well paid to do their job efficiently Roam-ing in the compound are herds of the German shepherds so well fed and trained they would pounce on any stranger and kill him instantly

Honourable Kamankuku is home safe and he has a few minutes to greet his dogs for he must keep in touch with them they are wild and could turn against him if he stopped treating them well Later he will sit around the dining table and pass a few polite gestures to his children and the few visiting relatives Few be-

cause anyone coming into his home must be invited and issued with a special pass that is hard to come by even for the many people who boast that they are related to him or that they went to the same school

Tonight just like most other nights he will sit on the gold-rimmed couches watching as the TV screen airs his activities for the day yet again He is frequently in the news now it is campaign time He watches a big cloud of dust is blowing as a gov-ernment helicopter lands then out of this cloudy dust come the security guards one even wonders what they are needed here for the very few folks who have walked the last few days

from far and wide are weary and so weak none of them can even raise a hand to greet the visitors let alone cast a stone to harm the Honourable guest

The news came in a few days ago they have been summoned to ap-pear enticed with promises there will be lots of goodies for them meaning they gather their last energyhellip itrsquos all they have left They gather their old tins and walk treading the dry stony land to the meeting point Only a few will make it to the meeting most fall-ing down along the way Someday their bones will lead historians to a place where there was once a settle-ment

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a tongue that no one in the audi-ence understands promising heaven and earth He does not notice a few of

his spectators dropping from fatigue He scoops the dry genetically-mod-ified corn that has been generously airlifted from countries afar

My reaction at the news was very different from all those neighbours who will quickly grab their telephones and unthinkingly dial the number that is now on the screen Their calls will automatically charge them a few pennies to save the lot that the Hon Kamankuku has highlighted

I quickly scribble in something that will give me some history and back-ground of this unfortunate news on hunger I keep with the news from my motherland but so far this had not been mentioned It will later dawn on us that even as I earlier shopped at my local supermarket buying veg-etables fruits and flowers from the land of my birth the producers have been plagued by drought for over two years

I canrsquot help wondering why HonKamankuku and his ilk donrsquot think of an irrigation scheme in this region therersquos this huge fresh water lake why wouldnrsquot they persuade other countries that so readily support their cause to enable growth here with some worthwhile project

HonKamankuku quickly hands out the rations and leaves the few bags behind the weary lot are now pounc-ing on the fallen grain that scattered as they all tried to get to it now they peck on the hard ground picking with their fingers for a couple of grains how they will prepare it is unknown for therersquos no water in the vicinity They might use stone to grind some to flour The news does not show what happens after the helicopter takes off back into the air

Well politics is a fact of our lives even before the new form of gover-nance came When I recall the stories of my grandfather the old and wise were well respected and handled the governance of their folks and at the same time were the holy ones who

Hon Kamankuku speaks eloquently in a

tongue that no one in the audience under-

stands promising heaven and earth He does

not notice a few of his spectators dropping

from fatigue He scoops the dry genetic-

ally-modified corn that has been generously

airlifted from countries afar

Short story

32 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

made decisions on the law for their people to live in harmony they were the judges who handed out punishment or banish-ment they called on their people if rains had failed or if a down-pour had wiped out some of them they alone could decide what remedy would be accorded their God to appease him They had lived in great harmony and had faced a lot of challenges

So I rest the ugly ghosts to slumber and awaken the hope that this dry region will one day know irrigation schemes a constant supply of fresh organic food I pray that some day no child and mother will have to watch a vulture in their last moments of life

The ghosts of the vultures slowly fade awayI set them free back into the wild where they belongthat they too may live in nature as was plannedI lay my head on the pillow knowing in my hearthopeI fill my dreams with lovefor all the selflessnessof the few teachersin the classroomin the house of worshipin the street cornerin the fields through radio stations andI pray someday soonthe screens willbe proudly presentingthe now valuable educationthat every singlecountryman holds the keythey make the decisionsknowingly responsiblyfor all generations ensuring that the cooking potdoes not go down to marka chapter of sadness in historybut the generation nowand generations to comewill make the history of this landa worthwhile read of chaptersa well educated lotknowledgeable and wisemaking the right decisionsliving in good provisionfor all their daysas was intendedby the great mastertheir maker

Short Story

His home is sur-

rounded by a wall

made of the hard-

est bricks topped up

with the thickest elec-

tro wiring powerful

enough to instantly

roast the biggest of the

male elephants that

freely roam in the

wild

Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013 33

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

Cartoon

34 Riziki Magazine Issue 3 April 2013

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

LoveMothersrsquo

Agatha Christie

lovefor her child is like nothing else in the worldIt knows no

lawno pityit dares all thingsand crushes down

remorselessly all that stand in its path

A

Happy Mothersrsquo Day

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom

THE BASE PROJECT

The Base Project serves as a bridge for artisans in the developing world to access global markets while building

their business skillsThe entrepreneurs we partner with learn invaluable communicationoperationsbasic finance and

marketing skills that provide a means to improve their lives and their community

wwwthebaseprojectcom