On the long list of qualifications and working experience is Minimum height.
From the Street: Uganda has one of the largest youth unemployment fractions in the world. And tough times are projected.
At first, having a Bachelor’s Degree was enough to have companies and government parastatals knocking at your door, often times before finishing university. When graduates’ numbers started flying near the roof, having a Master’s or any other Postgraduate qualification was a safety measure.
During this period, required job experience was being increased from internship to years, now nearing a decade. This didn’t deter citizens from exploring the heights.
Interviews were sat, short listed applicants named, but at the end, their has to be one winner. Then graduate numbers flew over the roof. Interview panels came up with a lot of techniques to ‘sort the wheat from the chaff’, like asking irrelevant questions in relation to the job.
And now, one company has a new formula. Height. Not just height. Minimum height. And it is set at 5ft 6 inches.
In a job opportunity advert posted in The Daily Monitor, Wednesday, March 2, 2011 page 16. Security guards are invited for a walk in interview by a company called Securex Agencies (U) Limited. But they must have a minimum height of 5ft 6inches.
My mind tells me that at the door to the interview room will be seated a member of the interview panel. The first question is neither oral nor written.
The first question is for the applicant to stand by a calibrated stick measuring 5ft 6inches. And if you cant see the tip of the stick, sorry, make a u-turn.
Giving information that you are single, divorced, from a certain tribe or religion, could keep you unemployed for an extra day.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Residents Turn Mosquito Nets into Wedding Dress
From the Landing Site; Many have always taken it as a bad joke, but not anymore. So I will say it again. The biggest obstacle against anti-malaria strategies is the people in communities that receive the mosquito net donations. They turn the mosquito nets into fishing nets.
And some sort of ‘export’ is taking place. As a one Benon Emuna told the media, “we adopted the style a week ago from residents fishing on River Moroto and it is working well.” New Vision of February 2011. The incentive is that the mosquito nets catch all types and sizes of fish.
In the NGO and civil service world, it would require the formation of a team, sending it on a familiarization tour. When this team comes back, it makes a report. The basis of the report leads to a capacity building workshop in a plushy conference room. Then a feasibility study of the target area, more workshops and seminars. After many more reports, launches and seminars would the program then be launched, or re-launched.
But Mr. Emuna and company adopted the style, and within a week, confidently says it is working well.
These residents of Yikwii village, Alebtong district should receive an award for this multi-innovation.
Another lucrative trade, if I borrow the word of the reporter, is of using the nets to make wedding dresses. I will leave fashion police agents to rate such a dress. Then after the wedding, they use the net to shield themselves against mosquitoes at night.
At the wedding, the couple would have treated the guests to star studded course meal of a fish delicacy. The surplus of the fish is sold off to contribute to the other items for the wedding, including the earlier wedding dress.
And some sort of ‘export’ is taking place. As a one Benon Emuna told the media, “we adopted the style a week ago from residents fishing on River Moroto and it is working well.” New Vision of February 2011. The incentive is that the mosquito nets catch all types and sizes of fish.
In the NGO and civil service world, it would require the formation of a team, sending it on a familiarization tour. When this team comes back, it makes a report. The basis of the report leads to a capacity building workshop in a plushy conference room. Then a feasibility study of the target area, more workshops and seminars. After many more reports, launches and seminars would the program then be launched, or re-launched.
But Mr. Emuna and company adopted the style, and within a week, confidently says it is working well.
These residents of Yikwii village, Alebtong district should receive an award for this multi-innovation.
Another lucrative trade, if I borrow the word of the reporter, is of using the nets to make wedding dresses. I will leave fashion police agents to rate such a dress. Then after the wedding, they use the net to shield themselves against mosquitoes at night.
At the wedding, the couple would have treated the guests to star studded course meal of a fish delicacy. The surplus of the fish is sold off to contribute to the other items for the wedding, including the earlier wedding dress.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Ruby Nuby Comes to Kampala
The mission of Ruby Nuby is to provide an environment that facilitates immersive learning by a Community of Contributors(TM) who contribute, learn and succeed by collaborating, cooperating and supporting each other. We work to promote a path to success where equal access, social justice, equability, diversity and sustainability are embraced.
To achieve this, Ruby Nuby plans to:
-Create an environment that allows all to succeed in a collaborative, cooperative manner.
-Train the next generation of web developers and tech entrepreneurs in Kampala,
-Train disadvantaged and at-risk youths and fund their training
-Fund startup companies and attract additional funding for your companies.
Economically develop the arts.
-Change the educational system from a pay forward model where one incurs debt without a guarantee of a job to a payback model where one collaborates with and contributes to a community and is placed in a career.
To achieve this, Ruby Nuby plans to:
-Create an environment that allows all to succeed in a collaborative, cooperative manner.
-Train the next generation of web developers and tech entrepreneurs in Kampala,
-Train disadvantaged and at-risk youths and fund their training
-Fund startup companies and attract additional funding for your companies.
Economically develop the arts.
-Change the educational system from a pay forward model where one incurs debt without a guarantee of a job to a payback model where one collaborates with and contributes to a community and is placed in a career.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Rwandan Journalists Jailed
Two Rwandan journalists, Agnes Nkusi Uwimana, and Saidati Mukakibibi have been sentenced to jail over opinion pieces they wrote ahead of the August 2010 presidential elections.
Agnes Nkusi Uwimana, editor of the private Kinyarwanda tabloid newspaper, Umurabyo, was sentenced to 17 years. Her deputy editor, Saidati Mukakibibi, was sentenced to 7 years.
Agnes Nkusi Uwimana was found guilty of threatening state security, genocide ideology, divisionism and defamation. Saidati Mukakibibi was found guilty of threatening state security.
The pair was prosecuted over several articles they had written in which they criticized government policies and made corruption allegations against senior government officials, including President Kagame.
Among several articles, the judge referred to one saying some Rwandans were unhappy with the country's rulers. Prosecutors said this was "meant to stir [up] hatred and fury against the government".
The judge cited several other offending articles including one which criticised the Gacaca traditional community courts set up to deal with 1994 genocide cases and others criticising Rwanda's reconciliation process.
“Today’s verdict marks yet another blow to freedom of expression and opinion in Rwanda”, said Amnesty International’s Africa Programme Director, Erwin van der Borght. “The government has not adequately demonstrated how the articles could be construed as a threat to national security or were intended, or likely, to incite violence” He added.
Rwandan government defends its tough media laws, pointing to the role of "hate media" ahead of the genocide.
Before prosecution, Uwimana was called before Rwanda’s Media High Council, a government-aligned media regulatory body, to respond to allegations that her articles were defamatory.
In 2007, Uwimana served a one-year sentence after being convicted of divisionism and defamation. The prosecution was based on an article comparing the current Rwandan administration to the government of former President Habyarimana. Uwimana said she accepted some of her articles may have lacked professionalism.
“Journalists must be free to criticize public officials and policies without fear of criminal sanctions for defamation”, said Erwin van der Borght. “Rwandan officials should respond to criticism, rather than try to stamp it out”.
Vague laws on “genocide ideology” and “sectarianism” laws were introduced in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide, to restrict speech that could promote hatred.
The law prohibits hate speech, but also criminalizes legitimate criticism of the government.
The Rwandan government expressed commitment in April 2010 to review the “genocide ideology” law.
The Rwandan government clamped down on critics before the August 2010 presidential elections. They used regulatory sanctions, restrictive laws and criminal defamation cases to close down media outlets critical of the government. Some leading editors and journalists fled Rwanda after facing repeated threats.
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, guaranteed by a number of international conventions.
Minimal impairment of the enjoyment of this right is permitted only in special circumstances and must be acceptable and demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.
President Paul Kagame came to power in 1994, ending the genocide in which some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered.
Agnes Nkusi Uwimana, editor of the private Kinyarwanda tabloid newspaper, Umurabyo, was sentenced to 17 years. Her deputy editor, Saidati Mukakibibi, was sentenced to 7 years.
Agnes Nkusi Uwimana was found guilty of threatening state security, genocide ideology, divisionism and defamation. Saidati Mukakibibi was found guilty of threatening state security.
The pair was prosecuted over several articles they had written in which they criticized government policies and made corruption allegations against senior government officials, including President Kagame.
Among several articles, the judge referred to one saying some Rwandans were unhappy with the country's rulers. Prosecutors said this was "meant to stir [up] hatred and fury against the government".
The judge cited several other offending articles including one which criticised the Gacaca traditional community courts set up to deal with 1994 genocide cases and others criticising Rwanda's reconciliation process.
“Today’s verdict marks yet another blow to freedom of expression and opinion in Rwanda”, said Amnesty International’s Africa Programme Director, Erwin van der Borght. “The government has not adequately demonstrated how the articles could be construed as a threat to national security or were intended, or likely, to incite violence” He added.
Rwandan government defends its tough media laws, pointing to the role of "hate media" ahead of the genocide.
Before prosecution, Uwimana was called before Rwanda’s Media High Council, a government-aligned media regulatory body, to respond to allegations that her articles were defamatory.
In 2007, Uwimana served a one-year sentence after being convicted of divisionism and defamation. The prosecution was based on an article comparing the current Rwandan administration to the government of former President Habyarimana. Uwimana said she accepted some of her articles may have lacked professionalism.
“Journalists must be free to criticize public officials and policies without fear of criminal sanctions for defamation”, said Erwin van der Borght. “Rwandan officials should respond to criticism, rather than try to stamp it out”.
Vague laws on “genocide ideology” and “sectarianism” laws were introduced in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide, to restrict speech that could promote hatred.
The law prohibits hate speech, but also criminalizes legitimate criticism of the government.
The Rwandan government expressed commitment in April 2010 to review the “genocide ideology” law.
The Rwandan government clamped down on critics before the August 2010 presidential elections. They used regulatory sanctions, restrictive laws and criminal defamation cases to close down media outlets critical of the government. Some leading editors and journalists fled Rwanda after facing repeated threats.
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, guaranteed by a number of international conventions.
Minimal impairment of the enjoyment of this right is permitted only in special circumstances and must be acceptable and demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.
President Paul Kagame came to power in 1994, ending the genocide in which some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Congo’s Presidential Palace Attacked
Unidentified gunmen attacked the house of Democratic Republic of Congo’s president on Sunday 27, setting off a short but fierce firefight that killed at least six people, Congolese officials said.
The security forces have so far arrested 50, out of estimated 60 people who attacked the palace. The motive for the attack was not clear, said Lambert Mende, information minister for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to Mr. Mende, a group of heavily armed attackers clashed with security guards around 2 p.m. at at the first of three heavily fortified roadblocks about a half mile from the presidential residence. President Joseph Kabila was home at the time of the attack, but was never in danger.
The assailants were armed with machine guns, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. After about 15 minutes of fighting, the presidential guard repelled the attackers.
Other people close to Mr. Kabila said the attack might have been intended to feel out the weaknesses of the president’s personal security forces as part of a wider plot to assassinate him.
Mr. Kabila won a major election in 2006 and faces re-election this year, but his grip on most of the country, which is thickly forested and the size of Western Europe, is considered weak.
For the past 15 years, various parts of the country have been engulfed in civil war or insurrection, and gun battles have broken out on the streets of Kinshasa before. Most of the violence tends to be in the eastern provinces, where myriad armed groups fight one another over Congo’s mineral riches, including gold, copper, tin ore and diamonds.
In early February, gunmen attacked the airport in Lubumbashi, a town in southeastern Congo that had been thought to be relatively stable.
The security forces have so far arrested 50, out of estimated 60 people who attacked the palace. The motive for the attack was not clear, said Lambert Mende, information minister for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to Mr. Mende, a group of heavily armed attackers clashed with security guards around 2 p.m. at at the first of three heavily fortified roadblocks about a half mile from the presidential residence. President Joseph Kabila was home at the time of the attack, but was never in danger.
The assailants were armed with machine guns, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. After about 15 minutes of fighting, the presidential guard repelled the attackers.
Other people close to Mr. Kabila said the attack might have been intended to feel out the weaknesses of the president’s personal security forces as part of a wider plot to assassinate him.
Mr. Kabila won a major election in 2006 and faces re-election this year, but his grip on most of the country, which is thickly forested and the size of Western Europe, is considered weak.
For the past 15 years, various parts of the country have been engulfed in civil war or insurrection, and gun battles have broken out on the streets of Kinshasa before. Most of the violence tends to be in the eastern provinces, where myriad armed groups fight one another over Congo’s mineral riches, including gold, copper, tin ore and diamonds.
In early February, gunmen attacked the airport in Lubumbashi, a town in southeastern Congo that had been thought to be relatively stable.
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