http://www.afroterminal.com/blog/ Latest Blogs http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/namibia-leave-our-weaves-alone-say-women/ Call it fake hair, human hair, weaves, Brazilian, Indian or whatever you choose, hair extensions have become the best friend of millions of women all ...]]> Call it fake hair, human hair, weaves, Brazilian, Indian or whatever you choose, hair extensions have become the best friend of millions of women all over the world, including in our own 'Land of the Brave'.



Whether it is in the city or a remote village, you are sure to find women with hair that is not naturally theirs.

With all the fabulousness however comes a lot of mixed feelings about the phenomenon of extensions, weaves, wigs, braids - especially amongst black women - as some feel those who wear hairpieces are not proud of the natural 'African hair' they were born with.

Nampa talked to several people about what is fast becoming a norm for women of all colour - artificial hair - and the general consensus was a resounding "It's my hair and I'll do with it what I want!"

Weaves come in all shapes, lengths, colours and textures, and prices vary from a few dollars to thousands. The only limitation is how much the client is willing to pay.

Local salon owner Albertina Simeon, who has been in the hair business for almost 15 years and runs three successful hairdressing businesses in Windhoek and the North, says 'Brazilian hair' is the most expensive and could cost between N$1 500 and a staggering N$4 000, depending on where the hair is bought, its length and texture.

"Some of the more expensive Brazilian hair extensions are the curly types, because it can also be blown out to become straight. You just wash it again to make it curly, so it actually gives you two types of looks," said Simeon.

She said Brazilian hair, which is actual hair from Brazilian people, is very expensive because it is very beautiful and softer, in addition to being easy to maintain.

"Even those gorgeous black models such as Naomi Campbell who strut their stuff on international catwalks with long hair and music stars such as Beyoncé and many others wear weaves. The hair extensions these people wear is very expensive but they can afford it, because they are international stars who make millions of dollars and don't think twice about spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on weaves," said the seasoned hairdresser.

She explained that white and 'coloured' people also like to wear weaves, either to make their hair longer or more voluminous.

Simeon said that contrary to popular belief, there are many reasons why women prefer weaves.

This journalist found Ronelle Burger, a 30-year-old coloured advertising executive, getting what she calls "extra volume" for her hair at a pricey local salon in the city centre.

"I have always had thin hair and I realised that I can get fuller and more beautiful-looking hair by having a weave sewn onto my hair. No one can tell I have a weave in my hair! It is my own little secret and I don't mind spending N$1 500 to have the look I desire. I also think women should not be judged for wearing weaves instead of their own natural hair. It's my hair and I decide what to do with it," she said.

Anna Nambala, a 22-year-old final-year Business Administration student, said she loves her Brazilian hair. She echoed Burger's sentiment, saying it is her right to do what she wants to with her hair.

Asked how she can afford it as she is still a student, Nambala said her boyfriend is a businessman and he helps her pay for her weaves.

"People like to mind business that is not theirs and I have no time for that nonsense. I love my weave and I love the way it makes me look. It gives me the confidence I want, so to each their own. The fact that my boyfriend pays for it makes me even smarter than those who buy on credit. So, I am quite a happy lady and my man is happy to see me happy," she said with a mischievous smile.

Women who can't spend thousands on weaves go for the more reasonably priced synthetic hair that closely resembles human hair but is not real human hair. It costs between N$50 to 200 per packet, and is found in many stores and salons. The most popular look is one called the 'boy cut'.

It's a short hairstyle and many women opt for it especially during the hotter seasons, as it is a more low-maintenance option compared to longer weaves that need a lot of care.

Sofia Swartbooi is a 56-year-old senior nursing sister at one of the local clinics, and she prefers the 'boy cut.'

"I love the boy cut because the weave is sewn directly onto my own very short and thin hair and then it's cut into a very chic short hairstyle.

"The transformation is just wonderful. It is also in a fair price range as I pay about N$200 when I get it done every two months. All I have to do is comb it in the right direction and oil it a bit now and then. My husband was skeptical when I started doing my hair this way but now he is so used to it, and thinks it's so beautiful. He even offers to pay for it every now and then," smiled Swartbooi.

She thinks it is a good idea that women have a choice when it comes to how they want their hair to look and thinks others should not judge them for this.

"Men are lucky they just have to go to the barber and get a haircut, but we have to go to lots of trouble to have our hair look nice and the way we want it to be," laughed the nurse.

Meanwhile, talking about the exorbitant amounts of money dished out by thousands of women for Brazilian hair, Simeon said it depends on the individual how badly they want to have the said extensions, adding that some of them save up for months or buy the hair on credit and pay it off over a period of months.

"Some even have their men pay for it, and even though many men just pretend to want their women to wear their natural hair, they are just hypocrites, because come the weekend, you see many of them on the arms of their ladies with hair down to their bottoms and it's all fake,' she said with a giggle.

The hairdresser said the hair is pricey because people travel to Brazil to buy it there and when they come back, they sell it for "10 times" more than the actual price. In South Africa in fact, she said, women pay up to N$8 000 for Brazilian hair and they don't mind.

"They sell the hair to us in the salons, and we add some for our own profit on it, and in the end, the customer spends quite a lot of money, but the good thing is that the hair lasts for years and one can use it many times, over and over," said Simeon.

Weaves are so in demand that some women borrow hair from each other. After one has removed it, a friend or relative would have it woven into their own hair until the other one needs it back again.

There you have it then, expensive or cheap, weaves have become almost a necessity for women in all circles of life, young or old, rich or poor, black, white or 'in between'.

The fact is that it not only enhances our womenfolk's natural beauty, it also makes life much easier in terms of maintaining our crowning glories.





Namene Helmich | Allafrica (namibian)

Photo: myblackhairsalons]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/namibia-leave-our-weaves-alone-say-women/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:48:24 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/african-american-or-black-debate-heats-up-in-south-florida/ As Black History Month winds down in the US, a debate is heating up over whether "African-American" is an archaic label that no longer reflects an inc...]]> As Black History Month winds down in the US, a debate is heating up over whether "African-American" is an archaic label that no longer reflects an increasing diverse population.



In South Florida, home to 501,000 Caribbean immigrants -- the nation's second largest concentration -- reaction often mirrors how people view their relationship with America and Africa. Some say it accurately reflects their heritage while others feel a greater connection to their homelands or believe it is racially divisive. And it's not just an issue in the immigrant community. Some black Americans also say it's time to simply be called American.

Gibre George, a Hollywood-based entrepreneur whose family is from St. Lucia and St. Kitts in the West Indies, created the Facebook page "Don't Call Me African-American.'' The site, which recently gained the attention of national media, now has 2,170 "likes." He said the page was created on a whim, and initially generated dialogue among friends.

"I want to be called American,'' said George, 38, who was born in New York and who embraces his ancestral African roots. But "we keep these racial divides with all these titles. It's foolishness'' he said because his fellow citizens don't call themselves European-American. "Can I just be American?''

The term surfaced during the Civil Rights Movement, when leaders began rejecting the word Negro, and was made popular in the 1980s by the Rev. Jesse Jackson. But it came under renewed scrutiny during the election in 2008 of Barack Obama, the nation's first black president. With a Caucasian mother from the U.S. and black Kenyan father, some said Obama was an African-American in the truest form, but his background sparked further debate about black identity.

Edith Bush, 79, a community leader in West Palm Beach, can recall when Negro and colored were common terms, and said she fully embraces African-American. "I hope that at one time sooner than later we will accept one identity,'' said Bush, who has visited Senegal and believes it's important for today's generation to learn about African history.

But Yanatha Desourvre, 33, a computer technician from West Palm Beach, considers himself a Haitian-American. "The African-American title is great but most individuals who call themselves African-American haven't been to Africa and don't know where they're from in Africa," he said.

Desourve, who moved to South Florida from Haiti when he was 3, created a smartphone application named Proud to be Haitian. Still, he tells his daughter, 3, she is an American of Jewish and Haitian ancestry. "I believe anybody who was born on American soil should be known as American,'' he explained.

"For people of Caribbean descent, Jamaican-American or Haitian-American is far more descriptive of where their cultural and national origins are, especially here in South Florida which is more diverse than Kentucky where I'm from,'' said Derrick White, professor of history at Florida Atlantic University and author of the book 'The Challenge of Blackness: The Institute of the Black World and Political Activism in the 1970s'.

But White, who describes himself as a product of the South, said he chooses to use black and believes there are cultural origins inherent in the term. "Black speaks to the political and cultural legacy of people of African descent in the New World."

Akbar Watson, the owner of Pyramid Books in Boynton Beach, said the debate is fraught with emotion.

"There are still people of African descent who are not comfortable with their African heritage and they're trying to fit into the European community,'' Watson said. Then there are a steady stream of customers who come looking for information about the lands of their ancestors or try to use DNA testing to trace their links back to Africa.

Attorney and civic leader Marlon Hill, of Miami, said Black America is changing and how people refer to themselves will vary depending on who they're speaking to and how long they've been in this country

"What is more important is who we are rather than what we're called,'' said Hill. "We're not just one seasoning, we're more like a seasoning rack.''





Georgia East | Sun Sentinel

Photo: madamenoire]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/african-american-or-black-debate-heats-up-in-south-florida/ Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:11:12 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/toilet-capitalism-a-zimbabwean-basket-case/ The restaurateur-cook-waitress looked more like a grandmother than mother, shrunken with poverty.  Scarf tied around her simple but sweet face. Tired ...]]> The restaurateur-cook-waitress looked more like a grandmother than mother, shrunken with poverty.  Scarf tied around her simple but sweet face. Tired but with a smile and outspread, work-worn hands, one felt the urge to give her a hug, and tuck her into bed, rather than giving 'Mama' an order for several plates piled high with steak and sadza (maize meal) at nearly midnight.



Our group (from Italy, Malawi, Britain and South Africa) had been invited by our lovely Zimbabwean friend 'F' to hang out at one of the best 'braai' or BBQ stands, in Harare. The braai stands, with rows of well-skewered customers on wooden benches, frequently act as gourmet cooks to Harare's poor and not-so-poor people - ministers, businessmen, wannabes and in-betweeners - despite being located in the deprived Warren Park area in the heart of kwaMereki.

For a 'cooking' fee – about $16 for two kilograms of steak bought from across the road, 'Mama' got to work, flaming up a world-class braai, served on two metal trays. No utensils were provided and, until the very end, there was no light in the area, save from store-signs across the road and cars, some of them Mercedes, parked near the stands. Our enterprising Italian 'G', proffered up a lighter for our viewing pleasure; and a pen knife; and then it was our turn to work – eat, quickly, to free up a table.

Meanwhile, kwaMereki's business-minded youth were being their usual resourceful selves, as they made a killing walking to and fro the 50 metres between the liquor stores and food stands, selling alcohol and soft drinks to thirsty diners. It appeared that beer made diners more thoughtful and largely immobile. Though the business of selling drinks was done in almost complete darkness, somehow, they would notice whenever a drinker approached the bottom of the bottle and offer to top-up.

Before and after we ate, our hands were bathed by a woman who walked around with a jug filled with lukewarm water and a bucket. There was no bathroom. Men migrated to far corners for their business. The women had it much more difficult and, when not able to escape to a discrete spot, often waited until they were able to return home. 'It is not always safe across the road, in the dark, with all of these people,' said one Zimbabwean woman.

While the gourmet restaurateurs pay $5 rent to the council (and city) on a monthly basis, like much of Zimbabwe, the area has several times prior been stricken by illnesses stemming from various structural problems – mainly the lack of toilet facilities and tap water. Since the early 1990s, save for negotiating use of bathrooms available in the mainly liquor and butcheries across the road, customers have been using the same area as a place of convenience. Problems are myriad. When it rains, amongst other things, the great wash of human release floods the vegetable gardens in the area. Cholera outbreaks sometimes occur, in Mereki and surrounding areas. All of a sudden, the delicious crunchy green vegetables from the gardens in our plates conjure horror.

But where are the rolling toilets?



With a piece of crunchy green salad in my mouth, it occurred to me then that Warren Park and Mereki went hand in glove with toilet capitalism. Sometime back, one Zimbabwean, in partnership with a South African, purchased mobile toilets from South Africa for Mereki, charging customers R5 a hit. He would go on to win an award. We inquired, but did not see, these award-winning toilets.  Several younger chaps confirmed the rumour: 'the rolling toilets? It has come through here, but I cannot say the whereabouts now.

Certainly, the mobile toilet would have been a welcome addition and brilliant short-term solution - but at what cost?  "What we want," said Mama, "is for them (government) to put in toilets and taps." From Thursdays to Fridays, she said, the place was jam-packed.

Of course, Warren Park is not special: one of my earliest memories is running almost straight into a 'flying toilet' in Nairobi, which until 2008 had just 150 public toilets for over 3.5 million people. The public toilets then, were a scene of physical chaos, later dubbed by a friend, visiting India - where over 800 million have little access to sanitation facilities, 'toilet warfare'. Historically, the power imbalances underpinning the structural layout of public worlds have reflected economic inequalities in areas characterised by those lacking political capital.

Similar to environmental racism, evidencing landfills, slaughterhouses and the like, situated in the poorest areas, lack of waste sanitation is often interlocked with lack of access to clean water. In her book, 'The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters', detailing the waste sanitation crisis, Rose George writes, 'I thought a toilet was my right. It was a privilege.' But as every African knows - this is untrue. Access to clean water and safe sanitation is a fundamental human right, only the quality of that provision (such as Japan's high tech toilets) is a privilege.

This much was confirmed by the UN's General Assembly, which bemoaned in the UN's usual toothless way, that as much as 2.6 billion people globally have no access to waste sanitation. A situation that results in 2.2 million deaths annually, of which 1.5 million are children - excluding the numerous consequences of illnesses such as cholera, frequently affecting African countries.

Like Uganda's Kampala - which hosted just 108 public toilets for a population of more than 2 million people, and privatised public toilets several years ago, in Zimbabwe, the scene is ripe for private waste sanitation companies or toilet capitalists.

According to one development worker I bumped into, waste sanitation apparently rests under the mandate of the country's National Water Department via the Harare Water Supply Division. This was allegedly inherited from the City Council of Harare, thereafter further devolved to local councils. But neither department seems overly anxious to claim the responsibility of upgrading, connecting and developing, what is actually a matter of life and death. Of late, it seems China - anxious to secure platinum reserves allegedly worth US$40 billion, had negotiated a US$144m deal with China Exim and the government to finance three phase development of basic needs including sewer and waste sanitation systems.

This was also allegedly discussed with the local councils. But when I asked a receptionist at a guesthouse about the interest of the city and local councils in the constituencies, she responded in the negative, saying that right now, while things had greatly improved, the battle between 'those who wanted power for good, and those who were good at having power', had drained the life from Zimbabwe's political scene, corrupting many in the process. The people on the periphery of these political battles - particularly women like Mama, not only had no political say, but also, no financial choice to opt for private or portable toilets.

Where did the money go?

Cumulatively, since the 1970s, Africa has lost over US$730 billion - money that should have been invested in infrastructure, to illicit flight. More than 60 per cent of the continent's annual wealth is lost to corporate mispricing - your everyday respectable multinationals looting through respectable institutions.  In 2008, as a vicious cholera epidemic swept through Zimbabwe much of the country's GDP was siphoned through illicit flight, while the political situation deteriorated.

Revenue leakage not only drains nations of funds required for basic needs – and decent and dignified lives, but is also the symptom of a corruption that is global in architecture, and globally pervasive in nature. This reality is reflected in the indignity of having no toilets, no water, not enough food and no medicines.

I got the chance to speak with police chiefs and soldiers. I got the chance to speak with students. I got to speak with everyday people. And forefront in their minds is access to basic services: even in good areas, electricity cuts were common. Basic services – the kind that provide the architecture of living (water, waste sanitation, schools etc) may just become possible soon enough, if diamond revenue could be caught before gross revenue leakage, already pegged at US$1 billion. The legitimisation of Zimbabwe's diamond industry, considered the gravy train of Zanu PF chaps, is pegged by Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, to generate upward of US$1 billion annually.

The dollarisation of the economy, and almost sole reliance on imported goods, particularly from South Africa, has rendered the economy a landscape of exploitation – to the point where Finance Minister Tendai Biti has banned importation of second-hand underwear. Like the cost of food, Zimbabwe's toilet capitalism is symbolic of the structural inequalities that constitute the character profile of the political economy. Everywhere, vulnerability was evident.

By the time I left, I began to harbour - nonsensically - a hatred against ATM machines, bizarre boxes that poured magically, not to the deserving, the hungry, the fearful, but to the right code.  I was extremely grateful to our hosts and a friend, who previously lived in Zimbabwe for decades, for bringing us out of the usual 'tourist sphere', and into the lives and worlds of real Zimbabweans – the grocery markets, food stalls, neighbourhoods, townships, and bars.  Though many South Africans from an early age, witnessed a mass divide between those dispossessed, and those with the mansions, the Zimbabwean divide is seemingly greater. While we did not visit the richest areas, the semi-rich area suburbs were dotted with opulent mansions and gardens so large, I presumed, initially, to the amusement of my hosts, that it was an area filled with beautiful guesthouses.

The gap between the 'haves' and have nots' must not simply be seen through the prism of the economic, despite its primacy over other forms of similarly powerful 'capital' (from gender to culture). But a significant problem of the economy itself, i.e; the need for development revenue, is possible given that Kimberly Process approval has been granted under the US. This is good news for Zimbabwe, now one of the world's top eight diamond producers, and Mines Minister Obert Mpofu estimates Zimbabwe's Marange diamonds to generate upward of $1 billion annually.

That is, if revenue can be captured.

In 2008, as cholera swept through the country due to aging and absent water and waste sanitation systems, 800 per cent of the country's GDP left through flight. Arguably the Minister most concerned about revenue leakage and political corruption, the opposition MDC's Biti, is frequently harassed and sidelined by ZANU officials (example, the recent alleged fraud charges relating to $500 million in IMF funds).

Yet without people like Biti in positions of power, it is unlikely that the revenue will flow in the direction of the public good. For rent-seeking looters like those preying off public revenue – and the toilet capitalists - this will certainly come as welcome news. For the rest of the nation, not so much.





Khadija Sharife | TheAfricaReport

Photos: jayllorenzen (flickr), malteser-international]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/toilet-capitalism-a-zimbabwean-basket-case/ Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:06:58 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/does-marriage-cause-women-to-gain-weight/ It is common knowledge that weight, either gain or loss is a widely discussed issue in marriage especially as it affects women. Researchers have shown...


They said that women gain more weight after they are married while men add weight after they are divorced, giving diverse and intriguing reasons. Basically, this subject is largely centred on ladies because more often than not, it is the man who expresses his choice of who he wants to date or who he wishes to marry, whether slim or fat.

A case in point is Paul Dennis (real names withheld), who planned to get married and so wanted to go into a relationship that will end in marriage. So, like many men, he told family and friends to help him find someone he could marry. A major attribute he asked them to look out for is a tall, dark and slim lady. He was so strict to these criteria that any lady brought to him that did not meet the exact element he wanted was turned down. This, he did for about six months until he got what he wanted. This undoubtedly, was a major decisive factor for marrying his wife, Nkechi and probably his only attraction. But the question is: since marriage is largely understood to be a lifetime endeavour, will Paul maintain his love for his wife if she eventually gains more weight as their marriage advances with time?

Another case was a man who incredibly broke up with his girlfriend just because the girl gladly introduced him to her parents and he saw that her mother was fat. He believed that the girl will eventually become fat someday when they get married.

Some of the married women spoken to admitted that there is an increase in weight after marriage. Giving their personal experience with their husband as regards the issue, some said it was a case of trying to stay in shape to give him the attraction while others said they still have their husband love and encouragement in spite of the increase.

Mrs Mary Odinnatu, a mother of three said she's been married for over eight years and have tried to maintain a weight balance. She noted that her husband was attracted to her slim body when they first met and wants her to maintain her shape if she wants his continuous admiration. She said: "My husband and I knew that I have the tendency to be fat because my parents are fat and this is why I have continued to manage my figure by exercising and eating the right things and that is why after I have given back to my children, I still have my figure and he admires it so much"

Habiba Suleiman on her own part said her husband loves her size. "From time, I have the tendency for being fat but I controlled it so I am just a little fatter than before after two kids and my husband loves me because he likes big back side, flat tummy and I dress well to his taste, sometimes he buys what he wants me to wear and tells me what should be my hair style". To her, packaging and having a high self esteem about oneself is the best way to have your desired shape as people tend to see you just the way you view yourself.

Mrs Monica Okongwu, also a mother of three says "I was fat when my husband married me and as a mother of three, I am much fatter. I didn't get less admiration from my husband as we share a bond that gets renewed by the day. One thing I know is that he encourages me to change my lifestyle and my weight has since reduced but this has never affected the love we share", she confessed.

Agreeing that there has been a significant increase in weight since she got married, Mrs Evelyn Ayuba however said she does not know if her weight increase bothers her husband. She said, "he has never said anything to me as regards my weight so I don't know if it bothers him, but you know it bothers me because I want to appear smart when I wear clothes", she disclosed.

Understandably, there are diverse factors that are responsible for weight gain in women during marriage. Some of these reasons, according to experts are a natural response to changes in the body which could result from marriage or a coincidence with the time most women get marriage. Other likely reasons include the fact that married ladies are no longer trying to attract a partner, pregnancy, attitude of women towards cooking and their own, unhappiness in marriage, unresolved issues, lack of time for exercise, or lack of encouragement from their spouses to dieting and exercising, among other reasons.eating, placing family eating preference above

Ronke Ajibero, a Sociologist and a mother of two who also agreed that there was a physical increase in weight after her marriage, identified some of the factors responsible. She explained that "when a woman takes in, the appetite changes and the rate at which she eats increases. After delivery, breastfeeding makes her eat excessively. Also, wealth and laziness of some women, poor maintenance of the body, poverty, inadequate medical attention and low mentality of women in giving birth and poor family planning could be possible causes", she noted.

Giving a sociological point of view, Ronke said "human society is characterized by change and its attendant effects and the change of the human body is not in exception". She agreed that women are vulnerable to increase in size after delivery and this can equally change the perception of their husbands towards them as most men today want slim women and which is however subjective to socio cultural believes and personal philosophy of individuals."

Speaking on whether their perception has changed, Lawrence Aiyu (not real name) said his preference does not favour fat women rather he prefers slim but full body type adding that that is how his wife has been before and after their wedding, even after having two kids. He said this is an attraction that he wants maintained as it can lead him to look elsewhere. He added that he would not caution his wife if he notices any addition of weight as there are other nice looking ones outside.

Matthew Garba, a newly married man said before he got married, he had the preference for fatter ladies but love changed his choice when he met his wife who has a slim body. He however he is used to her slim body and will like her to remain like that, saying however that he will not be less attracted to his wife when body increase becomes inevitable but will make sure he encourages her to eat healthily and live a lifestyle that will help her stay in shape.

With the foregoing responses, it is obvious that although some men have preference for fatter ladies, most men prefer to have slim ladies as they are believed to be more attractive than others, experts say care should be taken by couples in handling this, so that selfish desires will not affect their decision which has in most cases caused setbacks and unhappy marriage.

To this, a marriage counsellor, Cecilia Onuoha said weight should not be a problem in marriage if it was not the only element that is adjudged to attract spouses to each other. According to her, "strong marriages should be built on many factors besides physical attraction and if that aspect has changed, it is still possible to find satisfaction in all the other elements of married life as marriage is designed to be a deeper relationship than dating".

Onuoha noted that the feeling of unattractiveness in a spouse as a result of weight increase is a natural phenomenon that should not be used selfishly to cause unhealthy relationship that will eventually cause painful separations.

"When the issue of loss of attraction is raised, it is often narrowed to the physical body as the attractive lady you dated in her 20s now turns to be a 50 year old woman with wrinkles, extra weight and a completely different fashion sense. Women too can feel less attractive as their husband age but in this case, spouses should know that body changes with time.

"A way to avoid this is to try to form a strong mental image of her in the prime of her life and continue to see her as they both ages. Also, meaningful conversation about what you both have in common can help in the situation", she advised.

In conclusion, it has been proven by research that weight increase is linked to the cause of many problems especially health and marriage. While this can be inevitable in some instances, it is important that one adopts fitting lifestyles for good health and to remain attractive. In addition to this, women should also develop a good fashion sense that will suit their body type and shape to help maintain their attractiveness to their spouse, thereby also reducing the rate at which failures occur as a result of weight increase.





Perpetual Umeaku | Allafrica (Daily Trust)

Photo: elev8]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/does-marriage-cause-women-to-gain-weight/ Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:49:10 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/breathing-life-into-democracy-in-africa/ The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) has come into force heralding a potentially more democratic and progressive path fo... But what is this charter? What is it all about? Why should Africans and indeed the rest of the world take note of its coming into force?



The charter is a document developed by AU member states and a cross -section of civil society actors stating the continent’s aspirations in promoting good governance and a democratic culture, where the voice of the people is enabled and respected.

It has clear provisions on Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights; the Culture of Democracy and Peace; Democratic Institutions; Democratic Elections; Sanctions in Cases of Unconstitutional Changes of Government; and Political, Economic and Social Governance.

These provisions are particularly apt for a continent that has the unenviable and often self-inflicted reputation of being seen as the theatre for bad governance. Indeed, elections on many occasions turn out to be mere political pantomimes as the popular will of the people is ignored and with also several unconstitutional changes of government occurring.

We have also seen flagrant disregard of human rights, civil strife, corruption, weak governance structures at multiple levels and other vices that defeat the ethos of good governance all leading to a depressing view of the state of affairs of the continent.

This ill-reputation of the continent needs to be urgently addressed if at all Africa is to acquire its pride of place in the comity of nations as a respectable, dignified and progressive continent. The charter should be appreciated as a potentially important tool that will contribute towards realizing this noble goal of building a respectable image for Africa.

An immediate question that arises is the very implementation of the charter especially with the unimpressive record of numerous African Union high-sounding charters and instruments not being implemented .Will the ACDEG not suffer the same fate of gathering cob webs and dust on the shelves of AU member states? This is a critical question which needs to be addressed as the Charter comes into force.

The response to this question will largely depend on the efforts of the African citizens themselves as it is they who must insist on its full implementation. There can be no short cut to this especially considering the history of several African states having to be pushed to adhere to commitments that they themselves have made.



However, the engagement of African citizens with their states must rise above merely making demands on the state but rather it needs to be based on the premise that the aspirations of the charter can only be realized in partnership with the state.

While recognizing that African states have clear obligations to implement the charter, all citizens have a role to play in propagating the charter’s ideals. This starts right from individual level through better self-governance by exhibiting values such as honesty, integrity and civility; at the micro-level where families need to start practicing good governance in the way they deal with each other –listening to each other and respecting their sometimes varying views-through this, a culture of good governance will start slowly building up as that principle finds its place right in our homes.

At the community level, citizens need to reform their own voluntary organizations such as the popular welfare groups and ensure that their management embodies the ethos of good governance where corruption, nepotism and other forms of favouritism are eschewed and vigorously rejected.

Children in schools across the continent must start being exposed to the practice of democracy by being given the voice and space to participate in the governance of their schools. Citizens voting at all electoral levels must do their utmost to reject practices that defeat the very cause of democracy such as bribery and violence.

With this, the aspirations of the charter will be firmly on the path towards being met as all these acts of the citizenry reforming itself and actively cultivating individual and communal good governance, will have the sum effect of reforming the state to one that can be expected to implement the charter comprehensively.

This kind of change can indeed appear unrealistic even utopian to some, but it is possible and this needs to be the fervent belief of all the continent’s peoples!

There is no reason why Africa cannot achieve the high standards espoused in the charter-what is required is the firm decision of every individual African to embody the principles of good governance, the courage to abandon vices that defeat good governance and the sharp and unwavering resolve to actively agitate at all levels, the practice of the highest ideals of fairness and justice.

This will undoubtedly take time but the journey needs to begin now-it has in fact already began and the coming into force of this Charter undoubtedly adds greater impetus to this journey-a journey that should bring respect, dignity, progress, honour and glory to Africa!





Joseph Kimani Njuguna | AfricaNews

Photos: nexusafrica, thesamerowdycrowd]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/breathing-life-into-democracy-in-africa/ Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:21:46 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/haimbiri/blog/home-grown/ Knowledge to develop, invent,produce etc. is generated through an education grown at home.So far Africa had totally laged behind.Home grown education ... Knowledge to develop, invent,produce etc. is generated through an education grown at home.So far Africa had totally laged behind.Home grown education would be an ideal programme. http://www.afroterminal.com/haimbiri/blog/home-grown/ Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:30:42 +0000 George Haimbiri http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/fastest-man-in-africa-joins-royal-navy/ Nigerian-born Olusoji Fasuba is the African 100m record holder, an Olympic bronze medallist and an indoor 60m world champion, making him one of the fa...]]> Nigerian-born Olusoji Fasuba is the African 100m record holder, an Olympic bronze medallist and an indoor 60m world champion, making him one of the fastest men on the planet.



But Olusoji — nicknamed "Flash" by his shipmates — has just completed nine months of training to become a logistics specialist in the Royal Navy.





The sailor, 27, whose mother was born in Jamaica, decided to retire from professional running to provide a more settled life for his wife and baby daughter.

Before joining the Navy last May, Olusoji has claimed bronze in the 4x100m relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics, gold in the 100m and 4x100m relay at the 2007 All-African Games and gold at the 2008 Indoor Championships at 60m.

In 2006, he set an African record in the 100m of 9.85 seconds, just 0.27 of a second slower than the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt.

He said: "I've had a very good career in athletics and been there with the big boys, but I was looking to the future and wanted to settle.

"My father used to work for the Nigerian Navy, so from a young age it was all about the Navy.



"Some of my friends are serving in the British Army and tried to persuade me to join, but for me it had to be the Royal Navy.

"Training has been my way of life for a long time. Growing up in Nigeria, discipline is very strict, so that aspect of being in the Navy wasn't really a shock."

The junior sailor hopes to complete a full career in the Royal Navy and maybe transfer to the Officer Corps at some stage.

He is keen to apply for British citizenship, but was eligible for his current post due to Nigeria's Commonwealth membership.

Olusoji lives with his wife, 400m runner Ngozi Nwokocha, and their seven-month-old daughter Annabelle in Plymouth, Devon.



In his new role he will be responsible for ensuring that his unit has everything it needs, ordering and storing millions of pounds worth of equipment, from engineering parts to stationery.

He said: "In this job I'll be working in an office or a storeroom and I'll be able to keep my athletics as a hobby.

"I'm excited about my first posting as I've never had what you would call a regular job."

He has also revealed he dreams of becoming a member of the Royal Navy bobsleigh team — and will soon be travelling to Austria for his first try-out at the Inter-Service games. Olusoji was inspired by 1993 film Cool Runnings — a comedy loosely based on the true story of the Jamaican bobsled team's debut in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

He added: "As soon as I saw the film Cool Runnings, I thought 'I could do that'.

"I've never done it before and may not like it so I've given myself five chances to see how things go.

"My ambition is to represent Britain at bobsleigh at a Winter Olympics."





TheSun

Photos: TheSun, Rtvslo, Alashock]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/fastest-man-in-africa-joins-royal-navy/ Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:10:09 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/dining-out-five-great-african-restaurants-in-the-diaspora/ If you find yourself in the lands of Africa's new economic partners, or those of the old, the best African restaurants offer a taste of home that's no...]]> If you find yourself in the lands of Africa's new economic partners, or those of the old, the best African restaurants offer a taste of home that's not just on the plate.







TURAY'S AFRICA HOUSE: Xingfu Plaza, Beijing, China Among expat students and businessmen, as well as off-duty Chinese diplomats nostalgic for their African tours, Turay's Africa House is an institution.

After Turay Lamin arrived in Beijing from Sierra Leone in 1994, he began hosting dinner parties at his apartment. A series of restaurants followed. The most recent incarnation – perched atop a convenience store in a modern tower block that is a short stroll from the trendy shops and bars of Sanlitun – is a bit tricky to find but rewards the search.

Takeaway orders from nearby embassies keep the kitchen of two African and three Chinese cooks bustling during the day.

Visit in the evenings and join an easy-going crowd for a comforting pan-African menu. Beijing will seem a world away.

KARIBU RESTAURANT: 10 Crescent Street, Boston, USA Started in 2007, Armia Lubega's Karibu Restaurant is a destination of choice for the Ugandan and East African communities in Waltham.

'Karibu' is a Swahili word meaning 'welcome', and over the weekends, large groups gather for football or to discuss politics throughout the day.

Brown tiles and furnishings, yellow walls covered with Ugandan batik cloth paintings, and a mixture of brown and yellow conical lamps make for a warm and earthy ambience.

The buffet-style menu is dynamic and includes staple Ugandan foods like matooke (mashed plantain) and groundnut stew but also deep-fried fish, greens, sweet potatoes and beef or chicken stew.

Other delicacies include fried plantain, cassava, posho, mandazis, samosa, kabalagala and chapati from the snacks menu.

The prices are pocket friendly: a meal of matooke, cassava, gonja, groundnut sauce with mushrooms, beans, and fried fish stew costs $12.

THE QUEEN OF SHEBA: 12 Fortess Road, London, UK Good kifto can be hard to find, even in Addis, but the Queen of Sheba in Kentish Town provides a tasty and plentiful plateful.

The kifto was followed by several delicious dishes, particularly a doro wot that was buttery without being oily, and juicy goden tibs, all accompanied by freshly made injera.

Like other London-based Ethiopian restaurants, the service is not the fastest, but it is very friendly, particularly if you are new to Ethiopian cuisine and slightly baffled by the menu descriptions.

The dining area is small – there's only room for about 20 people – which creates an intimate and buzzing atmosphere, and also becomes very crowded on a Friday or Saturday night, when booking is recommended.

TANGER RESTAURANTE: 359 Rua Harmonia, Vila Madalena, São Paulo, Brazil Paulistanos are very proud of the diversity and the quality of the city's gastronomy, yet African cuisine is definitely a weak spot.

Tanger stands as an exception. It is a landmark Moroccan restaurant in the chic neighbourhood of Vila Madelena, where most people under 50 seem to stay up all night.

The colourful Mediterranean setting is one of few oases in a chaotic city that struggles with maddening traffic and stress.

Dinah Doctors, the chef, experiments with nouvelle cuisine and a variety of couscous and tagine, offering a diversified six-page menu.

Do not miss out on the traditional mezzes and keep your eyes open for the occasional belly dancer.

LA TONTINE D'OR: 27, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, Paris, France. An evening at La Tontine d'Or is more often than not a jovial one.

If you go in on a match day, the restaurant will surely be streaming live African football  on the television.

Failing that, conversation from some of the regulars will keep you right up to date with the latest goings-on in Cameroonian politics.

With a crucible of West African cuisine on offer, La Tontine d'Or serves Cameroonian dishes including ndolé, braised chicken and fish, as well as Ivorian attiéké and of course regional favourites plantain and accras.

No African restaurant is complete without a good selection of beers, and favourites here are Cameroonian Guinness.




TheAfricaReport

Photos: thebronxbeat, latimes, newsone]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/dining-out-five-great-african-restaurants-in-the-diaspora/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:28:55 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/zambia-s-footballers-return-to-heroes-welcome/ Africa's new football champions, Zambia's Chipolopolo, have arrived to a heroes' welcome in the capital, Lusaka.



A BBC correspondent says waiting f...]]> Africa's new football champions, Zambia's Chipolopolo, have arrived to a heroes' welcome in the capital, Lusaka.



A BBC correspondent says waiting fans went wild as captain Christopher Katongo came out of the plane clutching the golden Africa Cup of Nations.

The Zambian team beat Ivory Coast 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out late on Sunday night in Gabon.



The win is particularly poignant because 19 years ago Zambia lost its entire team in a plane crash in Gabon.

The BBC's Mutuna Chanda in Lusaka says the airport road is a sea of green, red, orange and black as thousands of fans line up to catch a glimpse of the players making their way to official celebrations to be held downtown in Lusaka's showgrounds.

Several thousand people, some of whom had walked 25km (15 miles), were at the airport to greet the teams.

The event is expected to be attended by former Presidents Rupiah Banda and Kenneth Kaunda, both of whom are huge football fans.

Many Zambians have taken an impromptu day off work to continue celebrating the country's first ever Africa Cup of Nations victory.



'Painful memories'

The current victorious squad departed from the same airport in the Gabonese capital, Libreville, where a Zambia air force plane had refuelled on its way to Senegal for a World Cup qualifier in March 1993 - and then crashed shortly after take-off.

Zambia's players, nicknamed Chipolopolo (the Copper Bullets), paid tribute to the 18 players who died in that crash - dedicating their triumph to them.

"The players who were killed in the plane crash in Gabon was what was behind us and what was driving us through the tournament," goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene told reporters just before leaving Libreville.

"We did not want to go home empty-handed," he said.



Winger Felix Katongo told reporters: "We wanted to win the trophy to make the Zambian people proud and so those who died may rest in peace. Now their souls are at peace."

But for some of the bereaved relatives, the Chipolopolo's win has been bittersweet.

Joyce Chabala lost her husband Efford, who was the team goalkeeper in 1993.

She said Zambia's victory - in the same place where her husband died - had brought back painful memories, not just of his death but of how relatives were treated by previous governments.

Mrs Chabala said she remained unhappy with the official report into what caused the crash and how much compensation she had received.

Nevertheless, she congratulated the current squad.



"I wish my husband were alive so that he could see the team bring the cup here to Zambia - because that was his aim and that is what he died for," she told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

Meanwhile, in Abidjan, thousands of Ivorians also turned out to support their team, lining the route across the city from the airport to the players' hotel, the BBC's John James reports.

Monday was declared an official national holiday by the government despite the fact that the Elephants lost, he says.





BBC

Photos: statesman, yahoo, onepakistan, france 24]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/zambia-s-footballers-return-to-heroes-welcome/ Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:00:54 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/africa-cup-of-nations-zambia-win-dramatic-shoot-out/ After 14 kicks were converted, Kolo Toure and Gervinho failed to find the target for the Elephants as Zambia's Rainford Kalaba also blazed over.



Bu...]]> After 14 kicks were converted, Kolo Toure and Gervinho failed to find the target for the Elephants as Zambia's Rainford Kalaba also blazed over.



But Stoppila Sunzu found the top corner to complete an amazing 8-7 victory.

It was a heartbreaking end for Ivorian skipper Didier Drogba, who missed a spot-kick in normal time.

And it means the wait goes on for an Ivory Coast team replete with many Premier League and European stars, with the country losing the 2006 final to Egypt in the same way and last winning the title 20 years ago.



For the Chipolopolo, who have already been runners-up twice, it concluded a tournament where they were inspired by the loss of the 1993 Zambian team after a plane crash close to the venue of the final in Libreville.

The last time the southern African country reached the final in 1994, it was just a year after 18 Zambian team members died as they took off from the Gabonese capital.

En route to the final, the current team had spoken of the strength they had gained in remembering that tragedy.

And in winning the shoot-out, they showed a steely determination to beat their supposedly more illustrious opponents with a performance that was built on an indefatigable spirit.



Having more than matched the Ivorian team throughout the 120 minutes of play, they showed greater composure when the contest came down to the crunch.

Drogba's penalty miss after the hour mark was startling, as he smashed the ball way over the bar after Gervinho was pushed over.

But Zambia were also unlucky as Boubacar Barry made two crucial saves at opposite ends of the match, first stopping Nathan Sinkala's shot from a well-worked corner and then poking Chris Katongo's shot onto the post in extra-time.

Between those chances, Yaya Toure shot off-target from 10 yards and, although Francois Zahoui's team showed some impetus at times, they rarely tested the impressive Zambia keeper Kennedy Mweene, who also scored in the mammoth shoot-out.

With Zambia conceding just three goals en route to the final and Ivory Coast none, the game was never likely to be an open contest.

And as the game progressed, the belief in the Ivorian team seemed to shrink.

Buoyed by their vocal coach Herve Renard, Zambia always posed a threat from their well-worked set-pieces and it certainly appeared that fate was on their side when Chelsea forward Drogba missed from the spot.



Spurned on by that miss, substitute Max Gradel injected some urgency into Zahoui's side as they pushed for a winner and the former Leeds forward was inches from scoring after Wilfried Bony's knock down.

Although Didier Ya Konan and Kalaba both went close for either side in extra-time, they could not prevent the game being decided by the engrossing shoot-out.

Drogba made amends for his earlier miss by scoring his team's fifth kick, after Souleymane Bamba was fortunate to earn a second chance having missed his first effort.

Mweene was penalised for encroachment on that occasion, but he was the coolest man on the pitch as he took it to sudden death.

That left Sunzu to make the most of misses by Kolo Toure and Gervinho, sparking wild celebrations for a triumph which almost seemed scripted.





Alistair Magowan | BBC]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/africa-cup-of-nations-zambia-win-dramatic-shoot-out/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:56:53 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/l-igi/blog/ligi-ndogo-news/ Catch up with all the Ligi Ndogo trending news every week!http://ligisc.blogspot.com]]> Catch up with all the Ligi Ndogo trending news every week!http://ligisc.blogspot.com]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/l-igi/blog/ligi-ndogo-news/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:47:22 +0000 ligi ndogo http://www.afroterminal.com/AGRO_TAG_SERVICE/blog/agro-tag-service-4/ Call for your FUMIGATION; FARM AND ANIMAL CONSULTANTS; Hotline: +2348185667936, +2348070867005.
Email: abelmoscus2009@yahoo.com]]> Call for your FUMIGATION; FARM AND ANIMAL CONSULTANTS; Hotline: +2348185667936, +2348070867005.
Email: abelmoscus2009@yahoo.com]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/AGRO_TAG_SERVICE/blog/agro-tag-service-4/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:54:06 +0000 MR. OPEYEMI AKANGBE http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/either-way-a-compelling-end-to-african-cup-of-nations-2012/ Whichever country captures the African Cup of Nations in Libreville, Gabon, this weekend, the human story will be remarkable...



If Zambia, the complete...]]> Whichever country captures the African Cup of Nations in Libreville, Gabon, this weekend, the human story will be remarkable...



If Zambia, the complete outsider for this tournament, were to win the final Sunday, it would feel like something supernatural, something that was meant to be. For it was the very coastline where, 19 years ago, Zambia lost almost its entire national team when the military plane in which they were traveling went down in the sea.

There were no survivors. Only Kalusha Bwalya, a Zambian employed in the Netherlands and thus making his own way to that intended match, was left of the Zambian stars of that day. Yet somehow, the country found replacements to go all the way to the next African Cup in 1994, though it lost 2-1 to Nigeria on the big night.

Taking the current players to Libreville, joining them on a pilgrimage to honor the memory of the team that died, the Zambia coach, the Frenchman Hervé Renard, told them: “The 12 million people of Zambia are waiting for us to go back to Libreville. We just have to think of them and to play for them. And if a team of substitutes was able to reach the final in 1994, why not us?”

And why not go that extra distance and win it?

One big reason is the team that waits for them Sunday in the Stade de l’Amitié. Ivory Coast is no ordinary team. Its captain, Didier Drogba, now of Chelsea, is among a handful of strikers whose profile would be recognizable anywhere in the world.

Drogba, nearing 34 years of age, wants this trophy so much you can see it in his effort, and sense it in his joy when he scores.

He is long in the tooth. He has enough of a fortune to build a hospital in the country he left behind. But his time to be a champion of Africa might come Sunday, or never.

Yet Drogba’s personal story, a child of Abidjan who at age 5 followed an uncle who was a professional soccer player in France, is not the normal route out of Africa for this Ivory Coast group.

The nucleus of the team — 6 of the starting 11 — came through an academy set up in Abidjan nearly 20 years ago by Jean-Marc Guillou. Now age 66, and still coaching in Africa, still searching for talents by offering trials for 5,000 youngsters a year, Guillou was a midfielder for France in the 1978 World Cup.

His influence as a coach helped inspire Arsène Wenger, the manager of Arsenal. And one of the players shining for Ivory Coast at this Nations Cup happens to be Gervinho, the winger who plays for Wenger in London.

It was Gervinho who scored the goal that put the Elephants, as the Ivory Coast team is called, through to the final.

Drogba had hit a post, Yaya Touré had hit a post, but the ball would not go in against Mali in the semifinal until Gervinho struck. It came moments before halftime, and it came out of nothing.

Gervinho was sharper to the ball near the halfway line than his Malian opponent. Then, more of a whippet than an elephant, Gervinho ran with the ball faster than any man could catch him.

“I wanted to pass the ball,” he later said, “but I couldn’t. Anyway I got my chance, and I was O.K..”

O.K. is possibly African for brilliant. Gervinho ran out of options, saw the goalie coming off his line, and curved the ball around him.



Once Ivory Coast had scored in any of its five games at this tournament, it won the contest. In other matches it had been Drogba or Touré, the giant midfielder from Manchester City, who notched the goals.

But after that, the Ivorian defense, drilled by coach François Zahoui after previous attempts to win the trophy have foundered on carelessness, has so far not conceded a single goal in 2012.

The burden of a team of household names, seven of them playing for English clubs, is telling on Ivory Coast. “There were signs of stress,” coach Zahoui admitted. “And I showed signs of stress because, with the failures we’ve had in the past, we understand that we haven’t won it yet.”

Indeed, they have not. Had the Ivorians watched Zambia, a 40-1 underdog when this tournament started last month, they would have seen a team of comparative unknowns work their way to the final, sometimes on sheer spirit of togtherness.

“We came through beneath the radar,” said Renard, the Zambia coach.

People may have known about the country’s tragic loss 19 years ago, but the kind of knowledge that is easy to compile by video of the Ivory Coast stars is not so available of Zambians.

Emmanuel Mayuka — the 21-year-old who came off the substitute’s bench to score the only goal of the semifinal Wednesday in Bata, Equatorial Guinea — is in fact the only Zambia player employed by a European team, the Swiss club Young Boys of Bern.

His was a bolt from the blue. He received the ball with his back to the goal 18 yards out. A Ghanaian defender, though close enough to touch Mayuka, was outwitted when the Zambian suddenly turned and hit the ball with a low right foot shot around the startled goalkeeper.

Mayuka celebrated like a boy. He launched into joyous somersaults, and when he finally came down to earth he seemed surprised by what he had done. Zambia, on the backfoot for most of the semifinal, doggedly resisting Ghanaian attacks, might have won through fate — or it might have been hunger.

Not only does this team, with all of its players still domiciled in Africa except for Mayuka and two others who play in the Chinese league, run for themselves. They are told by their coach and mentor to run for the team of 1993, the team that died over Gabon, where the final is to be held Sunday.

The school of Ivory Coast is better known. But maybe Zambians believe their name is already on the Cup.





Rob Hughes | Nytimes

Photos: mtnfootball, football365]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/either-way-a-compelling-end-to-african-cup-of-nations-2012/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:34:12 +0000 The Afroterminal Team http://www.afroterminal.com/okoebormac/blog/earn-passive-income-in-usd/ www.qnet.net...]]> www.qnet.net
my ref id is hz301838.
this is purely e-commerce, the 21st century bisiness]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/okoebormac/blog/earn-passive-income-in-usd/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:20:06 +0000 okoebor macaulay http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/the-cardiopad-an-african-invention-to-save-lives/ A young Cameroonian engineer has built the first fully touch screen medical tablet that could soon save many African lives. He first has to find the n...]]> A young Cameroonian engineer has built the first fully touch screen medical tablet that could soon save many African lives. He first has to find the necessary funding to mass-produce the device.



In a country that has only 30 heart surgeons for more than 20 million people, the dream of Arthur Zang, a 24-year-old Cameroonian engineer, is to facilitate the treatment of patients with a heart disease across Cameroon.

Save lives

In 2010, he created a digital tablet known as Cardiopad: "It's the first fully touch screen medical tablet made in Cameroon and in Africa. It's an invention that could save numerous human lives", explains Arthur Zang.

In fact, Cameroon's thirty heart specialists are all based in either Douala or Yaoundé, the country's economic and political capitals. Heart patients often have to travel across the country for a consultation.

Appointments sometimes must be made months in advance, leading to death of some patients.

Hassle of travelling

The Cardiopad solves this problem by enabling medical examinations to be performed remotely and the results transmitted electronically, saving patients the hassle of having to travel to the city.



Arthur Zang explains that the Cardiopad is above all a scientific project. He started his research three years ago and carried out several scientific tests that were validated by the Cameroonian scientific community. "The reliability of the Cardiopad is 97.5%", he says.

Distance consultation

In practice, the Cardiopad is a device that can perform tests such as the electrocardiogram (ECG). The medical tablet also makes it possible to wirelessly send the results of the tests from remote locations to the specialist who will then interpret them.

"The tablet is used as a classical electrocardiograph device: electrodes are placed on the patient and connected to a module that, in turn, connects to the tablet. When a medical examination is performed on a patient in a remote village, for example, the results are transmitted from the nurse's tablet to that of the doctor who then interprets them.

Digitalised and transmitted

Software built into the device allow the doctor to give computer assisted diagnosis", explains the young engineer.

Pointing out the differences between the Cardiopad and the classical electrocardiograph, Arthur Zang explains: "The Cardiopad has more functions. With the classical electrocardiograph, the results were usually printed on paper and handed to the cardiologist for interpretation.



It wasn't possible to send or save the results electronically. With the Cardiopad, the results are digitalised and transmitted. There is no need to print them, the heart surgeon can interpret them, even remotely, from his tablet and then send the diagnosis and prescribed treatment"

Accessibility

"The Cardiopad will cut down the cost of examination. We intend to sell the device for 1500 euros, while the current price for an electrocardiograph device is 3800 euros. If hospitals purchase the device at a low price, they will be able to lower the prices of medical examinations", Arthur Zang hopes.

However, there is still the issue of energy, as many of the country's remote regions do not have access to electricity. "The Cardiopad is equipped with a battery that can independently power the machine for more than seven hours", the engineer assures.

He further explains that a prototype and sample of device is already available. "We are currently producing the first units of the device which will be available for hospitals before July", says the young engineer who is still looking for funding to mass-produce the Cardiopad. "Besides the funding, I am also looking to start a company to help improve the medical care system in Cameroon", he concludes.




AllAfrica]]> http://www.afroterminal.com/The_Afroterminal_Team/blog/the-cardiopad-an-african-invention-to-save-lives/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:14:43 +0000 The Afroterminal Team