#job in malawi

[amethyinst]

Context: Malawi has an economic crisis and job shortage, and in November 2023 suddenly announced a labour deal which had prreviously been kept secret. On Nov 25, 220 Malawian workers (and prospective 5,000 in the next few months) were sent to Israel to replace Palestinian workers who had been barred from employment or fled due to the crisis.

They are also replacing migrant workers who were being quickly repatriated back to their home nations, a stark contrast to the Malawi government sending their workers into the war zone a month after the Oct 7 attack.

These Malawian workers are desperate, with one prospective worker hoping to be sent to Israel sayiing “It’s better to die trying to earn a living than to languish in poverty here in Malawi.”

The Wikipedia page for Israel-Malawi relations mentions this deal, quote: "The deal is viewed by Malawians and Israelis alike a beneficial to both countries, as Malawi faces an economic crisis and Israeli faces labor shortage due to the war". It's source is the Times of Israel's puff piece on the deal, despite several sources which are critical of the secrecy of the deal or the concern for the welfare of the Malawian workers. [Voice of America] [Al Jazeera] [The New Arab] [Andalou Ajansi (Turkey)] [The Star (Kenya)]. If you are concerned that Al-Jazeera and The New Arab are Qatari-owned, the piece by the Times of Israel also included a short paragraph of the concerns:

But not everyone in Malawi supports the labor export program. Opposition leader Kondwani Nankhumwa described the labor deal as “an evil transaction” because of the threat from the war that has left thousands dead. Rights groups have demanded more details of the government’s deal with Israel so that Malawians are better informed of the risks.

Sounds like israel got slavery

[sayruq]

The Malawi government has finally spoken out on the arrest of Malawian farm workers in Israel, clarifying that 12 out of 40 individuals detained are from the country. According to Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu, the 40 individuals, representing 13 nationalities, were arrested for leaving their designated work stations and seeking employment in town without proper authorization. Kunkuyu revealed that the group, including the 12 Malawians, had abandoned their farm work to seek jobs at a bakery in Bnei Brak, violating Israel’s labor laws and regulations.

Malawi and Israel signed a labor export deal in 2022, allowing Malawi to send unskilled laborers to Israel to work in various sectors, including agriculture and construction. The deal aimed to generate more foreign exchange revenue for Malawi and provide employment opportunities for its citizens. Under the deal, Malawian workers are expected to work in Israel for a maximum of 5 years, with a minimum salary of $1,500 per month. The deal also includes provisions for workers’ safety, health insurance, and protection from exploitation. However, the deal has faced criticism and controversy, with some opposition politicians and human rights organizations expressing concerns about the secrecy surrounding the deal and the potential risks to workers’ safety.

The arrest of the Malawian workers has raised concerns about the treatment of foreign workers in Israel and the effectiveness of the labor deal in protecting their rights. Human rights organizations have called on the Malawian government to take action to ensure the safe return of the detained workers and to review the labor deal to prevent similar incidents in the future. The incident has also sparked debate about the benefits and risks of labor export deals and the need for greater transparency and accountability in such agreements.

The mistreatment of foreign workers in Israel is well documented and would explain why the 45 workers escaped the farm to look for work elsewhere

[butdaddyilovehimmm]

t's marvey fic rec list!

These are mostly smut (bdsm / d/s), fluff is in pt. 2 in the reblogs

Long Fics (50k +)

Forget The Rest by eadunne2 (66k)

Chance Meeting Series by SmoothieM (286k) (one of my fav series ever)

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Once Upon A Brat by Fessst (62k)

Subspace by poppypickford (69k) (part 1 of a 3 part series, 3rd fic is unfinished and 2nd is v angsty lol)

Bite by paraselenewoman (15k) (unfinished)

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Fall Into Me by malawi (81k)

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(i'm not really into abo but i liked these)

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[celticcrossanon]

This is totally my opinion on Harry, Invictus and the Commonwealth. I think Harry’s greatest loss was the loss of their roles of President and VP of the Commonwealth Trust. If they lose Invictus a great deal of their “Plans” i.e. the Plans others have for using them. All of this is connected as I think Harry’s handlers have their ultimate goal of getting Harry back into a role with the Commonwealth which would allow a great deal of movement and economic and military activities within those countries populations, by his handlers, as Harry would be the face to put out any complaints by those who are fighting the multi national corporations and Tech companies that are trying to make inroads into those countries,  to get access to their resources, like oil, their land for development.  They have to have a face that is innocuous and who appears to be aligned with the Commonwealth countries. That face, the face of Invictus, gives them Carte Blanche to get into the country, to sell it as a Goodwill operation for Veterans etc. Without Invictus they lose that free pass to go right to the top of the countries hierarchy of ministers, presidents, meet a former prince routine of his and then integrate his own “connections” to the country with the blessing of the leaders as they trust Harry.  You know the Harry that keeps talking about “Africa, my true home, the place I am most comfortable” blah, blah. The desire of Invictus to get rid of Harry has proven to be very difficult as there are powerful corporations who want him there and it has nothing to do with athletes. With Harry as the face, and the beard for what is going on, he distracts from the real activities and puts out that she is 43% Nigerian (I am your sister, your mother, your wife blah, blah!). Don’t be fooled. This is all a charade, a scam…not by Harry, he is too stupid. Follow the money…this is all a distraction from issues like all the violence over there, i.e., African Parks. However, there is no question in my mind that H&M would do anything for money…greed is the touchstone here…and we already know that Harry would sell out his family for money. Can you imagine what he would do to an entity like the Commonwealth, that he does not care about at all?  Keep your eyes on these two, they are more dangerous than they look, because stupid people are very dangerous, because they will do anything for money.

*

Hi Nonny,

Thank you for sharing your opinion with us. :)

A few points that I want to comment on:

The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust is a local, UK based charity that is supposed to support young people aged 18-35 across the Commonwealth, focusing on social entrepreneurs who have founded organisations to address problems in their communities. So far it has funded projects in the following countries:

 3 in the UK, 5 in Uganda, 3 in Kenya, 3 in Cameroon, 2 in Malawi, 2 in South Africa, 2 in Rwanda, 2 in Tanzania, 2 in Nigeria, 1 in Ghana, 1 in Barbados, 1 in Guyana, 1 in St Lucia, 1 in Trinidad and Tobago, 1 in the Maldives, 1 in India, and 1 in Pakistan. 

That is 32 projects across 17 countries (out of 56 Commonwealth Nations). This is a small charity. It does not have an international reputation and I doubt that most people outside the UK would know about it.

Harry’s job as President was to be president of a UK based charity. It had nothing to do with the organisation of the Commonwealth if Nations.

With respect to the Commonwealth of Nations, any prominent position within the organisation is either filled by a Head of State or voted on by all Heads of State. If Harry wants one of those positions, for which he is woefully unqualified, he would have to do a deal with enough of the 56 Heads of State to be voted into the position. I can’t see that happening, myself, especially as many of them want the position to go to another country’s Head of State after King Charles. 

In addition, the Head of the Commonwealth has no power in any nation that makes up the Commonwealth. They can not be the face of anything except the Commonwealth as an organisation because they have no power in any of the individual countries (except for what is granted to them as Head of State of one or more of those countries).

Invictus is another matter, as Harry does have role as its patron that could include going to different countries to raise awareness/funds etc. Using that role for other motives makes sense.

[sky-daddy-hates-me]

Twelve Malawians have been deported from Israel after leaving the farms where they were working, to get higher salaries elsewhere. The 12 Malawians were among more than 40 foreign workers who were arrested while working at a bakery in Tel Aviv last week. The workers, who were part of a labour agreement between Israel and Malawi, were unhappy with working conditions in the agricultural sector and found work in a bakery instead. Israel's ambassador to Malawi Michael Lotem told the BBC: "Anybody who violates his visa terms will be deported – as easy as this, as in any country. "I hope it will be a sign for others that it is better to stick to the job. Nobody forced them to come, they came to do a job, they should do the job that is all." Last week, Benzani, a Malawian working in Israel, told the BBC that some of his compatriots working on other farms were being paid less than the minimum wage in Israel.

"The minimum wage in Israel is 32 shekels ($8.60; £6.85) an hour, but some of us are being paid 18 to 20 shekels an hour." Benzani said many of them had signed contracts which said they would receive $1,500 a month. Benzani is not one of those who were deported. Mr Lotem said that rather than leaving the farms and breaking the conditions of their visas, they should have lodged a complaint. “If someone thinks that he is not getting what he deserves, there is a hotline and a phone number they can call "Violating the law is not the answer. "The Israeli police shows zero tolerance to illegal activity especially these days when we have so many other troubles,” Mr Lotem said. Those deported were part of a labour drive by the Israeli government last year to fill a shortage of agricultural workers following October's deadly attacks on Israel by Hamas. This led Israel to stop giving permits to Palestinians to work on its farms, while 10,000 migrant farm workers - mostly Thai nationals - left Israel after war broke out. More than 200 Malawians went to Israel, while Kenya agreed to send 1,500 workers. The announcement of the deal sparked mixed reactions in Kenya, with some concerned about their safety. The two governments said it would help reduce unemployment in their countries. Mr Lotem also said that a new agreement had been signed for another 3,000 Malawians to go and work in Israel.

Imagine deporting someone because they wanted a job that actually paid the minimum wage

[mariacallous]

Last December, Mahesh Odedara signed a contract to live and work for five years in a foreign country thousands of miles away from home and mired in a state of war. Odedara, a 30-year-old farmer from Porbandar, a city in western India, was aware of the risks of working on an Israeli farm. But Odedara’s contract promised him a steady, eight-hour workday, robust workers’ rights under Israeli law, and a 5,571 shekel ($1,500) monthly salary—many times more than what Odedara earned in Porbandar. It was too good to turn down.

Israeli farms are in dire need of agricultural workers like Odedara. Following Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, the Israeli government barred tens of thousands of Palestinian laborers, a critical component of Israel’s agricultural workforce, from entering the country. By early winter, farms were facing a “manpower crisis.” With no sign of government policy changing, farmers have since turned to importing thousands of foreign laborers from countries such as India, Malawi, and Sri Lanka to stay afloat.

At first, Odedara’s expectations were high. With his newfound salary, he would be able to send home hundreds of dollars each month to support his parents; the money could also go toward purchasing equipment for the family farm. One day, Odedara hoped, he might even be able to buy a home for himself in Porbandar.

But soon after arriving in Israel, Odedara realized that his employers had little intention of honoring his contract. In Ahituv, a farming community in northern Israel, Odedara worked grueling, 11- to 12-hour shifts picking produce; he was forced to work on weekends and was told he would be paid far below the legal hourly minimum wage. Then, at the end of the month, he was not paid at all—Odedara’s boss informed him that his wages had been sent, inexplicably, to his employment agency instead.

(When reached for comment, Odedara’s former employer denied that Odedara had ever worked for him; however, another migrant worker who independently mentioned working for the same employer corroborated Odedara’s claims about labor conditions and missing wages. The employment agency did not respond to a request for comment.)

Odedara’s housing, which farms provide for their workers, also bordered on the uninhabitable. In Khatsav, where Odedara worked for eight days, he slept in a makeshift room erected out of wooden planks and panes of sheet metal; his bathroom was a toilet in an outdoor shack with a dirt floor, and the shower had no hot water. In the first few months, Odedara lost nearly 25 pounds.

Odedara now “really regrets” coming to Israel, he said, even though he counts as one of the lucky ones: Odedara’s brother, Bharat, had already worked in Israel as a caregiver for four years and was eventually able to find him a job at a farm with far better labor conditions.

Yet Odedara’s experiences in Ahituv and Khatsav are far from unique. According to Bharat, abuse and illegal labor practices are widespread. “I used to meet all the new people coming in for agriculture. I was talking to them, and everyone has the same problem,” Bharat said. “They have to fight for their salary, for their rights, for their basic requirements. Nobody is helping them. They are helpless.”

Farming is fundamental to Israel’s national identity, yet the country’s agricultural sector has been reliant on non-Israeli labor for decades. In 1967, after Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza, the government decided to integrate the territories’ residents into the Israeli economy. Since then, “Palestinians have been integral to the Israeli labor force,” said Adriana Kemp, a sociologist at Tel Aviv University who studies Israeli labor. “You could not talk about whole sectors like agriculture or construction without talking about this large number of Palestinians.”

By the 1990s—following spates of violence from Palestinian militants—Israel began “talking about the possibility of opening the gate for overseas labor migrants,” Kemp said. “That’s when they started actually bringing [in workers] from different countries.” But even so, Palestinians stayed in large numbers; in 2021, tens of thousands of Palestinian laborers made up a quarter of Israel’s total agricultural workforce.

Then came Oct. 7. Claiming that agricultural workers from Gaza had provided intelligence to Hamas fighters, the Israeli government barred some 20,000 Palestinian agricultural laborers from reentering the country. (Israel’s internal security service has since partially disputed this finding.) Around the same time, some 7,800 Thai workers, previously the largest population of overseas workers in Israel due to a 2012 Israeli-Thai bilateral agreement, fled after at least 39 of them were killed in the Hamas attack.

Almost overnight, the agricultural sector lost over a third of its entire foreign workforce. In the early weeks of the war, even though Israeli volunteers stepped in to help struggling farmers, farms hemorrhaged profits. By November, to replenish the labor force, the Israeli government announced that it would allow up to 5,000 overseas workers into the country via a new immigration scheme.

When Orit Ronen heard about the scheme, her immediate thought was that it would lead to “one big balagan”—Hebrew for a “chaotic mess.” Ronen, who works at Kav LaOved, a Tel Aviv-based labor rights nonprofit, was acutely aware of how vulnerable the new arrivals would be, given existing exploitation. Ronen also knew that many farms lacked sufficient infrastructure to house workers, since the farms’ previous Palestinian laborers had simply commuted in from the West Bank or Gaza.

Ronen was right to worry. Since early December, when thousands of new laborers began arriving in Israel, Kav LaOved has received more than 300 requests for information and assistance from workers reporting a litany of abuse. The conditions Odedara and others have experienced are blatantly illegal under Israeli labor law. But ever since the Oct. 7 attack, labor law enforcement has been “less than before,” Ronen said. “And even before, it was low.”

The Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA), the Israeli government agency tasked with labor law enforcement, did not respond to requests for interview. “We have the call center for foreign workers, where they can explain exactly the problem, and they will be checked,” PIBA spokesperson Sabine Haddad wrote in an email.

Migrant workers also often hesitate to contact PIBA’s call center for fear of retaliation; employers “are telling [workers] that we will send you back to India if you will not work as we say,” Bharat said. Employers “can’t do that. I know that, but [the workers] don’t. They are new.” (Israeli law allows workers to stay in the country for 90 days to find a new employer if they have been fired.)

The threat of deportation is especially potent because most workers are effectively stranded in Israel for the duration of their five-year contracts, thanks to the outsized fees they paid before departing for Israel. In Odedara’s case, an agent in India asked him for $6,300 in an under-the-table payment, which he paid for with his family’s savings.

These fees are not a new phenomenon, but labor advocacy organizations scored a major victory in 2012, when Israel and Thailand established a bilateral agreement that eliminated predatory fees for Thai migrant workers. The post-Oct. 7 immigration scheme, which has no such provision, threatens to undo this progress. “The [workers] that come, especially from India, paid thousands of dollars” to brokers, Ronen said. “For them, that’s a very big deal, and that makes them very vulnerable.”

And then there is the war. Melbin Paul, a 29-year-old from the southern Indian state of Kerala, was assigned to work at a poultry farm close to the Israel-Lebanon border, which the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has fired rockets across nearly every day since Oct. 7.

On the morning of March 4, Paul looked up from trimming an almond tree and saw a missile heading straight toward him and his fellow workers. “There was no time to run,” he said. The projectile, a Hezbollah anti-tank missile, made impact “in the blink of an eye.” Paul’s friend, 31-year-old Kerala native Pat Nibin Maxwell, was instantly killed. Paul, who had stood a few yards away from Maxwell, was left with dime-sized shrapnel wounds scoring the right side of his body.

“Even before the war, it was very common for agricultural workers that work near the Gaza Strip to be injured or killed,” said Michal Tadjer, a lawyer who runs a workers’ rights clinic at Tel Aviv University. Maxwell is one of at least a half-dozen agricultural workers who have been killed by rocket fire in the past decade.

Following the April 13 Iranian strikes on Israel, the Indian foreign ministry urged its citizens in Israel to register themselves at the Indian Embassy and “restrict their movements to the minimum.” The warning belies the reality that the new workers have far less understanding of the security situation than longtime Palestinian laborers or Thai migrants, who have been in Israel for decades.

Paul and his friends had never even been told that their farm was located in a closed military zone that Margaliot residents had evacuated in mid-October. “This is my first time in Israel,” Paul said. “I [didn’t] know where the firing and war” was.

Yet the scale of migrant worker exploitation could soon grow even worse. Fewer than 3,000 new agricultural workers have arrived since November; an additional 8,000 to 12,000 workers are needed to bring farms back to full labor capacity, according to Ronen. A separate deal is already in place to bring 10,000 Sri Lankan laborers to Israel over the coming months. More balagan is likely to follow.

There will also be profound security consequences to shifting away from Palestinian labor. Before Oct. 7, the income of Palestinian laborers in Israel made up about 20 percent of the Palestinian Authority’s GDP. For months now, Israel’s internal security service has called for Palestinian workers from the West Bank to be let back into Israel, warning that increasingly dire economic conditions in the West Bank will lead to further destabilization and violence. But right-wing ministers in the Israeli government have refused to lift the ban, citing the need to move away from Palestinian labor at all costs.

For the workers, their salaries are far beyond the meager sums they could earn back home. For Odedara, there’s much left to do: His current job, while a significant improvement over his previous stints, still pays below what his contract stipulates, and then there is the matter of getting his missing wages back. Odedara is “going to find a solution,” Bharat said. “He wants to stay here but in a good condition—not like this.”

Regardless, the post-Oct. 7 wave of new arrivals will remain in Israel until 2029—meaning that, for at least the next five years, many Palestinian farm workers will not have a job to return to even if the ban on Palestinian labor is lifted.

The only certainty, it seems, is that Israel will have to continue to look beyond its own population for labor. “Israel has relied on noncitizen labor in agriculture for a long time, whether Palestinian or non-Palestinian,” Kemp said. “This structural dependence will not go away.”

[ptseti]

MALAWI EXPORTS YOUTH TO ISRAEL A controversial deal to send Malawi youth to work on farms in Israel has been slammed by human rights groups. Around 200 were flown to Middle East county at the weekend to plug a labour shortage after thousands of Palestinians had their work permits revoked. The Human Rights Defenders Coalition blasted the ‘secrecy’ surrounding terms of the agreement that's been called ‘evil’ by Malawi opposition leader Kondwani Nankhumwa. He said no sane parent could send their child to a country at war. So why is the Malawi government doing this? Maybe it has something to do with the $60m aid package it received from Israel two weeks ago? Officially, Malawi’s government says it’s a way to create jobs for its youth and will continue to send workers to Israel and other countries. The polite term is ‘bilateral labour agreements’ - but isn’t this just a posh phrase for exploitation? Kenya has done similar deals in the past with Germany and Saudi Arabia and has been criticised for it. There’s been a backlash online to Malawi’s latest move, including this post. Lots of people seem to agree with this woman's outrage. Do you?

[burlveneer-music]

JOBS - Soft Sounds - experimental art rock that is not quite skronky. with a Zeuhl track (#8)

Give audiences a way into the bizarre and a way out of the normal. This ethos guides pop-minded experimentalists JOBS, and can be heard all over their latest full-length Soft Sounds. The album represents a creative leap forward for the quartet, one that finds them fusing organic, uniquely human gestures with precise repetition, creating an overall sound with distant echoes of folk songs, IDM, and 1970s jazz fusion. However, despite the subdued and soothing connotations those antecedents – and indeed the album’s very title – might conjure, Soft Sounds is a full-spectrum sonic experience best played loud, replete with songs that crackle with clarity and urgency. Recorded during drummer Max Jaffe’s recording residency at Brooklyn cultural center Pioneer Works, these sessions marked the quartet’s jubilant return to the in-person interplay that sustains their creative partnership and drives their most salient work. It was also the first occasion for Jaffe to take the helm as recording and mix engineer for the group, simultaneously using his hybrid electro-acoustic drum kit as a command center for many of the synthesizers, samplers, and effects that undergird Soft Sounds. The band arrived at these sessions with only a couple of guitarist Dave Scanlon’s melodies, bassist Ro Lundberg’s harmonic structures, and violist Jessica Pavone’s lines of lyrics. Despite the relatively modest batch of ideas, the sense of total autonomy afforded by the residency allowed them to write, orchestrate, record, edit, and mix in a semi-concurrent flow state. Across Soft Sounds, the sonic palette expands and contracts as each song sees fit. In JOBS’ music, Mark Hollis-type abstraction sits comfortably alongside grooves inspired by Jaffe’s time in Malawi. Their immersive sonic spaces suggest the speaker-test work of Ryoji Ikeda offset by soft-synth wobbles that recall an asexual reimagining of “brostep.” It’s in this reordering of the familiar and foreign that JOBS’ fluid approach reveals a sense of playful wonder and depth. Soft Sounds represents JOBS at a new state of maturity and self actualization as they hone their individual artistry and their collaboration across time zones and milestones.  Max Jaffe contributed drums, Sensory Percussion, synthesizer, vocals, engineering, and mixing Ro(b) Lundberg contributed bass guitar, fretless guitar, keyboards, vocals Jessica Pavone contributed viola, vocals Dave Scanlon contributed electric guitar, keyboards, vocals

[djuvlipen]

My name is Memory Banda. I am honored and humbled to be here today, as we continue to promote democracy and defend human rights around the world.

I come from Malawi, a country known across Africa as a model of democracy full of noble people who actively participate in the political process.

At the same time, there are still real developmental challenges for Malawi to overcome. One is the situation of girls and women, who are struggling to reach their full potential.

Despite progress on gender equality, girls and women face discrimination in every aspect of life. Girls are more likely to drop out of school, and women have less access to land, credit, markets and jobs. Furthermore, women are under-represented in politics.

I believe that Malawi will neither be able to evolve nor reach its full potential if half of its population is presented with real obstacles to having social, economic, and political mobility.

A unique problem facing young girls is child marriage which, in so many countries, is a telling sign of the devastatingly low status of girls and women in society. Child marriage is a telling sign of the neglect of human rights in Malawi.

Child marriage is not a sideline issue. It affects about 14 million girls every year. One in three girls in the developing world are married by age 18, and one in nine are married by age 15. Some are as young as 10 years old.

Child brides are often exposed to serious health risks, such as premature pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections like HIV and AIDS. Child marriage is also closely linked to low levels of economic development. Girls who marry young are more likely to be poor and stay poor, perpetuating a cycle of poverty for generations.

All of these reasons prove how child marriage is not only a tragedy for young girls in Malawi but also a major obstacle for the country’s development.

In the community I come from, child marriage is equally celebrated just like any other marriage. Child marriage is not considered a human rights violation. Instead, it is viewed as an issue too sensitive and too difficult to confront because it is attached to cultural traditions, beliefs and norms.

But, that is changing. It is changing because we are now seeing girls and women, boys and men, local and national leaders speak out against this harmful practice.

Before I say what more we as a global community can do to end child marriage, let me tell you my story.

My little sister was 11 years-old when she got pregnant and was married off to the man who impregnated her. From that moment, everything changed. That was it; her childhood robbed from her, her dreams and goals shattered.

I have also witnessed my cousins, my family friends, my classmates, the people in my community, all of the girls I grew up with married off. They were taken away from me. There are thousands of girls like my sister who have been married off, their rights violated and futures destroyed.

I had a lot of questions as I was growing up. I asked myself, “why can’t a girl have her own choices? Why should she be a second-class citizen in our own society? Why can’t she just choose on her own?” And, above all, “why can’t this girl speak?” 

I remember thinking of the injustice: what happened to my beautiful, intelligent sister, should never happen to anyone. This conviction motivated me to take action.

At age 13, I began to speak out against child marriages and harmful traditions. I started to promote girls’ education, seeing this as the best solution to protect the girls around me, and myself, from abuse and exploitation. I formed a network of my fellow young girls, called the Foundation for Girls Leadership—a non-profit that promotes equal access to rights, equality, and education for women.

Through my work, I have spoken directly to victims of child marriage. They have told me the hardships, the pain, the abuse, and the traumas they have experienced. They have told me what it was like to live with all the pressures of being a child mother. This is not far away from what my little sister experienced.

Knowing the pain and trauma of young girls subjected to child marriage, I launched an effort to change the Malawi Constitution. Along with a coalition of other activists, I called on the government to raise the legal marriage age in Malawi from 15 to 18. After much debate and many challenges, the parliamentarians voted to change the law, raising the legal marriage age to 18 and enshrining it in the Constitution.

But, there was more work to do. The Constitution had many loopholes that made it easy for people to marry off their daughters despite the legal age because of parental consent. So, I launched a youth-led global campaign to pressure the government to again amend the Constitution.

I organized a petition that received one million signatures of Malawian mothers, fathers, and brothers who agreed in saying “I will not marry off my daughter or sister.” This caught the attention of the First Lady of my country who joined our campaign. Ultimately, we even got support from traditional leaders— the custodians of law—who live in the communities where child marriage is most frequent. They helped by writing a letter to the President, urging the government to amend the Constitution.

In February 2017, the amendment passed and now, the Constitution defines any person below age 18 a child, reinforcing the previous law that raised the legal marriage age from 15 to 18.

Despite these legal victories, I believe that preventing child marriage is a multi-faceted project. It’s about getting girls into school and keeping them there. It’s about ensuring they have access to sexual and reproductive health services. It’s about giving girls economic opportunities and proper training. It’s about changing the way families view the problem.  

Child and forced marriage is an international problem that needs urgent attention. Ultimately, it’s going to take a massive coalition of voices —including girls, boys, parents, religious and community leaders, politicians and the international community—to speak out against this harmful practice of child marriage.

Prioritizing girls and women is one of the most fundamentally sound methods of changing our world for the better. I have learned that encouraging girls and women to help themselves raises living standards for an entire society. Let’s leave no one behind, an empowered and educated girl, becomes an agent of change. 

I firmly believe that it does not matter where one is born; we are all global citizens promised the same rights. And we must join together as one community to protect our fundamental freedoms and to call on world leaders to ensure that we are living in an equal, safe society. 

Thank you.

[cryingoflot49]

Book Review

Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town

by Paul Theroux

Two decades ago, the novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux took an overland trip through Africa, starting in Cairo, Egypt and ending in Cape Town, South Africa. This certainly isn’t the safest or the most comfortable means of experiencing the supposed “dark continent”, but it makes for some interesting experiences and insights. Keeping in mind that Theroux’s observations are just one point of view among many, his resulting book Dark Star provides a unique look at a region of the world that holds a permanent place off the beaten path.

While Dark Star is an easy book to read, breaking it down into its individual elements is a good way to approach its merits and examine its flaws. The first element of importance is Theroux’s sense of place. Wherever he goes, the author describes what he sees and the vibe he gets from his surroundings. Starting on the tourist trail in Egypt, he heads south through Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, and South Africa. You quickly get a sense of what he appreciates and what he doesn’t. He doesn’t like sites that are swarmed with tourists, nor does he like cities with their concentrations of crime and poverty. He also doesn’t like the “death traps” as he calls public transportation which are usually over-croded minivans driven at dangerous speeds on poorly maintained roads, pockmarked with hippopotamus-sized potholes. If you’ve ever traveled in a Third World country, you will know exaclt what he is talking about.

The places that Theroux does like are usually rural, especially farm lands or jungle villages. These are the places where he sees Africans at their best, meaning Africans being Africans in the absence of corrupt and filthy cities built up on the foundations of European colonialism. Some of the book’s best passages involve descriptions of the pyramids in Sudan which are rarely seen by tourists, a boat trip across Lake Victoria, another boat trip from Malawi across the Zambezi over the border into Zimbabwe, and the pristine countrysides of Zimbabwe and South Africa. All places, whether Theroux likes them or not, are described with language that is clear, simple, and direct, making it easy to visualize what he sees.

Another element that is done to near perfection is writings about the people. Theroux talks with tour guides, people on the streets and in the villages, farmers, nuns, educators, government officials, Indian businessmen, prostitutes, authors, intellectuals, and ordinary people. Just like with the places he goes, he describes these people vividly with precision so that you feel like you quickly get to know them. But not everyone is to his liking. He gets into small argument with a fanatical Rastafarian in Ethiopia, a little ornery with physically fit young men who refuse to work, government officials who demand bribes to do their jobs, and he really gives a hard time to a young American missionary woman about the psychological damage that her evangelical ministry is doing to the local people. There is also plenty of anger directed at clueless tourists as well as NGO and charity workers who he sees as being the Westerners who do the most damage to Africa.

The third element of importance is the author, Paul Theroux himself, and his thoughts and commentaries on everything he sees. Before getting into this subject, it should be mentioned that Theroux had a purpose to his journey. In the 1960s he worked as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching in Malawi. After getting involved with a Leftist political group, he got fired then accepted a teaching position at a college in Uganda. He wanted to return and see what results, if any, his contributions to Africa grew into. What he found was a major disappointment. The charming campuses and villages where he had lived were in ruins and instead of a thriving civilization, he saw emaciated beggars, starving children, an ignorant populace, and chronically corrupt politicians. Shops that were formerly owned by Indian immigrants were abandoned and burnt to the ground, the result of a campaign of ethnic cleansing. African people wanted to buy from shops owned by Africans, but Africans never took control over the businesses after the Indians were killed or chased away. They resorted to begging, theft, petty crime, prostitution, and laziness instead of making an effort to build better villages for themselves. Due to the hopelessness of African society, the most educated citizens fled to America or Europe instead of staying in their home countries where they were most needed.

Throughout his travels in Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, Theroux gets increasingly bitter and cynical. He wanted to see Africans thriving and they weren’t. He directs all his wrath towards the Western charities and NGOs who he says are making the local people dependent on aid rather than learning how to run their societies for themselves. Even worse, these organizations work by bribing corrupt politicians to allow them to do work there, keeping greedy and psychotic leaders in positions of power they don’t deserve. Theroux points out that rural people who have given up on the hopeless market economy and returned to subsistence farming are the happiest and healthiest Africans he encounters. Heecomes close to advocating for a type of post-capitalist agrarian anarchism.

Some readers have criticized Theroux for his pessimistic views on contemporary Africa, but he does cite studies that support what he says. He also encounters a lot of Africans in several different countries that agree with him. To make sense of his negativity, you also have to remember that traveling overland through Africa is not exactly stress free. Anybody who has been on an extended backpacking trip anywhere in the world will tell you that traveler’s fatigue is a real thing. Theroux took a longer than average trip through one of the most underdeveloped regions in the world, got shot at by Somali bandits, stuck in the middle of nowhere when his transportation broke down, and got sick with food poisoning, magnifying his traveler’s fatigue to a outsize extent. These circumstances would make you grouchy too. But even in the darkest times, Theroux never loses his appreciation for Africa, the wildlife, the landscapes, and the people who are trying to make the best of their situations. Besides, by the time he crosses the river from Malawi into Zimbabwe, his mood really lightens up.

Dark Star is an engaging travelogue that should be read both critically and with an open mind. All the while, remember that this is Paul Theroux’s singular point of view. That doesn’t make it wrong; that just means that there are other points of view to take into account that may go against what he says even if they don’t necessarily invalidate his opinions. He saw what he saw and he expresses it well. This is raw and honest travel writing and if you haven’t been tough enough to make the same kind of journey, you’re not in a good place to be judgmental of the conclusions he draws.

[paneotech]

"Visit Africa: Navigating the African Continental Free Trade Area for Boosting Intra-African Tourism"

By Julien Reteno

In recent years, the African continent has taken a significant leap forward in the quest for economic integration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This ambitious trade agreement, brokered by the African Union, aims to create a single market for goods and services, thereby facilitating the free movement of people and investments across the continent. The AfCFTA holds the potential to revolutionize African economies, encouraging the diversification of income sources, increasing trade volumes, and fostering innovation.

The importance of economic integration in Africa cannot be overstated. It encourages economies of scale, reduces trade barriers, and fosters a more competitive business environment. By promoting intra-African trade, the AfCFTA can help to reduce the continent's reliance on external markets, thereby strengthening its resilience against global economic shocks.

The Potential of Intra-African Tourism

Despite the diverse attractions and rich cultural heritage that Africa offers, the tourism industry on the continent has traditionally focused on attracting international tourists. Yet, as Africa's economies develop and incomes rise, there is growing recognition of the potential for intra-African tourism. African tourists visiting other African countries can contribute to economic growth, foster cultural exchange, and promote unity among African nations.

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has noted, "This is a sector of our economy that can grow exponentially, and I believe we have not reached its full potential. We tend to think of tourism as associated with pleasure motives all the time. But it can also embrace business tourism, education tourism, health tourism and religion. Tourism is the new gold mine."

The AfCFTA, by promoting the free movement of people, can significantly boost intra-African tourism. By making it easier and more affordable for Africans to travel within the continent, the AfCFTA can help to unlock the full potential of Africa's tourism industry.

Visit Africa: A Catalyst for Change

In the burgeoning landscape of African tourism, one platform stands out for its innovative approach and commitment to promoting intra-African tourism - Visit Africa. This comprehensive platform aims to make booking trips across the continent a seamless experience, thereby encouraging more Africans to explore the beauty and diversity of their own continent.

Visit Africa stands at the intersection of technology and tourism. It leverages digital tools to

provide a user-friendly interface, comprehensive information, and secure booking options. By removing the hassle from planning and booking trips, Visit Africa makes it easier for Africans to explore their own continent.

Furthermore, Visit Africa is perfectly positioned to leverage the opportunities provided by the AfCFTA. By promoting the free movement of people and services, the AfCFTA can facilitate the growth of platforms like Visit Africa, which are built on the premise of intra-African tourism.

Going Beyond the Beaten Track

Visit Africa distinguishes itself by going beyond the well-trodden tourist paths. It works closely with tourism authorities across the continent to highlight lesser-known destinations, thereby helping to develop new tourism markets. This approach fosters a more balanced and sustainable development of the tourism industry, promoting local economic development and job creation in regions that have been overlooked in the past.

For instance, Visit Africa has been instrumental in promoting tourism in destinations like the serene Lake Malawi, the ancient rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia, and the lush landscapes of the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda. By shedding light on these hidden gems, Visit Africa not only offers travelers a unique and authentic experience but also contributes to the socio-economic development of these regions.

Fostering Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

One of the key strategies of Visit Africa is to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among tour operators. This initiative bridges the gap between operators in more developed markets and those in emerging destinations, thereby helping to disseminate best practices and innovative ideas.

For example, a tour operator in Tanzania, a country with a well-developed safari tourism industry, can share insights on sustainable tourism practices, effective marketing strategies, and customer service excellence with a counterpart in a less developed market like Togo. This exchange of knowledge and expertise can help the latter to enhance its service offering, attract more tourists, and contribute to the growth and development of the tourism industry in Togo.

Cross-Border Tourism in the AfCFTA Era.

The advent of the AfCFTA heralds a new era for cross-border tourism. The agreement, by promoting free movement of people and services, opens up new opportunities for cross-border tour itineraries, campaigns, and offers. Visit Africa, in line with this new reality, is working tirelessly to facilitate such cross-border initiatives. For instance, Visit Africa is exploring opportunities to create itineraries that span multiple countries, allowing tourists to experience the diverse cultures, landscapes, and wildlife of Africa. Imagine a tour that starts in the historic city of Marrakech in Morocco, takes you through the vibrant markets of Lagos in Nigeria, leads you to the stunning Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and ends with a relaxing beach holiday in the Seychelles. Such cross-border tours can provide a unique experience for tourists and promote regional integration.

Connecting the Diaspora

The African diaspora plays a crucial role in boosting tourism on the continent. The deep emotional and cultural ties that members of the diaspora maintain with their home countries make them keen tourists and ambassadors of African destinations. Visit Africa and the AfCFTA both recognize this potential and are working towards facilitating diaspora tourism.

Visit Africa's platform is designed to cater not only to residents of the continent but also to the African diaspora. It provides comprehensive information on destinations, offers convenient booking options, and promotes unique experiences that resonate with the diaspora's desire to connect with their roots.

Moreover, the AfCFTA, by promoting the free movement of people and reducing barriers to travel, can facilitate the return of the diaspora to the continent, whether for tourism, business, or permanent return. This influx of diaspora tourists can contribute significantly to the growth of the tourism industry.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite its immense potential, intra-African tourism faces several challenges. These include the lack of infrastructure, visa restrictions, high cost of travel, and limited awareness of Africa's diverse tourist attractions. However, with the implementation of the AfCFTA and the innovative efforts of platforms like Visit Africa, these challenges can be turned into opportunities.

For instance, the AfCFTA can stimulate investment in tourism infrastructure by creating a more attractive business environment. It can also facilitate the relaxation of visa restrictions and reduce the cost of travel by promoting competition and efficiency in the aviation industry. Meanwhile, Visit Africa, through its digital platform, can raise awareness of Africa's diverse attractions and make it easier for visitors to plan and book their trips.

Looking Forward

As we gaze into the future of the African economy, it becomes increasingly clear that the African Continental Free Trade Area will play a transformative role. Platforms like Visit Africa are poised to ride this wave of change and leverage the opportunities it offers to turbocharge intra-African tourism. By shining a light on lesser-known destinations, fostering collaboration among tour operators, facilitating cross-border tours, and connecting the diaspora, Visit Africa is an instrumental player in unlocking the potential of the AfCFTA and redefining the contours of African tourism.

As eloquently articulated by President Ramaphosa, "Africa is pristine. It has beautiful wide beaches, and some of the oldest and diverse flora and fauna. We have majestic scenery from the ancient Sahara Desert to the savannah grasslands of the Maasai Mara and the southern point where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. I am proud to say as Africans that we have world-class national parks at the forefront of conservation of rare and endangered species."

The horizon is aglow with possibilities for intra-African tourism, and platforms like Visit Africa are forging a path towards a more integrated, inclusive, and sustainable tourism industry that truly cherishes and showcases the beauty and diversity of the African continent.

Julien Reteno is the passionate author and CEO of PANEOTECH, the company behind the groundbreaking Visit Africa platform. With a deep-rooted love for Africa and a vision to promote intra-African tourism, Julien has dedicated his career to unlocking the continent's vast potential in various industries. As a seasoned traveler and entrepreneur, Julien understands the transformative power of tourism in fostering economic growth and cultural exchange. Through Visit Africa, Julien envisions a seamless and immersive experience for African travelers, connecting them with diverse destinations and showcasing the beauty and richness of their own continent. With his leadership and unwavering commitment, Julien strives to make Visit Africa the go-to platform for exploring Africa's hidden treasures. Through his writings and initiatives, Julien aims to inspire Africans and the global community to embark on their own extraordinary journeys of (re)discovery within Africa.

[the-fiction-witch]

The Newest Witch

Media irl

Character Thomas Brodie Sangster

Couple Thomas X Reader

Rating sweet

Concept bride of the devil

(prequel to the last to leave me)

I ran as fast as my little legs could carry me through the tall grass, between tree and toadstool, past owl, crow and spiders. This woods was dark but there was nowhere left now to go. The village wanted nothing to do with me. My family burnt. I was all alone. With little hope to survive the night. I found a little spot close by a trees edge to hopefully huddle myself in to try and get some rest.

"Girl. What are you doing here?" A voice asked I looked up and saw the tall woman in a long black coat with a raven on her shoulder she was heavily pregnant and looked down on me with an evil look

"I'm sorry i-"

"What are you doing here?" She asks again

"I have nowhere else to go" I cried

"What's wrong?" She asks coming down to my level

"They burnt my family, our home. They banished me away. I can only run so far. I don't know where else to go"

"Come with me" she says

"You - you mean it?'

"Come. I may have a use for you" she says helping me to my feet.

She lead me through the woods to a small cottage full of dark items… I was fearful at first but overtime she showed me they meant no harm at least not to me. I cleaned, cooked, did lots of little things for her many of which she was unable to do as her stomach grew more and more. She allowed me to sleep In a small bed in the kitchen but I didn't mind a roof and food was more luck than I deserved often on full moons she would be gone for long periods of time but I didn't question her.

"Y/n. Come" she said getting her basket of things

"Yes miss" I nodded hurrying with her she lead me though the woods for what felt like hours til we arrived at a tall weeping willow tree

"Remain silent. And don't run" she demanded I nodded and follow her as she stepped inside beyond the leaves finding a small alter with a black candle burning a black flame she knelt there giving the alter offerings before returning to her feet. She waited staring at the tree I was confused about to speak when suddenly a hellish creature emerged from behind the tree skin as black as coal, wings like a harsh bat, and teeth of a wolf I wanted to scream but she meerly stood still. "I want to speak to him,"

"He's busy"

"I will not be fobbed off with those excuses Malawi. I demand to see him. Tonight"

He moved closer to her but still she stood strong licking his lips "you demand. Do ya? What makes you think you can demand anything of… the master"

"I must see him. I am his bride. If ever that meant anything to him he will see me tonight."

"Pass your message in the usual channels and get back to work"

"I will not tend the candle."

"What!'

"I will not tend the candle. Not a day more. Until he sees me."

The creature went back behind the tree dispersing as quickly as he came we waited in a hushed silence until a man emerged…

He was… admittedly handsome as soon as I saw him I felt butterflies in my stomach. He was tall. Thin. A head of blonde hair. In tight pants, boots and doing up a loose shirt buttoning it as he emerged. He leant on the tree running a hand thought his hair and sighing

"What do you want Elizabeth?"

"To see the husband I haven't seen in twenty years"

"I've been busy." He snapped "you only wanna see me when you want something. I've got enough work to do. I can't be at your beck and call all night Lizzy"

"And yet you expect me to fuel and guard your candle all moons?"

"That's your job isn't it!" He yelled but pulled back as he noticed me "who's she?"

"My assistant. Nothing more" she says "now can I give you my message or not"

"Fine. What do you have to say?"

"... I renounce my position" she said and as she did everything froze. The air. The grass. The candles flame stopped as of frozen in time his stern face melted before he spoke

"You don't mean that"

"I do." She says "I have been your bride Thomas. For sixty four years. I have seen you four times since our wedding. You never speak with me. Send your demons to do your dirty work"

"I can-"

"It's not just that. I've lived a long time Thomas… long enough." She says "I have found a man on this earth who wishes to spend his every moment with me it'll be a shorter life but a better one. I am already with child. My mind is made up"

"I understand." He nods "for what it's worth… I'm sorry. You were a fine witch. An a fine bride to me."

"Thank you" she smiled "I relinquish, the ring. The union and crown. To live a mortal life." She says

"I accept you departure" he nods and the moment he uttered those words wind began again the candle turned white still burning it's black flame but lower then before

"But… I will not leave your candle to extinguish"

"No?"

"Y/n" she says bringing me close "I leave my position to her if she wants it."

"Do you?"

"I… uhh" I stuttered unsure what was happening

"She's too young." He says "perhaps she'll accept in time." He says before coming to my level holding my hand as he did she left leaving us alone together "do you know… who I am?"

"I don't I'm sorry -"

"It's alright. My name is Thomas. I rule the world beyond this one. Master of magic. Darkness. Fear. And evil. King of all demons."

I gasped

"Does that frighten you?"

"... You don't frighten me"

"You're sweet. Brave. For such a little girl." He says "this tree is one of many. The wells of power for me in this world but also doors for those who's time has come. This candle must burn or my power will fade."

"But your power is evil"

"True. But I bring balance. All light needs a shadow little one. With or without me there will be evil. We just ensure its where it should be"

"What does that mean for me?"

"If you take up the reins of your predecessor you will gain her powers. And her responsibilities. Endless magic. Endless life. All for just a little bit of care for my candle that all I ask"

"That's all?"

"That's all. Keep my candle burning, be one of my witches"

"Do i-"

"No. You have time to decide my dear. My candle will burn without our intervention until your eighteenth birthday. I will need to know by then" he says "until then. If you can spare some flowers, a bit of bread that would be much appreciated" he says giving my head a kiss before he disappeared behind the tree

I wasn't sure how to feel so I left headed back to the cottage but I found it empty no sign of her things only a note

"The house is yours now. Use it well. Take your time to ponder his proposal. Being one of his witches isn't as glamorous as it sounds"

I kept up the little cottage and did as he asked of me bringing things to the tree whenever I could, until the day came when I had to decide even if I had known my answer for years. I walked across the woods to the tall tree leaving my offerings and caring for the candle when I saw him appear from behind the tree as last I saw him having not aged a day. He saw me and looked confused looking me up and down as I stood

"I… uhhh" he said very confused looking around a little "y/n?" He asks careful

"Yes" I blushed

"Y/n!" He said in shock "holy hell. I uhhh hi"

"Hi, I've been taking care of the candle as you asked. And I have made my decision honestly I made it quiet a while ago" o explained but he just stood leaning his elbow on the tree and his hand on his face looking at me with a wide smile

"Hum? Oh right." He nods shaking himself out of his head "sorry you uhhh you grew up"

"I did" I blushed

"You look beautiful" he smiled"but you were saying? About a decision?"

"Yes. I would like to care for the candle. And the tree. And the magic."

"You would? Truly?"

"Yes"

"You know what that entails?'

"I do"

"It would mean you are sworn to me. One of my witches. One of my brides"

"I understand that."

"And still?"

"Yes"

"I knew it" he smiled taking my hand

"You did?'

"I did. Are you ready?"

"I am" I smiled

"Then swear it" he smiled "or did she not tell you that?"

"No"

"Here" he says handing me a bit of paper from his pocket "say these words. Mean then truly."

I nodded and read over the paper trying to learn it so I didn't have to read directly

"I swear. Before the full moon light. That I will mind the candle as long as it burns. My life and it's flame are one in the same. I will be a guardian of this secret place for all of my time."

"I accept you as my newest witch" he nods and as he did the flame sparked up higher then I had ever seen it the wax turning blue "do you take me. In full knowledge of what I am. To be my bride. For now and all moons to come"

"I… I do"

"You swear to keep our magic and our… relationship a secret from the world for all of your life?"

"I will"

"If ever you want to leave me. You have only to renounce your magic. But it all goes, me, the magic, your immortal life, all of it. And you will mean nothing more to me then any other human when your time comes"

"I understand. And if I never renounce it"

"Then you'll be my bride forever. And if anything happens to you you'll come down there with me and be my queen"

"Okay,"

"Okay?"

"I accept" I nodded offering my hand he took it stroking my wrist running his hand across my own leaving a devilish mark on my skin

"Then may I kiss my bride?"

"You may" I blushed he smiled and leant down to gently kiss me I happily kissed him back leaving us nuzzled together kissing for quiet a while till he pulled back

"Whoa… your my new favorite" he Cooes

"How many brides do you have?" I asked tenderly

"Uhhh you're thirteen. I think. I need to see a couple actually I think they might be leaving me"

"Oh I'm sorry'

"It's fine happens. But so long as I still have you I don't mind" he smiled giving me another kiss "I won't mind at all" he smirked looking at my dress "I need to get back to work I'm afraid"

"That's okay, your busy"

"Not to busy for my little bride. I'll visit when I can I promise" he says "and as we're now married, I got you something, to keep you company while i'm gone" he says disappearing behind the tree but returning seconds later with a small black kitten in his arms "go on then, go to your new mummy" he smiled letting the little kitten wonder over to me so I picked him up

"Awwww he's adorable'

"He's all yours. I'm sure you'll take good care of him" he smiled

"Does he have a name?"

"Whatever you want to came him,"

"Hummm smokey"

"Perfect. You two look after each other" he says giving my head and the cats head a kiss "ohh and I almost forgot" he says clicking his fingers and suddenly appeared a dark old book "your spell book my little witch. Take care of it. It'll update itself as needed."

"Thank you"

"You're welcome. Now I'll see you soon. I promise" he smiled giving me one last kiss before heading behind the tree and disappearing.

[ausetkmt]

CNN: Survivor found 'gasping for life' among bodies of 27 men dumped on Zambian roadside

CNN: Survivor found 'gasping for life' among bodies of 27 men dumped on Zambian roadside.

Zambia's police service says it is investigating the deaths of 27 men, all believed to be Ethiopian nationals, whose bodies were found on Sunday "dumped" by the roadside near the capital, Lusaka.

Police spokesman Danny Mwale said in a statement that a total of 28 victims were found abandoned along Chiminuka road in the Ngwerere area of Lusaka.

Only one of the men -- who were all aged between 20 and 38 years -- survived, Mwale said.

"Out of the 28 persons, one was found gasping for life," the police statement said, adding that the 27 bodies had been transferred to a Lusaka morgue "awaiting formal identification and postmortem."

The sole survivor was taken to a hospital for treatment, the police said.

Malawi police find more bodies near mass grave that contained 25 Ethiopians

Malawi police find more bodies near mass grave that contained 25 Ethiopians

Ethiopians are increasingly taking desperate measures to escape Africa's second most populous country, which has been in the grip of civil war for the past two years.

Some Ethiopian nationals are lured with promises of job opportunities in South Africa but end up being held in dire conditions, according to immigration officials cited by the Lusaka Times.

The latest discovery comes less than two months after police in neighboring Malawi found a mass grave that contained the remains of 25 Ethiopians in Malawi's northern Mzimba district.

Four more bodies of Ethiopian nationals were found "in a decomposed state" a day after, near the site of the mass grave in Mzimba, Malawi's police said at the time.

Just like Malawi, which has increasingly become a popular route for smuggling syndicates, Zambia has been described as both "a transit and destination country" for illegal migrants from the Horn of Africa who pass through the southern African country with the aim of reaching South Africa.

In July, Zambia's immigration officials intercepted more than 50 Ethiopians who were believed to have been smuggled into the country on their way to South Africa.

[uniathena7]

Master Data Analysis with Power BI Your Gateway to Career Growth!

In today’s data-driven world, tools like Power BI have become essential for professionals who want to analyze and visualize data efficiently. Power BI, a business analytics tool developed by Microsoft, helps users transform raw data into insightful reports and interactive dashboards. If you’re considering advancing your career in data analytics, enrolling in a Power BI course can provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the field. This blog will guide you through the basics of Microsoft Power BI course, its core topics, and how it can benefit your career, especially in Malawi, where the demand for data-driven decision-making is growing.

What Can You Learn in a Power BI Course?

A Power BI course typically covers several important areas to ensure you get a well-rounded understanding of the platform. These areas include:

Data Import and Transformation: You’ll learn how to import data from various sources, clean it up, and make it ready for analysis. This is essential for working with messy or incomplete datasets.

Data Visualization: Power BI is known for its ability to create clear, interactive charts and graphs. You’ll develop the skill to design visuals that help businesses understand their data more effectively.

Report and Dashboard Creation: Learn how to make comprehensive reports and dashboards that present data in a user-friendly and interactive manner. This skill is valuable for making informed decisions based on real-time data.

Data Modelling: Power BI allows you to create data models, which are crucial for analyzing complex datasets. You’ll be taught how to connect different data tables and ensure the data is consistent across all sources.

DAX (Data Analysis Expressions): A significant part of advanced Power BI usage is understanding DAX, which helps in creating custom calculations and extracting deeper insights from data.

Why Is Power BI Important?

In business environments across Malawi and beyond, data analysis is becoming increasingly important. Organizations collect large volumes of data but need tools like Power BI to make sense of it. Power BI simplifies the process of analyzing data and allows stakeholders to see key trends, track performance, and make decisions based on accurate information. From finance to healthcare, companies use Power BI to transform data into actionable insights.

How to Choose the Right Power BI Course?

Selecting the right Power BI course depends on your career goals and current skill level. For beginners, it’s advisable to start with a foundational course that covers the basics, including data importing, data modeling, and creating simple reports. More advanced learners can look for specialized courses that cover topics like DAX, data modeling, and complex visualizations.

Key Factors to Consider:

Course Curriculum: Ensure that the course covers a wide range of topics, from the basic to advanced features of Power BI.

Certification: A course that offers a certification, particularly from a recognized institution, will be more valuable in the job market.

Practical Experience: A course that includes hands-on projects or real-world applications of Power BI is beneficial for reinforcing what you’ve learned.

Benefits of Power BI Certification

Earning a Power BI certification can significantly enhance your career prospects. With businesses increasingly relying on data for decision-making, there’s a growing demand for skilled Power BI professionals. Whether you’re aiming for a job as a Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, or Visualization Specialist, certification can make your resume stand out and increase your chances of getting hired. In Malawi, industries like finance, healthcare, and government are starting to recognize the value of data-driven decision-making, making Power BI skills highly relevant.

Career Opportunities

With a Power BI certification, you open doors to a wide range of job opportunities. Certified professionals can work in fields like data analytics, business intelligence, and data visualization. In Malawi, companies are beginning to adopt data analytics tools, creating a demand for skilled professionals who can help organizations make better decisions through data analysis.

Final Thoughts

A Power BI course is a solid investment in your future, whether you’re just starting in data analytics or looking to enhance your existing skills. With its wide range of features, from data visualization to report generation, Power BI is a tool that can help businesses in Malawi and around the world turn data into actionable insights. By choosing the right course and gaining certification, you’ll be well on your way to advancing your career in data analytics.

In Malawi, where data-driven decision-making is becoming more essential across sectors, learning Power BI can help you stay ahead in the job market and contribute to more informed business strategies.

[evoldir]

Fwd: Job: UNebraskaLincoln.ResTech.EvolutionaryGenomics

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Job: UNebraskaLincoln.ResTech.EvolutionaryGenomics > Date: 29 August 2024 at 05:28:00 BST > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > > > The Moore Lab (mooregenomicslab.com) at the University of Nebraska > Lincoln is recruiting an enthusiastic and motivated research technician > to join the team to work on evolutionary systems genomics questions, and > more! We use beautiful and charismatic Malawi African cichlid fishes to > study the mechanisms underlying complex adaptive traits, with a focus on > gene expression related to behaviors and sex-associated phenotypes. All > projects will focus on generating and integrating different types > of genomic data (epigenetics, gene expression, and/or whole genome > sequencing), but may also include tissue collection, histology, and/or > state-of-the-art, creative behavioral phenotyping. > > The technician will be responsible for assisting PI Moore with > organization and ordering in the lab, coordinating undergraduate > researchers for fish care duties, and sequencing experiment data > generation. Additional opportunities for bioinformatic tasks or field > work are possible depending on candidate interest. This position is > ideal for someone looking to gain additional research and publication > experience prior to applying for graduate programs, or an experienced > technician looking to be located in Lincoln NE. Initial hire will be > for a 1 year appointment, with the opportunity to extend dependent on > performance and funding. > > Required qualifications: > >  *   Excellent time management and organizational skills >  *   Ability to work independently or with a team to achieve >      scientific goals >  *   Interest in gaining new skills >  *   A willingness to contribute to a supportive and engaging >      intellectual environment that includes researchers at all >      career stages. >  *   BA or BS in Biology or related field, or relevant coursework or >      experience if in an unrelated field > > Skills that would give you a head start on the job: > >  *   Wet lab experience (nucleic acid extractions, genomic library >      preparations) >  *   and/or fish handling and husbandry experience >  *   and/or familiarity with bash scripting/R or other programming >      languages (python, perl, etc) > > As an EO/AA employer, the University of Nebraska considers > qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, > ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, > gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, > veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation. See > https://ift.tt/hGRFglu. > > > Feel free to email Emily Moore if you have any questions > (emoore28@unl.edu). https://ift.tt/8r9fyTA Application > review will begin on 9/9 and will continue until position is filled. > > emoore28@unl.edu > > (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to > golding@mcmaster.ca

[goodyfeed]

South African pensioners could lose R100 million to Prophet Bushiri

Electrical engineering pensioners in South Africa are possibly going to lose around R100 million invested in Enlightened Christian Gathering church leader Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s investment vehicles as a result of a criminal case against the flamboyant self-proclaimed preacher.

At least four pension funds invested in Bushiri’s operations and are waiting to be cashed out.

Bushiri and his wife marry were arrested last year on fraud and money laundering charges, sparking a massive protest from his followers demanding his release.

The preacher, who is of Malawi origin, founded and leads Pretoria based ECG church and proclaimed himself a prophet.

The controversial preacher owns a fleet off luxury cars and made headlines after buying a Maserati for her six year old child in 2017. The Electrical Contracting Industry Pension Fund has been put in quandary after the seizure of the preacher’s assets.

The trustees wrote a letter to members of the fund indicating that the fund invested R110 million in Bushiri’s upmarket Waters Hotel development in 2017 through the fund manager JM Busha Investment Group.

Bushiri was arrested at this Rustenburg hotel in North West last year.

The money was placed for a tenure of 12 months and later extended by another year. The pension fund was due to receive a total of R140 million on maturity of the investment but JM Busha only managed to repay a paltry R37 million. The rest of the balance were locked when Bushiri’s assets were frozen.

The trustees of the fund accuse Busha of exceeding the mandate by investing in Bushiri’s assets and they have lodged a complaint with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). Bushiri’s problems have been compounded as the fund has begun legal proceedings to recover their investment.

JM Busha CEO Joseph Busha, who is the president of the Zimbabwean political party Free Zimbabwe Congress, denies exceeding his mandate by placing the funds with Bushiri’s company but insist there were daily reports about the fund and he conducted his job with transparency. Busha says he received a security guarantee to the tune of R400 million from Bushiri.

Busha said he has already initiated a legal action to attach Bushiri’s assets to recover the pension fund’s money. He goes on to accuse the authorities of jeopardizing the transaction by attaching Bushiri’s assets.

FSCA has revealed that at least four funds are waiting to cash out of Bushiri’s company.

The Engineering Industries Pension Fund is owed R27 million, the Metals Industry Pension Fund is owed R21 million and two SA Municipal Worker’s Unions (Samwu) funds are owed R42 million and R7 million, the FSCA reported.

Busha lost a further R60 million of Samwu funds invested in the SME Bank Namibia, run by Zimbabweans and currently being liquidated.

Edward Farley