Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s award-winning novel Half of a Yellow Sun has been adapted into a screenplay by playwright Biyi Bandele. This is his feature film directorial debut, with a cast that includes Thandie Newton, John Boyega, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dominic Cooper, Anika Noni Rose, Joseph Mawle and Genevieve Nnaji.
In 2011, hoping to escape the brouhaha of the city, I retreated for a few weeks to an isolated inn somewhere in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Each morning, I was offered a basket of delicious red apples as a gift from the locals. Delighted by their warm hospitality, I insisted on meeting them and thanking them in person. Finally I was taken to Miloud, the owner of a surrounding farm. Judging from the size of the land, I expected to walk through the doors of an ostentatious residence. However, I was shocked by the deplorable state of his mud house and miserable living conditions.
Puzzled by Miloud’s situation, I mobilised a small group of students and we conducted a field survey to decrypt how the owner of paradisiac prairies receives such minimal benefits. Our findings highlighted how the market prices were five times higher than those charged by the village farmers. Miloud, who had never left his small town, totally ignored most of the market realities which in turn made him an easy prey for unscrupulous middlemen who atrociously exploited his ignorance.
I returned to the village determined to get Miloud to increase his selling prices. The notion of change terrified the man because he feared losing his clientele under the impression that all his neighbors would continue to charge low prices. After a long and heated discussion about his situation and that of his children, Miloud finally agreed to gather the farmers of the region in his house with the goal of finding a reasonable solution to put an end to the clear exploitation they were experiencing.
The feelings of fear and inexplicable dread were shared by all the farmers, but they were concerned about the future of their families and hoped to offer them a better life. After paying a listening ear to their insecurities, I suggested that they put their harvest in the same basket, decide together on the selling price and never let anyone exploit them again. With the help of business students, we developed an action plan for the farmers’ co-operative Rhamna, and stayed in touch with them during their first two years of operation.
Today Rhamna co-operative has developed several added-value products and benefited from the support of the NIHD (National Initiative for Human Development). As a result, in less than two years the income of the farmers has jumped substantially by a staggering 70%.
Farmers harvest barbary figs, used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, on August 6 2011 in the Skhour Rhamna region near Marrakech. (Pic: AFP)
Miloud’s success story inspired me to start Fair Farming, an initiative that promotes fair trade and helps smallholder farmers derive maximum benefit from their products. Since its inauguration Fair Farming has partnered with several agricultural co-operatives and impacted hundreds of farmers throughout the country. Fair Farming has been awarded by the Global Changemakers program (British Council), and was adopted by We Are Family Foundation under its Three Dot Dash initiative.
Miloud’s continuous phone calls to update me on the success of Rhamna co-operative made me realise that farmers are not as isolated as I thought. They all had access to mobile phones that could serve as a door to crucial information. During the two years I worked with Miloud’s farming co-operative I continuously updated them on weather forecasts, market prices and best farming practices from the Ministry of Agriculture using SMS or the classic phone calls. The access to basic information helped the farmers take smarter decisions and thus boost their harvest and revenue.
I quickly realised the key role access to relevant information could play in curbing poverty in Morocco and other developing countries. Using a combination of SMS and voicemail we have, over the last few months, been able to reach to hundreds of farmers as a prototype for a scaling-up project that would hopefully benefit millions of farmers in the country.
Looking back at the modest initiative I started two years ago always reminds me that small actions can and will change the world around us for the better.
Adib Ayay has a passion for agriculture and business. In 2011, at the age of 17, he founded Fair Farming, a student-run organisation that seeks to help farmers boost their revenue using mobile technology.He is one of 10 young Africans shortlisted to be a One Young World delegate at this year’s summit. At this event, the M&G’s Trevor Ncube will be chairing a session on African media and what Africans think of their journalists. To share your views, complete this short survey.
In Makokoba’s Stanley Square in Bulawayo, voters braved chilly morning temperatures to cast their vote in Zimbabwe’s election on Wednesday. A long winding queue of men and women snaked outside the fenced polling station as voters patiently waited for their turn. There is very little conversation that goes on in the queues – perhaps it’s the cold or perhaps voters are wary of the next person’s political affiliations.
Despite widely held anticipation that this election would draw scores of young voters – the youth make up 60% of Zimbabwe’s population – the elderly were in the majority in the queue here at Makokoba.
About five policemen were been deployed at the Stanley Square polling station. Across the road, St Patricks – another polling station – was deserted as voters came to “the square” to cast their ballot.
One officer with bloodshot eyes scanned the crowd of voters with a menacing look. Another, who appeared to be the head of the police deployed here, told journalists to join the police force so they too can wear long grey winter coats. He proudly showed off his to the reporters shivering in the cold. A few laughed, but he was largely ignored as they were more concerned with the arrival of Welshman Ncube, the leader of a smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Welshman Ncube (Pic: Shepherd Tozvireva)
Ncube’s office had earlier sent out text messages saying he would cast his vote at 9.30am at the square. This is also where he addressed thousands of his supporters at his final rally in Bulawayo last Sunday. By 10am, Ncube had still not arrived. Reporters muttered that politicians are never on time, that they’re ever eager to make a grand entrance while everyone’s eyes are on them. While they waited, a few cars passed through with officials from the MDC inside.
Finally, at 10.20am a three-car convoy pulled up at the polling station. Ncube stepped out. Voters in the queue watched curiously as the opposition leader was hounded by reporters eager to get pictures and a comment.
Makokoba, the oldest township in Bulawayo, has been a stronghold of the MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai for the past 13 years. All parliamentary candidates vying for the Makokoba seat are confident that they have strong chances of winning.
After a short wait inside, Ncube cast his vote as officials from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission watched.
Speaking to the media afterwards, he gave the entire election process his stamp of approval despite the concerns raised by the MDC over the past few weeks. “If everyone who turns up to vote is allowed to vote and the peaceful environment prevails, that’s what matters at the end of the day,” Ncube said before bidding everyone goodbye.
Cold and hungry, I jumped into the car for warmth and got ready to leave. There was still a queue of voters waiting to cast their ballot. Despite the biting cold, their determination was clearly visible on their faces – they’ll soldier on and exercise their democratic right.
Ray Ndlovu has been a correspondent for the Mail & Guardian in Zimbabwe since 2009. His areas of interest include politics and business. With a BSc honours degree in journalism and media studies, he aspires to become a media mogul.
Zimbabwe is holding general elections today, which brings to an end the power-sharing government between President Robert Mugabe and his long-time rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Robert Mugabe (L) and Morgan Tsvangirai. (Pic: AFP)
Here are some key facts about the vote:
Some 6.4-million Zimbabweans, out of a population of 12.9-million, are eligible to vote at 9 670 polling stations across the country.
Voting centres will be open from 7am to 7pm.
Most voters will vote for presidential and parliamentary candidates.
There are five presidential candidates: President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Dumiso Dabengwa, Welshman Ncube and Kinisoti Mukwazhe.
There are 210 parliamentary constituencies.
60 seats are reserved for women.
37 108 police officers and military personnel have already voted.
Voters will need to be 18 years and above to vote and will have to present a national identity card or a valid Zimbabwean passport.
The results are expected within five days.
If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held, likely in September.
View the Mail & Guardian’s special report on the Zimbabwe elections here.
I was born outside the small city of Francistown in Botswana. Both my parents were traders so I was familiar with the concept of entrepreneurship from a young age. Like most people of their generation, my parents had never seen the inside the classroom. The only homework they knew was their family but they worked hard to ensure that we all attended school and made our way to university.
My education – from the level of primary public school to university – was sponsored by the government of Botswana. I gained my academic independence and acquired skills that allowed me to prosper in my fields. This journey included studying in Botswana, South Africa and Germany, which is where I gained my passion for education and social entrepreneurship. Fast forward a couple of gruelling years in the private sector. I published three books and spoke publicly on education, poverty reduction, HIV and Aids, corporate social investment and medical tourism for healthcare in Botswana.
I then founded Digital Computer Labs, an initiative to set up state-of-the-art computer labs across the country to improve students’ education. It’s no secret that technology is indispensable to education. Materials accessible through the web increase students’ exposure to real world communication, motivate them to achieve more and – the list goes on and on.
Students in a computer lab at Ngwana Enterprises in Francistown, Botswana. (Pic: Mooketsi Bennedict Tekere)
This project is not without challenges. Technology is shifting fast, therefore we must choose platforms and solutions that can actually work with different devices and in different scenarios. We in Africa don’t seem to appreciate or understand how this will change the education landscape and empower students and teachers.
None of us can stop the outburst of technology, rather we need to embrace it so we can have a better education system relevant to 21st century students.
I am doing my part to ensure that students in Botswana – in schools in both urban and rural areas – have access to a computer with internet connectivity. But to effectively utilise the power of technology for learning, we need flexible yet robust infrastructure for data communications. We require very strong wireless networks which will have the ability to simultaneously handle communication streams with hundreds of devices. And since content and exercises will be more and more in digital format, the platform selected must have the capability of being accessed by the teacher and the student, from their own home through an internet connection.
I have my work cut out for me but I am confident that we will get there.
Mooketsi Bennedict Tekere is the CEO and founder of Ngwana Enterprises. He is one of 10 young Africans shortlisted to be a One Young World delegate at this year’s summit. At this event, the M&G’s Trevor Ncube will be chairing a session on African media and what Africans think of their journalists. To share your views, complete this short survey.
