Now on his second term in office as MP for the Laisamis constituency in Kenya, Joseph Lekuton is certainly setting a wonderful example as an african leader. If only we could get the rest of the politicians to follow suit?
He recently gave a short talk about his story and ‘A parable for Kenya’ at a Technology, Entertainment, Design (TEDAfrica) conference.
You can help further this great cause by taking part in any of these initiatives.
You make me proud Mheshimiwa!
Kiva is a not-for-profit outfit that facilitates internet micro-financing to unique enterpreneurs.
The way it works is you, as a lender, picks an entrepreneur on the kiva website to lend some money. You can either use a credit card or paypal for the transaction.
Kiva does not send the loan directly to the entrepreneur you chose but instead to a local micro financing institution(local to your chosen entrepreneur). Kiva refers to these local micro financing institutions as partners.
The partners distribute the loan to the approriate entrepreneur. The partners report back to kiva on the progress of the entrepreneur as well as collect repayments.
The repayments come back to you, as a lender, and you either withdraw your funds or begin the cycle again by lending to another promising entrepreneur.
Needless to say am totally hooked! It is such a brilliant idea! I love it because it is so empowering a gesture. The lender is empowered by seeing the progress of his/her dollars at work and the entrepreneur is equally empowered as this is a loan and not a handout!
I also love that the entrepreneur who would have otherwise not gotten the full amount of the loan from say a bank can now acquire the much needed funds from a various assortment of folks.
So i say to ye of good heart and desire to change the world - Kiva.org is calling your name. You can loan as little as $25 - trust me, you will not miss that coffee if you skip it this week!
Not only is this former member of lengendary Koffi Olomide’s, Quatier Latin, a looker but an amazing creative foreward thinking talent. He carries the ballads beautifully harnessing the powerful mix of rhumba, r&b, soul, ndombolo, rap and of course soukous to make a fabulous album, Droit Chemin.This album is produced by Maïka Munan, who has worked with many big names in Congolese music (Tabu Ley Rochereau, M’Bilia Bel, Papa Wemba, Afia Mala).
Even for non-french/lingala speakers, this album would be well worth a listen. Ipupa has a beautiful raspy tenor voice and most of the songs, in the famous congolese fashion, have background singers harmonizing to perfection.
My favorite songs on the album are Associe, Une prince a southfork, liputa and orgazy.
You can sample all of the songs on the album at sterns music store and make your purchase there. The album is also available on Amazon
There also several youtube videos of the various songs on the album. You can find them by searching for Fally Ipupa.
Ipupa is definately the best thing out of the DRC in a very long time.
