On February 19th – 20th, the Africa Business Club at Harvard Business School will present its 12th Annual Africa Business Conference which will focus on the theme "A Continent Comes of Age: Defining a New Era in African Business." 

The largest African student-run conference will bring together pre-eminent keynote speakers, expert panellists, and over 900 students and professionals from across the globe to Harvard Business School's (HBS) campus in Boston to discuss and debate this important phase in Africa's development.  The conference also includes prospective students' events, a career fair, fashion show, concert and networking receptions.

"A Continent Comes of Age: Defining a New Era in African Business."

Over the last decade, Africa has gained tremendous ground in terms of economic growth and political stability, but there still remain many challenges to address. Since the last conference, a fibre optic cable connected an ever-growing number of African countries with the rest of the world, the UK and DRC announced a partnership to rebuild the country's road and rail systems, and the introduction of new agricultural technologies significantly increased the continent's food production.

The theme of this year's conference which, say the organisers, is open to everyone is "A Continent Comes of Age: Defining a New Era in African Business."

"The Conference attracts over 900 participants each year, including African students and business professionals from around the world," explains Abhi Sharma, the Co-Conference chair of the HBS African Business Club Conference.

"The HBS Africa Business Conference provides a unique forum for discussion around the opportunities and challenges confronting business people in Africa. The event presents attendees with an excellent opportunity to learn more about the continent and network with business and community leaders, corporate sponsors, current and prospective HBS students, HBS alumni, students from other graduate programs and educators from around the world."

"This year's Conference will focus on what the future holds for Africa," says Sharma. "We believe 2010 represents a landmark year for Africa. In 2010, over 15 African countries celebrate their 50th anniversaries of independence and the World Cup comes to South Africa. Despite these achievements, challenges that persist continue to attract the wrong kind of attention to the continent. We believe this juxtaposition presents us with an opportunity to think about what lies ahead for African businesses and how we can work toward actively shaping this future."

Violence in Zimbabwe and Uganda has raised questions about the political stability of African countries, high profile Somali pirate attacks drew new attention to existing concerns about the safety of doing business on the continent, and international media coverage of refugee and health crises foster the perception that Africa is not a viable business location, says Sharma.

With this in mind, discussion at the 2010 Harvard Business School Africa Business Conference will focus on answering questions such as:

Throughout the conference, distinguished keynote speakers and panellists will offer their perspectives on these questions, and conference participants will be given the opportunity to engage them and fellow participants in meaningful discussions about defining a new era in African business.

The Africa Business Club at Harvard Business School was founded twelve years ago to promote awareness of business opportunities in Africa. Each year, the Club hosts the HBS Africa Business Conference, the world's largest student-run conference on business in Africa.

The Club's current Co-Presidents are Kayode Ogunro and Farai Shonhiwa. The Co-Chairs of this year's Africa Business Conference are Erin Frackleton and Abhi Sharma. 

This is an event for anyone with an interest in Africa's future, says Sharma.

"Don't miss this unique opportunity for learning and networking with like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a difference in Africa!"

Nigerian-born Dele Ogun talks about his first book 'The Law, the Lawyers and the Lawless' which chronicles his life in the UK and his career with the Law.

Born in Lagos in the early 1960's into a newly independent Nigeria, Dele Ogun grew up in his father's village of Aiyede on the south-west coast, where he lived until the age of seven, when he was sent to join his parents in London.

In his first book 'The Law, the Lawyers and the Lawless', Dele – born Akindele Ogunetimoju – tells the story of his early years in the UK and his efforts to assimilate into British culture without losing his own. It traces his journey from a Yoruba schoolboy newly arrived in London to his success in establishing the first black-led commercial law practice in England.

Struggling with dyslexia, yet with an unquenchable ambition to be a lawyer, Dele's book offers a compelling insight into the challenges of breaking into the cloistered and often privileged world of lawyers, judges and the British legal profession and charts some of the lawful and lawless encounters he faces along the way.

ReConnect Africa spoke to Dele Ogun about his career and his new book.

RCA: What inspired you to write 'The Law, the Lawyers & the Lawless'?

DO: I had an African-American law partner for many years who used to speak of the "first-black" syndrome which is a common theme in America where opportunities were only opened up to the black community in the 60’s. Our discussions caused me to reflect on the milestones of my own journey, from village life in Nigeria to professional life in Britain, and to realise that I was one of that transitional generation with a story to tell.

RCA: In the book it is clear that it is your understanding of your strengths that directs your career development. What steps do you think people can take to do the same for themselves?

DO: All of our potential is to be found in the genes that we inherit at birth and our achievements are simply the extent to which we understand our individual bequests and supplement them with acquired skills. I am of that school of thought that says that self-knowledge is the greatest education of all and from an early age I have been in dialogue with myself: seeking to understand my likes and my dislikes and critically assessing my strengths and my weaknesses. Once you have carried out this self-appraisal honestly, you can then begin to work on your weaknesses to produce an enhanced you.

RCA: How far do you think the legal profession in the UK has come in terms of opportunity and access for ethnic minorities?

DO: When I first started knocking on the doors of the profession in the mid 80's it was very much a new phenomenon, especially in the field of commercial law. Though many others have since walked the walk, the pathway is still stony compared with , say, the U.S.A. Getting into commercial law practice in the UK is still hard and staying in is harder still.

However, the experience of different ethnic minority groups is not uniform: Caribbeans still get interviews more easily because of their inherited British names (other things being equal); Asians are making it through to partnership in the commercial practices more often for the simple reason that the Indian sub-continent has taken off commercially; the African lawyer still has the double burden of the name that doesn't belong and the continent that is economically in decline.

RCA: You combined your legal skills and entrepreneurial flair when you set up your law firm. What advice do you have for other lawyers who might want to follow this route?

DO: There will be highs and there will be lows! It is a joy to have the freedom to be the kind of lawyer you want to be and, at the same time, to be a decision maker.

For example, I mix transactional work with advocacy which would have been impossible in my former life as an employed lawyer in a major City firm. I also recently decided to rebrand the firm from Ogun@Law to Akin & Law LLP which is the kind of judgment call that C.E.O.s in commercial establishments have to make.

The lows are when you see your business overdraft spiralling because the pay day you were looking forward to just didn't go to plan.

RCA: How would you say your Nigerian origins contributed to developing the kind of person and lawyer you have become?

DO: It is hard work being a Nigerian, at least for those of us who cannot live by the value systems that are prevalent in the country at the moment: try as you might you cannot escape the bad odour generated by bad leadership and fanned by the international media. However, it is because the good Nigerian cannot count on any favours from home or abroad that accounts for our resilience.

Being ever mindful of my origins in Nigeria, I looked for opportunities whilst those who belonged looked for rights. My origins made me realise that I could not expect to walk into jobs like a native and this led me to think about the pathways where I would stand a better chance of progression.

RCA: Your book provides a fascinating commentary on events in Nigeria. As an African living and working in the UK, how do you view your personal responsibility to the development of Nigeria and of Africa as a whole?

DO: Africans at home often think that those of us who have been abroad for long do not understand the problems of the homeland because, as my people would say, "you are not on ground". They fail to understand the two factors that mean that the view from abroad can be a lot clearer. The first factor is that since the trade routes tour homeland were first opened up, the events "on ground" have been umbilically conjoined with strategic calculations abroad.

The second factor is the greater access to a greater range of information that those of us abroad have. Whether we like it or not, by virtue of our vantage point, those of us abroad have the responsibility for the development of our homeland since the failings back home will continue to feed the prejudice of the racists and the arrogant claims of the supremacists in the foreign lands where we and our children may have taken refuge.

The problem with many of us at present is that we are using up all our energies trying to leave our children a financial legacy and putting nothing aside for the work that needs to be done to give them the more enduring legacy of membership of a race that is respected in the world.

RCA: How can readers buy a copy of 'The Law, the Lawyers & the Lawless'?

DO: You can buy the book on www.amazon.co.uk or simply ask your local book shop to order it.

A new study asks whether enough is being done to balance ethnicity in the US tax profession.

The tax profession in America is under a tremendous pressure for change, according to a recent study, "Minorities in Tax 2010" and one area which is significantly impacted is the evolution of diversity within the profession and how this compares to the overall United States' civilian labour pool.

The study, conducted by TaxDiversity, a web site dedicated to strengthening the tax profession through diversity, analyses and compares findings from 2002 with those of 2008 to answer the question Are we doing enough to balance ethnicity in the tax profession?'

The tax profession has made very limited strides in attracting and advancing minorities and, more alarmingly, appears to lack the necessary catalysts to propel the number of minorities to levels that would compare with other professions.

The bottom line, say the organisers of the study, is that the tax profession is still White-dominated, although the growing trend of White retirement in tax will lead to significant opportunities for the other three major minority groups identified in this study: Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics.

The tax profession has made very limited strides in attracting and advancing minorities.

However, according to the data within the report, even though some areas of positive change have been noted since 2002, "the tax profession at large is simply not doing enough to attract, retain, and advance minorities into long-term career positions, especially positions in senior management."

Using data from the United States Bureau of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Big 4 public accounting firms, the reports authors note that while the percentage of the White population in the Degreed Civilian Labor Force (CLF) has remained constant since 2002 at 78%, between 2002 and 2008 there has been a decrease of 20% in the Black population, while Asians and Hispanics have seen an increase of 14% and 20% respectively. Yet, new Accounting graduates appear to be more diverse, with the proportion of White to Non-White accounting graduates having shifted from a ratio of 75%: 25% in 2002 to 68%:32% in 2008.

Within the Government (Public Sector), minority candidates overall are well represented, although Black candidates are more attracted to the IRS (20% representation in 2008nearly a 10% increase annually over 6 years) than to the Private Sector (4% representation in 2008 is a 4% increase annually over 6 years) and have a better representation in the IRS than in the overall CLF.

Within the private sector, it is clear, says the study, that at all career levels Blacks are under-represented, but especially at the senior level, where the percentage of Black professionals drops to only 2% (although that represents a 100% increase from 2002 to 2008).

By contrast, Asians are well-represented at all staff levels although there is a slight drop off at the senior level, while Hispanics seem to have made little-to-no progress in the private Sector, showing a 15% increase over 6 years at all staff levels.

On one hand, while the private sector continues to show progress in recruiting a pipeline of more diverse candidate pool at junior levels, they also, on the other hand, continue to face challenges in retaining these diverse candidates at the more senior levels. The picture for minorities within corporate in-house tax departments also shows that minority candidates are under-represented at 6% as opposed to 12% in accounting in the private sector.

The key findings from the report show that Asians in America have made the most significant jump in representation (up over 30%) over the six years and now make up nearly 20% of the workforce in public accounting.

Blacks, by contrast made a 25% increase, while Hispanics only increased 20% in the same period. However, even though Blacks have made an increase, they still only represent 4% in accounting in this sector and are not moving into senior management at the same rate as Asians and Hispanics.

Due to retirement, a significant decrease in the White population has been seen in the government sector, and White accountants are exiting the tax profession at a faster rate as a whole. The percentage of Blacks in government sector tax has increased dramatically (12% to 20%) as Blacks are using government service as their primary entrance path into tax.

When it comes to overall tax industry trends, though, Blacks are not integrating effectively into public accounting or reaching management positions while, in tax at least, Hispanics generally mirror their civilian work force employment percentage.

A key reason why the number of Black students who choose to major in accounting during college still remains low is that significant misperceptions exist about the accounting profession, according to a study conducted by the CPA Journal, "Examining Minorities' Perceptions of Accounting."

These misperceptions begin before students enter college, with the findings from the study suggesting that high-school teachers and counsellors "are important influences on students' choice of a major and that the accounting profession should reach out to Black students when they are still in high school to dispel myths and stereotypes about the practice of accounting.

The problem of diversity is prevalent in the tax industry and, according to the report, if things are left unchanged, "the tax profession will continue to struggle to achieve an ethnic balance."

The report recommends some key initiatives to positively influence diversity in tax, from improving the influx of diverse tax employees to more effective career advancement of minorities in the field.

Within the private sector, the authors of the report recommend that accounting firms take a far broader approach to recruiting and include a larger pool of schools with accounting programs, as well as encourage second-tier schools to enhance their tax and accounting courses.

If things are left unchanged, "the tax profession will continue to struggle to achieve an ethnic balance."

As Blacks and Hispanics are less likely to attend schools that accounting firms traditionally recruit from, they urge firms to extend their traditional recruiting practices while also creating more advanced education partnerships with recent graduates to help them reach their academic potential and integrate faster into more senior level positions. Mentoring programmes will also help to connect senior accounting professionals with new talent coming into the profession.

Corporate tax departments, they say, should adopt more aggressive internship programmes to close the gap in attracting young and diverse tax candidates and escalate such employees, once they are on board, through effective training, education, and mentoring programs.

"The challenges of diversity in the tax profession are not easily met without an industry-wide recognition that business as usual will simply not work any longer," says the report. The tax profession must do a better job of recruiting, training, and elevating diverse professionals in the field. Though there have been some strides made in the last six years, the bottom line is more efforts must be made on all fronts as the profession continues to face growing employment and workload demands on all levels and areas in tax."

For more information: "Minorities in Tax 2010" and www.TaxDiversity.com

The recent SCORE4africa Awards was an opportunity to reward those using the power of football to transform lives in Africa.

Michael Essien, Diambars, the Senegalese academy set up by the former Arsenal player Patrick Vieira, and Didier Drogba and the Cote dIvoire national team, were among the big winners at the prestigious SCORE4africa Awards held in London.

The Awards, which took place at the end of November, celebrate the power of football to transform lives, honouring those who are using football for development purposes in Africa. The lucky winners received their awards in front of a star studded audience of fellow footballers, politicians and business people, including Salomon Kalou, Diomansy Kamara and Kagisho Dikgacoi, George Elokobi, Sports Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, MP and the South African High Commissioner, HE Dr Zola Skweyiya.

Chelsea mid-fielder Essien walked away with the People's Choice Award for best African Ambassador in the Premier League, beating off a strong challenge from Didier Drogba and Nwankwo Kanu. While Didier Drogba and colleagues Salomon Kalou, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, from the Cote dIvoire national team were recognised for their contributions to peace and reconciliation during the civil war in their home country, which split the country between the north and the south.

Salomon Kalou, speaking on behalf of the Cote D'Ivoire National team said: 'Our country went through a difficult time during the troubles. Our football team stayed together. Football helped in the peace process. As we go to the World Cup, we hope the county can unite behind the team and we can help further with reconciliation.'

'Our country went through a difficult time during the troubles. Our football team stayed together. Football helped in the peace process.'

It was a disappointing night for Man City striker Craig Bellamy, who was nominated in two categories but was pipped to the post by Patrick Vieiras Diambars, who won for best education project using football and for the best football Foundation.

SCORE4Africa is a social enterprise wholly owned by the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD), a UK Registered Charity. The founders and organisers of SCORE4africa believe that football can help transform lives and they seek to recognise, reward and encourage those individuals, organisations, players, academies and institutions using football as a tool to drive positive change in Africa.

The organisation holds an annual awards ceremony and supports the foundation of social enterprises in Africa. It celebrates the partnerships that create sustainable development and allocates 30% of surplus funds by this event to developing LIVING FOOTBALL Community Hubs. 70% of surplus funds raised go to AFFORDs SEEDA (Supporting Entrepreneurs and Enterprise Development in Africa) project.

The SEEDA project, in partnership with Comic Relief and the University of Sierra Leone, has led to the creation of five business centres in Sierra Leone between 2007 and 2009. These have to date trained 25 business coaches who provide practical business support to 100s of local businesses and entrepreneurs.

Grassroots organisations using football for development were also recognised at the Awards. Alive and Kicking, who have created a leather ball-making business employing over 20 people, won the Enterprise Award for second year, while Kick4Life, an HIV project won the Health Award.

Cameroun football legend Roger Milla was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. In his acceptance speech he called on African players to do more off the pitch.

'It's been a very exciting competition, reflecting the high profile individuals and grassroots organisations making a difference through football,' said Onyekachi Wambu, one of the event's organisers.

Co-event organiser, Ayo Alli, added: 'The strength of the winners reflects the growing importance to development in Africa and is a challenge to the entire football world to do more.'

'The strength of the winners reflects the growing importance to development in Africa and is a challenge to the entire football world to do more.'

Finally, HE Dr Zola Skweyiya welcomed the SCORE4africa initiative and promised the gathered audience that South Africa and Africa were ready to host the 2010 World Cup next year.

Judges for the awards included Marcel Desailly, Nancy DellOlio, Lord Newby, Nada Hook from the FA, Brian Oliver, Sports Editor of The Observer, Farayi Mungazi from BBC World Service Africa, and Gibril Faal, Chair of the African Diaspora charity, AFFORD.

Businesses owned by Black, Latina and Asian women are growing at a faster rate than all U.S. firms in terms of growth of revenues and number of employees.

The number of companies owned by women of colour has skyrocketed over the past decade making them the nation's fastest-growing segment of all privately held firms, recent studies show.

The Center for Women’s Business Research in a recent study places the number of firms now owned at least 50 percent by women of colour at 2.3 million, providing 1.7 million jobs and generating $235 billion in revenues.

The report shows that businesses owned by Latinas and Black and Asian women are growing at a faster rate than all U.S. firms in terms of growth of revenues and number of employees.

Margaret A. Smith, chair of the Center for Women's Business Research, notes that "the face of women entrepreneurship is changing."

Today, women of colour represent 26 percent of all women business owners - up from 20 percent just a few years ago. These business owners are a vital driver of economic growth in every community and a vibrant source of suppliers and customers. As of 2008, there were 2.3 million firms [that were] 50 percent or more owned by women of colour, providing 1.7 million jobs and generating $235 billion in revenues."

Today, women of colour represent 26 percent of all women business owners - up from 20 percent just a few years ago.

According to the study, businesses at least 50 percent owned by Latinas and Black and Asian women grew twice as fast in terms of revenue (35 percent versus 15 percent) and three times as fast in terms of number (30 percent versus 9 percent).

Among Latinas and Black and Asian women (as of 2008), Black women owned the second highest number of firms (734,664), employed 281,055 people, and had revenues of more than $32 billion. Latinas had the largest number of businesses, owning nearly 747,108 firms, employing 430,000 workers and generating revenues of $62 billion. Asian-American women's companies outpaced all others in growth in numbers, employment and receipts.

A report by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency concluded that minority women entrepreneurs are establishing businesses twice as fast as male minority business owners - and more than four times the rate of non-minority men and women.

The number of firms owned at least 51 percent by women of color increased 57 percent between 1997 and 2002 to nearly 1.5 million companies with $111 billion in gross receipts. By contrast, minority male-owned firms increased 31 percent, all women-owned businesses jumped 20 percent, and all male-owned firms increased by 16 percent.

The MBDA study said women of color have expanded predominantly into the health care and social assistance fields. It found that to be the case for 35 percent of African-American business owners, 23 percent of Latina business owners, and 15 percent of Asian entrepreneurs. Asian women entrepreneurs, however, were more likely to own firms offering "other services," or 23 percent.

"Women see entrepreneurship as the key to freedom – providing flexibility and wealth creation," said Ronald N. Langston, MBDA's national director. "Women are taking advantage of their talents and experience establishing businesses throughout our communities at astounding rates. Many choose entrepreneurship as a way to battle the glass ceiling that still, unfortunately exists in corporate America."

Despite the rapid growth in numbers, minority business women have yet to reach parity based on population and they trail minority male-owned businesses in gross receipts and employees, the MBDA report concluded.

Minority women entrepreneurs are establishing businesses twice as fast as male minority business owners.

According to experts in US entrepreneurial studies said the growth in minority women-owned businesses is a phenomenon underscoring the strides in education, opportunity and access to capital made by women of colour as they increasingly invest in their own ventures rather than fight limitations imposed by corporate America.

Some point to the fact that, with fewer barriers to capital, better education among young entrepreneurs, and a discovery of second-career opportunities for older women, it is inevitable that increased numbers of women – and minority women – own businesses.

The perception and reality of a glass ceiling in regard to gender and race is also cited by experts as a reason for frustration with traditional employment, driving minority women to choose to pursue other avenues where they are not dealing with negative behaviour and therefore choosing to be their own boss.

For more from the Center for Women's Business Research, visit http://www.nfwbo.org

As she re-launches her book 'Vicissitude' and career development programme, we talk to Helen Tucker about her personal journey and overcoming vicissitudes.

'Vicissitude': a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life; a regular change or succession from one thing to another, or one part of a cycle to the next; a change or variation.

Helen Tucker (HT): The inspiration behind 'Vicissitude' I suppose comes from the true meaning of the word 'vicissitude' - I was going through a 'variation of circumstances and fortune' in my life and I either could have laid it to bed or develop it - and I went for the latter.

What I did was to step out of my comfort zone and take time out from being a mother, sister, aunt, wife (at the time), my job and really focus on who I was, where I was heading and what I really wanted from life. This self-analysis became the blueprint of the award winning career development programme I have since developed. I used my MBA to research, analyse and gather information about women who were highly qualified but were not utilizing their skills or their potential to get ahead and be in positions were they could make a difference, increase their income, create a less stressful life and be happy!

I found that just like me they didn’t take time out, it was as simple as that and, in some parts, as challenging: time to focus on influences in their lives, what motivated them, what was holding them back. Action they could take - having a 10 year plan, networking to climb the corporate ladder, get a job or become self-employed if they desired – were the challenges they had to face and to tackle. However, once accomplished, this brought about a positive change or a variation in their lives.

HT: I launched the first edition 5 years ago. This second edition is more of a challenge because I have put more of who I am in the book - a semi autobiography, I guess.

The first one just simply targeted the steps of the Career Development Programme while this one delves into much more about my life and others' and some of the challenges faced. I'm not one for sharing my personal life with people, let alone have it written and in print! But I wanted to not only leave a legacy for my children (I have started my autobiography) but this also maps out how I got where I am today by using some of the tried and tested steps that I have delivered for over a decade to those who want to make a change.

I consider myself so wealthy with knowledge, wisdom health and blessings. It's not always about the money, which in honesty was my initial focus when I started my business. Life is much more than that. It's a case of understanding what is really important in life. As I have matured, my values and beliefs have also changed and I have consolidated my experience over the years to streamline my Career Coaching services.

HT: I surprise myself! I embark on mini journeys which bring me closer to what I want from life and particular goals, but I don't see life as an ultimate goal that I have to achieve. I now enjoy my journey in life; being a Christian, I give thanks every day. I am also inspired by the people I am around; friends and family, and most of all, clients. They give me a great insight into their own plight and challenges and the satisfaction that what I have developed and gained over the years is helping others to make decisions that are positive and that make a difference in their lives. I see myself as a catalyst helping people to achieve what they want but fear what others would say or do to not support them.

I am always looking at new ways of doing things and attend workshops for fun or for personal or professional development. My work as a career coach has also taken me further afield and widened my own options to the possibilities of working in the Middle East, the Caribbean or various parts of the UK.

I have been fortunate to travel extensively with my work and to seek out possibilities which, in turn, have enriched my outlook on life. This year I have travelled to Qatar, Dubai, Canada and, before the year is out, to Sierra Leone for personal as well as business opportunities. A 9-5 job would not have afforded me that - or the time!

HT: Although I was born in the UK, my family is from Sierra Leone and has strong traditions in that their expectations were quite high and that is what I have tried to instill into my children, but with some flexibility. For me, recognizing that my children are individuals and are different in how they study or have varying ambitions is important.

My son wanted to mix study and work so is now doing an internship with an international company and based in West Africa. By so doing, he is not only gaining work experience and building his skills, but experiencing African culture and preparing and encouraging himself to travel to other countries. My eldest daughter studied psychology and counseling and my youngest daughter is studying for her GCSE's.

When my family arrived in the UK in the late 1950’s it was a lot harsher than what young people face today. This has certainly shaped my values and belief system in the early stages of raising my children. And, as the word 'Vicissitude' suggests, changes in my life have changed some of my beliefs to be a lot more diverse, flexible and to promote today’s opportunities to my children, whilst still retaining some of the African values instilled in me.

HT: I have had feedback from the first edition that the steps really helped people gain a better insight of who they are and what they want without feeling guilty.

Other people can make you feel guilty for spending time on yourself, improving yourself, being happy, only because sometimes they cannot find that 'true self' potion themselves and may not want you to gain confidence because they feel that they would be left behind.

Reading and taking the self development steps in the book enhances any relationship because if you know who you are, then you are better at engaging with other people and developing a much more meaningful relationship with those who want to be around you. I will also add that many of us have 'toxic' people around us and dealing with them may mean that a new pattern of behaviour has to be adopted and adhered to for them to see that you have changed.

Sometime it's changing yourself that can help build a relationship but also cutting ties with the ones that hold you back.

HT: I like this question! Well, I continuously step back from what I am doing, whether it's for a long break, like a weekend away, or only a short break i.e. an hour's pampering.

I treat myself and acknowledge that I have many blessings that have enriched my life so I am grateful for what I have done and have experienced. I also laugh a lot, which is my secret for keeping young! Also, not always taking life so seriously, and remembering that we are on this earth for a purpose. I found my purpose early enough in my life to make a difference. Some people don't know what their purpose is and invariably follow other peoples' visions or dreams and end up being lonely, bitter and ill.

I have had a couple of close friends who have passed away over the years or have become ill with cancer. One who really inspired me was a close friend; we both taught at a further education college and after some personal challenges in her life she became seriously ill. She decided then that life was too short and made a total u-turn and followed her dream. She amazed me and inspired me to embark on living life to the max, whichever path I took.

Many other influences have motivated me: from books to reading your website ReConnect Africa.com, with all the positive interviews, jobs, career advice that help people access information when it comes to career development or change! And also, CD's of people who say what they are doing and just do it!

Each day is an inspiration because I get up each morning. Some people, unfortunately, don't get to see the morning.

HT: The book 'Vicissitude' can be obtained via Amazon and from my website. I also promote it whilst running the Career Development workshops and will be running a series of seminars in Luton in November - so check out my website to get an update on dates and venues. www.dupignyconsulting.com or email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

When Goretti Kyomuhendo was a young girl growing up in Hoima, 'a dusty, sleepy town' in western Uganda, she came across an old copy of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. It was to change her life.

Goretti Kyomuhendo was born in 1965 and grew up in Hoima, western Uganda. Today, she holds an MA in creative writing from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa and is a founding member of the Ugandan Women Writers’ Association and Publishing House - FEMRITE, where she worked as the first Programme Coordinator for ten years.

Goretti was the first Ugandan woman to receive an International Writing Program Fellowship at the University of Iowa in 1997 and, today, she is resident in London.

But, as a young child, says Goretti, "the world of fictional books was alien to me."

"The small Mission school I was attending did not have a library. The only semblance of a library was in Hoima town, and it only stocked foreign books, like Enid Blyton's The Famous Five series, which talked of snow and apples and cottages and ham rolls, things that I had never seen or eaten, in my entire life."

"A bit later I discovered the English mystery writer, James Hadley Chase, and I became hopelessly hooked on his crime fiction. As I graduated into a teenager, I found myself lost in the romantic world that Barbara Cartland created in her exciting novels, and later, I was to develop a love affair with the Mills & Boon books, which allowed me to dream about true love.

"I read Things Fall Apart when I was about fifteen, and it opened up a whole different imaginary world for me, which I did not know existed beyond the crime fiction and romances that I had become addicted to.

"The story in Things Fall Apart liberated the way I perceived Africa. It made Africa look familiar, and created in me a sublime feeling of what it meant to be an African. Later, when I started writing, I knew it was alright to write stories based in my village; stories that had been passed on to me by my grandmother, because, Achebe had given me that licence. Hence, my journey as a writer started the day I read Things Fall Apart, though I did not know it then."

ReConnect Africa (RCA): Goretti, what inspires you to write?

GK: I'm inspired by the abundance of stories that surround me. At times, I wish I could grow a third hand so I can write them all!

RCA: Tell us about the novels that you have written?

GK: My first novel, The First Daughter, was published in Uganda in 1996. It's a story about an adolescent girl grappling with the challenges of growing up in Uganda. It deals with teenage pregnancy, love and betrayal, and Ugandan culture.

My second novel was published in Uganda in 1999 and it is entitled Secrets no More. It follows the life of a young woman, Marina, a sole survivor in her family during the grisly 1994 Rwanda genocide.

The next is a novella, Whispers from Vera, also published in Uganda in 2002. It is written in the epistolary form, from Vera, an enlightened, emancipated career woman, married and a mother, writing to an unnamed friend, about her challenges of straddling two lives: modern and traditional.

My fourth is entitled Waiting and it was published in the United States by The Feminist Press in 2007. It is set in Uganda in 1979, during the last year of dictator Idi Amin's despotic rule. The story also captures the effects of this internecine war on women, and also reflects the resilience of the Ugandan people, through the many years of conflict that they've endured.

I have also published several short stories and five children's books.

RCA: What would you say are the challenges that you have overcome as a writer?

GK: Getting published in Africa is very difficult. The publishing industries are underdeveloped, the book markets are small, and there's a general apathy towards books and reading, as a whole. I had to get a grant from a Dutch funding organisation to publish my first novel.

RCA: Goretti, what advice do you have for aspiring writers?

GK: To be a writer is to be courageous. When you write, you share a bit of yourself with the world. Writing is about revealing your feelings, your fears and anxieties, your aspirations – to your readers. You need to shed your inhibitions and write that story in your heart, and not the one in your mind.

As a writer, you should keep a journal. This is where you jot down the ideas that you plan to include in your story.

A writer writes: To be referred to as a writer is not by mere wish, nor is it a title you can simply acquire by earning an academic qualification, or attending a certain course. You can only earn this designation by actually writing.

A writer reads; your love for writing must be equalled if not surpassed by that of reading. And, as our elders in Uganda say, 'if you want to learn how to dance, then you watch those on the dancing floor.'

Inspired by the cultural richness encountered in their upbringing in West Africa and India, Hazel and Kweku Aggrey-Orleans have created a unique range of scarves that combine the richness of Ghanaian Kente with the delicacy of Indian silk.

ReConnect Africa spoke to Hazel and Kweku about the inspiration behind Orleans Designs.

We had always been interested in fashion. However, the turning point came after Hazel had the design confidence to create her own wedding dress in August 2006. The overwhelming response was the first clod of earth to be added to the growth and creation of Orleans Designs as a brand.

The next steps were perhaps the easiest. We had for years bemoaned the underuse of bright colours in the fashion palette of the Western World: White, Blue, Black and Grey seemed to dominate all collections with the odd exceptional colourful summer offering. In winter, it was near impossible, e.g. women's coats in vibrant colours, and those found were often either at the high or low end of the fashion market. As West Africans, the absence of vibrant colours in mainstream fashion was a peculiarly unjustifiable twist.

From the market research we undertook in the first stages, we discovered that many people wanted to add more vibrant colour to their wardrobes. The idea of undertaking a wholesale revolution in terms of replacing a standard wardrobe based on blue, black, white and grey with a vibrantly coloured one was, we felt, a challenge few would wish to undertake.

We strongly acknowledged that elegance was largely made up of the wearer's confidence and ease with a garment. It was at that stage that we decided, through Orleans Designs, to accessorize with colour.

Creating any collection from the ideas of two individuals is not without its challenges. The fact that the other individual is your husband or wife certainly does not make the task any easier. Frequent clashes of ideas and emphasis are not uncommon in our design relationship, however, our underlying respect for each other's ideas often serves as a catalyst in the development of our designs in that we are each obliged to justify and analyse the reasons behind the rejection or acceptance of any design. From conflict we are then able to generate a strong consensus and understanding of each design.

As keen adventure travellers, we would set out annually from London. It was during our travels, particularly through West Africa and India that the idea was born not only to create vibrant scarves but to marry in those scarves fine cloths from Ghana and India – two countries at different stages of the same development, but both with a strong appreciation of fabrics.

In Ghana and in India, like in many countries in Africa and Asia, fabrics hold an elevated status within the societies and, for example, they are presented as part of the dowry for a bride's hand.

Their intricate weaves will sometimes reflect the status or position of its bearer, lending a sense of authority to our choice of fabrics. On many levels, we found the collaboration between Kente and Indian silk complementary. The sourcing of our fabrics was the next step.

In Ghana, there was little difficulty in relying on the skill and artistry of Dento Mills to weave the Kente strips used for our scarves.

The same mill, under the current owner's father's stewardship had, in 1960, woven the Kente quilt presented to the United Nations in New York by Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana's first president after Independence) on the occasion of Ghana's membership.

The traditional looms of Dento Mills continue the time consuming art of weaving Kente strips: One strip can, given its detail, take its weaver a day to finish.

In India we turned to the well-known artisan weavers of the Hindu Holy City of Varanasi to source rich, textured, hand-woven silks. The intricacy of their work was evident.

Some scarves have additional detailing of embroided Adinkra symbols, each of which in turn symbolizes a proverb or virtue. The finishing idea behind the collection was to be able to present each scarf as an inspiration for its wearer: Each carries a name of its own derived from its detail and each is packaged in 100% recycled paper.

We believe that our genuine conviction in our designs and product has strengthened our brand. Over the years we would want to see Orleans Designs become synonymous with elegance and quality.

We are currently in negotiations with various hotels and boutiques in West Africa to stock our products from autumn of 2009. We are also looking to branch into the Western market with a product that is not only aimed at Africans or those with an African link, but at everyone.

We are also very excited about our additional project to launch African print fabrics by Christmas 2009. In line with our scarves, vibrant colours will be the theme throughout our fabrics.

Orleans Designs scarves can be bought online at  www.orleansdesigns.com

After a successful event in 2008 the Ghana Black Stars Network (GBSN) will be hosting the 2nd Annual Ghana Business & Investment Exhibition at the Bernie Grants Art Centre in London on Saturday 19th September 2009.

Within the past eight years Ghana has experienced unprecedented economic growth and has made an impression on the international scene as the place to invest and/or establish a business.

With a smooth presidential transition reflecting a stable democratic country; a strong performing stock exchange – the best performing stock exchange in the World for 2008 showing returns of up to 58%; a good performing national currency; rated one of the top countries to do business by the World Bank; becoming an oil producing country by 2010, becoming a gas producing country by 2011 AND Obama visiting in July 2009 – Ghana does not have too much to complain about.

As with every country in the developed world, Ghana is being affected by the global recession. However, Ghana still holds its place as a desirable location for investors to turn to or establish their African office.

Regarded as the 'Gateway to Africa', Ghana is playing with the ‘big boys’ such as Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Despite its comparatively modest population of 22 million people, Ghana has seen large multinational organisations such as Standard Chartered Bank; Nokia, KPMG, PriceWaterhouseCoopers establishing their services in the thriving capital city of Accra.

Despite its attraction to foreign businesses, it is imperative for Ghana to establish and secure its economy on home grown businesses and investments.

As an emerging market, Ghana has industries that need to be created, developed and championed. Competition is getting fierce but there are still many industries which lack the knowledge and insight needed to thrive and create wealth.

The Ghana Business & Investment Exhibition (GBIE) works by reaching out to those in the Diaspora as well as entrepreneurs who are seeking business opportunities, a return on their money and/or want a different life from the constant rat race in the UK.

The Ghana Black Stars Network (GBSN) is a collective of young professional British Ghanaians who have created a portal for Ghanaians from all over the world to reconnect with Ghana. Their mission is to promote Ghanaian life and culture; whilst empowering, developing and supporting the needs of Ghanaians in the UK.

Key among the organisation's aims and objectives is creating the space to challenge, educate and expand the perceptions of Ghana and its people through events, workshops, forums and excursions.

The Business & Investment Exhibition will include a series of seminars that discuss the key areas one needs to consider when looking at business in or relocating to Ghana. The 2008 event included seminars on property and land acquisition; business opportunities; the entertainment industry; opening a bank account; investing in the GSE and finding a job in Ghana.

Each seminar was presented by industry professionals, followed by a question and answer session, enabling delegates to ask questions to the panel. The event also included an exhibition of businesses with products and/or services of interest to those based within the UK.

The 2009 event will feature a number of seminars, including: Ghana in the next 5 years – Politics, Agriculture 'The future for Ghana', Business & Investment Opportunities in Ghana, Black Gold – Oil in Ghana, cause for celebration? Exporting & Importing products, 'Land and Property in Ghana'. Each seminar will look at the current climate, how things are developing and what opportunities are available.

The 2009 event will also feature a networking session for people to discuss ideas and work on potential partnerships. This, the organisers stress, is important as it allows people to share their experiences and, if possible, their contacts with those in the Diaspora to reduce the chances of people being duped, robbed or misled.

The GBSN is looking at reaching beyond Ghanaians to attend this event as the wealth of opportunities that currently exist in Ghana is not duplicated elsewhere on the African continent.

The 2nd Annual Ghana Business & Investment Exhibition is supported by the High Commission of Ghana in the UK and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre. Media partners for this year's event are Reconnect Africa, African Business magazine, New African magazine, The Trumpet newspaper, The African Voice newspaper, Find a job in Africa and BEN TV.

For businesses who are interested in participating with this event, a limited number of advertising and exhibiting spaces are available for this event. If you are interested in presenting your business to the event’s delegates, please email Nadia Mensah on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A new project aims to support connections among Africa's Diaspora to improve agriculture in Africa.
The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is building a new online social action community to generate ideas, suggestions and data that will be used to inform development programme efforts that directly reach the poorest populations in Africa.

The Africa Rural Connect (ARC) project is being implemented by the NPCA to support connections among the African Diaspora and to improve the livelihoods of farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa Rural Connect (ARC) is an experiment in global collaboration, says the organisation, and a chance to put collective thoughts together to assemble the best business plans for agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

"We suggest that the people who have lived or worked in Sub-Saharan Africa offer their perspectives or expertise to help women farmers and improve the livelihoods of the poorest populations there," says the NPCA. "Their contributions fill this online community with creative and practical plans that will gain exposure and financial support for implementation."

NPCA is building the online community for ARC using a new work collaboration web technology platform and, once the website is established, the ideas, suggestions, and data derived from the network will be used to influence development programmes targeting rural populations in Africa. It will focus on agriculture-related issues including food production, storage, transportation, agribusiness, markets and market information, and research.

The network will blend the inside knowledge of Africans, Peace Corps Volunteers and Africa scholars to innovate ways to bring about positive economic development in Africa. The project will benefit greatly from the involvement of first generation Africans who want to share their stories about their home countries, and recommendations on these topics, with others in North America and around the world.

Africa Rural Connect is a work collaboration space where each idea matters and can build upon previous suggestions, says the organisation; a place "where we are not just talking in circles, but actually getting things done."

The concept is simple, says Molly Mattessich, Manager of Africa Rural Connect and a returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Mali from 2002-2004.

"There's no silver bullet for solving rural Africa's greatest challenges. It's going to take all of us to combine our experience, expertise, and commitment to Africa to find the best solutions and turn them into plans that our partners and sponsors can ultimately help implement.

In the ARC community, we blend the insights of Africans, Peace Corps Volunteers, Africa scholars, and development workers to enhance project plans. Everyone's role is to offer ideas and help others build or improve upon their own plans based on their own experiences."

The network will blend the inside knowledge of Africans, Peace Corps Volunteers and Africa scholars to innovate ways to bring about positive economic development in Africa.

The National Peace Corps Association is a non-profit organization connecting, informing and engaging returned Peace Corps volunteers, former Peace Corps staff and friends of Peace Corps committed to fostering peace through service, education and advocacy.

Nothing like the Africa Rural Connect project has been attempted before, says the organisations, and the African Diaspora is a vital component to building this network. In essence, they say, the National Peace Corps Association is giving Africans a voice to help themselves.

"We're creating a place where your best ideas for Africa can be developed into plans that help women farmers and improve the livelihoods of the poorest populations in Sub-Saharan Africa," says Mattessich.

"African professionals in the Diaspora are a vital component to building and contributing to this network, and are in an unparalleled position to do so."

"We are excited by the possibilities of helping Diaspora members connect and create this self-sustaining virtual community in which the ideas from those who understand Africa best can be heard and even one day implemented. We are also interested in profiling people of the Diaspora who stay connected to their countries or work on agricultural projects on our website, to provide inspiration to others."

Creating a profile for Africa Rural Connect provides an online space to connect with other skilled professionals of African origin, and a great networking tool for Africans working or interested in agriculture, gender issues, and a variety of other development concerns.

You can create a profile on the Africa Rural Connect online social action network at http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/arc and offer your ideas on agricultural development in Africa.

In the summer of 2009, the National Peace Corps Association will coordinate a contest with up to $50,000 in prizes for the best business plans to improve agricultural practices in Sub-Saharan Africa. Site Moderators will be encouraging people to post their ideas, big or small. Each contribution is considered valuable in its own right and any seed of thought can grow into a full-fledged project plan.

In the summer of 2009, the National Peace Corps Association will coordinate a contest with up to $50,000 in prizes for the best business plans to improve agricultural practices in Sub-Saharan Africa.

By editing, offering suggestions, criticisms, and support of ideas and plans, the ARC community avoids reinventing the wheel of African developmental initiatives. Members of this community can share their technical knowledge and authentic experiences to add valuable contributions to every element of a plan.

"Final contest entries will be due by October 31, 2009," says Mattessich. "However, we encourage people to submit their entries as soon as possible in order to get higher ratings in the community and also gain insight and improve their plan with the help from fellow ARC community members."

On offer as the Grand Prize is an award of $25,000 to the winning project to implement the plan. NPCA will also arrange a meeting with donor organizations, including reasonable travel expenses. The 2nd Prize will consist of $10,000 to the project to implement the plan, and the 3rd Prize: $5,000 to the project to implement the plan.

"This is the space for people to offer their voice, their story, their thoughts, and their vision for Africa's economic and agricultural future."

How artist Susan Mensah turned her talent towards the goal of social justice.

When Susan Adwoa Mensah decided to take her talent for art seriously, she had little idea that her work would also help her to fulfil her passion for justice and human rights.

Born in the UK to Ghanaian parents, Susan's early years were split between Ghana, Zambia and the UK. Although her aptitude for painting and drawing was evident from an early age, it was only much later in her life, when recovering from an illness, that Susan began painting seriously.

A self-taught artist, Susan’s passion for art led to her joining the Worple Group, a group of artists based in Wimbledon, London.

Susan's vivid and bold work demonstrates her nostalgia for Africa, with its symbols and cultural images; and it was this love of culture that led her to complete a degree in Human Rights and Social Anthropology.

"This course gave me a much greater insight into the value of cultural traditions, as well as importance of each individual's human rights regardless of their race, religion, creed or culture," says Mensah.

With subject matter ranging from abstracts to portraits, Susan's distinctive style can be seen with her use of strong colours and celebratory images, whether using acrylic or pastels. She recently completed portraits of one of the presidential candidates for Ghana and is about to embark on a series of portraits of other well known public figures.

Susan has a keen interest in charitable causes, and recently auctioned one of her paintings to raise money for the North of Ghana flood disaster.

A passionate advocate of social justice, Susan is now actively involved in using her art to highlight the plight of women and children caught up in war and violence through an event taking place in London on 31 July 2009.

"I am holding an art exhibition this summer along with several artists who are part of a newly formed art group called 'Artist for Human Rights and Social Justice' (AHRSJ)," says Susan.

AHRSJ are part of the group Artists for Human Rights in the US, which was founded by the actress Anne Archer (who played Michael Douglas' wife in the movie 'Fatal Attraction').

"We have based this exhibition on the theme of 'Women in Conflict' and will be exhibiting paintings depicting women and children, displaced people and refugees in war-torn countries such as the Congo, Sudan and Chad," says Susan. "We will be collaborating with UNIFEM, UK in the hope of raising people's awareness of human rights issues and particularly violence against women and children in conflict zones."

Susan's vivid and bold work demonstrates nostalgia for Africa, its symbols and cultural images.

The event will feature panelists including Human Rights Lawyer Karon Monaghan of Matrix Chambers, Barbara Cleary, Chair of UNIFEM’s London Committee, and Esther Eghobamien, Head of the Gender Section, Social Transformation Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat and takes place at The Garden Hall, St Mary's Church in Wimbledon.

Susan's latest work, which can be seen on her website, features African cultural scenes as well as women in various guises some resplendent in traditional attire and headdress.

She draws her inspiration from artists such as Gustav Klimt, Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse and more contemporary African artists such as Gerard Sekoto and Ablade Glover.

Susan also regularly exhibits with the Worple Group in Wimbledon and has held exhibitions at the Ghana High Commission, as part of the country's 50th anniversary independence celebrations, the GLA, where she helped to promote Ghanaian products, and at Cannizaro House, for International Women's Day.

Susan Mensah's work is currently being exhibited at the Victoria Jones Gallery - a gallery with a diverse portfolio of work by international artists.

The gallery puts great emphasis on 'educating and integrating cultures through art' which is at the heart of their philosophy and aim to sustain traditional art and craft methods so that they do not become extinct - keeping alive communities so that they can be passed on to future generations.

www.susanmensah.co.uk, www.artistsforhumanrights.org.

16,240 South Africans living abroad applied for and were granted permission for a special vote and, on April 15th, almost half of these voted in London.

As South Africa begins a new era in its political history, two South Africans living in London reflect on the significance of their vote that day.

Twenty-five years ago, the crowds that gathered in Trafalgar Square to protest and demonstrate against apartheid South Africa played a major role in galvanising international opinion against apartheid and hastening its downfall.

Yesterday, South Africans gathered in their thousands in orderly queues to have their say in the future of the democratic South Africa in the same place that the demonstrators once stood.

With 7,427 South African voters marking their crosses in 12 hours, the South African High Commission was not only the largest voting station abroad but was also nearly twice the size of the largest one in South Africa – Joubert Park in Johannesburg, with between 3,000 to 4,000 voters, according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

I have never seen such a large group of South Africans behaving in such a subdued manner.

Perhaps it had something to do with being in the historic Trafalgar Square on an overcast – and sometimes wet – London Spring day.

Perhaps it had something to do with the tiny figure of Lord Nelson on his towering column peering out over Parliament Square where an animated statue of our own Nelson Mandela is flanked by the likes of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and General Jan Smuts, the only other South African in the Square.

Perhaps, it had to do with the fact that it was very early in the morning.

But I suspect it had more to do with the reverence of voting – the universal way for ordinary citizens to have a say in their country and the future.

They queued ten-deep across Trafalgar Square and the length of the facade of the iconic South Africa House.

It was a day on which South Africans filed onto South African soil in unprecedented numbers, thanks to a decision by the Constitutional Court – the cornerstone of South Africa's democracy – which required government to extend voting facilities to all South Africans abroad who are on the voters roll.

They waited quietly, patiently, reading the latest copy of The South African, chatting quietly about why they were in the UK, why they were voting, exchanging their memories, hopes and fears for their beloved country.

It also took me back to 1994 when I had felt so privileged to be part of the first election in which all South Africans were able to vote – most for the first time. The long queues snaked sometimes for kilometres and many South Africans got to know each other for the first time as they waited for hours to make their crosses.

Back then it was both a deeply moving, humbling and empowering experience.

And so it was again yesterday.

This time, the voters were mainly young, mainly white and all were united by the decision to have a say in their country and in choosing the next government.

It also took me back to the mid-1980's when I served as a correspondent for the South African morning group of newspapers – including the Rand Daily Mail and the Cape Times – when I covered almost constant demonstrations and protests by South African exiles and large numbers of committed members of the British public who played such a crucial role in ending apartheid.

Seldom in the history of freedom struggles has there been such a display of international solidarity by a nation as was the case with the British public's involvement in the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

Today photographic records of those protests are displayed on the walls of South Africa House and many famous faces are still recognisable – Thabo Mbeki, the late Harold Wilson, the late Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, Abdul Minty, Peter Hain, the alte Mike Terry and many more.

As I stood waiting and chatting to fellow South Africans, I was humbled that we would not be standing there voting in a democratic election in South Africa had it not been for the suffering and sacrifice of thousands of South Africans in resisting apartheid for all those years. Many gave their lives, many sacrificed family members and friends.

I was overcome by a deep humility tinged with pride.

They say the early bird catches the fattest worm.

But my 3am start to the day has quite simply left me emotionally exhausted.

So I've decided to escape the friendly South Africans chatting away at Trafalgar Square about how long they have been here, where they work and how the economic climate has affected their lives and I've come to a spruce little coffee shop on the corner of William IV Street and St. Martin's Lane to gather my emotions.

Today when I rolled out of bed to prepare for an early morning live interview for the BBC World Service's Network Africa, I braved the chilly London breeze to which I have not yet acclimatised and joined thousands of South Africans in the winding queue that would eventually grant me my chance to vote in the 2009 national elections.

I thought that once I had made my mark, I would feel elated but instead I feel surprisingly emotional and nostalgic. It seems that between all the paper work, court applications and general fuss that led me to getting an opportunity to vote abroad, I truly underestimated the feeling that has now overcome me.

And as I sit a few inches from this big glass window and watch Londoners and tourists go about their way, I can't help but think of my home, South Africa; my sister who sent me a text message this morning to remind me to take both my identity documents as well as my passport to the High Commission, my grandmother's house in Monakgotla Drive, Dube, Soweto, a few kilometres from the historical Vilakazi Street where Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu once resided, the house filled with all of my childhood memories of South Africa in the eighties.

I think about my country's history and the sacrifices that have generously allowed me to be where I am right now... sipping coffee from a paper cup, a million miles away.

This morning when the radio presenter presumptuously asked me how I felt as an outsider voting in the South African election today, I wanted to tell him that I was the furthest thing from an outsider. I wanted to exclaim to the radio producers in their big foam earphones and to all the Africans around the world listening to the broadcast. I wanted to tell them how every single time I see a South African flag in the streets of London or on a Springbok jersey in the train, my heart jumps for joy.

I wanted to tell them how I prowl through the South African online newspapers to get an account of the daily news and how even though it just comes naturally when I meet up with some of my South African friends and our conversations are in Sesotho or Zulu, I feel closer than ever to my home. And that even though he considers me an outsider, I was filled with overwhelming pride when I saw South Africans from every corner of the United Kingdom come together to exercise their democratic right this morning.

I felt an immense amount of pride after holding my ballot paper in my hand and taking my time to go through every party name, taking a good look at the representative's picture alongside it, and finally making my mark on this historic day.

I think about the difference my vote will make to my country and there is that little tinkle in my heart that reminds me that there is much time to celebrate and truly be happy about today's occurrences. But for now, I only think about how I love my country with all of my heart.

Palesa Madumo is a consultant at the International Marketing Council of South Africa.

April 15th was voting day for South Africans living abroad, with a total of 16,240 voters on hand to cast their votes at the 124 South African missions abroad.

South Africa House, home to the South African mission in London, was the largest polling station in the elections, according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), followed by Canberra, Australia, with 1235 registered voters, then Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with 900 registered and Wellington, New Zealand, with 410.

The role of South Africans overseas has not been overlooked by those at home and we publish below the statement issued by Themba Maseko, Government Spokesman and Head of South African Government Communications.

Government acknowledges the important role that South Africans abroad played in the special voting last week thereby strengthening their bond with their compatriots at home as well as giving substance to the ruling by the Constitutional Court that South Africans abroad should have the right to vote.

It was significant that 16 240 South Africans living abroad applied for and were granted permission for a special vote and that almost half of these (7,427) voted in London where the South African High Commissioner mobilised the entire mission to ensure the voting went smoothly.

"Government acknowledges the important role that South Africans abroad played in the special voting last week."

The enthusiasm evident in those who queued outside South Africa House throughout the day bodes well for creating the atmosphere for more South Africans to return and make a contribution through deploying their skills in the nation-building effort or creating more jobs.

It also bodes well for building a brain-bank of South Africans living abroad to assist in the process of image-building, investment and ongoing knowledge exchange and the acquisition of skills.

The Homecoming Revolution has done excellent work over the past five years or so in creating such a climate and proactively connecting South Africans abroad with companies at home seeking skills and disseminating accurate information about opportunities and conditions in the country.

The recently-formed Global South African Network, active in the United States and the United Kingdom, has as its objective the building of a global network of skilled and influential South Africans who can help the country attract foreign direct investment and achieve its economic objectives in a globalised world.

Government acknowledges the important role of skilled and entrepreneurial South Africans returning to the country and contributing from their positions of influence abroad.

Now is the best time to create businesses and jobs in South Africa and South Africans with international experience are returning home with great ideas, says the Homecoming Revolution, ahead of the forthcoming conference, "Entrepreneurship – The Way Forward in South Africa".

In every crisis lies an opportunity and, as Sir Richard Branson says, "Fortunes are made out of recessions. A lot of entrepreneurs get going in the economic depths because the barriers to entry are lower."

But how do you get to spot opportunities in one country while living in another? For South Africans in Europe, the answer lies in the one-day Entrepreneurs Workshop to be held on 9th May in London by the Homecoming Revolution and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), "Entrepreneurship – The Way Forward in South Africa".

In every crisis lies an opportunity .... "Fortunes are made out of recessions"

Entrepreneurs are in the business of seeing opportunities where others don't and then working with passion and energy to bring an idea to life in the form of a new business enterprise. They produce opportunities for others and create substantial wealth for themselves. Being an entrepreneur is about using one's creativity, drive and leadership to shift the status quo. Entrepreneurs redefine the way business is done.

According to Nick Binedell, the Director of GIBS, the South African economy is one that offers enormous opportunities to the entrepreneur.

"The South African economy has benefited from the drive and energy of an extraordinary set of entrepreneurs," he says. "For an economy of its size, it has produced a disproportionate number of individuals and businesses that have gone on to become global champions in their industry. This success has mainly to do with the type of business environment in which South African entrepreneurs find themselves."

Describing the South African as one that is "restless and turbulent", Binedell sees the current economy as one "full of opportunity for those with the energy and drive to take full advantage."

In downturns, says Binedell, there are opportunities for people to start out and lay out a new value proposition for business idea, while large companies are often caught between memory and vision and are slower to react to rapidly changing circumstances.

"This is where the new players come in, riding off new technologies, riding off a different business model, and they may come in at a lower cost structure or a better product proposition," he says.

"The lovely thing about South Africa is it has a highly entrepreneurial spirit. There are people who'll be reading these markets and finding the gap and starting new companies."

For many South Africans facing restricted job markets in the UK and Europe as well as soaring costs of living, returning home is an increasingly attractive prospect, says Binedell, who sees the mood for business in South Africa as more upbeat than in the West.

"The lovely thing about South Africa is it has a highly entrepreneurial spirit. There are people who'll be reading these markets and finding the gap and starting new companies."

"In recent times we have seen a surge of interest in South Africans wanting to come back to not only make their place in the sun, but find a way to contribute to a fast changing society."

The specially designed one day event, which takes place at Altitude in Westminster, central London, will give people the opportunity to engage with successful entrepreneurs in South Africa who have spotted unique opportunities and grown successful businesses.

Martine Schaffer, Managing Director of Homecoming Revolution, an independent, non-profit organisation that encourages and facilitates the return to South Africa of skilled South Africans around the world, sees this Workshop as a vital source of information for those interested in enterprise.

"We know that in order to continue to build the economy, jobs need to be created and South Africans with international experience and exposure return with great ideas that they bring home. With this event we are hoping to inspire them, as well as give them practical starting points."

Coming back home, she says, is becoming an increasingly popular option for South Africa's expat population.

"Our enquiries have increased 35% year on year and many are seeing it as an opportunity to return and create the future they want."

Speakers for the event include Professor Nick Binedell, Director of GIBS, Paul Harris, CEO of FirstRand Group and Kevin Vermaak, Founder of the Cape Epic Mountain Bike Race. The MC for the day will be Ithumeleng Kgaboesele, CEO of Sphere Holdings and President of Entrepreneurs Organisation.

"Entrepreneurship – The Way Forward in South Africa" takes place on 9 May from 11 am until 5 pm. Places are limited and tickets will not be for sale on the day, so reservations are required. Bookings can be made online at www.satickets.co.uk

For an updated programme and further information on the event, visit www.homecomingrevolution.co.za

Photos: (top) Bloemfontein, Free State, province: The Lochlogan Shopping Centre and waterfront in the city centre. Graeme Williams www.MediaClubSouthAfrica.com

Hip Hop Photo: Rodger Bosch, www.MediaClubSouthAfrica.com

As he launches his new London restaurant, Fred Quartey looks back on his leap from IT Programmer to Chef and restaurateur.

For anyone looking for a taste of Africa in the heart of London, the recently opened Just Freddie's might be just the place to go.

Offering classic dishes with an African twist, Just Freddie's combines Quartey's Ghanaian roots and European training.

It also offers typical Ghanaian warmth and hospitality and has been described by one food reviewer as "the 'local' - the one around the corner with the owner who knows your name, where you get a coffee on the house and you take your best mates before you go out on the town."

Even without today's challenging economic climate, a restaurant is more likely than any other business to fail rather than succeed and almost 60% of restaurants in the UK close down within three years. But if risk can be mitigated by sheer hard work, few would care to bet against the owner of Just Freddie's.

Setting up a business in what must surely rank as one of the highest risk sectors has not come easy to Fred Quartey who, in common with many other professionals, had very different ambitions when he left Ghana for the UK.

"I came to this country as a computer programmer from NCR in Accra," says Quartey. Instead of an abundance of opportunities, however, he was unable to break into the British IT sector. "I found it very difficult to find a job and took up a part-time job as a kitchen porter."

It was while working in the kitchens that Quartey started to develop a real interest in cooking which, as he admits, is "something that women from my part of the world do - or so my wife keeps telling me!" Over time, his frustration at not finding the right job turned into something else.

"During this transition I actually started enjoying and keeping a keen and open minded view on cooking", he says.

Just Freddy's combines Quartey's Ghanaian roots and European training. It also offers typical Ghanaian warmth and hospitality.

Luckily for Fred, his growing interest was encouraged by the kitchen's Head Chef who recognised his potential. A recommendation from the Head Chef led to an offer to Quartey to train as a junior Chef and assist in the kitchen. "The rest," he says, "is history."

Quartey's catering career went from strength to strength and he moved on to work for the SAS Radissons Hotel, Novotel in West London. This was followed by stints with LWT and the BBC.

Continued hard work brought its successes and Quartey eventually progressed into catering management, working with successful eateries such as Nando's, Horse, Leon and Giraffe.

With a growing family to support, Quartey began to take on more assignments in addition to his regular work. "During these times," he says, "I was also moonlighting with Philip Small and Tony Page who were, then, the biggest Jewish banqueting companies."

Quartey’s strong Christian faith has sustained him during the tough periods in his life and directs the course he chooses to follow. Combining his talent for cooking with a strong desire to help others, Quartey's next steps turned him towards the hostel sector, where he still works today.

"As my faith took a greater hold of me", he says, "my passion has directed me to managing hostels. I am managing 15 hostels under a catering company called Caterplus and we provide food for the homeless and for emotionally, physically and substance abused people."

Quartey's faith was also a key factor in deciding to take up the challenge of setting up his own business. By his own admission, the process has involved a level of commitment and hard work that he never envisaged. But, judging by the reactions of his growing clientele, Just Freddie's has been well worth the effort and energy put into it.

Located in Blackstock Road, in the heart of North London's bustling multicultural streets, Just Freddie's is a cosy eating place where you are made to feel at home.

The restaurant specialises in homemade American-style beef and lamb burgers, grilled tilapia, bream and croker.

The restaurant specializes in hearty, homemade, American-style 100% homemade beef and lamb burgers, from as little as £8.00 per dish, as well as grilled tilapia, bream and croker fish. There is also a tasty selection of chicken dishes including Peri Peri and Jerk chicken.

Keeping to the homely feel of the restaurant, Quartey deftly handles all the cooking at Just Freddie's himself, serving up an eclectic and exciting range of international dishes.

Quartey's Ghanaian roots are evident in the flavouring of the extensive range of grills and pastas, while his grilled fish, couscous and curried goat have become staple weekend favourites with the local African community.

Just Freddie's Restaurant, 131 Blackstock Road, London N4 2JW, 020 7226 2484

Harbouring hopes of entering the American advertising industry? Well, the facts about your chances of success may surprise you.

In what is describes as 'a wake-up call' to Madison Avenue, a new study shows the extent of racial discrimination behind the glossy facade of the US advertising industry.

An exhaustive study of America's advertising industry has found dramatic levels of racial discrimination throughout the industry. The study revealed evident bias against African-American professionals in areas ranging from hiring to pay, assignments and promotion.

The study was initiated by a coalition of legal, civil rights, and industry leaders who, in 2008, created the Madison Avenue Project to address advertising's deep-rooted racial bias.

Prominent US civil rights lawyer Cyrus Mehri, the leader of the Project, called the findings "absolutely astonishing in this day and age", while Angela Ciccolo of the NAACP, another Project partner, commented that "the time has come to stand up to change this industry."

The findings from the study reveal that, overall, racial discrimination is 38% worse in the advertising industry than across the broad American labour market. Worse still, the "discrimination divide" between advertising and other U.S. industries is more than twice as bad now as it was 30 years ago.

So what exactly did these findings reveal? Some specific results include:

While employment discrimination across the United States has steadily decreased over the last forty years, what the report terms "systemic barriers to equality" within the advertising industry have remain virtually unchanged. Practices which were deemed back in 1978 by the New York City Human Rights Commission to be "not simply the result of neutral forces, but emanating directly from discrimination" continue unchecked today.

Many of the changes needed to eliminate these practices would have to be initiated by advertising agencies themselves who, despite occasional public pressure to address these disparities, have responded with little more than token efforts such as training and minority internships.

Measures which, at today's rate of progress, the study's authors conclude, will mean that the number of Black advertising managers and professionals will not reach their expected level for another 71 years.

The study found the primary source of discrimination to be agencies' implicit assumption that the cause of Black under-representation is a shortage of 'qualified' Black job seekers. Ironically, those initiatives that have been taken to increase 'pipeline' Black talent have simply served to increase the already substantial number of qualified Black candidates.

In reality, the study says, the problem is not a shortage but a "persistent unwillingness by mainstream advertising agencies to hire, assign, advance, and retain already-available Black talent."

A total transformation of the workplace culture of advertising agencies is needed if change is to be substantial and permanent, says the study. Specifically, agencies will need to reform human resources practices in which "personal relationships and social comfort often outweigh job performance". Also key to change in the industry is what the report terms "obsolete assumptions that racial minorities lack skills applicable to non-ethnic markets".

The Madison Avenue Project is led by the NAACP and attorney Cyrus Mehri, the founding partner of law firm Mehri & Skalet, who has won several multi-million dollar discrimination settlements against such corporations as The Coca-Cola Company, Morgan Stanley and Texaco Inc.; with the cooperation of Sanford Moore, a former advertising executive, current New York City talk radio co-host, and longtime advocate for racial parity in advertising.

"We are sending a message to the advertising industry: this conduct is unacceptable and must change," Mehri says. For Sanford Moore, the study illustrates what he terms "the mendacity and machinations that have kept African-Americans invisible on and to Madison Avenue for over four decades." The advertising industry, he notes, has "created and perpetuated a 'separate and unequal' marketing paradigm" and "even though our dollars provide the profits, the industry is still afraid of the dark."

Angela Ciccolo, on behalf of the US civil rights group, the NAACP, describes the report as an opportunity for Fortune 100 companies "to stop aiding and abetting widespread discrimination by this industry."

"The Madison Avenue Project is designed to send a special wake up call to the advertising industry. It's time for Madison Avenue to wake up to civil rights and to the meaningful inclusion of African Americans in this highly segregated industry."

If 75% of corporate executives believe that having minorities in senior level positions helps promote new ideas and innovation, why do Black women make up only 1% of US corporate officers?

The findings of a new poll highlight how negative perceptions, the lack of strategic networking and the demands of work/life balance are holding Black American women back from the executive suite.

What's holding Black women in America back from making the top ranks in corporations? A poll commissioned by The Executive Leadership Council and conducted by Harris Interactive heard from 150 executives from a broad range of industries. What they had to say suggests that senior corporate executives really believe that it is important to their company’s success to have minorities in senior executive roles.

The findings from the survey – taken between November and December 2008 – showed that 75% of these executives believe that senior executives from minority groups are important in providing new ideas and innovation and better reflect the diversity of customers.

The poll, conducted immediately following the election of Barack Obama, occurred at a time when there was increased discussion of how the election of the first African-American President of the United States would impact opportunities for minorities seeking to move into the executive suite and on to corporate boards.

The findings showed that African-American women in particular face serious challenges in their climb up the corporate ladder.

The sample surveyed included respondents from companies with revenue of $1 billion and above annually. Respondents included CEOs, Chairmen/Executive Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents/Directors.

The findings showed that African-American women in particular face serious challenges in their climb up the corporate ladder. 31% of the surveyed executives attribute these challenges to weaker or less strategic networks available to African-American women.

The issue of capability – or the perception of it – featured strongly, with 24% citing inaccurate perceptions of African-American women's capabilities as slowing or preventing their rise up the ranks. 23% of respondents saw work/life balance demands as the third top barrier to executive success.

These findings came as little surprise to the survey commissioners.

"Frankly, the findings confirm what we found in our in-depth research completed earlier in 2008," said Carl Brooks, President and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council, the leading organization for the most senior level African-American executives in corporate America. Its Council members – more than 400 executives, one-third of them women –represent more than 280 Fortune 500 corporations.

The issue of capability – or the perception of it – featured strongly, with 24% citing inaccurate perceptions of African-American women's capabilities as slowing or preventing their rise up the ranks.

Founded in 1986, The Executive Leadership Council is an independent, non-profit corporation that provides African-American executives of major U.S. companies with a professional network and forum to offer perspective and direction on national and international business and public policy issues. It is the preeminent organization that recognizes the strengths, success, contributions, and impact of African-American corporate business leaders.

The organisation's earlier research, the Black Women Executives Research Initiative completed in 2008, was a year-long study of success factors and impediments for black women executives aspiring to the most senior positions in America's top companies.

That study examined success factors and impediments for black women executives as they aspire to the most senior positions in corporate America and included interviews with 76 black women executives, 18 CEOs, and 38 peers.

A number of The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) poll findings coincided with the earlier in-depth research, including:

The issue of how Black women connect with their corporate superiors was also evident from the study.

"CEOs and black women executives seem to have a significant disconnect about how they view some of the behaviors and experiences of senior black corporate women," said Ancella Livers, Executive Director of the ELC's Institute for Leadership Development & Research.

One CEO was quoted as saying: "There is an issue whether black women have emphasized whether they have taken on the most challenging assignments, but are not getting credit for it and not getting the value for it. You want to anticipate what you want, and what you think is owed to you, and ask for it in advance."

This includes demanding constructive feedback to help women improve, something some respondents felt was lacking. As one of the black women executives interviewed said, "I didn't get feedback about why I wasn't considered for the General Manager role. I was given the feedback that 'this position is not for you' rather than hearing, 'this is what you need to do to become the GM.'"

When asked what major corporations can do to change the status quo and to increase the number of African-American female executives in their senior management teams, respondents offered a number of concrete suggestions.

Some of these changes included:

The detailed findings cover topics such as relationships, aspiration, feedback and coachability, experience leading to the executive suite, alignment of values, work/life balance, bias and other negative factors. The conclusion also provides a leadership framework for understanding what it takes to advance and discusses the implications for organizations and CEOs.

"Corporations need cultural change to attract African-American females and females in general."

Combined with its research, the Institute intends to use the survey results to finalize programs for senior and mid-level black women executives to help them strengthen strategic relationships with senior level men, build networks and increase visibility.

"Not only should senior executives cultivate more trusted and strategic relationships with high-potential black women executives, it is important for black women executives to have and execute detailed plans for advancement and demonstrate a passion for the values and culture of their companies," says Brooks.

"In spite of the barriers, many black women are skilled and ready to assume the responsibilities of the C-Suite. This work allows us to create a roadmap to help prepare mid-career black women who aspire to the highest levels of leadership in today’s corporations," said Dr. Livers.

Reggie Tagoe reports on how a Ghanaian Association in Italy has been transformed into a successful business and social entity.

What started as a normal Ghanaians' Association abroad has now become a big business enterprise and with that, Ghana Co-operative (Ghanacoop) is walking with success.

The story of Ghanacoop in the city of Modena, north of Italy, began as one of the Ghanaians Associations in the country. But in 2005 the Association created a business plan. At that time they didn't know they were breaking new ground; all they knew was that they had identified a business opportunity and decided to pursue it with the commitment to succeed.

While there were those among them who gave up when they believed that there were no decent returns to be had, some of them dug their heels in, making sacrifices in order to achieve their purpose. These Ghanaians continued to invest their time and money and, recognising their limited knowledge of business creation and management, underwent in-depth training in these areas. Many made big sacrifices, while some even stopped their jobs to fully implement their plan.

Now all these efforts are bearing fruit, in fact bearing very sweet and fresh fruit, as fresh as the ones they import from Ghana and sell in Italy.

Ghanacoop is now engaged in big business trading, importing exotic fruits, agricultural food and handicraft products from Ghana to Italy whilst exporting Italian wine, pasta and ham to Ghana.

Among its imported fruits from Ghana are pineapples, pawpaw, mangoes, coconuts as well as palm oil, plantain and yam among its agricultural products.

Ghanacoop has established links with Italian megastores and supermarkets such as Nordi Conad, Coop Estense and GS Carrefour, and each week tons of its products are imported into the country.

In 2007, Ghanacoop succeeded in making a profit of €1million (one million euros) and according to its President, Thomas McCarthy, Ghanacoop - which employs both Italians and Ghanaians - will hit the €5 miilion (five miilon euros) mark in gross profit in 2008.

"Ghanacoop is proof that immigrants are an important resource for the social and economic development of both their host and countries of origin", says McCarthy.

According to McCarthy, noting that the Ghanaian community is truly united and without tribal or ethnic discrimination, "Three factors have contributed to our success and these are unity, dedication and partnership."

The success of Ghanacoop has also been helped largely by its partnership with the Province of Modena and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through which it has carried out projects in Ghana helping some villages and towns with electricity and water supply and contributing to the purchase of equipment to hospitals, among them Gomoa Simbrofo – a poor village situated some 90 km from Ghana's capital, Accra.

Under its project on a 100-acre plot in Gomoa Simbrofo, Ghanacoop aims at promoting the development of social and enviromental sustainable processes for the production of corn, fruits and vegetables with biological certification.

Ghanacoop also hopes to expand its activities by importing produce from its own farm in Ghana and the organisation plans to promote economic and social development actions that facilitate the construction of schools and the provision of water purification facilities. It also intends to provide the communities with alternative energy from solar panel systems and to discourage the migratory flow out of the region by offering the villagers concrete job opportunities and continuous development through qualifications.

A fixed amount of the price paid for Ghanacoop's exotic products goes to support implementation of health projects and favouring workers communities in Ghana.

The organisation has created scholarships for their children and supports vaccination campaigns in several villages and, in one of its latest projects, it is financing the photo voltaic implant to provide electricity to different villages.

On a more ambitious note, the organisation plans to enter the European market of Fair-Trade certified products. McCarthy is more than grateful to all co-operative bodies that has been of immense support from the begining.

"Our special thanks go to Arcadia and Oltrelab Group for having projected the start-up of Ghanacoop together with the Council of Ghana Nationals Association in Italy (COGNAI)," he says. "Today these groups are the key partners behind every activity and success of Ghanacoop."

This co-operative of Ghanaians has now become a model that all immigrant communities would like to emulate and, having succeeded in creating such a successful enterprise, its members want to help other immigrants in Italy to come up with similar projects.

"We want to promote brain return and prove that Africa can develop through its own people returning from western countries," says McCarthy. "We would like to help all those who seek our help. Ghanacoop is ready to provide training and orientation to all Associations of immigrants interested in forming co-operatives."

Photos by Reggie Tagoe

How Julia Doe is making the transition to singing and fulfilling her passion to transform lives.

While TV reality shows might give the impression that a career in music can happen overnight, for most people it involves hard work, dedication and time.

Talented singer, Julia Doe, is an example of how many approach their desire to sing. The third of six children, Julia was born in Kent, England but grew up in Ghana, West Africa. Her musical ability was evident early and from the age of 6 she was sent to the renowned John Teye Memorial Maths and Music School, where she was mentored by the Founder, Rev. John Teye, a gifted musician.

Whilst in secondary school, Julia continued to engage in music and the arts through school plays, dancing and talent competitions and showed her early promise with her ability to mimic singers like Whitney Houston and Anita Baker.

1983 marked a major turning point for Julia who, whilst attending a Christian event, made a decision to become a born-again Christian. It was at this time that she met a young Music Director, Tom Bright-Davies, who encouraged her to take her musical gift seriously. After joining a musical group, Julia struggled with the realities of daily Christian living, returning to the UK in 1988 where, as she puts it, she "forgot all about God and music."

However, it appeared that God had not forgotten about her and, in 1993, having decided to return to Ghana, she again met Tom and started attending church, eventually making a decision to surrender her life to Jesus. Julia began singing in her local church, marrying her husband Douglas in 1997.

Julia and Douglas returned to the UK in 2000 and have been members of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) for the past 7 years. Julia is a member of the KICC choir.

Using her talent to make music is, for Julia, the first step in fulfilling what she believes God has called her to do. With a passion to see peoples’ lives dramatically transformed as hers was over 14 years ago, Julia believes that anointed music is a powerful medium through which God gets through to people and transforms their lives.

ReConnect Africa met Julia and asked how she has managed to combine her passion for music with the daily realities of building a mainstream career.

JD:I am a Service Manager for the Newham Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. This is an NHS service which offers talking therapy to people who are suffering from depression and anxiety. I handle the operational side of the service to ensure that we deliver a service which patients are happy with.

Julia believes that anointed music is a powerful medium through which God gets through to people and transforms their lives.

JD: I started singing at the age of 6, when my Dad sent me to the John Teye Memorial School, a boarding school in Accra, Ghana. The headmaster recognised my musical potential and also taught me to play the piano. At that time, the incumbent Head of State, Kutu Acheampong had two of his children attending the school and I would be asked to sing for him any time he visited the school. The headmaster, also a prolific musician, took me with him when he travelled around the country. He would play and I would sing.

JD: People had been telling me for years that I had a really good voice and I had always sang at Church and in choirs, but never considered a professional career in singing. A few years ago, my husband reiterated the fact that I should seriously consider taking the singing to a more professional level by recording an album, but I was hesitant, because I had heard so many great singers and felt inferior.

However, in one year, five total strangers, at various functions confronted me about what I was doing with this "angelic" voice – and told me how they had been impacted whilst I was singing in the congregation. This led me to start to believe that perhaps I had something to offer.

Since I joined our Church choir just over a year ago, I have had so many people come up to me after leading a song to tell me how much my singing had meant to them. Recently, one woman told me how she had lost her daughter and felt comforted when I sang. I realised then that I had been given a gift and if I didn’t use it, I would have to answer for it!

JD: Because of my work and church commitments, I don’t have a lot of time to rehearse formally. I use the time whilst driving to work (3 hours each day) and have set aside 2 evenings a week when I do some voice training. It has, however, been rather difficult to strike a balance because I am usually exhausted by the time I get home from work or church rehearsal.

I would be asked to sing for… the incumbent Head of State, Kutu Acheampong any time he visited the school.

JD: Take things slowly and don’t quit your job yet! A lot of ideas and projects start off very small and then increase over time and it can be frustrating to wait. In my case, I am still working full-time whilst trying to promote the singing. I envisage the time will come when I will be financially secure enough to enable me give up my full time job, but until that time, I have to do both.

My husband has been extremely supportive and I am in the process of looking for something that will give me the flexibility to work 3 days a week, so I can devote the other days to the music. This support is extremely crucial if you are married.

Julia's debut single release "Light My Way", produced by long time friend and prolific song writer, Tom Bright-Davies, is now available.

To purchase a copy of ‘Light My Way’: www.juliadoe.com

A global network of South Africa's citizens is set to bring knowledge and skills to the country.

As the economic beacon of Africa, South Africa has proved that it is alive with possibility. Over recent years, the country has seen unprecedented growth and the development of a vibrant and progressive business environment which even the recent global economic slowdown cannot diminish.

Yet, like many other countries in the developing world, South Africa has seen many of its best and brightest emigrate to the West. Global South Africans, a new initiative being spearheaded by the South African International Marketing Council (IMC), while recognising this reality, is set on ensuring that South Africa's "flown talent does not have to be lost talent".

South Africa's Diaspora may be just as valuable for being abroad as it would have been had it stayed at home, says the IMC, a public-private partnership dedicated to increasing global support for South Africa's young democracy and for the continent of which South Africa is a part. The key, however, is realising this value.

The recent launch in London of the Global South Africans initiative demonstrates the commitment of the IMC to tapping into the power of its citizens around the world.

"Once a South African, always a South African," Moeketsi Mosola, Acting CEO of the International Marketing Council, told guests at a dinner to launch the GSA initiative in London organised by IMC's UK country manager John Battersby and hosted by the South African High Commission.

South Africa's "flown talent does not have to be lost talent".

Global South Africans (GSA) is today a growing network of talented and successful South Africans who live abroad but still feel deeply attached to the country and want to contribute to the country's growth and success.

While skilled professionals may be compelled to emigrate for a number of reasons, many retain strong emotional bonds to their countries of origin and, given the opportunity, are keen to contribute to the development of their countries.

The knowledge, connections and goodwill that are abundant in South Africa's Diaspora is what the GSA network is seeking to harness by building a worldwide network of accomplished and well-connected offshore South Africans and their peers who share a strong affinity with South Africa.

The members of the network, says the organisation, are united by a faith in South Africa's future and a desire to share their knowledge, wisdom and networks in support of South Africa's transformation into a prosperous and successful non-racial democracy.

The Global South Africa Network starts from the premise that its members are extremely valuable where they are. Members serve as vital links between South Africa and the global economy where they represent successful men and women of all races and backgrounds who are respected leaders in their fields.

This initiative, says its sponsors, is not about simply building a database of members but about actively engaging members through carefully targeted requests for knowledge ideas from stakeholders in South Africa.

"GSA isn't about passing the tin cup," says the organisation. "It's about knowledge transfer."

The idea is to empower network members to contribute in ways that suit their talents and desired level of engagement.

The network then markets GSA as a resource to South Africans who could benefit from the extraordinary range, knowledge and connections the network represents. GSA is for people whose reward comes from seeing South Africa fulfil its extraordinary promise and enriching their own networks.

The Global South Africans network is not about creating a club of expatriates looking to maximise personal business opportunities, but a group of friends of South Africa who are keen to see the country and, by extension, the continent succeed.

The network is for people whose reward comes from seeing South Africa fulfil its extraordinary promise.

The International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC) is also marketing the GSA network to government departments, the private sector, academic institutions and NGO's. It is the channel through which requests are routed to members and it helps members make the right connections in South Africa to pursue their own projects and ideas.

The ultimate aim, says the GSA, is to mobilise the greater South Africa in the service of the greatest possible South Africa.

If you are interested in learning more about the Global South Africans project, please visit  www.globalsouthafricans.org

How the NICRO UK Trust is contributing to the extraordinary success of the South African programme that turns young people away from crime.

The story of South Africa’s transformation over the past decade has been remarkable in many ways. Its substantial economic investment across sub-Saharan Africa has made the country the economic powerhouse of the continent and an example to the rest of Africa and to other emerging economies.

However, in common with its neighbours, South Africa also faces the challenge of combating crime and its negative impact on the country’s ability to bring about sustainable social development. Particularly troubling for the young democracy is the increasing criminal activity involving young people. In South Africa, as in many other countries, most offenders are young people between the ages of 12 and 25.

An inevitable consequence of imprisoning very young people is the negative influence of their proximity to older inmates in overcrowded prisons.

NICRO - the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders – is a non-governmental organisation that has been working in the field of justice in South Africa since 1910. In the early 1990’s, the organisation pioneered the Diversion Youth Development programme to help turn the lives of young offenders around.

The programme works by steering young offenders away from the formal criminal justice system by making use of alternative sentencing options that are far more effective.

The programme works by steering young offenders away from the formal criminal justice system by making use of alternative sentencing options that are far more effective in preventing re-offending. NICRO’s Diversion programme moves away from punitive and retributive criminal justice measures by placing a focus on educational and development options that promote rehabilitation, reconciliation and healing.

The programme has shown remarkable success. During the 16 month period from January 2005 to April 2006 alone, 16,590 young people were involved in NICRO’s Diversion programmes. With a 93% success rate of offenders not re-offending within two years, NICRO has proved that its method works and can effectively reduce the number of children in South African jails.

This success, says Al Papps, Chairman of the NICRO UK Trust, "is because the deprived young people involved come from very impoverished and deprived backgrounds in the townships in South Africa and respond very positively to the personal interest and attention they are given for the first time in their young lives when participating in these programmes."

NICRO’s programmes work towards giving marginalized and socially excluded youth who are in conflict with the law a chance to acknowledge, understand and take responsibility for the consequences of their actions.

With a 93% success rate of offenders not re-offending within two years, NICRO has proved that its method works and can effectively reduce the number of children in South African jails.

By giving these vulnerable young people the opportunity of learning new skills and competencies and gaining significant insights, the Diversion programme gives them the vision and the tools to turn their lives around to become productive, responsible citizens.

The cost of sending one young person on a Diversion programme is around £350 and one of the challenges NICRO faces is attracting the funding vital to its continued success.

In 2002, a small group in the UK, with the interests of the new South Africa very much at heart, set up the NICRO UK Trust for a safer South Africa. The sole purpose of the Trust is to raise money in the UK to help fund the Diversion Programmes.

With overhead and administrative costs met by the personal generosity of one of the Trust’s founding Trustees, Charles Luyckx, and other Trustees claiming no expenses, all the funds raised by the NICRO Trust go straight to NICRO in South Africa.

South Africans in the UK can help to touch the lives of many young people in South Africa by donating to the Diversion programmes, says Lorna Johnston, NICRO UK Trust’s Fundraising Manager.

"So often, South Africans think that crime in South Africa is not a surmountable problem. NICRO offers people an opportunity to get involved and make a difference.

Our Youth Development and Diversion Programmes are diverting young South Africans away from the criminal justice system and ultimately away from a life of crime."

By touching the lives of 20,000 young South Africans annually, says Johnston, NICRO is proving that something is being done about crime, and that it works.

Getting involved can be through fundraising as well as through participating in the Trust’s events, says Johnston.

"In the UK we are always hosting exciting events to help us raise much needed funds for our Diversion Programmes in South Africa. We are busy putting together a NICRO UK Team for the Pick n’ Pay Argos Tour in South Africa. We hope that cycle enthusiasts will join our fun team heading over to South Africa in March 2009 to help us raise funds for the Diversion Programme."

As Al Papps points out, the organisation’s Youth Development programmes have a proven record in giving South Africa’s young people "the good fortune to avoid wasting their lives in prison."

"One of the most well known songs sung by Joan Baez, the American folk singer said "There but for fortune" and one of the most memorable verses in that song goes as follows ....

"Show me the prison, show me the jail,
Show me the prisoner whose life has gone stale,
And I’ll show you a young man with so many reasons why,
There but for fortune, go you and I."

The recipient of the 2007 Odgers Prize, MBA graduate Charles Ifedi, was judged as the student with the highest potential for a management career. The £5,000 prize, sponsored by Cranfield School of Management alumnus Ian Odgers (right) of top executive search company Odgers, Ray and Berndtson, was established in 1987.

After the presentation of the Odgers Prize, Professor Michael Osbaldeston, one of the judging panel members, said, “Charles has had a very successful career to date in Nigeria, both as a consultant and in a start-up company. The panel was impressed ….and confidently expects that he will achieve a major leadership role across the African continent.”

ReConnect Africa spoke to Ifedi, who has now joined American Express, about his career success and how his MBA has made a difference.

RCA: Congratulations on your prize, Charles. Can you tell us a bit about your background?

CI: I am Nigerian. I graduated from University of Ilorin in Nigeria in January 1999 where I studied Computer Science. I graduated with a First Class and won a number of prizes there also, including: Best Graduating Student in Faculty of Science, Best Graduating Student in Computer Science, Best Final Year Student in Computer Science and Best Graduating Student in Department of Mathematics (97/98 session).

I started my career as a software developer while I was still in University and continued after I graduated. I joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2000, moved to Accenture in 2001 and went back to PwC after a year. I am also a Certified Information Security Auditor

RCA: You were involved in a start-up company in Nigeria. What was the company set up to do and how well did you succeed?

CI:  Nine months after I went back to PwC, I left again and joined the pioneer staff and management team of InterSwitch Limited, a payment processing company in January 2003. InterSwitch is Nigeria’s leading Transaction Switching and Payment Processing Company, with the largest number of banks, cards, channels, products and customer-base.

I left InterSwitch in Sept 2006 to come and do my MBA in Cranfield. At that time, InterSwitch was driving more than 90% of the banks in Nigeria, over 4.5m cards, 1000 ATMs, 2000 POS terminals and monthly transactions in excess of US$25m. This has significantly increased (e.g. they have 100% of the banks now) and they are the de facto payment processing company in Nigeria. It is currently a highly successful company - started with equity equivalent of US$1.5m but is now worth more than US$15m. At the time of leaving, my designation was Group Head, Business Solutions and I was ranked No. 3 in the company. The key responsibilities of my department included the design, development and management of card and electronic payment solutions, project management and quality assurance, business development and market expansion (Local and International) as well as corporate marketing, sales and technical sales support.

RCA: What motivated you to come to the UK to study for an MBA?

CI:  I chose to come to the UK to do an MBA for a few reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, was to get more international exposure, since I had been studying and working in Nigeria all my life. Although I had travelled abroad quite a bit, I felt coming to the UK would increase my exposure and my network. I chose Cranfield School of Management because I could only afford to give up one year for the MBA, and wanted a school that had a high average "number of years’ experience".

“I believe that with God's guidance and the right balance of hard work and timing (being at the right place at the right time) you can achieve anything...”

Then another focus I had was personal development. This was both individual development as well as skills that I had learnt on the job and never been taught formally - finance, accounting, sales, marketing, strategy etc which I needed for my management role. Then finally, there was also the opportunity to travel and see the world after seven years of working.

RCA: What are the key benefits you have gained from the MBA and from living in the UK?

CI:  At the time I was coming to the UK, I didn't plan to work. I just wanted to study for a year and go back to Nigeria and probably back to InterSwitch. Initially, I applied to American Express for an internship and I was offered an internship in one department or a full-time job in my current department. I went through both interview processes and decided to take the full-time job. They got me a work permit and also a sign-on bonus which would enable me pay off my MBA loan quicker.

All the objectives for coming to the UK for an MBA were achieved. In addition, I don't think I would have gotten the offer if I didn't have an MBA in the UK, so that was a plus.

RCA: What was the most challenging aspect of your entry into the Odgers competition?

CI:  The Odgers prize is not really a competition. Ian Odgers (the founder and chairman of Odgers, Ray & Berndtson) is an alumnus of Cranfield. The company is a selection and executive recruitment company. The Odgers prize is given annually to the MBA student that show the most potential to succeed in business and management.

The process is as follows: all the MBA students are required to vote for one person (excluding themselves) in the class that should be given the prize. The five MBA students with the highest votes are then interviewed by a panel comprising of Ian Odgers, representatives of the management of Odgers Ray & Berndtson, the MBA director, the Head of the Cranfield School of Management and one or two MBA faculty. Then one student is selected based on the interviews.

I guess it depends on the number of initial votes you get from the class of 113 people. I guess this would depend on the leadership qualities, charisma and leadership exhibited within your various teams and in the MBA class in general. I also actually think it was the students that were perceived to be the most intelligent in the class that were voted for...but sincerely I believe it was just God that gave me the opportunity to be there.

RCA: Any advice for aspiring professionals out there?

CI: I’m not sure if I am competent enough to give general advice to aspiring professionals since I am one of them. But I believe that, with God's guidance and the right balance of hard work and timing (being at the right place at the right time), you can achieve anything..."only the person that is prepared, can seize opportunities when they present themselves."