Sample of the pictures that I took for Women of Kireka jewelry shoot. You can find the rest of the images here.
{ 0 comments }
Leila C. of Samasource at Facebook Developers Garage in Kampala, Uganda
This morning I had an opportunity to be featured on The Hugh Macken Live radio show. Actually should I say, Leila Charayath Janar—who I interviewed last year at the Facebook Developer’s Garage in Uganda for Project Diaspora—was the featured guest. Myself, along with one Maria Umar from Pakistan were there for support.
I have to say that Samasource has given me the opportunity to feed my two loves: economic development in Africa and my passion for design. Yes, they may sound completely unrelated fields but that’s the beauty of Samasource. If you have the passion to do something socially responsible, they’ll find a way to accommodate your field of work. From transcription, to business processing, to computer application development, Samasource has the ability to cater to your needs while actively creating market opportunities in emerging markets.
Samasource enables marginalized people, from refugees in Kenya to women in rural Pakistan, to receive life-changing work opportunities via the Internet. The core of this concept is microwork – little bits of labor that can be performed anytime and anywhere that add up to a real livelihood for our partners. In parallel, we enable socially responsible companies, small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs in the US to contribute to economic development by buying services from our workforce at fair prices.
As a designer and web developer, it’s fulfilling to have the ability to tap into great developers and put really marginalized individuals to work in Africa, thereby merging my two passions. My work at TMS Ruge Media and Project Diaspora couldn’t be more diametrically opposed, but in a way, they are a means to each others end. Project Diaspora was started as way to promote the great work the African Diaspora that’s going unnoticed. And in a way, I am fulfilling that mission as a member of that Diaspora.
By next month I’ll be launching the two web projects that Samasource’s talented developers are helping me work on. I had occasion to visit the coders myself while I was in Nairobi this past summer and was quite impressed with the level of talent that was working on my projects. I was completely put at ease as they were well-versed programmers that were able to deliver just about any requested feature my clients needed.
So if you are a developmentally-minded or a member of the African Diaspora and would like to give work as your mission to do good or put Africa’s idle talent, please contact Leila at Samasource. I’ll be revealing the two projects under production at Samasource next month. So check back on a full-post on both projects next month.
{ 0 comments }
London is in flames as a result of riots by supporters of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth of England.
Trouble started when Prime Minister Gordon Brown prevented the Queen from travelling to Scotland for an annual youth festival. The no nonsense British Prime Minister insisted that the Queen must seek permission from the leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party and Scotland’s First Minister Michael Salmond before she travels to Scotland. The Scottish National Party is advocating for independence of Scotland from Britain.
Mr. Brown, who is of Scottish origin, also insisted that he must have a one to one audience with the Queen before the Queen’s visit can be allowed to go ahead.
Her Majesty’s spokesman insisted that under British Union Laws that was not necessary and that she does not require permission from anyone to travel within the United Kingdom and vowed to head to Dundee in Scotland.
However, Prime Minister Brown was not to take any of this. He despatched the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and ordered SAS and other British Special forces up North to block the Queens’ travel. As I write, the MI, M25 and other major roads in and around London have been blocked by Military personnel. In addition, British Military Police and other Security operatives surrounded Buckingham Palace the Official Queen’s residence.
With all roots closed, the Queen had no choice but to cancel her visit to Scotland. So far, the rioting has caused the death of 21 people and over 100 injured. Police has arrested over 500 rioters.
In the process to smash the rebellion, the Prime Minister has closed down 5 radio stations including Sunrise, Capital FM, Kiss FM, Magic 106 and Heart FM. The Website of Bi-weekly Newspaper the Observer has been closed down.
In addition, talk show presenter Andrew Mar has been kidnapped as he left the BBC studios in Hammersmith. His whereabouts are not known. But police say the Prime Minister ordered his arrest and beating because the known Journalist made remarks, while on air that did not please the Prime Minister. UK Version has received a doctor’s report indicating that Mr. Mar is in Hospital under SAS guard and in critical condition fighting for his life.
The Prime Minister has insisted that those engaged in the rioting are criminals that must be eliminated and vowed to uphold the rule of law and democracy in the United Kingdom. “Hooliganism will not be tolerated he said”
I remind readers that relationship between the Prime Minister and the Queen cooled since the former prevented the Queen from visiting Wales last year insisting that the Queen’s visit must be authorised by the Walsh Workers Party first.
The Prime Minister, while addressing a hastily arranged cabinet meeting, complained of the Queen’s refusal to pick his phone calls. “I have kept on calling Her Majesty but she refuses to pick my calls, even after hiding my Caller ID and using my new Orange line”, riled the Prime Minister.
It’s sad that I can’t take credit for this here post. Credit goes to a very creative Ugandan that needless to say left me in stitches when this arrived in my inbox.
While this is quite funny, let’s remember that people died in this senseless riot. Let’s also remember that the bare freedoms we take for granted in the Diaspora are feeble if not non-exitent in many parts of Africa, most especially press freedom in Uganda.
{ 0 comments }
