Maasai Women in Town … Changing Tide

For many decades Maasai women in urban centres of East Africa have been famous for selling herbs. They still do. However, developments in ICT seem to give them more room for diversification. So, they also sell air time vouchers … and even offer mobile money transaction services … Life is changing and so are the peoples of East Africa!

Ndesanjo Macha … Ashinda Tuzo ya Blog Bora ya TEHAMA

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Mtanzania, Ndesanjo Macha, ambaye kwaye Watanzania walio wengi wamejifunza masuala ya blogu na kublogu ameibuka mshindi katika mashindano yaliyoendeshwa na Highway Africa http://www.highwayafrica.com/ . Ushindi huo kutoka katika taasisi inayoheshimika sana duniani ni heshima kubwa kwa Ndesanjo ambaye unaweza kusoma zaidi habari zake hapa globalvoicesonline.org/author/ndesanjo-macha/. Unaweza kusoma zaidi kuhusu tuzo hiyo aliyoshinda .

Hapa chini ni ujumbe wake kwa wanachama wa Taasisi inayokusanya, kusambaza na kukuza sauti za majadiliano ya kwenye mitandao ya Internet http://globalvoicesonline.org/. Taasisi hiyo ina ukurasa wa lugha ya Kiswahili pia http://sw.globalvoicesonline.org/.

Hi,

The 16th Highway Africa Conference, taking place at Rhodes University, ended yesterday.

The Telkom-Highway Africa New Media Awards 2012 were in three categories:

Innovative newsroom – newsrooms across Africa can submit nominations based on their innovative use of digital media including online, social and mobile media.

Best African ICT Blog – Followers or bloggers may nominate an African-based or diasporic African blog based on its coverage, debate and use of ICTs within the African context.

Innovative use of technology for community engagement – members of communities, organisations, or supporters may nominate an organisation (either corporate or non-profit) based on their innovative use of technology within a community in Africa. The organisation does not have to be African based, but the community in which they operate must
be.

You can read more about the awards here:

http://www.highwayafrica.com/?page_id=8

Global Voices Online SSAfrica won the Best African ICT Blog (an African-based or diasporic African blog based on its coverage,debate and use of ICTs within the African context).

We received a coveted trophy and a touch screen book reader (wifi enabled).

I would like to thank our volunteer authors/translators. They are heroes and heroines and the real winners of this award. Without their efforts, we will not be where we are today. Highway Africa this year showed me the kind of respect that we have from our audience. We got this award because of your work and dedication.

Telkom-Highway Africa award shows that our work is not in vain.

We are helping our continent to rise through our roundups and amplification
of citizen media stories.

Asante sana my people!
ndesanjo

Picha zote kwa hisani ya: Ettione Ferreira anayepatikana hapa http://ettophotography.wordpress.com/

Blogu hii inasema: Hongera sana Ndugu Ndesanjo Macha kwa kupeperusha bendera ya Tanzania na Afrika ya Mashariki kwa ujumla katika ulimwengu wa ICT. Wengine tujifunze kutoka kwa Ndugu Ndesanjo Macha. Yatupasa kufanya mambo kwa kulenga kuisaidia jamii ya walimwengu kubwa bora zaidi, ni lazima kwenda zaidi sana ya mahitaji ya nafsi zetu (we must transcend beyond our own egoistic needs). Pamoja sana!

Postal Services … Changing with the Tide

Huduma za posta zinakabiliwa na changamoto kubwa kutokana na mabadiliko yanayotokea katika teknolojia ya mawasiliano. Jiulize, hivi ni lini mara ya mwisho ulikwenda posta ili kutazama kama umetumiwa barua au la? Bila shaka wengine wana miezi mingi. Je, kiasi cha barua zinazoingia kwenye masanduku hayo bado ni kama ilivyokuwa miaka kumi iliyopita au kuna mabadiliko — kimepanda au kushuka? Ni wazi, jibu hilo la pili ndiyo sahihi.

Watu wengi hivi sasa wanawasiliana kwa barua-pepe na simu za mkononi. Biashara ya posta imebaki kwa idadi ndogo ya barua, pengine na vifurushi. Ingawa hata kwenye biashara ya vifurushi kuna ushindani mkubwa. Kuna makampuni ya mabasi na makampuni ya usafirishaji mizigo yanayoshindania vifurushi hivyohivyo. Huduma za kibenki … okay … huku nako ushindani unakua.

Changamoto ni nyingi. Hata hivyo, kwa aina ya miundombinu na mtandao ilio nao Shirika la Posta, wana fursa nyingi za kuendelea kujiendesha kibiashara iwapo wataongeza ubunifu, wataongeza aina mpya za huduma za kisasa (kama pichani hapo juu), na kwa hiyo kufanya mambo makubwa zaidi. Ubunifu ndiyo neno la msingi katika yote haya. Kwa nini mathalani ofisi za posta zisijishughulishe na kuuza vitabu na magazeti. Kwa kutumia mtandao huohuo wana uwezo wa kuuza si chini ya nakala 50,000 kwa siku za vitabu. Hata kama wao watapata faida ya sh100 kwenye kila nakala, je, ni kiasi gani hicho cha fedha jumla kwa siku?

Ni muhimu wajipange na kujituma zaidi. Wale watumishi wasio waaminifu wanaofungua vifurushi na mizigo ya wateja, wasakwe na kushughulikiwa ipasavyo kwa mujibu wa sheria. Hatua hiyo itarudisha imani ya wananchi kwa shirika hilo na kwa hiyo nalo litafanya biashara zaidi.

Nawasilisha.