TAFFIE HANY THE MILLENNIAL MAKE UP ARTIST IN UGANDA

I believe in being an independent woman and not depending on men because anything can happen, That's why I need to  have my back when things fall apart 

"I believe in being an independent woman and not depending on men because anything can happen, That's why I need to  have my back when things fall apart "

When I was growing up the world was mostly male-dominated, Our mothers where mostly depending on our fathers and there was nothing we could do about it because that was the culture by then but when the millennial era came, it came with a lot of opportunities, only a blind person could not see the revolution, from feminism to gender equality, tax free zones, youth development fund, liberal thoughts and the most important social media and so many other factor, I could not see myself fail.

My childhood was so artistic, I was around handy people most times and I was captivated by the imagination, love and time they put in their work, it was not about money for them but the satisfaction of the clients look and that gave me really warmth and inspiration to think and come up with concept for my own business however it was hard at first to set up anything, I did not have the money, the kind of friends that I was with thought men where the only way out. Its like marriage was the only thing on the plate for girls or get out of misery card but I saw that option as a way to misery in the first place, 

"I do not believe in being anyone's baggage and my thought of marriage was I need to be supportive and the only way to do that is to be able both financially, physically and mentally prepared for that man who will take me as his wife and that's why I had to work on me first"

In the quest for my dream, looking for money to save to start up my business in the busy streets of Kampala with blessings coming from many places,My parents decided to back me up after seeing my determination and  my strategy had to change completely,  I had to re-visualize, aim and shoot at the future with one bullet because now I had the motivation with me and that was my parents. The responsibility grew and am thankful my parents were there to support me through and into this new phase of my life.

I managed to gather some capital and by that time I had got a business idea that would work for me and had confidence in it and it was something that was starting to pop in the city especially among the ladies and that was the facial makeup but this was not any ordinary makeup, It was the type of makeup that would transform your looks from a darling to an angel and when I tried it the first time, I was so good at it as if I was doing it for a long time and I knew that was my gift, from a few thousand shillings capital and a door to door service as my first project to now worth millions, I have never looked back nor regretted my decision to stand up and be an independent young woman.

A wise lady once told me "my daughter, youthfulness comes with the blessings of strength while oldness comes with the blessings of restfulness, use each stage appropriately".

When I look at where I started and where my business has reached at my young age from a simple facial makeup artist in people's homes to having my own full-time ladies make up studio with a range of services from bridal makeup, manicure, pedicure and many more within a busy capital city seemed impossible to many people but not to me.

My advice to my fellow young ladies outside there, I know legit hard work is not your thing for some of you but everything has a price it comes with, A wise lady once told me "my daughter, youthfulness comes with the blessings of strength while oldness comes with the blessings of restfulness, use each stage appropriately".

Tafleh Salim's true story.

"AID FOR MINERAL RIGHTS" China's colonization of Africa on the rise

Africa has entered a new era of relations with China. Our cultural, linguistic and economic landscape is shifting but to what extent.

Scope of China's influence on the African continent. 

Afro-Sino relations have taken various forms over the last two centuries. But the past two decades suggest Africa has entered a new era of relations with China — one in which China exerts increasingly vast influence over the continent.

The shifting landscape is evidenced by cultural, linguistic and economic changes. Some of these changes are worrying.

Since the early 2000s, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of Confucius institutions in Africa: from zero in 2002 to 48 today. These institutions are points of exposure for Africans to Chinese culture and tradition.

In some African countries, such as Zimbabwe, there is surging demand for African schools to offer Mandarin lessons. Incredibly, in June 2018, the Zambian Parliament met to discuss whether Mandarin should become a national official language.

This shift towards debt financing did not happen overnight.

Most significantly, Africa’s economy has become increasingly dependent on China. In 2002, the debt owed by African countries to China was a little more than $1 billion. In 2019, that debt had grown to a staggering $142 billion, with Angola holding the most debt at $42.8 billion.

The debt financing that China offers to African countries is varied. Some government loans qualify as “official development aid,” while others take the form of export, suppliers or commercial credit.

This shift towards debt financing did not happen overnight. Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Africa five times during his years as president, from 2003 to 2013. And many Chinese state ministers followed suit.

In 2006, more than 40 African heads of state gathered in Beijing for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the largest gathering of African heads of state outside of the United Nations. At this meeting, “Eight Measures” for Sino-African relations were developed, which led to the creation of the consequential China-Africa Development Fund. This CAD Fund is funded by the Chinese Development Bank.

The CAD Fund’s primary purpose is to foster Sino-African investment by offering bridge financing, providing financial and managerial advice to Africa, identifying investment opportunities and connecting African projects to Chinese investors.

As of 2010, the CAD Fund had invested in 30 projects in Africa worth around $800 million. The fund focuses primarily on industrial development. In 2010, for example, it contributed $38 million to a $165 million investment by Jidong Cement to build a cement plant in Limpopo, South Africa.

The fund has participated in acquiring natural resources. For example, in 2012, it formed a joint venture with the China Natural Nuclear Cooperation to acquire most of the Husab Mine for $996 million.

China says it is helping Africa develop.

Trade between China and Africa has increased to such an extent that China is now Africa’s largest trading partner, surpassing the United States.

China reckons that it is helping previously-colonized African countries through these instruments of economic influence. It says it is assisting Africa in becoming more developed.

These claims raise a few questions that cannot be readily or easily answered.

For one, is China really interested in helping Africa develop, or is it simply fuelling its own growth by securing a ready supply of raw materials and open markets? Analyzing the Bilateral Trade Agreements can help address these questions, but they do not provide full answers.

Where will China’s growing influence lead?

Second, where will China’s growing influence in Africa lead? Certainly, there is an exchange of culture, but it is a one-way exchange: from China to Africa.

Will these trade relationships benefit “normal” Africans, through more jobs, for instance? Or will they come at Africans’ expense, in the form of greater pollution, depleted resources, and shoddy labour conditions?

Finally, if present trends continue, it will not be long before China assumes the crown of being both Africa’s largest trade partner and biggest creditor. The long-term loans that the CAD Fund offers means future African generations will be debt-trapped.

Is that the form that fair trade takes?

Report by: Rolinhlanhla Kudzaishe Zinyemba is a student at the African Leadership Academy where he participates in a number of activities, including serving as president of the debate club, which, during his tenure, created the African Leadership Debating Style. Rolinhlanhla has also founded a non-profit, Education Zimbabwe, which aims to create an Afro-centric curriculum. And he has been involved in creating Connect the Dots, a pan-African civil entrepreneurship curriculum that is being piloted at a school in Zimbabwe. He is an avid believer in Africa and the philosophies she has to offer the world!.