Do you need a degree to be a leader?

Is university education a prerequisite for an elective post? Is secondary education enough?

Well, Parliament wants to ensure that the next cadre of leaders all have tertiary level education.

It is difficult for a politician to stand up in Parliament and defend people seeking elective posts but do not possess a university education.

This is because if the names of those voicing their dissent against the law were put on paper, there will be a strong correlation between not attending university and not supporting the requirement.

Their opponents, on the other hand, are driven by the zeal of the entitled and the accomplished, the sort of haughtiness you can only find in a meritocracy.

They believe that a university education entitles you to more than those who have not bothered to seek higher education.

It is a ludicrous view that spending time in a university expands the mind in any way. Studying for the sake of studying is well and truly dead.

Universities are meant to instil a set of skills that are convertible into gain in the market outside.

The “Power List”

What I know for sure; leaders, trailblazers, change agents, chief transformation officers, as the title of a new found friend of mine, Dr. Wale Akinyemi, reads, are found absolutely everywhere; at every strata in society, in every walk of life of every village, every town, every city, every country and every continent of the world.



How far their reach, how great their impact, how renowned their name, is subject to people’s experience of their contribution to transforming the world they set out to influence. And that is all I will say about that.



What I want to address myself to, without digressing too much, is what I have come to learn through either, first hand exposure to, or, from literature giving insight into, the minds and worlds of these boys and girls, men and women who have and, continue to live legacies in whose wake, entire generations are transformed and destinies unfold.



What I have been part of most of my life but only in the past 3 years been more conscious of, is just how many informed, engaged, creative, courageous, driven leaders there are out there and how little they (a) know of each other and where they do, (b) work together. Whether they champion youth empowerment, environmental protection, responsible business and governance, Africa’s renaissance, mobile money, equitable access to clean water, fair trade or freedom of the press, when I interact with them, whether in person or through the written word, I can literally feel the power harnessed and synergies possible from our combined strengths.


I often meet these phenomenal people because someone, somewhere, who has “experienced” their leadership, impact, solutions, has told other people, who have told other people who decided to organise something and when creating their guest list, decided that these great boys and girls, men and women, must be invited. I’m telling you, it all starts with a list.


I am forever grateful to my God that increasingly so, I too get on these “lists” and travel in Tanzania, across Africa and around the world to meet, strategise, work, debate, shape opinions and solutions to the world’s challenges (in my case, usually pushing on the agenda the transformation of youth competitiveness for responsible business in Tanzania and through Tanzania, Africa). With every assembly, I meet some of “the usual suspects” on the “list” but also each time, more of other trailblazers in their fields. I get humbled each time I consider the accomplishments of the people around me and bless my God for including me in their midst and I passionately and deeply engage in conversations that I know will sooner (than later) develop into ventures.

THE STATE OF EAST AFRICA 2012. DEEPENING INTEGRATION, INTENSIFYING CHALLENGES

More than a decade since it was rekindled, the East African Community integration process is deepening, but the challenges facing the integration units and people are intensifying.

Nairobi, 2 April 2012: 'The final responsibility for shaping East Africa’s future lies with its citizens'. This is one of the key conclusions of a new State of East Africa Report 2012: Deepening Integration, Intensifying Challenges, published by the Society for International Development (SID), with support from TradeMark East Africa (TMEA).


The Report, launching on April 4, 2012 at a ceremony presided over by the East African Community (EAC) Secretary General Ambassador (Dr.) Richard Sezibera and SID International President Ambassador Juma Mwapachu at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi at 10am, will open, encourage and inform a wide range of conversations about how the EAC regional integration is proceeding and what it means for ordinary people’s lives.

'Regional integration is a complicated but evolving process that starts and ends with the citizenry', said Ambassador Juma V. Mwapachu, President of SID International and the immediate former EAC Secretary General. 'One of the major goals of the State of East Africa report is to provide policy makers, civil society and the private sector with information and analysis that they can use to advocate their concerns and interests with respect to regional integration'.

The State of East Africa 2012 updates and improves on the inaugural State of East Africa 2006: Trends, Tensions and Contradictions: The Leadership Challenge and it compiles and analyses data across key economic, social and political indicators from the five member states of the EAC.


Some of the report’s key findings and insights are:

You Do or You Don’t?

Make up your mind, if you’re going to get engaged in something, do it to finish and for the hard core, gung-ho trail blazers amongst us, do it to win! You can’t do things in half measure, man, if you’re in it, then be in it to win it!

What am I talking about? I’m talking about “taking initiative”. I have noticed something that troubles me some; people who initiate a stimuli then sit and wait. I wonder, when people don’t take initiative to follow up with others on something that, if not completed, will reflect negatively on them (the initiator), is it because (a) they believe that after having initiated the communication, their burden of “taking initiative” has already been discharged, or; (b) they want to respect due process of transmission and response and so, after having submitted, they now wait, for the natural next step, that is, the recipient to respond?

Maanisha!'s MD, Andrew Mahiga for School Outreach in 21.1km Kili Marathon

Maanisha! Foundation, Managing Director, Andrew Mahiga is due to run the half Kili Marathon (21.1km) in Moshi this Sunday (26th February) as he raises money for a van so that Maanisha! can reach more students in schools nationwide to prepare them for competitiveness in the world of work (whether they be looking for jobs or creating them). To show your support for this worthy cause, please: 1. Register as a supporter and/or follow the cause and/or share with others on Twitter, Facebook etcetera by going to: http://fundly.com/maanishafoundation 2. Post the following on your social media profiles, blogs, BBM and sms it to friends: "Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Maanisha! Foundation, Andrew Mahiga, atakimbia mbio za Kilimanjaro Marathon (half) Jumapili ya tarehe 26 Februari, 2012, kuchangisha hela ili Maanisha! iweze kufikia vijana zaidi mashuleni Tanzania nzima. Kumuunga mkono, tuma mchango wako kupitia m-pesa: 0752 150 622. Jina: Andrew Mahiga. "Elimu ya maisha kwanza halafu ndiyo ushindani!"" 3. Donate any amount to: m-pesa: 0752 150 622. Jina: Andrew Mahiga 4. Send the following links to friends at media houses for them to follow and profile the story and the cause: http://fundly.com/maanishafoundation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhMFMrt9UOc http://www.maanisha.or.tz/about.html

Tano Tano Za Kujipanga Kwa Kazi!

Hatua 5 Za Kujipanga Kwenye Kutafuta Kazi

1. Malengo! Uwe na dira na malengo binafsi, ujue sifa na nguzu zako ili utafute fursa za kuzikuza, fanya utafiti wa mashirika yanayoweza kukufikisha mwenye malengo yako binafsi.

2. Jipange! Andaa wasifu na barua ya maombi ya kazi zinayokuwakilisha vizuri kwa maelezo na muonekano na mpe mtu apitie kutathmini ubora na usahihi wa maelezo na muonekano.

3. Usibahatishe! Tuma sehemu sahihi na kwa mtu sahihi. Tuma kwa mashirika unayoona yanaendana na malengo yako binafsi, tafuta kujua nafasi sahihi kwenye shirika na hata mtu husika atakayepokea maombi ili uandike jina lake kwenye hiyo barua.

4. Rahisisha! Tumia computer na kutuma barua ya maombi kupitia barua pepe (hii ni rahisi zaidi kuliko kutumia sanduku la posta) na uambatanishe wasifu.

5.  Ng'ang'ania! Fuatilia maombi ya kazi baada ya wiking'ang'ania!  kwa njia ya simu, barua pepe ama nenda mwenyewe. Heshimu jibu watakalokupa. Ukiambiwa watakujibu baada ya muda fulani na wiki ikapita baada ya huo muda, watafute tena.

Kiwango Kipya!

Attending R.I.O.T.-FEST to mark the launch of R.I.O.T. Foundation (www.riotfoundation.org), I was amazed at the level of creativity and workmanship that was invested into putting together the first East and Southern African youth concert. I am the type of person that scans the book, CD and T-shirt stands at concerts so for an event as electrifying as this, I definitely wanted to leave with a few memorabilia. I bought some CDS (Bupe's album being the highlight of my listening experience since then) and then, I saw it; there were several but this one blew my mind! The R.I.O.T. Kiwango Kipya t-shirt! The message was powerful. It resonated with me straight away - that is what I stand for, that is what the Professional Approach Group was all about! I received renewed energy and sense of purpose as I read the message:

"Kiwango Kipya.

When the people of the world are sitting, I am standing. When the world stands, I will stand out. When the world stands out, I will be outstanding. When the enemy dares the world to be outstanding I will be the standard!"

Whoa! This message is it! I have since bought a t-shirt for each member of family and all colleagues. This is it! Lazima tuwe tunaishi kwa viwango vijana wakitanzania! Hatuwezi kuishi tu, bila kusudi wala mwelekeo. Haitoshi kuvuta pumzi tu, bali lazima tujue tunachotaka na kusimamia kiwango cha hali ya juu mpaka kitimie.