Good lessons I hated to learn from my father

Green Tidings

About 18 years ago, two years before my father passed on. He bought garden equipments and invited me to work with him in the family backyard garden. He wanted me to work in the garden almost everyday. The duties differed daily. And I hated each day in that garden.

We grew tomatoes, potatoes, onions and spinach. On the side there was a good line up of mango,, peach, guava and popo trees. He also had a mini sugar cane line up which I had to make sure that dead chaff is removed all the time and mixed with soil to make compost. If you have been near a fresh sugar cane plantation, you will know that the touch of those fresh leaves can send you on scratching spree all night, even after a good bath. Man, I hated to trim those trees and watering them. I had to Cary a bucket to water each tree, more than 20 trees each time. That meant I had to Cary a 20L bucket 20 times. When that is done and I’m ready to go and play, I had to water the vegetables, and then sometimes harvest a bit from them. 

I remember the other day he came back from fishing very early and sent me to the garden to get him ripe tomatoes and onions. If he sent me there, I knew that I will have to chop them for him, and then go water the rest of the garden. My lil bro was young then, that meant most of the time I had to deal with the garden and mini Orchard. 

All this time I though this man hated me. I though he did not want me to be a child and enjoy childhood games. Even though he allowed me to go play with other teens, play soccer, make cars from some tense wires and hangers, I still felt he was not cool to let me do that. All my friends did not have a veritable garden in their back yards. If they had trees, their elder brothers were responsible for that. So I sometimes felt like my dad wanted to make farmer out of me. I don’t know how it would have turned out.

18 years later, today to be precise, I went on my back yard and harvested fresh spinach from my own garden. Soon I will harvest green paper, Onions and Lettuce. Ok. Did he succeed in making me a farmer? Maybe not, or maybe yeah. And damn, it feels good writing this post! Has he not physically taught me how to grow spinach, I’d not understand the lessons he was trying to teach me. 

Now I look back and I see things other kids did not have. They had rich fathers, but they did not have the attention and time I got from my dad. Looking back, he is my hero. 

There were times I did not understand why I had to keep watering a plant if I’m not gonna eat it. The took time. And we did not have any form of fertilizers except for dead leaves from the trees around the yard. I remember checking on the potatoes every week to see if they are loading up well underground. It felt like they took a century to grow. I did not have the patience for this.

The other day he called me from the kitchen, “Given!”, he shouted. 

“Pap”, I responded.

“Tana la”(come here).

I ran to the kitchen where he was busy washing some fresh tomatoes and spring onions. 

“Tana ni mazambala la xirhapeni” (bring some potatoes from the garden), he said.

I ran to the garden, plugged out two potato plants. My eyes dealt dropped. “Papa, I ma kulu ngopfu. Mi lava ma ngani?”.. I was so exited to see them big potatoes that I had grown by myself. 

I did not get a response. So I went on and dug them potatoes, washed them and handed to him. He said to and play. I was so exited that day.

LESSONS WHICH MY FATHER TOUGHT ME WITHOUT WORDS

1. You don’t have to understand the entire process, be ready to learn from any experience 

2. Do what you don’t want now or for a while so that you can do what you want for life.

3. Be patient, good things come to those who wait.

4. Have a good understanding of time. Building good success does not happen overnight. If you gonna build wealth, be ready to watch it grow. But you have to put the work by yourself.

5. Don’t allow your products to get dry, they will die. If you want to maintain growth, keep learning, associate with the right people, keep developing yourself or you will dry out and be irrelevant.

6. Don’t allow your lack of understanding of the process delude you from the goal. 

7. Don’t allow chaff to pile up. Weed always suck and choke the life out of good plants. The people around you make you or kill you. Be careful whom you allow in your life. Some things look good to allow to grow together with you, but they are dangerous to your destiny. 

Ordinary Vs Extraordinary Parenting

Ordinary parents tell their kids to look down when they talk to eledarly. The extraordinary parents asks them to look them in the eye- these kids later become master minds in the boardroom

Ordinary parents make their kids do more household chores and reward them, sometimes with candy or TV time. In the end these kids grow up thinking that they have to endure physical labour to advance in life. Extraordinary parents give their kids an allowance for reading or exploring their talents and being creative. The results is these kids grow up knowing that they have to develop themselves  to advance and to have their talent creative geniuses rewarded. Most of them become employers in the end or world celebrated scientists, sports personalities and professionals.

Ordinary parents send their kids to Sunday school.  The result is kids grow up knowing that God is at church, not at home. while Extraordinary parents buy bibles for their kids and pray with them every day and the results is kids grow up wanting to have a personal relationship with God.

Ordinary parents blame their children for failing at school and call them dumb and say; “I knew he won’t make it this year, he has been playing all year and watch tv too much”... The results is sometimes the kids may look down on themselves and become a burden to their critical ignorant parents later on in life. Extraordinary parents read with their kids, help them with homework and know their children’s academic ability. When they fail at school they request a meeting with the principal and teacher where in they recommend extra special classes for their kid. The result is children grow up feeling cared for, most of the times end up performing very well at school and in life. Involved parents breed powerful kids. The other become poweful by default and extra hard work.

Ordinary parents think kids are playing when they play soccer, sit at school or do other extramural activities, the result is some kids don’t get to develop their talent early. Extraordinary parents attend all or almost all their children’s games and concerts, saying “I hope one day he gets to the Proffessionals team- he is so talented”.

Ordinary parents live a life cover for their kids without teaching them about money. These kids grow up seeing their parents buy things for them but they have never been taught to handle money except to buy sweets. Extraordinary parents teach their children principles of life, business l, marriage, leadership, etc and leave a legacy of principles, if money is available, they live it in a trust fund well administered by knowledgeable people.

#Whyafricansarepoor

AFRICA NEEDS CREATIVE BUSINESSES

SUB-TITTLE: WHY SOME BUSINESES FAIL AT INCEPTION

Small businesses create a large pool of employment in different ranges. They are also a large contributor to every country’s GDP. The concept of entrepreneurship, if embraced at National Level and be supported fully could solve many economic and social challenges. 

Many countries today still struggle to feed the hungry, create employment, combart crime or sustain their economic growth because their focus is on large scale investment which only pools in macro-investors who intern reap of the country’s gross profits through tax evasion and other hidden schemes. This exploits the national resources instead of benefiting in the fight against hunger, poverty and unemployment. I’m not emplying that macro enterprises do not benefit the countries, they do. But more could be achieved if we had more entrepreneurs and other small scale businesses to address some of these challenges. However, there seem to be a great divide between doing businesss and the reason for doing it. Often times there is a blurry picture for why people do business and how to sustain them.

There is a need to understand the impact of having creative small industries and business from government perspective, community perspective and personal perspective. We should conciiously ask and answer this question: why do we need entrepreneurs?

Why do we need entrepreneurs?

1. They bring social and community upliftment. Where entrepreneurs strive, local problems are solved easily. It takes more people from unproductive consumption lifestiles to productive producers lifestyle.

2. Add to national income

3. Community development. When entrepreneurs begin to grow and make profits, they are able to support local projects, support local charity programs and also inspire other like-minded entrepreneurs. Some people will not rise to do any good until they see someone they know do good. You may be the one entrepreneur that your whole village is looking for to change the systems. 

4. Entrepreneurs conserve the outflow of national wealth. They share im if

The need for creative businesses 

By creative I mean businesses that provide innovative solutions to common contribute to failing in business.

Here are some of my thoughts about it:

• Lack of clear perspective or vision for the business. Often times people in business do not have a picture (well thought, documented and communicated) of how and where the business will be in the medium and long term. They only think of the current or just the next project they have tendered for. There is also no clear cut answer as to WHAT THE BUSINESS OF OFFERING and how does it differ from other businesses.

• Most businesses are created to make money for the business owner.

• Some businesses are made to redeem the owner from Poverty or to help him make connections in powerful offices.

• In South Africa, for example, some people start businesses with the aim of getting or scoring a tender from government.

The absence of clear picture on the above will literally mean you do not endeavor to create a system that operates your business or that make your business sustainable. You end up being no different to someone who has a day Job because you work from hand to mouth.

While all the above matters are  OK, otherwise if a business does not make profit, it’s not good for the owner. But, they should not be the reason fstarting a business, it should be a means to an end. A business should be first created out of a clearly defined problem that is identified in a small area, in a regional space, a national space or global space.  Global enterprises are born out of Global problem(s) that is (are)  identified by the drivers of that business, then create a solution (s) for it and sell it for profit. So after identifying the solution, then develop expertise in the area either before or during the process of solving it. This is born out of asking the questions critically and not be afraid to seek till you find the answers or solutions to existing or future probmems. I heard this statement some time a go:

SUccessful people are those wHo had the courage to answer the questions the questions that we were all asking and later turned around to sell their answers to us. That’s how businesses are born  business should be created to offer solutions to an existing problem or an anticipated problem. Business is solutions offered for sale. Your marketing tag line should be SOLUTIONS FOR SALE!  DEFINE THE PROBLEM, MODEL THE SOLUTION. 

Am I saying we don’t need more security firms? No. Am I saying we don’t need more cleaning  firms? No. Am I saying we don’t need more curtering and decorations firms? No!

I am saying we need creative solutions. We need business solutions that are birthed out of creative innovations because sometimes non creative solutions are not sustainable. 

Ignite Creative Business ThinkinG

When creating an empire: one need to ask critical questions.

Jay Samit, in his book Disrupt yourself  states that “the key to finding a big idea is first finding a problem in need of a solution. Every disruptive idea makes use of new technology to solve a big problem”. Now, let us look at some of the things you can put into action. 

1. What are the common problems around me or my society, country, etc? problems or limitatiins could exist in how people do business, how people go to work, how people require fast food in your home town and don’t get what they want when they want, people could be getting obese and suffer illhealt, what is the gap in the music industry. Dr Tumi realized there is need for fresh, new songs in the gospel industry. He works hard to bring new songs… and who doesn’t buy his music or not go to his show??? 

1. Ive discovered that Africa has good potential that is destroyed by men and women with broken values. The economy suffers in the hands of broken leaders… so im developing training materials that will help restore, recover or rebuild or introduce Leadership Values in family, in schools, in business, in politics and ultimately solve a bigger crisis. 

b. Uber, for example discovered that creative and productive people don’t always haver time to go to a texi rank. They want a texi to come to them without having to make a call or walk, anywhere anytime and be able to predict its time movement. Through studying the transport industry’s inificiancies, they created a model that is disrupting the traditional meter Texi industry and reap billions in profits…what problems have you seen that could be solved through a creative Enterprises?

2. Then ask why is there a problem untill you find a missing link.

Jet me give an example. I know a guy ń who is busy creating an app that will link people from rural areas with their designated hospitals and clinics who currently collect chronic medications at a very high transport cost. His solution will link health care service providers with the patient through ordinary taxis. That way patients will save more than 50% of the hospital related transport cost and save them time. They will be productive and still get thei meds delivered close to them,, and if successful, he will reap large sums of money.

3. So, the third thing is to ask, what are the possible solutions that can be employed to solve this problem? When you ce a business value proposition, you need to look at the problem that exist or may exist and come up with an innovative way to solve a problem in such a way that people, businesses or governments are willing to pay for your solution.

4. When you have identified the problem and the proposed solution then this series of questions should follow:

a. What needs to be done?

b. How should it be done?

c. Where should it be done?

Business success is not just by chance, it comes from a fair dealnñ of hard work, careful observantion, brilliance, and training on creative thinking.

Now let me leave you with what I believe is brilliant way to come up with a creative concept. And it comes from asking observation questions: if you are looking for an idea, ask these questions: 

 Is my world perfect

 Are all my friends enjoying the stress free lives they imagined for themselves when they were young 

 All the goods and services available for use properly priced and easy to find

 Does everything function smoothly at your job or company or community or town?
know much òo about this, I will be launching Africa School of Entrepreneurship and leadership Excellence in December, you may want to be part of it. It’s a four mo the program that is aimed at unleashing the Power of Ideas and building creative and innovative sustainable business. Watch my Facebook wall and my website: www.farazcr

FORCED INTO BUSINESS

When I was young, I did not know that my family was poor. I mean we slept on a bed, could eat dinner on kitchen tables while other kids in the neighborhood slept on the floor and ate dinners sitting on floor plastered and decorated with cow dung. Our mothers back in the village knew how to make good use of cow dung.  I'm sure some kids would compete on whose mother makes the best designs of floor and wall decorations using cow dung. 

But later in the years, reality kicked in. My dad was retrenched, started a small businesses which died out within three years. When we opened our eyes there was no money coming into the house. When I was 15, he passed on. I had seen the man hustle all his life to make sure he spends time with us and that we looked and ate good. Going to school without such good provision was going to be tough. 

My mom open a small shop few months after dad passed on. And to assist, I had to sell some to the products at school. So I became an entrepreneur after after my mom's bravery, out of necessity. I did not chose business. It chose me. 

Forced into busness

The last three to four years of high school was very interesting for me. I became an entrepreneur by force. I was forced to find means of survival out of necessity. I either had to sell or beg. I'm sure some of you know how this feels. There are people who chose to become entrepreneurs because they have a skill or product that can be marchandised. And then there are those who put of trouble, frustration and tiredness from going door to door asking for handouts, end up selling to those doors. I was tired of lacking and going to school without pocket money. I was tired of eating bread and Achar or pap and Achar at school. Other kids could buy meat and juice here and there, and I wanted to be in the "class". So I became an entrepreneur. Which turned out really well. When other kids had R2, and R5 for pocket money, I had R10, sometimes R20 taken from my daily profits to squander like the prodigal son as I wished. 

It's either I had to be an entrepreneur or a beggar. So I chose the first one. My mom helped me with the first stock of lollipops, smoothies and candies. Those were easy to sell as they would exchange hands with money under the table in the class room while the teacher was busy, especially during those subjects that I did not like such as Geography and Agricaultural sciences. 

Business expansion

Realizing that those small items don't make much profit, I added peanuts and boiled eggs to my stock. So I had to take with me a big box of mixed items to school every day. The school is about 2.5 KM from home, and I had to walk with my hand made school bag and the "mobile spaza shop". I sold  +/-30 eggs a day, few packs of peanuts and one pack of each of the three types of sweets I carried to school. I think that time I could make a profit of R30 sometimes R40 a day. Then after school I had to pass via the Indian Shop to stock up on sweets. Mama bought the eggs for me from her local suppliers and prepared them for me every morning. 

Begging stopped at once before it got me a name I did not want to asssiciate with. I became the supplier of the most needed items by both students and teachers. Kids needed sweets, teachers loved the boiled eggs and dry pan fried peanuts (mama's traditional recipe). It worked like a charm. 

Trouble with the principal

Every business environment has its legal frameworks that decide who sells what, to whom, when and how. I was in a high school environment and had to register as a vendor. I did not. I refused to pay the school my hard earned  money to sell small items. It was not a smart move though, because it threatened business shut down at the time when business was enjoying good success, if you know what I mean. But the principal let me go unpunished with one instruction: don't sell during and in the classes. Well, I'm sure you want to know if I stopped or not, I did not. I pressed on.

As the business grew, it meant egg shells had to increase in the school yard and in the class room floor. My school did not have a class that taught morals, values, cleanliness, respect, and all the good values a child should have learned at home. So all the kids that bought sweets and eggs threw the left overs, papers and egg shells on the floor where ever they opened and ate them. Sometimes a teacher would be walking around the class and would be disgusted by scattered sweet wraps and egg shells on the floor making irritating, dumping site sounds under his feet.  I didn't care. I made money.

When they called me for questioning about the impact of my business on the schools environment, I rebelled. I told them it was not my responsibility to tell people where to throw

"Rubish" after eating. The learners made a mess because of what I sold. I was part to blame because I sold during lessons. In my small little kiddy mind, I was not to blame in anyway. I guess that arrogance helped me, even though it could have gotten me into trouble, it halped my business survive. I had to make it work or I was going to be a better. 

Conclusion for now

To cut the story short: I made money to enough to  give my younger brother and I pocket money. And I could once in a while buy a loaf of bread at home, I  could afford to pay for church conference registrations at church by myself. Once I bought myself shoes and it felt good

VALUES: PRICELESS LESSONS FROM MY FATHER

My dad was a great man. I did not know that when he was still alive. So I never got to say "thank you" to him. I'm writing this article so that you don't do the same. And that you don't miss priceless momments with your children.

Daddy, the education fanatic

I've observed that my father made sure he spent time with me and my little brother before he passed on. He made observations of the things that we both loved and encouraged us on them. I loved reading. He being uneducated, made efforts to participate in my school's homeworks by sitting with me while I do them even though at that time I didn't understand why would he want to watch me do the homework if he does not offer to help out! Now I know that is the best he knew how; to be present. He would comment on how the teachers have placed the right ticks and wrong marks on the excercise and test books, the bigger the ticks looked, the bigger the complement I got, the bigger the "wrong mark" looked, the harsher the comments from him.

Daddy, the Fisher man 

I still think of those precious moments and they make me smile. One incident that I recall really well was when he came back from fishing the other weekend. Well. The sad thing is he never took me with, so I never learned how to catch a fish using a hook. But when he came back he would give me and my younger brother the big fish to clean up and prepare it for mama to cook it for dinner. He would talk about how he struggled to get the big fish out of the water, sometimes he had to fall into the dam while trying to pull it and swim in the dangerous  waters. At times he had to let go in order to remain safe. Sometimes he could not catch the big fish. He often came  home with funny  small,  difficult to cook, difficult to each fish. But he never came home empty handed. It's either he would bring fish or wild meat. Writing this makes me miss his presence and bad river water smell.

Each fishing trip came with its own fun stories and we loved listening to him. I had good times with my father. I did not always look forward to him being around becaue it meant strickthat behaviour, talk in certain way, bath in the cold nights even when mama would let go, he did not. We had to be home at certain time. If not, we had to give good explanations which he was not really interesting in listening to because we would have disobeyed him anyway. Many other kids my age did not have what I had. They had money, good toys, great clothes,  bicycles and many other good kiddy staff. I had the present father. Their fathers were far in the big cities trying to earn a living for them, and never wory about their relationship. At the end, the families and children of these career focused men and women became casualties of their personal father's personal success.

Daddy, the backhouse farmer

One other thing I really cherish was when  he thought me to grow onions, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, sugar cane and mango trees. I must say I hated every momment of working in his garden. Everyday when I came back from school I had to work in the mad; either watering the garden or removing weed. Whe  other kids went to play soccer in the streets in was subjected to home farming.

Even though I hated this farming, I loved watching the tomato trees grow. I even loved the onion and tomato stew he made. I still can't make like he did. It was still on special, creamy and delicious. Man, I wish I could duplicate it for my wife now, unfortunately he left with the recepy undocumented.

When I look back, I realise that sometimes being childish can make you miss valuable opportunities. I have the skills to grow my own vegetables that I got from him. But I did not have the patience to work in his farm. I remember after planting the potatoes, I would literally dig the roots more than once per week to see how far than he potatoes have grown. I know now than he hath it was bad farming practice. You need to learn to watch things grow wothouthe tempering with their environment. I believe he wanted me to learn patience. He also wanted me to learn to survive in my own and provide for my family. For that, I am truly greatefull.

Gift of the presence 

In 1996,  my mom came back from "joburg" to collect me from my grandmother's house where I stayed before daddy could afford to stay with us full time.  I recall her saying "your father wants you to come stay with him in Gauteng. He says he wants all his children around him." For me the excitement was not staying with my father, but it was the thought of being in the big city. I did not know that we're going to stay in the informal settlements of Tembisa. I was excited that I would be able to tell other kids about my "city life". To know what happened go me there, get my book RELENTLESS YOUTH-reaching beyond the limit. It's an experience in would not trade for anything.

Looking back 14 years after he passed on, I realised that the best gift a father could give to his son was not just formal education, money, houses but values of fatherhood transferred through being present. Values can live longer, be transferred from one generation to another. They can be usecured to help one generate all the other tangible gifts that a father could have given. My father gave me that. He was not an angel, but he gave more than money could buy.

Now I know that no matter how educated I can be, no matter how educated I may want my children to be, the best thing I can do for them is to be with them when they need me and when they don't know that they need me. It is called the gift of the presence. It cannot be replaced by money, education, gifts, cars, or anything else for that matter. We may not know the impact of the gift of the presense in our children, but trust me, it goes a long way deeper than anything the world can offer.

Today people live busy lives. They have appointed nannies and teachers to raise their children. Parents miss precious early childhood develoment moments that cannot be repeated and felt through a movie. Precious times such as when a child learns to walk the first time. When he learns his first word, his first day at school, his/her first crush, all those silly little things count for more than a million doller deal.

It is ok to get big contracts, but what did you give your child? It is ok to work, we all have to do that. But you need to ask yourself,  whose values are the children adopting as they grow, yours or that of society and school teachers?

We have put education so far ahead of everything that we send our children to boarding schools to be raised, corrected and moulded by educators and caretakers whose values we do not know and may not fit that which we wish for our children. We then guts to cry when the children value what they learned in the streets and call it "current society that corrupted my children." Let me submit the truth to you it is, you corrupted your children by handing them over to strangers. Charity begins at home. I thank my father for teaching me a thing or two. What will your children say about you when they grow up to have children of their own?

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

More often in our lives, there is a difference or conflict between what we feel and what we desire to feel. The conflict can either motivate you to work hard towards what you desire to feel or to act in a way that will completely deny you the luxary of feeling what you desire. This conflict usually happens without you actively allowing it to happen, but it does anyway, one way or the other. In some cases, this desire could be the need for honor, for promotion, for a bonus,  for love and affection and many other things. This desire can be a source of courage or evil plots.

Missed opportunity 

When Cathy, provisional clerk and personal assistant at a small accounting firm in Polokwane started feeling like her boss doesn't pay attention to her most of the time, she started acting strange. She felt like her boss never listens to her suggestions, disregards her presence and sometimes does not even notice that she is in the office.

On day, Joey, her boss, was late for a meeting and she asked Cathy to preper the meeting documents quickly. Cathy felt this was her opportunity to make her presense felt and to get the attention that she has been yearning for. She quickly prepared the document and put them in perfect order as instructed. Then loaded them in white, company branded box. When Joey was about to leave, she asked Cathy to Cary the box and accompany her to the meeting. It was the first time that Cathy had to attend one of Joey's what you call "top class" meetings. 

Cathy carried a white box, with eight files in it. On arrival at the meeting, Cathy was instructed to lay out the documents on the table on each of the available seats. Her heart started racing, blood pressure increased and her sweat glands worked overtime. Within seconds, she asked to rush to the ladies room to dry the river that was suddenly over flooding from her armpits and bladder overload. 

Upon, her return, Joey said to her clients, "I have asked Cathy to prepare this documents, so I will ask her to present them to you." She turned towards Cathy with a lovely, confident smile and said "Cathy, this is your moment, humor me".

Within an instant, all secretory glands in her mouth stoped working. Her mouth went completely dry, eyes turned red and there was an uncontrollable fellowship between her knees. The fingers gave up holding the glass of water that was in her hands. The glass missed her dress and rolled on the table... anxiety and regret started flooding her emotions. SHE HAD INTANTIONALLY SWAPED FILES to get back spitefuly at her boss. The files that she carried are not the ones that should be in this meeting. She did not know that she will be the one presenting the documents.

Sowing seeds of goodness

We often play games that we think will get us what we want. We play with people's emotions with the hope to get their attention so that they can give us the feeling that we long for in return. 

When our hearts long for love, instead of withholding love, give love. Have you ever heard the saying: "if you want something so bad, give it away and you will get it in abundance?". If you need help, offer a helping hand. The universe is designed in such a way that people get what they give more often and they get it in abundance.

Spilled milk

Cathy lemented that day.

The meeting was cancelled. Joey lost the business deal because the client felt she did not take them seriously. Cathy lost her job. Even though Joey is still going strong with her business, Cathy, on her quest for attention from what she assumed was her "devil" boss, subotaged herself and lost her opportunity to make a name for herself and lost her job. Joey lost a business deal, but to avoid this happening again, she also eliminated the one person whom she thought was responsible for her failure. She now have a new assistant who pays attention to details and helps her prepare and make presentations of business proposals to other clients. Cathy is home feeling more rejected and lost.

What was supposed to have been a stepping ladder for Cathy, became her worst down fall route. Be careful not to make the same mistake.

Your values, your distinction

Values makes one to stand out in a competitive world by giving him/her a distinguished factor. For example, one could adopt this oath as a distinguishing factor:

" I will not say what I will not do. I will not promise what I will not deliver". 

Quite often people say things that they themselves have never done and cannot do. We tend to make ourselves appear well organized while yet, we know that things are so chaiptic in our private lives. Have you ever felt like that and wondered how you can get out of that life? Email me at farazcreationz25@gmail.com for a free online coaching on Values.

Talent and Values

Your talent can get you to the top, but it is your character/ values that will keep you there.  Talent can build you a house, but your character gives permanent residence as it will teach you how to take care of the house and make it a home.

The difference between Elexandra and Sandton City is not just money that people have: but the materials that people use to build their houses and roads. In Alexandra and other small towns and informal sattlements, they may use a lot of zinc , unprocessed wood and plastic. In Sandton they used stone, cement, concrete and bricks. The material they used to build their houses determine the value of what they build and how long it last.  Hence moral values l, which we adopt and use to build our lives determine how we relate with others and how other people relate with us. Our values help us gain value on a personal level which can be used as leverage in the public space.

Character and ethics is the maintenance package. Business does not fail because of lack of plans, but lack of values to build business culture and moral practice. That means they make plans but fail to follow up on them. Or they even fail to monitor them. Your values are a check up point and service area for your behavior, thoughts, language and actions. When they are kept in check, you are safe and the opposite is true.

Values make you refine what you do. If one of your values is Quality: it means there is standard against which your products are tested. You only release to the public what is worth the money and other forms of investment. If it does not meet a certain good standard, it is not worth offering.

These values are like a rock: a man with values is like a house built upon a rock. A man without values is like a House built on sand. It can easily be eroded with slight storms and flood.

To be continued.

Inequality of basic education in South Africa

Recently I have been looking into the state of African Education systems, particularly for South Africa. I was trying to look at the way children are taugh and how it factors in to their long term survival in the jungle named life. Soon the primary school children will be expected to provide for themselves and for those behind them, what we call 'black tax'. But little emphasis is put on the manner in which these children will contribute to society and the economy.  I think the way the education system is designed does not talk to the needs of the country in more ways than one. Or maybe because there is a large group of children who are not taught to know, to think or to question what they are taught in relation to real life, they taught to memorize without understanding and grow up to be working machines.

There must be something really wrong with the basic education system in South Africa. The disparities I see are heart breaking. A grade 3 learner in a rural school gets no homework for more than one week without any wory. If they do get one, the homework will be to collect mud and make a cow or something that require very little to no thinking at all. On the other hand, grade 3 learners in a semi-urban or urban public and private schools get her mom and dad sweating trying to do a manual "water purification project" using sand and 2 litter bottle. A small project like this gets the child up in his/ her feet trying to get this project up and done. The fascinations that the child is exposed to make the little one excited about going to school to present the project to the rest of the class the following day. 

Are the teachers in rural schools not exposed to this kind of invention of training or is there something else that makes us see the difference as it is.

I can't bear this. Or am I missing something?

In urban schools, kids have what they call "school concerts" which help children identify and celebrate their artisitic giftings before a huge audience of learners, teachers and parents. These kids look forward to this event for weeks and prepare eagerly. These concerts does not only expose the kids to their talents, but it helps teachers and parents discover the child's strengths early and help the child grow and excel in it. They also teach the child to blend with other children and adults in an organized manner than in the play grounds. They learn to stand before audience of strangers and speak, play or act out their talents. These kids become better kids and sometimes, turn out great. My village school kids are surprised to see other little children on television and magazines advertising clothes or acting. These little superstars are not fallen angels, they are ordinary kids with teachers and parents who know the need for early childhood development and have taken the initiative to be part of it. I wonder when will something like this visit our rural schools in Madombija, Njelele, Majosi, Motetema, Moroke, Mdavula and other villages where superstars and scientists lie and play in the streets unidentified.

I went to a public school where the SGB had questionable understanding of their role in leadership or education. I still am amazed at the level of distance between these Schools  Governing  Bodies  and Schools Leadership and academic programs. I don't want to talk about parents who may never even know what subjects the child is exposed to. One child fails at school and parents make a joke on it as if nothing happened. They make jokes with their friends about how the child is "dumb", "not cut out for education", how he is "lousy at soccer" and so many other negative aspects.  I submit to you today if you are reading this and you are a parent: You must resolve to be involved in the education of your child. Ask questions if your child has no homework or performed poorly. Help your child set targets and help him or her to achieve them.

And to you Ministers and MECs of Education, principals and teachers: I appreciate the work you have done in getting me educated. Thank you for that. But you cannot teach my children the same way you taught me in the class room. Your systems must improve with time to meet the needs of today and solve the present challenges with the view of anticipated ones. So far, you have been weighed and found wanting.

WHY AFRICANS ARE POOR

Africa needs to find solutions to the staggering levels of poverty, unemployment and corruption. The continent needs to engage in a real, open and honest debate that will address the source, impact, proposed solutions and implementation of solutions with clear intentions to emancipate her citizens; solutions that will not benefit the minority in power but also the poorest of the poorest as equally as the rich and wealthy.

I do not propose to have solutions, but I have made an observation as to where some of the problems can be coming from and what may be done. But I also want to challenge a debate around some of the things I share in this blog.

Over the past few years, countries have witnessed civil societies taking to the streets and to government houses their expressions of dissatisfaction over poor service delivery, student riots over free education in South Africa coupled with massive destruction of state and private property, political power struggles in South Africa, politicians arrested, taken to courts, corruption scandals exposed and many other things that I do not really want to bore you with. All these things have in one way or another portrayed a symptom of sickness or cancer that if not properly diagnosed and treated may lead many people and countries in distress. The people who have been put in charge are sometimes not taking charge. They are focused on building a portfolio that will make sure that they are financially taken care of later when they are no longer in power. The greed and selfishness and lack of proper visions and plans of leaders, the lack of compassion of fathers, the rebellion of children, and the absence of great educational systems keep on eating away the pride and cream of the African wealth.

South Africa, for example have more than ten million people living on social grand and over 25% on unemployment. The average household income goes as low as R500 per household, there is excessive labour exploitation with men and women working for a basic wage that does not fit human labour as well as poor living conditions. The poor remains far at the bottom pit of the food chain and keeps on going down deeper and deeper. As for whether there is hope for them, prophets will have to be called to speak on behalf of God before the nations. At the same time, Politicians must be called to task. They must account on what they have done with the power and trust given to them by the millions of people that they assume to be leading while continuously “allegedly enriching” themselves using the tax payers money.

On the other end, the burden of disease keeps rising. The World Health Organisation predicts very dark pictures on international outlook of health. People are becoming unhealthier through excessive consumption of sugars, salt and fats and completely unhealthy lifestyles in the face and rise of technology based lifestyles. We will wake up to a sick versus healthy nation of ration of 1:1 one day and there will be no solution or remedy to reverse the dire situation and dying nations. But still, we will look back and point a big finger of blame towards ourselves because all these things have been caused by men. Men have become his own enemy. Our wisdom has become so one sided that we fail to see that our deeds are slowly preying on our own health.

When men are slowly eating and drinking their lives away, others are becoming slaves for money and espouse themselves to seeking more money. Their desire for money induced by the desire to compete and fit into a society that uses material possession as a licence for social integration leads them to rejecting the very core and fibre that builds healthy, effective and productive societies: family. The family unit is somewhat neglected. Children are raising children. Men and women spend more time at work and on the road that they hardly have meaningful conversations about their lives, their health, their spiritual nurturing or the upbringing of their children.

Then I ask ; why are Africans poor? Could it be political leadership failure? Could it be broken families? Could it be broken and poor work ethic? What about the education system?  I believe that all this is costing Africa and robing her of her very best the land has to offer. When I look at Africa I see a wealthy land. On the contrary, when I look at Africans I see more poverty yet food is lying underneath their floors.