Where To Zimbabwe? The Shortcomings Of Our Education Curriculum

The Zimbabwean education curriculum was formulated in a barbaric approach that it has left many university students in dismay. Most university students in Zimbabwe do not know how to relate their programs as solutions to the economy of Zimbabwe. They have a mentality of learning and learning new things each semester, graduate and “find jobs”. As a first year university student, I was given an assignment by my communication skills lecturer which stated “As a first year student how can the knowledge obtained from the program you are doing be a solution to the socio economic problems in Zimbabwe”? Being given this assignment I realised that it was not all about learning and passing with distinctions but it was about implementing the information . I am currently studying an Accounting Science with the Women‘s University in Africa.

They have a mentality of learning and learning new things each semester, graduate and “find jobs”.

I agree that there are exceptional people who have graduated from our school systems. We need to start looking at reality and change if we are to integrate ourselves into the global environment.

The current system is producing graduates who are headed for foreign lands to seek greener pastures. It is very disheartening to note that behind counters of small tuck shops that have mushroomed around Zimbabwe one is most likely to be a University graduate. Each year we have more and more University graduates coming through to join those sitting at street corners and contemplating on raising money for a bus to South Africa. I have often asked myself, are we that proficient. No we are not. We have many University graduates performing menial jobs outside Zimbabwe. This gives me an impression that contrary to what many Zimbabweans think, we are not that good. So what do we need to do my fellow countrymen?

We need to start learning to be practical. We have to develop graduates who are capable of solving Zimbabwe's own problems. We have engineers who fail to implement simple strategies to save towns and cities. We have untrustworthy accountants who have positions of trust in every institution in this country. We have doctors who fail to research on anything significant. We have professionals in every field busy vending and doing cross boarder vending. People need to go back to basics and start solving problems. If this is incorporated into the school curriculum then at least we are one step away from being an economic powerhouse in Africa.

When I look at my grade one report, there is an area which was emphasised by my kindergarten teacher and it was called problem solving skills. I think this should happen at every stage of our school curriculum.

Please note that these are my views and I am open for discussion.

Written By Tinotenda Mutambara for Arthur Mutambara

Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook Opportunities Are You In or Not?

Mark Zuckerberg’s hint about another multi-billion dollar untapped Facebook opportunity generated a lot of interest among readers. One of the readers joked that the article about untapped opportunity was the better devil in comparison to article on retrenchment and job losses.

Start making things happen instead of waiting for them to happen. Technological evolution is not happening randomly. To breakthrough, study the patterns of technological evolution. Entrepreneurial doors are always opening at specific points in the evolution. As Facebook, Google or any other company does well, always remember that there is something in there for you too.

I will certainly help those who are interested in setting up their own websites and most important of all assist them in monetising their sites.

Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook Opportunities Are You In or Not.

Monetisation
Please note that this is not a new concept at all. It has been there even before I knew how to navigate my way into the internet. If you want to prove that these concepts have always been existent just from a layman’s point of view google AdSense and see what it means.

Willingness To Learn
The concept of online business is very simple if you are prepared to learn and persevere. Find yourself a good individual who can do simple code for you. At first it was very intimidating to me but I am grateful to my mentor Oudney Patsika who taught me. I don’t even view myself as an expert. I submit to him and I am always willing to ask questions as explained in the previous article. If you are unlucky and find the real IT guys you may be asked to pay for something that you won’t even understand.

Success In Online Business.
To succeed in online business always be prepared to exploit established company weaknesses. Find out what these companies are not giving you and strike on those weaknesses. As an online entrepreneur I don’t focus my efforts on what established companies do best. Instead I pounce on their weaknesses. I make it easy for my clients to do something in a very simplified way. I make calls to people struggling with their work. I support people that I have given a service to. I try and ensure that I attend to each and every need raised by my clients.

It is possible to make it happen. What is worthy of you? Be hungry and be relentless in pursuing these business opportunities. Always remember You cannot climb the success ladder with your hands in the pocket. By: Arthur Mutambara

Mark Zuckerberg: Hints about another multibillion-dollar untapped Facebook opportunity.

In the Facebook’s Q2 earnings call, investors focused most of their monetization questions on Video, Instagram, and Messenger.

Mark Zuckerberg's opening remarks, gave a hint of a new statistic that generated some interest.

Of particular interest to Facebook, this quarter, Facebook rolled out a number of new features, including mobile video calling, a new way to share locations and the option to sign up for Messenger without using a Facebook account. Facebook also continues to make good progress building out the Messenger platform. These improvements are expected to continue making Messenger a more useful and engaging experience for lots of people. Mark Zuckerberg also said that more than 700 million people now use Messenger and Facebook has reached more than 1 billion downloads on Android. These milestones are said to be a good sign that Facebook is on the right path.

Mark Zuckerberg: Hints about another multibillion-dollar untapped Facebook opportunity.

My honest and sincere questions to you.
If Facebook is realising and harnessing every potential dollar value of each individual on their platform, what are you doing as a user of their products?

Are you just not making other people rich without realising opportunities in your hands?

If Mark Zuckerberg is seeing this great potential, what about you? Are you going to be watching as others grow their wealth?

Take note.
Internet thrives on you. Internet is in your hands. You cannot go on being a statistic towards someone else’s enrichment. Stand up. Ask questions. Learn new things and realise the big opportunities.

Internet is big business. All investors who have gone into this business and applied their minds have gone on to be successful in their lives.

I got a lifetime opportunity to be taught how to start an online business. Oudney Patsika has been my mentor in making me understand online business. I am no longer interested in downloading only. I am interested in uploading on the internet. Internet is making much more sense to me and I feel it is time to empower people.

Learn
Do not be ashamed and pretend to know when you don’t. Be initiative find a coach to take you through the paces. Try it and persevere the toothing challenges associated with starting any business. Ensure that you are making good use of your being present on the internet.

The Power Of Good Habits

Have you ever learnt to take up a new personal interest? If you've ever felt the experience of earnestly doing something you have never done you probably, know how satisfying it can feel to reach a significant goal.

Apart from learning something new, you would have changed yourself for the better. That's an empowering thought!

I have come to a realisation that it is important to build good habits in order to usher in positive changes in one’s life. I had never done coding in my entire life but the repeated actions of continuously trying hard, listening to my mentor Oudney Patsika, forgoing my sleep and putting in a lot of hours helped me build the change in my daily life.

The Power Of Good Habits

In this two part article, I will share with you how good habits helped me grow personally and professionally.

Identify What You Want to Achieve
The first task I had when I set out to establish my own business was to sit down and write down my personal and professional goals. I was very clear on what I wanted to achieve. I wanted to get involved in the mainstream economy instead of looking for a job to satisfy my monthly needs. I was hungry to start my own business. I knew that nothing would satisfy my hunger to own and run my own entity.

I had to change my habits of spending what I did not have. I started working first before I spent on a daily basis. I developed the habit of not accepting free lunches and instead work. These habits were not a walk in the park at all.

Build Good Habits Into Your Routine
I made it a routine in my everyday life to ensure that I accommodate my new habits into my day to day living. It was difficult to change my old habits. I was not easy on myself in introducing new habits. Instead I built my habits into my most productive parts of my schedules. My last employer was a Consulting firm and my job was a 0730hrs to 1700hrs job. Instead I created time for myself and would be in office one hour thirty minutes before start time to ensure that I produced better quality reports well before they were required. I developed a habit of giving my work full attention.

I acted like I was the owner of the company. Copying the employer’s good habits and leaving the unwanted ones. I repeated this for a full year until I gave a six months’ notice to leave the job. I knew that the good habits learnt over a long period were enough to carry me through any terrain.

Reflect On Your Habits
I continuously assessed my new habits and reflected on how it worked for me. My aim was to emphasise on habits supporting my goals and ambitions. I struggled with some of my habits because they were too ambitious. For instance I tried to learn everything and faced organisational bottlenecks and inefficient top management. I did make adjustments to my habits. I also had to deal with management that did not allow thinking outside the box.

In my final article I will be sharing the last two areas which I realised were crucial in ensuring that my habits stuck. By Arthur Mutambara

Building A Great Business

Do you dream of building a great business? Do you love being practical? Do you claim to have tremendous capability to do great in business? As everyday passes by, don’t you realize that you are growing old and with each passing moment nearing your retirement and eventually your death? Are you satisfied with who you are and your objectives? These questions are not meant to intimidate you but to stimulate you into action. You need to get thinking and move fast.

The difference between success and mere talk is action. The time for talk is over. Now is the time to get moving and start doing something. There is no prescription as to what you must do but get going and start something. Everyone on planet Earth is on business. We are significantly significant. In the following write up I am going to share with you some of the personal life experiences that I have gone through to establish myself as a successful business person.

Building A Great Business

Business Plan

In Business School I was taught to ensure that I came up with a Business Plan which clearly spells out my goals and suitable courses of action for achieving those goals. My starting point however was not a Business Plan. I started being practical doing simple tasks. Executing the simple tasks on a daily basis and assessing myself whether I am moving forward. I remember buying bulk dried fish and repackaging them in small fast moving packets. I only started doing business plans when I knew exactly what the practical demands were.

Reading Lots of Business Material

I am grateful that I was taught to read and to write. I used the basic knowledge to research and to stretch my limits. I enjoyed stretching my limits and knowing more than everyone else. I realised that failing from a knowledgeable perspective is more satisfying than failing from an ignorant perspective. Such is a good line of thinking in business. Learn from reading and in turn write your own ideas as well.

Smart Partnerships.

In my business infancy I always used to hang around the very best. Even though some of them were tough nuts to crack, I never played small. I played big and it is only now that I realised the importance of smart partnerships. As I write I am in a smart partnership with Oudney Patsika who is teaching me how to Build Blogs And Empower Myself to Greatness. I use my smart partnerships to learn new things.

I sincerely hope that these concepts in their simplicity can in some way inspire you to build your Business to a great enterprise.

5 Key Things People Who Love Their Jobs Do Differently.

You've done it again. Found yourself in another dead-end job that you just can't stand.

You feel like you'll never get anywhere and this is as good as it gets. You're wondering why you can't just be happy where you are. Maybe if you would have negotiated a little harder. Stuck to your guns about benefits. Asserted yourself just a little more. Things might have been different. You might appreciate your job.

But maybe not. Plenty of other people make more money than you do and rarely hit happy at work. You tell yourself to just be glad you have a job. But you suspect that's not enough to make you happy where you are. And the hard reality is -- you're probably right. You're still missing something.

And it very well could be this...


5 Key Things People Who Love Their Jobs Do Differently.

What's the Secret to Loving Your Job?

People who love their jobs didn't win the perfect job jackpot. They don't just have a different job than you do. In fact, loving their job has very little to do with what they do at work at all. Find someone who says they love their job and you've found someone who loves their life. People who are happy with life before and after 5:00 p.m. do their whole lives differently. Here are some characteristics of people who love their jobs and five things they're doing right all the time.

1. They follow their passion.
People who love their jobs do what they love at home, no matter what they do at work. They don't wait till they can do it full-time. They don't wait to save up a million dollars. They follow their passion right now -- any way they can. They know that their job doesn't need to be their passion and that sometimes it works out better to keep their hobbies completely separate. They don't resent their job for getting in the way of doing what they love. They appreciate the security it affords them to pursue their other interests.

2. They look for the happy people.
People who are happy with their lives and love working every day hang around other people who are happy too. They don't sit around gossiping. They steer clear of the rabble-rousers who drag down morale. Instead, they practice constructive habits with others. They stay on the lookout for positive people who build up the workplace instead of tearing it down with negativity.

3. They start their day the way they want to finish it.
People who are happy at work deliberately set the tone for their entire day. From the moment they wake up, they make an effort to create a calm, positive mindset and clear the chaos from their world. You won't catch them hanging out with the drama queens. They love being at work because they practice how to think clearly, lose the attitude, and stay motivated during the day.

4. They don't expect their job to make them happy.
They create their own fulfillment and feel useful both in and out of the workplace. They take Amy Poehler's advice and treat their job like a bad boyfriend. You know it's not going to call the next day, let alone ask you to marry it. So they don't expect it to. People who love their jobs are already satisfied. They don't need their job to complete them.

5. They prefer excellence over perfection.
People who love their jobs always do their best. Whether at home or at work, they pursue excellence in everything they do. They don't get caught up in trying to fabricate the perfect result. They don't beat themselves up if things don't go just as planned. They know that when they take care to perform well, their outcomes meet standards of excellence. No matter if it's before or after 5:00pm, they can always take pride in a job well done.

The One Thing Standing in Your WayNine-to-five is a long time to have to grit your teeth and bear it every day. If you want the rewards of loving your job, start living a rewarding life.

Loving life takes effort. It requires passion. And deliberate practice. And showing up with excellence.

Stick with it, and you'll change the way you show up during nine-to-five, too. Loving your job depends on it. The only thing you need to decide is, how bad do you want it?

Anne Bechard is on a mission to turn nine-to-fivers into renegade bloggers with a life. If you want to do what you love no matter what it is you do, visit Anne Bechard at Bloggers with Day Jobs.