involvement.damugeltd.co.ke

Author: Champe

  • GMO

    GMO

    (Photo courtesy The Standard)

    By Hilda Kavai
    (hildahnkavai@gmail.com)

    President William Ruto lifted a 10-year ban on Genetically Modified (GM) crops on October 4, 2022, allowing their importation into the country.

    As expected, the move has elicited mixed reactions from a variety of sources. Opponents of genetically modified foods have stated that President Ruto acted too quickly and that a task force should have been formed first to conduct public participation and awareness creation before implementation.

    As Kenya prepares to commercialize genetically modified crops, some farmers and advocacy groups are raising concerns about their safety.

    The fact that many Kenyan farmers will begin using genetically modified (GM) maize seeds early next year, following the government’s recent lifting of a 10-year ban on the crops.

    According to the country’s agricultural authority, the seeds will be planted on half a million acres and will be drought resistant, helping to alleviate shortages caused by a lack of rain.

    Kenya is currently facing a severe water shortage as a result of four failed consecutive rainy seasons, as well as one of the worst droughts in the East African region in four decades. This means that crops cannot grow, prompting warnings of impending famine. They claim that the lifting of the GMO ban was motivated by a genuine need to ensure food security and environmental protection.

    Kenyan farmers can now openly cultivate GM crops and import genetically modified foods and animal feeds, such as white GMO maize, now that the ban has been lifted. Maize is Kenya’s staple food, and it is grown on 90% of all Kenyan farms. It is used to make ugali, or maize meal, the country’s most popular dish.

    According to scientists, the GMO maize variety developed in Kenya has a 40 percent yield advantage over the conventional hybrid grown locally.
    Agriculture employs 80% of Kenya’s rural population and is the backbone of the country’s economy. Kenyan farmers rely on their crops not only for a living but also to feed their families.

    There are also concerns that farmers who begin using GMOs will become overly reliant on the companies that sell genetically modified seeds, allowing them to dominate the market at the expense of ordinary Kenyan farmers.
    Kenya is the continent’s eighth country to approve the use of GMOs. They are currently permitted for cultivation in 70 countries worldwide.

    According to a state agency in charge of general supervision and control over the transfer, handling, and use of GMOs, the maize varieties have undergone clinical trials and have passed safety assessments.

     

  • The Flow Of The Digital World

    The Flow Of The Digital World

    (Photo courtesy of WNS)

     

    By Caren Chelangat

    New media has changed the face of journalism and the world at large. The internet has virtually revolutionized the process of news and information gathering dissemination. Conventional journalism which is the mainstream professional of journalism requires one form of training or the other .

    The internet has removed the barriers of space and time on human interactions this makes information be obtained at relatively low cost yet the major challenge still remains to be of ethics, professionalism and training .

    Rapid technological development in information technology has introduced new topics within the area of a copyright. A digital file that contains a copyright can easily be distributed worldwide as copies which reduces the copyright holder’s from royalties.

    The energy growing digital world affects every aspects of our lives .A growing number digital communication platform such as social media , blogs and websites are quickly and easily accessible which makes us dependent on them in business, education, personal lives and other areas.

    Local media now compete at global level and domestic consumers have access to international content and services Convergence is changing establishment investment patterns as well as competition in and the structure of media patterns edit distribution is no longer tied to one specific network , which increases the availability of these services and products.

    Ugandan newspapers use social media in their daily work , through an analysis of three Ugandan newspapers, the article discusses how social media affect conventional sourcing practices, reportage and professional norms .This article is particularly interested in how Facebook and Twitter serve as alternative channels through which sources with less access of traditional  means of communication get their message across to journalists. The findings are discussed in light of present development of social media legislation in Uganda. The discussion feel into a larger reflection of social media’s  potential.

  • ARE MASS GRADUATION PARTIES THE WAY TO GO?

    ARE MASS GRADUATION PARTIES THE WAY TO GO?

    (Photo courtesy of Juliung Julius)

     

    By Wambui Mwaura

     

    Graduation is a special life event that many people look forward to. It is understandable that after the hustling and bustling of campus life; burning the midnight candles, hopping between classes and generally going through the vigor of higher education academic life, that one would want to celebrate the culmination of the academic journey. A highly acclaimed diploma is thus the ultimate prize, and worthy of celebration. It is a joyful time in the lives of students, and they look forward to celebrating it with family, friends and well-wishers. Graduation spells a sigh of relief, and marks an end to the constant financial outlay f壯陽藥
    ees entails. This is true for parents and guardians or even students who pay their own fees. For the fact that it is a one-off affair, many parents and guardians feel it is warranted to splash huge sums of money on parties in celebrating their children during this time, which represents a huge milestone in their lives.

     

    While some are able to go out of their way to cater for this event, the reality is that not everyone is able to afford extravagant parties. These expenditures usually include: exclusive red carpet dinner parties, photography, new clothing, transport for their extended families and community members among many others. Just like any other big occasion, marketers, event planners and service providers are the biggest gainers. This is why they would never relent in pushing these big ostentatious party narratives to students, thereby creating a kind of situation where students are in fear of missing out.  It usually leaves the less privileged students with feelings of inadequacy and pressure for not being able to keep up with the Jones, and even causing some to fall into depression.

     

    In Daystar graduation groups for example, these planners, in the guise of student/entrepreneurs, step up to offer their services to fellow students for things like graduation dinner gowns, make-up services, graduation photo services and many others.  “As a graduate of the class of 2022, I [had] a chance to market the products of a business I started in 2020 to my fellow graduating students, and I am so glad to say that my business income has grown by 10%”, says Mercy Kasalu, the CEO of Mercelina Collections, and a Daystar University 2022 graduating student (Public Relations Major). She, like many others, benefitted from the fear of missing out this occasion created among her peers.

     

    The current economic crisis facing Kenya is something that can no longer be ignored, and households are tightening their belts, spending the scarce money meagerly on only essential commodities in order to meet basic needs. Needless to say that some families haven’t the wherewithal to cater for special occasions like big graduation parties. It is no secret that many students are facing the brunt of these harsh economic times, and coming up with the graduation fees alone proves to be a huge challenge for them to talk more of extravagant parties. This makes me wonder; are mass graduation parties something worth considering?

     

    Part of the concept of mass weddings is to enable financially constrained couples to celebrate their love at a low budget. For others, it’s just about being financially prudent and not wanting to spend huge sums of money on a day’s event. The same concept can also be applied to students who are not in a position to splash huge sums of money for the graduation occasion. Maybe mass graduation parties should be something worth considering by event planners and service providers in the spirit of inclusivity. Ultimately, everyone deserves to have a memorable graduation celebration, and it should not be dependent on how deep one’s pocket is.

     

    The proponents who are for big parties and huge celebrations might not agree with this. Some of them would argue that they saved for years in order to make it a memorable day to celebrate themselves, for a huge milestone in their lives. That is also true, because no one gets to set a standard of how anyone should celebrate their big day. The parting point is that everyone should feel celebrated, and no one should have to endure the feeling of inadequacy because of financial constraints. Mass graduation parties might indeed be the answer, and probably the next frontier for school party planning. This should be a call to duty for event organizers to take this up as a new business venture. Over to you event organizers.

     

     

     

  • THE MOON

    THE MOON

    (Photo courtesy of Royal Museums Greenwich)

     

    By Caren Chelangat

    The moon began with an explosive collision, it was made when a rocked smashed on earth.

    It is 4.5 billion years old. The moon can be delivered from the word ‘mona’which shares terms with the Latin word  ‘Metri’ which means to measure .

    It is called the moon because it is used to measure months. The moon gets it light from the sun and that is why it appears brighter.

    Humans cannot live in the moon since it has no atmosphere and there is no air for us to breathe in .

    It is a myth that the moon affects your mood since there has been no evidence of any effect of the moon on human behavior.

    If the moon is destroyed , there will be a much darker night sky which will be an advantage to astrologers and the sky will be comparatively brighter.

    The moon rotates at its orbital motion , a special case called synchronous rotation hence does not rotate.

    Without the moon , there would have been no life in earth, four billion years ago when life began ,the moon orbited closer to us than it was causing massive tides to ebb and flow every few hours . These tides cause dramatic fluctuations which could have driven the evolution of early DNA like binomolecules according to Richard Lathe .

    The moon seems mysterious and it always come in different phases each and every night and that is beautiful since it seems like it is trying to reach out to the universe that different is key and not that bad after all, through whatever phase it keeps glowing and that is beautiful.

  • OUR WORLD OF TODAY

    OUR WORLD OF TODAY

    (Photo courtesy of The SlideTeam Blog)

     

    By Caren Chelangat

    Our world is changing through technology and the years to come ,like the new advancement that has come up in our generation, it is okay to say that our children will do jobs that do not exist yet .And for those who are already employed ; many will evolve, many will be obsolete and new jobs will emerge .So when we think about essential skills required for workplaces we are also to look at the job that are yet to come as well.

    We all need to be comfortable with working with digital tools since in this brave new digital world, essential skills are important as well as the soft skills  , which are things that machines can’t do generally.
    Digital literacy are the digital skills that are required to learn , work and navigate everyday life in our digital world .This involves using devices,  applications, collaborating via digital tools and handling data in an appropriate way , in today’s world those skills are required to be employed at any given organization.

    Organizations of all kinds will want to employ data- literate individuals.  Business wise, data literacy means being able to access appropriate data, work with data confidently and keeping it up to date .For one to be able to work , one should be able to handle data in the modern way .

    In this era of fake news , social media bubbles out information .One of the most vital soft skill required in our today is critical thinking which is the ability to think objectively through analysing issues and situations based on facts rather than personal opinion. To succeed here , one should work with facts to learn the correct and required information needed.

    Not forgetting the technical skills which are the hard skills .An example is accounting, an accountant requires accountancy skills , teachers , nurses , plumber , software developers  are other examples of occupations that require technical skills. Whatever the technical skills required in your field , invest in keeping those skills to date.

    The world of today requires us to think and act faster than never . It is so fast-paced now and we have much more information than ever before making us prone to information overload which complicates our ability to make good decisions. That is why it is important to invest in our decision making skills. To make it in this planet all the are some of the few essential skills we require and many more that exist . We should ensure we have most of all these skills if not all of them.

  • BREAKFAST BURRITO RECIPE.

    BREAKFAST BURRITO RECIPE.

    (Photo courtesy of  Jennifer Segal)

     

    By Caren Chelangat

     

    Make a nutritious cocoon for breakfast ingredients with a wholemeal wrap. We’ve included protein-rich eggs and avocado to add good fats to this burrito.

     

    Ingredients

     

    1 tsp chipotle paste

     

    1 egg

     

    1 tsp rapeseed oil

     

    50g kale

     

    7 cherry tomatoes, halved

     

    ½ small avocado, sliced

     

     

    1 wholemeal tortilla wrap, warmed

     

     

    Method

     

    STEP 1

     

    Whisk the chipotle paste with the egg and some seasoning in a jug. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the kale and tomatoes.

     

    STEP 2

     

    Cook until the kale is wilted and the tomatoes have softened, then push everything to the side of the pan. Pour the beaten egg into the cleared half of the pan and scramble. Layer everything into the centre of your wrap, topping with the

     

    avocado, then wrap up and eat immediately.

  • THE BUTLER

    THE BUTLER

    (Photo courtesy of The Butler)

     

    By Caren Chelangat

     

    The Butler is an American film of 2013 , it was directed by  Daniel Lee. The movie came out in 2013, August of the 16 th.The main roles are played by Oprah Winfrey and  Forest Whitaker. The basis of the film is an article ,Butler well served by this election, from the Washington post which describes a Butler by the name  Eugene Allen.

    Eugene Allen served in the white house under eight presidents .The film director, Lee Daniel’ s wraps up his work in two lives, the cuisine and traditions among the staff and the other taking place among the street that portrays how the black people were gradually trying to establish themselves in the American society.

    In 2009, an elderly Cecil Gaines recounts his life story while waiting at the White House to meet the newly inaugurated president. In 1926, at the age of seven, Gaines is raised on a cotton plantation in Macon, Georgia. When the farm’s owner rapes Cecil’s mother, Cecil’s father confronts him and is killed. Cecil is taken in by the estate’s caretaker, who trains Cecil as a house servant. In 1937, at age eighteen, Cecil leaves the plantation. Desperately hungry, he breaks into a hotel pastry shop. The elderly master servant, Maynard, takes pity on Cecil and gives him a job. Cecil learns advanced serving and interpersonal skills from Maynard, who later recommends Cecil for a position in a Washington, D.C. hotel. While working there, Cecil meets and marries Gloria, and the couple has two sons: Louis and Charlie

    . In 1957, Cecil is hired by the White House during Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration. White House martyr d’hotel Freddie Fallows introduces Cecil to head butler Carter Wilson and co-worker James Holloway. Cecil witnesses Eisenhower’s reluctance to use troops to enforce school desegregation, then his resolve to uphold the law by racially integrating Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas.

    In this movie , there is one big amount of documentary chronicles which once again show the protagonist is not limited to the director and tends to deliver a message through the film to the society during that period when racism was openly done to the blacks during the period when cases of racism were extremely high and done in America.

    The film was theatrically released by the Weisten Company, on August 16, 2013, to mostly positive reviews from critics, with many praising the cast but criticizing the historical accuracy, particularly the portrayal of President Reagan. The film grossed over $176 million worldwide against a budget of $30 million.

  • Issue 248

    Issue 248

    Use the link below to access the Involvement Newspaper Issue 248 which features a range of articles written by our writers to ensure that you stay informed on News within and outside Daystar.

    壯陽藥 “_blank” rel=”noopener”>Click Here

     

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x82eAQxDJbsHkr-yOr7No3DpWUflL5U7/view?usp=share_link: Issue 248
  •    AFYA YA AKILI

       AFYA YA AKILI

    (Photo courtesy of uCheck Blog)

    Na: Gertrude Prosper

    getrude2003@gmail.com 

    Afya ya kiakili ni hali ya kuwa sawa kiakili, kisaikolojia na kuwa na mawazo chanya. Afya ya kiakili ni muhimu kwa sababu inahusiana na jinsi akili ya mtu inavyofanya kazi.

    Miaka inavyozidi kuenda, afya ya kiakili inaharibiwa na hivyo kusababisha watu kupata matatizo ya kiakili. Matatizo haya ya kiakili hayachagui jinsia, aina ya kazi mtu anayofanya wala umri, mtu yeyote anaweza kupata, sanasana vijana ndio wanaonekana kuathirka kwa asilimia kubwa. Watu wengi wamezoea kupuuzia kuhusu afya ya akili zao na hii imewafanya kugundua kua wanamatatizo ya kiafya baadae wakati wameshachelewa.

    Mwelekeo wa matatizo ya afya ya kiakili duniani unazidi kutia shaka kutokana na idadi ya watu inavyozidi kuongezeka. Wataalamu wa afya ya kiakili wanatakiwa waongeze bidii ili kutoa matibabu na huduma dhidi ya vyanzo vya matatizo ya akili. Sio waatalamu tu, hata ndugu, jamaa na marafiki wanaweza kuwa msaada mkubwa kwa watu hawa.

    Vyanzo au vichochezi vya matatizo ya kiakili ikiwemo ukatili wa kingono/ kijinsia, uonevu, unanyasaji, unyanyapaa, ubaguzi, ugumu wa maisha na ukiukaji wa haki za binadamu. Vyote hivi vinaweza kumsababishia mtu kupata matatizo ya afya ya kiakili. Kando na hayo, huzuni, kusononeka, hofu, woga na hasira ya kila wakati vanaweza kua ni vyanzo vya matatizo ya akili.

    Vyanzo wengine ni migogoro katika familia ikiwemo wazazi au walezi kugombana mbele ya watoto, kuwapiga watoto wao au kutumia lugha isiyofaa kwa watoto. Hii inaleta matatizo ya kisaikolojia kwa watoto. Wazazi au walezi wanatakiwa kua mifano bora kwa watoto kwasababu hawa ndio vijana watakaokuja kuteseka kiakili baadae. Wazazi wanatakiwa wahakikishe kuwa wao ndio mstari wa mbele kuwalinda na kuwajengea watoto mienendo na maadili inayofaa katika maisha. Vijana ndio taifa la kesho.

    Athari za kutoshughulikia matatizo ya afya ya kiakili husababisha mambo makubwa kama vile kuleta misongo ya mawazo, kiwewe, kuwalazimu watu kujiua na matumizi ya pombe na mihadarati.

    Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO) limetangaza kuwepo kwa ripoti nyingi za mauaji kutokana matatizo ya kiakili, na bara la Afrika likiwa linaongoza kuliko mabara mengine duniani. Takriban zaidi ya watu 10 kati ya 100,000 hufa barani Afrika, ambayo ni zaidi ya wastani wa kimataifa. WHO imesema kuwa Afrika ina uhaba wa matibabu na huduma wa magonjwa ya afya ya kiakili, hii ni kutokana na imani potofu zinazowafanya watu kupuuzia magonjwa haya. Watu hawa wanapokosa msaada wanalazimika kujiua au kufanya matendo ya kujiumiza.

    Mtu anapoishi kwa huzuni mwingi, kukosa usingizi, kua na mshtuko, mawazo mabaya, upweke, dhiki, wasiwasi au kusikitika kushusu maisha, ni vizuri kutafuta msaada mapema kabla ya kufanya mambo ya kujiumiza.

    Matibabu ya kiakili na huduma ni pamoja na kuzungumza au kuwasiliana na watu unaowaamini ikiwemo marafiki, familia, wahudumu wa afya, na wakijamii. Mawasiliano kwa kawaida ni kwa ajjili ya kupashana au kubadilishana habari, hisia, maoni au mawazo kwa kutumia maneno, maandishi au ishara.  Watu wengi hushindwa kuwasilisha hisia zao kwa muda unaofaa na hii huwasababishia madhara mengi ikiwemo afya ya kiakili. Wengi wao huona ni vigumu kujielezea kwa wengine kutokana na aibu au kutotaka kuonekana wadhaifu. Utayari wa kuzungumza ili kutafuta suluhisho ni hatua muhimu sana, kwasababu inaweza kumsaidia mtu kuepuka kujiua au kupata misongo ya mawazo.

    Ni sawa kutokua sawa, hauko pekee yako. Tafuta msaada mapema.

  • ARE BIRDS OF IMPORTANCE?

    ARE BIRDS OF IMPORTANCE?

    (Photo courtesy of freepik)

     

    By Caren Chelagat

     

    Birds are an important part of an ecosystem. We need birds far more than they need us .There is such a vast variety of birds, of many different sizes, that perform important roles within even just one ecosystem.

    Smaller birds may eat seeds and nuts, dropping many of these to the forest floor where creatures below can access these nutrients. Some birds control insect populations and prevent them from overwhelming plants and trees.

    Birds help to balance the food chain by eating fast-reproducing rodents and insects. This ensures populations are managed and do not grow to unsustainable levels, which can devastate ecosystems.

    Birds are unique in the animal world and incredibly intelligent. Ravens can mimic sounds, African Grey Parrots can learn hundreds of words, and Blue Jays have been shown to use tools.

    Trees use fungi within their roots, where an intricate network forms. It is believed that trees rely on fungi networks to communicate with one another, share resources like food and water, and send distress signals if there is an insect attack.
    Birds are completing an important service by spreading fungi, as this ensures trees have a healthy and diverse supply for this symbiotic relationship.

    Humans  harvest bird droppings to be used as fertilizers. These dropping have high content of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium, which are nutrients that are essential for plant growth.
    Feathers are used all over the world to stuff pillows, mattresses, sleeping bags, coats and quilting .The most preferred are from the geese family which is the most soft of all birds.

    Nectar- feeding birds are important pollinators since they move the pollen from flower to flower to help fertilize the sex cells and create new plants .An example are hummingbirds , the sunbird and honey-eaters.
    Birds are food ; chicken , turkey and ducks are used for production of meat and eggs which was introduced due to the development of poultry.

    As part of nature we should protect the birds and provide a good environment for them at our homes like water outside , nuts and seeds as well to give them food , they are part of creation and we are supposed to take care of creation like God commanded.