Early establishment of self-confidence could potentially provide a lifelong emotional buffer in the face of everyday failures and challenges. By Nicole Shitolwa Self-confidence, which most children develop as early as five years of age, simply means being able to trust and love yourself and put your best foot forward. Children who are confident are not afraid to take risks, have a positive view of themselves and believe that they can overcome many challenges. All this makes them stronger. While self-esteem tends to remain relatively stable across one’s lifespan, most children will have dips as they go through various stages, or…
Author: NBM CORRESPONDENT
The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Miss Koch Kenya, and the Directorate of Children’s Services, Nairobi County, have released a study on the lived experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescents in Korogocho, an informal settlement in Nairobi. The research, conducted using a mixed-methods research approach, found that 77% of adolescent pregnancies were unintended. This evidence underscores the urgent need for comprehensive programs and policies aimed at addressing the multiple drivers of adolescent pregnancies, which include poverty, limited access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, and family-related factors. The study also highlights the challenges faced by pregnant…
For those who don’t know that there has been a spike in life-threatening heart diseases, here is a doctor’s perspective By Dr Mzee Ngunga Chest pain that feels like pressure or tightness can be an indicator of serious and life threatening heart disease and should be evaluated promptly ideally in an emergency department. It is critical to visit a hospital that has a system in place for management of chest pain of suspected cardiac sources. This is a set of steps, based on the current scientific evidence, which aims at guiding the patient, family, health care professionals and other hospital…
By Nick Thiong’o Human history is marked by distinct innovations. And, it is not just about humble spectacles which we wear to enhance sight, for instance. Other monumental epochs including the Agricultural Revolution, Industrial Revolution, and now, the Intelligence Age, continue to create change in the most unexpected ways and their success is palpable. Today, we find ourselves surrounded by Artificial Intelligence (AI) that goes far beyond spectacles. Humanoid robotics and avatars are being created with the ability to mimic our language, habits, and even emotions. It is clear that the incredible capabilities of AI, particularly in video production through…
A frica’s technology market, burgeoning with potential and innovation, is deeply influenced by three pivotal factors: price, people and power. Price plays a crucial role in determining the accessibility and adoption of technology across the continent. With a diverse economic landscape, where many countries grapple with issues of poverty and income inequality, affordability is paramount. Technologies that are priced lower or offer cost-effective solutions tend to gain rapid traction. For instance, mobile money solutions like M-Pesa have seen widespread adoption because they cater to the financial needs of the unbanked population at an affordable rate. Similarly, affordable smartphones have driven…
TikTok and ByteDance staff around the world have been able to freely access the friend lists of the First Family, top internet stars and other public figures, creating national security risks in a heated election year and endangering the privacy of some of the most powerful people on the planet. Beyonce to Ed Sheeran, Charli D’Amelio and The Bidens, Members of Congress, and abortion activists are just a handful of the high-profile celebrities and public figures whose closest contacts could be searched and scrutinized by nearly any TikTok or ByteDance employee around the world this year with few restrictions. According…
The speed of tech disruptions in the business space keeps growing by the day BY ANTONY MUTUNGA On September 1998, Google was introduced to the world by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Back then, only a number of people would have imagined that the company’s web-based search engine would be the most preferred by users, 25 years later. After a quarter a century in the tech space, Google has enjoyed a number of successes, but it has experienced its fair share of failures, too. For example, the company’s investment in phone-based virtual reality (VR) did not pay off. It failed…
By Erick Massawe It is projected that by 2030 the number of youth will rise by 7%, to almost 1.3 billion. Africa touted as the continent of the youth will have over half a billion people aged between 15 to 35 years. They are touted as the future of the world economy and increasing their capabilities, guiding them to play their rightful role in an ever evolving world has become a constant topic of discussion in local and global fora. Youth face a number of barriers to business creation and self employment hence the growing emphasis to empower them through…
The Unilever-backed impact accelerator programme, TRANSFORM, reveals that “more impact enterprises” across East Africa will now be able to access Sh1 million funding per SME. The new funding, valued at Sh1 million, Unilever said, will help support SMEs especially in Kenya to scale new solutions and overcome global challenges. “We’re thrilled to have reached such an important milestone at TRANSFORM. Some of the best new ideas and groundbreaking solutions are coming from entrepreneurs and start-ups,” Unilever’s chief sustainability officer Rebecca Marmot said during the announcement of the new funding. TRANSFORM, which is an impact accelerator that unites corporates, donors, investors,…
Linzi Finco Trust has been given a greenlight by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) to float a Sh3 billion bond to build institutional housing units, a move that is set to open up sharia-compliant financing in the country. Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) this week allowed the issuance of the first-ever Islamic bond in the country, tapping into the unexplored potential of sharia-compliant financing and setting the tone for diversification of capital markets in East Africa. With this Islamic bond, also popular as sukuk, there is a new ray of hope for Shari’ah focused investors. Dubbed “Linzi Sukuk”, the bond…
