People and organizations can do great things with Cortana, Microsoft Edge, Xbox App, new Office Universal apps and more.
Microsoft Corp. announced that Windows 10 will become available Wednesday as a free upgrade1 or with new PCs and tablets. Windows 10 includes innovations such as Cortana,2 an Xbox app and Microsoft Edge for a familiar, yet more personal and productive, experience. The most secure Windows ever, Windows 10 is delivered as a service and kept automatically up-to-date with innovations and security updates.
Windows 10 offers one experience that will become available on the broadest range of devices, including PCs, tablets, phones, Raspberry Pi, Xbox One, HoloLens and more — with more than 2,000 devices or configurations already in testing. The new Windows Store and Windows Software Development Kit also become available Wednesday, opening the door to new and innovative app experiences on Windows 10.
People around the world will celebrate the launch of Windows 10 Wednesday at fan celebrations in 13 countries and via a new yearlong initiative to celebrate people and organizations making a difference around the world. Microsoft encourages people to share how they plan to #UpgradeYourWorld and to vote for a global nonprofit to receive a cash donation by simply mentioning the nonprofit in a post on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and using the hashtags #UpgradeYourWorld and #vote. More information on Upgrade Your World can be found at http://www.windows.com/upgradeyourworld.
“A new era of Windows starts today. From the beginning, Windows 10 has been unique — built with feedback from over 5 million fans, delivered as a service and offered as a free upgrade,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Windows and Devices Group, at Microsoft. “Windows 10 delivers on our more personal computing vision, with a natural, mobile and trusted experience. Along with our partners, we’re excited to deliver the best Windows ever, which will empower people and organizations around the world to do great things.”
Windows 10: Best Windows ever
Windows 10 is fast and familiar — with the return of the Start menu and Live Tiles for instant, streaming updates of what matters most. Windows 10 is the most secure Windows Microsoft has ever released, with enhancements to Windows Defender and SmartScreen to help safeguard against viruses, malware and phishing and innovations such as Windows Hello, which offers a fast, secured, password-free way to log in.3 Keeping up-to-date is also simple, as free updates will help people stay current with the latest features and security updates for the supported lifetime of the device.
Windows 10 is more personal and productive, with voice, pen and gesture inputs for natural interaction with PCs. It’s designed to work with Office and Skype and allows you to switch between apps and stay organized with Snap and Task View. Windows 10 offers many innovative experiences and devices, including the following:
·Cortana, the personal digital assistant, makes it easy to find the right information at the right time.
·New Microsoft Edge browser lets people quickly browse, read, and mark up and share the Web.
·The integrated Xbox app delivers the Xbox experience to Windows 10, bringing together friends, games and accomplishments across Xbox One and Windows 10 devices.
·Continuum optimizes apps and experiences beautifully across touch and desktop modes.
·Built-in apps including Photos; Maps; Microsoft’s new music app, Groove; and Movies & TV offer entertainment and productivity options. With OneDrive, files can be easily shared and kept up-to-date across all devices.
·A Microsoft Phone Companion app enables iPhones, Android or Windows phones to work seamlessly with Windows 10 devices.
·The all new Office Mobile apps for Windows 10 tablets are available today in the Windows Store.4 Built for work on-the-go, the Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps offer a consistent, touch-first experience for small tablets. For digital note-taking needs, the full-featured OneNote app comes pre-installed with Windows 10. The upcoming release of the Office desktop apps (Office 2016) will offer the richest feature set for professional content creation. Designed for the precision of a keyboard and mouse, these apps will be optimized for large-screen PCs, laptops and 2-in-1 devices such as the Surface Pro.
Windows 10: Best platform for businesses
Feedback from millions of IT pros has shaped Windows 10, the most extensively tested version of Windows ever. Ready for corporate deployments, Windows 10 will help companies protect against modern cyberattacks, deliver experiences their employees will love and enable continuous innovation with a platform that keeps companies up-to-date with the latest technology. Businesses will be able to control the frequency of their updates and select the features and functionality that are right for each group of their employees.
Windows 10 includes built-in, enterprise-grade security, so customers can replace passwords with more secure options, protect corporate data and corporate identities, and run only the software they trust. New management and deployment tools simplify device management, help lower costs, and enable companies to power their business with the enterprise strength of the Microsoft Azure cloud.
Top apps available on Windows 10
The new Windows Store will open Wednesday and begin accepting new apps for Windows 10. The Windows Store offers one-stop shopping for popular free and paid apps, games, movies, TV shows and the latest music, which can work across all Windows 10 devices. The new Windows Store is the only store where people can use Cortana to control apps with their voice5 and get real-time notifications on their app tiles. All Windows Store content is certified by Microsoft to help keep devices safer. In addition to existing Windows 8.1 apps such as Netflix, Flipboard, Mint.com, “Asphalt 8: Airborne” and The Weather Channel, the Windows Store provides a constant stream of new and updated Universal Windows Apps and games, including Twitter, “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition beta,” Hulu, iHeartRadio, USA TODAY, “Candy Crush Saga” and many more others including WeChat and QQ, which will launch soon .6
Easy upgrade, devices now available
Upgrading to Windows 10 is easy for customers running a genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC or tablet. Starting Wednesday, people who reserved their upgrade to Windows 10 will be notified in waves when their upgrade is ready to be installed. For business customers, Windows 10 is available to start deploying within their work environments, and starting Aug. 1, organizations that have volume licensing can upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education.
Retail partners are ready to help people upgrade to Windows 10 with our largest tech bench program ever, including more than 100,000 trained retailers and tens of thousands of stores around the world. Free upgrade programs will be available Wednesday, with Windows 10 software becoming broadly available in retail stores around the world between mid-August and September. Devices running Windows 10 will be available in some retail stores on Wednesday, with many, many more devices to become available in the weeks and months ahead.
Microsoft has also worked closely with retailers to introduce programs to help people easily upgrade, including Best Buy, Bic Camera, Croma, Currys/PC World, Darty, Elkjøp, Fnac, Jarrir, Incredible Connection, Media Markt, Staples, Yamada Denki, Yodobashi and many more leading retailers from around the world.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
OPIC and Microsoft begin financing discussions with Kenya’s Mawingu Networks
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s Development Finance Institution, today signed a mandate letter to begin financing discussions with Mawingu Networks, a provider of solar-powered wireless Internet across rural Kenya.
OPIC’s President and CEO Elizabeth Littlefield is in Nairobi for the 2015 Global Entrepreneur Summit, and signed the OPIC mandate today alongside Antony Cook, Microsoft’s Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs for the Middle East and Africa, who served as a witness to the mandate between OPIC and Mawingu.
Mawingu Networks was able to establish their current operating model using an initial grant from Microsoft’s 4Afrika initiative, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), an investment from Angel Investor Jim Forster, and early funding from Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc.
Using a network of solar-powered “nomadic” wireless internet stations, Mawingu provides last-mile connectivity access to areas that cannot economically access the Internet. Spurred on by the promise of Mawingu’s initial pilot operations, OPIC’s consideration of a potential $4 million loan would allow a commercial expansion of a proven model to utilize existing technology of TV White Spaces (TVWS) connectivity for off-grid Internet access.
“The development potential from creative private sector organizations like Mawingu captures the spirit and promise at the heart of this week’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit,” said Elizabeth Littlefield, OPIC’s President and CEO. “Financial support at crucial stages of a company’s business evolution can transform a great idea into a deeply impactful reality for millions in the developing world. By leveraging technology and ingenuity, Mawingu’s massive reach to connect rural African communities to the Internet is just beginning, and I look forward to the growth and scalability of this model that OPIC financing can unlock.”
“Mawingu was the first of the 6 TV white space pilots Microsoft has deployed in Africa in collaboration with partners, making Africa a leader in TV white spaces. We hope regulators across the continent develop legal frameworks that support broader commercial deployment of the technology. It is now time to work with both local and global partners such as OPIC to go commercial and scale to impact not just thousands, but millions of lives across Africa,” Says Antony Cook, Microsoft’s Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs for the Middle East and Africa
“This is an exciting day for the Mawingu team. The support from OPIC will really help us deliver on the potential of this opportunity to help connect millions of Kenyans to the Internet for the first time” says Mawingu Director Tim Hobbs.
“Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. is investing in African entrepreneurs and startups in order to develop scalable solutions from within Africa,” said Lauren Kickham, Vulcan Inc.’s head of Africa entrepreneurship program. “We are pleased that our investment in Mawingu will help drive resiliency in African communities. Through our pilots and partnerships, we will de-risk and catalyze growth of new businesses.”
OPIC’s President and CEO Elizabeth Littlefield is in Nairobi for the 2015 Global Entrepreneur Summit, and signed the OPIC mandate today alongside Antony Cook, Microsoft’s Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs for the Middle East and Africa, who served as a witness to the mandate between OPIC and Mawingu.
Mawingu Networks was able to establish their current operating model using an initial grant from Microsoft’s 4Afrika initiative, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), an investment from Angel Investor Jim Forster, and early funding from Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc.
Using a network of solar-powered “nomadic” wireless internet stations, Mawingu provides last-mile connectivity access to areas that cannot economically access the Internet. Spurred on by the promise of Mawingu’s initial pilot operations, OPIC’s consideration of a potential $4 million loan would allow a commercial expansion of a proven model to utilize existing technology of TV White Spaces (TVWS) connectivity for off-grid Internet access.
“The development potential from creative private sector organizations like Mawingu captures the spirit and promise at the heart of this week’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit,” said Elizabeth Littlefield, OPIC’s President and CEO. “Financial support at crucial stages of a company’s business evolution can transform a great idea into a deeply impactful reality for millions in the developing world. By leveraging technology and ingenuity, Mawingu’s massive reach to connect rural African communities to the Internet is just beginning, and I look forward to the growth and scalability of this model that OPIC financing can unlock.”
“Mawingu was the first of the 6 TV white space pilots Microsoft has deployed in Africa in collaboration with partners, making Africa a leader in TV white spaces. We hope regulators across the continent develop legal frameworks that support broader commercial deployment of the technology. It is now time to work with both local and global partners such as OPIC to go commercial and scale to impact not just thousands, but millions of lives across Africa,” Says Antony Cook, Microsoft’s Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs for the Middle East and Africa
“This is an exciting day for the Mawingu team. The support from OPIC will really help us deliver on the potential of this opportunity to help connect millions of Kenyans to the Internet for the first time” says Mawingu Director Tim Hobbs.
“Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. is investing in African entrepreneurs and startups in order to develop scalable solutions from within Africa,” said Lauren Kickham, Vulcan Inc.’s head of Africa entrepreneurship program. “We are pleased that our investment in Mawingu will help drive resiliency in African communities. Through our pilots and partnerships, we will de-risk and catalyze growth of new businesses.”
Microsoft Employability Platforms bet on creating 100,000 job opportunities by the end of the year
Microsoft is aiming to create over 100,000 job opportunities and reach over seven million people across the Middle East and Africa by the end of the year through its Employability Platforms, in partnership with organisations from public and private sectors, as well as NGOs. Launched in 2012, the YouthSpark Employability Platform for the first time provides job-seekers with end-to-end career guidance, upskilling, job-matching and mentorship – all centred on a free online hub that brings the best resources together in a bold attempt to address unemployment and underemployment.
In the MENA region the platform is called Ta3mal (“works” in Arabic) and is a partnership between Microsoft and Silatech, a non-profit organization supporting youth access to employment across the Arab world.
“Unemployment in Africa and the Middle East is not a new issue, but its scope is growing with the youth bulge and economic downturn worldwide and we need to find new solutions to address this problem,” says Ali Faramawy, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Middle East Africa (MEA).
Microsoft’s solution, in the form of its Employability Platforms, has landed in markets including Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, Qatar, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Algeria, Ghana, Palestine and Turkey and will expand to 21 countries across MEA including Tanzania, Pakistan, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Mauritius. To date, the YouthSpark employability platform has reached 5.8 million youth with a target of reaching 7 million by the end of FY15. In addition, 69,000 job opportunities have been posted on the job search tool against 100,000 job openings goal to be reached by the end of the year.
Silatech Chief Programs Officer Martin Roeske commented on the partnership, saying “The Ta3mal network of Employability Platforms across MENA shows what we can do when NGOs and the private sector join strengths and resources together to achieve real impact.”
“Part of the unemployment problem is caused by a lack of economic opportunity, as well as the fact that graduates from secondary and tertiary institutions lack the skills required by employers,” says Faramawy. “But there is no shortage of determination and even in a country like Iraq that has been faced with some dire situations, our platform has helped put 30 000 youths into jobs in the past 14 months.”
Microsoft’s solution is not only to provide access to job opportunities to interested youth, but to define pathways through which to equip them with the necessary skills, including soft skills, to land and hold onto these jobs. “Job seekers need to be equipped with skills like how to write up a CV, have a successful interview and how to dress in the workplace, which is why we have included videos, articles and courses of this nature on the platform along with the more competency based courses,” comments Faramawy.
Retention is also higher when graduates are in jobs matched to their aptitudes and career ambitions. This is why the first step on the platform is a series of tests, to help each user to determine their strengths as well as areas of improvement. Based on that, they can decide from a selection of 1000 courses on the platform they should sign up for in order to improve their skills in their areas of interest including entrepreneurialism. “We also focus on helping entrepreneurs simply because there aren’t enough jobs to go around so people need to know how to self-employ and perhaps even employ one or two others,” explains Faramawy.
Once users have been upskilled, the Employability Platform connects them with professional and entrepreneurial opportunities. To achieve this, there is a mentoring function allowing users to connect with volunteers around the world to receive informal guidance from experts, while a ‘job posts’ function presents them with suitable positions in the private sector, with a special focus on those youth with little to no professional experience.
“There are lots of employment resources out there for youth, but the great thing about the Employability Platform is that it offers one central space where users can find out what they’re good at, take courses to upskill, speak to people in their desired industry and view jobs in that industry,” comments Faramawy.
Accounting student at Damanhour University in Egypt, Mostafa Baragheet, made use of ‘Masr Ta3mal’ – Egypt’s Employability Platform – when extra-curricular courses became too expensive. After taking a personality test and taking part in a career consultation session, he signed up for accounting and business management courses through the platform. “With the guidance of Masr Ta3mal’s consultant, I was able to help myself without spending any money, and I gained the confidence to start my own company.”
Faramawy calls the Microsoft Employability Platforms “a solution in a box that can be tailored locally.” The target audience is not specifically university students, but simply young job-seekers across MEA needing the tools to take the step into the working world. Microsoft views itself as the solution provider, and relies on government, NGOs, universities, vocational schools and the private sector to bring the platform to life.
“The young minds of MEA are amazing incubators for new ways of thinking. But we also have to develop new ways of thinking when investing in their development if we are to help the next generation fulfil its potential.”
In the MENA region the platform is called Ta3mal (“works” in Arabic) and is a partnership between Microsoft and Silatech, a non-profit organization supporting youth access to employment across the Arab world.
“Unemployment in Africa and the Middle East is not a new issue, but its scope is growing with the youth bulge and economic downturn worldwide and we need to find new solutions to address this problem,” says Ali Faramawy, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Middle East Africa (MEA).
Microsoft’s solution, in the form of its Employability Platforms, has landed in markets including Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, Qatar, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Algeria, Ghana, Palestine and Turkey and will expand to 21 countries across MEA including Tanzania, Pakistan, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Mauritius. To date, the YouthSpark employability platform has reached 5.8 million youth with a target of reaching 7 million by the end of FY15. In addition, 69,000 job opportunities have been posted on the job search tool against 100,000 job openings goal to be reached by the end of the year.
Silatech Chief Programs Officer Martin Roeske commented on the partnership, saying “The Ta3mal network of Employability Platforms across MENA shows what we can do when NGOs and the private sector join strengths and resources together to achieve real impact.”
“Part of the unemployment problem is caused by a lack of economic opportunity, as well as the fact that graduates from secondary and tertiary institutions lack the skills required by employers,” says Faramawy. “But there is no shortage of determination and even in a country like Iraq that has been faced with some dire situations, our platform has helped put 30 000 youths into jobs in the past 14 months.”
Microsoft’s solution is not only to provide access to job opportunities to interested youth, but to define pathways through which to equip them with the necessary skills, including soft skills, to land and hold onto these jobs. “Job seekers need to be equipped with skills like how to write up a CV, have a successful interview and how to dress in the workplace, which is why we have included videos, articles and courses of this nature on the platform along with the more competency based courses,” comments Faramawy.
Retention is also higher when graduates are in jobs matched to their aptitudes and career ambitions. This is why the first step on the platform is a series of tests, to help each user to determine their strengths as well as areas of improvement. Based on that, they can decide from a selection of 1000 courses on the platform they should sign up for in order to improve their skills in their areas of interest including entrepreneurialism. “We also focus on helping entrepreneurs simply because there aren’t enough jobs to go around so people need to know how to self-employ and perhaps even employ one or two others,” explains Faramawy.
Once users have been upskilled, the Employability Platform connects them with professional and entrepreneurial opportunities. To achieve this, there is a mentoring function allowing users to connect with volunteers around the world to receive informal guidance from experts, while a ‘job posts’ function presents them with suitable positions in the private sector, with a special focus on those youth with little to no professional experience.
“There are lots of employment resources out there for youth, but the great thing about the Employability Platform is that it offers one central space where users can find out what they’re good at, take courses to upskill, speak to people in their desired industry and view jobs in that industry,” comments Faramawy.
Accounting student at Damanhour University in Egypt, Mostafa Baragheet, made use of ‘Masr Ta3mal’ – Egypt’s Employability Platform – when extra-curricular courses became too expensive. After taking a personality test and taking part in a career consultation session, he signed up for accounting and business management courses through the platform. “With the guidance of Masr Ta3mal’s consultant, I was able to help myself without spending any money, and I gained the confidence to start my own company.”
Faramawy calls the Microsoft Employability Platforms “a solution in a box that can be tailored locally.” The target audience is not specifically university students, but simply young job-seekers across MEA needing the tools to take the step into the working world. Microsoft views itself as the solution provider, and relies on government, NGOs, universities, vocational schools and the private sector to bring the platform to life.
“The young minds of MEA are amazing incubators for new ways of thinking. But we also have to develop new ways of thinking when investing in their development if we are to help the next generation fulfil its potential.”
Monday, July 20, 2015
Eastern Hill Academy Adopts Etisalat Cliqlite for e-Learning
Driven by a need to improve the education standards of its students and promote open access to quality education in the country, Eastern Hill Academy School, Enugu, has adopted the use of Cliqlite, Etisalat’s child friendly educational product as an e-learning tool to boost teaching and learning in the school.
According to a statement made available to news men at the school’s Prize-giving Day recently in Enugu, the school’s administrator, Chineye Ikenma said that the school adopted the use of Etisalat Cliqlite device as an e-learning tool in order to give its students a unique opportunity to easily access educational materials online and address problems that are associated with examination failure.
(L-R): Head, Youth Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Elvis Daniel; Founder, Eastern Hill Academy, Mrs. Oyenyekwena Adaeze; Administrator of Eastern Hill Academy, Mrs. Chineye Ikenma and Manager TEEN Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Mrs. Ifeoluwa Oyeyipo, at theEastern Hill Academy speech and Prize Giving Day, held at the school premises in Enugu.
Mrs. Ikenma added, “We kicked off the use of this device in September 2014 and currently, we have over 73 students in our school using it. Cliqlite device has made it easy for us to access educational programs such as Nigerian education curriculum, exam materials and educative games. Another unique thing for us and the parents is the security function that enables parents and guardians protect children from harmful content on the internet.”
Responding to the latest development, Head, Youth Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Daniel, who was also present at the event expressed gladness that the school appreciates the value in Cliqlite and adopted it as an educational learning resource to promote its educational programs.
Daniel stated, “At Etisalat, we are driven by a sustained commitment to revolutionize learning in the country and we are happy that Eastern Hill Academy is part of this dream. Cliqlite is a learning tool that every child should own in this age to keep up with trends and learn in an enjoyable and safe manner. Keeping children in class alone has become boring these days, so rather than giving your child a mobile phone or tablet without any restrictions, Etisalat Cliqlite is a better option.”
Cliqlite supports learning and development for children and teenagers between the ages of 8 to 15 years. Users enjoy the benefits of preloaded educational apps and approved textbooks on the Cliqlite tab. The educational content include approved primary, junior and senior secondary school textbooks, Wikipedia app, Okada books, dictionary, sounds (pronunciation app), Typing Tutor and ‘Spell Me Right’, amongst others.
According to a statement made available to news men at the school’s Prize-giving Day recently in Enugu, the school’s administrator, Chineye Ikenma said that the school adopted the use of Etisalat Cliqlite device as an e-learning tool in order to give its students a unique opportunity to easily access educational materials online and address problems that are associated with examination failure.
(L-R): Head, Youth Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Elvis Daniel; Founder, Eastern Hill Academy, Mrs. Oyenyekwena Adaeze; Administrator of Eastern Hill Academy, Mrs. Chineye Ikenma and Manager TEEN Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Mrs. Ifeoluwa Oyeyipo, at theEastern Hill Academy speech and Prize Giving Day, held at the school premises in Enugu.
Mrs. Ikenma added, “We kicked off the use of this device in September 2014 and currently, we have over 73 students in our school using it. Cliqlite device has made it easy for us to access educational programs such as Nigerian education curriculum, exam materials and educative games. Another unique thing for us and the parents is the security function that enables parents and guardians protect children from harmful content on the internet.”
Responding to the latest development, Head, Youth Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Daniel, who was also present at the event expressed gladness that the school appreciates the value in Cliqlite and adopted it as an educational learning resource to promote its educational programs.
Daniel stated, “At Etisalat, we are driven by a sustained commitment to revolutionize learning in the country and we are happy that Eastern Hill Academy is part of this dream. Cliqlite is a learning tool that every child should own in this age to keep up with trends and learn in an enjoyable and safe manner. Keeping children in class alone has become boring these days, so rather than giving your child a mobile phone or tablet without any restrictions, Etisalat Cliqlite is a better option.”
Cliqlite supports learning and development for children and teenagers between the ages of 8 to 15 years. Users enjoy the benefits of preloaded educational apps and approved textbooks on the Cliqlite tab. The educational content include approved primary, junior and senior secondary school textbooks, Wikipedia app, Okada books, dictionary, sounds (pronunciation app), Typing Tutor and ‘Spell Me Right’, amongst others.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
The Story Of Kente Part 1
Origin from the Akan land such as Ashanti Kingdom
Kente textile is from Ghana.
It is worn for special occasions.
It is hand woven.
It is one of the most famous African textile.
Aso-oke textile is from Nigeria.
It is worn for special occasions.
It is hand woven.
It is one of the most famous African textile.
Kente textile is from Ghana, a country located in West Africa. Kente is a cloth worn by royalty. It is hand woven just like the Aso-oke (Nigerian textile) in wooden looms and is of very high worth. It comes in a variety of patterns, colours and designs, each of which have different meanings.
According to Ghanaian mythology, Kente textile was first made when two friends watched how a spider wove its web. They created the Kente cloth by mimicking the actions of the spiders. It is said that this story, whether true or not, shows the harmony between Ghanaians and Mother Nature.
Looking back in the olden times, the Kente cloth is reserved for the Kings and is associated with royalty and sacredness. Even in recent times, it is worn only during important times. Though the cloth has widespread acceptance and usage it is still held in high esteem among the Akan tribe and the Ghanaians in general.
The Kente cloth is one of the most famous and wanted fabric in the whole of Africa. For the Ghanaians, this represents the history, philosophy, oral literature, religious beliefs, political thought and aesthetic principles of life.
The various colours in the cloth symbolize various aspects of life. Blue symbolizes ‘peace and harmony’. Gold colour mostly worn by kings in ancient times symbolizes ‘royalty, power, esteemed status, spiritual purity and holiness’. This colour is also used by the high priests in ancient times. Pink and purple colours are associated with ‘women’. White and grey colours symbolize 'sanctification, holiness' and are mostly used by priests and holy people.
Different patterns have been invented over time for different occasions. Whereby the various patterns have different names and meaning;
Source: Bellafricana
Kente textile is from Ghana.
It is worn for special occasions.
It is hand woven.
It is one of the most famous African textile.
Aso-oke textile is from Nigeria.
It is worn for special occasions.
It is hand woven.
It is one of the most famous African textile.
Kente textile is from Ghana, a country located in West Africa. Kente is a cloth worn by royalty. It is hand woven just like the Aso-oke (Nigerian textile) in wooden looms and is of very high worth. It comes in a variety of patterns, colours and designs, each of which have different meanings.
According to Ghanaian mythology, Kente textile was first made when two friends watched how a spider wove its web. They created the Kente cloth by mimicking the actions of the spiders. It is said that this story, whether true or not, shows the harmony between Ghanaians and Mother Nature.
Looking back in the olden times, the Kente cloth is reserved for the Kings and is associated with royalty and sacredness. Even in recent times, it is worn only during important times. Though the cloth has widespread acceptance and usage it is still held in high esteem among the Akan tribe and the Ghanaians in general.
The Kente cloth is one of the most famous and wanted fabric in the whole of Africa. For the Ghanaians, this represents the history, philosophy, oral literature, religious beliefs, political thought and aesthetic principles of life.
The various colours in the cloth symbolize various aspects of life. Blue symbolizes ‘peace and harmony’. Gold colour mostly worn by kings in ancient times symbolizes ‘royalty, power, esteemed status, spiritual purity and holiness’. This colour is also used by the high priests in ancient times. Pink and purple colours are associated with ‘women’. White and grey colours symbolize 'sanctification, holiness' and are mostly used by priests and holy people.
Different patterns have been invented over time for different occasions. Whereby the various patterns have different names and meaning;
Source: Bellafricana
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
PRESS RELEASE: WAJO LAGOS – YOUR INVITATION TO DANCE
Plan to attend WAJO LAGOS, Nigeria’s ONLY monthly dance platform slated for every last Thursday of the month. This month’s edition will be the 19th year anniversary celebration of one of the Nigeria’s foremost dance and drama group –
CROWN TROUPE OF AFRICA led by Segun Adefila.
JUNE 2015 Edition – Title: “PIECE OFF”
Date: 25th June, 2015. Venue is Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos Island. Time: 6.30pm. Admission is Free
PIECE OFF: The age long practice of female circumcision otherwise known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) comes under scrutiny in this work expressed in mixed media art. Piece Off is a research based work that explores and creates awareness on and the social impact of the practice of FGM on the girl/woman and the society at large. Mobile and motion pictures as well as dance, music and poetry are finely blended to create an eclectic and thought provoking piece that challenges the status quo.
WAJO is your invitation to dance; a multi-faceted dance focus project aimed at touching and enriching lives - dancers, dance lovers, dance enthusiast and people from all works of life.
For more info: WAJO LAGOS 08054063997; YouTube Channel: WAJO LAGOS; Twitter: @wajolagos;
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wajolagos; Instagram: wajolagos; Email: info@wajo.tv; Website: http://www.wajo.tv/
Grand Health Bazaar 2015
LiveWell Initiative (LWI), a public health NGO, is a registered health-promotion focused organisation, which empowers the people through health literacy. LWI has empowered nearly 2 million Nigerians and 3,000 Ghanaians directly and indirectly by proxy contact, inclusive of over 60 blind and disabled adults through health literacy. LWI is excited to announce their 5th Annual Cross-cutting Multi-sectoral International Healthcare Event, the Grand Health Bazaar (GHB2015), a corporate carnival for trade, commerce and mutual synergy and networking with healthcare as a value addition.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Good Family Building , bedrock for a successful Nation Building
Family is a group consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit, or simply put; all the descendants of a common ancestor.
Family could be said to be genealogically connected, that's why a child could be said to be acting like his/her father or mother or even traced to behaving like a great long-gone grand father. Forget not that the parent too were ushered to this world by a father and mother. What are the qualities that this our fathers and mothers left behind for us that is worth well-behaving in the society? Were they liar? No wonder we also do lie, then someday we find ourselves in the position of power, and the lie syndrome continues to manifest.
A Family
By nature, we are all from a gene of sinner, remember the first beings, and in the word sinner; you'll find corruption, greed, etc, but that was in the old being, as our book of life said: ''If any man/woman be in Christ, he/she is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold; all things are become new.'' This is the main purpose of the God in-form of flesh to redeem mankind from the old nature of corruption, through the price paid in the New Testament, by Jesus Christ our Lord.
How the two works
The devil (The old nature) still remains in mankind, that Jesus paid the price and died for us, was/a reality achievable for as many as would be able to switch to Jesus' when temptation arises, or preferably; you may still choose to glorify the devil. The devil as we all think is not like that image of a person in all-black clothes with horns, mind you that he (devil) was subtle with Eve (first woman/mother), in other to achieve is goal, so; he could come in any form.
Every opportunity to steal, lie and all sorts is a decision by the one who owns the psyche, the ability to suppress the old nature ''sin'' would see the new man ''Jesus'' gave us since 2000 years ago been glorified, and the Adamic nature put down.
So, it's like a switch button, you decide which direction the switch would go via every decision of yours. This must be told every family, especially we the very 21st generation.
Failure to switch on the right button at every point before we take action, is equal to individual failure, family failure, community, state and nation failure. The family is the foundation for a successful nation Building, what kind of upbringing are you inculcating into our next generation in your hands/home? Remember they will be governors, commissioner, senators, presidents etc in the future, how would they manage the position, would they be worse or better?
Another opportunity we have is now! It's weekend again, where will you be, who'll you be with, what activity(ies) will you engage in? Monday till now, has been for works, distance from the family, the posterity generation, please spend this weekend with your family. Be the change you want to see to yourself and family, make it a step closer this weekend.
God bless you, and your family, God bless the Federal republic of Nigeria.
Adejuyigbe Francis Adegoke are my names, am interested in Nation Building, what about YOU?
Family could be said to be genealogically connected, that's why a child could be said to be acting like his/her father or mother or even traced to behaving like a great long-gone grand father. Forget not that the parent too were ushered to this world by a father and mother. What are the qualities that this our fathers and mothers left behind for us that is worth well-behaving in the society? Were they liar? No wonder we also do lie, then someday we find ourselves in the position of power, and the lie syndrome continues to manifest.
A Family
By nature, we are all from a gene of sinner, remember the first beings, and in the word sinner; you'll find corruption, greed, etc, but that was in the old being, as our book of life said: ''If any man/woman be in Christ, he/she is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold; all things are become new.'' This is the main purpose of the God in-form of flesh to redeem mankind from the old nature of corruption, through the price paid in the New Testament, by Jesus Christ our Lord.
How the two works
The devil (The old nature) still remains in mankind, that Jesus paid the price and died for us, was/a reality achievable for as many as would be able to switch to Jesus' when temptation arises, or preferably; you may still choose to glorify the devil. The devil as we all think is not like that image of a person in all-black clothes with horns, mind you that he (devil) was subtle with Eve (first woman/mother), in other to achieve is goal, so; he could come in any form.
Every opportunity to steal, lie and all sorts is a decision by the one who owns the psyche, the ability to suppress the old nature ''sin'' would see the new man ''Jesus'' gave us since 2000 years ago been glorified, and the Adamic nature put down.
So, it's like a switch button, you decide which direction the switch would go via every decision of yours. This must be told every family, especially we the very 21st generation.
Failure to switch on the right button at every point before we take action, is equal to individual failure, family failure, community, state and nation failure. The family is the foundation for a successful nation Building, what kind of upbringing are you inculcating into our next generation in your hands/home? Remember they will be governors, commissioner, senators, presidents etc in the future, how would they manage the position, would they be worse or better?
Another opportunity we have is now! It's weekend again, where will you be, who'll you be with, what activity(ies) will you engage in? Monday till now, has been for works, distance from the family, the posterity generation, please spend this weekend with your family. Be the change you want to see to yourself and family, make it a step closer this weekend.
God bless you, and your family, God bless the Federal republic of Nigeria.
Adejuyigbe Francis Adegoke are my names, am interested in Nation Building, what about YOU?
Award Winning Poet, Titilope Sonuga is Intel “She Will Connect” Spokesperson 2015
Research findings show that there are 25 per cent fewer women than men online in emerging markets. This is a clear indication of the gender gap that exists in the technology arena. To bridge this gap, Intel Corporation through its “She Will Connect Programme”, has continued to educate young girls and women on how technology can maximally contribute toward economic and social development across the world.
This year, Titilope Sonuga has been appointed the official spokesperson of its 2015 “She Will Connect” program in Nigeria. Sonuga will use the platform to share her inspiring story of success and influence the lives of other women across the country in the pan-Nigerian initiative which starts this month and ends May, 2016.
Titilope Sonuga is an award winning poet, writer, actor and civil engineer whose work has graced stages and pages across Nigeria and internationally. She has featured on stages across Canada and internationally, and was invited alongside world renowned poets Sonia Sanchez, Jayne Cortez, Yusef Komunyakaa, to perform at the 2011 Achebe Colloquium on Africa at Brown University. Titilope is the creator of Rouge Poetry and a founding member of the Breath in Poetry Collective.
Titilope was the winner of the 2013 RISE (Recognizing Immigrant Success in Edmonton) Award for achievement in the arts and the NBCC (National Black Coalition of Canada) Fil Fraser Award for Outstanding achievement in the arts. Titilope performed a stirring inauguration poem at the swearing-in of President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2015; a historic moment for the country and the first time a poet had ever been invited to perform at a Nigerian inauguration ceremony.
As the spokesperson, Titilope will visit states across the country. She will appear as a guest in some notable Radio programs and also interact with girls and women online. Working closely with enlisted Non-Governmental Organizations, Titi will participate in training girls and women across Nigeria during the one year campaign.
Speaking on her role, Titi said she is glad to have been brought on board to use her talents to communicate the message of technology to girls and women in Nigeria.
Expressing her delight on the new role Titilope said: "I am extremely excited to collaborate with Intel to give a voice to the She Will Connect program. I believe giving girls and women access by connecting them to technology creates a world of possibility for them and their communities. Through my personal journey, I have learned that having access gives you options and with those options almost anything is possible"
Commenting on the initiative, Country Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Intel West Africa, Mr. Adim Isiakpona expressed Intel’s commitment to bringing positive change in the African Girl Child.
Adim added that it was important to educate the girl child, affirming, “We at Intel believe that smart females are the equivalent of a smart world. We want to present Titilope as an icon of the endless capabilities in a woman when she is given the platform to express herself. We want a world where women’s lives are inspiring enough for a change.”
The “She Will Connect” initiative has a goal to reach and train 5 million young women in Africa on Information Communication Technology by 2020 and it has successfully hosted several programs to introduce women to technology in Nigeria, through workshops and trainings. The program which works closely with NGOs, government agencies, and other local business partners features three key program elements designed to help girls and women take advantage of the many opportunities provided through technology and Internet access: digital literacy; online peer network; and content and resources.
#SheWillConnect2015
This year, Titilope Sonuga has been appointed the official spokesperson of its 2015 “She Will Connect” program in Nigeria. Sonuga will use the platform to share her inspiring story of success and influence the lives of other women across the country in the pan-Nigerian initiative which starts this month and ends May, 2016.
Titilope Sonuga is an award winning poet, writer, actor and civil engineer whose work has graced stages and pages across Nigeria and internationally. She has featured on stages across Canada and internationally, and was invited alongside world renowned poets Sonia Sanchez, Jayne Cortez, Yusef Komunyakaa, to perform at the 2011 Achebe Colloquium on Africa at Brown University. Titilope is the creator of Rouge Poetry and a founding member of the Breath in Poetry Collective.
Titilope was the winner of the 2013 RISE (Recognizing Immigrant Success in Edmonton) Award for achievement in the arts and the NBCC (National Black Coalition of Canada) Fil Fraser Award for Outstanding achievement in the arts. Titilope performed a stirring inauguration poem at the swearing-in of President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2015; a historic moment for the country and the first time a poet had ever been invited to perform at a Nigerian inauguration ceremony.
As the spokesperson, Titilope will visit states across the country. She will appear as a guest in some notable Radio programs and also interact with girls and women online. Working closely with enlisted Non-Governmental Organizations, Titi will participate in training girls and women across Nigeria during the one year campaign.
Speaking on her role, Titi said she is glad to have been brought on board to use her talents to communicate the message of technology to girls and women in Nigeria.
Expressing her delight on the new role Titilope said: "I am extremely excited to collaborate with Intel to give a voice to the She Will Connect program. I believe giving girls and women access by connecting them to technology creates a world of possibility for them and their communities. Through my personal journey, I have learned that having access gives you options and with those options almost anything is possible"
Commenting on the initiative, Country Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Intel West Africa, Mr. Adim Isiakpona expressed Intel’s commitment to bringing positive change in the African Girl Child.
Adim added that it was important to educate the girl child, affirming, “We at Intel believe that smart females are the equivalent of a smart world. We want to present Titilope as an icon of the endless capabilities in a woman when she is given the platform to express herself. We want a world where women’s lives are inspiring enough for a change.”
The “She Will Connect” initiative has a goal to reach and train 5 million young women in Africa on Information Communication Technology by 2020 and it has successfully hosted several programs to introduce women to technology in Nigeria, through workshops and trainings. The program which works closely with NGOs, government agencies, and other local business partners features three key program elements designed to help girls and women take advantage of the many opportunities provided through technology and Internet access: digital literacy; online peer network; and content and resources.
#SheWillConnect2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum Series 2015
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