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Towards Knowledge That Empowers

Published

1 year ago

October 12, 2019

By : Michael P M Mhlanga
The ethos, values, and fundamentals of every society are interwoven with its knowledge base and its internal and external pace in terms of progress rides on the waves of its academic endeavors. The value and ethos of education are engraved in the ideals and principles that we, as people embrace as we climb up the steep slope of success or go down the valleys of failure.
This writer believes in the sanctity of a society’s knowledge base as it is the determinant of the standing of that society in relation to its human and natural environment and the legality of its claims for a place in the global terrain. It is, therefore, upon this ideology that the writer decided to delve a little bit deeper into the murky pools of the academic terrain and try to fish out the values of this terrain in relation to the human elements that depend upon such a pool.
As a recent graduate from Great Zimbabwe University and a holder of the Bachelor of Education Honors Degree Secondary Pre-service with Geography as my area of specialty, the inert stimuli that kindled my love for education grew from my poor background and my exposure and interaction with other people from the so-called “elite society”. As an individual hailing from a society embroiled in the pains of a difficult and hard life, I traversed the academic terrains with a unique purpose, of bringing back to my society that which they crave for, the knowledge that empowers.
I saw in education, a new ideology of how society is controlled and manipulated. Throughout my academic journey, I realized the inebriety of the uneducated soul which is easily manipulated sometimes to the detriment of the society. What inspired me was my craving for an enlightened learner so that my society is not duped by others and emboldens them to venture into the world and explore its prospects and precincts. It was my affection for learning that pushed me this far and the same yearning is pushing me to go further, to unravel more obscurities in education. I desire to see a changed society and the young people therein.
I, therefore, swore to myself, that I must ride on the wings of my academic success and strive to achieve that which my society craves for, the knowledge that empowers. The human mind is such a delicate element that is easily manipulated in a manner that can be detrimental to the individual and society. This element, if properly and timeous harnessed is a tool that can make the society to move with unprecedented speedy through the valleys of economic success and the mountains of social and political growth.
Each field as presented by the human mind, in the academic terrain, provides an indelible link to the chain of societal success. The economic and political gurus are not made by the magnetic aroma that might seem to surround them, but by the small elements that are gathered together by their managers, accountants, bookkeepers, historians, secretaries, receptionists, agents, drivers, cooks, skilled domestic workers, cleaners, builders, bankers, till operators, waiters, guards and all those that converge on one company, institution, home, government, ministry or church for one purpose. In short, an individual might seem to be uneducated personally, but he or she always rides on the wings of academic success as provided by all those who surround him.
Therefore, this academic field is an indelible element of society’s success. It is my wish to see my society riding on the waves of academic success and attain that which it craves for, the knowledge that empowers. Throughout my academic journey, I have realized that many individuals who are released by institutions of knowledge in my society are sometimes devoid of the appropriate academic skills that qualify them to act in a highly competitive local and international environment.
During my undergraduate studies, I got exposed to students from secondary schools. My interaction with these learners has made a new reality to dawn upon me which is the volatility and fragility of the human mind. This exposure has made me realize how the human mind can be manipulated easily for the benefit or detriment of the individual and/or society as a whole. I have come across learners with the ability to succeed in life for the better but sadly it has turned to be otherwise as a result of negligence by teachers. My interactions with these learners brought me to a sad reality that many educators are more concerned with getting their salaries and coaching learners only to pass but not to know with a Cram, Pass and Forget mantra.
This has made me have a desire to delve deeper into the murky waters of the education sector of my society and attempt to stabilize them by providing the intellectual resource that is needed for such a feat. It is my desire to see a society that is enlightened. As I further interacted with the young minds of my society, I realized that the education system of my society has inadvertently helped to create a delinquent society which is rich in the book knowledge but poor in the realities of everyday life due to limited exposure and focusing more on bench and desk education. The explorative stimuli which should be activated by the rightful teaching seem to be dead. It lacks what it craves for, the knowledge that empowers.
When I look at my society, I feel the pains of a dejected soul, I see a people whose intellectual; faculties are devoid of knowledge, I see a people whose reasoning is drowned in the ideals of hand to mouth consumption and I see a backward people. When I look at my society, I see visions of youths moving in a jumbo mumbo fashion with no valuable resource of their own, talk more of employment. As I move in the ghetto town which I hail from, I see pools in the middle of the road, gullies where there should be settlements, derelict buildings, decaying infrastructure and economic despondency. My society needs an intellectual remedy to acquire that which they crave for, the knowledge that empowers.
Recently, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe revised the curriculum for Ordinary and Advanced level in an attempt to create learners that are skills-based. This was further cemented by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education’s initiative of supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects at Advanced level. What they forgot though, is the fact that the individual mindset is not changed by changing the curriculum but by changing the behavior. My four years as an undergraduate have taught me that nations are not built by politicians but by intellects, think-tanks, owners of knowledge and academic authorities. Being skillful in a vocational subject such as agriculture or woodwork can be null and void if the individual lacks the proper mind-set and will which usually comes with intellect. That is why my nation suffered for long because they believe more in being literate only and being skillful in vocational areas but are ignorant of the need to create wealth for themselves and their societies.
Understanding STEM is their prerogative but it’s not enough. There is a need for society with such knowledge, as will be competitive on the international academic market when a comparative analysis is taken. Society should rise up and take a claim in the academic terrains of this global village that we are living in. My desire is not to see a society that is rooted in medievalism and archaic knowledge systems but one that is modern. The society should be aware of the fact that skills without a will are devoid of knowledge and will without skills is devoid of ability.
Therefore, when we look at our individual selves, and when we conduct an in-depth self-analysis, we should see ourselves as an academically able individual whose qualities can be enhanced by further education and appropriately tapped for the betterment of the society.
The economic, political and social scenario that underpins our society should push us to forge ahead in academia and bring back that which my society craves for, education and enlightenment. We should act as a catalyst that speeds up the necessary change the community is yearning for. Ours is a duty of liberating the minds from the shackles of deprivation and the pools of solitudes that society is embroiled in. We have the mandate to realign the intellects of OUR society in such a way that they are not coerced into being stooges of the powerful but they become creators of wealth and participants in the global and local arena. There is an adage in my own mother language that says “Chitsva chiri murutsoka” which when directly translated means “New things are brought by traveling”. Let the US bring back new things to OUR society. Let us be the change that society craves for. We will bring that which society yearns for, the knowledge that empowers.
Michael P M Mhlanga is a 24-year-old author of 7 books, numerous articles, and commentaries. The young man is a recent graduate from Great Zimbabwe University, a motivational speaker, preacher, debater, and public speaker.
mhlangamichaelmp4@gmail.com
+263717744048/0785265866

Related Topics:Action Education Knowledge Success

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FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE

14 Ways To Earn Passive Income In 2021

Published

1 week ago

January 19, 2021

motimagz

By: Claire Makoni

Earn Songwriting Royalties

If you love to write music, you can create passive income by recording your songs and then publishing them through a variety of channels. You earn royalties anytime your music is played on streaming services like Apple Music, or Spotify, or played on the radio. You can even license your music for TV, movies, and videos without the backing of a major record label.

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Purchase Music Royalties

Perhaps your talent isn’t to write music. That’s ok, you can still get into the music royalty game by purchasing the rights to song catalogues owned by other artists. Royalty Exchange is an online auction that allows you to bid on existing music catalogues. These are songs that are already earning regular, passive income for their current owners. When you purchase music royalties, you’re buying the future cash flow, which is purely passive income.

Photo Licensing

Photographers can build passive income by selling stock photos online. You’ll need to produce lots of content to earn a decent amount of money, but it can be a nice supplement to other, more labor-intensive work, like wedding or family photography. One benefit to stock photo licensing is that you can sell the same pictures to many different buyers. There is no shortage of stock photo websites where you can sell your work. Dreamstime and Snapwire are just two of the more popular stock photo sites out there.

Record an Audiobook

One of the best ways for content creators to increase their income is by releasing their content in as many formats as possible. For example, if you’ve written a paperback book or even an ebook, you’ll want to consider recording an audiobook version. There is no shortage of people who prefer listening to books instead of reading them. You can record the audio yourself, or pay someone else to do it for you. Once your audiobook is ready to go, it can be available for purchase online for years, making it the ideal passive income source.

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Buy and Sell Domain Names

Buying and selling domain names is a bit like trading on the stock market. The goal is to buy low and sell high, but there can be some risk involved. There are people who earn good money buying domain names that they believe will increase in value over time, with the hopes of selling at a profit.

Start a Blog

Over time, it’s possible to create multiple passive income streams with a blog, through affiliate marketing, or display advertising, for example. But building a blog from scratch is anything but passive. You’ll need to be consistent in creating new content, and spend time promoting your blog. One of the best things about blogging is the low barrier of entry. If you have a computer and a wifi connection, you can get started for as little as a few dollars per month.

Start a Podcast

It seems everyone has a podcast these days, and while many people do it out of pure enjoyment, there’s a lot of money that can be made. As you build a reliable following, you can begin selling advertising via sponsorships to brands that wish to get in front of your audience. Make no mistake, there’s a lot of work involved in finding guests and conducting interviews, but the opportunity to build a passive income stream is there.

Start a YouTube Channel

If you can consistently create videos that people want to watch, you can build an audience on Youtube. This is important because, with an audience, you can begin to make money, by joining the YouTube Partner Program. Most of your earnings will come from ads, which are aired within your video content, however, there are more ways to make money. YouTube can also drive traffic to your website and social media channels, making passive income opportunities endless.

Sell Digital Products/Downloadables

Thousands of people earn passive income by creating digital products that people can download and use. From spreadsheets to productivity tools, calendars, and checklists, the possibilities are endless. Once you’ve created your winning product, you can make it available for download on your own website, or through a third-party platform.

Develop an Online Course

If you have expertise in a specific area, rest assured there’s someone out there willing to pay you for your knowledge. You can create an ebook on the topic, or develop an online course, and then sell it on your own website, or on an online learning marketplace like Udemy. No skill is too small to share with others. You could sell a course on creating a killer resume, starting a podcast, or how to travel hack a trip to Europe. With online courses, most of the hard work happens early on, when you’re creating the content. From there, with an effective marketing strategy, you’ll have yourself a nice, passive income stream.

Run Website Display Ads

If you have your own website, you can sign up to have ads displayed within the content on your site. The most well-known ad service is Google Adsense. Adsense displays ads that are relevant to your site content and that match your visitor’s preferences. When guests engage with an ad, you make money. Also, the higher your site traffic, the higher your income.

Affiliate Marketing

If you have your own blog or website, one of the best ways to make passive income is through affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing involves promoting someone else’s product or service, and earning a commission whenever a sale is generated directly from your recommendation. The most well-known affiliate program may be the one run by online retail giant Amazon, but there are thousands of other companies with programs of their own. Affiliate income takes time to build, but if you’re successful, it can be one of the best ways to make passive income.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a form of e-commerce where the seller doesn’t hold the product, instead, it’s shipped to the customer directly from the supplier. The seller’s job is to find products to buy at a wholesale price, and then sell them at the retail price, by advertising them through an e-commerce store, like Shopify. When orders are placed, they go directly to the supplier who ships the product to the customer. The seller profits from the spread between the retail and wholesale price. Dropshipping has become very competitive, but if you can find a product that people want, and sell it at a profit, there’s lots of passive income to be made.

Learn to Outsource

If you’re an entrepreneur, chances are you have a tendency to want to control all aspects of your business. After all, no one else understands it as you do, nor is anyone else as invested as you are. But the problem with doing everything yourself is that the money you make becomes anything but passive.

SUCCESS STORIES

Dr. Vere’s Coat of Many Colours

Published

2 weeks ago

January 14, 2021

Gilbert Sikanyika

By Gilbert Sikanyika

Doctor Kudzanai Vere belongs to the group of African young Turks determined to conquer the world and leave permanent foot-steps on the sands of life.

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I have known Dr. Vere through social interactions over the years and I have come to know him as a pragmatic, hard-working, and purpose-driven person. He sets high goals and when he attains those goals, he sets even higher goals. He places a high premium on his aspirations. He challenges himself to challenge challenges in his life. He does not take “no” for an answer…He knocks, knocks, and keeps knocking until doors of opportunities fling open before him. He is tenacious and aggressive in his daily operations. He does not wait for opportunities; instead, he creates opportunities for himself. He is a workaholic if ever there was one.

He was compelled to stop school in form 4 due to family financial constraints but that could not deter him from pursuing his dreams. He started working as a Receiving and Costing Clerk at Redstar in Nyanga in Zimbabwe and he rose through the ranks to become Branch Manager within a spell of three years. He was arguably the youngest Branch Manager heading a Blue Chips Company when he was only 22 years old.

Doctor Vere has “A coat of many colours.” He is an entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker of international repute. He enjoys developing people in areas such as Entrepreneurship, Personal Development, Practical Business Management, Organizational Development, Financial Literacy, and Leadership Development.

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Just what makes him tick

He gets inspiration from motivating himself and others. His life gets better when he impacts lives in Business related issues. He was born in a family of 10 in a remote area of Zimbabwe in Nyanga. He went to Maereka primary school, Nyatate school, and Mapako High School. He has also attended: Zimbabwe Open University, British College Of Professional Management, Coppetstone University among others. He has:

Diploma in Accounting
Diploma In Accounting In Business Management
Bcom Accounting
Certified Public Accountancy
-Master of Arts in Leadeship and Management
-Registered Public Accounting
-Certified Forensic
-Doctorate in Phylosophy in Entrepreneurship among others.

Dr. Vere is also a notable and versatile writer whose books such as Becoming A Person Of Impact and Exceed Beyond The Ordinary have blessed multitudes of people. It seems he is a “Jack of all trades and master of everything.”

His books have impacted the hordes of people from all walks of life because of the nuggets of life they carry. His presence is being felt almost everywhere and so far so good. Although he never completed formal education, he is a self-made man who has managed to school himself and has acquired a string of diplomas and degrees and was recently conferred with a Doctorial degree in recognition of his teachings and passion for entrepreneurship.

“The whole of my adult life I have been learning business at times passively and at other times actively. I have vast years of business management, ” he said. His ultimate goal in life is to become an oasis of inspiration in Business circles. He is married to a lovely lady Fortune who is the Managing Director of the family business empire. Doctor Vere is also blessed with a wife and five children.

Gilbert Sikanyika is a Writing Prophet based in Zambia