He is the man of the moment and he is now the most powerful man in the world. Being the president of the United States of America the world leader in global politics and economics is a privilege that only 45 other men have enjoyed. The incumbent is the oldest president in US history but he is also the most experienced president with 50 years of experience in the political field. Serving in different portfolios from Senate, vice presidency, and various other portfolios.

JOSEPH ROBINETTE BIDEN, Jr, was born November 20, 1942, in Scranton, PA, the first of four siblings. In 1953, at the age of 13 Biden family moved from Pennsylvania to Claymont, DE. He grew up suffering from speech impairment and other kids mocked him for that, however, he overcame his challenge by memorizing and reciting poems practicing them in front of the mirror. Joe attended St Helena High School until being admitted into the Archemere Academy a highly-rated educational institution. In some instances, Joe had to clean the windows of the school and weeding the school gardens so that he could help his family with the school tuition. As an American football player, Joe was described by his former coach as one of the good pass receivers he has coached in 2 decades despite his skinny stature. In 1961 Joe graduated from the Archmere Academy and proceeded to the University of Delaware.

He then graduated from the University of Delaware before getting his law degree at Syracuse Law School in 1968. In 1970 he was elected as a Councilor at New Castle County Council. Then, at age 29, he became the youngest person ever elected to the U.S. Senate at that time. Just weeks after the election, tragedy struck the Biden family when Joe Biden’s wife, Neilia, and their 1-year-old daughter, Naomi, were killed and their two young sons critically injured in an auto accident. Joe Biden was sworn into the U.S. Senate at his sons’ hospital bedsides and began commuting to Washington every day by train, a practice he maintained throughout his career in the Senate.

 In 1977, Joe Biden married Jill Jacobs. Jill Biden, who holds a Ph.D. in education, is a lifelong educator. As a Senator from Delaware for 36 years, Joe Biden established himself as a leader in facing some of the US’s most important domestic and international challenges. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 17 years, then-Senator Biden was widely recognized for his work on criminal justice issues, including the landmark 1994 crime law and the Violence Against Women Act. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 12 years, he played a critical role in shaping U.S. foreign policy. He has been at the forefront of issues and legislation related to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, post-cold war Europe, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia.

As the 46^th Vice President of the United States, serving under Barrack Obama. Joe Biden continued his leadership on important issues that the US faced. Joe Biden was tasked with implementing and overseeing the $840 billion stimulus package in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which helped to rebuild the US economy and lay the foundation for a sustainable economic future. Joe Biden drew upon his years in the U.S. Senate to work with Congress on key issues including the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. As a longtime advocate against sexual assault and domestic violence. Joe Biden was appointed the first-ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. Joe Biden was also tasked with convening sessions of the President’s Cabinet and leading interagency efforts, particularly to reduce gun violence and raise the living standards of middle-class Americans in his role as chair of the Middle-Class Task Force.

Joe Biden advised President Obama on international issues. The 46^th President of the United States of America was a leading architect of the U.S. strategic vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. During his time in the Senate, he led the effort to enlarge NATO to include the former Warsaw Pact countries of Eastern and Central Europe after the collapse of the Iron Curtain. In February 2015 Biden laid out a vision for how to revitalize NATO, strengthen democratic institutions in Europe, prioritize investments to bolster energy security, and grow trade and investment ties across the Atlantic. He led the administration’s effort to support a sovereign, democratic Ukraine, visiting the country three times in 2014. In the Middle East, the new US President was deeply involved in shaping U.S. policy toward Iraq, visiting the country several times. He met with the leaders from around the Middle East and championed Israel’s security.

The new President also played an active role in supporting the administrations rebalance to the Asia-Pacific. He developed deep relationships with the region’s leaders, demonstrating U.S. commitment to a high level, face-to-face diplomacy. Vice President Biden was the administration’s point person for diplomacy within the Western Hemisphere. He worked to realize his vision of a hemisphere that is ‘‘middle class, secure, and democratic, from Canada to Chile and everywhere in between.’’ In this capacity, the Vice President led the administration’s regional efforts to address economic, social, governance, and citizen security challenges. Joe Biden represented the US in every region of the world, traveling to more than two dozen countries including Afghanistan, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, and Ukraine.

After serving with distinction under the 44^th President of the United States of America former President Barack Obama, Joe Biden was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2017. In April 2019 Joe Biden officially announced his candidacy and ambition to serve as the president of the United States of America. By June 2019 he had secured the threshold needed to secure a nomination. He launched a robust campaign that was highlighted by inclusiveness, tolerance, and acceptance regardless of race, religion, and culture. He appointed Kamala Harris as his running mate in August 2020 and Kamala a woman of color and with an Indian background, Joe proved to be a person who believes in inclusivity and tolerance. After a highly heated campaign with his competitor Donald J Trump, Joe Biden won the United States of America election on the 8^th of November. He secured the required college votes and he received the highest ever popular vote than any other president in US history. Despite the Corona Virus pandemic he managed to triumph over Donald J Trump and the 20^th of January will remain as a day that the world saw another man who came from humble beginnings be inaugurated as the 46^th President of the United States of America.

From weeding gardens to supplement his tuition to the oval, waiting for his time for over 5 decades serving as vice president to Obama a person 20 years younger than him. Joe Ruminate Biden Jr has waited for so long to realize his dream, despite his shortcomings like any other human he has shown us what a life of service means and he has arrived at the helm of the highest office in world politics. His experience will go a long way in shaping the trajectory of world politics in the coming four years.

Compiled by

Munyaradzi, Z. Chikomba.

Background

Munyaradzi Zindi Chikomba (The Social Architect) is a Co-founder & Executive Chairperson of the Shanduko Foundation. He is a content creator and serial columnist who writes articles on social commentary and social affairs. He is passionate about building and shaping society through digital advocacy and media. He is an Editor in Chief at Peach Media Trust.

By: Lesley Machimbidza

It is such a worrying issue when my fellow Africans look at the continent’s underdevelopment and blame it on the various head of states and those who are in influential positions. The truth is that Africa’s underdevelopment is supposed to be attributed to the lack of passion that we Africans exude towards our continent.

During the early stages of socialization, a child is instilled with the belief that he or she is an African and he has to know that they are inferior to other races. I grew up in a family where I was told that to have a better life, I ought to work hard, earn certificates and qualifications and fly to the west or the east to graze on the so-called “greener pastures”. I lived with such a dream for quite a while in my life but I have only realized that it is drawing the continent behind.

Why do we need to go to other continents to be who we wish to be? Why can’t we be who we want to be in our continent? There is an old saying which says “home is best” but in Africa, it seems like it is non-existent as most Africans have considered leaving their various home countries to stay in other continents. We are responsible for the lack of development that our continent faces because we use the gifts, talents, and endowments that we have for the benefit of other continents. Most of the educated Africans and talented individuals have since left our continent and have gone to render their services and skills to other continents which end up benefitting out of it. It is irrational of us as Africans, we are not be forced to leave the continent, we are leaving it ourselves. After we get established out there, we forget of our roots, we forget our foundation and we even point fingers at our fellow kinsman who would have remained behind at home.

If Africa has to be great, it needs us as Africans to be passionate about it. All the ‘spaghetti roads’ and tech-oriented life that is in other continents can be achieved in Africa as long we put up our minds on it and work on solving the problems that are being faced by the continent. All we need is unity and team spirit as we tackle the problems we have in our continent. If we are to see Africa being prosperous, we need to unite as Africans and make a positive impact on it rather than fleeing to other continents.

The reason why we are referred to as an inferior race is that our actions and way of doing things shows it. We ought to show that our continent is the best and it takes us as Africans. Let us work hard, let us persevere, and change our continent. We have the resources, we have the facilities and it takes us as Africans to bring change to it. Embrace being African, after all, BLACK IS BEAUTY!!

By: Vimbai Tanyanyiwa

Most times people make so many mistakes along the way which are always overlooked as non-existent just because people end up seeing the finished product never the journey. I started doing poultry 5 years ago after I had been retrenched from work and I had to push myself to find an alternative source of income that was going to keep me alive. Most people look at poultry rearing as something just so easy yet not considering a lot of factors that need to be adhered to for you to produce the best quality of chickens when the time is due.

It’s so easy for people to just say in 6 weeks (dzinenge dzaita) they will be up for harvest – but what of the mistakes and endurance that you make as you start; the casualties you endure the first awful winters before you know how to withstand the cold so as not to have a lot of the chickens dying? Chickens just like anything dear; require a lot of care and attention as they grow. But one of my first mistakes, when I started, was never accepted that as much as it is about money- passion has to drive you so you create the determination to succeed in the intended project.

I lost a lot of chickens within batches due to negligence & mismanagement & overzealous behaviour of putting my trust in employees & not being hands-on committed to the project, which I feel is not my mistake alone. Every project requires a person who monitors whoever employed so you don’t suffer losses. In looking for workers do most ever consider if the one being employed has the necessary skill or knowledge pertaining to that project or we just employ? Well, my mistake was just employing & sadly daily I would be told one or two have died, coming from a person with no remorse who felt it was ok for chickens to just die yet you trying to generate income from that & a livelihood.

Until I had to self introspect and understand that no person will put in as much concern and care into the project except you the owner who is pumping money into it so it survives. I then pushed myself to be hands-on until I noticed that it was very possible to have over 90% survival rate, not the bigger losses I was suffering before. During terrible winters it proved that the lamps were not adequate on their own but I had to come up with another technique to warm up the chickens since most were dying from the cold. That’s when I learnt from a Good Samaritan about the use of charcoal & mbaura in foul runs to help ease the crisis. But it had to be strategic since too much heat too would then kill them as well so it had to be proportional.

I had gotten to a point where I feared buying any batches in Winter for most wouldn’t survive but after that, I wasn’t scared to endure the winters as I had now learned how to fight the winter mania.
Not buying any batches in Winter meant no income & no income meant problems & stresses of accumulating bills which would, in turn, get to be difficult to settle. Another one of the many mistakes I had to make along the journey was accumulating debts & failing to pay them having to then ruin relationships I had with friends & family when I failed to honour up. Debts in any way always come up when we are in tight situations & we wish to solve them urgently but always end up creating more problems when we fail to pay them.

So I have learnt along the way to at least be content with what is there & work with what’s available.
Or forever be one to never really see the profits as every little money you get ends up being channeled to clear the debts. I am not really well organized in this area yet but I am striving to. Pressure from societal expectations and always wanting to live in the fast lane is never good for business. At times you need to make peace with the fact that; we were all given different lives & opportunities & we run different races. It’s not your duty to then try to always be in competition with friends & colleagues & family even when your budget doesn’t warrant you to.

Running a business demands discipline & control that puts you on the right path otherwise you run the risk of tarnishing your brand if one day you wake up being named & shamed for providing poor service to your clients