Rapportive Extension- A must Have Gmail add on

I can sum up my feelings of the Rapportive extension:It is freakin awesome! I installed it on my Mozilla Browser a couple of months back and it has been a huge value add to my emailing program. Basically what it does is allows you to have more social overview of who you are emailing. As you can see in the picture I provided, if I was emailing myself, it brings up all my social profiles and at the bottom when you have had email correspondence already for someone it highlights the most recent interactions.

It is currently limited to a couple of browsers of which Internet Explorer is not included. You also need to have a gmail account as well. So it has its limitations for some but not for me. I am Chrome-Gmail advocate. I love it.

This is how it has changed my emails. It has allowed me to make it more personal. 90% of all the people I correspond with have at the very least a LinkedIn account. So when I start working on an email, the person whom I am emailing pops up on the right hand side. So now I actually have a face to email to. This is a huge game changer to me on how I emails. Emails can come across dry and canned because there is no face to face. This changes that. My friend Xela Wafs allowed me to use him as an example. So when I am emailing Xela I have his picture. When I hover over his Twitter or Facebook account it shows me what he posted last. I can click on recent mail and it opens a new window and I can review all of the emails that we have sent each other.

The other nice thing about it is that you can track those who have several accounts in social media, for example if Xela had two facebook accounts, it  reflects and I can be able to track it even if he was hiding one from me.
To me this is a must have Gmail add on for sure.

What is in a friend?

A friend of mine forwarded me this  nice Piece of article I had to share with you my readers .Hope you enjoy!!!

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning:
There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr.Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital , and she returned home with a fever.Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main

Ingredient: The Chicken.
But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.
So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

REMEMBER,,,,
EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY;
OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

One of the best things to hold onto in this world is a Friend……….So dont leave your friends even at time of challenges. Just be a real friend, i mean a good friend

Never take away anyone's hope. That may be all they have.
I believe we can all make beautiful impact across the globe, thanks.

Best of the Arab Spring- Why I posed Naked- A CNN Interview

This is the best of the revolution. The Youth are expressing their freedom in the way that has never been witnessed before. In Saudi Arabia, Women are defying driving bans. In Syria the Violence is spinning out of control as the youth fight for their freedoms.

The best tool in this revolution is the Social media. Twitter and Facebook generation is really bringing a change never seen before. 

The Egyptian blogger Aliaa Magda Elmahdy is a instant twitter hit for being part of the latest contriversial bloggers pressing for change,- This time Posing naked.

Read her CNN interview below.

Aliaa Elmahdy

 

                   (CNN) -- Egyptian blogger Aliaa Magda Elmahdy

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Egyptian blogger Aliaa Magda Elmahdy has become a household name in the Middle East and sparked a global uproar after a friend posted a photo of her naked on Twitter.

The photo, which the 20-year-old former student first posted on her blog, shows her naked apart from a pair of thigh-high stockings and some red patent leather shoes.

It was later posted on Twitter with the hashtag #nudephotorevolutionary. The tweet was viewed over a million times, while Elmahdy's followers jumped from a few hundred to more than 14,000.

Her actions have received global media coverage and provoked outrage in Egypt, a conservative Muslim country where most women wear the veil. Many liberals fear that Elmahdy's actions will hurt their prospects in the parliamentary election next week.

I took the photo myself using a timer on my personal camera
Aliaa Magda Elmahdy

Elmahdy describes herself as an atheist. She has been living for the past five months with her boyfriend, blogger Kareem Amer, who, in 2006 was sentenced to four years in a maximum security prison for criticizing Islam and defaming former president Hosni Mubarak.

Here she talks exclusively to CNN in Cairo about why she posed nude.

CNN: Why did you post a photo of yourself nude photo on Twitter, and why the red high heels and black stockings?

Elmahdy: After my photo was removed from Facebook, a male friend of mine asked me if he may post it on Twitter. I accepted because I am not shy of being a woman in a society where women are nothing but sex objects harassed on a daily basis by men who know nothing about sex or the importance of a woman.

The photo is an expression of my being and I see the human body as the best artistic representation of that. I took the photo myself using a timer on my personal camera. The powerful colors black and red inspire me.

CNN: Who is Aliaa Elmahdy inside the body portrayed in the nude photo?

Elmahdy: I like being different. I love life, art, photography and expressing my thoughts through writing more than anything. That is why I studied media and hope to take it further to the TV world too so I can expose the truth behind the lies we endure everyday in this world. I don't believe that we must have children only through marriage. It's all about love.

CNN: How have your Egyptian Muslim parents reacted? How do they feel about you living with your boyfriend unmarried?

Elmahdy: I last spoke to them 24 days back. They want to support me and get closer, especially after the photo was released, but they accuse Kareem of manipulating me. He has been my support system and has passed along their text messages to me. I dropped out of AUC (The American University in Cairo where she was a media student) months back after (my parents) attempted to control my life by threatening not to pay the fees.

CNN: The press has labeled you a revolutionary but you were not in Tahrir Square during the 18 days of the revolution in February this year. Is there a political element to you posing nude?

Most Egyptians are secretive about sex because they are brought up thinking sex is something bad and dirty
Aliaa Magda Elmahdy

Elmahdy: I was never into politics. I first joined the protests on May 27th because I felt the need to participate and decided I might be able to change the future of Egypt and refused to remain silent. I made it clear that I was not part of April 6th Movement (an Egyptian political group that came to prominence during the revolution) after the rumors were spread by remnants of Mubarak's National Democratic Party who wanted to capitalize on the reaction to the photo.

What shocked me is April 6th's statement clarifying that Aliaa Magda Elmahdy is not part of their organization and how they don't accept "atheism." Where is the democracy and liberalism they preach to the world? They only feed what the public wants to hear for their political ambitions.

CNN: What do you think about the forced virginity tests performed by the Egyptian military on more than a dozen girls arrested in Tahrir Square?

Elmahdy: I consider this rape. Those men in the military who conducted these tests should be punished for allowing this to happen without the consent of the girls in the first place. Instead, the girls walk around feeling the shame and most of them are forced to remain silent.

CNN: Do you practice safe sex in your sexual revolution?

Elmahdy: Most Egyptians are secretive about sex because they are brought up thinking sex is something bad and dirty and there is no mention of it in schools. Sex to the majority is simply a man using a woman with no communication between them and children are just part of an equation. To me, sex is an expression of respect, a passion for love that culminates into sex to please both sides.

I do practice safe sex but I don't take pills because I am against abortion. I enjoyed losing my virginity at the age of 18 with a man I loved who was 40 years older than me. Kareem Amer is the second man and the love of my life. The saying suits us: "Birds of the same feather flock together"

Many women wear the veil just to escape the harassment and be able to walk the streets
Aliaa Magda Elmahdy

CNN: How do you see women in the "New Egypt" and will you leave the country if the ongoing revolution fails?

Elmahdy: I am not positive at all unless a social revolution erupts. Women under Islam will always be objects to use at home. The (sexism) against women in Egypt is unreal, but I am not going anywhere and will battle it 'til the end. Many women wear the veil just to escape the harassment and be able to walk the streets. I hate how society labels gays and lesbians as abnormal people. Different is not abnormal!

CNN: What are your future plans with Kareem and will you find it hard to deal with your new notoriety?

Elmahdy: I have discovered who my real friends are, and I have Kareem who loves me passionately. He works as a media monitor and I am currently looking for a job. I embrace the simple things in life and I am a vegetarian ... I am a believer of every word I say and I am willing to live in danger under the many threats I receive in order to obtain the real freedom all Egyptian are fighting and dying for daily.

Commuting in Rural Africa

This is How Crazy Rural life Can be.

Remembering 9/11

I was a young child ten years ago and the story of a terrorist attack on American soil though distant shocked me to the core. Because I was still young I may not have been able to comprehend how such an attack could have happened or why it happened, but one thing is for sure tough I was 14 at the time I still remember the Moment I received the news on Radio, I was preparing to go on a school tour to Lake Bogoria and I remember Cursing Osama for the whole of this.

This year's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in America is special anniversary to me. I followed the proceeding via BBC world service and was touched by the messages Read by the US leaders and the for the first time in the ten Years I observed a moment of silence to mark the anniversary of commemorating a bottomless  evil of what happened on 9/11, 

Ground Zero Photo Courtesy of twitpic

The reason 9/11 is special for me in 2011 is because of what the American youth have done for me this year.
in my earlier post Being an alumna of egerton University , I mentioned about the connection to friends in the US. This are the people who are doing so much to change the world and improve the image of America outside of their homeland.I may not have learned much from 9/11 itself but I have learned more from the events that have happened after 9/11,
       "I am a beneficiary of online mentorship from American youth and I am who I am today thanks to them"

These are youth who take up their time to teach mentor the their counter parts in other parts of the world online, many of whom we have not met face to face.They have taught me so many lessons in life regarding my professional career and development, as we Commemorate the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, one Question is on everybody's mind, what has America learned in the last ten years? Many will agree with me that some of the decisions that the Ameerican  goverment made in reaction to the attack may not have been the best, e.g the war in Iraq and the detention centers.

The greatest lesson I have learnt is that it really is possible to unite and heal the world, the interaction with the Americans has helped me learn more about them and I am lucky to be among the ones who have seen the good side of America that sadly the media do not tell the world about. I have encoutered dozens of wonderful American youth who are now my mentors and life long friends and who are doing wonderful projects both in Africa and their home land to make the world a better place. People like Katharine Bierce of  Opera solutions , Jacob Geller of MCN Partners, Ted Gonder and Sashin of Moneythink, Jessie wild of Wikimedia, and  Vijaya Thakur of Resolve Network 

As we commemorate 9/11, I want to salute these wonderful Americans who have sown a seed that will definitely produce the best fruits. their collective effort will surely unite the world, heal the divide, good ways to relieve suspicion and enhance our trust in each other.
It is so unfortunate the the American Embassy in Nairobi denied me a US Visa to attend Millenium campus Conference at Harvard University where I had been invited as a speaker. 
This post is part of the what I planned to share at Harvard and I want to Say "God bless America"

Being a Alumni of Egerton University is the best thing that Happpend to me

Being a student at Egerton University will always be the best thing that ever happened to me. In my four years at Egerton as an Agribusiness student I  learned  a lot of things both in class and outside class that have really changed my life. 

I finished my exams on 8^th May 2011, and Reported to Job on Friday 10^th May 2011 having been employed as Agribusiness Officer at PAnAAC. The three months that have past have been one of the most exciting to me; I have attended conferences and major meetings in Places I could not have imagined I would set foot, not even in my wildest dreams.

The interaction with various industry leaders has made me a better person in life

Mr. Yariv Kader Head of Agronomy at Amiran Kenya, with Isaac in Meru Show.

 

Isaac with Yatta MP. Hon. Charles Kilonzo, inspecting development Projects in Yatta constituency.

The experience I have had after University has been so awesome, I remember during one of our Conferences that we attended with Prof. Kahi and Dr. Gamba at intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi.  I could not believe that two months out of college I would be sitting in the same table with my lecturers not as a student but as a professional colleague doing his part in Building the Nation. I have matured a lot by constantly interacting with my Lecturers and always getting back to them even in the middle of the night.

Isaac with Mr. Vimal Shah, CEO of Bidco at serena hotel.

My Achievements after University

Being the Agribusiness Officer at PAnAAC, I was in charge of student internship programme and in May 2011, we offered internships to 20 Egerton University Students. Their Programme was innovative in that we sent them to the field to assist the small scale farmers, and they  were being mentored by Professionals in the private sector , the students came out as real experts in the field with some writing business plans of their own and others helping farmers start up projects e.g. Fish pond in Eastern Kenya.

In June 2011, I was selected to Participate in a Conference call with the white house  house to Discuss about the first ladies trip to Africa. It was a big experience for me and I gained a lot of international Contacts after the call which has served to further my exposure in life.

In August I was among the four people selected to represent Africa at the annual Wikimania Conference in Haifa, Israel and I met with over 700 people from 56 countries in the world. . I Got the chance to meet with the Founder of Wikimedia Mr.Jimmy wales.

Isaac with Jimmy Wales Founder of Wikipedia- in Haifa, Israel

I have also been invited to Harvard University as a Panelist during the Millennium CampusConference , which will take place from 16^th – 18^th September, 2011. I will be discussing the Topic, Climate Change and Hunger and will get to meet over 1000 Student leaders and industry

The exposure I got by attending Agribusiness Trade fair at Hilton Hotel in November 2010 was the turning point in my life. I listened to a speech from Dr. Manu Chandaria and Mrs. Lucy Muchoki CEO of PanAAC which ignited a fire in me, I got so inspired and I felt I should emulate them. With the support of My Lecturers I started networking with professionals from all parts of the world and that’s when I started doing networking and connecting with organization like  Wikimedia Foundation ( Distributing offline version of Wikipedia in High schools), Google (Mapping agribusiness institutions in Kenya using goggle Maps) and Mozilla

Isaac with Mrs. Lucy Muchoki-Ceo PanAAC attending a Talk at Egerton Uni.

I also met connections  with friends in the US and who trained me on aspects that have proved to be my strengths so far- Professional  use of social networks, how to reply  professional emails.
I was also sponsored  for a three month mentorship programme at iHub Kenya and it has been a big plus to me.

The Secret behind my achievements so far is “My Lecturers and professional Mentors”. After coming back from the Hilton Conference, I used to visit their offices all the times when I was free just to receive advice and Professional guidance. I went even to offices of Lecturers who never taught me in class and they became my best friends always showing the Path to success.

Whenever I am faced with a difficult decision in my work place, I always refer to my Lecturers and my Professional Mentors for direction and Guidance.

To the students, , I want to say that beyond class work you need your  Lecturers and Professional  mentors- People like Mrs. Lucy muchoki, Vimal Shah and Dr. Manu Chandaria, more than anything else to succeed, forget finding one lecturer or professional for a role model. Instead look for different people for specific qualities and skills you want to emulate, never start with a person; start with the talent or trait.

All the best to all those Who are still pursuing their studies.

Best of (Wikimania 2011)-Israel Photos

Jimbo and I

Entry to Jerusalem

Party Time- Day two

Indian Team,Jessie and I

Alex, Ting Chen and Isaac

Isaac and Hillary-Mexico

Alex, Jessie, Meagan and Isaac

Isaac and Qamarniso Ismoilova- Uzbekistan

Isaac and Josh- Philipines

Isaac and Kat Walsh-US

Beach Party

Isaac Roger Bamkin -Wikimedia UK Chair

Alex, Kul wadwa and Isaac

Alex, Jessie and Isaac

Isaac and Mateus -Brazil

Isaac and Bishaka Datta -India

HOW I MADE IT TO ISRAEL

My recent trip to Israel was truly a trip of a lifetime. Many of my friends have kept asking me how I got the chance to travel to Israel and to be honest; I really don’t have the answer to that myself. I guess it’s a miracle, part of the marvelous opportunities that Wikimedia Foundation has to offer.
It all started a year ago when I was browsing through the Wikipedia website and I saw a photo of Jimmy Wales by then I did not know was the founder. When I clicked on the Photo it directed me to a link about Donations . I must admit I was surprised by this because to me I thought Wikipedia like many other dominant internet giants must be making millions of profits from its activities, I decided to do a research about it and it opened up a world that I never knew existed.
I learned of the followings things
1. That Wikipedia was founded 10 years ago and is one of the Several Projects of the Wikimedia Foundation, others being commons , wiktionary ,meta, wiki species……you can find others by yourself
2. That Wikipedia is not for profit making and is supported by donors.
3. That anybody Can edit contribute to Wikipedia through editing,wikiprojects and spreading the word
4. That there are Wikimedia chapters in many countries in the world and Kenya are in the final stages of forming a chapter.
5. That there is an annual international conference of the Wikimedia community called Wikimania and is organized by a local Chapter.
From the moment I learned this information, my life was never been the same again, I wanted to be part of the team that is transforming lives in a positive way and I  started by visiting the site of Kenyan Chapter and I was instantly rewarded with an invite to attend the 10th Anniversary at Strathmore University which was attended by the Chairman of the Wikimedia Board of Trustees Mr. Ting Chen. It was a surprise to me because within 30 minutes of visiting their site I received a phone call from Abbas, the Team Leader of Wikimedia Kenya inviting me to the anniversary celebrations and also giving me a chance to come along with my friends.
On the day of the anniversary I learned quite a number of things from Mr. Ting Chen’s Speech, most notable being that you can come up with idea and Wikimedia can make it a reality.
Having worked on youth empowerment projects for the past couple of years I saw this as another big opportunity for me and without giving it a second thought I Joined Wikimedia Kenya. We met and held several meetings in February 2011 with chapter members and they had a project that they had planned to do Wikipedia for Schools Project which is installing the offline version of Wikipedia in Kenya High schools. This was so interesting to me and although they had planned to do the pilot in three regions, my friends and I (From Egerton University) went ahead and installed the version in the schools in Rift Valley Province even before the Pilot started.
It was during this time that I came up with the idea of Wikipedia chapters in Universities. I posted it on the Wikimania 2011 submissions page and I did not expect people to notice it because I was new to Wikimedia and had not even started editing.
A Days weeks after I posted my submission, I received an email from Haifa indicating that they had seen my submission and will get back to me, I was so excited that for once I will get a chance to be in a place I have so longed for-Jerusalem. I really wanted to know if what we have been reading in the bible actually exists. Jessie wild from the Foundation also saw my Submission and she really guided and inspired me to make my project a reality in Kenya, I felt so inspired that I had the support of someone from the foundation and I mobilized students from Egerton university to start up the Pilot chapter. Miracle
At around mid May I got a heart break, my submission was OK but unfortunately I had not been editing Wikipedia for long and so I did not qualify for a scholarship. I was so sad but I never gave up on the dream of going to Israel and I kept believing that somehow a miracle will happen and I will find myself in Israel. Indeed a miracle happened because I woke up one morning to find an Email from people I had not met or heard of before, The message was as follows.

Hi Isaac, how much will it cost to get you to Wikimania and back?

Wikimedia UK are willing to cover the costs of your flight, train and room in Haifa. Receipts will be required. I estimate the total cost would be 1,600 dollars. I must warn you that we may not able to return the money to you quickly. If it is very important then we may be able to arrange an advance of funds (but this would take time also).

I hope that is not too complex and will allow you to present your paper in Haifa.

Please confirm your acceptance.

I was so excited because just two days before that I had received a flight ticket to attend millennium Campus Conference at Harvard University. I had to hurriedly apply for my Passport and Visa because I had less than 30 days before my travel to Israel
In Summary, I must say a Big thank you to Wikimedia UK for sponsoring my travel to attend the Conference. It was the most awesome week of my life and I have learned a lot and made friends from all over the world.
To the African Youth, I wanna say that Wikimedia foundation offers you exciting opportunities that you never imagined before. You will get the chance to meet people you never imagined you could meet, learn things you never knew before and also get a chance to make your ideas a reality.


In my next post I will be sharing with you about my experiences from Israel.
.

A young Generation of Farmers-The social Network Farmers is what we Need for a food Secure Africa

Last week I read an article in the Capital FM news website http://tinyurl.com/youngfarmer  where, Lucy Kimani, head of the Kenya Coffee Producers' Association argues that "The average age of a Kenyan farmer is about 55 years and I think I'm being conservative. So without somebody to carry the mantle... the sector is under threat,"

To me this is a strong statement and a direct challenge to the Facebook Generation who have always been complaining that as the youth they are not given time to demonstrate their abilities

The Question I always ask myself is, are we up to the challenge? Can we as youth take up the Role of revolutionizing Agriculture? 
A growing number of young people are making a business through farming in Kenya and they are making millions out of it. They're opening up small farms dairy and horticulture farms. Take for example the story of Douglas Kanji, who at 26 has 57 Cows 30 of them producing milk. http://tinyurl.com/younggenerationfarmer. This is the change that we want our fellow youth to embrace-the Appreciation of Agriculture as a business and the only Major driver to Economic independence in Kenya and the Rest of Africa.

In Most parts of our continent I am sure we have so many youth who share similar stories to that of Mr. Kanji,  and face the same hurdles, one of the biggest being securing capital and getting the mentorship that is relevant for the kind of sub- sector they are in. But with the coming of social network the youth are finding creative ways to reach their goals and discuss the challenges they face in Sector.  

Successful solutions to difficult and hard to define problems in the agribusiness sector are unlikely to emerge from a single person or organization to tackle these problems we need to unite as a team because team work can do wonders. That is why I Laud the initiative by Pan African Agribusiness and Agro Industry Consortium PanAAC to start up a social network http://network.panaac.org/  purely dedicated to networking and sharing ideas in the Agribusiness field. This Network brings together experts in the Agribusiness Sector.
It is a network for all those who are passionate, ambitious, adventurous and committed to bringing the talent, Knowledge and resources as we share ideas and constructively come up with solutions we face in the Agribusiness sector and represents a movement in agriculture that hasn't been seen since the turn of the last century..
As a Facebook Generation farmer this is your  opportunity to utilize the knowledge, skills and technical knowhow to help the farmers solve their farming problems from production, transportation, processing, value addition, marketing agribusiness innovation and all related fields feel free to post a topic and contribute to discussions

I am urging all youth to join http://network.panaac.org/ and be part of a growing crop of beginner farmers, young people who are choosing to make a business of farming in Africa.

Google Kwetu Map Maker Competition

Would you like your town,religious institution,school, the agribusiness institutions or even your village to be on Google maps? Well here is your Chance, KIYCE in collaboration with PanAAC  is running a competition in Kenyan universities and colleges dubbed "Kwetu Map Maker Competition" This competition gives a chance to the  students to give back to the community  by mapping areas they know and love using  Google Map Maker. Google Map Maker allows you to add and update geographic information for millions of users to see in Google Maps and Google Earth. By sharing information about the places you know, like businesses in your town or places on your school campus, you can ensure the map accurately reflects the world around you.
As a competitor this is your chance to be recognized and rewarded for your mapping contributions. The competition winner will be a local hero. Top mapping contributors will appear on Google Map Maker and ultimately on Google Maps besides winning lots of  great . Register for the Competition here goo.gl/uuOOs

Conference Call from Whitehouse

The main Agenda of the Conference call was to discuss the First Lady's upcoming trip to South Africa and Botswana.
 The conference lasted one and half hours and it Started at exactly 11:45 PM EAT with 15 minutes registration. The following was the required personal details for registration,

• Name of individual
• Organization you are representing
• The Country you are from.
• The contacts.
• 
  

After that, the Conference call discussions started with around 100 participants.
It started with an introduction from the Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to the First Lady, and Jocelyn Frye, Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady: They gave a detailed schedule of the places the first Lady is going to visit on her trip to the two countries, The historic and political importance of these venues and the expected outcomes of the trip.
After this, it was Question and answer time.
 PanAAC representative, Isaac Kosgei was among the eight who were selected to ask questions.
 On behalf of PanAAC, Isaac asked the below question

“At PanAAC we are interested in engaging the youth in Agribusiness because we are convinced that the future for African Continent is Agribusiness. The youth must be supported with finance to start up innovative projects in ICT and Agribusiness but they do not own land or any collateral, what is the US government doing in regard to this”
The below points were Noted:

• The Obama Administration is keen on ensuring the development in the African continent and they continue to supported several projects in Africa through   USAID.
• The Obama administration are looking for ways to foster the spirit on entrepreneurship and the first lady trip is a vehicle to showcase and highlight the US commitment towards the support of the Youth in Africa and the world at large, this is a continuation of what President Obama started in 2010 with the Youth Leaders forum in Whitehouse. The first lady has taken this up with a trip to UK, Brazil, India, Mexico and other Countries
• They are planning a meeting early next year to discuss Agribusiness and they will invite a number of innovative leaders on the Ground to this meeting to share ideas on Agribusiness and Youth empowerment.
• Organizations like PanAAC are encouraged to highlight and showcase the extraordinary work they are doing on the Ground particularly on Youth and Agribusiness. They said we  share success stories through the white house Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/DOSAfricanAffairs?sk=wall  the white house twitter Hashtag  #Young Africa
• They also challenged the Youth especially in Africa to take part in creation of the best democracies.

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA AND BOTSWANA
Official visit continues the First Lady’s work engaging youth at home and abroad

First Lady Michelle Obama announced that she will travel to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa and Gaborone, Botswana during an official visit to Africa from June 21 – 26 focused on youth leadership, education, health and wellness. The trip is a continuation of Mrs. Obama’s work to engage young people at home and abroad, from mentoring students in the United States and encouraging them to gain international experience, to encouraging young people to excel academically, serve, and lead during her visits to Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom.  Accompanying Mrs. Obama on this trip will be her mother, Mrs. Robinson and her daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama.
This visit to two critical countries will underscore the United States important stake in the success of Africa's many nations. It will underscore the historic connections between the American people and the Africans.  South Africa is a vital global partner for the United States, a political leader and economic engine on the continent, and a historic example of democratic transition in Africa and around the world. Botswana’s enduring democracy, bolstered by its commitment to using its vast natural resources to invest in its people and grow its economy, models the potential for good governance, and strong institutions to advance prosperous and stable societies.
In addition to advancing her international youth engagement agenda, the First Lady’s events will amplify the President’s support for democracy, development and economic opportunity across Africa.  During her trip, Mrs. Obama will deliver the keynote address to a U.S.-sponsored Young African Women Leaders Forum in South Africa.  Forum participants include young women from across sub-Saharan Africa who are leading or involved in social and economic initiatives in their own countries.  The Forum will build on the Obama Administration’s ongoing engagement with the next generation of African leaders and the momentum of the August 2010 President’s Forum with Young African Leaders held at the White House.
Mrs. Obama’s engagement with the people of South Africa and Botswana, as well as women and youth leaders from across sub-Saharan Africa will further strengthen the already deep connections between the United States and African nations. The Obama Administration has focused on expanding ties across the region's people, based upon mutual respect, mutual responsibility and shared interests. In 2009 in Accra, Ghana, the President highlighted our nation’s commitment to Africa's future, underscoring that in this globalized world, Africa's democratic development, health and security is connected to our own.
Africa's future will be shaped by its growing and dynamic youth population. Building stronger and more enduring relationships with Africa’s emerging young leaders, tapping the strength and potential of African women, and investing in the health and well-being of its children upholds core American values and advances American interests.
From long standing family and ancestral ties to significant engagement by our houses of worship, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and businesses, the American people have deep ties and enduring relationships with Africa’s many nations with a strong interest in the wellbeing and prosperity of its people.  In addition, each year more than 30,000 African students study in American schools, colleges and universities, while more than 10,000 American students study in schools across Africa.  The United States government also sponsors a range of exchange programs supporting African leadership, economic growth and cultural ties between our two people.