When I was around two my mother left me with my father for a couple of hours to run some errands. My father decided that we could take a nap and we both did fall asleep. Apparently I decided to wake up and play and since he always was a heavy sleeper he didn’t wake up. I found my mother’s red lipstick and decided to paint my face, my clothes, his face, the bed sheets, the curtains and everything else my two year old hands could reach. My mother came home to a full load in the washing machine.
Today I was baking some brownies and was in the kitchen for 6 minutes and left little Lulu in the living room to play, I heard a noise that I wasn’t really expecting and ran out to see. There was the little innocent angel all covered in red candle wax. She had managed somehow to pull herself up to the TV table and pull down my red candle and dig her nails into it. That was not enough fun so she somehow got candle wax in her toes as well, her clothes, my cream colored carpet and the bamboo place mats. The look of triumph on her face was hilarious. Miraculously though she did not try to taste it and was just happily making a mess when I caught her. I ended up washing her up and cleaning the mess. She enjoyed the washing part because she’s a little ducky who loves water and splashing around.
I had to call my mother and tell her what had just happened and she reminded me that I too had a fondness for painting the house red.
After more than a year and a half in Kuwait I have finally managed to get a driving license. It is one day before my birthday so that makes it 9 years minus 1 day before my first driving license. Yaaay! Silly isn’t it how something so small can make you feel so big. Actually it isn’t small it is liberating. Have a great day!
I am in the strangest mood, I am exhausted but I am happy. I am excited but I am anxious. I want to go out but I am enjoying chilling in. I want to read so many books, but I am happy processing what I already know. I want to talk to a friend but I absolutely content talking to no one. I want everything and it’s opposite and I am ok with that.
Mo Ibrahim is a Sudanese born British businessman. From modest beginings as an Engineer in Sudan Telecom to Celltel an African cellphone empire to being valued at 5 billion dollars by Forbes. The founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation which helps promote democracy by offering a 5 million dollar prize to African heads of state who deliver security, health, education and economic development to their constituents, and who democratically transfer power to their successor.
The stated aims of the foundation are to:
Stimulate debate on good governance across sub-Saharan Africa and the world
Provide objective criteria by which citizens can hold their Governments to account
Recognise achievement in African leadership and provide a practical way in which African leaders can build positive legacies on the continent when they have left office
This man spent the majority of his adult life making money and instead of retiring and living an easy and happy life decided to give back to his community, not just his country but the whole African continent. Being a British citizen one would have expected him to find a nice country house in the English country side, raise a few sheep and toast his toes by the fire. To the contrary he is trying to promote democracy and long term gains for the people of Africa. I love it when I come by examples of people like this. The prize offered by the foundation is the largest in the world, Nobel is only 1.3 million dollars. He has definitely exceeded all expectations.
Unfortunately for us though we are no where near that prize. Egypt has never seen a presidency transfered from one president to the next through elections yet. Neither have we seen any security, health, education and economic development worth mentioning.
The initiative is a commendable one and worth knowing and teaching in our schools as part of our social studies curriculum just as we teach children about the Nobel prize. To have our own example of great and altruistic individuals who should be the role models of our younger generations is priceless.
“Nothing, simply nothing, is more important for Africa than good governance” Mo Ibrahim
When I was around two my mother left me with my father for a couple of hours to run some errands. My father decided that we could take a nap and we both did fall asleep. Apparently I decided to wake up and play and since he always was a heavy sleeper he didn’t wake up. I found my mother’s red lipstick and decided to paint my face, my clothes, his face, the bed sheets, the curtains and everything else my two year old hands could reach. My mother came home to a full load in the washing machine.
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Mo Ibrahim
