2018 In Retrospect…

One of the best decision I’ve ever made this year is to start 2018 without resolutions and opted for goals instead based on a priority list. It worked pretty well.

I am really grateful for the year of 2018. A friend of mine got married and I became an uncle later in the year. My sister had her white wedding. My bestie had his traditional wedding. A long time sahwira (friend) also got married. My favourite aunt got married. Another sister of mine got married. What a year it has been. Truly a blessed year.

One of the best blessing I’ve or we’ve encountered as a family is my mother’s knee replacement OP. A surgery which cost approximately 16K she ended up paying only 2K which was covered by medical aid. Thanks a lot to orthopedic doctors from the US who gave my mum a free surgery. Truly appreciate it.

My biggest lesson for 2018 was self worth.

I am thankful of the dark moments too. Learnt one or two lessons. It is during these moments I got to realize how strong a person I am.

Above all I thank the Almighty.

Christmas look like…

Blog Master Challenge

#2018BOTY 25

Boring Boring Boring. That how my Christmas looks like.

Woke up at 0900, went for shopping with my sister and OK was packed. Stood in line for over an hour. Late breakfast. From there onwards watched a series. Friend stopped over chatted a bit and went sleeping. Took a bath around 1600hrs (😁😁😁) and continued watching my series.

Christmas day was really boring. But I kinda like it in a way because I know my pocket was safe, when 50 days of January arrive I bet I’ll be prepared for it.

New Year’s Eve please be nice.

Really enjoyed blogs from

@Beaton

@MaKupsy

@Joseyphina

@KG

@KeithMakura

@heyanci

Lessons learned

(Source:Pinterest)

One of the greatest lessons I have learnt this year is self worth. There was a point in my life where I let people walk over the decision I made and I allowed it. A time where people took my kindness, my silence for weakness.

Most of the times I allowed it in the name of wanting to be good or avoiding a confrontation but in the end it was me who was hurt. It was my ego, myself esteem which was hurt in the process. I would let people’s perceptions dictate my life’s decisions. When you spend time wondering how other people perceive you, you create stories that are often far from the reality. In the end questioning yourself worth.

I then got to read Who Moved My Cheese, a very good read and it made me realize something about my life, change.

“What you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.”

Lesson Learnt

You don’t need to prove to anyone that you are amazing. Your self worth is not determined by anyone but yourself. Never live a life of trying to prove you worth to anyone. If they don’t get you they just don’t.

Achievement #2018BOTY

Through the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI), INET provides support to students, young professionals, or others who embrace new and critical ways of thinking about the economy. YSI fosters conversation among those who wish to engage with new economic thinking and connects young scholars to the Institute’s vast network of economists.

My achievement this year was to present again at the YSI Africa Convening. I have really grown as an academic through these conferences . I remember my first international presentation last year, the nerves had me by the throat. This year’s conference was so much better I was able to do a lone presentation unlike last year.

YSI provides young scholar a platform to discuss on social, political and economic issues. Currently working on my very first publication with a friend from Somalia and I really hope all goes well.

2018 Purchase? #2018BOTY

The only thing worth talking about I bought this year is a GTel Infinity 7 Plus phone. It was really worth the price although it got to be the first phone I bought without a gallery, come to think of that.

One has to rely on the Google Photo application or download a gallery application from Google Play Store of which most comes with boring ads.

Used to be a very huge spender on shoes, but this year is was kinda different. High cut shoes used to be a No No for me and this year kinda bought my first ankle cut shoes, not bad at all. Shocked most of my friends though because they know I had/have reservations when it came to shoes ( I hate looking odd).

Are Our Minerals Worth Anything? #2018BOTY

I have been seeing the #2018BOTY unfolding and have had an urge to scribble something down, but somehow my mind would be occupied and I would find myself immersed into something else. There goes my first post of #2018BOTY.

Heard some very disturbing news yesterday. I am sure most of you have for once saw these huge black granite rocks being transported to God knows where. These granite rocks are quarried in Mutoko. The disturbing part is these stones are paying for $1 bond per tonne.

https://twitter.com/shamiesaburi1/status/1071372531200913408?s=19

I for one think this is really absurd. Considering the finished products that comes from these stones. Considering the damage to the environment and failing to do much on community development $1bond is really an insult to the community where this stone is being quarried.

One thing that has me fascinated is the “rhetoric” saying that the minerals are meant to benefit communities in which these minerals are mined or quarried. This is even embedded in the school pledge

… We are proud inheritors of our national resources …

Are we really proud when these resources are causing more harm than good. Surely, are our natural resources worth anything? The black granite in Mutoko is just but one example of how our natural resources are being mismanaged.