On Quota Governement Scholarship

From what I have heard and understood of the Quota scholarship the government wants to introduce. The problem and fear and confusion come from the use of the word Quota and its history and what it means to the people to implement it.

There has been a marginalization of the people of the Northern region. It happened that in the past, teachers of the north were send home. This was a wrong thing to do but God worked it out for them and turned things around such that with the overflow of teachers people of the north students in the north had better student teacher ratio and students of the north passed better than those in the center and south. And based on merit they qualified better and than those from the center and south. And this is the qualification that gave them higher positions in almost all government departments and companies. And it is this same awareness of the importance of education that inspired the younger generations of the people of the north to work harder and qualify still more while the center and the south are still not aware yet of its importance.

It is true that there is an obvious imbalance in the work places where people of the north are in larger numbers than those in the south and center. Someone was saying in his company there all people of the north in big positions and the only person for the south is a technician. For somebody who has less understanding about how this got to be, would conclude that there has been favoritism. But the truth is when looking at application letters and shortlisting people rarely look at names. The may look at other factors like good behavior and other qualities up to working relationship with other employees. But really do they look at names. It might be there comes a tie in all these and then the question would arise whom do I support? or it might be who do I relate better with? One of the north or my fellow southerner. It would be a question of “with the marginalization I have experienced if something bad crops up who would support me?” For a fellow northerner would come to your aid being in the same shoes as you in terms of marginalization than a southerner who would even set you up just to put you down.

But how do we overcome this imbalance? The government suggests of the quota system. It is not a good solution. And based on history I do not want it. For though its intentions may be good, but the use of the word quota would incite fear in those who have been affected by it in the past. It would bring the tribalism it brought in the past for the implementers.
But there is still an imbalance (for some reason I could think God remembered the people of the south and central by choosing a leader and all other positions from the north to protect them). The President might still want some solutions to resolve these if no better solution is found he might still want to implement this and now politically or forcefully which we would not want.

Suppose we are in his shoes. How would we resolve this? How does God give rain to both his people and his enemies? For the success of the people of the north bring so much fear in the people of the south and central that they might destroy each other just out of fear. Barring the people of the north to give some room for the people of the south and central again is unjust to the people of the north such that with their small population they would be further marginalized to an extent that it would be difficult for them to live in this country of their own. It is good for the president/government not to take part in this. But the people themselves to find a solution to this. Somebody said:

Don’t ask what the Government can do for you but what you can do for the government

But if the people can’t find a solution the leader has to. But again his solution might not be the best and he needs input from us he has said this many times.

My Suggestion: Think up a better solution

In some countries people get scholarships for college not only for academic success but also success in other things such as sports, music and all sorts of other talents. Like the situation of William Kamkwamba an inventor and the Gabriel Kondesi an entrepreneur. William Kamkwamba is not the only inventor in Malawi nor is Gabriel Kondesi the only entrepreneur. Its a search of these talents that we need to support and improve so that even those who are not successful in class would also find recognition in the society. So for instant William Kamkwamba Scholarship for those who are innovative and talented as him. And Esau Kanyenda Scholarship for those who are good in sports and Gabriel Kondesi Fund. For those who have not been good enough for a university education and have found something to do in life and might still want to do college.

My mum even though she did not have a chance to finish her secondary education to support her sick aunt, finished her secondary through correspondence says she would love to go and do university and graduate with distinction.

My sister who failed qualify for university because she did not have credit in English found a chance to do a degree in accountancy in Kenya in 3 years and she is currently working. But chances of getting a scholarship in the private sector is too tough. These too need support not from the government only but also from the people and the private sector regardless of whether they would work on the same company or not.

My brother wanted to do medicine all along so did my brother’s son. He had hopes that even though he had been selected in a degree course he did not want, he would still find a chance to go to medicine and pursue his dream career. But due to difference in academic calendars and the changes that occurred in his year, he was not selected at second year as it always had been, he was not selected after completion of his degree; for he had to complete his teaching practicals or forfeit his degree. And even though he has tried to explain his case, and even asked to reapply and he has been denied chance of pursuing a career of his choice. He too seeks to pursue the career of his choice but scholarships are had to get based on academic merit. He is good at volleyball though. Several times he has qualified for training for international games and the issues of transportation cost and passport have been limiting factors. Funded He would certainly do his career choice.

My brother’s son out of de-motivation that my brother has failed to go to College of Medicine, has lost hope of completing his education for there seems to be no university in Malawi where he can qualify to be a doctor in Malawi. He had 11 points like me on MSCE. He was taken into Bachelor of Science Education. He was also accepted to do pre-medicals but the fee was too high. He opted to continue with Bachelor of Education with a hope to qualify for medicine. He is good at acrobatics and applied for the Military Medicine Scholarship recently advertised but they probably gave priority to the those already in the military. If more of these could introduced he has greater chance of pursuing his career choice.

I managed to do my first choice course Bachelor of Science and I believe would have managed to do my second choice course Engineering if I had put it first choice. I would have loved to engineering instead. My dad would have loved me to do medicine which I thought is not an easy career for me. Bachelor of Science offered me chances to go with medicine God willing, or Computer Science which I thought I could stand. In my wants of wants I would have loved to do music (Bachelor of Arts) but it seemed and felt like a luxury to do so when others fail to qualify for better things they would have loved to do and not based on merit for that matter but imposition. I managed to learn somethings here and their anyway.
I managed to get a job fulfilling both my dream and my fathers dream at baobabhealth trust which I lost trying to save my relationship, complete my master's degree, save the job and find my faith before God for my complete healing. I managed to finish my degree. There is hope that the job loss was not in vain. There is hope for my relationship. I have found faith before God. And I have healed. But my girlfriend is not happy for she too would love to do her choice career.

My girlfriend did Bachelor of Education not of her own choice but because that was only the chance she had to do university education. Her choice career is Social Sciences and it seems wrong to get her into marriage at this time for she would love to pursue it as a masters degree. She is the pride of her family. But would she do it well with a guilty conscious of having left someone she loved? A little failure would de-motivate so much than otherwise to achieve her goals. I could support her being at work but distance does so much harm to a relationship. The hurt after of being left after so much of this support is so heart breaking and I don’t think I couldn’t manage to live on with it at this moment. I would love to go with her to let her pursue the career of her choice. I seem to be lucky academically, I has been easier for me and I would probably get a scholarship to take her with me and for the chances of her doing education there are higher. But I would love her to think of me apart from the help I could give her. For I would love her to love me in the absence of this help which I think she does, but she has more pressing issues. She could find support on her own for being good in sports. She too has qualified to play in international university games for being good at hockey. But the distance does harm to a relationship and would I stand the temptations alone in this period?

There are other situations and more I could explained, to point out others who could qualify not based on merit but other good qualities.

Conclusion:
We would not expect other nations to support those who fail to qualify on academic merit and so, more the need for introducing such scholarships in our own country which would give a chance and hope for others to do university education. Others are de-motivated to try for the mere thought that nobody in the family has managed to go to university.

We need to search for talents other than academic which can be promoted as it is done in other nations. This too is merit. Double scholarships for couples is also a good idea. For based on academic merit or other talents discussed above, one could qualify but not their partner. Factors of distance, trust and temptation in today’s world with HIV/AIDS around, to lose a loving trusted partner for the sake of education is not my choice of career. For in the end too much education without a life is worse than no education at all but with a house, a family and some food. One does education to find a better life for him, his wife and his children and then his immediate family who have not been fortunate to have a better life. If he does not achieve these, what is the purpose of living or a higher education?

This too might be a solution to some issues brought up in the marriage act: where the allowable marriage age is 18years old for someone to marry but for those who are younger, they should not be less than 16years old and should seek parental consent.

Many fail to continue and opt to get married at the hopelessness of achieving the academic requirements and failure to let these get married acceptably gives another hopelessness which fails them to abstain and be faithful to their partners even way before they complete their education. This is worse than what we are trying to achieve in the end. Parental consent would be the parents in acceptance to help these through problems they can’t stand on their own not being very mature(this includes physical maturity) and it would also be encouraging them to see a future they do not see right now so they could be a little more patient to get married later and even help them accomplish this future. In this way they build a happy future for their children them.

So if academic merit is a limiting factor to university education and there is a need for those in south or central to have exposure to university education. There are all these other things that could qualify one to university education. It might be supporting one person in a village for a good thing he has done(a model farm, a model business, an innovative idea, a model relationship, etc) to go to the university. This could be a source of motivation to other students in that village for hope of a university education. This would also avoid so much tribalism. It would be much better if it was done, not by government, but the people from these regions themselves. And better still for someone from the north to help in the south and from the south to help in the north and forget this tribalism issue.

In the end we are all strangers in this land called Malawi, history says. And each tribe came on their own to settle in different parts of this nation. We chose to unite together to be Malawi. Do we break up now for a thing we are trying to do to bring better unity and fairness?

If there are more and better ideas that would still unite. Let us bring them up still. Even in the heat of so much debate, confusion and fear, forget tribalism and mere no but give solutions. We might have found a president whose ear is willing to listen but surrounded by people who still might have a yes bwana mentally who have not realized yet that this president would listen. For if we continue with the yes bwana thing this president would shut his ear and cease to listen to our ideas and do his own even if they might not be better. For no one head can carry a roof of a house.

Some personal notes:
Reminds of my father: He managed to build a school for the people at our home village and supported to build a church in his prosperity. Even in his last days when we were not so fortunate he helped and pushed, I believe, to build a school and a church near our place of residence. For when we grew up our school was further away from home and so the church. Most of times we would not manage to go to Sunday school every Sunday and so most of us found a chance of being baptized when we got to secondary school. And this he did not by going to parliament but his seeing own peoples needs and doing what he can to help. The little he did is the fruit we now have of a school and church at our home village and even near our place of residence in Mabuchi. He did not do it alone. But the statement in the church says “Tiwuke Tizenge”(Let us start building) Nehemiah 2:17,18. I assume he was the one who said it for my grandfather said a similar statement in starting the work of translating the Tumbuka Bible.

This too, I try to do given a chance, to give some hope, some encouragement, some enlightenment, empowerment where possible and sometimes a first step. Might not do to it better or the best way but its my attempt with hope I might achieve this. Sometimes it feels like I have done nothing and go through so much discouragement until I wake up to find that I managed to achieve what I wanted though not in a way I expected. Sometimes better sometimes a little less. Sometimes it seems worse in the end I learned that God still works out and he makes things work as I expected. This is the same spirit in which the people managed to build the wall of Jerusalem as recorded in Nehemiah. Some built on the part of the wall connected to their houses, some built the whole wall, some stood watch. Some built with weapons in their hands. Every one of these contributed and the overall outcome was they achieved their common goal to build the wall for people to start returning home to Jerusalem. No one was reproached in the little they did.

Because I have spoken of my personal issues and it is said “ask and you shall receive” I also ask: “While others thou art helping do not pass me(and my girl and possibly my family) by”. It might be found that we too might be found worth of these scholarships. It might please you just to help us anyway for we have asked.

Credit to Chisomo Kacheche my brother-in-marriage. Who helped point out mistakes here and there.

Global Warming: Reloaded

On 9th December 2007 I wrote an article about Global Warming and our
solutions. It is difficult indeed to come to balance all things in
nature.
I now have reason to believe that global warming is not only due to
green house gases. A bareground heats up much more than the a covered
ground. A question could be asked of the increase in temperatures is
there also a decrease in temperatures? This could confirm the fact
about the bare ground since it would also cools down more. As a result
of the quick heat up atmospheric temperature would also rise quickly
keeping a highier maximum temperature than previously observed.
In these recent years, I think we have depleted much vegetation
building our settlements. This too could be checked to compare
vegetation cover in the times when we had lower maximum temperatures
with the current vegetation cover of the earth.
The photosynthes solution to be delivered the natural way by
replanting vegetation would correct the global warming in two ways.
Providing the rains to cleanup the polluted skys and provide
vegetation cover to isolate the earth from high heat ups.

Communication Breakdowns

People go through distressing times. Because of what they have gone
through, their reaction changes their behaviour and some exhibit
psychiatric symptoms. That is symptoms that mentally ill people would
have. Some forms of treatment would delay the recovery of such
temporary situations.

I will speak - John 3:16

For all the things that God has taken me through I will praise Him.
For even in this day and night and my loved ones are safe in His arms
who created the earth and the heavens for He alone is. For God is
love. And His love endures forever.

Bangwe Saga: Scientific Proof and Application of the Law

Scientific Proof:
Ways of science are formalized ways of all sorts strategies we apply in everyday life.This has been done for the sake of achieving common goals and bringing in a better understanding in sharing of scientific findings.

Aren't we men? Aren't these way been extracted from our own ways so that the best/better ways learned from different situations have been put together formalized into scientific language and ways.

Bangwe - Experiment By Observation:
A Chicken is thrown in a river an accident happens. Another chicken is thrown an accident happens. No chicken no accident. It might have been this way for a long time and so people start to question for they have been observing these things. There is a relationship between throwing of chickens and the accidents that happen.

Further action:
They go to the police for so that the issue be investigated. The Police without looking at the facts reply we can't help you for this seems to be like witch craft and we don't have any provisions in our law(lacking scientific proof - what is science anyway? finding out the truth about something - the definition I have grown up with). The fact that they too have observed from whatever they have heard they conclude it is something to do with witchcraft this is more scientific evidence where they are now a control of the experiment being an independent observation based on the facts given. But they do not know any law to apply so they can't help.

Starting Point:
The actions are evidently breaching peace and inciting fear in this community. The fear is incited by these people coming now and then to drop chickens and lemons and maybe other things. And accidents have been happening on this place. We could have said they are disposing dead chickens. But then why lemons as well? And why so many different persons? Why on this same spot which happen to be a place where so many accidents are happening? Would we expect these people of Bangwe not to fear? Appeasing whatever causes these accidents so that the accidents stop happening? They should come out in the open then if they can't deal with it to do away with it so that in the public there might be somebody to help. Otherwise it might be that the act of throwing dead chickens themselves is causing accidents.

Comes a Mozambican who seemingly knows nothing about what's happening. His child is sick. He goes to this person asks for help(prayers?). This prayerful person says go throw lemons in the river your child will be healed. Mmmh! Suppose, and it seems to be true, when lemons are thrown in the river an accident must happen so that someone dies and this persons life or whatever, results in the other person getting well. Suppose these Siku people loved their child so much and were told they would get their son back to life if they throw a chicken on this place. So lemons for healing, chicken for rising from death. seems plausible.

Further Investigation:
Find the source. Where do these people who throw dead chickens come from? For they seem to have the same message common with them. Supposed they are questioned why they do these things. Suppose they tell who is sending them. Look out Police, catch every person who has thrown a chicken, or something in this place. Question them why they do this. Then this person could be then tried for murder for all the accidents that have happened. In the least, case breach of peace and inciting fear in this community. It might be that with this lookout these people may fear and stop sending people to throw chicken and lemons and other things and accidents might then stop happening. So either way a good thing has happened.


Scientific Conclusion(mine):
There is evidently a direct relationship between the throwing of chickens and accidents happening and someone getting better or rising from death. however process by which all this is happening has not been explained in physical terms yet. It seems quanta-physical for it is quantifiable.

I will speak - John 3:16

For all the things that God has taken me through I will praise Him.
For even in this day and night and my loved ones are safe in His arms
who created the earth and the heavens for He alone is. For God is
love. And His love endures forever.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Kondwani C. Hara
c: +265.99.9477737

Criticism: Whats the Best Way?

The problem I have is a generalized statement without basis. This is what I look at. It attracts me so much. I tend to look it the other way round I see a lot of things that probably might not have been seen. In my thesis my professor might have wanted me to do something simple but there were many statements in the abstract that i was given the made me want to find out more about them. In the end, I ended up proving the conjecture wrong. In addition it made start looking at all things "trivial". It now becomes a problem as I seem to criticise for the sake of criticism.
The generalised statement seemed to be the basis of most of all research concerning the security of the McEliece cryptosystem. That is a code is unlike this then it is secure. What if in one way or another all codes are unlike this statement? Then in the end all codes are insecure. But maybe there is more to security than just looking at this statement and feeling secure. Maybe security is not even affected by this statement at all. Or we might look at degree of security.
Suppose we might have been doing this:looking at specialties of degree of security then with the generalised statement superposed it distorts and changes the direction of a raw cryptographer like me for I might be told this is all there is and I follow that. I will build on that; others will come and will build on that; depending on my level of qualification and popularity it will be difficult for a lay student, even at degree level, who has better truth than what I have built on despite my qualification, to get his truth accepted.
I am attractive to general statement without basis. I ask for basis of the statements. Suppose I bash bash bash and give solution does it help? All these other people have also bashed and given their solutions. I noticed that when I just bashed. People were moving in the right direction finding even better solution than I had thought of. The moment I suggested a solution it all went wrong. Should I bash and give solutions? Should I bash highlighting all the problems there and and live it to the bashed to find solutions? Help me God. For if even criticism does not solve problems show me a way.

On that day!

Oh what a wonderful, wonderful day
A Day I shall never forget,
After I wonder in darkness away
Jesus my savior I met
Oh what a tender compassionate friend,
He met the needs of my heart,
Shadow dispelling, with joy I am telling
He made all the darkness depart.

Heavens came down and glory, He fills my soul,
fills my soul,
When at the cross my savior made me whole, made me whole
My sins are washed away,
and my night was turned to day
Heavens came down and glory, he fills my soul.

Their Victory

"They overcame by the word of their testimony and the blood of the lamb."
It might be at the beginning they failed due to the fear of doing
wrong and losing their salvation. But their testimony of what God is
and what God has done for them must have encouraged them to step out
of the boat and walk on the water. Their only trust was God will help
them through as he had done in the previous experiences.
In the fear of doing wrong they did nothing when this fear was taken
away they did so many marvelous things that the gates of hell could
not hold them their break through was so mighty.
In the past whenever they wanted to do something great the devil made
them fear you will sin don't do it. So they stayed in their "cacoon"
sp.
What shall seperate us from the Love of God? Is it sin? For while we
were yet sinners Jesus died for us. His blood had already paid for all
our sins once and for all.
This is the blood of the lamb with which they overcame with. For when
their fear of sin was taken away they played like Man U does and they
did not find themselves in sin for their fruits were the fruits of
rightiousness and it was impossible for them to bear bad fruits. It is
just impossible. Their victory was mighty indeed for they were really
good.

God's Love for the World

John 3:16:
For God so loved the World that He gave his only begotten Son that
whosoever shall believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life.

Here is the Context:
1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we
know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these
signs that You do unless God is with him."
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can
he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be
born again.' 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound
of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is
everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"
10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel,
and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We
speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not
receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do
not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that
is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal
life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not
believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation,
that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing
evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds
should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light,
that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

Who is eligible to believe in Him? The world.
Is any supposed to be left behind? People have chosen not to believe
for they might not have understood this gift of God. For non is
supposed to perish. Non. For this gift is for all the world. If you a
person of the world Jesus says "come all you who are weary and heavy
laden I will give you rest. " "For my load is light. "
Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. When Peter walked on the
water and was sinking he cried out to Jesus, "Jesus! Save me!" Jesus
having marvelled at the courage that Peter had, smiled and came to his
help as a dad watching his child learning to walk. "Peter, where is
you faith?" Peter walked back to boat with the Master rejoicing he had
walked on water. All the other disciples marvelled and said "wow!".
For Peter it was an unforgettable memory that taught him about this
strange man called Jesus of Nazareth the "son of a carpenter". It was
easier for to believe "You are son of God".

Operation Bwezani: Banks - Reloaded

Further observation to the problems with Banking Sector might have
beeb due to misunderstanding between the Bank's Software requirements
on the part of the programmer. For there might have been no one in the
banks to know so much about Banking laws for Malawi to check these
things. And there is no ICT policy it seems in the laws of Malawi but
I adherance to the constution is a starting point. Again I think there
seem no checks if the Banks still adhere to the Banking act.
So I then further propose that there be frequent checks(audits) and
sometimes surprice ones to check the Banks adherence to the Banking
Act and also that the Software they use does force the banks to break
such laws. This should also apply to other cases of injustice I have
observed which I wish to bring to light and suggest a solution.

Typos

What so ever mistakes I make in my posts I blame the computer which
was supposed to be infallible intelligent and accurate. For what came
from my mind had no mistake until I wrote it with this computer. If I
had remained with my pen and not lose my typo detecting skills to
microsoft word I would have possibly retained some of my typo
detecting skills. Some I do not see because of my limited screen for
if it had been on paper I would have flipped quickly and found it. It
is hard to correct typos on limited screen for some passeges are
similar and I end up correcting on the wrong places destroying what
might have better farther. I relearn but slowly to do without spell
check.

Truth, Right and Light

How do I be what I do not know?
There are two truth and lie, right and wrong, light and dark. One
tries to kill, steal, and destroy the other gives himself and dies for
what the other tries to kill, steal and destroy.
Love identifies these. 1 Corinthians 13.

Test Driven Cryptography

In agile software development process, there strategies of
development. Test Driven, Feature Driven, Behaviour Driven Development
processes. Yeah yeah so many ways of development in the end what will
be important will be understanding these and scenarios in which to
apply each. I could write a test and write a code that satisfies the
test but even tests can be wrongly written anyway? How do I write a
test if I do not know what to test? Suppose I write my code the best
way I know how test it the best I know how and write a test to keep
what I have already implemented in check. I think that's better for
me. The I would write code -> test manually -> put the check test. I
think this will stand crash testing better than write test -> write
code -> run test. For if the test is semantically wrong the I do not
know until I have written so much code and now I am crash testing.
While I was writing my thesis I was face with this task to test so
many codes with bigger numbers and the speed was getting slower as the
numbers were getting bigger. I tested several implementation of the
algorithm to generate my require Goppa codes. One was very short one
line. One was very long. One the one that had been used all along but
some improvements. In the end I resolved to remain with the improved
one. For the very should was very memory intensive such that bigger
numbers it was getting even longer. The longer one was very cpu
intensive. The improved one was cpu intensive but faster. The
development of a fast algorithm is slow. I agreed. If one already
knows this algorithm then why not just use it? For it will take longer
to redevelop it.
A programmer tries to find algorithms that improve the runtime.
Cryptographers seem to try to find algorithms to increase runtime.
That's quite a fix, isn't it? For cryptosystems are implemented by a
programmers and I am both. Does increasing cryptosystem stay secure by
using bigger numbers? Suppose there is an algorithm that breaks it in
one step and not depending on the size of the key for that matter?
Quite a fix. Most cryptosystems have been tested their strength based
on the wrost-case runtime. That is, the worst case as seen by the
programmer. For the cryptographer the best case is the programmers
worst case and the worst case is the programmers best case. Quite a
fix.
How do we measure the strength of a cryptosystem? Is it the biggest
running time? Why do we need to hide any way? It seems the best
security so far is adherence to truth, right and light. For whatever
we hide will be found one way or another. If whatever I hide has been
found and it is found not to be bad or discriminating. I am safer
still.

Operation Bwezani: Banks

I would ask when was the Banking Act revised in Malawi? I would
recommend it be revised again so that both banks and their customers
benefit from each other. For banks keep our money which no deniable
they invest. The benefit we get from the is much much less compared to
the interest they get when we borrow from them.
Interesting: I lend the bank K10,000 for two months. My interest isn't
much with interest 4% per annum. I need some money 5 days before
agreed pay back time. If I cancel the agreement I forfeit my interest
and lose much more. There is a provision for a loan against my fixed
deposit at 27% per annum. Interest is chargeable from a minimum of one
month. According to terms of agreement I am supposed to payback the
amount i borrow plus interest. I do not sign until I understand the
terms of agreement which must not change within the period of my loan
as i am explained to by the one helping me. Even though the bank has
included it in the terms. (If the bank reserves the right to change
its terms there is so much room for its deliberate violating the terms
and self-guarding itself by this clause even to the disadvantage of
the client). In my understanding if I payback before one month then I
don't pay with interest. Alternatevely the interest is supposed to be
calculated depending on the days until my payback. That aside, the
terms of agreement indicate that I will be expected to payback the
amount I borrow plus interest thereof which also indicated in the
official section of the agreement form. I payback on the day I
promised to do so but I payback the amount, interest plus an
undisclosed processing fee which I did not know about. Which if I had
known I would have opted to cancel the fixed deposit instead of
getting a loan.
Due to charges dedacted on my account which i do not know about the
changes of which i am not notified even though the bank has my
contacts I thought it is expensive to keep such an account. I look at
other banks and I find a better one much better though this NBS Bank
prides itself to be better than all others. Nop, there are better
banks. I want to close my account for then i would just accumulate
dedactions from an account which I am not using anymore. It would take
me paying a charge of K1,000 to close right away or I have to give 1
month notice not to pay or I have to go to my branch. I said what? On
openning I have to pay on closing I have to pay again? Only me pay!
Pay! Pay! Amounts which I do not know about? Should i spend so much
travelling just to close an account with only K361.15. What kind of
Bank is this that refuses so much that it requires one month notice to
close an account which belongs to me. I asked do I have control over
my account. Did I sign to these terms? He tries to bluff me saying
since you openned it at college during promotion the term of
agreements might have been skipped. So I ask for the current forms for
openning an account. And there not even a single term of agreement but
just certifying that the information I am giving is correct. I ask him
as i have asked before if there any written document concerning the
fees they say they can't disclose to clients. And now talk about
Transperancy! Mmh, NBS Bank, How do I know such fees are being
manufactered? For it hurts to find unexpected amounts being deducted
without ones knowledge.
Revise the Banking Act which might have been made to self-guard the
interests of the rich marginalising the poor so that the people are
protected from being exploited by the banks. This people must not
lack.

Ha ha! Wakoleka Conficker!

Today 16th July 2009 from around 12.00pm to 04.00pm I feel proud to report I have busted Conficker! And done so manually in the process I have learned how I can build a knowledge base of for a virus cleaner/detector/remover. Now to get started. Will have to explain it now or later.

Creating the Vision

We sat down on the floor like little children in our new office. We the people of Baobab Health. It is our thing we are building it together. Every was in it. Everyone took part.
Tay, what can I say.
If I am to work in this place for 10 years what would I like to do. I thought about so many stuff that have hurt me. All the frustrations I have had in my life all the stuff I have seen done in mediocre way which I thought we could do better but wasn't able to do myself. I have never had a chance to say this out. I thought I might as well say it now. It might be that this will be my chance that these problems will now be completely solved. And I might find my joy. For if I don't say it they way I would love it how will I be happy working here? Will I keep on critisizing things I don't give a solution for? So I said it all my dreams, my vision and how I would love it to be. It was emotional and its effects stayed on till now.

The Word of God, Controversies and The Gospel

The Word of God

Does God speak today?

People even Christians say He spoke through the prophets and nowadays he does not speaks that way but he speaks with us through his word, the Bible.

In theology school they teach each other to interpret the Bible, they study different religions and philosophies in the end most preachers coming out of come out having forgotten what its all about and even most come out believing there is no God and perform their duty of Preacher to ensure that the community lives in harmony with each other. Not bad, but in the end when someday somebody comes and says religion is useless these people will be number one to stand for that.

There are so many divisions among us these days Moslems, Jews, Christians, etc and among Christians their even more subsets of Christian communities each believing their way is right. Some even have their own Bible.

I went to the Bible Society the other day to looking for a certain tumbuka Bible (the one my grandfather translated). They did not have it(maybe because it was done by one person and they perceived it not to be good enough to an extent the bible society had no copy) . I asked them what it would take to reproduce it. I got insight how they do things there. They are theologians. They have studied Greek, Hebrew maybe, the languages the bible was written.

I have heard how my grandfather translated the Bible to Tumbuka. He had to go to secluded place not in contact with any human. When they bring him food, they would break a twig to notify him that they have brought the food. Maybe that is why Moses was alone before God for 40 days being given the Law. The way we understand things depends on what environment we have been, what we hear, see and feel. Being in contact with the world during translating the Bible is very fatal if we are doing it the fresh: as if translating a book. I asked them if they pray when translating. The answer shocked me: They said the word was already inspired when it was being given to the prophets who wrote it so they did not need to pray again to translate.

I noticed that they go to their respective churches in this period of translation and they read news papers, they get in contact with people like me. In fact, I found them translating when, I was talking to them. And what we discussed certainly influenced their translation. I believe and I pray for good. For in the end they saw the importance of depending on God even when translating.

Controversies

Why are they there? Why do we differ and fight over issues in the Bible? I now understood it comes from our canal minds. I was given a bible in which they wanted to prove that there are some bibles which are obviously incorrect. This was when I asked how the process goes from translation to printing to publishing. The Bible was the one the Jehovah Witnesses use. It was a passage in John 1 where it says "In the Beginning was the word. The word was with God. And the word was God". This Bible said "the word was a god."

It suddenly came to me somebody had said in the Greek version there were three words used for “God” on this very verse. What if the three words were supposed to be interpreted as:

“In the beginning was the word. The word was among the gods and the word a god.”

That separates Jesus personality being the Son and God being the Father and their relationship being one as a family. There are verses that talk about gods in heaven: The Psalm Jesus quoted( Psalms 82). And another Psalms quoted by Paul in Hebrews 10:5-7(Psalms 40:6-8). These verses show Jesus as some other personality other than God himself who speaks to the other gods in Heaven in Psalms 82 and also in Job 1.6.

And the oneness: Jesus also says if we obey God then we are one with Him and the Father but physically we are not one. Food for though. Am I bringing another controversy?

I thought probably men translating the Bible thought: gods? a god? Jesus, a god? So they imposed their own interpretation according to the way we have always understood it. So now John 1 came to be as it is. The Jehovah witness maybe having their own agenda (maybe to bring confusion not believing that what they are putting it the correct way) interpreted it this way to portray Jesus as a god as their particular source text said. And with this discrepancy now comes the question: who is right?

Our conversation went on. Most of the times I am prompted to open on the Bible, some passage stands out and it talks about the situation that I am in. This time I opened the Jehovah Witness Bible and came to a verse somewhere in Isaiah where it says "these people have forgotten their God" and something like "they are doing things with their own way". Silently, I prayed for God to confirm it if it is Him speaking since it is coming from a bible that is seen not to be truthful. (we had been arguing about my question whether they should pray when I came across this Isaiah passage). I had just finished praying this when I was being told they don't need to pray again when translating as the scripture was already inspired. Now to speak about the controversies!

We people have been given one command if not two: A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you. The other being Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul... In other words, Love God and Love your neighbor(Matthew 22:37-40). Pray for those you perceive as enemies. Do no harm to anyone even if they harm you. That’s the Law, the prophets, the sermon on the mountain, the gospels and the epistles. The Bible the word of God.

I was watching a Moslem Preaching on TV today that reminded me of all these things.

In todays churches we tend to overlook others who are not perceived to be believers

when we are in church. But when we go out of church they are our next door neighbors and we chat, we help each other out some life problems, we lend each other things because when we get out of church the message is not about who is a sinner and who is not. We protect each other from thieves. We go to each other's funerals to comfort each other. We love each other. It is not because we are of the same church but it is because we are neighbors. This is life. It is then better if God is in our lives than when He is at church.

There have been situations the church have rejected people because of their sins. But these rejected people are very dearly loved by their families and their friends. When they have died their families have cried for them. And even if these families have been faithful in the church, the church has most of the times shunned the funeral. And we could ask who needs the presence of the church at such a funeral. Is it the person who has dead or the parents who need to be comforted for the loved one they have lost?

When it comes to love I would rather be in the presence of my brother who is a sinner but helps me because I am his brother whether I have done wrong or not than the church who loves me only when I seem to be doing right (I could pretend anyway).

This family love, neighbor love, is what we need. This is what the word teaches. This is the word of God.

After all we are all sinners who are all going to heaven only because Jesus has paid the sacrifice for sins. And I believe if God is to make a choice among all sinners, He would chose those who loved their neighbors even though they did not know Him.( Romans 2:11-16; Matthew 12.7; Matthews 25:31-46) Since what pains God is the destruction of His creation and even more the hurting of another human being because of another(Cain and Abel: he punished Cain for Killing Abel but even then He put a mark on him that nobody kills him; The flood: He was hurt that the world was so sinful but in the end He vowed with himself that never again will he destroy all creation and men because their sins however sinful they might become. Genesis 6:5-8 & 8:21-22 ). When He dead on the cross it is said that Jesus went and preached to these people that they too might be saved at the end of the world.

In the Last days, it is said, the Spirit of God will teach the children of God about the will of God such that no one will need to teach another which is the way. It is said again, Jesus would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth. If we don't read the word but always depend on the interpretation of man we will always have controversies that divide us. Again if we read it without the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will always be in error as there are Bibles which have been interpreted with the canal mind. Still my comfort for such Bibles is that God works everything together for the good of all those who love Him. And also Some verse by Paul which says the Gospel cannot be bound by the chains of man.

The Gospel

The good news will always speak: That our sins have been paid for. That all of us are welcome before The Loving Father, however bad our sins might be. Even those who have backslidden and fear that they have sinned against the Holy Spirit (For this is the greatest/unforgivable sin). I would say, for I believe this is the way things are, have this hope:

If the prodigal son was accepted by his father who might not even have been a righteous man, how much more will the Father in Heaven, Loving and Righteous, accept us and loves us if we turn back to him. And Jesus the elder brother who gave his life that we might be saved?

And there is this mystery:

We say, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”. If God is the Father, and Jesus the Son and Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit(overshadowing the virgin Mary). Who is the Holy Spirit? And is there love that is greater than the Mother's love?

My thought. Even if this might be wrong Hebrews 6:10-12 encourages us not to give up doing good and not lose our hope of being saved in the end. The persistent knocker gets help from an evil King how much more a loving Father? A humble and contrite Spirit God does not despise.

For I am convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:31-39).

Can sin? While we were yet sinners Jesus died for us. Do we keep on sinning then? Hell, no! We are even ashamed of our sins why should we go back to it(somewhere in Romans)? Or we could say do you like falling down? If you keep on falling deliberately one day you will hurt yourself so much that you will not recover(It is better to fall accidentally and not to recover. It easy for people to feel sorry for you and help. It will take extra effort when you fall deliberately. Out of love they might still help you though but there in no guarantee).

The message is:

Take heart when you fall

Dust yourself up and go.

And again I must say it is not for us human beings to know who has fallen deliberately or not that is why we must always love even those who hurt us.

So then this is the word of God:

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul and your mind.
2. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Its message is Love: Of God for us, of us for God, of us to our neighbors; God's comfort and healing for our hurts; To show us the way and to lead us to a place of rest at the end of it all.

Why Muluzu is Not Eligible to stand for Presidency - The Constitution

The conditions regarding the eligibility of a presidential candidate to contest in a general election are in Chapter VIII of The Constitution of Malawi in Section 80 subsections 6 and 7.
The arguments about Muluzi's eligibility that there is no law that bars him from standing for presidency come from their interpretation of Section subsection 6 and Section 83 subsection 3.

Section 80 subsection 6 says:

Notwithstanding any provision of this Constitution to the contrary, a person shall only be qualified for nomination for election as President or First Vice-President or for appointment as First Vice-President or Second Vice-President if that person-

1. is a citizen of Malawi by birth or descent; and
   
2. has attained the age of thirty-five years.
   

They interpret the statement "Notwithstanding any provision of this Constitution to the contrary" as "even if there is another provision of the constitution the bars him from being nominated" the person qualifies for nomination if he satisfies... 1 and 2 above

If this is the correct interpretation then we are not supposed to have section 80 subsection 7 which gives conditions of ineligibility as it becomes useless due to subsection 6.
Lets reread the subsection 6 again in paraphrase:

Regardless of any provision of the constitution a person shall only qualify for nomination of the if He is a Malawian Citizen by birth of descent and is 35 years old and above

And it should be interpreted as: if a person is not a Malawian Citizen or is younger than 35 years Old then there is no constitutional provision that qualifies him for the election as president or vice president.

In other words because I, Kondwani C. Hara, being a Malawian Citizen by birth and descent, but 25 years old, I am not eligible to stand for presidency this year nor will I be qualified in 2014 when I will be 30. And I don't have to seek another constitutional provision for me to qualify myself. However since in 2019 I will be 35 years old and turning 36 years old I will be qualified to stand.

This interpretation gives room for the person to be tested for eligibility using other provisions of the constitution. Like subsection 7 for example. And also Section 83 subsection 3 which disqualifies Muluzi as follows:

The President, the First Vice-President and the Second Vice-President may serve in their respective capacities a maximum of two consecutive terms, but when a person is elected or appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of President or Vice- President, the period between that election or appointment and the next election of a President shall not be regarded as a term.

Their interpretation seems to be based of the application of "consecutive terms" only other than the whole subsection. They argue that since Muluzi has served two consecutive terms and has had a break then he can serve another two consecutive terms and maybe this also means he can serve an unlimited number two consecutive term after breaks.

Suppose we might ask:
Q1- how many maximums of two consecutive terms can a president serve?
A1-The subsection say is "a maximum of two consecutive terms". And 'a' means one.

Muluzi has already served one maximum of two consecutive terms. Thus by this subsection he is may not serve another another maximum of two consecutive terms even if these terms follow each other or after a break.

Q2-Can a president serve another one term after serving a maximum of two consecutive terms?
A2-I think maximum of two answers this question since one more term makes three.
Q3-Suppose a president has served one term and has not been voted for another term can he serve another term after the term he has not served?
A3-I think consecutive terms answers that. In other words his eligibility to serve expires after the two consecutive terms first of which he was president.
Q4-Suppose a candidate has contested in two consecutive terms but not been chosen as president, can he serve as president?
A4-I think he may or might not according to further interpretation and wishes of the people. But in the sense of the current provision it seems he may since he has not served before as president of the country.

In my opinion of Q4 he may not as this brings the same injustice at party level which the subsection tries to solve at national level. I think that it is best that the constitution of a party or any organization as long as it is in Malawi and is of/for Malawian people it has to conform to the Constitution of Malawi(which seeks to protect its citizens) otherwise it is illegal. For instance a child should go by the rules of his father as long as he is in the father's house but if the father's rules are that the child should not go to school then the rules of the father are illegal by the Constitution of Malawi which which wishes that every child be given a chance to go to school.

So section 83 subsection 3 should be interpreted as

A person can only serve as president for ten years(two 5 year terms) which are consecutive in his lifetime; unless he was serving as a successor to another president in the event of which he may serve the ten years plus the years which he has been successor.

For the sake of Peace and stability Muluzi does not qualify for nomination for election as president. Since even if he qualifies and has been he elected He MAY NOT SERVE in his respective capacity because this violates Section 83 subsection 3 of the Constitution of Malawi.

The current president, who

shall hold office until such time as his or her successor is sworn in. (Section 81 subsection 1)

and had sworn or affirmed that He

will well and truly perform the functions of the high office of President of the Republic of Malawi,
and that he will preserve and defend the Constitution,
and that he will do right to all manner of people according to law without fear or favour, affection or ill-will(Section 81 subsection 1)

he will have the duty, whether he likes it or not, to defend the constitution as sworn or affirmed and the power to declare that the elect president, who

shall hold office for five years from the date that his or her oath of office is administered

MAY NOT SERVE as president.

If a constitution of another country allows him to stand then that constitution has to be tested if it is in line with the wishes of The People of Malawi who adopted this constitution who:

recognizing the sanctity of human life and the unity of all mankind;
guided by their private consciences and collective wisdom;
seeking to guarantee the welfare and development of all the people of Malawi, national harmony and peaceful international relations;
desirous of creating a constitutional order in the Republic of Malawi based on the need for an open, democratic and accountable government;

adopted(and may cease to adopt) the current Constitution of the Republic of Malawi.

Our wishes as citizens of Malawi are for peace and stability during these elections. Muluzi contesting causes unnecessary breach of peace and instability. It also infringes upon other people rights who may rightly serve as president if they are elected. In the event that he wins the constitution does not allow him to serve as president and the current president will be called upon to defend the constitutional provision Section 83 subsection 3 of the Chapter 8 of The Constitution of Republic of Malawi, which he swore or affirmed under oath to defend and protect without fear of favour or ill-will. This will cause more unnecessary instability.

Let the courts rule that Muluzi violates a law relating to election of president being a person who has already served a maximum of two consecutive terms.

References:
http://www.sdnp.org.mw/constitut/intro.html
http://www.sdnp.org.mw/constitut/chapter8.html

Dad, my dad is gone!

On 17th January 2009, I recieved a call from my brother that my dad is no more.
First reaction was to cry out to God. "Dad, my dad is gone!"
I stopped in my tracks after realising I had called him "Dad". I call Him Father most of the times and this realisation reminded me that He is the father of the fatherless. Whatever need I had for my dad he is the one to fill it now.
I hadn't cried but I was feeling heavy whenever I thought about it. I needed to get it out. I needed to be comforted. I went into my room I couldn't cry still but could not stop groaning. John 14 comforted me and I wrote a song/poem:

I love you, Father.
You are my help in need;
You give me comfort;
You are now my dad.

You sent your word for me
Your word of comfort
"I am your father
You are now my child."

My heart was troubled
How am I gonna live without my dad?
You gave me comfort
"I won't leave as an orphan"

Your word was surest for me
I took it by faith and belief
It washed away my sorrow
My heart was at peace

When thoughts of despair take over
I am not that wise and strong
To help my family
Please don't be far from me

I love you, father.
You are my source of peace
Not as the world can give
I will rest in you.