COMPLIMENTARY COPY
LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR SMART SHOPPERS Smart NewsIssue 20. April - June, 2010
Mother’s Day How to make her feel special Get on board Gertrudes - Smile train Easter traditions Must have Easter foods
w Bigger and better Smart News April - June, 2010 1 Nakumatt opens four new branches advert
2 Smart News April - June, 2010 Contents 50. Leisure 50. Poetry/Puzzles 58. Books review / Reading Room 6. Regulars 62. Recipes 76. Finance: How to achieve financial health 6. Highlights 29. Advertorial 36. Gardening 38. Features 56. Kid’s World 38. Easter traditions 70. Supplier Profile 42. Father’s Day 72. Pictorial 44. What shapes are stars 74. Product Advice 46. Beat those blues 47. Moon illusion 12. Mother’s 71. The truth about alcohol Day Special 28. Health 12. Shop for Mama 14. Make her feel special & Beauty 18. Celebs on Mother’s Day 28. Alcohol can lead to infertility 30. “The Gertrude story” - Causes of the cleft lip 32. Keeping teeth healthy
Smart News April - June, 2010 3 Smart News Team
Managing Director Atul Shah
Advertising Coordinator Justus Nyaga [email protected]
Editor Rosemary Tollo
[email protected] Message
Advertising Administrator Benard Mosomi [email protected]
Design and Layout Evelyn Chibole [email protected]
John Mwatha Atul’s
Photography Riz Mehar t has been a busy first quarter of the year here at Nakumatt Holdings. stock.xchng Fresh from the festive season, we have been busy charting the foundation for further google.com Neil Thomas consumer reach aptly showcased by our recent market expansion to four key Kenyan Barbara Minishi towns. Indeed, I am pleased to welcome to the Nakumatt family all our new customers in Diani, Nanyuki and Kakamega not forgetting our loyal Eldoret shoppers who are Make-up Inow enjoying a fully fledged hypermarket service. Tony Airo(Airos Salon) With the formal opening of Nakumatt Eldoret 24hours Hypermarket, Nakumatt Holdings has firmly taken the pride of place as the region’s largest retail chain with a total of 25 Stylist operational branches across East Africa. The opening of Nakumatt Eldoret now places us Wacuka Thimba well on course to attaining our 2010 goals which had outlined the opening of 30 branches by end of the year. Editorial Contributors Alongside the four new branches, Nakumatt Holdings we have also made a strategic Rosebella Wamae acquisition of Woolmatt Supermarkets Nairobi branches to enhance our Nairobi Central Oscar Ludelu Komal Shah Business District presence. The commendable restoration of Nairobi’s CBD city in the sun Lenny Luvaga status has served to move us to this direction backed by popular customer demand. Ann Songole As we’ve continuously promised, our mission will continue being one to facilitate lifestyle Karimi Mirero change and development within the east Africa region. This we directly hope to do by rolling Awendo Omondi out world-class retail outlets. Our overall target is to register a presence in all the towns in Jayne Rose Gacheri Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and even Burundi. The target, may today sound like a wild Ogilvy PR and obviously ambitious dream but we hope to one day see it come true. And even as we continue to expand, my personal promise to you is that we shall not in any way compromise our commitment to provide five star services at our existing outlets. Send all correspondence to: The Editor, Smart News magazine, We shall strive to ensure that we maintain our award winning world class standards at all Nakumatt Holdings Limited, times. P.O.Box 78355-00507, Besides the branch expansion projects, the first quarter of this year has turned out to be one Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: +254 20 551809/10/12/13 that marks a milestone in my life. This is the season that saw me named as one of the top Wireless: +254 20-2500391/2/3/4 50 emerging market business leaders by the authoritative Financial Communications media +254 733 632130, +254 722 204931 house the Financial Times of London. Fax: +254 20 650150 / +254 20 8012091 [email protected] By all means, this recognition by the Financial Times is a vote of confidence for the East African economies and the role that indigenous entrepreneurs are playing in facilitating economic and social development. I am extremely honoured and feel privileged to feature in the Financial Times Top 50 list which in a big way encourages me to step up Nakumatt’s market presence in East Africa. Alongside my personal delight and that of the entire Nakumatt customers and staff fraternity, such recognition, is a clear vote of confidence on While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the the potential of East Africans. accuracy of information provided, neither Nakumatt Holdings Ltd, its advertisers, nor printers can accept responsibility for Thank you once again for your continued patronage and do hope that you enjoy this issue any damages or inconvenience that may arise therefrom. The views expressed within the magazine are those of the authors of the Smart News! exclusively and not necessarily those of the “Nakumatt Ltd”. Material sent to us will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and will be subject to the Nakumatt Holdings A joyous Easter and success filled year ahead! Limited’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially.
Atul Shah 4 Smart News April - June, 2010 Managing Director Smart News April - June, 2010 5 Corporate Highlights
For charity Mrs Ida Odinga, wife to Kenya's Prime Minister donates foodstuffs during a visit to Fedesco's Children's Home, Kigali, Rwanda. Mrs Odinga is accompanied by Ms Harriet M. Nduma Kenya's acting ambassador to Rwanda and Mr Adan Ramata, the manager of Nakumatt City Centre, Kigali, Rwanda.
Conference directory Hon Najib Balala receives a gift of brass sculptures of Turkana tribesmen from Hassan and Hussein, Directors of Leisure and Travel Guides EA. Looking on are (r) L&T Operations Director Mansoor Jiwani and L&T MD Nev Jiwani. This was during a courtesy call by the L&T Directors to the Minister's Utalii house office where he officially endorsed the Go Places Conference Directory. The directory has been hailed by players in the tourism industry as a major boost to conference tourism within the region.
Tourism boost
Tariff packs introduced Integrated Telecommunications solutions provider Telkom Kenya has launched three flexible tariff packages on its Orange Mobile . The three monthly prepaid tariff packages now branded as Bunda za Orange is geared at enhancing the Orange Niaje Tariff value by providing a range of benefits tailor made for specific consumers. On Bunda 1,000, consumers will enjoy 100mins of talk time value across all local networks, 100 SMS’ and 100 MB of data all for Kshs 1,000 subscription this option is ideal for heavy voice and data service consumers. On Bunda 500, consumers will enjoy 30mins talk time to any local network, 300 SMS’, and 30MB of data all for Kshs 500 subscription fee making it an ideal package for heavy SMS users. Dirk Asselberghs (centre) Brussels Airlines Kenya manager, looks On the Bunda 100 package, Orange subscribers will enjoy an at leading European travel magazines, Voyages and Genieten, with opportunity to choose five friends or family members to call for just Mohanjeet Brar of Game watchers Safaris and Charles Kikuvi, of Kshs 1 per minute all for Kshs 100 per month subscription. Fairmont Hotels. They were reviewing extensive photographic features on the Game watchers Camps, in a Kenya tourism promotion sponsored by Brussels Airlines. 6 Smart News April - June, 2010 Corporate Highlights Beba sasa launched Mau Mau film production underway Highlights A local film production company has embarked on a grueling journey to retrace the steps of the Mau Mau freedom fighters struggle and their collaborative interaction with the Indian dukawallahs. The more than Kshs 25 million feature film is the debut production of Wide Angle Visions, a local film production company and will feature Kenyan actors Tony Njuguna and Mehul Savani alongside Bollywood film star of American descent Tom Alter. Titled’ Muigwithania’, the film is set on the original Mau Mau strategic locations in Kabete on the outskirts of Nairobi.
Speaking when he confirmed the commencement of the movie shoot, Writer and Director Amit Tyagi said the film Barclays Bank MD Adan Mohamed takes a closer look at a is being shot on high definition video format and is geared product that one can beba with Barclaycard at telling the positive story of the Mau Mau struggle. “Muigwithania is a story that sets out to correct popular misconceptions about the Mau Mau by helping the audiences understand the freedom struggle cause better and for the first Brussels Airlines joins Star time brings out the role of the Indian community,” Tyagi said. Alliance In line with the production schedule, Muigwithania will be ready for Brussels Airlines, which boasts one of the most extensive networks release ahead of Madaraka day festivities and will provide a platform to and from Africa, joined the Star Alliance family of airlines, for local corporate to channel their support for the production effort providing passengers with even more choice through the ‘Capital through a number of opportunities including product placements. of Europe’. With a masala twist, ‘Muigwithania’, is set to make history as the With a fleet of 51 aircraft, Brussels Airlines operates more than first feature film about Asian migrants to Kenya and their social 200 daily flights to 55 European airports and 14 African destinations, interaction frameworks that inevitably fuelled and sustained the including Nairobi, Entebbe, Bujumbura and Kigali in East Africa. freedom struggle. Customers on the Star Alliance network can now choose from more than 19,700 daily flights to reach 1,077 destinations in 175 The film industry in Kenya has been identified as akey countries. growth industry with great potential to spur economic Brussels Airport has now become a Star Alliance hub and Belgium a growth and help in the realization of vision 2030 through home market for Star Alliance, providing both business and leisure tourist attraction, investment and employment creation. passengers with an enhanced portfolio of flight connections and Currently the film industry is generating over Kshs 3 billion fare alternatives. annually.
New ward open IT IS OFFICIAL: Ms Alice Macaire (centre), wife to Kenya’s British High Commissioner cuts the tape to mark the official opening of the new George Drew Ward. Looking on are Mr. Gordon Bell (left) Chairman Board of Trustees and Mr. Gordon Odundo (right), Gertrude’s Chief Executive.
Smart News April - June, 2010 7 Highlights Nakumatt donates ball sale profits to Musa Otieno Foundation
Benard Mosomi and Geoffrey Ngaina both of of Nakumatt Holdings Limited present a cheque to Musa Otieno of the Musa Otieno Foundation. Looking on are the Foundation members and players.
here is enough talent on this football crazy continent Rwanda. – in this country even – to fill the Premier League, but sadly – most of our youth never get the chance to In this unique story of synergy, Nakumatt Holdings agreed to develop their skills. In Jericho however, the Musa Otieno donate part of the proceeds made from Alive & Kicking ball sales Foundation has been nurturing young football talent at in its outlets to support the Musa Otieno Foudation; a partner and Tthe grassroots level and imparting life skills to the youth from the beneficiary of Alive & Kicking footballs for the last three years at area. no cost, as per it’s social investment pillar to share their success Nakumatt Holdings donated Sh545,438 to the Musa Otieno with members of the wider community by spearheading community Foundation to further aid their work in improving the quality of development projects on sports. sports in the country and most positively impact the lives of the children and youth in Jericho. The cash donation will go towards:
This money donated to the foundation were part of the profits Renovating the Musa Otieno Foundation resource centre at Uhuru made by Nakumatt Holdings from the sales of Alive & Kicking Kenya Estate footballs since their introduction in July 2008. Alive & Kicking Registering of their senior team in the KFF league. footballs currently retail in 14 Supermarkets countrywide, as well Assisting its orphaned children pursue their education. as in the recently launched Nakumatt Supermarkets in Uganda and Paying utility bills for the resource centre.
Combating urban littering Regional retailer Nakumatt Holdings joined forces with the Kampala City Council (KCC) to facilitate a solid waste management project by the council. The partnership launched in Kampala City in February by Uganda’s Minister of Water and Environment Hon. Maria Mutagamba, is geared at combating urban littering through the Nakumatt Holdings Corporate Affairs Manager Justus Nyaga provision of environmental litter bins. (left) briefs Uganda's Minister of Water and Environment Hon. Maria Mutagamba on how to operate the Nakumatt 8 Smart News April - June, 2010 Environment bins donated to Kampala City Council. Highlights
Hypermarket opens in Eldoret
akumatt Holdings, East Africa’s leading retail chain Nakumatt Holdings now has 9 hypermarkets, 14 supermarkets and has moved to open its ninth hypermarket format 2 convenience stores. store in the North Rift town of Eldoret. Speaking in Eldoret during the formal opening of the store, Nakumatt The opening of the new ultra modern 24-Hour service Holdings Managing Director Atul Shah said the firm would continue to undertake strategic NakumattN Eldoret expansion projects as part Hypermarket also of its overall corporate plans serves to confirm to deepen the local formal Nakumatt’s market retail market in line with leadership position Vision 2030 goals. in the region with With a chain of hypermarkets, a branch tally of 25 supermarkets and two outlets across East convenience stores, Africa. Nakumatt Holdings, Shah The new 75,000 said would continue to square feet Nakumatt explore viable market reach Eldoret Hyper located projects in its bid to raise the at the new Eldo Centre bar on the local formal retail has been unveiled to complement the former 24-Hour Nakumatt market space. Household supermarket which now reverts to normal supermarket “As we open Nakumatt Eldoret hyper, I am happy to confirm that working hours (8.30am-8.30pm) operation. our regional expansion plans are solidly on course as part of our With a total of 25 operational outlets in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, commitment to serve our existing and potential customers across
Nakumatt Diani
Smart News April - June, 2010 9 Highlights
Nakumatt Nanyuki
continued from page 9
the region,” Shah said. former Woolmatt Supermarkets’ branches in Nairobi as a going And added: “for this reason, we shall be rolling out new world-class concern. standard outlets in all the key markets such as this hypermarket here The acquisition, Shah explained has been effected due to popular in Eldoret in line with our commitment to support the governments customer demand in Nairobi and will further serve to enhance Vision 2030 goals.” Nakumatt’s presence within Nairobi’s Central Business District. In 2007, Nakumatt Holdings was the first private sector firm to The retail chain has also managed to retain a workforce of more than align its corporate growth plans alongside targets outlined in the 3,700 permanent employees in the three East African countries of governments Vision 2030 blueprint. Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda making it one of the largest employers Back then, Nakumatt had moved to unveil the ‘Nakumatt Grow in the region. Kenya plan’, becoming the first corporate entity to align its business Strategically located at the new CentrePoint Mall at the south coast, plans with the government’s long term economic strategy which the newly opened Nakumatt Diani Supermarket covers a shop floor seeks to transform Kenya into a globally competitive, prosperous space of more than 15,000square feet and will stock a range of nation with a high quality of life by the year 2030. more than 30,000 products in the fully air-conditioned store. And in just under a fortnight, Nakumatt Holdings has managed to In Nanyuki, Nakumatt Nanyuki Supermarket located at the ultra successively open four new branches in Diani, Nanyuki, Kakamega modern Nanyuki Mall premises covers a shop floor space of more and Eldoret as part of the firm’s national expansion plans. than 30,000square feet and will stock a range of more than 40,000 Besides the four new branches, Nakumatt Holdings expects to products alongside an in-store bakery and fresh produce section. further enhance its Nairobi region presence with the opening of two In Kakamega, Nakumatt Kakamega Supermarket the anchor tenant new hypermarkets on Kiambu Road and Lang’ata Road by August at the new Holden Mall covers a shop floor space of more than this year. 40,000square feet and will stock a range of more than 45,000 Nakumatt Holdings also announced the strategic acquisition of the products alongside an in-store bakery.
Nakumatt Kakamega
10 Smart News April - June, 2010 Highlights Avoid gray handsets or risk a 5 year jail term, Orange warns
…mobile reprogramming carries a Kshs 1 million fine option ntegrated telecommunications solutions provider Telkom And added: “Most gray iPhones are network locked to operators Kenya has moved to implore its subscribers to keep away abroad and therefore crash once you try to use them on local from purchasing gray handsets or risk being prosecuted for unsupported networks. The only remedy for this is to go for facilitating the reprogramming of mobile phone handsets. approved handsets that are now available at Orange Shops.” Following the presidential assent of the Kenya Communications Following a global licensing deal with Apple Computers the I(amendment) Bill of 2008, reprogramming of network locked manufacturers of the iPhone range of smart phones, Kenyan handsets sourced locally or from abroad was effectively outlawed consumers can now exclusively access original iPhone 3GS handsets and a punitive Kshs 1million fine introduced. at all Orange shops countrywide. Speaking when he responded to queries over increased cases of The iconic Smart phone globally described as the fastest, most mobile phone unblocking, Telkom Kenya Chief Executive Officer powerful iPhone yet is packed with incredible new features including Mr. Mickael Ghossein reiterated the illegal aspect of mobile phone improved speed and performance. unblocking and challenged the police and the Communications The iPhone 3GS is the fastest, most powerful iPhone loaded with Commission of Kenya to swiftly move in to enforce the law. incredible new features including a longer battery life, a high- “As an organization, we are playing our role in raising awareness quality 3 mega pixel auto focus camera, easy to use video recording to the fact that mobile reprogramming is illegal and carries a Kshs and hands free voice control function. 1million fine not to mention a five year jail term but the police and Having experienced the power of an iPhone 3GS handset firsthand, CCK now need to move in and manage the situation,” Ghossein Ghossein confirmed that the iPhone 3GS is not only faster, but with said. longer battery life you can watch more videos, listen to more music, And added: “to be on the safe side, we are now advising all our browse the Internet or keep using your favourite apps even longer. customers to buy their phones from Orange shops and avoid all From a technical perspective, Ghossein explained that the iPhone gray phones which ultimately cost more.” 3GS is powered by the new iPhone operating Systems (OS) 3.0, the The warning by Orange comes hot on the heels of the local launch world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 100 of the all new Apple iPhone 3GS for the local market which has new features such as Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS, Spotlight Search, coincided with the market flooding of gray versions. Subscribers landscape keyboard and more. holding the gray iPhone 3GS versions have been constantly The voice control feature in the iPhone 3GS offers hands free complaining of poor service and have had to illegally resort to back operation for both iPhone and iPod functions. Simply speak the street phone unblocking merchants. appropriate commands into the built-in microphone or headset Following the queries, Ghossein confirmed that a global licensing microphone to dial by name or number. deal with Apple Computers in the United States ensures that the With voice control you can play your favourite music by artist, iPhone 3GS will only be network supported on the Orange network album or playlist and activate the Genius feature by saying “play and not on any other. more songs like this.” You can also tell iPhone to pause the music, Such network access is security controlled through an advanced play the next track, turn on shuffle or ask, “What’s playing right operating systems software integrated only on the approved now?” networks, Ghossein explained.
Smart News April - June, 2010 11 Hidden Treasures Shop for MAMA
below Kshs 600 Baco Press n’ seal Ceres Cranberry & 50 sandwich bags Kiwi 1 litre Ksh 182 Ksh 146
Elledi Party wafers Safari Sun dried vanilla bag 250g sultanas 500g Ksh 225 Ksh 232
Tropicana Slim Diabetamil choc. cookies 200g Ksh 479
Greeting card Ksh 200
Greeting card Ksh 120
Lulu Life Virgin Sudanese Shea Butter Lip Balm Farmasi Shampoo Lime 400ml Ksh 175 Ksh 254
Enliven Hand & Body lotion cocoa butter 400ml Ksh 182
St. Ives bath & wash exfoliating apricot 400ml Ksh 549
Listerine anti bacterial mouthwash total care 500ml Ksh 699
Nutrisense soothing hand lotion 300ml Ksh 229
Nouvelle white quilt tissue Nivea spray energy fresh paper Ksh 560 150ml Ksh 299
Palmers cocoa butter foot magic 125g Ksh 600 Gift bag All Items Available Ksh 149 @
Ferrero Raffaello 150g 12 Smart News April - June, 2010 Ksh 526 *Prices subject to change Hidden treasures
Baccara canyon montana terry tea towels 3 pack Ksh 675
Tescoma feel x large drainer Ksh 1,840
Tescoma feel X ice/ choco mould Ksh 720
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below
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Your family Ksh 650
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Earings - Models’ own
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*Prices subject to change
Make her feel
SpecialBy Rosebella Wamae
It does not take much to show appreciation to a mother any day of the year. But Mother’s Day is a perfect occasion to pamper your mother with loads of gifts. Here are a few tips to help you choose the right gift for her.
14 Smart News April - June, 2010 Feature
hen choosing a gift for your mum, design, suitability, physical challenges and limitations are important especially if she is elderly. Special consideration should be given to physical challenges which dictate appliance preferences. Someone in a wheelchair may prefer a cordless opener that can be kept conveniently in a drawer, as opposed to a cabinet or wall mountable model. Persons with visual limitations may need specially designed kitchenware with larger and clearer quantity markings. Arthritis sufferers and those with problem hands need soft-grip and easy-on-hands kitchenware. ChooseW quality products that will, meet her needs, be a delight to use, be easy to maintain and operate, and that will serve them well in the future.
Gift baskets Why don’t you make your own gift basket this year? It’s so easy and it allows you to customize to suit your mother’s preferences. Imagine how appreciated a basket filled with her favourite beverages.
Coffees, chocolates, teas If your gift is a coffee, cappuccino or espresso maker, this new beverage appliance will be an immediate hit if you include their favourite specialty coffees. Add a variety of coffee pods for pod-operated coffee makers. Including flavoured cream would be a delight as would a special coffee spoon.
Include a variety of caffeine and caffeine- free or herbal teas with your teapot or tea maker gift. A bone china or porcelain mug, tea ball or honey dipper would be wonderful accents. Does she love fine chocolate or exotic coffee and teas? Fine chocolates - selections in dark chocolate, milk chocolate, truffles and chocolate assortments. Gourmet cheese - choose from regional specialties, cow’s and goat’s milk, hard and soft cheeses.
Coffee - dark roast, medium or light roast coffees. Gourmet Tea - comes in herbal and traditional tea varieties; choose black tea, green tea, or organic varieties.
Flowers Flowers say a lot and when you can’t be there to give her a hug, it has to be the next best thing. You could also add a new unique vase.
Smart News April - June, 2010 15 Feature
Cutlery and chef’s knives Kitchen knives make terrific gifts including a cutting board or knife block will perfectly ‘top’ if off. A good knife sharpener would also be great.
Mother’s Day Brunch or Dinner Mother’s Day brunches are typically abundant, but very popular. Find restaurants that offer a Mother’s Day brunch. Make reservations well in advance. Another thoughtful option is to take her out for a nice dinner in honour of Mother’s Day.
Kitchen accessories Try kitchenware and cookware gifts such as mixing bowls, electric mixers, food processors, cookware - a sampling of spatulas, turners, whisks, measuring spoons or even a minute timer would be wonderful tuck ins. Pot holders and mitts are welcome accessories with any kitchen gift. Include small gift sets of serving forks or spoons to your relish tray or serving ware gift and a set of salad spoons or tongs to a salad bowl set. Fancy dessert dishes could include sundae sauces and long spoons.
16 Smart News April - June, 2010 Feature
Relaxation and Spa Gifts Personal spa gifts that help her relax and de-stress. Treat her to some luxurious bath accessories - a cozy robe or bubble bath and candles. It’s easy to impress her with a simple, but creative personal spa gift like bath accessories and aromatherapy candles.
Books Does your mother read all the latest best sellers? Maybe she’s into romance novels, science fiction or mystery novels….Books First have a wide selection of books to choose from.
Health and body care gifts Comfort is always welcome as time and aging takes its toll. Treat your mother to massagers, foot baths and vitamin and supplements.
Music and movies Choose new music that she likes. CDs or DVDs make an inexpensive gift, but they also prove you care about your mother’s enjoyment and have taken the time to research her personal interests.
Smart News April - June, 2010 17 Feature
Celebs on Mother’s Day By Amondi Wendo
Famous actress Sophia Loren in her book Women and Beauty wrote: When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. Truer words have never been spoken, thus the reason why mothers are recognised for being through Mother’s day.
t is believed that the day came up from a traditional custom In the West, early “Mother’s Day” was mostly marked by women’s of mother worship in ancient Greece, which kept a festival to peace groups whose sons had fought or died on opposite sides of Cybele, a great mother of Greek gods. This festival was held the American Civil War. More recently it has grown to be a worldwide around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually celebration despite the fact that the dates differ from region to in Rome itself. The ancient Romans also had another holiday, region. Whatever the date, we all agree that we need to appreciate IMatronalia, that was dedicated to Juno, though mothers were our mothers. We spoke to a few female personalities to find out usually given gifts on this day. what this day means to them.
18 Smart News April - June, 2010 Feature
I believe Mother’s day is that one day we should all pause and appreciate your mother or being a mother. You should make her feel loved in every way. Before I became a mother, I used to wonder what the hullabaloo was all about, I thought it was like a money making gimmick. Now when I watch my own daughter make me something from school that says “ mommy I love you”, it makes me feel special. It’s definitely a day that we all need Actress Jackline Nyaminde to celebrate our mothers (Wilbroda) Since I am currently expecting my first child, I think for the first time in my life, I understand the bond between a mother and child. With all the challenges involved, I marvel at how my mother was able to have six of us. I believe that it’s important to celebrate Mother’s day because it’s a time to appreciate what my mother has done for me. Mother’s always have a smile on their faces no matter how hard things are. I admire my mother because she always made sure we had everything we needed no matter what. Even now, she calls me to find out how I am doing and makes me traditional vegetables which I love. In her eyes I will always be her little girl and she is priceless, so I will make her feel special this Singer/radio presenter Mother’s day. Debbie Asila
Smart News April - June, 2010 19 Feature
Even though we are supposed to show our love and appreciation for our mother’s everyday, Mother’s Day is that one day you show them that you care and so much more. It’s a day to spoil them and reaffirm your love for your mother or whoever it is who is the mother figure in your life. I think just by the mere fact that I am a mother too, I appreciate my mother more and what she went through for us. I just want to tell her thank you for loving me and find a way to make her feel really precious
Newscaster Najma Ishmael
It is very important to take time and celebrate our mothers. With our crazy lifestyles, we don’t really stop to appreciate motherhood. This day reminds me of how special, strong and courageous our mothers are. Also it reminds us that we are lucky to have people who look up to us and depend on us. Mother’s day makes me love and appreciate my own mom more Singer Wahu Kagwa
20 Smart News April - June, 2010 Image Consultant Susan Maina
No doubt, all mothers in the world need to be appreciated all the time. However Mother’s Day is that one day that we put aside and pamper them and thank them for all that they have been in our lives. Speaking as a mother, I now have an increased level of love for my mom. This year, I am going to go all out to make sure that both my mom and mother-in-law feel special. I will also be spending time with my son and making sure that he feels more loved than he ever we will
Smart News April - June, 2010 21 Lifestyle BLUE CHECKED SHIRT SEAN JOHN (Ksh 6,995) SHIRT CHECKED BLUE SARAR (Ksh 6,995) DENIM PANTS BLUE SARAR(Ksh 6,995) BELT LEATHER BROWN own and ring - Model’s ,watch Bracelet SUNDRESS CARMEN (Ksh 3,995) & GREEN FLOWERED YELLOW SUIT (Ksh 1,995) SHORT SPIDER MAN RED & BLUE SUNDRESS CARMEN PINK & BLACK (Ksh 5,695) (Ksh 14,995) TOP SWEATER SARAR BLACK own Earings - Models’ Mall Westgate Ivory, at All items available subject to change *Prices Family gatherings with mom gatherings Family
22 Smart News April - June, 2010 Lifestyle
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Surprise your wife with trendy and Pink dress shirt sarar (Ksh 3,295) Black stripped dress pants ivory (Ksh 2,795) unique fashionable pieces that she Grey & pink argos knit sarar (Ksh 9,995) Bracelet and Ring - Model’s own will always treasure All items available at Ivory, Westgate Mall
*Prices subject to change Smart News April - June, 2010 23 Lifestyle
Shopping time
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24 Smart News April - June, 2010 Lifestyle Ready to go out?
Yellow stripped long sleeved shirt (Ksh 2,195) S. Hill green khaki pants (Ksh 1,995) Black leather jacket (Ksh 49,995) White & yellow sneakers (Ksh 1,495) Pink dress shirt sarar (Ksh 3,295) Black stripped dress pants ivory (Ksh 2,795) Black long dress (Ksh 12,995) Grey & pink argos knit sarar (Ksh 9,995) Leopard print shawl (Ksh 1,195) Black dress shoes sarar (Ksh 11,995) Diamanté bracelet (Ksh 11,000) Sarar brown bracelet (Ksh 3,995) Blue, brown & yellow carmen halter dress (Ksh 3,995) Metallic pearls necklace (Ksh 4,495) Blue bracelet sarar (Ksh 3,995) Black sandals with diamanté feature (Ksh 2,995) Salini tan brown and flowered wedge (Ksh 9,995) Earrings - Models’ own Earrings - Models’ own
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Smart News April - June, 2010 25 Beauty beauty OVER 40
Do our beauty needs change as we hit 40, 50, 60 and beyond? Your make-up and hair might need an update and this is the time to step back and review your look says Rosebella Wamae
There is a wide range of beauty products in the market. To get that remember to use a moisturiser that is appropriate for your look, follow these tips: current skin type. A moisturiser that worked when you were younger may not achieve the same results now that you are • Drink plenty of water: As we get older we tend to dehydrate older. If a moisturizer makes you break out or feels greasy, you and our skin gets dryer. Moist skin and lips will instantly make are using the wrong product for your skin type. you look younger. However, skin changes as you get older, so
26 Smart News April - June, 2010 Beauty
• Using heavy make-up and powders does not compliment dryer • A well shaped eyebrow can make a big difference in how you skin. Heavily powdered skin will make your skin look matte and look. As your eyebrows get sparser and the colour fades, you dry. Keep the makeup application light and clean. If your skin may want to give them extra definition with a powder, pencil has a fairly even tone, don't use a heavy foundation. Tinted or gel that is close to your natural hair coluor. Apply colour moisturisers are a good option to consider. with a light touch. • Just as the pigment in our hair changes and it turns grey, • If you find your liquid foundation is a little too heavy, try mixing the melanin in our skin changes also. Make sure that your it with a little liquid moisturizer. foundation or tinted moisturiser still matches your skin colour • Make sure you use powder with a light touch. as closely as possible. • Curl your lashes - This only takes a couple of seconds, helps • Invest in make-up brushes. Good brushes will make your open up your eye, and can make a big difference in how you application quicker, easier, and more professional looking. look. • Find a make-up artist who is willing to spend an hour with you • Define your eyes with eyeliner - Try bringing the liner slightly to show you some tricks to make the most out of the makeup upward at the outer corner of the eye. Use mascara. This is an and the skills you have. You are likely to find its well worth the easy way to give the eye definition. money. Or, gather a group of friends or a friend and teach each • Use lip balm prior to starting your makeup application so that other what you know. it has time to set. Use foundation and powder close to the lip • Review your look: Are you stuck in a time warp with your hair line or an anti-feathering lip primer to help avoid feathering. and makeup? If your look is still the one you wore 10, 20, or 30 • Use a lip liner to help define lips - Try a lip liner whose colour years ago, re-think it. Dated hair and make-up can contribute is very close to the natural shade of your lips and both line and to an aging look. Seek professional advice. fill in the lips with the pencil prior to using your lip colour. • As your skin colour fades, you want your hair to compliment Remember to blend your make-up. Whether it’s the shadow on your it. Think about going a little lighter or getting some highlights eyes, the foundation or blush on your face, or the colour on your around your face. Don’t do this yourself; find a good colourist brows, blending makes an incredible difference in whether make- who can advise. When you change your hair style or colour, up enhances or detracts from your looks. you need to re-think your make-up. For instance, if you lighten your hair you probably want to soften your make-up.
Smart News April - June, 2010 27 Health in your hands Alcohol can lead to infertility
Dear readers, direct all your health questions to Dr. Komal Shah. She is a qualified Naturopath (N.D.), Yoga Therapist (P.G.D.Y.T.) and a Nutritionist. E-mail your questions to [email protected]
Q: I am currently in my final year of university. I think my pain and fever reducers) can damage your liver. Alcohol mixed with roommate has a drinking problem. This disturbs me and I am other drugs can cause nausea, vomiting, fainting, heart problems, not able to sleep and study properly. I would like to help her, and difficulty breathing. Mixing alcohol and drugs also can lead to as she has been a good friend for the past two years. Perhaps coma and death. knowing the negative effects of alcohol may Consumption of alcohol at an early age can also lead to infertility discourage her to continue drinking. in both sexes. Please advice. One 12-ounce bottle of beer or a 5-ounce glass of wine (about a half-cup) has as much alcohol as a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. Alcohol If your friend has one or can make you drunk and cause you problems no matter how you more of the following consume it. warning signs, he or she Get in touch with your university students union or/and counsellors. may have a problem They can guide you better on where to get professional help, if need with alcohol: be. • Getting drunk on a regular basis Q: I was diagnosed with hypertension four years ago. My doctor • Lying about how has put me on some medication and advised me to start some much alcohol he or she physical activity. I enrolled in a gym and have attended the is using sessions. What surprises me is that:- • Believing that alcohol is necessary 1) After all these years on scheduled gym programs my body to have fun weight has not reduced. • Having frequent 2) I still follow my doctor’s diet plan keenly and even at times I hangovers starve myself to see if there will be some changes. • Feeling run- Am I wasting my money in the gym? Is there something I can down, depressed, or do to lose weight? even suicidal Kindly advice. • H a v i n g “blackouts”- Firstly, do not lose hope. forgetting what he or One of the root causes of obesity is emotional instability or stress. We she did while drinking. tend to change our eating habits as per our feelings and emotions. Alcohol is a Until one’s underlying anger, fear, guilt, trauma, etc. are dissipated, depressant. The more the eating disorder may remain. The digestion and metabolic rate you drink, the more depends on stability of the mind. You may be eating healthy and “depressed” your brain exercising regularly, however these are just mechanical if the mind activity becomes. As you is not stable, happy and stress-free. continue to drink and alcohol A patient of mine who reported with similar problems benefited levels increase, specific parts greatly by doing yoga regularly. I taught her relaxation techniques of the brain are affected more to calm the mind, increase the metabolic rate and expel the toxins significantly. Alcohol consumption through breathing. causes problems with coordination, It is necessary to learn relaxation techniques as it calms the mind. reflexes, and balance. This occurs at a Hence increased stability of hormones and better functioning of the blood alcohol level of 0.15-0.35 per cent. excretory organs. Drinking can lead to risky behaviours, such We expel 70 per cent of our toxic material through our breath. Thus as driving when you shouldn’t, or having through breathing we increase the oxygen supply for the cells. The unprotected sex. more oxygen there is in the body, the faster the rate of burning toxic Alcohol is a drug. Mixing it with any other material, hence an increase in the metabolic rate. Photo: stock.xchng drug can be extremely dangerous. Alcohol and Continue with your gym sessions, but also start working on the root acetaminophen (a common ingredient in OTC cause of your problem.
28 Smart News April - June, 2010 Advertorial Diamond Jewellery
The word DIAMOND comes from the Greek word “adamas,” meaning ‘unbreakable’
Colour: The closer a diamond is to having no colour, the more valuable it becomes. Diamond colour is graded on a scale rom ancient times to the modern day, from D, which has the least colour, through the alphabet to diamonds have been considered symbols Z, which has a light yellow colour. of power, strength, and success. It is used Clarity: Inclusions are natural identifying in engagement rings as a symbol of the characteristics such as minerals or fractures. The strength of the love between a couple; fewer inclusions in the diamond the more valuable it monarchsF have worn them on their swords and scabbards is. The different grading include flawless (FL, IF), very as symbols of power; and the wealthy have used them very slightly included (VVS1, VVS2), very slightly included in clothing and jewellery as status symbols. With its rich (VS1, VS2), slightly included (SI1, SI2), and included (I1, I2, I3). history in our culture and traditions, we often get dazzled by the sparkle and enchantment of the diamond. But before we invest in Cut: Cut determines size and shape of diamond, which in turn is diamond jewellery it is important to understand what it is that we reflected in the value and beauty of the diamond. are buying. At Gili, you have the reassurance of knowing that each piece has been created with painstaking attention to quality and Carat: A diamond’s carat is a measure of its weight, not its size. craftsmanship. Two diamonds with the same carat weight can have very different values depending on their colour, clarity, and cut. The key to a perfect diamond purchase is understanding the 4C’s: Colour, Clarity, Cut, and Carat. It is the combination of these Gili’s stunning diamond jewelry designs draw on the eternal characteristics that determines the beauty, rarity, and value of magic, sparkle and joy that only diamonds can bring. the diamond. Jewellery available at Gili at The Westgate Mall, Westlands
Smart News April - June, 2010 29 Health Get on board, the smile train is here
Bernard Songoro is a little boy who suffered merciless teasing due to his disfiguring cleft clip. A school teacher who intervened and showed compassion changed his life. Mrs Nyakindi, tells us his story.
AFTER
BEFORE
Bernard Songoro
enard Songoro is eleven years-old and lives in Gucha His mother raised the fare through selling vegetables. In August District, South Nyanza. He goes to school at Mateburo 2006 Bernard’s cleft lip was successfully operated on and repaired. D.O.K primary school and has reached Standard Four. I could not believe my eyes, nor adequately express my gratitude I first noticed Bernard in 2006 when he was still in to see him look so different! The school head teacher and the Standard one. I had never really been aware of him. rest of the staff are equally happy about this, which is indeed like B a miracle, not to mention Bernard’s himself whose lifestyle has However on this particular day at the school parade, we were improved dramatically! At that time Bernard’s mother had a small releasing the math’s exam results. A pupil called out Bernard’s baby and was neither able nor could she afford to travel to Nairobi name, but although he had gained top place he did not seem to for the necessary check-ups that Bernard needed after the initial be able to come forward. To my surprise his fellow pupils started operation. Thanks to the doctors and all the nurses at Gertrude’s laughing and pointing at him as they tried to push him to the front. Children Hospital. As I looked to see what the problem was I suddenly realised that Bernard had a bad cleft lip, and the other pupils were mocking Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most frequent birth defects him and calling him ‘warthog’ known as ‘embeche’ in Kisii. I was in newborns. A cleft is characterised as an opening or a split in upset, and as I considered his plight, remembered the Gertrude’s the upper lip, the roof of the mouth (palate) or sometimes both. Children’s Hospital free operation repair service called ‘The Smile Cleft can have an effect on one side of the lip (unilateral cleft) or Train’ that dealt with such cases. both sides of the upper lip (bilateral cleft). Most of the time, they come about as isolated birth defects, but they can also be coupled For Bernard’s’ sake, I felt I had to find out more. To see what could with several genetic and environmental factors which will be later be done, I sent for Bernard’s parents. Sadly I found that his farther explained. was seriously mentally handicapped, but was delighted to find that his mother was not only a hardworking woman but a caring one as The look of a cleft lip can be shocking due to the disfiguration on the well. When she came to see me and heard about this service she newborns’ face. However, as surgical techniques have advanced, was immediately anxious to find out if her son could benefit from cleft lip and cleft palate are both correctable these days. In the it. majority of cases surgeons can bring back normal function with minimal scarring on the child. The sister whom I saw confirmed that Bernard should be brought to the hospital for assessment, and it was likely that a repair operation Cleft birth defects are more frequent in children from northern could be carried out. All that was needed was his bus fare from Kisii European and Asian origin, and less common in children of African town to Nairobi. ancestry. Cleft lip and a combination of a cleft lip and palate are more common in boys, as opposed to cleft palate on its own, which
30 Smart News April - June, 2010 Health is more common in girls. palates are especially vulnerable to middle ear infections. Over time this can cause damage to their hearing. This is because children What are the signs and symptoms of cleft lip and cleft palate? with a cleft develop glue ear - a sticky fluid builds up behind the A cleft (split) in the lip or palate is immediately identifiable at eardrum. Usually, this sticky fluid can drain away in the Eustachian birth due to the unusual physical appearance on the lip. Clefts are tube that links the ear and the throat. However, this tube can characterized as only a small slash in the lip. In some severe cases become distorted by a cleft palate. During surgery surgeons often it can extend from the lip through the upper gum and palate, and put a tiny plastic tube (a grommet) into the eardrum so that the even all the way into the nose. In less common cases, a cleft can also fluid can drain out. occur in the muscles of the soft palate (referred to as submucous cleft), which is at the back of the mouth. Since it is hidden by the Speech and language problems - our lips and palate are vital mouth’s lining, this type of cleft is sometimes not diagnosed straight components for the utterance of proper sounds for clear speech. away. Children with a cleft lip and palate commonly have speech development problems. Their voices may often have a nasal sound, Several important signs and symptoms can be associated with and problems uttering consonants properly are common. cleft lip and palate: The appearance of the face is noticeably unusual and Dental health - A cleft lip and palate cause alterations to the deformed. formation of the mouth and can lead to problems with the development of teeth, making children more susceptible to tooth Feeding problems - Since a newborn baby is usually breastfed, a decay. Teeth near the cleft may be missing, or they may grow out baby with a cleft lip and/or palate may have trouble suckling, or at different angles. Extra teeth may grow where they shouldn’t, swallowing milk. This is because they cannot generate a vacuum in resulting in problems with the development of a child’s jaw. their mouths. As a result, they take in too much air during feeding. In cases where a cleft is very large, it may be even necessary to Most patients will require orthodontic treatment to make sure their feed the baby through a tube that goes into the nose (a nasogastric teeth grow straight and in the right places. This usually involves tube) until the reconstructive surgery has been scheduled and wearing braces or brackets when the second teeth are coming completed. through and during their early teens. The child may also need to have some teeth removed to avoid overcrowding, or even have Ear infections and hearing impairments - Children with cleft implants to replace missing teeth.
Smart News April - June, 2010 31 Health Keeping teeth healthy
Parents often have questions about how to take care of their children’s teeth. When should you start brushing? What kind of toothpaste is best? When should you go to the dentist? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you keep your kids’ teeth healthy and cavity free.
entists’ advice cleaning infant’s teeth as soon as the The timing of the first visit to the dentist is a little controversial. first tooth is out. At first, you can just use awash Some dentists advise that a child should visit a dentist when they cloth to clean your infant’s teeth. As he gets more, get their first tooth and not later than one year of age. In contrast, you can use a soft children’s toothbrush. some recommend that unless your child has risk factors, such as sleeping with a cup or bottle, teeth staining, thumb sucking, etc., DBecause there is some danger if your child gets too much fluoride, the first visit to the dentist should be by around the third birthday. your choice of toothpaste is important. If using fluoride toothpaste, use a small, pea-size amount of toothpaste, so that there is little However, an early visit to the dentist is a good way to learn proper danger of the child getting too much fluoride if he swallows it. oral hygiene at an early age, including avoiding night time’s bottles Encourage your child to spit out the toothpaste at a young age. or cups of formula or juice, proper tooth brushing, and a diet that promotes good dental health. You may also want to see a Paediatric The other alternative for younger children is to use a non-fluoridated dentist early if your child has a medical condition that puts him at toothpaste, such as Baby Orajel Tooth and Gum Cleanser, until they risk of having dental problems, such as Down syndrome. are spitting the toothpaste out. Another important topic is figuring out if your child is getting
32 Smart News April - June, 2010 Health
enough fluoride. Children begin to need supplemental fluoride by the age of six months. If he is drinking tap water (either alone, or mixed with formula or 100 per cent fruit juice), and you live in an ‘Be careful that children younger than six area where the water is fluoridated, then he should be getting an years do not swallow too much fluoride. adequate amount of fluoride. If he doesn’t drink water, or is drinking This can cause their permanent teeth to well water, unfluoridated bottled water (most brands of bottled have white spots’ water don’t have fluoride in them unless the label specifically states that they do), or filtered water, then he may not be getting enough fluoride to keep his teeth healthy. Talk with your paediatrician or hygiene. You can usually begin flossing once your child is about dentist about fluoride supplements. three years old, but they most likely will not be able to floss on their own until they are about eight years old. Water filters are a special concern, because some of them do filter out fluoride. Counter top filters and the pitcher type filters usually In addition to teaching your children the importance of regular don’t remove fluoride, but more sophisticated, point of use filters brushing and flossing, routine visits to the dentist including a healthy can. If in doubt, check with the manufacturer to see if the filter diet, it is critical that you set a good example by also practicing good removes fluoride. dental hygiene. If you do not brush and floss each day, or regularly see a dentist, then it is unlikely that your children will either. You should also talk with your dentist about using sealants in your school age child. A sealant is a plastic material that is applied to Oral Health Tips the teeth, hardens, and provides a barrier against plaque and other Start early. As soon as the first tooth appears, begin cleaning by harmful substances. Sealants can be applied to the first and second wiping it every day with a clean, damp cloth. When more teeth come permanent molars, to help protect the grooves and pits of teeth in, switch to a small, soft toothbrush. that are hard to clean, and are prone to developing cavities, thus premolars should be appropriated as soon as they erupt (usually You can start using toothpaste with fluoride when the child is after 6 years of age). two years old, and if your doctor recommends it, you can use What about flossing? Flossing is an important part of good dental toothpaste with fluoride even earlier. Do not let a child under the
Smart News April - June, 2010 33 Health
age of 6 use fluoride mouth rinse unless the child’s doctor or dentist tooth decay (cavities). Dental plaque can also invade and infect the recommends it. gums, gum disease and periodontitis, leading to the loss of one or more teeth. You should not wait until a tooth is lost, in order to Check with your child’s doctor or dentist about your child’s specific understand the importance of oral hygiene and preventive care. fluoride needs. After the second age, most children get the right amount of fluoride to help prevent cavities if they drink water that The resulting conditions contains fluoride and brush their teeth twice a day, with a very small Most of these mentioned ailments can be avoided by maintaining amount of fluoride toothpaste. If the drinking water does not have good oral hygiene. Poor dental hygiene leads to many health enough fluoride, parents of children older than six months should problems such as oral thrush, trench mouth, bad breath and many ask about the need for a fluoride supplement. others.
Fluoride toothpastes - Fluoride is important for fighting cavities However one has to be mindful that children younger than six Importance of good oral hygiene years old do not swallow too much fluoride. This can cause their Prevention is always better than treatment. Good oral permanent teeth to have white spots. Be sure to use only a small hygiene habits will keep away most dental problems, amount of toothpaste (about the size of a pea) and instruct your saving you from toothaches and costly dental treatments. child to spit out the toothpaste and rinse well after brushing. The interesting part is that it can be achieved by dedicating a minimal part of the day everyday to dental hygiene care. A large number of various oral hygiene products, beyond the usual toothpaste and ‘Healthy teeth enable you to look and toothbrush, are available in the market to help you in this effort. feel good, they making it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health Unfortunately, most of us remember the importance of oral is important to your overall well-being’ hygiene instructions only when a problem occurs. Research has shown that while patient activation can show an immediate improvement in oral hygiene habits, only a small percentage Supervision - Until your child has the ability to handle a toothbrush keeps the same standards six months later. Maintaining you should brush your child’s teeth twice a day. After that you good dental hygiene should be a lifelong everyday habit. should continue to keep a watchful eye to make sure the child is doing a thorough job and using only a small amount of toothpaste. Awareness regarding the importance of oral hygiene has You should serve as a good role model by practicing good oral significantly increased in the developed countries, but contrary health care habits yourself. Further, it is important to schedule to that, the modern dietary lifestyle habits are posing a greater regular dental visits for checkups and cleaning. risk for oral health. Healthy teeth enable you to look and feel good, hence making it possible to eat and speak properly. Check your child’s mouth for the signs of periodontal disease. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being. Symptoms may include bleeding gums, swollen and bright red gums or gums that are receding away from the teeth and bad breath. Daily preventive oral care, with proper brushing and flossing, will help stop dental problems before they develop, and are much less Effects of poor oral hygiene painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that The main purpose of dental hygiene is to prevent the build- have been allowed to progress. up of plaque; the sticky film of bacteria that forms on the teeth. A major cause of dental problems is bacterial plaque which accumulates o teeth, due to poor oral hygiene. How to maintain good oral hygiene It is important to learn how to maintain good dental hygiene from This acid producing bacteria demineralises the tooth enamel causing early childhood. Parents should teach their children the proper
34 Smart News April - June, 2010 Health
use of oral hygiene products. Good oral hygiene should be a joined effort involving you and your dentist.
Ask your dentist how to maintain good oral hygiene, and obtain proper dental hygiene instructions, which include the correct way of brushing and flossing. The dentist will identify your individual needs and help you build your own oral care plan.
Signs of good oral hygiene Good oral hygiene results in a mouth that looks and smells healthy. This means: • Your teeth are clean and free of debris. • Gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when you brush or floss. • Bad breath is not a constant problem.
The most important oral hygiene instructions In between regular visits to the dentist, there are simple steps that each of us can take to greatly decrease the risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems. These instructions include: • Brush your teeth at least twice a day or after every meal, with a fluoride toothpaste. • Floss your teeth at least once a day. • Watch your diet - Avoid sugar and limit snacks between meals.
Smart News April - June, 2010 35 Gardening
Water features
Every garden needs a focal point. This is the feature in the garden to which the eye is inevitably drawn and which commands most attention. Among the features in the garden, few stand out as water features do. By Oscar Ludelu
A water feature may be a small shallow bowl of water on the To get your water feature up and flowing, you need first to patio, fountains, a cascading or trickling waterfall or still consider the location. As a focal point in the garden you need ponds. Whatever shape it takes all water features have the to position your pond or waterfall where it can be seen and same effect in the garden; a soothing, calming effect. However enjoyed. To locate it out of eye view is waste of a feature itself, if you live in a high traffic or industrial location, you may want particularly if the feature should be situated close to the to mask the intrusive noise, in which case your feature will be water and power sources as well as a pump is required to run Photo: stock.xchng turbulent. the feature.
36 Smart News April - June, 2010 Gardening
A major challenge with water features is the loss of water due to come ready made in plastic, fibre glass, or concrete with your work evaporation. If your water feature has moving water in the form of being only to install them. a water fall, jet or fountain, more water will be lost to evaporation. Indeed, the more turbulent the water is, the more evaporation Indeed the most popular option is to buy a ready made pond and there will be to prevent this, fountains that have course droplets install it as part of your do it your self project. are recommended, instead of those with a fine spray, as the latter loses more water to evaporation than the former. Installing a ready made pond is as easy as key and lock. You need no special skill. However, the setting up of the pump may require you need expert advice (i.e., if you need a feature with water movement) First, place the pond at the exact location you want it and trace ‘The type of water feature you choose will its outline in the soil with a marker. This should give you a clear be determined largely by the space available outline of its shape. Using the outline as a guide, start excavating and the cost. Mini water features are ideal and gradually increase the size of the hole by a margin of 5cm. for town houses and patios’ Thereafter, line the base of the hole with sand and fit the pond in the hole. Using a hose, slowly fill the pond with water, while at the same time in-filling with soil the gaps between the sides of the wall, and the sides of the pond. Level off with soil the area around In order to prevent water from splashing out of the pond, ensure the pond’s edge. You could give your feature a touch of finesse by that the radius of the pond or catch basin is twice the height of the adding river pebbles or worn ballast and rocks around it. fountain. Once again note that a shallow pond will lose more water to evaporation than a deeper one. However, if you have a shallow Once you have the pond in, place-whatever it is- you need to add pond, you can cushion it against water loss by adding plants like life. This means adding aquatic plants. This can be done in two ways; water lilies whose leaves will cover the water surface and reduce one can put soil at the base and plant directly into it, or submerge evaporation. A smart trick would be to plant the lilies adjacent to containers filled with plants. the feature, such that they cast their shadows over it. Though shade may help lessen evaporation, a densely shady spot may not be ideal Floating plants help to keep the water clean, reduce algal growth for a pond in which you intend to grow water plants. Most water and absorb dissolved nutrients. Not all feature waters need to have plants require at least five hours of sunlight to thrive. water though. If you have an area where run off eventually collects, your ideal solution would be to turn it into a water feature. At this The type of water feature you choose will be determined largely by spot grow lilies, reeds, irises and the like to create a small wet land the space available and the cost. Mini water features are ideal for that will attract lots of wildlife thus giving the impression of a dry town houses and patios. river bed.
A large trough, or tank lined with plastic sheeting makes a good Whichever water feature you settle for, you can be sure water in feature. You could even make your own simple pond by simply your garden will help cool the senses, calm the mind and beautify digging it up, and lining it to hold the water. Some water features your home- what we all need in these challenging times.
Smart News April - June, 2010 37 Easter
Easter traditions By Ann Songole
One of the most interesting things about Easter is that it is somewhat of a “melting pot” holiday, with traditions from many cultures and religions. There is no doubt that food plays a big part of celebrations in every culture.
Easter foods concept of renewal/rebirth symbolises the important role played Traditionally, a lot has been written on the symbolism/ by the egg in Easter celebrations; a role which no doubt however traditions of Easter foods. These foods work on three levels: antedates Christianity. There are also special foods associated with the other days in the Easter calendar. In Europe, for instance, 1. Those items specifically related to Christ (lamb, the “Lamb of Easter is the time to start eating the season’s new lamb, which God”). is just coming onto the market then. Easter breads, cakes, and 2. Those items traceable to pagan rites of spring (eggs=rebirth, biscuits are a major category of Easter foods, perhaps especially ham=luck, cake/bread=fertility). noticeable in the predominantly Roman Catholic countries of south 3. Modern interpretations and evolutions (candy and toys in and central Europe. Traditional breads are laden with symbolism in fancy baskets) their shapes, which may make reference to Christian faith.
Easter eggs Easter foods are primarily those of Easter Sunday, the day on which Eggs are traditionally connected with rebirth, rejuvenation and Jesus rose from the dead, a day of special rejoicing for Christians, immortality. This is why they are often associated with Easter. In who rejoice too at reaching the end of the long Lenten fast. The the early Christian calendar, eggs were forbidden during Lent. This
38 Smart News April - June, 2010 Easter made them bountiful and exciting forty days later. Easter eggs are sometimes decorated with bright colors to honor this celebration. Russian pysanki is one of the most elaborate forms. Conversely, the abstinence of eggs is associated with Lent. ‘The egg is the emblem of the germinating “Eggs were colored, blessed, exchanged and eaten as part of life of early spring. Easter eggs, the the rites of spring long before Christian times. Even the earliest children are told, come from Rome with the civilizations held springtime festivals to welcome the sun’s rising bells which on Thursday go to Rome and from its long winter sleep. They thought of the sun’s return from return Saturday morning’ darkness as an annual miracle and regarded the egg as a natural wonder and a proof of the renewal of life. As Christianity spread, the egg was adopted as a symbol of Christ’s Resurrection from the tomb. In Germany and other countries of central Europe, eggs that go into Easter foods are not broken, but emptied out. The empty shells are For centuries, eggs were among the foods forbidden by the church painted and decorated with bits of lace, cloth or ribbon, then hung during Lent, so it was a special treat to have them again at Easter. with ribbons on an evergreen or small leafless tree. On the third In Slavic countries, baskets of food including eggs are traditionally Sunday before Easter, Moravian village girls carried a tree decorated taken to church to be blessed on Holy Saturday, or before the with eggshells and flowers from house to house for good luck. Easter midnight Mass, and then taken home for a part of Easter breakfast. The eggshell tree is one of several Easter Traditions carried to America by German settlers, particularly those who became People in central European countries have a long tradition of known as Pennsylvania Dutch. They also brought the fable that elaborately decorated Easter eggs. Polish, Slavic and Ukrainian the Easter bunny delivered colored eggs for good children. Easter people create amazingly intricate designs on the eggs. They draw is an especially happy time for children and many of the seasons lines with a wax pencil or stylus, dip the egg in color and repeat customs are meant for their enjoyment. Hunting Easter eggs hidden the process many times to make true works of art. Every dot and around the house or yard are a universal custom and so are egg- line in the pattern has a meaning. Yugoslavian Easter eggs bear rolling contests.” the initials “XV” for “Christ is risen,” a traditional Easter greeting. The Russians, during the reign of the tsars, celebrated Easter much “Because the use of eggs was forbidden during Lent, they were more elaborately than Christmas, with Easter breads and other brought to the table on Easter Day, coloured red to symbolize the special foods and quantities of decorated eggs given as gifts. During Easter joy. This custom is found not only in the Latin but also in the 1880s up until 1917, the Russian royal family carried the custom the Oriental Churches. The symbolic meaning of a new creation of to great lengths, giving exquisitely detailed jeweled eggs made by mankind by Jesus risen from the dead was probably an invention goldsmith Carl Faberge. of later times. The custom may have its origin in paganism, which,
Smart News April - June, 2010 39 Easter
Hot cross buns “The practice of eating special small cakes at the time of the Spring festival seems to date back at least to the ancient Greeks, but the English custom of eating spiced buns on Good Friday was perhaps institutionalized in Tudor times, when a London bylaw was introduced forbidding the sale of such buns except on Good Friday, at Christmas, and at burials.
40 Smart News April - June, 2010 Easter
continued from page 39
celebrate the return of spring, and later gravitated to Easter. The ensure fertility. They also symbolize rebirth, and thus long life egg is the emblem of the germinating life of early spring. Easter and even immortality. Eggs represent life in its various stages of eggs, the children were told, came from Rome accompanied by development, encompassing the mystery and magic of creation. The bells which on Thursday were taken Rome, and later returned on concept of eggs as life symbols went hand in hand with the concept Saturday morning. of eggs as emblems of immortality. Easter eggs, in fact, symbolize immortality, and particularly the resurrection of Christ, who rose The sponsors in some countries give Easter eggs to their god- from a sealed tomb just as a bird breaks through an eggshell.” children. Coloured eggs are used by children at Easter in a sort of game which consists of testing the strength of the shells (Kraus, Real-Encyklop die, s. v. Ei). Both coloured and uncoloured eggs are used in some ‘Among the most significant Easter foods, parts of the United States for this game, known as “egg-picking”. is the Easter lamb, which is in many places Another practice is the “egg-rolling” by children on Easter Monday the main dish of the Easter Sunday meal’ on the lawn of the White House in Washington.”
Why do we decorate eggs? Why do some people serve ham for Easter dinner? Historians tell us that people have been decorating eggs for Historians tell us that religions sometimes use food (taboos/ thousands of years; a practice which was inspired by religion. traditional holiday meals) to forge identity and create community. Techniques and styles varied according to culture and period. Early Christians embraced ham, in part, to proclaim their religious Decorative eggs were also fabricated from other foods, most beliefs. Among the most significant Easter foods, is the Easter lamb, notably confectionery. Notes here: which is in many places the main dish of the Easter Sunday meal. “Because eggs embody the essence of life, people from ancient Corresponding to the Passover lamb and to Christ, (the Lamb of times to the modern day have surrounded them with magical God), this dish has become a central symbol of Easter. Also popular beliefs, endowing them with the power not only to create life but among European and Americans on Easter is ham, because the pig to prophesy the future. Eggs symbolize birth and are believed to was considered a symbol of luck in pre-Christian Europe.”
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42 Smart News April - June, 2010 Feature Father’s Day
Father’s Day is a day set aside to acknowledge and appreciate the important role played by a father in raising the child and consequently building a stronger society.
hough fathers have been revered at all times by if there is a day to recognize mothers then why is not there a day to civilizations across the globe, ironically what was honour fathers? missing until the last century was the official recognition of the significance of fathers in ones life. Father’s Day Many people laughed and joked at Sonora’s idea. But her will did story is the tale of realization of the need for a Father’s not droop. She began a sincere campaign lobbying for the cause TDay which was a festival initiated by Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Father’s Day. Her hard work began to show signs of success of Washington. The story narrates Sonora’s unflagging struggle to when Spokane celebrated its first Father’s Day on June 19, 1910 officially set a day to honour all fathers. with the support of Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). To pay tribute Historians have recorded that the tradition to celebrate Father’s to her affectionate father, Sonora wished that Father’s Day be Day was conceived thousands of years ago. Approximately 4,000 celebrated on her father’s birthday on June 5, but it so happened years ago in Babylon, a son called Elmesu carved a father’s day that there was not enough time for preparation and the day message on a clay card. In his message, Elmesu wished his came to be celebrated on third Sunday in the month of June. father a long and healthy life. There is no knowledge as to what happened to this father son duo, but it is believed that several The noble idea of celebrating Father’s Day became quite popular countries retained the custom of celebrating Father’s Day. in US so much so that President Woodrow Wilson approved of the The tradition of celebrating Father’s Day as seen today originated festival in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge too supported the idea in the last century. Though there are several people who are but it was President Lyndon Johnson who signed a Presidential credited for furthering the cause of Father’s Day, there is far greater Proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father’s acceptance for Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd’s contribution. A Day in 1966. Then in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a doting daughter from Spokane, Washington, Ms Dodd is recognized permanent national observance of Father’s Day to be held on the as the Founder or Mother of the Father’s Day Festival. third Sunday of June.
Inception of the Father’s Day took place in Sonora’s mind when she Fathers Day in present time happened to hear a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Sonora, who was Father’s Day has become a hugely popular festival. World over 27 then, had begun to recognize the hardships her father must have people thank their father and pay tribute to them. Most commonly gone through while bringing up his six children alone. When Sonora children give Father’s Day cards and flowers to their father. Neckties was 16, her mother had died during childbirth. Sonora’s father a are a popular gift on the occasion of Father’s Day. Civil War veteran by the name of William Jackson Smart raised six children including the newborn on his own. Sonora questioned that Another great idea would be to spend time together doing activities that you both enjoy. It may be a picnic, movie or a meal in the restaurant. One may also wish Father’s Day to stepfathers by ‘The noble idea of celebrating Father’s Day preparing breakfast in bed, pampering him with a gift of love. Ideally, became quite popular in US so much so that the gift must reflect that his likes and interests have been taken President Woodrow Wilson approved of the care of. This will make him feel loved and needed. Such sentiments festival in 1916’ of mutual admiration go a long way in building relationships.
Smart News April - June, 2010 43 Feature
what shapes are
stars?By Lenny Ruvaga
This might come as a total surprise, but contrary to common belief, stars are not star shaped! The reason they have been drawn that way for millennia by artists of all ages, is because they have faulty eyes, so do you for that matter.
he surface of your eye, called the cornea, becomes a wave hitting the backside of the fence would turn into a scratched as the years wear on. As a matter of lot of little waves as it funnels through the pickets. Plus, the fact, scratched corneas are a particular problem in pickets would change the waves’ direction. The longer the Middle Eastern countries, where the wind and sand wave, the more it would bend coming through. The scratches combine to do a great deal of eye damage, acting as on a diffraction grating work the same as your ‘imaginary’ a diffraction grating. However, although a scratched cornea is fence pickets. As the light waves hit the back of the diffraction not a very good diffraction grating, it will work if you look at a grating, they are bent by the scratches. Longer waves (red light) star; a source of light against a dark background. Then, instead bend more than shorter waves (blue).Result? White light gets of seeing a point, you’ll see a spiky shape. Naturally, the spiky sorted out into its colors. The color scatter would also enable shape will shimmer and twinkle if there are some differences you to tell which colors have a higher or lower temperature in the temperature that night, which is usually the case. -blue has a higher temperature. To put it simply, a diffraction grating is a scratchy piece of glass In a nutshell, we can explain the colors we see coming through that scatters light. This “color scatter” is known in scientific a diffraction grating in terms of waves getting “squeezed” circles as a color spectrum, and is a “fingerprint” unique through a “picket fence”, even though light also arrives in to whatever the light source is. Be it the flames of a stove, particles (“photons, “the scientists say).However, that’s a or its glowing electric coils, the fluorescent bulbs (tubular story for another day. kind), incandescent bulbs (normal-shaped), streetlamps, What you’ve struck your nose into here by getting to know stoplights, the moon and the very brightest stars or a neon about a diffraction grating is an area of physics called sign. Particularly, a neon sign makes for a spectacular color “quantum mechanics”. It’s stood up to every experiment ever scatter. devised to disprove it, and it plays a practical role in every If you were to hold up this scratchy piece of glass to a light electronic devise manufactured today. Oh yes, and Einstein bulb, and see a brilliant scatter of color radiating from the had some problems with it. bulb, you would be peering into one of the quirkiest, most Richard Feynman, a Nobel-prize winning physicist who wrote fundamentally odd parts of the universe -light. Some of the and taught about quantum mechanics for many years, once very best scientific minds of the past three centuries have said the entire field was contained in a single, very puzzling devoted their careers to the study of light and its ultimate experiment called the “double-slit” experiment. He went nature. Without it, you would not be able to see the stars let on to say nobody really, truly understood the double-slit alone anything else. experiment. Of course, the double-slit experiment he was More than 3oo years’ worth of scientists have proved that light referring to is a fine controlled version of looking through a can behave like a wave. Imagine you are at the beach staring diffraction grating. at the waves rolling in, and you’ll get a pretty good idea of With the help of a telescope, astronomers can look at the color waveness. Keep that idea in mind for a second and envision scatter given off by a single star and tell you what it’s made waves of light, rolling out from a light bulb. Some of them are of, how hot it is, how fast it’s moving, whether it’s spinning, or born short waves, and they are bluish; some are born long and if anything is partially blocking its light. They can tell you all are reddish. They jumble together and look white to our eyes, this about stars that are travelling near the speed of light at at least until you un-jumble them with a diffraction grating. the edge of the visible universe, and that have been dead long To simplify things even further, imagine a picket fence which before the earth was born. has been built a little way out of the beach. Needless to say,
44 Smart News April - June, 2010 Available at NAKUMATT stores in Kenya (Westgate, Ngong Road, Lifestyle, Junction, Nyali, Mega...) and Uganda (Oasis) Smart News April - June, 2010 45 GARANTIE 5 ANS 5-YEAR GUARANTEE Feature Beat those
Bluesby Karimi Mirero
ll of us have gone through a spell of the ‘blues’, also called depression. In today’s stress-filled world, people of all ages are prone to it. The tremendous social changes that have taken place, especially in urban areas, is a major cause: the changing roles of men and women, the entry of more women into the work force and the loss of a family support system, especially that which comes from living in the city.
What can you do to beat those blues? Here are some time- tested ways:
* Do something: Inactivity feeds depression. The less you do, the less you want to do. Write down a daily plan of activities, right from waking up to going to bed. List everything and break the work up into smaller tasks, so that it doesn’t seem overwhelming.
* Lend a hand: Reach out to others. Voluntary social work and community service takes you out of yourself and focuses your mind on something positive. It will increase your sense of self- worth. Since loneliness is a major cause of depression, human contact heals.
* Develop a pleasurable hobby: Plan to include a joyful activity in your schedule every week. It could be a picnic, a party, a movie or eating out. Learn a new skill. Work on a group project.
* Put that smile back: If you’re feeling down, don’t frown, smile. Walk briskly, don’t drag your feet. Don’t slouch. Sit up straight. The actions that go into being happy will make you feel happy.
* Exercise regularly: Exercises like walking, swimming, cycling and jogging improve your sense of well-being. They help you There are days when you don’t feel like getting relax and reduce tension. up from bed and going to school, work or anywhere, even though your health is perfect. *Brighten up your surroundings: Some people feel depressed When you open your eyes, all you can see when they are in a dingy room, without sufficient light, ahead is a dull, dreary day, filled with gloom. especially in the cold season.. You can brighten up your There are days when you feel so low, that environment by using colorful furnishings, flowers, paintings you snap angrily at anyone you meet and just and brighter lights. refuse to smile. Likewise, there are times when everything and everybody seems to be against Help yourself snap out of it, and you’ve got the key to beating you, and bent on making your life miserable. those blues! Photo: stock.xchng
46 Smart News April - June, 2010 Feature Moon illusion
eyes, ears, nose, and skin every waking hour. It’s confusing, never-ending, and hopelessly chaotic. At least it would be, if your brain didn’t create an internal filing system to organize it. This filing system is mostly unconscious, and the process of how it works is multi-layered and very complex, but the biggest, most important step is probably the first: Most of what goes into your brain, it simply throws away. (There are millions of examples. One would be the sensation your shoes make against your feet. Your brain generally ignores it.) e all know the effect: The moon is enormous If your brain did not “edit” the input like this, or organize at moon rise on the horizon, while a few the rest into familiar patterns, you would undoubtedly be hours later, in the midst of a black sky, it has paralyzed by the onslaught. In fact, psychologists believe that shrunk back into relative insignificance. some forms of mental illness stem from faulty organizational Everyone has proposed theories to explain “wiring.” The patient experiences “too much” and as a result, Wit, from that first mastodon-eater to today’s astrophysicists. fails to put it into patterns. However, the explanation that seems to enjoy the most This basic fact of life often comes as a surprise, especially to popularity these days is one that you might call the “Automatic those of us who are clearly not very organized; however, there Heighten Button Theory.” is plenty of proof. Illusions, optical as well most of the other See, all its life your brain has been dealing with distant things. kind, demonstrate this unconscious organizational process It knows that people at the end of the block are not one inch because they trip it up. They are the exceptions that prove the tall, they just look that way. When it sees a person moving their rule. An illusion sets up an “ordinary” scene, gives our brains legs and starting to enlarge, it’s not fooled. It knows what’s all the regular cues, and then pulls out the chair at the last really happening. Somebody is walking toward it. instant. Since your brain invariably works this way, no matter what But note the most interesting part of all this. It’s not the punch it’s looking at, let’s set it up for a harmless little practical line, when your brain goes sprawling. Instead, it’s in the set up. joke. Assume you were looking at a photo of two men, of one That is the proof that your brain has trained itself to operate small image in the background and a bigger one. With the in a blindered, not very bright-seeming kind of way. help of a pair of scissors, if you were to put the character Illusions take advantage of the fact that your brain generally in the background, in the foreground, it would appear to be knows how to fast-forward past the obvious stuff. Further, smaller than it actually was! Such that if you asked someone it has also stored billions of pieces of unconscious data and to rank the three images of the men in size (biggest, smallest uses them unthinkingly to make sense of the world. It has to. and in-between), he or she would think that the image in the Nonetheless, the process can be carried to extremes. foreground is the smallest. Well, of course until they could Most surgeons are men, so your brain takes a shortcut. It demonstrate to their disbelieving brain with a ruler. hears the word “surgeon” and says to itself “male.” Say the Your brain would see the small character in the background the word “nurse” and your brain barely wakes up enough to say same way it always sees small characters –as distant people- “female.” and unconsciously it heightens the image to compensate for The word fort his kind of thing isn’t just “mental shortcut” it’s its distance. No problem there. But on seeing the foreground more like “bias” or prejudice.” Some people get such a bad image, the “automatic heighten button does not get pushed, case of it that they start saying things like “Surgeons ought to and it would be led to think that the two images don’t match be men,” or “Nurses ought to be women.” up though they actually do. That kind of thinking can lead to real problems. But now that In the same way, on the horizon, with buildings or trees on the you know where it comes from, you can take some active steps foreground, the moon is perceived as a background object. As to prevent it. Just give your brain a real wake up call whenever a result, the “Automatic Heighten” button gets unconsciously you suspect it might be taking one of these lazy shortcuts that pushed and the moon becomes “enlarged.” it shouldn’t. Hours later with, no more foreground buildings or landscape to compare it with, the moon itself becomes the “foreground” and the button is not pushed. The result is an apparent ‘Humankind has been puzzled by an difference in size. But, if you hold a dime at arm’s length, apparent paradox ever since hairy Homo when the next full moon comes up, you’ll see the dime and the sapiens looked up from a cold dinner of moon just about match up. A couple of hours later do the same pterodactyl drumstick and watched the thing. Even though the moon looks a lot smaller, the dime test moon rise over a belching volcano: Why will give the same results. does the moon seem to shrink as it climbs From your brains point of view, life is a staggering blast of in the sky?’ completely disorganized stuff. Impressions, feelings, images, smells, etc., are being fire-hosed into your brain through your
Smart News April - June, 2010 47 Feature
Dining
by Karimi Mirero
Table manners play an important part in making a favourable impression. They are visible signals of the state of our manners and are essential to your image. The point of etiquette rules is to make you feel comfortable, not uncomfortable.
General social and dining etiquette rules include: items that have dropped on the floor. You can use your napkin to protect yourself from spills. Then, simply and politely ask • Arrive at least 10 minutes early unless otherwise specified. your server to clean up and to bring you a replacement for • Pass food from the left to the right. the soiled napkin or dirty utensil. • Always say please when asking for something. Be sure to say • Do not blow your nose at the dinner table. Excuse your self thank you to your server after they have removed any used to visit the rest room. Wash your hands before returning to items. the dining room. If you cough, cover your mouth with your • Set any passed item, whether it’s the salt and pepper shakers, napkin to stop the spread of germs and muffle the noise. a bread basket or a butter plate, directly on the table instead If your cough becomes unmanageable, excuse yourself to of passing hand-to-hand. visit the rest room. Wash your hands before returning to the • Never intercept a pass. Snagging a roll out of the bread basket dining room. or taking a shake of salt when it is en route to someone else • Turn off your cell phone or switch it to silent or vibrate mode is a no-no. before sitting down to eat and leave it in your pocket or • Food is served from the left. Dishes are removed from the purse. It is impolite to answer a phone during dinner. If you right. must make or take a call, excuse yourself from the table and • Butter, spreads or dips should be transferred from the serving step outside of the restaurant. dish to your plate before spreading or eating. • Do not apply make-up at the table. If you have to use a • Taste your food before seasoning it. Do try a little of toothpick at the table, do it discreetly by covering with your everything on your plate. hand, a serviette or napkin. Otherwise excuse yourself and • Don’t blow on your food to cool it off. If it is too hot to eat, you can use it away from the table. Do not take a walk with take the hint and wait. the toothpick, that is, take it with you in your mouth is a no- • Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap no. unless you are using it. • Do not push your dishes away from you or stack them fro the • Do not talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth waiter when you are finished. Leave the plates and glasses closed. Cut only enough food for the next mouthful. Eat in where they are. small bites and slowly. • Don’t clean up spills with your own napkin and don’t touch Bon appetite and enjoy your next meal. Photo: stock.xchng
48 Smart News April - June, 2010 History of April Fool’s Day
a n y people play pranks on each other the various pranks that were popularly played at the time with of the on this day in the memory of its caption as ‘All Fool’s Day’. Some of the pranks include women those tradition-obsessed ‘fools’. visiting an older man wearing beards and moustaches, Civil War Soldiers tricking each other such as a soldier barring the view by Perhaps the best illustration of the holding his hand on in front of the binoculars of a friend and a sailor Mancient cultures such April Fool’s pranks of the 19th century doing the same by holding his hat over the telescope of a friend. as Romans and Hindus is the Thomas Nast’s illustration, The other tricks include a young boy tying a string on the dress of a and the medieval originally published in the April 2, 1864 little girl while a schoolteacher is shown with the sign of ‘Old Fool’ Europeans used to issue of Harper’s Weekly. It highlights on his back. celebrate New Year’s Day any day from March 20 to April 5. In the Julian calendar, April 1 was designated as New Year’s Day till 1582, when Pope SMOOTH CONNECTIONS Gregory XIII ordered the adoption of the new Gregorian calendar, TO LONDON HEATHROW which specified January 1, as New Year’s Day. VIA THE CAPITAL OF EUROPE However, due to slow communication and resistance to change, many people continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1.
Many French resisted the change and neoiites dubbed them as fools and played pranks on them. They started sending them on ‘fool’s errands’, fake invitations for parties and tricked them into believing something false. The victims were called ‘Poisson d’Avril’ or ‘April Fish’ as the naïve fish gets caught easily and children would often from tag of a fish’s picture on someone’s back. Thus, April Fool’s Day originated and was $ 449 popularly celebrated excl. taxes in England and in the American colonies. It evolved and was caught on quickly throughout the world BIRMINGHAM - BRISTOL - MANCHESTER - NEW CASTLE to trick each other and have fun. Even today,
kenya.brusselsairlines.com Smart News April - June, 2010 49
SNBGEN18888_AD_210x148_QE 1 3/2/10 3:39:45 PM Poetry Mother’s Day
What If Moms… And I stop to kiss Give your Mother a day to have some peace What if moms were mean and grind That precious smile] of mind. And also rather unfair and unkind Unknown Be gentle, be good, be helpful, be kind. Would they scream and bite and hit Happy Mothers Day. Or call people numskulls, birdbrains, or nitwits I sit here quietly Carol Matthews A bet that might happen, if you forget Watching them while they sleep To celebrate Mother’s Day and instead play croquet! I wonder Your Mother Is Always With You Milou And my heart is torn Your mother is always with you... How my love for them She’s the whisper of the leaves Mommy Grew so strong as you walk down the street. Mommy you are sweet That I feel breathless She’s the smell of bleach Mommy you are nice It sometimes even hurts in your freshly laundered socks. Don’t ever leave me Yet I am never tired She’s the cool hand on your brow Cause you make the best rice! Of watching their little faces when you’re not well. Unknown As they sleep. Your mother lives inside your laughter. I can see She’s crystallized in every tear drop. Mum You are The Best That they are running She’s the place you came from, Mum you’re the best, In their dreams your first home... And I owe you the rest, Their legs move She’s the map you follow I make some mess, Back and forth... with every step that you take. And you make it less, Are they on a beach? She’s your first love Or in green grass fields? and your first heart break... Mum I love you, So what if when I am tired and nothing on earth can separate you. And so do you, They ruin the room again Not time, Not space... So I’ll make you happy, Are they not the reasons Not even death... And you’ll feel merry. Which makes me forget every pain will ever separate you Maryam Oh Lord! Tell me from your mother... How possibly could I live? You carry her inside of you... Dear Lord Before I was a mother Unknown Dear Lord, it’s such a hectic day I never knew this bliss. With little time to stop and pray Carl Sandburg A Precious Mother For life’s been anything but calm Mom You’ve given me so much, Since You called on me to be a mom Mother’s Day Love from your heart Running errands, matching socks A Mother loves right from the start. and the warmth of your touch. Building dreams with building blocks She holds her baby close to her heart. The gift of life and you’re a friend to me. Cooking, cleaning, and finding shoes The bond that grows will never falter. We have a very Special Bond And other stuff that children lose Her love is so strong it will never alter. which only comes from God... Fitting lids on bottled bugs A Mother gives never ending Love. I’m sure you agree. Wiping tears and giving hugs She never feels that she has given enough. As a child I would say Mommy I Love You, A stack of last weeks mail to read For you she will always do her best. Now you’re my Mother so dear So where’s the quiet time I need? Constantly working, there’s no time to rest. I love you even more Yet when I steal a minute, Lord A Mother is there when things go wrong. with each and every new year. Just at the sink or ironing board A hug and a kiss to help us along. If I could had chosen, To ask the blessings of Your grace Always there when we need her near. I would have picked no other. I see then, in my small one’s face Gently wipes our eyes when we shed a tear. Than for you...to be my lifelong friend That you have blessed me So on this day shower your Mother with Love. and Precious Mother. All the while Gifts and presents are nice but that is not enough. Unknown
50 Smart News April - June, 2010 Coffee break
Health Puzzle
Across 4. Cease work or movement in order to relax or recover strength. 1. Dried buds of tropical plant used as spice. (6) (4) 4. (Initials) recommended dietary intake. (3) 5. for heart to nicely pump blood, strike balance between diastolic 7. Small oval hard-stoned fruit s, used as food & a source of oil. (6) & these numbers. (8) 8. Physical or mental strain. (6) 6. Heaviness which should be maintained in order to keep healthy. 9. Small cake or bread roll. (3) (6) 11. Oval object rich in protein and essential amino acids. (3) 10. Grain or seed of a cereal plant. (4) 12. Mineral found in above average amount in spinach. (4) 14. (Infml) Short for carbohydrate. (4) 13. Initials of type of cholesterol that reduces frequency in heart 16. Drinking it in moderation protects against heart disease, etc. attacks. (3) (7) 15. A hardy cereal plant grown as food. (3) 18. Vegetables, grains, etc. as food. (6) 17. Alkanoid stimulant in tea and coffee. (8) 19. The strength and vitality required for sustained activity. (6) 20. Tortila chip, usu. topped with melted cheese and spices etc. (5) 21. Viscous liquid e.g. used in cooking. (3) 24. White meat rich in omega-3 fats. (4) 22. Small tropical African tree bearing oily nuts. (4) 25. Initials of a salt used as a mood stabilizing drug. (2) 23. A short sleep or doze, esp... by day. (3) 27. Drink consisting of wine mixed with beaten egg and milk. (3-3) 26. (Initials) irritable bowel syndrome. (3) 28. Spherical green seeds eaten as vegetable. (4) Solutions Across Down 1.Cloves 4.RDI 7.Olives 8.Stress 9.Bun 11.egg 12.Iron 13.HDL 15.Oat 17.Caffeine 2. Edible bulbs containing quercetin (the most powerful 20.Nacho 24.Fish 25.Li 27.Egg-nog 28.Peas antioxidant there is). (6) Down 3. Activity done to improve or sustain health. (8) 2. Onions 3.Exercise 4.Rest 5.Systolic 6.Weight 10.Corn 14.carb 16.Alcohol 18.Fruits 19.Energy 21.Oil 22.shea 23.Nap 26.IBS
1 2 3 4 5 6 NAKUDOKU PUZZLE 8 7 67 8 89 1 9 10 11 537 12 13
14 15 16 873
17 18 19 45 20 21 519 22 18 4 23 24 25 26 567 27 742 28
Smart News April - June, 2010 51 Music Music Classics
Bill & Gloria Gaither Love can turn the world is the title of their album CD which was performed and recorded Live from South Africa with their Homecoming Friends.
Issa Juma and Super Wanyika Stars Issa Juma who passed away in the early 1990s, sang swinging Swahili Rumba from 1982-1986 as he sang with the Super Wanyika Stars. The band played rumba music that had it’s stylistic origins from Tanzania then quickly took a unique Kenyan identity.
Soweto Gospel Choir The majority tracks capella or with added ethnic drums, the band on the other songs is made up of choir members, and again illustrates the choir’s wide range of musical talent and their contemporary feel, based on traditional rythms.
In the Land of the Lion - The Moipei Quartet This comprises of the triplets Magdalene, Mary and Marta together with their 2nd born sister Seraphine. They all have a passion for music. They were appointed in June 2006 as the first ever UNICEF CHILD AMBASSADORS in Kenya. Their job is to sing to the world advocating for children’s rights throughout Africa and the world beyond.
Mombasa Roots Mombasa roots was formed in 1976 and has been performing at the Kenya Coastal Touristic Island of Mombasa for 22 years; occasionally touring the world. They have toured Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Canada, the Arabian Gulf countries and most of the neighbouring African countries. The CD is a result of their long time experience performing disco, reggae, african and oriental music that has been blended in together with their traditional chakacha beat.
Super Mazembe Giants of East Africa - This contains tracks from their heyday(1977-1986). All the songs sparkle with something special, it is the blend of their voices and instruments that demand one’s attention to the dance floor. This gives them a unique musical style.
52 Smart News April - June, 2010 Music
Smart News April - June, 2010 53 Movies
Samurai Girl A 19-year-old girl called Heaven discovers that the well-to-do businessman who adopted her as an infant is actually the head of Yakuza, the Japanese mafia responsible for murdering her brother. Upon leaving her family, Heaven decides to become a samurai with the help of her new American friends, and grows determined to take down her father’s empire. This series is based on the popular novel for young people. The show is created by Luke McMullen from ABC Studios in association with Alloy Entertainment, and executive produce by Gossip Girl’s Bob Levy, Leslie Morgenstein and Night Stalker’s Frank Spotnitz. Starring Jamie Chung, as Heaven
In Treatment Each episode of In Treatment features therapist Dr. Paul Weston (actor Gabriel Byrne) having a session with one of five patients. The casting for this little known show offers an array of characters ranging from teens to middle aged and singles to married couples. In Treatment displays a full range of emotions with superb acting that makes you care about and believe what you are watching. One of the more unique and riveting parts of this show is the portrayal of the therapist (Paul) going to his own therapist. The character development and the artistic storytelling is brilliant.
54 Smart News April - June, 2010 ReadingMovies Room
Kingpin An extremely violent, sometimes downright gruesome, drama series about a mob family, Kingpin invites inevitable comparisons with The Sopranos. The basic premise is more a South-of-the-border Godfather, with Miguel Cadena as the conflicted Michael Corleone-type character, who finds himself inexorably but somewhat reluctantly taking charge of his family’s Mexican drug cartel. Written and produced by David Mills, a graduate of NYPD Blue and Homicide: Life on the Street, the show has all the right credentials for a successful TV drama, combining a colourful ensemble cast and evocative locations on either side of the Rio Grande, but somehow it failed to find a big enough audience to get beyond one season. Unlike Tony Soprano, Miguel’s (American) wife Marlene supports her husband’s position with Machiavellian schemes of her own, though both parents strive to shelter their 8-year-old son from involvement in the messier side of the family business. After a bloody coup in the pilot episode, Miguel and his ruthless brother Chato (Bobby Cannavale) cement their hold over the business, while struggling with the twin threats of family infighting and law enforcement pressure. As in Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic, here the DEA agents - principally go-getting Delia Flores - are significant characters in their own right. Also north of the border is cowardly plastic surgeon Dr. Heywood Klein, whose often unwilling involvement with small-time crooks provides much-needed comic relief amid the scenes of casual slaughter. Starring Yancey Arias, Angela Alvarado Rosa, Brian Benben, Sheryl Lee.
Dexter How many of us have a dark side? A special side that lays dormant and only comes out for special occasions. If you raised your hand, then you need to watch Dexter. Dexter is a forensic blood spatter analyst by day for the Miami-Metro Police Department (MMPD) and a serial killer by night. Before you turn to a different website in disgust, you need to know that Dexter has a conscious. As a youth, Dexter show signs of a sociopath, but his adoptive father, a detective for the MMPD, took those tendencies and taught Dexter to use them for the good of mankind, or in this case, killing people who have escaped their due punishment from the justice system. The show is in no shortage of thrills and suspense. Touching, clever, exciting, and often humorous. He is one anti-hero that every one can relate to, even if you don’t want to admit it. Starring Michael C. Hall as Dexter.
Smart News April - June, 2010 55 Kids World Colouring easter eggs Everything you need to know to make artistic, traditional and even silly Easter eggs
How to prepare the Easter eggs for dyeing; 3. Rubber band designs Before decorating your eggs, you need to hard-boil them. Wrap elastic bands around hard cooked eggs, then drop them in Place the eggs in a large saucepan. Add cold water; enough to the food-colouring dye. Remove eggs, pat dry with paper towel completely cover the eggs. Place on medium-high heat and bring and remove rubber bands. The parts of the egg covered with water to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer eggs for nine rubber bands will not be coloured. Once the rubber bands are minutes. removed, you can drop the egg into a different colour dye. Remove from heat and fill with cold water. The eggs must be completely cool and dry, to decorate successfully. 4. Marbled eggs In a mug or jar large enough to contain one egg, place 1 1. A kit Tablespoon of oil, 1 Tablespoon of vinegar and 1 Tablespoon of You can purchase many different kits with stickers, holders etc at food colouring. Add enough water to cover egg, stir quickly with any Nakumatt branch country wide. a spoon and drop in hard boiled egg. Pull egg out quickly and pat dry with paper towel. 2. Make your own food colour dye The beauty about this is that you can experiment with different 5. Collage Easter eggs combinations of colours whether you love orange, red or pink! Adorn your eggs with miscellaneous craft supplies; using white or Combine 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of food colouring with 2 teaspoon of craft glue to attach the materials. Items to try: sequins, buttons, vinegar in a cup that is deep enough for the eggs. Add water to glitter, or beads, stickers or even colour with markers. Get wild! about the half way point. Gently place the eggs into the cups. You can use a soup spoon to place eggs in the cups to avoid cracking. The longer they are left in the dye, the darker the colour shade. 6. Sponge Painted Eggs When you remove the egg from the dye, pat dry with a paper towel Cut a sponge into small pieces. and place in a holder. Pour some acrylic paint into a shallow dish or onto wax paper.
56 Smart News April - June, 2010 Kids World
Clip the sponge pieces onto clothes pins, one for each colour of paint. Dip the sponge into the paint and dab the egg with it. Start ‘Use undiluted food colouring and a with your darker colours first for the best effect. cotton swab to paint on hard boiled Put the egg in an egg cup to dry. eggs. You can also use acrylic paints in Tips: use sponge paint with natural sponge. place of food colouring. Do not eat eggs You can find them at craft stores or a paint supply. that have been painted’
7. Waxing Easter Eggs Drip wax from a lit taper candle onto the egg. 10. Natural Easter Egg Dye After the wax is set, drop the egg into food colouring dye. Use the colour chart below to create all natural tones. Remove from dye and pat dry. You can scrape the wax off and dip Try using natural dyes. Combine the dye source with 1/2 into another dye, or leave the wax on if you wish. tablespoon of vinegar with some cold water in a saucepan. Add raw eggs (make sure there’s enough water to cover the 8. Face Eggs eggs) and bring to boil. Use craft supplies such as yarn, ribbon and fabric scraps Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. The longer you to create the members of your family. Attach with craft glue. simmer, the darker the colour will be, but simmer at least 8 Add facial features using permanent markers for the mouth, nose minutes so that the eggs cook thoroughly. and eyes. Then cut a paper towel tube into different heights for To create a beautiful marbled effect: Wrap the uncooked Mom, Dad, sister etc. Decorate the tube with construction paper eggs in onion skins both white an purple, spinach, or fresh for clothing. Place the painted egg onto the holder. You can also saffron. add the individual’s name to the tube. These make an entertaining Use white string to secure the wrap and then place the name card for the Easter table. eggs in the foot of an old nylon stocking and tie a knot. For Easter bunny eggs use food colouring dye or natural dyes to Then gently boil the whole shebang, using the cooking time dye eggs in solid colours. above, don’t forget the vinegar. Leave the eggs in the wrap Dry with paper towel. For each bunny egg, cut two oval shaped for awhile. They will all look different when you unwrap. ears from coloured paper. Glue the ears to the top of the egg. Add plastic “google” eyes. Use markers to add a small triangle for Colour chart: a nose and some whiskers. Glue on a cotton ball for a tail. Brown - the outer layers of onions, tea or coffee Yellow - turmeric or saffron Red - cranberries Purple - beets, purple onion skin Green - spinach Blue - blueberries
Smart News April - June, 2010 57 Reading Room Children’s Classics Celebrate Easter this year in a different way by reading with your child one of the following classics
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes This classic by Du Bose Heyward is a heart-warming story of virtue rewarded. The book was originally published in 1939. This charming story tells how a rabbit was chosen to be an Easter Bunny despite (in fact, because of) being the mother of 21 bunnies. Teaching her bunnies to take care of themselves made Cottontail wise, kind, and swift, so she was selected.
The Easter Egg Jan Brett is the author and illustrator of The Easter Egg. Brett is known for her appealing animals and illustrations on double-page spreads that have borders with additional artwork that helps tell the story. In this case, the story revolves around Hoppi; a little bunny who wants to create the best decorated Easter egg and win the chance to accompany the Easter Rabbit as he hides Easter eggs on Easter morning. Despite the fact that all the bunnies decorating eggs want to win, they are quick to help Hoppi with supplies. An unexpected turn of events changes Hoppi’s perspective.
The Story of Easter Christopher Doyle’s retelling of the Easter story is based on the biblical accounts in Matthew 21-26, Luke 22-23, John 13, 17-21, and Acts 2. Doyle effectively captures the drama and significance of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in his narrative. Recommended for 8-12 year olds. It covers Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem through Pentecost.
The Story of Easter Aileen Fisher’s book, with folk art illustrations by Stefano Vitale, begins with the Christian Easter story. Fisher goes on to discuss the origins of such customs and symbols as Easter eggs and describes how people in different cultures celebrate Easter. The book includes directions for dyeing Easter eggs and a recipe for Hot Cross Buns.
58 Smart News April - June, 2010 Reading Room
The Story of the Easter Bunny This clever tale by Katherine Tegen tells the story of how a rabbit became the Easter Bunny. Whimsical watercolours by English artist Sally Anne Lambert add detail and warmth to the picture book. It all starts with “a round old couple and their little rabbit.” Every Easter the couple decorates Easter eggs and delivers them around the town. As they grow older, their rabbit does more and more of the work, until he becomes the Easter Bunny.
Love One Another: The Last Days of Jesus Lauren Thompson’s retelling relies on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The simple, straightforward text is enhanced by the sensitive artwork of Elizabeth Uyehara, oil painting on canvas done in a primitive style. She effectively illustrates the story without using images that would frighten small children. This is a good book for all ages.
Queen of Easter Ann Estelle is at it again. The little girl wants a fancy Easter hat so she can be “Queen of Easter” in the neighbourhood Easter parade. She is very disappointed when her mother buys her a plain hat. When Ann Estelle leaves her new hat on the porch, a robin builds a nest in it and lays eggs. What’s Ann Estelle to do? There’s lots of fun in this picture book written and illustrated by Mary Engelbreit. Her colourful borders and crisp illustrations are a joy. At the back of the book is a nice surprise: an Ann Estelle paper doll, complete with an Easter dress and hat.
Rechenka’s Eggs The picture book Rechenka’s Eggs was written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco. Kindly old Babushka takes in an injured goose. She names the goose Rechenka and nurses it back to health. Unfortunately, Rechenka ruins all of the beautiful Easter eggs Babushka has so painstakingly painted. Miraculously, Rechenka replaces all the beautiful eggs by laying one intricately coloured egg every day for 13 days, so that Babushka has enough to take to the Easter Festival. Rechenka also leaves a wonderful surprise for Babushka.
The Golden Egg Book This classic giant Golden Book was written by Margaret Wise Brown and originally published in 1947. The overall design of the book and Leonard Weisgard’s lush and whimsical watercolours add greatly to the story of a lonely bunny, an unhatched egg, and a new friend. This is a charming story for very young children.
Easter With rhyming text and simple illustrations, Miriam Nerlove tells the story of a brother and sister and their family’s Easter celebration. It includes decorating Easter eggs, finding Easter baskets full of candy, going to church and hearing the Easter story, enjoying a family dinner with their grandparents, going on an Easter egg hunt, and sharing candy eggs. This is a good book to use to introduce a child to the various aspects of Easter celebrations.
Smart News April - June, 2010 59 Kids World
WINNERS
Collins Kiarie Gloria Mumbi 9 years 4 years Gift Voucher worth KShs 2,000 Gift Voucher worth KShs 2,000
Lauryn Wanjala 9 years Nakumatt Gift Voucher Worth Ksh 1,000 Erofina Smart Orute 7 years Gift Voucher worth KShs 1,000 Winners will be contacted by Smart News team. Vouchers will be collected from your nearest Nakumatt Branch.
60 Smart News April - June, 2010 Kids World Colour and Win
NAME: COLOUR AND WIN A GIFT VOUCHER WORTH KSH 2,000 OR KSH 1,000 AGE: FILL IN YOUR DETAILS AND DROP OFF THE COLOURED PAGE AT ANY NAKUMATT BRANCH COUNTRYWIDE. TELEPHONE: AGE LIMIT: 9YEARS. CLOSING DATE: 31ST MAY, 2010 BRANCH: WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED TO COLLECT GIFT VOUCHERS
Smart News April - June, 2010 61 Recipes
Lamp Chops and Mint jelly
Recipe by Corner Affair Bistro
Lamb chops and mint jelly To make the mint jelly Serves 4 Bring the apple juice to the boil in a small heavy based saucepan. Place the mint leaves in a small bowl and pour the apple juice Ingredients over. Allow to infuse for 20m min then strain, Add the vinegar and 8 lamb rib chops 2.5 cm thick sugar to the strained liquid. Heat to dissolve the sugar. Do not boil. 5 ml salt Remove from the heat and add the gelatin dissolves. Pour into 2.5ml freshly ground black pepper warm sterilized jars. Cool and seal. 15 ml chopped fresh rosemary 2 cloves garlic crushed To prepare the lamb chops 50ml olive oil Slash the fat at the end of the chops. Season the chops with the salt pepper, rosemary garlic and olive oil. Grill in a heated grilling Mint jelly pan for 5-7 minutes per side or until required degree of doneness 500ml apple juice and until the chops are brown on the sides. Use tongs to turn the 100ml fresh mint leaves, finely shredded meat. Pour off any excess fat that accumulates in the pan. Serve 20ml white vinegar immediately with the mint jelly. 100ml white sugar You can place the cooked chops in the open ovenproof dish at 100c 20ml gelatin powder softened in 50ml cold water to crisp until ready.
62 Smart News April - June, 2010 Recipes
Roasted tomato soup
Recipe by Corner Affair Bistro
Ingredients with the sugar. Season generously with the salt and pepper. 100ml olive oil Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes, stirring once or twice until 1kg plum tomatoes halved caramelized. Tip the roasted tomatoes and flavorings into a heavy 2 onions thinly sliced into rings based saucepan and add the soup, orange juice and rind. Bring to 2 cloves garlic halved the boil and cook for 5 minutes, Place the tomato mixture into a 50ml chopped fresh thyme food processor fitted with the metal blade and process into smooth 50ml chopped fresh bas the ill and creamy in texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if using. Stir 30ml castor sugar in the cream or milk and re-heat. Salt and freshly ground pepper 3x 410g cans tomato soup juice and a rind of 1 orange To make the garnish 250 ml fresh cream or milk (optional) Heat the olive oil in a heavy based frying pan. Snip the vine tomatoes into four clusters and fry them on the vine for about one minute. Garnish Pour the soup into warmed bowls and top with the pan roasted vine 30ml olive oil tomatoes. Drizzle the pan juices around the tomatoes and scatter 250g baby cherry tomatoes on the vine small fresh basil leaves with basil leaves. Pre heat the oven to 220c Pour the olive oil in a roasting pan and heat in the over until almost Tip smoking. Carefully tip in the plum tomatoes, onions and garlic, and You can cut a couple of corners and omit the plum tomatoes and the toss to coat the oil. Scatter over the thyme and basil and sprinkle onions – this will result in a smoother texture soup.
Smart News April - June, 2010 63 Recipes
Grilled prawns and panzanella salad Recipe by Corner Affair Bistro
Ingredients coriander seeds and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. 36 large raw prawns (shrimp) peeled and divined tails intact Pour the marinade over the prawns, cover and refrigerate for at 2 125 ml olive oil hours, preferably overnight. 1 red chili, roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed To make the red wine vinaigrette: Whisk the garlic, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, roasted and crushed in olive oil vinegar and olive oil until combined. 6 lemon or lime wedges Red wine vinaigrette To make the panzenalle salad: Pre-heat the oven to 250C. Wash 1 garlic clove crushed and dry the capsicums and rub well with olive oil. Put on a baking Juice of ¼ lemons tray and roast until the skin is blistered, turning once or twice. 50ml red wine vinegar Transfer the capsicums to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set 150mlextra virgin oil aside to cool. Peel off the skin and discard it along with the skin and Panzanella salad membrane. Slice the capsicums into medium sized strips. 2 red capsicums (peppers) Halve the tomatoes horizontally then quarter each half. Combine 2 yellow capsicums the tomato with the capsicums, onion, chili, basil, olives, anchovies Olive oil and cappers in a large bowl. Toss lightly then add the bread and 6 vine ripened tomatoes, blanched enough of the red wine vinaigrette to moisten the salad. 1 red onion, thinly sliced Heat a barbecue or ridged grill pan to high heat and brush with A handful of basil leaves olive oil. Cook the prawns on both sides until pink and opaque. 90g ligurian To serve arrange the salad on serving plates, top with the prawn 8 anchovy fillet, drained skewers and serve with a wedge of lemon or lime. 1 teaspoon salted cappers ½ loaf ciabatta cut into large dice To drink Bannock bum, saignee, Geelong Victoria. To Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 30min. Thread three A light Tuscan bread salad nicely matched with a chilled rose style prawns on each skewer. Combine the oil, chilli and garlic and wine.
Corner Affair Bistro oozes a welcoming aura of warmth, elegance, coziness and romance that exemplifies the simple yet honest and intimate experience. Fresh, simple and wholesome food accompanied with delicate wines, cocktails, soft lighting and music that creates the perfect affair at the corner of Raphta and Mvuli Road westlands. Corner Affair Bistro also offers intimate seminar and conference facilities. Ample secure parking open daily from midday to 11pm.
64 Smart News April - June, 2010 Recipes
Smart News April - June, 2010 65 Corporate highlights Nakumatt gets ISO 9001:2008 recertification from KEBS
akumatt Holdings, Kenya’s largest supermarket has us to work even harder to attain more world-class standards,” he added another feather by having its recertification added. under ISO 9001:2008 by Kenya Bureau of Standards Nakumatt Holdings was recognised after meeting ISO 9001:2008 after successful implementation of ISO 9001: 2000 requirements for a quality management system. The firm was first for three years. awarded an ISO 9001:2000 certification in February 2007 after a AndN in recognition of its market leadership status in this region, the successful audit. chain’s Superbrands status has been renewed. While presenting ISO Certificate KEBS Acting Managing Director “We are honoured and privileged to get the recertification Mr. Kioko congratulated Nakumatt for getting ISO recertification. from Kenya Bureau of Standards and at the same time receive The supermarket chain had demonstrated its ability to consistently Superbrand award which is also an affirmation of our goodwill as provide products that meet customer and applicable statutory and a community partner. We are most grateful to our customers, staff, regulatory requirements, and for constantly enhancing customer and community at large who’ve extended a vote of confidence in our satisfaction through the effective application of the system, services,” said Nakumatt Holdings Managing Director, Atul Shah. including processes for continual improvement of the system and Mr. Shah said the firm as a modern corporate structured company the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable statutory was poised to chart new frontiers. “This will serve to encourage and regulatory requirements.
66 Smart News April - June, 2010 Corporate highlights
Nakumatt renews Superbrand Certification uperbrands East Africa Project Director, Jawad Jaffer customers that they have achieved this recognition for their noted that Nakumatt had once again superseded retail- branding excellence. branding expectations leading to the renewal of the The successive opening of the four branches by Nakumatt Holdings Superbrand certification. further confirms that its national expansion programme is still Other factors that were considered in awarding the firmly on course. Besides the four new branches, Nakumatt Holdings supermarketS chain superbrand status include registering strong expects to further enhance its presence in Central Business District, point returns on its overall market acceptance, market dominance, Nairobi with the opening of four branches in the next two months. brand longevity, customer loyalty and goodwill. This will increase the number of branches of Nakumatt to 29 in East Brands with Superbrand status are entitled to use the Superbrands Africa region. award seal on their packaging and in their advertising to show
Smart News April - June, 2010 67 68 Smart News April - June, 2010 Nakumatt acquires Woolmatt Supermarkets eading regional retailer Nakumatt Holdings has Nakumatt Holdings to consider investing further in the city centre announced the sealing of a major deal to acquire “Alongside our ongoing branch openings such as here in Kakamega, Woolmatt Supermarkets in Nairobi as a going concern. Nanyuki and Diani, I am happy to confirm that we have also acquired The deal reached between the two retail operators will Woolmatt branches in Nairobi as part of a move to enhance our CBD now see Nakumatt Holdings taking over the running of presence,” Shah said. WoolmattL supermarket branches in a move geared at enhancing And added: “all these openings remain inline with our regional Nakumatt’s Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) presence. expansion plans and puts us in very good position to attain our The deal also marks the first ever-major acquisition deal that 2010 targets.” has been undertaken by a local retail chain against a running In Kakamega, the new state of the art Nakumatt Kakamega is the competitor. first Nakumatt outlet in Western province and is expected to raise Speaking in Kakamega during the official opening of the new the bar in the regions retail scene. Nakumatt Kakamega supermarket at the town’s Holden Mall, Refurbishment works to upgrade the four new branches to Nakumatt Holdings Managing Director Mr. Atul Shah said the Nakumatt standards are set to immediately commence ahead of acquisition had been undertaken as part of the firm’s national their scheduled reopening in May. expansion plans. As part of this plans, Nairobi residents are set to enjoy a 25 per cent The Nakumatt Boss disclosed that the restoration of the CBD’s city clearance sale at the former Woolmatt Wabera street branch now. in the sun glory backed by customer demands had moved to attract
Smart News April - June, 2010 69 Supplier Profile
iva Productline is an active, modern and dynamic usual soft drink with caffeine effect and gives improvement in company dealing in the importation and distribution responsiveness and concentration. of beverages in East Africa. Within a period of 10 years, Viva has become one of the leading wines and spirits agents in the region and currently has a successful ‘Viva participated in the 2009 survey of the Vdistribution network which includes off-trade and on-trade clients. These distribution networks also cover Uganda, Tanzania and well respected Kenya’s Top 100 mid-sized Rwanda. companies Survey (Top 100 Survey) and received an award for being among the top Viva has exclusively partnered with some of the world’s largest 100 companies’ wines and spirits companies, these include Pernod Ricard, Gruppo Campari, Gallo wines and Concha y Toro with a wide array of brands such as Martell, Jameson, Chivas Regal, Absolut, Famous Grouse Viva participated in the 2009 survey of the well respected Kenya’s and Campari to premium award winners like Casillero del Diablo, Top 100 mid-sized companies Survey (Top 100 Survey) and received Jacob’s Creek, and Africa Five. We import wines and spirits from an award for being among the top 100 companies. The survey is Spain, South Africa, Italy and India thus our product portfolio is an initiative of KPMG Kenya and other partners to identify Kenya’s unrivalled. fastest growing medium sized companies in order to showcase business excellence and highlight some of the country’s most Viva Productline has further expanded its product portfolio this successful entrepreneurship stories. It was launched in 2008 and year by partnering with Grupo Modelo, manufacturers of Corona focuses on fast growing mid-sized companies in recognition of them Mexican Beer and Effect Energy Drink a German product. Corona being key contributors to Kenya’s economic growth. is more than just a premium beer brewed in Mexico, it’s the fourth selling beer in the world and is found in over 150 countries. It has Viva is further backed up by efficient well trained sales and a striking unmistakable look and flavour, it’s about connections, marketing personnel, effective and tailor-made marketing, product people coming together, and old friends becoming even closer, support and customer relations strategies. We intend to partner it represents a philosophy of living in the moment that has been very strongly with our key and potential stakeholders in the embraced around the world. Effect on the other hand is the only entire region. Viva encourages all its customers to enjoy drinking energy drink that emphasizes on mental energy thus not your responsibly.
Viva Productline
70 Smart News April - June, 2010 SupplierFeature Profile The truth about Alcohol
Are some drinks better than others? Now is the time to find out what your favourite tipple is doing to your body—and your mind.
Red wine It is thought to protect against heart disease by reducing the level of bad LDL cholesterol and increasing the good HDl cholesterol through the level of its flavonoids, such as resveratrol. The French have low rates of heart disease because of their high consumption of red wine as it also contains polyphenols - natural antioxidants that slow down the process that clogs arteries with fat. Red wine also contains iron, so one or two small glasses of red wine a day may well be one of the healthiest alcoholic drinks around.
Port Contains some flavonoids but, like red wine it also contains high level of congeners (organic compounds, such as keratones, esters and aldehydes) which give flavour and aroma. These is a by- product of the fermentation and distillation process and are partly responsible for hangovers.
Beer The health effects of the vitamins that beer contains are debatable, as alcohol tends to deplete vitamins once inside the body. Stout such as Guinness has a high reputation for being good for you because of its high iron content and its ability to loosen the bowels. In actual fact, a pint of Guinness doesn’t even contain 10 per cent the iron a woman needs in a day, but it does provide 172 calories. Also, too much bottle conditioned Guinness, may have a mild laxative effect due to the live yeast.
Spirits These are nutrient free although they are lower in calories than wine, beer or cider. Many people choose to avoid certain spirits— such as whisky in a case it brings about feelings of hostility and aggression—although there is no evidence to support this theory. However, spirits are less likely to cause some of the morning after symptoms, because of their lack of congeners.
Money smart divorce in seven steps.
Smart News April - June, 2010 71 Pictorial
There were various Valentine’sDay at products on display Nakumatt City Centre
Mr Adan Ramata, manager Nakumatt City Centre, Rwanda presents Valentine goodies to some of the few lucky shoppers
A customer chooses a gift from the beautiful display
A few of those born on 14th February Ushers Photo: stock.xchng
72 Smart News AprilHappy - June, Birthday: 2010 Shoppers receive birthday gifts from Nakumatt City, Rwanda The long queues... Feature
first come, first served
Even the security officers had to make way
Even if it meant screaming to get in 25% off
I wish i left my spectacles at home sale at Woolmat
The shopping Some were left with no shoes
Before
Smart News April - June, 2010 73 After Product Advice Beba Sasa na Barclays hits the market
Do you have a Barclaycard?
Barclays Bank MD Adan Mohamed unveils the new product Some of the Guests at the launch folllow the action
Barcalys Bank staff mingle with guests at the launch A Barclaycard holder ready to beba a big product.
Then, shopping for you has never been so easy and convenient. store or Visa branded outlet worldwide, and within 30 days advise Barclays Kenya has recently launched “Beba Sasa na Barclays that they want to utilise the easy instalment plan. This, Barclaycard,” a new innovative lending product that offers an they can do in a few minutes through the Barclays 24-hour Contact easy instalment payment proposition for Barclaycard holders. Centre.
Beba Sasa na Barclaycard, which was launched under the new “There is no extra paper work required with Beba Sasa na Barclaycard visual identity, enables customers to buy big and pay Barclaycard - the goal is to make it easy to bank with Barclays,” small. In short, the product will allow the cardholder to repay for said Mr Mohamed. goods purchased in a very flexible structured manner on their credit card. To add to the convenience, Barclaycard has entered into a partnership with Nakumatt Holdings where customers can buy “The new Barclaycard visual identity we are unveiling today signifies high-end electronic products, health and exercise equipment, and our strategy to keep our customers one step ahead. This launch furniture among others and easily convert the payment of these is in line with Barclays Kenya’s strategy of continuously looking at into this flexible repayment plan. ways to enhance our financial products and services to ensure we anticipate and meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Beba Sasa na Barclaycard is the first among several new products Mr. Adan Mohamed, Regional Managing Director for East and West to be launched by Barclaycard. So watch out for more. Africa when he unveiled the product. For more information, please call the Barclays Contact Centre on All the customer will need to do is swipe their card at any Nakumatt +254-20-3900000 or e-mail us at [email protected]
74 Smart News April - June, 2010 Smart News April - June, 2010 75 Finance How to achieve financial health
Most people fall into three general financial profiles. They either spend above their means, spend just what they have, or they spend less than their means. There have been studies done which show that 90 per cent of the world’s wealth is held by 10 per cent of the population, and that even if this wealth were redistributed equally, it would be back in the hands of the 10 per cent within seven years. This illustrates that most people would find it difficult to change their normal spending habits, but in fact, this is the most important thing to guarantee personal financial health.
76 Smart News April - June, 2010 Finance
What this comes down to is learning what profile you fit in, and allow you to track and trend your purchases, but also provides then learning how to change those spending, budgeting, and saving invaluable visibility to your purchases. For example, you may habits to meet your goals. Although many of these strategies will discover you spend three times as much on groceries, or twice as require discipline, the long term goals are clear: once you decide on much eating out. a path, make the commitment to stick to it and you will find within a few months, you will begin adjusting your lifestyle to your new Save financial habits, which will, in turn, reinforce these new practices. There are different reasons to save, and different approaches depending on what you are trying to achieve. One overall savings Budget goal is to put money away for a rainy day; anything from health If you often spend more than your needs, you best first step is to related problems, for repairs to a house or car, or an interruption to focus on a budget, looking for areas that are unnecessary and can employment. Most experts recommend putting away at least three be trimmed, and be prepared to have the discipline to stick to your months salary to cushion life’s little emergencies. new budget. If you often spend to your means, your best starting point is look for opportunities to build up your savings, which helps Another common saving strategy is to target a specific purchase to reduce the risk and impact of unexpected expenses, and allows or expense, like a new sofa, or a vacation, and plan your savings you to begin saving for the future. If you often spend below your around that specific amount. Save a set amount every month, or means, you are in a good position to save to the future and should even create a second bank account and divert the savings into that focus on savings that are structured to provide for better return on account so it can’t be touched, and once you reach the amount, you retirement, although, don’t forget to still enjoy life in the interim as make the purchase with a clear conscience. many people that spend below their needs end up with a full bank account and regrets on missed opportunities and experiences. The important longer term strategy is more about saving for the future. Numerous books like the wealthy barber that were written The first step to getting your personal finances under control is to about the huge long term savings benefits by making small changes clearly understand where you are. Review all of your finances listing in how and what you save. One of the easiest ways to approach this your assets and debts, including any loans, credit cards or other kind of savings is with small but regular saving program. liabilities. The easiest way to put long term savings away is to set up an automatic withdrawal of funds. You may feel the difference in not ‘Budgeting is a critical process which having that extra money initially, but before long, you will adjust forces you to look at what you’re and will get used to it. Many companies allow flexible ways of having spending, where you’re spending it, savings deducted directly from an employee’s pay, making it easier and thus be able to make informed to keep sticking to the plan. After you adopt this method, track your decision on where changes can be finances for several months and then revisit your budget - look at made to meet your financial goals’ what you are taking in and what you are spending, and compare it to your financial goals.
Find a method of tracking your personal finances. The important Look for areas where your spending can be reduced and adjust your thing to do is to be consistent and make sure all of your spending budget accordingly. At its simplest level, budgeting is easy - you look and budgeting is tracked for a complete picture. Once you have an at what you make, you look at what you’re spending, and you look at accurate picture of your personal finances, you need to identify how much is left over to be put away for the future - if the numbers your short and long term goals. When do you want to retire? Are don’t match, it gives you a clearer process to shuffle your income there specific purchases you are planning? Are there any time accordingly. For example, some savings you may find are spending frames to consider? Are you planning for your children’s education less on entertaining, reducing the cost of ownership of a car with or just interested in being debt-free? Once you understand what’s a bad maintenance record, or shifting your eating habits to home important to you, you will understand what needs to be done to get cooking instead of takeout. there: how much you’ll need to earn, how much you’ll need to save, and over what period of time. Borrow The best tip about borrowing money is simple: don’t. If you think Budgeting is a critical process which forces you to look at what of it this way, credit cards can add up to 20 per interest to all of you’re spending, where you’re spending it, and thus be able to you normal expenses, so if you avoided paying all that money to make informed decision on where changes can be made to meet interest, it would be like getting an extra 20 per cent raise. One your financial goals. Chart out all your accounts and determine major tip is to shop around on interest rates. Banks are often very what online services your bank offers, as this will make it simpler competitive on rates to get customers, so you may be able to drop automatically download your regular spending transactions and an interest rate by a percent or more with the cost of spending a few bill payments, to be integrated with your spending and budget extra minutes or hours talking with a few more banks. Remember - tracking. they do want your business and at the end of the end of the day, you are the customer with control over who you do business with. Many Try to switch your purchase habits to not make purchases with cash banks rely on the consumer feeling intimidated and ‘at the mercy’ - cash spending can not be tracked easily with budget software - of the big banks and the dictated terms and rates. paying with a bank card or credit card will help keep an accurate record of where your money is going. This one habit will not only If you’re looking at large purchase or expenses, such as home
Smart News April - June, 2010 77 Finance
renovations, another common borrowing approach is to tap into you already have children? Do you spend a lot of time indoors, do the equity in your home, commonly referred to as a home equity you entertain frequently, do you look forward to enjoying a large loan or a second mortgage. This allows you to leverage the money backyard with landscaping and gardening? How long a commute you’ve already paid against your mortgage and uses the value of do you want to have to work, and how close are amenities like your home as collateral against the larger loans, which traditionally groceries, movie theatres and shopping malls? You also need to require some form of security to ensure the loans are repaid. decide what features of a house are important. Are you looking for One of the first major purchases that most people make isa a certain number of rooms, do you need a separate play area for car. Interestingly enough, it is often considered one of the worst children, and do you need a large and spacious kitchen. Remember investments you can make, because, unlike other assets, cars in your considerations that this may not be the only house you will almost always depreciate in value. ever own, so you need to find a compromise between your current means and future needs. The first thing you need to determine what you need the car for? Are you more concerned with a reliable mode of transportation, or Once you’ve identified the ideal house, you need to match that with something that will make a statement? Is it just for going to work your budget and the types of locations that fit what you’re looking or school, or for hauling the kids to soccer and football practices? for. Depending on your budget, you may have to make compromises Is it for regular long trips, do you need to carry large items when in location, size or features, and you will also have to determine shopping, or is it just for the occasional weekend trip? whether the perfect house is even available on the market. Many homeowners prefer to have a house built new so that they can The most important tip when buying any car is to do your homework, customize it the way they want, although this normally comes at a know what you want, know what a fair price is (which is fair for both premium and can often incur additional taxes that wouldn’t apply you and the dealer, since you are likely to be servicing that car for to a used house. several years), and be prepared to negotiate from the invoice price up, and not from the sticker price down. Don’t be afraid to walk You also have flexibility in how you finance a house - similar to other away from a deal if you are uncomfortable with the salesperson loans, shopping around for the best mortgage rate may be tedious or with how the terms are unfolding - there are always other cars but can save you thousands or tens of thousands over the long term. to buy and other places to buy them, and many car dealers rely on The best strategy is to shop around with banks first to get the best pressure tactics to get you to commit to a purchase before you’re rate and terms and help you feel comfortable with your budget and fully comfortable. The best approach is to leave your phone number, price range, then arrange a guaranteed pre-approval to not only be clear on your options and price, and more often than not, the make the house shopping process simpler, but to also streamline salesperson will consider your offer if the numbers are fair. the financing that will come after you’ve chosen your home.
A house is by far the largest purchase most individuals will ever There are different kinds of mortgages which may suit your needs make in their life, so it should warrant an equivalent amount differently. Another important strategy for reducing the overall of thought and planning. As the old axiom goes, the three most cost of your house is to save up and apply a larger down payment important things about buying a house are location, It is better to up front. This not only allows you to borrow less from the bank, buy a smaller house in a better neighbourhood than to buy a larger thus incurring less interest charges, but will often also get better house in a less desirable neighbourhood. interest rates and fewer supplemental charges, since the bank will consider your mortgage less of a risk. This applies to almost any Similar to buying a car, you need to first figure out your needs, both kind of borrowing: the more risk the bank has to take on, the larger immediate and long term. Are you planning a large family or do the premium that they will pass on to you.
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