COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS – Forum for African Women Educationalists: FAWE

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FAWE has been once again chosen to be a nominating agency for the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the United Kingdom.

The Commonwealth Scholarships are for students from developing Commonwealth countries for Master’s (one-year), Ph.D., and split-site Ph.D. study in the UK. These scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). 

Please see more details on the poster above and in the links below:

 

 

For any questions/clarifications or general inquiries, please write to RAtieno@fawe.org and JKhamati@fawe.org.

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Thando Magane – African Farming

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Layers – Thando Magane, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

We have just taken the birds off their winter vitamins, which we provide to help them cope with the cold. In winter, chicken production drops without support. Production also drops when chickens get heat stress, so in the coming months we must make sure there is adequate ventilation.

Our chicken houses are manually operated and we don’t have automatic temperature control systems, so we keep the curtains open during the day and close them halfway at night. We have also just received 17-week-old pullets, which will start laying from 18 to 19 weeks.

We buy them from reputable breeders who give us the correct info, especially in terms of the birds’ ages. This is important because if they sell you underage pullets, it takes longer to start getting eggs while you are feeding them.

When the pullets arrive, we keep them on pullet finisher feed for three days before we introduce them to Stage 2 layer feed. We skip the Stage 1 feed, as it is more or less the same as Stage 2 feed. The birds start laying small eggs between 18 and 19 weeks for about three days before laying medium-sized eggs. At this age, not all the birds will lay – it could be anything between 10% and 20%.

At 21 weeks the birds reach full maturity and lay large eggs, then extra large and then jumbos, right towards the end of their laying cycle. We have different ages on the farm because we must have different egg sizes all the time. If you only have birds of the same age, once you cull you may have to wait a few weeks before production starts again. The chickens are fed Stage 2 feed until they are culled. We vaccinate against Newcastle disease on a monthly basis.



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Key sponsors recap the 2021 Agbiz Grain Symposium

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The Agbiz Grain Symposium took place virtually from 20 to 23 September. The theme for this year’s symposium was ‘The grain handling and storage sector beyond 2021’. We take a look back at the event with some of the key sponsors.



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Njabulo Mbokane – African Farming

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Maize and soya beans

Njabulo Mbokane, Ermelo, Mpumalanga

I lease two farms: I plant vegetables on one, and 100ha of maize and soya beans on the other. In the past few weeks I have been busy with the contractors on both farms. I use contractors because I do not have my own machines. I work with FarmSol and have been part of its incubation programme, which supports farmers working towards becoming sustainable.

As part of this programme, we join their commercial supply chain and are contracted to supply raw materials for their production. Their agronomists have been advising me on planning, soil tests and procuring inputs. Soil preparation starts this month and we must decide whether or not to rip again. I’d planned to do no-till or minimum till this season.

Last year we deep-ripped, so we may only need to disc and plant. We struggle with gerbils, so for pest control I use a home-made mixture of crushed maize mixed with old cooking oil. I mix this with rat poison and spread it on my fields before and after planting. We are also repairing fences – a challenge when you have livestock.



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Everything you need to know about internal parasites with Dr. Faffa Malan

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Well-known veterinarian Dr. Faffa Malan tells us more about internal and external parasites and the production losses they can cause on your farm.



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Here’s some practical advice on crop rotation for grain production

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This week on African Farming, Bathabile Modutoane is joined by Reggie Mchunu, Key Account Manager at Pannar Seed SA. Reggie tells us all about the importance and benefits of rotating crops especially when it comes to grain production.



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This is how Agri Securitas helps farmers and farm workers

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Bathabile Modutoane is joined in the studio by Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of AGRI SA to discuss the role of Agri Securitas in preventing crime on farms.



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My traumas made me better — Lionesses of Africa

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by Kathy Mann

I recently read an excellent book, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It’s about what happens to our brains and bodies as a result of trauma and how to treat it. Even events that seem fairly tame or punishments that parents deem reasonable, can be experienced as a traumatic event by a child. We are changed by these events. Not only in the way we think and behave, but we experience physiological changes. Van der Kolk writes, “trauma produces actual physiological changes, including a recalibration of the brain’s alarm system, an increase in stress hormone activity, and alternations in the system that filters relevant information from irrelevant.” 

I work in the domain of stress and I often share the insight that our beliefs drive our behaviour which drives our outcomes. Beliefs are formed by the experiences we have, particularly in childhood. We can develop beliefs like ‘I’m not safe’ or ‘I’m not valuable’ as a consequence of the way we are treated by others. Often, we are not even aware that these beliefs have formed and yet they have dramatic impacts on what we say and do, which influences how life plays out for us. Believing one is not safe results in the failure to step up to new opportunities that emerge. Believing that one is not valuable results in not asking for fair remuneration. It’s worthwhile examining these beliefs to ensure that life is working as we want it to. 

I have been thinking about my childhood traumas and what beliefs might have formed based on what I experienced. I’ve been unpacking why I behave the way I do and what might be driving this behaviour. The book acted as a catalyst to explore my traumas and to find ways to deal with them better. It is possible to relive the trauma through talking about it, so it’s preferable to find other ways to dampen the physical sensations first. For example, I used a technique called expressive writing which is journaling for four consecutive days for fifteen minutes about a traumatic event. James Pennebaker’s research shows that the emotional charge is dampened using this technique. This then allows us to talk about it without having to re-experience the trauma. 

If the trauma is very potent, we can dissociate which means we disconnect our thinking from feeling because it’s just too painful. This is a clever way for the body to cope in the moment but it comes at a price. When we fail to feel pain, we also fail to feel joy. It takes conscious effort to get back into feeling fully and there are a few ways of doing that. Yoga is particularly good as it blends mind and body as well as incorporating deep breathing which can help too. Other forms of body work including martial arts are also excellent ways to address dissociation. 

For years I have felt weakened by the many traumas I’ve experienced in my life, wondering why life has to be such a struggle. This is a limiting belief and it has probably compounded my stress. As I work on integrating these experiences into my life, I’m starting to see that these traumas have made me better. The collection of them when considered with hindsight and less emotion appear to have given me wisdom and compassion. I have more empathy for the suffering of others due to my own experiences. I’m also a more patient and compassionate mother as a result of all I have been through. I can easily spot experiences that can cause trauma for my children and I’m able to use my knowledge and experience to support them as they integrate these events into their lives too. 

It is scary to unlock traumas from our past that we’d rather forget. The truth is, they govern so much of our everyday existence that we have not really locked them away at all. Unpacking them with qualified professionals and working on yourself with whatever tools feel right for you, can empower you to rise above what has happened to you and turn you into the strongest, most compassionate version of yourself possible. 



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Your joyful purpose — Lionesses of Africa

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by Angelique Adcock & Dr Alison Hofer 

Did you ever ask yourself: “How did I get here?” or, “What am I doing with my life?” Some days it can feel like you work and love with all you have, and yet life can throw your efforts back in your face. And that can really hurt. And it can set you back. Sometimes, then, we have to dig deep to rediscover our purpose and our joy. Rediscovering what makes you joyful, and what enriches your life with purpose, can reinvigorate you. It can restart your engine and help you rev your way out of an emotional ditch.  

When we feel disappointed in life, even angry, and we can think “Man, life has kicked me in the pants”.  On days like that, the word joy seems the last thing on your mind, you cannot even remember much about your purpose and could you even muster the energy to go in search of it within yourself?

Sometimes your purpose, your joy and who you are, gets hidden over the years. Your true self may slowly, almost imperceptibly, get layered over by obligations, deadlines and keeping everyone happy. Slowly your talents and sources of joy may be put aside for good and sound reasons. For example, someone may get great joy from singing, for example: but her banking job means she has no time to go off for singing lessons or long choir rehearsals; or she lives in a flat with neighbours, or her new baby needs to sleep, or…all of the above! So, even though it brings her great joy, and she knows she has talent, she gets practical and thinks: ‘Let me get real, singing is great fun, but I need to sensible and logical, and singing just does not fit into my life’. Sound familiar?

The wonderful thing about Joy is that it can be closely aligned to your Purpose.  And finding your purpose gives you energy for life and brings peace and joy. It is a beautiful completing circle. Let us unpack this idea for a second, let’s find the starting point in the circle, “To begin, at the beginning…”. as Dylan Thomas said in Under Milkwood (1954). First let’s look at figuring out what your life is all about. We can start by asking the central questions: What brings you joy? And what is your purpose? 

So firstly: Joy. 

Joy can operate on different levels: The things you do that bring you a level of joy could be activities, such as: adventures, travel, sport or socialising. On a more personal level, joy might rise from material achievements such as reaching a goal, feeling independent or financially secure. 

And on a deeper level still, heart-stopping, tear producing joy might be loving, feeling safe and loved or perhaps knowing that you were able to help someone. This last kind of joy can rise through all the other levels, infusing even activities with extra meaning. Think of a runner who takes action to help to motivate and inspire a friend who is struggling and wanting to give up. To the runner helping his friend, going over the finish line together brings much more meaning and emotional punch than just winning another medal. There might be spontaneous celebration and tears of gratitude and joy for both of them, and for those outside their circle, watching and feeling inspired and moved too. That is deep purpose-driven action leading to tremendous joy.

Then there is Purpose.

Similarly, your true purpose does not have to be one single thing or to operate on one level. And here, probably the most important lens through which to view your purpose is seeing anew the relationship between the ‘job’ or activities you do every day, and what your real purpose is. And for this, we need to take a large step back and view your life as a whole.

When we look at the whole, we see the big picture of your life. Your purpose can be a range of wonderful things: perhaps being the best Mom, friend, wife or daughter you can be. Or, you may take the most pride in being a great provider for your family; you may wish to empower young people, or bring people joy by singing!

At this point you may be thinking: ‘I spend a lot of time at work, and I am not sure what I do at work has any connection to my purpose or my joy.’ Is your job enabling you to serve your purpose? We understand that there are many jobs and needs in this world, and thankfully people have different skills, talents and desires and so the mosaic that is our society and world work cohesively and everyone in their life, as Shakespeare famously observed, does their bit, and even plays various parts at different stages of their lives (Jaques in “As You Like It”). So, you could be a designer helping a client with their website, and by this you pay the bills and provide for your family but beyond that your art talent makes the world more beautiful, and delights us.

I like to get my students to think about their career from a different perspective. I get them to think about what effect what they do has. For example, my friend Jemma’s profession is “Actor”. Whenever someone asked her “What do you do?” her answer was, “I am an actor”. The response to that, 99,9% of the time, was: “Oh I also did acting…in High School” or “Oh I also wanted to be an actor”. She felt like people did not know what else to say about her work. 

Then she began to think about her purpose, her joy, and after digging really deep, realised that her great joy, after a play well done, or a funny bit on TV, was the emotional response or the emotional transformation that occurred for people after engaging with her work. She made new friends when audiences stayed to chat about the play, and she saw and heard their delight in how the work had shifted their perspective. “I saw the audience in tears or laughter as I worked, I saw them lean forward in their chairs, and I realised: we were communicating on a deeply emotional level. THIS is what brought me satisfaction and joy.” She did not care much about applause or fame, but this felt like her true purpose: Actors are able to profoundly empathise, capture and reflect in body, heart and mind, the emotional journey that people go on. They help the audience feel things such as empathy, suspense, relief and connection. A viewer of TV, a film or theatre ends up feeling less alone, and that they are part of the big human experience, it’s like: What a relief – you also feel like that? I’m not the only one who got angry and wanted justice? You are also crying for joy that she was saved? What a joy!  

From then on, Jemma’s answer to the question “What do you do?” became “I make people feel emotions”. That changed the trajectory of every conversation. 

Similarly, another friend of mine inherited a business. As grateful as she was, she felt she was not living her purpose. She said that the administration work she did, was not connected to who she was or to her passion. When asked what she really wanted to do and what would bring her joy, she did some deep soul searching and realised that she wanted to empower people around her. Her big ‘Aha!’ Moment came when she finally saw that by employing people, and by helping people in her business to upskill and provide or their families, she was empowering people! This shift in her understanding of how her daily job was aligned with her purpose and joy opened up a clear vision for her to start enjoying her position and her daily tasks because by doing the administration, she enabled people to get their lives on track. Her relationship with her staff developed, and she felt more Joy!

By seeing the bigger picture of our lives, we can find our purpose. A shop assistant could find her joy when she sees that by helping people to buy the right clothes, she helps to make them feel great. A banker can empower people by helping them manage their money, and ensures their children are cared for, making them a great parent. And, by recognising her talent and going the extra mile to join that choir and sing, our lady may find her audiences having a joyous experience which enriches her life even more. The big grin on her face? That is pure Joy.

Living your purpose is not necessarily easy. Your talents need to be recognised and nurtured. As an adult, you have to work for making sure that this can happen, often by and for yourself. You may need to go above and beyond your daily routine to carve out space in your life and place yourself in the right environment so that you can grow this part of yourself. You may need to sacrifice time and other activities. The rewards are more than worth it, and you will never regret seeing through this vital part of your existence. As Maya Angelou said, “If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be”.

Let’s get started! 

There are a couple of questions you can ask yourself to find your purpose and joy in this journey called life. Remember this should be fun! 

  • What gives you joy?

  • What delighted you as a child, that got lost along the way?

  • What is important to you? This is a fundamental question. It is easier to answer and can facilitate your journey to discovering what your purpose is.

  • What are your values? This will help to guide your actions and what makes you feel peaceful and joyful.

  • What are your interests?

  • How can your natural talents enable you to reach your goals of living in such a way that your purpose and joy are aligned?

  • What are you willing to sacrifice or struggle with to get what you want?

Recommended course: http://freedomfinder.co.za/courses.html

“When something is important enough, you do it, even if the odds are not in your favour.” — Elon Musk



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How to become the Chief Energy Officer of your life — Lionesses of Africa

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by Lori Milner 

“Memory with no emotional charge is wisdom”

— Rich Litvin

As we are rounding the corner of 2021, it is important to make time to press pause. Really stop, reflect and course correct to ensure you are not steam rolling into 2022 on autopilot. When you open up Waze or Google Maps, there are two basic requirements before you can begin the trip – a starting point and a desired end destination. Equally, you need to assess where you are at now in your life and where you want to go. Do not bring the emotional baggage of 2021 into the new year but rather learn from it and make sure you are charged and ready to tackle 2022 with a fresh perspective.

The way forward – take some time out and do an energy audit of 2021. Think of it as a strategy planning day like you would do for your business. Put 2021 under a microscope in order to set yourself up for success. Don’t wait for things to ‘calm down’ to take this time out, make it a priority and schedule the meeting as ‘strategy session with EXCO’ so no one will book you.

The objective of this exercise is self-awareness and honesty. Be radically honest with yourself about what’s going on in your world and where you’re not showing up. Identify the key changes you need to make so that 2022 is your year to thrive.

Tim Ferriss says ‘All that stands between you and what you want is a better set of questions’ and he’s absolutely correct. Here are some questions you can include in your energy audit of 2021 to get you started.

Self-care

“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” – Jean Shinoda Bolen

How are your current energy management skills? Are you ending the year with your battery in the red or do you still have some charge left in you? Now is the time to assess where your self-care can use some attention:

  • If you didn’t set an alarm clock, would you sleep past that time?

  • Do you find yourself at your computer screen reading and then rereading the same sentence?

  • Do you find yourself reaching for sugary snacks and caffeine just to make it through the morning?

  • Do you ever feel exhausted but still charge into your next activity without a break, even though you know you should take a breather?

  • Are you losing a sense of presence and falling into auto-pilot as you progress through the day?

  • Is your mind racing anxiously from one activity to the next?

  • Do you have any activities scheduled around rest and recovery?

  • Do you feel guilty when you want to take some time for yourself to exercise?

This is about truthful reflection to assess your self-care or lack of self-care habits. If you know you need to put more attention on yourself, then make sure you are scheduling the time into your calendar. Close the gap between the things you know you should be doing and actually doing them. Knowledge is not enough because common sense isn’t always common practice.

Not sure where to begin – ask yourself ‘how can I better take care of myself right now? Choose one new habit in the self-care category and start with 15 minutes daily to lock in the system. This includes sleep, movement, nutrition, hydration, clutter and relaxation. Make the action as small as possible so you don’t need willpower to push you. One squat, one mindful breathe, one meal change per day, one extra glass of water… Once you have mastered the art of showing up to yourself, you can begin to increase the amount of time and intensity.

Relationships:

“Keep negative people in your prayers, not in your life.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

Once you have identified these people, you need to make some tough decisions. Your time is so precious so be clear on who you are giving it to and the consequence of it. Be aware of the energy vampires in your life, those people who literally feel like they suck the soul out of you. You know those interactions where you leave a conversation feeling drained and they never even asked how you are. If it is a family member, then set boundaries and limit conversations to 10 minutes or less.

During the challenging times, how did you manage yourself? Did you retreat into hobbit mode and try figure it out on your own because you didn’t want to be a burden or do you have a tribe of people you can reach out to for some sound advice and guidance? When you feel yourself moving an energy dip, reach out to someone who can help you find perspective and be a sounding board. Equally, think about who you can be the same support for. When a friend or colleague goes into radio silence, pick up the phone and reach out to them. This will boost your energy as well as theirs.

Identify your passion

“There comes a time when you ought to start doing what you want. Take a job that you love. You will jump out of bed in the morning. I think you are out of your mind if you keep taking jobs that you don’t like because you think it will look good on your resume. Isn’t that a little like saving up sex for your old age?” – Warren Buffet

You cannot rely on other people to energize you; this is an inside out process. You have to identify what are the activities that fuel your soul. Did you make time this year to pursue a passion, a new hobby or learn a new skill?

Passion is a not place or a person, it is the energy inside you. Consider these questions if you have lost track of what ignites you:

  • What are the things that naturally energise you?

  • What do you like to learn about?

  • What would you do for free?

  • Whose life are you interested in or envious of?

  • What depletes you?

  • What causes you the most amount of tension?

When something energizes you, add more of it to your life. When something depletes you, figure out how to do less of that thing. As often as possible, follow the energy inside you as this is what passion truly is. Make a commitment to yourself to include at least one of these activities in 2022. Sign up for a course and schedule the time into your calendar now as a recurring weekly or daily meeting before your diary fills up. Don’t deprive yourself of these activities because life got too busy or you don’t have time. In the words of Debbie Milman – ‘Busy is a decision’.

Mental mastery

“The energy of the mind is the essence of life”- Aristotle

Your mental chatter, that ongoing daily commentary begins the minute you wake up and doesn’t stop until you go to sleep at night. The content of those thoughts are the difference between self-sabotage and self-leadership.

  • Have you put your thoughts under a microscope?

  • Have you questioned your limiting beliefs?

  • What is the story you tell yourself?

Change your focus with a better set of questions. Instead of ‘why does this always happen to me? Or ‘Why do I keep self-sabotaging?’ Ask yourself these questions to redirect your focus and boost your energy so you don’t fall into the same pattern for 2022:

  • What can I learn here?

  • How am I growing right now?

  • What is this here to teach me?

  • What would my 70 year old self tell me to do?

  • How can I use this situation to help myself?

  • What am I really excited about in my life right now?

  • What am I really grateful for in my life right now?

Your work

“It’s less about doing e-mail better and more about doing energy better” – Brendon Burchard

Perhaps this year revealed that you didn’t manage the boundaries between work and personal life very well. Maybe you spent the year in overwhelm, stress and brain fog more than you choose to admit. Perhaps you have realized the work you are doing now isn’t giving you the fulfillment you are after.

Beth Kempton, author of Wabi Sabi, suggests you pose these questions to invite a different kind of career journey:

  • What needs to be different by this time next year in order for me to thrive in my work?

  • How would I like to describe myself a year from now?

  • How would I like to describe my home a year from now?

  • How would I like to describe my work life a year from now?

  • How would I like to describe my finances a year from now?

  • What would I like to have created a year from now?

  • How would I like to describe my headspace a year from now?

The next step in your planning is to decide on one small change you can make today to start shifting from where you are to where you want to be in 2022?

Conclusion

“If you are not where you want to be, do not quit, instead reinvent yourself and change your habits.” – Eric Thomas

Covid was something no one could ever anticipate and this year was full of unexpected challenges and demands. Now that you have the benefit of hindsight and experience, it’s important not to repeat the same choices that really did not serve you. Energy management is fundamental to how you show up to yourself and the world. One final question to steer your actions for the year ahead is this:

What are my non-negotiables for 2022?

It could be insisting on taking lunch breaks every day, only starting meetings after 9:30 or no weekend emails? Perhaps it is not attending unnecessary meetings, inserting time for your self-care and protecting your family time.

No one knows what 2022 will bring, but going into the year identifying what hasn’t worked and taking corrective steps will set you up to make better choices for the year ahead despite any external factors.

Here’s to managing your energy.

Warm wishes

Lori



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