The Kitchen Girl III

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

In almost every household of middle-income and upper-income families in Africa (and I suppose even in other parts of the world), they usually employ a houseworker. My opinion is that usually these workers are not treated fairly by their employers. The Kitchen Girl III is a reflective poem, by renowned Namibian poet Kavevangua Kahengua, who tries to portray the thoughts of a houseworker and in this particular case a "Kitchen Girl". It remains one of my favourite poems since I am a person who advocates for social-justice for the down-trodden. The poem goes on as follows:

The Kitchen Girl III

I am the kitchen girl
Like a cock
I am the first one to get up
At twilight I dare walk the path
That leads me to my masters' house
The aroma of the breakfast I prepare
Wakes up my masters from comfort
Here I toil till dusk
From Sunday to Monday
They say God hears prayers
Even from the kitchen

I am the kitchen girl
When my masters sit around
The table to enjoy the fruit
Of my sweet sweat
I am on my feet in the kitchen
Clattering of plates and spoons
Unending

I am the kitchen girl
The bank lady
Has just snatched my boyfriend
"How dare you touch my man?"
Twisting her red painted lips
She spat in my face

I am the kitchen girl
The Revised Labour Law III
Has omitted my occupation
They say the ommission is minor
After all, I was told
Minimum wages rule doesn't
Apply to kitchen chores
I am the kitchen girl

Copyright notice: Used with permission from the author. All rights reserved to the author, Kavevangua Kahengua. This poem appears in a book by the author entitled "Dreams" which is published by Gamsberg Macmillan Publishers Ltd, Windhoek, Namibia. ISBN: 99916-0-389-1

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My first research publication!

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Getting a research publication brings joy especially if you are in the scientific academic community. But, getting a FIRST research publication in your academic career marks a transition to being an 'initiated' scientific researcher! I can't contain my joy to have a first publication which is entitled "A Dynamic Graph-based Visualization for Spreadsheets" and it has been published here:

http://www.actapress.com/Abstract.aspx?paperId=32925

http://www.actapress.com/Content_of_Proceeding.aspx?proceedingID=475

I am also getting another publication by May 2008. So, at least two research publications out of the MSc research work.

Cheers!

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An alternative view of Malawi (part II)

Monday, March 10, 2008

Some of the people of Malawi ...


A kid in Zomba, Malawi.
Photo copyrighted to Owavutse.



Kids in Zomba Primary school in Malawi.
(It reminds me of the days I was in primary school)




Some young men in Blantyre, Malawi.
Photo copyrighted to KwachaFm.com



Women in rural Malawi.
Photo copyrighted to ROCKFACE


Some young men in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Photo copyrighted to KwachaFm.com



Our future Malawi national football team?
(Kids in Majete, Chikwawa, Southern Malawi)
Photo copyrighted to Morilla



Photo copyrighted to ROCKFACE

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