Monday, June 15, 2020

thumbnail

Blogging - What is it?


types of blogs



A blog is more like a small website. It is a virtual space where a writer or a blogger can express themselves, share their point of view or opinion. One is free to blog about events and situations on a regular basis. 

It can also be regarded as some kind of diary where you’re free to put down your experiences. It is very common for a blogger to write about their topics of interest or even subjects from their area of specialization. 

Types of blogs

Blog is a more common and short form for weblog. If the blogger mostly covers video content, it is call a vlog. 

Types of blogs include the following:


Use of blogs

Since there are a plethora of topics one can write about, blogs can be used in practically all businesses, disciplines or faculties. Blogs are a very important tool for sharing information. They can also be used in promoting businesses, causes or advocating for change.

Niche in blogging

Check out any topic and chances are that you will find a blog on that topic. Bloggers generally have niches that they specialize in.

That’s all for today, happy blogging!

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

thumbnail

How Prepared are Developing Countries for the Aftermath of the Corona virus Pandemic?


coronavirus containment

The outbreak of the Corona virus pandemic has brought so much anxiety and untold suffering in the world. Not only has the pandemic received unprecedented world renown and attention within a short period of time than any other pandemic, but it has also revealed how ill-prepared even supposedly advanced nations can be. Who ever thought a virus could so decimate the civilized world as this pandemic has done? Though proud and arrogant, man is a very vulnerable and fragile creature! With all our apparent cunning and boasted wisdom we couldn’t stem let alone squeeze the corona bug in time to prevent untold suffering and potentially huge economic losses! How unfortunate. If only the outbreak of this pandemic was known in advance, at least something could have been done to contain its onslaught before it unleashed itself on unsuspecting masses earth with full force. It is sad that so many people have lost their lives in so short a period of time.

Preparedness for pandemic

Very few countries, if any, were adequately prepared to counteract the effects of the Corona virus pandemic not to mention its deadly attack. To my knowledge all nations were caught off-guard and their responses to the outbreak were mostly reactive and rather feeble. No wonder why so many lives have been lost! The lower infection rates in some regions may not be attributed to their being proactive but rather to chance or other factors we may know not of especially when we take into account the fact that those nations that were in a better position to protect themselves are the worst hit.
This pandemic has brought out so many issues. It has shown how porous and flawed our early warning and response systems are. It has also highlighted the mediocrity of our public health and social protection systems and policies.

State of public health and social protection systems
This makes a lot of sense when we consider what has become a normal and seemingly prestigious trend or practice in some developing countries. Most of these countries have done very little to develop or upgrade their health infrastructure and institutions. This neglect has even been reinforced due to the fact that scarcely any high profile people ever get to use them. What do we hear whenever these people get sick? Evacuated to South Africa, India, such and such a country for specialist treatment! Apparently, all sicknesses involving high profile figures are specialist cases, whatever that means! There is a Bemba  saying which says “akachila kambushi kasengula apo kekele”, which literally implies that one needs to take care of where they live. The pandemic has clearly shown that this mentality of rushing to other countries whenever we fall sick will never take us anywhere. We had better take care of and utilize what we have!

With government commitment and the cooperation of the people, recent massive development of public infrastructure including health institutions may help a lot in stemming this trend.

When calamities strike it is usually those on the fringes of social and economic spectra who suffer the most. They are also often the last to recover from the ravages of disasters. Social protection programs could therefore play a very big role in relieving the effects of the pandemic on the poor. Such initiatives as social cash transfer, farmer input support programs, and other social safety nets will go a long way in mitigating the adverse effects of the pandemic especially in developing countries. However, since the current social programs in these countries may not be that effective in addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic, it could help a lot if such initiatives were restructured so that they effectively respond to the needs of the masses, especially the poor.
Looming economic recession
Generally, developing countries, especially those in Africa have not been that much affected by the corona virus pandemic compared to countries in the west. The repercussions of containment measures are however likely to be with us for some time. The current looming economic downturn is one such repercussion. Though there are a number of policy options available to developing countries to mitigate the effects, they have very little room to manoeuvre due to a heavy debt burden and dependence on commodity exports for foreign exchange revenue.  While developed countries like the US have economic relief laws that includes rounds of stimulus payments for most of their taxpayers,as well as loan programs for businesses to be able to keep paying their employees in a bid to combat the looming recession, most developing countries cannot sustain such programs.
Falling export earnings for developing countries

Though developing countries have limited capacity to deal with the aftermath of the pandemic, there is still something that can be done in addition to social protection programs alluded to above:
  1. Easing fiscal and monetary policy
  2. Renegotiating loans with creditor nations and institutions
  3. Accessing IMF Special Drawing Rights reserve asset facility to supplement local reserves
  4. Applying for IMF’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief (CCR)Trust financial grant
However, countries with huge debt burdens have a lot of negotiation to do to access financial help.

Reflections on looming recession

These threats to the world and local economies are very real especially when we take into account the fact that most countries’ economies had not been doing that well due to trade wars by the time the pandemic struck. What the pandemic has done is to worsen the already fragile economic outlook of countries the world over. Since most countries are not involved in optimal production due to containment measures like lock downs and mobility restrictions, it is just natural that their GDPs will fall. That is why there are looming fears of a world- wide recession, which recession has already begun showing its ugly head.



Related posts




Sunday, May 24, 2020

thumbnail

Ordinary Zambians and Covid 19


impact of covid 19 on livelihoods


There has never been a disease that has raised so much dust, and that for a genuine reason, as the Covid 19 pandemic. There is so much propaganda circulating on social media and the internet generally concerning its origin and the purported culprits behind this menace that you literally know not what to believe. 

There is so much finger-pointing and counter finger-pointing you wonder what is going on. Could it be true that some people might be responsible for the spread and escalation of major epidemics and ultimately cause death through such sinister manoeuvres? If at all they were, what could be the idea behind the escalation of such contagious and fatal epidemics as corona virus around the world? Why should someone promote research, if the assertions are true, on viruses that have a high risk and possibility of spreading from animals to humans? Have the so called scientists purportedly behind this sad development turned into vultures whose major delight is in the demise of their fellow human beings? Whether the above assertions are true or not, one thing we all agree with is that the advent of the Corona virus pandemic has brought untold suffering around the world. The pandemic has caught most nations, the world over, off-guard and ill-prepared to contain its relentless onslaught.

Corona virus linked to bats


Whether the assertions are mere propaganda (conspiracy theories) or have some truth in them, only parties responsible for the pandemic could know (if at all they are there). Certain publications are insinuating that some entities engaged in risky research on corona viruses might have triggered this pandemic.

Corona virus and gain-of-function research


The background to the above assertion is the gain- of- function research on bat corona viruses that was funded by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The research was conducted at the Wuhan Institute of virology.

Gain-of-function (GOF) research involves experimentation that aims or is expected to increase the transmissibility and/or virulence of pathogens. Such research,when conducted by responsible scientists, usually aims to improve understanding of disease causing agents, their interaction with human hosts, and/or their potential to cause pandemics. The ultimate objective of such research is to better inform public health and preparedness efforts and/or development of medical countermeasures. Despite these important potential benefits, GOF research (GOFR) can pose risks regarding biosecurity and biosafety. GOFR is a subset of “dual-use research”—i.e., research that can be used for both beneficial and malevolent purposes.

 

Containment measures


So much about the backdrop to the Covid 19 pandemic! I am of the view that the aftermath of this outbreak deserves more urgent attention than its historical origin due to its inherent potential to disrupt our social and economic life.  Of course the immediate impact of the pandemic is the spread of disease and unfortunately death in some cases, but there are also long term impacts which include various side effects of containment measures.
What has made the above scenario even worse is the fact that even the well-meant containment measures seem to be contributing to the problem somehow. This is more so when we consider the fact that people’s livelihoods are threatened in profound ways in a bid to contain the spread of this menace.

Containment measures and disparities


Death by itself has a lot of negative implications both at family and national level in that it may mean the loss of our loved ones, our bread winner or indeed our most valuable resource who can hardly be replaced. Though the pandemic may seem like a great leveller in that everyone regardless of their status in life are treated at home (no more evacuation for specialist treatment abroad) once they fall sick, yet it  has widened the disparity between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. This becomes more apparent when we consider containment measures like mobility restrictions, stay-at-home and lock downs, and their effect on people's livelihoods. It is those who rely on a daily income for survival who are affected the most.

Covid 19 and informal sector


An overwhelming majority of employed Zambians (88.7%) work in the informal sector (Tassot et al., 2018:7).  This means that most containment measures are biased against a larger proportion of the Zambian work force. It is quite obvious that most informal workers do not have any kind of legal or social protection whatsoever and as such are more adversely affected by measures aimed at curbing the spread of the pandemic. For instance while the cost of living has risen, few informal workers can earn a reasonable livelihood to adequately meet their daily needs with the current restrictions in place. Moreover, most government interventions are naturally targeted at the formal sector since they are registered, well-established and recognized by the powers that be. 

Response to covid 19


Recently the Zambian government announced fiscal measures intended to reduce the impact of Covid 19 on the economy. Though the common people (mostly those in the informal sector and the unemployed) will ultimately benefit from these policy interventions due to multiplier effects, the immediate beneficiary is the formal sector as can be seen from the measures themselves.  It is yet to be seen what the newly introduced fiscal measures will do to relieve the impact of the pandemic and what will be done to cushion people in the informal sector. Piecemeal interventions like the distribution of food and other necessities to the vulnerable have their own place in relief measures but their impact is not long lasting. What are needed are measures whose impact is sustainable  and will be felt for the long term.  
 
The new normal

Following the announcement by the World Health Organization's special envoy for covid 19 that people have to learn to live with the pandemic and that the pandemic will be around for some time, some countries including Zambia are considering easing restrictions on mobility. This seems to be a plausible move considering the fact that most ordinary people, especially those in the informal sector, are economically disadvantaged by  the current containment measures. However early warning  and response systems have to be put in place to contain the spread of the pandemic.
Moreover, apart from adhering to various health guidelines, sensitization programs need to be continued or even scaled up to check a possible rise in new infections. With or without the pandemic, people have to continue working to earn a living or their plight and that of the economy will just worsen!  







Sunday, May 3, 2020

thumbnail

Network Marketing in Zambia, Scam or Legit?


network marketing legitimacy
Source: Unsplash- Austin Distel


I first stumbled upon network marketing back in the year 2007 or there about. In a foreign environment and with very little to do on hand, browsing the internet was my favorite pastime. I used to be on the internet most of the day. My sister would drop me at the nearest affordable cafe and make arrangements for me to be picked up at the appointed time. This used to be my daily routine.

It was at this time that I came across two guys on the internet who were willing to come and demonstrate their business at my place of residence. At the request of one of the guys, I invited and put together quite a sizable group of people. We eagerly waited for some time, and then the network marketing guy showed up with his merchandise. He explained what his business was all about and we sampled some free products - what nice products they were!

I should have been the second if not the first affiliate to bring that herbal company to Zambia but I remained ‘on the fence’ for so long a time that I missed the opportunity. I attended seminars and came across marketing terms like up line, down line, residual income, hierarchy, binary bonus, etc. I had such a wonderful time but finances were not on my side though I paid up the membership fee. I wish I could ask for a refund!

What is network marketing?

Network marketing or multilevel marketing (MLM) is a business model anchored on creating a distributor network of affiliates. Invariably, it requires a low start-up fee and/or investment which are normally paid upfront before one becomes an active member. Business partners are more often than not required to recruit sales representatives to make up their own down line in the business pyramid.

In case you would like to have a feel of what online network marketing is all about and learn how it is actually carried out in real life, this company will give you a head start. They don’t ask for anything else from you other than your commitment and willingness to learn. As you implement what you learn, you earn points. 
  
It is quite obvious that more and more scammers are targeting people in developing countries who are in desperate need of jobs or alternative sources of income. Once such people understand how network marketing and kindred online businesses operate, it will become easy for them to minimize chances of being ripped off.

What should you do before joining an MLM business?
  1. Identify the niche or area of the business that you are interested in
  2. Research on that niche so that you understand it perfectly well, then investigate and pick a company that you can join
  3. Ensure that the company is well established and is there for the long term
  4. Consult stakeholders on the performance of the company, their norms and values
  5. Know the products and/or services they offer
  6. Look up the leadership of the company
  7. Go through and have a good grasp of their presentation, compensation plan and other business literature, like their product manual
  8. Always go for free membership or the cheapest product sample kit when starting and then upgrade after testing the waters
  9. Join online affiliate groups and read/watch reviews to know more about the business
  10.  Make sure that you are aware of and comfortable with the role you will be playing
  11. Ascertain that you understand what you are going into then sign up

 How does an MLM business model work?
What and how much effort can you put in?
  • Invest time in learning about your business - attend seminars and webinars, join affiliate social media groups
  • Choose a dependable and experienced mentor
  • Have the gumption - be passionate and optimistic about your business. Know it like the palm of your hand and have a winning attitude
  • Sell and make money 
  • Recruit to grow your network and earn both leveraged and residual income
  • If you are committed, network marketing can be quite lucrative
  • Build new leads and follow them up

What should you note or watch out for?
  • Learn how you can tell genuine MLM businesses apart from fake pyramid schemes
  • MLM businesses are genuine enterprises that sell different types of legitimate products
  • Pyramid schemes are illegal investment scams which are built on the same principle and structural framework of network marketing but do not sell products.
  • Scams make revenue by inducing prospects to join their business hierarchy
  • Affiliates are often ignorant of the fact that they are part of a scam until it is too late. 
  • Only the topmost leadership or founders at the very apex of the pyramid know the real nature and motive of their business in most cases.

I hope what has been discussed above will give you an upper hand when you contemplate joining the MLM industry and help you come up with a well informed decision.

All the best in your endeavors!

Related posts

Frauds, scams and economic prosperity


Disclosure: 
This post contains affiliate links by which the author earns commission at no cost to readers



Sunday, April 12, 2020

thumbnail

Frauds, Scams and Economic Prosperity





Scams and prosperity
Source: Unsplash- Adeolu Eletu


Schemes, frauds, scams, call them what you may; are so common nowadays that you wonder what happened to checks put in place to curb such illegal businesses. Victims of such activities are numbered in millions. You hardly come across people nowadays who have never been directly or indirectly affected by this sad development somehow. Scams often manifest themselves as business opportunities promising huge returns on initial investments, high yielding investment programs are one example of such initiatives.


Selling Scams

In developing countries schemes, more often than not, come under the guise of entities that aim at helping people achieve financial freedom. Perpetrators of such initiatives show great resolve to lift people out of poverty when in actual sense their motive is to enrich themselves at the expense of the masses. Too late their prospects realize they are entrenched in untold suffering.

These unscrupulous tricksters masquerading as good Samaritans have left a trail of broke folks on their way to supposed financial break through. It is unfortunate that some of those who join such schemes are often times clueless on what they are getting themselves into.

A presentation, a sign up, a subscription, testimonies and proof of return on investment is the main concoction that woos unsuspecting prospects; and in no time, they are in the net. Early birds usually get their reward but they are in turn used by scammers as bait to catch even more prey. The prospects realize that the scheme is working and are willing to part with valuables to join regardless of the amounts required.

Why do we have so many scammers busy peddling their wares on the internet? What is the background to all this mischief, trickery and fraud being perpetrated both on online and offline platforms right under our noses?
 
Backdrop to Scams

There have been a lot of changes in the global economy for quite some time, especially in the recent past. Worldwide, life has never been the same. While some countries seem to be doing fine and their economies growing, no one can deny the fact that calamities, both natural and man-made, abound and seem to be increasing with each coming year. The aftermath of such occurrences has often been a reduction in people’s livelihoods. Many are driven to the very edge of poverty and are barely making ends meet.

Harsh economic times have even complicated the situation further. Soaring unemployment rates, joblessness and economic polarization have mostly served to push people into scams and frauds of all kinds and descriptions. Those who patronize such schemes are so intent on making money that they are blind to the possibility of being ripped off. The inception of initiatives purporting to mitigate suffering and promising financial stability is always welcome news to the deprived.
  
In the abundance of knowledge and advancements in technology, mankind seems unable to effectively and efficiently cope with the situation they find themselves in. These developments have greatly impacted our lifestyles and changed our lives in profound ways. Our world view, and the way we perceive life generally, will never be the same. Though knowledge has increased and people are ‘running to and fro’, there has been a commensurate increase in social, political, economic and environmental ills that plague mankind.

The prosperity of a nation is closely bound with its ability to engage its population in productive work. Inability to do so has bred a number of social ills. It is against this backdrop that a number of schemes premised on ripping off masses have been hatched.

Prosperity Seekers Defrauded

Scholars have linked economic progress to various indicators, most of which emphasize on generation and accumulation of wealth. Moreover, many religious entities tout economic progress or prosperity as a sign of favor with God. This paradigm shift has seen every one striving with everything in them to get rich.  Amidst this frenzy, a number of frauds and scams have flourished, each of which promises these wealth-seekers a fortune in exchange for their hard-earned cash.

Are victims of these crimes gullible? …Not at all. It is man’s nature…his right to seek pleasure and happiness; to seek everything that gives them maximum security and enjoyment. Scammers and fraudsters understand this; they take advantage and exploit this particular trait in man.

Background Check Important

The possibility of being scammed is even worsened when prospects involved aren’t that savvy when it comes to soft skills. Such people cannot research the business opportunities they are about to invest in that much. We need to be technically savvy if we are to understand how most businesses operate, whether they are legit or not. Especially is this the case with most questionable business entities that pose as legit ones.

 Looking for a job, want to make extra money or thinking of going into business? Buying into a business opportunity that makes big claims about what you can earn might sound like the answer. But don’t be in a hurry to sign up! Even legitimate business opportunities involve risk somehow. To avoid a rip-off, you need to understand your rights and the promoter’s obligations. You also need to find out more about the opportunity. 

Prospective entrepreneurs need to take it upon themselves to ascertain the authenticity and credibility of businesses they intend to go in to safeguard their interests.

Would-be fraud victims should be sensitized and educated on the need to take their time and research business opportunities before committing their precious resources.


It should be borne in mind, however, that not all initiatives, whether online or offline, are fake. Since there are fake ones, there should be genuine ones as well. 

Look before you leap, not everything that glitters is gold or silver!

About

Search This Blog

Powered by Blogger.