The world is varying every minute. It is hard to understand how the technology is growing in Africa principally Malawi.

There is this other shock (dropping off of price from Mwk3 500 ($25) to just Mwk1 500 ($11)) that has made Malawians have phones. Followed the harvesting period, many bought them up to the moment that the mobile phone number codes was disturb. The network providers changed the codes from +265 9 to +265 99, this is for Zain Malawi www.zain.com. Telecom Networks Malawi (TNM) has changed its numbers codes from +265 8 to +265 88.

In Malawi majority earns from farming, but there was a problem of farm imports for local farmers. Fertilizer was expensive costing Mwk9 000 ($64) per 50 kg bag. This was impossible for the local farmers to buy. The Government introduced the fertilizer subsiding program. It was targeting for those who are living under low income level. Since the program, it is now costing Mwk900 that was due 2004 and this year the president promised to change to Mwk500 per 50 kg bag. These lead to high crop yield for in the just passed years. The farmers were able to have access for selling. This increase the demand for technology (phones) to the extent above.

To the government, “ndakudyadirani” (I am proud of you) for loving us in such a way.

It was hard to buy a cellular phone in late 1990s. Example Nokia 5200 was at Mwk12 000 ($86). Being in developing country, only numbered managed to buy.

 Now, in fact everywhere phone, phone and phone.

Telephones bureau was better business, many used to phone at a fixed rate of 50 kwacha a minute. Now that many do have these portable telephones the business has been replaced by the selling of top up units.

I had chance of doing the business to my fellow students at school. I visit the Zain Malawi where they registered my Sim card..  She puts the code in phone number so authorized to buy stock and sell electronically with receipts. I buy 10 dollar units at 1 330 selling them at a mark-up of Mwk80. The Mwk80 was enough for lunch at school. I was able to sell twenty dollars a day, though it had a little negative effect on my studies.

Not all handset a lone but there is this other out of basic needs like radios and television. The problems associating with these are the lack of energy supply. Some do use solar panel like the one below bought at a price of Mwk6 000 ($43).  

Below are the scanned images of the phone at Mwk1500 and solar panel.      

Malawi (country in Africa) has this blessing of scenery. The lake has made extraordinary holidays to many, I have great expectation that when you view slight pictures attached you can confirm even before you see. There are a lot beautiful views alongside the coastlines; being costly programmed I could not take every view. This can make for you a different holiday than ever before. Have plans for another holiday try this you will enjoy it.

I Believe to be an activist, who learns in practice. Fool me once, Shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me! This is under learning concept which encourages me in learning everything by myself. By not allowing myself not to be fool again, I am able to execute some tasks on the computer. Until now have a good number of tasks carried down.

Without knowledge I did a research on how my fellow Malawians who do not have irregular income manages. I was very stressful to meet with new faces. Practice indeed makes perfect. At first I was concluding conversation while other questions were not yet finished. Sometimes I was coming back to seek more information to them later. But in the ranges of third and fourth project I was very flexible in charting while taking down the necessary information.

I learned a lot from this project both as an accountant in training and personal. I listed some of knowledge and experience gained below;

The communication Skill; I like the way I was playing around with some of the open and closed questions like, have you ever been in a situations where you had an emergency while you do have money? What happen? Did you borrow? Where? With this I understand when called for interviews won’t be a very big chore.

Academically; I was studying this other subject called managing people and systems. I was able to apply some of the theories learned. One of which is Abraham Maslow hierarchy of needs which states that life is in stages according to needs in time.

Let me say something about these stages, they are five of them;

Physiological need This has something to do with food and shelter,

Safety needs relating to with predictability, security and freedom from threat,

Love or social need This is for affection, relationship and respect for others

Esteem need thus for independence and recognition, and the last one is

Self actualization this is about fulfillment of personal potential.

This theory really works I proved because many seem to be working for everyday food and shelter (clothes and houses). If there is access money they come to number two (safety) by keeping some to the bank and buying goods in advance. When there is a friend in need, they help each other meaning going to a love and social needs. Most do end there while few does manage lest of the hierarchy.

Had it been they asked about this during my exams, they could have seen me passing with flying colors. But I have knowledge because of the project.

Knowing how to write a report, is one of the very important to accounting technicians. This is so because we are required to produce financial information for management control and decision making. The research helped me a lot in improving my report writing skills mainly in how to go straight to the point (hitting the nail on the head) For years I was not a good narrator at all. I can do it better than before.

This has also prepared me for Oxford Degree Research Project. There is a need to do research project to be awarded with this degree of my life dream. My hat on my head, I will remember this project as the one that has prepared the way for me. O-oh! Just wish I could be there already.. All in all I will work hard for that day no matter how long it will take.

Not forgetting my fees; the amount given was there for my school.. Without it nothing else I could have done. The ACCA could have removed me from their books for not paying Annual subscription.

Friends; since young, it has been hard for me to meet strangers. I was able to take bus for long distance without talking to anyone even of the same sit. With the project I can now talk to people without fear. I managed to have close friends like chimwemwe and Mike. Hope many know that making friends is not a simple nut to crack for most people. I consider this as a benefit from the project.

A part from the above, I discovered so many from the research information. I can put in the picture that out of eight people only one manages to keep money at the bank, one quit the banking system while lest have hardly opened account at any bank yet they are doing small businesses. This gives conclusions that our country needs to advocates how important is the banking world

I have also known how the seasons affect the Malawian marketing functions. Some do have their high demand anticipation in the harvesting season. While those selling food, worry is what harvest season brought to them. This is so because many do have their own food.

I wish I had another one time so that I can do it better than before. I believe I will have another to better it than this.

Thanks to Niti Bhan and Dave Tait of emerging futures lab for granting and helping me through the project. You really strengthened me in everything I do. You put in me the spirit of I can. I still need more from you. The way is too heavy for me. I can’t manage the journey that I embarked alone. As I walk day by day the challenges everywhere. I believe with your encouraging words I will manage.

May God bless you!!

The pictures below are of those that I interviewed during the project.

Day after day the world is full of questions, when you are in classes and meetings most of these questions remain in people minds for long time. This is so because many feel too shy to ask while some do know that it can disturb their friends while discussions or learning is in progress. That is really what I was like in the past days, but now I have a friend, guess whom? Of course, Internet is the answer. Even how hard the question can be, the answer will definitely be there for me. 

In my class assignments this friend did helped me a lot. It  provides me with points that the lecturer never thought of. Are you sad , feeling loneliness or you are not good at making friends face to face. Just visit face book at http://www.facebook.com friends are waiting for you.

I just want to show how grateful I am for all what the Internet provides for me.  However, it is an expensive way of knowing things. There are lots of friends who wish but they can't manage.  I know that it's hard to make it cheaper, but think of plans that can make it better. Because it really helps, I remember before exams I was stressful and edgy but I found tips for stress on the internet.

When I was coming back with my nokia 1112i from south africa to my country Malawi. I thought that I have something more valueble than my countries people have.To my suprise, things has drastically changed, within 14 months of my living in suoth africa. People are having so expensive phones, some of them they are even browsing with phones while walking. Am I to talk of villagers, they are even part exchanging their domestic animals with phones. One has part exchanged four goats with nokia 2300, he said he likes listening to the radio inside. Believe you me, when measuring wealth in the villages in malawi we talk of animals. So if technology is taking over in such away. I have come to prove that really technology is growing so fast in Africa.  

My name is John Lumbe . I was born on 11 march 1985 in a family of three. I am an African from a country known as Malawi. Born from poor family in developing country, it wasn’t a joke for us to go to school. Luckly I was only one who make it to secondary school out of three. I finished my secondary education In the year 2004. Motivated by how school is classifying people , I started dreaming to be an accountant  when I was eleven. Soon after finishing in 2004, I tried to raise money for my tertiary education within Malawi fortunately I couldn’t make it. I leave Malawi for south Africa in march 2007. I got job there , that did really restoreth my broken soul. With hope I know that I will take a step to my future. I like the way I was treated  with the  people whom I was working with and those who sorruonded me. while I was there I was given laptop, this gift to me seemed to be a day dream , because I was not excepting to have such expensive thing at my age .  I started learning Microsoft word and excel through a Microsoft 2003 special list book which I borrowed. In June  this year (2008)  I happily turned home. with the  amount that I raised, I am back to school, taking a step into my career. I am at Malawi college of accountancy,the school I admired most . I am not only studing accounts  but also computers own myself, now I know internet but power point is what I am learning. As I will be sitting for  the certified accounting technician examination which is under the association of certified chartered  accountants (ACCA) this coming December, my way  to my dreams looks rough and stony. I will be also in plan to have a another amount for tuition, ACCA annual contributions and for examination fees totaling 230 pounds. This I can say, No matter the way passes through dark and cold valleys, No matter how long it takes, i want to sing a different story on the same web one day. For friends like me never allow sobody to tell you that you can't.