Beware the online backup trap!

Posted by Jonathan Wheatley on June 2, 2008 11:50 AM

It would seem that each week there is a new offering of a tape free online back solution offering to help you sleep safe in the knowledge that your data is available and secure. I would like to warn the North East Business community of some potential pitfalls to watch out for.

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Preparing to travel overseas

Posted by on June 3, 2008 11:50 AM

Before I set off on my journey to Rwanda on Sunday, I am working against the clock to get everything in place for my trip. It has been a varied couple of weeks including everything from booking hotels for the interview process to preparing a recruitment ad for Rwandan TV!

The reason I am travelling out to Rwanda is to prepare for our Big Lottery Fund supported training project that kicks off next year. I am working out there in advance of this to basically find the right people for the training posts available and also to meet some of the fair trade businesses we will be supporting.

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The drinks industry isn't to blame for society's ills

Posted by on June 5, 2008 6:15 PM

EVERY year we hear stories about the evils of alcohol, particularly its effect on young people. And, every time, the drinks industry is expected to shoulder the blame.

As ChildrenÃ¢ÂÂs Secretary Ed Balls revealed new plans that could see parents prosecuted if their kids drink in public, critics waded in to denounce retailers for encouraging binge drinking by selling cheap alcohol and advertising their products.

Why not just ban alcohol altogether and put the drinks industry - already wounded by soaring fuel costs and alcohol duties - out of its misery?

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World Environment Day

Posted by Ian Brown on June 5, 2008 11:04 PM

How did you spend world environment day?

Well unfortunately I did not attend the fun things that I would have liked to have attended today and in a twist of fate my Peugot 307 turn from 99,999 to 100,000 miles. A moment that leaves me blushing!

The defence is robust and is focused around me being an essential user, living well off the beatan track. I have though this week been on a bus, in a taxi and on three trains....most journeys though fall to the car! Meanwhile what did my 7 year old daughter attend on my behalf in Wooler?

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Last-minute checklists for Rwanda

Posted by on June 6, 2008 11:48 AM

Only two days to go now before my trip and itÃ¢ÂÂs been one busy week. Aside from focusing on what I need for my journey and beyond, IÃ¢ÂÂve also had my hat on as a member of the Shared Interest environment team, which meant helping mark Thursday 5th June with staff at our Newcastle headquarters as well as Costa Rica and Kenya offices.

Other than that, my head is jam-packed full of checklists and the countdown is a bit like a military operation.

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I have made it to Rwanda

Tags:
flying

Posted by on June 9, 2008 11:45 AM

After three flights, 21 hours of travel, a mix up with tickets and a close call when I got on the wrong plane in Nairobi I have made it to RwandaÃ¢ÂÅ the country of a thousand hills (and a million mosquitoes!).

All started off well as I left Newcastle for my long journey out to Africa, bags packed, tickets and passport in hand and ready to go! The first flight to Amsterdam went smoothly, my Kenyan airways flight to Nairobi was a little shaky, but it wasnÃ¢ÂÂt until I arrived on African soil that things started getting interesting!

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Inside the Rock

Posted by on June 9, 2008 4:49 PM

The fate of Northern Rock may still hang in the balance, but the lack of any firm outcome to the crisis has not prevented former employee Brian Walters from writing what I assume is the first book on the subject ("The Fall of Northern Rock", published by Harriman House).

He promises to deliver Ã¢ÂÂan insiderÃ¢ÂÂs storyÃ¢Â? on the bankÃ¢ÂÂs demise, although it quickly transpires he was not even inside Northern Rock House as the crisis unfolded, but instead working in the bank's commercial division in a Leeds branch office.

Unsurprisingly, aside from one or two quirky anecdotes, the account from a Rock employee of less than three years casts little fresh light on the subject and the most telling conclusion is that the bulk of the staff had no idea how bleak the situation was.

Because he was physically remote from Newcastle you don't even get a feeling for the atmophere inside the corridors of power. More authoritative and enlightening accounts will undoubtedly follow.

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Fat cats' fury

Posted by on June 9, 2008 6:17 PM

WHY is it that this country is so quick to criticise people for being successful?

The news that five directors at banking giant HSBC are set to share a ÃÂ£120m windfall during the next three years has been met with incredulity by the business world.

How can this be so, the critics cried, when the UKÃ¢ÂÂs largest bank announced write-downs of around ÃÂ£8.7bn only three months ago?

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Back to business

Posted by Katie Pringle on June 9, 2008 7:10 PM

What with all the sunny weather we've finally been experiencing (one week into June!) myself and the business partner have been struggling to keep up our work ethic of late. We come in from our 'other jobs' and somehow the allure of a night in front of the computer, answering emails and preparing invoices just doesn't compete with a nice cold white wine spritzer out on the patio (yes it's retro and possibly unfashionable but it is tres refreshing!).

I don't think it's possible to breathe down your own neck, but as my own boss I really need to take myself into a quiet room and ask me why I've let my performance slip over the last few weeks. And yes I know it's only been sunny for like two days but maybe I'm using the weather as an excuse for my general laziness towards our little fledgling business of recent weeks.

The thing is though although I love the time away, the freedom of not feeling like I always have to be doing something, it does come at a price.

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Cold Showers and Lukewarm Eggs

Posted by on June 10, 2008 9:55 AM

It was a late one last night Ã¢ÂÂ well by Rwanda standards anyway, I wouldnÃ¢ÂÂt call 10.30pm late at home but then I am also still recovering from that eventful journey and we were working right up until my head hit the pillow on todayÃ¢ÂÂs Open Day.

At least I got a cold shower this morning (the water was off completely last time IÃ¢ÂÂd checked), always a bonus when youÃ¢ÂÂve got a full day of interviews ahead in a busy hotel in Kigali!

IÃ¢ÂÂm just writing this speedily before I touch base with the Shared Interest office back home. It is company policy to let your nominated Ã¢ÂÂtravel buddyÃ¢ÂÂ know what youÃ¢ÂÂre up to Ã¢ÂÂ and itÃ¢ÂÂs usually a good point to let off steam and hear a familiar voice.

Right, got to dash or IÃ¢ÂÂll miss my staple breakfast of lukewarm omelette, omelette and er...more omelette (more on that later!) For now IÃ¢ÂÂve got over 40 people to present to at the open day in advance of interviewing for the Shared Interest Foundation post and time is against me. Wish me luck!

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Changing Lives with $2

Posted by on June 10, 2008 11:57 AM

Time for a break and Joan (who is our Ã¢ÂÂon the groundÃ¢ÂÂ contact from COFTA) and I discuss the progress of the day.

There are interesting topics up for discussion like how the life expectancy in Rwanda is only 40 years old and how the project will work with more women than men (the countryÃ¢ÂÂs population is made up of 60% women following the genocide.)

Some of the groups that we are working with currently live on only $1 per day and, through this project, we aim to increase this three-fold. To you and me, this doesnÃ¢ÂÂt sound like much, but it is enough to change many producersÃ¢ÂÂ lives here....it will enable them to send their children to school, afford health care and plan for the future.

Through this project we aim to change lives, working from the grassroots up and building capacity that will last for generations to come.

Joan and I keep focused on the outcome of this project Ã¢ÂÂ that we will train and recruit 15 trainers who together will develop a training course. We will recruit a project coordinator and will eventually train 50 handicraft organisations over the next three years.

By the end of our meeting, my head is buzzing with excitement - this project could really change peoplesÃ¢ÂÂ lives - not just for the next few months but for years to come.

With that in mind, on with the afternoon session!

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Why cash is king in any economic environment

Posted by on June 10, 2008 6:18 PM

THE City is screaming blue murder.

Chaos reigns in financial markets. Confidence among the business community is shot to bits. And chiefs at the Bank of England and the European Central Bank have warned us that the worst storm may be yet to come.

ItÃ¢ÂÂs enough to make business owners question their sanity and head for the hills. But is the above an accurate assessment of the markets or an overreaction to hyperbolic media coverage?

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Free Sandwiches and Frank Sinatra

Posted by on June 11, 2008 10:18 AM

Wow what a day yesterday. We managed to get through three projectors, 65 cups of tea, one bed sheet (which was used as a screen for the projector - very creative I thought!) and three different languages (Kinyarwanda, French and English!)

This all carried us through our workshop in Fair Trade and presentations on both COFTA and Shared Interest, with a seminar to follow to share knowledge and skills.

As I said yesterday, 40 people turned up for the Open Day. Now, I have to say that quantity doesnÃ¢ÂÂt always mean quality. LetÃ¢ÂÂs not forget the lady who turned up purely because she heard there were free sandwiches on offer!

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Making Peace with Baskets

Posted by on June 12, 2008 10:28 AM

After a day visiting producers (basically the people who create the handcrafted goods and grow the local produce) I find myself back at the now infamous coffee shop and feel compelled to tell you a little bit more about why it is one of Rwanda's many recent success stories.

Rwanda's Maraba Bourbon Coffee Shop is set on a hill overlooking the city. It solely sells Rwandan tea and coffee. The beans are grown near Huye (Butare) and have excelled in international tests (in a US test they were classed as the second best worldwide.) Maraba is a very special type of Arabica coffee from Bourbon coffee trees.

The coffee plantation is run by Abahuzamugambi Cooperative, many of whose members have been widowed in the genocide and are struggling to support their families. The sales of this coffee have enabled them to pay school fees, rebuild damaged homes and buy livestock.

As I watch people drinking coffee around me (I donÃ¢ÂÂt drink it myself but am more than making up for this by the litres of mango juice I consume!)

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AdWords move sparks anger, fury, ire

Posted by on June 12, 2008 5:26 PM

EIGHT years or so ago a refreshingly clean search interface developed by Larry Page and Sergey Bryn overtook the likes of Yahoo! and MSN to become the webÃ¢ÂÂs most popular search engine.
At the time, many asked how the site was ever going to make any money. As Google powers forward, it makes you wonder whether those commentators were living in a parallel universe.

Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing. ItÃ¢ÂÂs doubtful that even Page and Bryn perceived then that Google would, within a decade, become one of the worldÃ¢ÂÂs wealthiest and most powerful companies. But if information is what powers the world economy, then Google must be the 21st CenturyÃ¢ÂÂs Standard Oil.

In 2006, GoogleÃ¢ÂÂs advertising revenues in the UK overtook Channel 4. Late last year, it reached a par with ITV.

Although Google has a diverse product range these days, it is still the AdWords service on the search engine that provides its most significant revenue stream.

For the uninitiated, AdWords are the little text adverts that pop up to the right of your search results. Containing a short title (25 characters), two lines of description (each 35 characters) and a link to another website, they are triggered by your search query.

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Reforestation and Rappers - only in Rwanda!

Posted by on June 13, 2008 10:30 AM

I was very excited to visit a reforestation project yesterday that is funded by Shared Interest through our Carbon Offsetting Project. Last year we donated money to REDO (Rwandan Environment and Development Organisation) and here I am getting to see the 500 trees they planted on our behalf - contributing to RwandaÃ¢ÂÂs overall aim of replanting a million!

One thing that strikes me about Rwanda as I go out to visit the project is that it is one of the cleanest countries IÃ¢ÂÂve ever seen. There is no rubbish on the streets; roundabouts are beautifully maintained, filled with well-watered grass, plants and sometimes even a water fountain! In its mission to fight pollution the country has even gone as far as banning plastic carrier bags; a problem which haunts many other African countries.

I was surprised by this until I heard about Umuganda, a Ã¢ÂÂcommunity dayÃ¢ÂÂ on the last Saturday of every month. This means that between 7am and noon all households must participate in activities for the good of the community.

Examples include planting trees, cleaning up streets and creating new dirt roads. Businesses must close (can you imagine that back home?!) and everyone reports to their community leader. Even the President and foreign visitors must join in! In return you get a stamp in your book, which is required to access health care and education services.

Ok so thatÃ¢ÂÂs the more serious message. Now for my more surreal experience at Millies Collines. Joan and I were checking out their training rooms with their event manager Dieudonne (his name translates as GodÃ¢ÂÂs Gift!) As we were leaving the hotel, a huge black limo pulled up. Out came two guys, who I was informed - as people pushed past me to take photos Ã¢ÂÂ were Ã¢ÂÂP-SquareÃ¢ÂÂ, NigeriaÃ¢ÂÂs hottest new rap artists!

The event manager said that he could get us two VIP tickets to the Kwita Izini Concert tonight, which is part of next weekÃ¢ÂÂs gorilla naming ceremony. This is an annual event where 40 new baby gorillas will be named. Intrigued? IÃ¢ÂÂll tell you all about it in my next blog.

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Preparing for the voyage

Posted by Jonny Harrison on June 13, 2008 1:18 PM

At the moment it feels like a million miles away. Sitting in an office in Newcastle doing a full time job whilst spending every evening writing lists of jobs that still need doing and every weekend refitting the boat and preparing her for the voyage ahead.

When we decided that sailing half way round the world was what we really wanted to do I foolishly had a romantic notion of walking out of the front door, stepping aboard and slipping the mooring lines would all happen very easily.

How wrong I was! The dream quickly became a logistical nightmare far before we even set foot on our new boat.

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Oil, like land....they just aren't making it any more!

Posted by Ian Brown on June 13, 2008 9:18 PM

There is a saying in the farming community that one of the reasons to buy land is that they don't make it any more! To that extent the same is true - perhaps even more so for oil. I am usually a down to earth man who is inclined to ignore conspiracy theories but six months ago the trade was quoting such silly forward prices for diesel that some farming co-operatives refused to buy....but those prices for August may now be in line with where they're now heading.
Interestingly many land prices are rising along with soft commodity values but alarmingly input costs, based on oil based ingredients, are matching the same pace leading to profit margins being nipped.
So back to oil prices, are we seeing a change of behaviours forever? or is it as short lived as our collective memories?

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From Secretary General to Stadium Gig

Posted by on June 14, 2008 12:04 PM

I had an early start this morning and wasnÃ¢ÂÂt prepared for the exhausting day ahead.
After waiting 25 minutes for our staple breakfast of Ã¢ÂÂ yes you guessed it Ã¢ÂÂ omelette to turn up (I mean how long can it take to fry an egg?!) we gave up at 8am and started the interviews.

We had people who were working from Oxfam, and the UN, an expert on the environment (who was wearing the smartest suit I have ever seen) and after seeing seven candidates for a solid seven hours - it was looking like Joan and I were going to have a tough job on our hands.

By 4pm. we still hadnÃ¢ÂÂt had time for breakfast or lunch, and it was onto a meeting at 4.30pm with the Secretary General of the Rwandan Private Sector Federation (RPSF). His office was like a penthouse suite, complete with huge cream coloured leather sofas, where we sat to start the meeting.

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Helping Hand and a Hot Tin Roof

Posted by on June 16, 2008 10:44 AM

This weekend Joan and I had the privilege of meeting farmers and handicraft makers amongst the thousands of hills that dominate the Rwandan landscape.

As we turn each corner between the coffee, tea (RwandaÃ¢ÂÂs main exports) and banana plantations, the tin roofs sparkle in the African sun.

The sides of the roads are covered with people walking single file to trade goods in local towns, or travelling to schools and local businesses. However, driving deeper into the country, some of the pressures on the land become evident.

Rwanda now contains 850 people per square mile, compared with the world average of 107. In the highest part of Sub Saharan Africa, this puts immense pressure on the land. Almost every inch of the landscape has been cultivated (through mass deforestation), leading to soil degradation and often resulting in land slides and water catchment issues.

One of the local women we met told us about a devastating landslide that hit her village during the rainy season last year. Adelphine pointed to what used to be a group of houses and school now in ruins. Her children are now taught outside under a tree (to protect them from the sun) until the school is rebuilt. But the community has to raise the money first and she fears the rain may come again this year....

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Get scribbling, Mr King

Posted by on June 16, 2008 2:38 PM

Bank of England Governor Mervyn King will tomorrow be forced to write a letter to Chancellor Alistair Darling explaining why inflation has broken through the 3% barrier.
Most analysts are convinced the Consumer Prices Index shot up to 3.2% in May, prompting the note - only the second of its kind since the Bank of England was made independent in 1997.

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A Shared Interest in Dancing Pots

Posted by on June 17, 2008 10:27 AM

Today we went high up into the hills to visit the forgotten forest people referred to as BATWA or Pygmies. They are the oldest recorded inhabitants of the great lakes region with a history of living off the land as hunter gathers.

However, after losing 30% of their population during the genocide, they were driven from the land they had depended upon over the centuries for survival.

The group we visited were of the lowest social standing and were carrying out one of their traditional skills Ã¢ÂÂ pot making where they basically take clay from the ground and mould it into pots before firing it in traditional kilns.

One of the older members of the group, Hamisi, told us about the struggles he faces with his community. To be honest, he didnÃ¢ÂÂt really need to as the signs were clearly visible. With homes made from straw and barefooted children, they are unable to grow food for their families due to a lack of land.

However, it is not all bad news because a fair trade organisation called Dancing Pots has dramatically improved business for them and, through Shared Interest Foundation and COFTA training, we hope to lift their income from $1 to $3 per day in three years. This will enable them to pay for their childrenÃ¢ÂÂs secondary education (primary schooling is free), afford health care and plan for the future.

Before we left, I complimented Hamisi on his pottery skills and the amazing quirky looking clay gorillas he was making. He told me they werenÃ¢ÂÂt finished, which I thought may be a good thing because I had no money and was concerned about getting all the Peace Baskets I bought earlier in the week into my luggage and on the plane home!

I bid Hamisi goodbye and we continued on our visits. You can imagine my surprise when I return to the hotel reception that evening and find him asleep on the chair.

Hamisi and his family are so desperate for income that he worked hard to finish the clay gorillas so he could walk another seven hours to deliver them!

I buy each and every one of them and am close to tears as I treat Hamisi to dinner and insist he stays with his friends in Kigali instead of taking the long journey home.

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Brace yourselves for a hike in rates

Posted by on June 17, 2008 2:11 PM

Bank of England governor Mervyn King has raised the possibility of consumer inflation soaring to more than 4% before the end of the year.
This is grim news, indeed, even if it was widely expected. But what does it mean for interest rates?

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Woohoo! We have chosen our Project Coordinator!

Posted by on June 18, 2008 10:06 AM

Well IÃ¢ÂÂm all packed (a huge challenge what with all these baskets and gorillas!) Going home actually feels good after yesterdayÃ¢ÂÂs landmark event.

Four candidates had second interviews, this time in front of a panel including a director of the Chamber of Arts and Crafts and a Rwandan Private Sector Federation representative, as well as Joan from COFTA and, of course me, representing Shared Interest Foundation.

I have to say that I was glad I was on the other side of the table! The four candidates had to answer tough questions about the Rwanda Handicraft sector, project management and Fair Trade standards in three - yes three - different languages (English, French and Kinyarwanda.)

After the panel collected their thoughts and scored each candidate I was delighted there was a clear winner.

Woohoo! We have chosen our Project Coordinator!

So today we will be sorting out contracts, start dates and induction plans!

This is a major step and it is all starting to feel excitingly real. The last 10 days have been busy but we have achieved so much, which is a great feeling to have as I dash for the airport.

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Do We Really Need "Outcomes"?

Posted by on June 18, 2008 9:52 PM

I was very pleased to attend a consultation exercise hosted by the CBI and the University of Teesside earlier this week. The purpose of this auspicious event was to acquaint a delegation of the Technology Strategy Board visiting our region this week with the issues and successes experienced during the early days of the Digital City project and other matters arising out of the interface between technology and business in the Tees Valley.

The Technology Strategy Board (handily, if occasionally confusingly, shortened by all to Ã¢ÂÂTSBÃ¢Â?) is an organisation that has been established by central government with the purpose of the promotion and enablement of, and investment in (and I quote from the Executive Summary of the TSBÃ¢ÂÂs policy document Ã¢ÂÂConnect and CatalyseÃ¢Â?) Ã¢ÂÂinnovation enabled by technology for the benefit of business, to increase sustainable economic growth and to improve quality of lifeÃ¢Â?. A laudable aim for which it has been armed with a billion pound budget over a three year period.

To do this, the TSB is equipped with a number of existing tools (as well as some new ones) including Knowledge Transfer Networks and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. The former I must say I donÃ¢ÂÂt know a great deal about but I imagine that you might see informal versions of these in the cafes at Charlotte Square, the Quadrus Centre and such like, particularly on a Friday afternoon. The latter though I must confess to being a fan of.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (Ã¢ÂÂKTPsÃ¢Â?), in case you were unaware, are a mechanism for giving businesses access to academics as a pseudo-employee over a defined period of time, 6 months maybe or more if the need requires it. The business gets the benefit of full time exposure to a knowledgeable worker that it wouldnÃ¢ÂÂt ordinarily be able to locate even if it could afford it and could identify precisely what its need was. Either the institution or a third party funding body picks up much of the tab, often with the business funding the balance.

The difficulty is finding the precise circumstances in which all of the parties will benefit. The academic must be able to provide solutions in situations where the business might not even know what the problem is. The business must be able to make use of the academicÃ¢ÂÂs recommendations. The institution Ã¢ÂÂlendingÃ¢ÂÂ the academic must be enticed by the advantages that will be brought by the academicÃ¢ÂÂs long term exposure to the big bad world of commerce or industry.

The general consensus around the table was that KTPs are a thoroughly good thing all round, and I must say that I agree with this - in theory. Unfortunately, having acted for three clients looking to take academics on board via KTPs, every one has failed and in each case, it has been due to demands being made by the institutions (or the funding party) as to, for want of a better word. Ã¢ÂÂownershipÃ¢ÂÂ of the outputs of the project. These outputs may be in fact quite different to what was envisaged by the parties when they entered the agreement in the first place, often, conversely, in the most successful examples.

ItÃ¢ÂÂs such a shame when, where all the other circumstances are fitting for a KTP, that the agreement should collapse through some naÃÂ¯ve and inflexible approach adopted by the institution or funding party over the treatment of the project outputs. A number of people have said to me (usually during the course of those negotiations but also during our discussions earlier in the week) that where the work of the academic results in massive returns for the business, the public sector has a right to a share of the spoils. Eh? No. This is not about establishing some kind of financial return on an investment by the institution. The institution benefits by reaping the rewards of the academicÃ¢ÂÂs experience when the dust settles following his or her return. But itÃ¢ÂÂs the job of the business to make a financial success of the arrangement and where that happens, letÃ¢ÂÂs not ignore the fact that most of the profits generated find their way back into the local community.

The problem here is the need to account for expenditure of public funds through the gathering of objective statistics, whether through somewhat dubious assessments of value added or jobs created, or a need to demonstrate assets acquired. The use of KTPs was just the example that brought this up, but it happens wherever public funds are used to stimulate enterprise. In every case, there is a need to account for Ã¢ÂÂoutcomesÃ¢Â?, and unless an outcome can be predicted, the chances of securing those funds in the first place are remote, to say the least.

If we want to stimulate innovation through the use public funds, it seems to me that we need to be prepared to invest where there is a risk that youÃ¢ÂÂre not going to get the result you want. If we only invest in the projects where we can see an obvious outcome, then inevitably going to risk missing that eureka moment where a random combination of individuals are combined in unusual circumstances in such a way that they produce between them something truly extraordinary. I donÃ¢ÂÂt deny that we still need to assess how those funds are used, but in my humble opinion (for what itÃ¢ÂÂs worth), the best way to stimulate innovation through the use of public sector funds is to free it from the requirement to produce Ã¢ÂÂoutcomesÃ¢Â?. Maybe itÃ¢ÂÂs me thatÃ¢ÂÂs the naÃÂ¯ve one.

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Gieve announces quit plan as he heads to North East

Posted by on June 19, 2008 10:24 AM

There will be extra interest in what Bank of England Deputy Governor Sir John Gieve has to say to members of the North East Chamber of Commerce tonight after he announced shock plans to stand down early.

Sir John, who has been criticised recently for his part in the handling of the Northern Rock debacle, is due to speak at the NECC Durham Tees Valley dinner at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, tonight (Thursday).

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A white flag waved is not always surrender!

Posted by Ian Brown on June 20, 2008 7:53 AM

Communications.....is an essential tool, as a Barclaycard advert pointed out more than a decade ago, "Both fluent .....sadly in different languages". I shall come on to talk about this in more detail later on and indeed to link to Mathew Rippon's blog a few days ago about 'outcomes'.
First though a family tale of country folk working together to make hay while the sun shines - before it had become a metaphor. The 30 second explanation is grass grows with soft refreshing rain until it is at a maximum sweetness when you then cut it and wilt it, the sun dries out the grass on one side you turn it a few times to get all the moisture out and then collect it in to stooks - in the old days - balers now but it into convenient rectangles weighing up to a tonne.
Now that is the text book version - reality/sods law is that you get it just right and then as you are about to collect it in it P**...Pours with soft refreshing rain at the wrong moment, and for the next week.... until the golden hay is a black soggy non-nutritious mess.
Stay with me, our Brown family had cousins who farmed at The Fawns around the time of the second world war, and they used to hang a white sheet flapping out of the upstairs window when they needed extra labourers to get the hay baled, this could be seen instantly for several miles...yes indeed speed was of the essence ....before it PPPPrecipitated down again!
So are we getting the modern day communication right within the business world in the north east in 2008?

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Homeward Bound

Posted by on June 20, 2008 2:35 PM

The journey home was going to be a long one.

And with the gorillas safely tucked away in my hand luggage, thanks to the Peace Baskets, I had to rely on the age old tradition of sitting on my case to zip it up!

I was sad to be leaving Rwanda (though I'm sure IÃ¢ÂÂll be back soon), but what a great feeling to know the Shared Interest and COFTA project has the backing of the Rwandan Private Sector Federation and, more importantly, the artisans and farmers themselves.

On the way to the airport, we had a whistle stop tour of Kigali to say our goodbyes and managed to pick up some beautiful Rwandan earrings with a brand new design. (IÃ¢ÂÂve promised to see how they go down in the UK market.)

Eventually we made it onto the plane after struggling through the hilliest country I have every visited!

And it was at this point I began thinking that Joan and I are celebrity magnets...

After meeting the most famous rap stars in Nigeria last week, here we were sitting in front of the entire Rwandan National football team. You couldnÃ¢ÂÂt miss them - their coach was giving them a motivational speech, somehow ignoring the fact that they were surrounded by a plane full of passengers. Of course, we got photos and wished them good luck for their game against Tunisia.

And as I began to think that nothing would surprise me now, we continued on our long journey home....

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Gieve gives little away

Posted by on June 20, 2008 3:34 PM

Was he pushed or did he jump?

That was the topic of conversation in the wake of Sir John Gieve's address to the North East Chamber of Commerce Durham and Tees Valley annual dinner in Sedgefield on Thursday night.

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Game over?

Posted by Andrew Mernin on June 20, 2008 5:04 PM

In Canada it's 40%, in France it's 20% and in the UK it's precisely 0%. What am I talking about I hear you ask.

Well, as those who visited this week's GameHorizon conference will know, I am of course referring to Government subsidies for video games companies.

Over the last 25 years, through organic growth from several major firms, the UK has slowly but surely established itself at the top of the video games ladder.

Our companies, including a number of North East success stories, have created a reputation that Britain is best when it comes to pixelated fun - a fact which was reaffirmed this year with the release of British-made global phenomenon Grand Theft Auto 4.

However, all these years of hard work could be undone thanks to the UK Government's inability to support one of the country's most lucrative industries.

Continue reading "Game over?" »

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Blissful Breakfast and Battery Boost

Posted by on June 22, 2008 7:33 PM

Well as much as I love travelling and working out in the field, I have to say that it is good to be home!

It took a solid 11 hours of sleep to make up for the insomnia of the journey, then I had the most wonderful HOT shower and omelette-free breakfast; bliss!

I popped into work yesterday to sort out the contract for our new Rwandan Project Coordinator, had a quick chat with Joan and I am now taking the rest of the weekend off to recharge batteries.

Watch this space to find out if the new Shared Interest Foundation staff member accepted the role and what lies ahead for the Rwandan training project.

For now IÃ¢ÂÂm just looking forward to 48 hours of home comforts before the whirlwind of work next week.

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Old Habits Die Hard

Posted by on June 23, 2008 1:47 PM

Well after another omelette-free breakfast and hot shower I am back in the Shared Interest office. It feels strange that you can be in central Africa one day and in NewcastleÃ¢ÂÂs Groat Market the next Ã¢ÂÂ the wonders of Boeing 777Ã¢ÂÂs!

This week is already a whirl of email catch up, paperwork and chatting with colleagues.

The reaction of people we met in Rwanda spurs me on. They are clearly keen to work in partnership and push forward the plans we proposed.

We now only have one day to go until our successful candidate formally accepts the role of Project Co-ordinator (although according to Joan from COFTA, the initial reaction we received leaves us little cause for worry.)

But then, even though IÃ¢ÂÂm back in the UK, my thoughts are never far from Rwanda.

After reading RwandaÃ¢ÂÂs national newspaper, the New Times over breakfast this morning (old habits die hard so I brought a few home with me!) I was drawn to an article headlined RwandaÃ¢ÂÂs Food Crisis.

It made me think of the current economic downturn here. Do we consider poorer countries like Rwanda and how they may be crippled by the effects of rising world food prices? Sometimes we forget that the impact is global.

By creating, maintaining and strengthening handicraft businesses in Rwanda, the Shared Interest and COFTA project will serve to help establish Ã¢ÂÂoff-farmÃ¢ÂÂ income so that people arenÃ¢ÂÂt relying on the land to secure a livelihood and feed their families.

The next few months are going to be vital in helping this take shape.

And with that in mind, back to the emails....!

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Congratulations from over 4,000 miles away

Posted by on June 24, 2008 4:52 PM

Although we wish we could say we will look forward to working alongside our new member of staff, we canÃ¢ÂÂt.

Of course, this is only for the reason that he will be based 4,000 miles away!

So, on behalf of Shared Interest Foundation and COFTA, we welcome Donatien Mungwarareba as co-ordinator of our Rwandan Producer Support Project.

Donatien is a 31 year old Rwandan national, with a BachelorÃ¢ÂÂs Degree in Business Administration and Management, who is also studying for a Masters in Project Management in the evenings.

From 1st August, Donatien will be spending his days based in the Rwandan Private Sector Federation office in Kigali. Going out to visit all 50 of the farmers and handicraft makers as soon as he joins the team, Donatien will get real hands-on experience during his first few weeks in post.

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And did I mention training?

Posted by on June 25, 2008 4:05 PM

Well, itÃ¢ÂÂs my third day back in the office and IÃ¢ÂÂm still buzzing with excitement.

IÃ¢ÂÂve just returned from a meeting in Kaffeccinos (the Fair Trade coffee shop around the corner from Shared InterestÃ¢ÂÂs office) with Jo Hubbard, TraidcraftÃ¢ÂÂs Business Services Co-ordinator.

As I mentioned earlier, our networks and partnerships with other organisations are key to making this project a success.

Traidcraft will be carrying out the Ã¢ÂÂTrain the Trainers TrainingÃ¢ÂÂ (yup itÃ¢ÂÂs that old catchy one again!) They will train the 15 candidates in business and financial skills training techniques, as well as coaching them to develop a training manual for the three year project and beyond. (Is there an alternative word for training?!)

Jo and I discussed my recent trip to Rwanda as she and her team will be heading out there in September to carry out the first course and get our trainers up to speed in all aspects of the international training methods that will make this project a huge success.

We will be working with Traidcraft for the next 10 months, and in January 2009, the trainers themselves will start mentoring the 50 producer organisations.

Its days like today that I realise how lucky I am to have a job I love!

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Now ILVA pays the price

Tags:
ILVA

Posted by on June 25, 2008 5:51 PM

Despite being intrigued by its quirky brand name and high-profile advertising campaign, I haven't yet found the time to make a trip to ILVA since I moved to the North East.
And today it transpires that I'm not the only one.

Continue reading "Now ILVA pays the price" »

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Women: leading Rwanda to a brighter future

Posted by on June 26, 2008 5:12 PM

I was reading this morning that women are leading Rwanda to a brighter future. Of course, this makes sense when you realise that women form over 70% of the population there.

This startling statistic is down to the genocide, when around a million people were murdered in 100 days and 500,000 women and young girls were raped. However, human spirit has won through, with as many as six orphaned children being taken in by each household. With over a third of Rwandan homes being led by women, there are many mothers bringing up other peopleÃ¢ÂÂs children as their own.

So the real story of Rwandan women should not be the suffering but the ability to overcome such horrific obstacles with dignity, grace and determination to create a better life for them and their families.

As a result of their courage to speak out, for the first time in history rape is being prosecuted as a war crime. WhatÃ¢ÂÂs more, the 2003 election attributed 49% of parliament seats to women, which is the highest in the world (world average 15.2%). This enables women to have a voice and a platform to be heard.

One of the organisations that Shared Interest Foundation will be working with throughout our project is Gahaya Links, which was set up by two Rwandan women that were born in a refugee camp in Uganda. They started their business in 2003 to help Rwandan women make handicraft items and find a market to through which to sell them. Starting out with six women sitting under a tree making baskets, Gahaya Links now involves over 3,000 women.

These are the women of Rwandan today, the ones who see things differently. The women who work together regardless of tribal differences, regardless of the traumas they have overcome, regardless of poverty, ill health, stress and despair and they emerge with hope and an unfaltering outlook

These are the people that we will help throughout this project. It is the Rwandan people themselves who will do the real work and Shared Interest Foundation will offer the guidance to help them on their way as they continue to work towards empowering the people of Rwanda.

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Using Art to follow your Heart

Posted by on June 27, 2008 4:07 PM

Today is a good day. Not only is it Friday but my painting also arrived from Rwanda. Regular readers will know that Joan and I practically lived in the Bourbon Coffee Shop in Kigali, where we would work well into the night on the Shared Interest project.

We fell in love with the beautiful, unique paintings covering the walls, and always keen to help a struggling artist we finally managed to track him down, hear his story and of course buy one of his creations.

Had Pascal BushayijaÃ¢ÂÂs father had his way, he would now be a doctor or a lawyer. But Bushayija followed his heart instead.

I decided there and then that I would like a copy of the painting that was on the wall directly opposite us, so I asked if he could make me a copy and wasnÃ¢ÂÂt quite ready for the response that I got....

After a flurry of hand gestures and loud French, I kind of got the feeling he wasnÃ¢ÂÂt too happy!
Joan kindly translated for me and it seems I had unknowingly offended Bushayija. He asked why I would insult his work like this by asking for a copy, didnÃ¢ÂÂt I want something original?

He then went on to conduct what I can only describe as an interview, questioning me about my life, my home and personality and said that he would create something that would reflect this.
I explained my love for his country, my passion for the work that I do with both handicraft makers and farmers and that my house was quite similar to the coffee shop we were sitting in Ã¢ÂÂ covered with African handicrafts. He then smiled (which was a huge relief to me!) and agreed.

Never in my life have I had to persuade someone to paint a picture that I will would actually be paying for.

Bushayija told me that the main inspiration for his work is everyday life in Rwanda. Since I had shown a love for his country and his people, I apparently passed the test and the prize was receiving a one-off painting of my own.

And today that piece of art arrived. I have to say it was well worth the wait and the Ã¢ÂÂinterview!Ã¢ÂÂ BushayijaÃ¢ÂÂs own unique style, integrating three dimensional objects such a millet grain, tree bark and sawdust has resulted in a superb picture Ã¢ÂÂ a great reminder of a fantastic trip and an inspirational artist.

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Will $140-a-barrel oil turn us all green?

Posted by on June 27, 2008 5:12 PM

It's barely six months since I was running the newsdesk at a newspaper in Aberdeen and each day we were excitedly tracking the cost of a barrel of oil to see if (or more like when) it would breach the $100 mark.
At the time is seemed a very significant milestone - especially for a business community whose fortunes are so tightly connected with the price of oil - but now it seems like a lifetime ago.

Continue reading "Will $140-a-barrel oil turn us all green?" »

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Give someone a Cow!

Posted by on June 30, 2008 4:40 PM

Random Rwandan proverb:

'Yampiye inka!' translates as 'You have given me a cow!'

Like in many other countries around the world, cows have great importance in Rwanda and are still used as dowries in wedding ceremonies. However as I learnt from one of our partners cows can signify completely different things.

The first time I heard this proverb I was confused. I knew the man in question and I hadnÃ¢ÂÂt given anyone a cow in well over a year (even then it was through those Oxfam Unwrapped gifts....)

It seems Rwandans have a bit of our British sarcasm as if the proverb is said warmly, it means you have given me something of great value. If it is said with a sarcastic tone or while laughing, it means whatever you are telling them is ridiculous and you need to think again.

Luckily on this occasion it was said positively.

Apparently by providing this training project to producers throughout Rwanda, Shared Interest is in effect giving them a cow! We are giving them hope for the future; a cow is a sign of wealth, a sign of planning, and a sign of security.

So, rather like the way we have saving accounts, Rwandans have cows.

Of course, each one also provides up to 15 litres of milk for drinking and sales.

I am extremely happy to be Ã¢ÂÂgiving many communities cowsÃ¢Â?.

Despite them not being real, these cows are providing hope for thousands of craft makers across the country.

So if you only do one thing today Ã¢ÂÂ give someone a cow!

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Boilers and business don't mix

Posted by Katie Pringle on June 30, 2008 7:36 PM

In opinion polls for the most stressful times in your life - moving house, getting divorced and death (of a loved one not your own) all feature regularly but over the last few weeks I have been experiencing a little discussed but arguably equally as misery-inducing event: the fitting of a new boiler.

Having a boiler changed doesn't sound like that much of a faff - but therin lies part of it's insipid
torture. Because you see it isn't just the boiler that's getting replaced, it's every single radiator in the house, all the pipe work, wherever that may currently be, must be taken out and brand new, shiny, copper piping gets slapped up all over the shop. The key factor in this disturbing event is that every single room gets affected - no where is safe from the claggy dust that clings to every surface and the mind boggling array of tools that appear in neatly lined trays all. over. the. house.

Condusive to running a business like a slick-well oiled machine? What do you think?

Continue reading "Boilers and business don't mix" »

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