A peep at London’s diary during a terrifying week

My biggest “yahoo moment” early this week was seeing a London red bus whooshing past with the words: “Born in Africa...” I stopped, elated.

And read further: “Built for you. Send Money home with confidence.” Woow!

Scooped out my camera. Beside the large advert loomed a logo of NALA, a recently created app by Tanzanian-born young entrepreneur Benjamin Fernandes. To see any African advert on a regular London bus is rare.

My camera whispered. SHOOOTTTTT!

These red double decker buses are part of the London landscape, like chocolate, tea and saying jambo. NALA is exciting. NALA in blue is even more impressive. Overseas, Tanzanians are drooling over this new sky-coloured app.

Why?

The rates for sending money are higher than the established rivals, ie, Wave, World Remit, and the oldest of them all, Western Union. Thirty years ago when Western Union started rocking and roaring, it was big news. You sent money, and the receiver got it same day. Although WU was expensive, in 1990 it was a finance revolution.

Yahoo.

Previously, money had to be hidden in envelopes, birthday cards, and posted. Risky. It was also expensive, and took a minimum of seven days to arrive in Dar es Salaam, Nairobi or Mbeya. Western Union changed BUT...

...the well known Pesa transfer has since been overtaken by the internet and apps that don’t charge a single penny. All you need are a few documents, including your ID and proper address.

Impressed, Ayo TV declared two weeks ago : “NALA leads all others.”

While this rumbles and giggles on, the bombing of Ukraine was THE continuous thread. By Sunday, the United Nations estimated that 1.7 million people had fled Ukraine, and this number was expected to reach 4 million sooner or later.

War is, of course, big business.

Aeroplanes and guns and bombs cost money. Capitalism, said Mwalimu Nyerere, is barbarism (unyama), while Karl Marx warned it will create its own destruction.

Someone was joking no one is talking about Covid-19 anymore. The gloom of these terrifying times took a sinister turn.

A cartoon of five naked males, danced and swam on social media. Four carried sticks. Three apes, and an upright man , while the fifth turned his back with blood oozing from his legs holding two small nuclear bombs.

Underneath this cartoon was a drawing of numbers. World War I started on July 28, 1914, then World War II on September 1, 1939, and the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Whoever calculated the figure made the dates to total 68. Again, pessimism, subject of our last two columns, ruled. Concept of Fear of Death, end of the world, NEVER stops.

Hey folks!

During the 1962 Cuban Missile crisis, it was fear of the atomic bomb and World War III. Then the terror of Black September plane hijacking by Palestinians in the 1970s. Then 1980s, with the HIV/Aids crisis – sex angst. During the 1990s, after the Oklahoma bombing and Rwanda genocide, narrators of gloom never slept. And not so long ago, we experienced the traumatic September 11, 2001, New York horror, till Osama Bin Laden was killed in 2011. Each time, things get worse. And the day before yesterday? Covid-19. And Now!

... this issue with number 38.

London’s week diary continues.

Tuesday, March 8 was International Women’s Day. Lots of activities across our planet. But what caught attention was a London Metro question – WHY DO WOMEN HAVE HALF THE PENSION OF MEN? Followed by, “On average, a woman retiring today has a pension pot half the size of man’s.” Many international female musicians have sang about money and women.

Quite liked in Tanzania in her disco heyday, African-American musician Donna Summer sang:

“She works hard for her money

So far hard for it

So you better treat her right.”

The 63-year-old Madonna, who has adopted three African children (from Malawi, bless her), on the other hand, sang about dependence on men, which is slightly different but still worth quoting, from Material Girl:

“Some boys try and some boys lie but

I don’t let them play (no way)

Only boys who save their pennies

Make my rainy day.”

Then later, Madonna changed gears.

“Boys may come and boys may go

And that’s all right you see

Experience has made me rich

And now they are after me.”

These days not all women have children, get married, or even stay home. Times have changed, especially in the developed world. Right now, Tanzania is proud to have a female president. Mama Samia has nominated many women to high positions. Having several female cabinet members is a good sign. Quite symbolic. Back in the 1960s we had only Dr Lucy Lameck. We have come far, and this is inspirational. Now is the time for our high powered ladies to do something for other lesser fortunate, underprivileged women.