Zablon Karingi Muthaka runs Beta Bins Waste Management in Nairobi, a city where the accumulation of rubbish was a growing environmental community crisis.

“Dream big, start small and grow big” was his mantra, confident that he could achieve his aims through passion and positive attitude.

“Don't just sit there, do something,” is his message to fellow youngsters. “A business idea could be right on your doorstep.” It certainly was for Zablon!

“This business has changed me from nothing to something,” he continued. He believes that determination knows no barriers and wants to own the largest waste management firm in Africa, offering sanitation, hygienic cleaning and recycling with bio-mass solid waste management technology.

Recycling in Kenya is a bit different to Hong Kong. Waste paper is used to light fires, bottles and jars are re-used and rubbish is picked over for re-useable items as much as for material that can be sold to the recycling industry. Zablon's representative in Hong Kong was Margaret Pearson of the Kenya Youth Business Trust (KYBT). We talked to her about her work and recycling just after she spoke to him on the phone:

The company now employs five disadvantaged youth, three of whom had to leave school for financial reasons, one of whom is an orphan and the other a former young offender in rehabilitation.

“Winning was a sign of hope and an example to others of what can be achieved if you believe in your dream and your abilities. Thanks to KYBT …we are all winners.”

Broadening horizons: much talk, little effect

Less than 20% of influential opinion and business leaders consider local graduates to have skills and attitudes equivalent to their counterparts in the US and Europe, according to a survey released this week.* Analytical skills, understanding of the international scene, interpersonal, leadership and creative skills were all considered lacking, as was an acceptable level of Putonghua. Only 11% of the respondents thought local graduates' English was adequate. 50% considered numeric skills to be sufficient or higher than those in North America or Europe.

The financial sector in Hong Kong employs about 5% of the workforce, or 180,000 staff but it is suffering from shortages at present, especially in investment banking. In many countries, the highest earners of all work in this field so much incentive exists to break into it. Nevertheless, jobs in Hong Kong requiring creativity, a broad perspective on the world, assertiveness, analytical and English skills are lying vacant.**

South China Morning Post * 6/11/06 **28/1006

Kindness of parents: the view from both sides

Two recent surveys on child-parent relationships reveal very different views. Traditional Chinese parenthood involved strict discipline, including beatings and verbal reproaches and of 2,000 interviewees in a joint City University and district welfare agency study*, 20-30% were unaware of the problems they caused by saying such things as, “you are totally useless” or “everybody can do better than you.” About half of the parents thought of themselves as strict and the other half considered themselves lenient.

On the other hand, today's parents are often criticised for being too lenient. A joint Chinese U/City U survey** revealed that among 3,000 Form One students from 16 schools, 30% were not punished by their fathers for poor behaviour. 57% of these children said their fathers did not know what they did out of school and neither did 30% of the mothers. Researchers from both Chinese University and City University agree on one reason for parents getting out of touch. The culprit is long working hours. A quarter of the parents interviewed said they were too busy working to find enough time to play and talk with the kids. The five-day working week is seen as one simple, if partial remedy to this problem.

South China Morning Post *4/11/06 and **6/11/06