We just love how cool African products are available everywhere we look these days - Rwandan peace baskets at Macy’s and now Ghanaian bracelets and necklaces are available on the Animal Rescue Site.

The bracelets and necklaces are fun, fair-trade items that showcase Ghanaian workmanship and each one purchased funds 14 bowls of food for animals living in sanctuaries and shelters.

In fact, if you go to http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com and search on “Ghana” you’ll find other great stuff too, like ornaments, wallets and the cutest kids’ batik backpacks. 

You can even buy a business grant for rural African women (that purchase is tax deductible in the US too)!

These are great, inexpensive birthday presents or stocking stuffers at Christmas - so why not get yourself some great African-crafted items and help rescued animals at the same time?!

A colleague in South Africa just sent us these pictures - Africa is certainly not for the faint of heart!

Hmmm, this lunch box is full of nom!

But the tasty food inside is too hard to get at!

Maybe we'll try these donut-looking things instead

Hmm - tough as old tire, I'll go look elsewhere

Whose bright idea was it to leave the spare behind?

Great pics, Rodwell - we had our hearts in our mouths!

In 1999 former Microsoft employee Patrick Awuah set out with a bold vision: to build a new university in West Africa that would raise the bar for higher education and, in the process, train a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders equipped with the skills to improve their own communities.

Today, Ashesi University is regarded as the top private university in Ghana. The university has grown from a student body of 30 to 400 in 6 years; its graduates are achieving job placement rates far higher than that of other Ghanaian universities; and feedback from recruiters and hiring managers about their professional performance has been extremely positive.

Patrick will be speaking to Microsoft employees next week to share his vision for Ashesi’s continued growth and highlights the ways in which numerous current and former Microsofties have been helping Ashesi University make a real impact on the African continent. Joe Dadzie (Principle Group Program Manager, OMPS R&D) and Nina Marini (Sr. Product Manager, Unlimited Potential Group) will also speak about their experiences as founding members of the Ashesi team.

See Patrick’s talk at TEDGlobal held in Tanzania in June 2007. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design and holds conferences bringing together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). Patrick spoke passionately about the critical role that a liberal arts education can play in forming true leaders for Africa and the world.

Ashesi University (http://www.ashesi.org) was founded in 1999 by Patrick Awuah (Program Manager, RAS team, 1989-97) and Nina Marini (a current Microsoft employee). Advisors and supporters from the past and present Microsoft community include Bill Bliss, Paul Maritz, Mike Murray, Bill Neukom, Gurdeep Pall, David Thacher, David Treadwell, Todd Warren and many others.

Macy's, the US department store, is offering the Path to Peace collection exclusively on their website www.macys.com.

The collection features traditional hand woven baskets as part of a unique partnership "focused on trade, not aid". The initiative creates employment opportunities for thousands of weavers and, as a result, has been able to positively impact many communities in Rwanda. Increased earning potential has enabled people to buy clean water or water purification tablets and HIV/AIDS medication as well as food, directly improving quality of life and building bridges between tribes.

The baskets make great gifts and are unique conversation pieces that give people an opportunity to learn about and share cultural information, as well as contributing to a sustainable economic model that empowers African weavers (predominantly women). Go to macys.com to buy a basket or learn more about the Path to Peace collection.

Current job opportunities in West, East and Central Africa are listed on our career site.

Here are two brand new opportunities in the region - please contact Odette Engelbrecht (i-odenge at microsoft.com) for more information, or to submit an application.

Business Development Manager - Democratic Republic of Congo - Full time employee

• Responsible for setting up and implementing Microsoft Enterprise and Partner Group Strategy for DRC, focusing on Public Sector, Communication Sector and Core CAS. This role reports to the regional GM.
• This is a highly empowered role and represents a position in which an individual’s personal contribution will be highly visible and recognized. This individual will be expected to represent Microsoft in DRC, and must demonstrate the capacity of working well without supervision, and also demonstrate the capacity of working well with a virtual team to achieve challenging results.
• Dealing with high-level executives in Government, IT industry and Corporate environments will make up a substantial part of the activity.

PR and Events Manager - Dakar, Senegal - Contract opportunity

• Is the central person in the WCA office responsible for ensuring that Microsoft is perceived positively across all major stakeholders & constituencies.
• Works across the company to help generate positive press coverage around news, events, activities, issues, developments & personalities
• Leads press engagement strategy for the region, based on the Central WECA strategy, and develops & maintains personal relationships with key media influencers
• Is responsible for understanding the top story strategy and meeting the monthly & quarterly targets
• Manages relationship with and output of PR agency (based in Abidjan)
• Manages PR & Communications & other marketing budgets accurately and efficiently
• Is counsel and support point for regional executives in terms of external communications
• Is responsible for all WCA Web site content
• Works with the UPG team to drive commercial and citizenship case studies
• Fills and manages the pipeline for citizenship evidence
• Manages all Microsoft events in WCA

Requirements:

• >5 years in the marketing communications industry (agency or in-house) and most preferably ICT
• Impeccable skills across PR and the rest of the marketing communications mix
• Excellent writing, proofing & editing skills
• Solid ICT industry knowledge
• Good presentation skills
• Solid finance/budget management foundation
• Familiarity and ease interfacing at all levels of a multinational corporation
• Knowledge of the West & Central African Africa business market desired by not a pre-requisite
• French language capability

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe (L) shakes hands with Morgan Tsvangirai (R), leader of Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), in Harare July 21, 2008. Mugabe and Tsvangirai on Monday signed a deal laying down the framework for formal talks on forming a power sharing government to end a deep political crisis.

http://www.zimdaily.com/news/mou27.6121.html

• The article on Mandela's 8 Lessons of Leadership.
• A photo essay chronicling major moments of his life.
• An recent interview with Richard Stengel on NPR.