The “White Widow” Samantha Lewthwaite and the Kenya mall attack

Samantha Lewthwaite, the youngest daughter of a British soldier, the shy, gawky schoolgirl who all teachers loved, is now the world’s most wanted woman after the attack on Nairobi’s Westgate Mall
 last Saturday.

Nigeria militant attack on college dorm kills dozens

Suspected Islamic extremists attacked an agricultural college in the dead of night, gunning down dozens of students as they slept in dormitories and torching classrooms in an ongoing Islamic uprising in northeast Nigeria, the school's provost said.

JK: I'll order TPDF to fight poaching

Following increased illegal poaching of elephants and rhinos in the country’s national parks, President Jakaya Kikwete has announced he will personally command the Tanzania People’s Defense Forces (TPDF) to help fight the vice.

A Statement issued by the Directorate of Communications at State House said in Dar es Salaam yesterday said that President Kikwete, who is commnder-in-chief of the armed forces, announced his intended move following rampant killings of the animals alongside wanton felling of trees for charcoal.

The president made the announcement at UN headquarter in New York city on Thursday this week when he met fellow world leaders at a meeting convened to discuss wildlife poaching and illegal businesses in wood planks across the world.

Kirstie Trup: Acid attack victim vows to return to Zanzibar, but is ‘frustrated’ at slow progress of case

One of the two young women who suffered horrific injuries in a seemingly unprovoked acid attack in Zanzibar has vowed to return to the area to continue her humanitarian work, but has expressed annoyance at the lack of progress in their case. Eighteen-year-olds Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee, both from London, were volunteering with disadvantaged children in the East African nation of Tanzania when the incident happened. They were walking through the Stone Town area of Zanzibar City after dining out when two smiling men on a moped threw acid on them as they whizzed past. Brave Trup has now said that she feels ‘very frustrated and upset that our attackers haven’t been caught,’ and fears that they never will be. Speaking to the Sunday Times, she questioned why, despite giving a detailed description of the event, her attackers have not be brought to justice in a community in which ‘everyone knows everyone.’ ‘Stone Town is too small for it to be this hard and I fear they will never be caught,’ she said.

Kirstie Trup has secured a place to study history at Bristol University weeks after horrific attack

300,000 turned away at Zimbabwe polls

Kenya’s main airport, JKIA on fire

NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 7 – Operations were grounded at Kenya's main airport, JKIA on Wednesday following a major fire that broke out at dawn, authorities said, adding flights were being diverted to other airports."There is a serious fire at JKIA, but we are doing everything possible to avert a crisis," Interior and Coordination of National Government Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo said.
His office also posted on twitter "A serious fire at JKIA kindly take caution."
Fire fighters were battling the inferno.
Witnesses said they had seen a huge smoke billowing from the international arrivals and departure areas, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Tanzania, Kenya congratulate President Mugabe

Tanzanian President, Dr Jakaya Kikwete has a sent congratulatory message to President Robert Mugabe on his resounding victory in the just-ended harmonised elections.

In a statement, Dr Kikwete, who is also the chairman of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security (Troika), said under President Mugabe’s leadership, Zimbabwe has recorded tremendous socio-economic developments despite some challenges.

He said he is looking forward to greater progress and prosperity for the people of Zimbabwe as well as President Mugabe’s continued invaluable contribution to the region and the continent through SADC and the African Union.

Dr Kikwete emphasised the need for strengthening the cordial relations that exist between the two countries by further exploring more opportunities of co-operation.

After Tanzania, it was Kenya, which followed suit in congratulating Cde Mugabe.

In a statement, Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta hailed the good relations between his country and Zimbabwe, saying he looks forward to deepening historical ties between the two countries.

Mr Kenyatta's message follows another congratulatory message from South African President, Jacob Zuma.

In a statement, President Zuma described Wednesday’s elections as successful and called for peace among the people of Zimbabwe.

He urged all political parties in Zimbabwe to accept the outcome of the polls, saying observers reported it to be an expression of the will of the people.

President Mugabe was declared winner of the election after garnering 61 percent of the votes cast.
SOURCE:ZBC NEWS

Supporters of Zimbabwe opposition MDC allege attacks

Members of Zimbabwe's opposition MDC party say they have been attacked by followers of President Robert Mugabe.

The allegations come a day after official results from Wednesday's poll gave Mr Mugabe a seventh term in office and his Zanu-PF party three-quarters of the seats in parliament.

Eleven people in Harare and around 20 from Mashonaland province say they were attacked by known Zanu-PF supporters after the results were announced,
The MDC has called the poll fraudulent.
Its leader, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, has vowed to take legal action to contest the results.
He has also said his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) would no longer work with Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and would boycott government institutions.
The two parties have been in a coalition since 2009, after the last election sparked widespread violence.
The 11 people who claimed they were attacked in a township in the capital Harare sought refuge at the MDC party headquarters on Sunday, the BBC's Brian Hungwe reports from Harare.
Both they and those from Mashonaland province allege that they were attacked by Zanu-PF supporters who went door-to-door ordering MDC supporters and their families to pack their bags and leave

Members of Zimbabwe's opposition MDC party say they have been attacked by followers of President Robert Mugabe.

The allegations come a day after official results from Wednesday's poll gave Mr Mugabe a seventh term in office and his Zanu-PF party three-quarters of the seats in parliament.

An MDC spokesman, Douglas Mwonzora, said the attacks were well planned. But a spokesman for Zanu PF, Psychology Maziwisa, denied his party was attacking opponents.
The MDC warns that it may not be able to control its angry supporters if the reports of attacks continue, our correspondent reports.
The party has appealed to the Southern African grouping, Sadc, to intervene to prevent the situation getting out of control, he adds.
Some in the MDC have called for a campaign of civil disobedience to isolate Zanu-PF.

'Seething anger'
Mr Mugabe, 89, won 61% of the vote in the presidential poll, against Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's 34%.
Results from the parliamentary election also handed the MDC a defeat. It won just 49 seats compared with Zanu-PF's 158.
The US and UK have expressed concern at the poll results amid the opposition's claims of electoral fraud.
But the Jacob Zuma, president of regional power South Africa, extended his "profound congratulations" to Mr Mugabe and urged all sides to accept the outcome.
On Sunday, MDC party treasurer Roy Bennett told the BBC's Newshour programme that there was a "seething anger simmering across the length and breadth of Zimbabwe... for the fact that they have had their rights stolen."

He condemned Zanu-PF as "a bunch of kleptocratic geriatrics who should have retired long ago".
Asked about possible mistakes that the MDC had made, and about the quality of Mr Tsvangirai's leadership, Mr Bennett hinted that "nobody's indispensable" and that current events "will deal with those who have been exposed as not having the people's interest at heart".
Voters 'turned away' Monitoring groups disagreed over the conduct of the election.

The most critical account came from the largest group of monitors, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), which had 7,000 workers observing the vote.

The organisation said problems with voter registration had left up to one million people unable to cast their ballots, mostly in urban areas regarded as MDC strongholds.

On Saturday, one of the nine members of the election commission resigned over the way the election was conducted.
Commissioner Mkhululi Nyathi said in his resignation letter: "While throughout the whole process I retained some measure of hope that the integrity of the whole process could be salvaged along the way, this was not to be."
However, the African Union, which had 70 observers, said its initial report suggested the election was "free and credible".
The AU's mission chief Olusegun Obasanjo said there had been "incidents that could have been avoided" and asked Zimbabwe's election authorities to investigate claims that voters had been turned away from polling stations.
The southern African regional bloc, Sadc, with 600 observers, broadly endorsed the election as "free and peaceful", but said it would reserve judgement on the fairness of the process.
Mr Mugabe has been president since 1987. He became prime minister when Zimbabwe won independence from the UK in 1980.
SOURCE:BBC

African missions say Zimbabwe vote was free but analysis still underway

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's elections received cautious approval Friday from two African observer missions despite allegations by the main challenger to President Robert Mugabe and a local monitoring group that the vote was heavily rigged.

Olusegun Obasanjo, head of the African Union mission, said his monitors noted some apparent irregularities but that they did not constitute evidence of systematic tampering. Mugabe's supporters have rejected allegations of rigging and claimed victory. Wednesday's contentious vote has created fresh uncertainty in a country long afflicted by division and economic turmoil.

"Yes, the election is free," Obasanjo said. He described the vote as credible unless any evidence to the contrary emerges, and asked election authorities to investigate reports that tens of thousands of eligible voters were turned away. Another poll monitoring group in Zimbabwe said as many as 1 million of the more than 6 million eligible voters were prevented from casting ballots.

"If 25 per cent were not allowed, then, yes, the election is fatally flawed," said Obasanjo, a former Nigerian president. His mission has 70 observers.

The head of the observer mission for the Southern African Development Community, a regional body, described the election as "very free" and "very peaceful," but noted that there were some violations and a full analysis was still underway.

"The question of fairness is broad and you cannot answer it within one day," said Bernard Membe, who is also Tanzania's foreign minister. "And so be sure that within 30 days, through our main report, the question of fairness may come."

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe's main opponent in the presidential vote, has declared the election "null and void."

Official results announced by the election commission by Friday morning showed Mugabe's ZANU-PF capturing 54 of the 210 parliament seats and Tsvangirai's party winning 19 seats so far.

Full results on the presidential and parliament votes have been promised by Monday.

Obasanjo said voting itself was peaceful but the observers noted "incidences that could have been avoided and even tended to have breached the law."

Independent election monitors have alleged many people were unable to vote because of disorganized voters' lists and a chaotic program to register electors on those lists in the run-up to polling day.

Obasanjo said some apparent irregularities were made in error largely after funding for the vote was late in coming from the nation's depleted state coffers.

"I have never seen an election that is perfect," he said. "The process continues and we have to limit our comments."

Aisha Abdullahi, the African Union's commissioner for political affairs, said observers reported that Zimbabwe had made improvements in the conduct of elections since the last violent and disputed elections in 2008 that led regional leaders to forge a shaky coalition between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, the former opposition leader.

But she said voters' lists this time were not made available in time for inspection and verification by voters, contesting parties and candidates. Public scrutiny of the voters' roll was vital, she said.

She said the electoral commission printed 8.7 million ballot papers for 6.4 million voters, or 35 per cent above the number of registered voters against the international standard of 5 to 10 per cent.

Observers said a significant number of ballot booklets had missing ballot papers and papers without serial numbers.

The late publicity on the location of voting stations just 48 hours before stations opened contributed also to the high number of voters who were turned away because they were not at correct polling sites.

Abdullahi said observers reported a high number of disabled, elderly or other "assisted voters" being helped to cast their ballots by polling officers who may have influenced them against their free will. In some outlying stations, one-quarter of voters were helped this way.

She said some AU observers are to remain in Zimbabwe until Aug. 14.

Man tries to smuggle turtle onto plane by hiding it in a hamburger

Passenger said he only wanted to travel together with his 'beloved' pet

A man tried to smuggle his pet turtle through security in Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport by hiding it in a KFC hamburger.
The incident occurred on the morning of July 29, when a man, surnamed Li, was about to board China Southern Airlines flight 345 to Beijing, Guangzhou Daily reported. As Li passed through airport security, X-ray screening machines detected a few “odd protrusions” sticking out of a KFC burger that the man had packed in his bag.
Airport staff determined that the protrusions looked suspiciously like turtle limbs, and asked to inspect Li’s luggage.
“There’s no turtle in there, just a hamburger,” Li reportedly insisted. “There’s nothing special to see inside.”
Li finally acquiesced to an inspection after repeated requests from airport staff, who uncovered the pet turtle hidden inside the burger. When asked why he had devised this strange idea, Li said that he had only wanted to travel together with his “beloved” turtle.
After staff patiently explained that turtles could not be smuggled on board the plane, Li reluctantly agreed to allow a friend to care for his pet while he was away.
A few amused Sina Weibo users commented on the story after it went live, and most said that Li’s affection for his turtle was cute. One user, however, questioned Li’s logic for stuffing his pet into a burger and then sending it through an airport screening machine.
“That poor turtle!” the netizen wrote. “It had to absorb all those X-rays!”

Somali men found guilty of piracy in Kenya

Nine men accused of hijacking German vessel in Gulf of Aden in 2009, will serve five years in jail.

Kenyan court in the coastal city of Mombasa sentenced nine Somalis to five years in prison each for attempting to hijack the German merchant vessel MV Courier in the Gulf of Aden in March 2009.

The men were arrested by international anti-piracy forces before being handed over to Kenya to be prosecuted, as Somalia was not considered able to try them properly.

Although the number of attacks has fallen markedly since 2011 thanks to tougher security aboard ships and increased Western naval patrols, piracy emanating from the Horn of Africa nation may still cost the world economy about $18bn a year, the World Bank said in April.

Prosecutors told the court on Tuesday the men attacked the ship armed with a rocket launcher, an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, a SAR80 carbine rifle, and other weapons.

"The suspects used violence to hijack the vessel, and took control of it, putting in fear the lives of those aboard," prosecutors said in the charge sheet.

Kenyan officials said 18 crew on board survived the ordeal.The nine suspects were held in custody at one of Kenya's maximum security prisons during the trial period. They all denied the accusations.

While handing out the sentence, the court noted that the accused had already served a long term in jail while the trial was in progress, and therefore were given shorter jail terms.

"I am satisfied with the evidence presented by the prosecution, which proves beyond reasonable doubt that an act of piracy was committed," judge Stephen Riech said. Riech ordered the nine to be deported to Somalia after serving their sentences.

Last month another nine Somalis were handed a similar sentence at the same court, after also being found guilty of hijacking a ship in the Gulf of Aden in 2010.

SOURCE:ALJAZEERA

Persecuted Christians in Nigeria Need USA Help, Pastor Reaches out to Washington & Capitol Hill

This past week Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. calling for U.S. help in the growing violence and persecution of Christians in his home country of Nigeria. There are some 80 million Christian believers in Nigeria. In northern Nigeria there has been terrible suffering at the hands of militant terrorists in their country.

At first, the focus of attacks was upon the churches--killing Christian believers who professed faith in Jesus Christ and burning their buildings to the ground. Now, the terrorists have turned to the schools and are killing innocent children.

Pastor Oritsejafor said at theNational Press Club, "America has a strong history of civil rights and my hope is that our brothers here can awaken the conscience of humanity to stop this genocide."

According to estimates from the Associated Press, more than 800 Christians have lost their lives in the unchecked violence and persecution of Christian believers in Nigeria. The Islamic group, Boko Haram, has has taken credit for the violent bloodshed that has been spilled there. Boko Haram is a militant fringe group whose leader, Abubakar Shekau, will continue to promote violence and persecution throughout the region until all of Nigeria comes under Sharia law.

The sad and disappointing thing for many Nigerians is the lack of U.S. support for them during this crisis. With so much brutality and death taking place at the hands of these militant terrorists in their country, our State Department continues to refuse to designate Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Many groups here in the U.S.--including the Family Research Council and the American Center for Law and Justice--have appealed to Secretary John Kerry urging him and the State Department to list Boko Haram as an FTO. Great Britain has already taken this measure in their country.

Pastor Oritsejafor made this trip to Washington hoping to persuade our lawmakers for some financial assistance to help those who have suffered so greatly and experienced tremendous loss. The Nigerian government has promised some financial aid to help the suffering Christians, but little has been done so far.

Oritsejafor is hopeful that his visit will generate some humanitarian assistance for his country. Let's pray that the cries of the people in Nigeria will be heard here in America! The people need our prayers, our love, and our encouragement.
SOURCE:google News

President SATA to work with chiefs

President Michael Sata has reiterated his call to work with traditional leaders as partners in national development.

The president says traditional leaders play a critical role in national development and should continue to partner with government in driving the developmental agenda to improve the living standards of the people.

He said this in a speech read on his behalf by Chief and Traditonal Affairs Minister Professor Nkandu Luo at this year’s Mutomboko traditional ceremony in Mwansabombwe.

The president says the creation of the ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs was a demonstration of the Government attaches to the role that traditional leaders play in national development.

He says traditional leaders were partners in national development and they should work closely with government in improving the living standards of the people in their chiefdoms.

The president says  Mutomboko traditional ceremony which has been celebrated for the past 50 years has been the preservation of the rich cultural heritage of the Lunda people and has been growing from strength to strength.

And Mutomboko traditional Ceremony Organising Committee Chairperson Criticles Mwansa who spoke on behalf of Senior Chief Mwata Kazembe praised President Sata for declaring Mwansabombwe as a district.

Mohamed Morsi supporters call new Egypt protests

CAIRO: Supporters of Egypt's ousted president called for new protests on Monday, threatening to deepen the country's crisis as the EU foreign policy chief held talks with the government and opposition.

The Anti-Coup Alliance of Islamist groups organising protests against the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi urged demonstrators to march on security buildings on Monday night and called a million-man march for Tuesday.

Their statement came after the National Defence Council warned on Sunday that it would take "decisive and firm action" against demonstrators if they went beyond their right to peaceful protest.

Tensions were running high after the deaths of 72 people at a pro-Morsi rally in Cairo on Saturday.

"We... call for a million person march under the banner of 'Martyrs of the Coup' on Tuesday," the Anti-Coup Alliance said in a statement.

The group urged Egyptians "to go out into the streets and squares, to regain their freedom and dignity -- that are being usurped by the bloody coup -- and for the rights of the martyrs assassinated by its bullets."

It also called for protesters to march on security buildings across Egypt on Monday night "to condemn the criminal acts and the firing of live ammunition by the interior ministry at peaceful demonstrators."

The calls raised the possibility of fresh confrontations after the National Defence Council warned protesters "not to exceed their rights to peaceful, responsible expression of their opinions".

The council, which includes the military-installed interim president and the army chief, said demonstrators would face "decisive and firm decisions and actions in response to any violations."

With tensions rising, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was due to hold discussions with a range of government and opposition figures.

She was expected to meet interim president Adly Mansour and vice president for international affairs Mohamed ElBaradei, as well as members of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and the Tamarod group that organised protests calling for his ouster.

In a statement, Ashton said she would be calling for "a fully inclusive transition... including the Muslim Brotherhood".

"I will also repeat my call to end all violence. I deeply deplore the loss of life," she said.

The Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, confirmed it would meet with Ashton on Monday on the basis of "constitutional legitimacy and in pursuit of an end to the military coup."

The group has insisted that it will not accept any solution to the crisis that does not involve Morsi's return to office.

The bloodshed in the Arab world's most populous nation has sparked mounting international concern, with UN leader Ban Ki-moon warning Egypt's interim leadership on Sunday that every death made it harder to end the crisis.

Ban "expressed his profound concern about the direction in which the transition in Egypt is moving" and condemned the heightened violence, UN spokeswoman Morana Song said.

He called on the authorities to protect "all Egyptians, regardless of party affiliation", Song added.

In its first comments on the bloodshed, Egypt's interim presidency said on Sunday that it was "saddened," but dubbed the protest area where the deaths occurred a "terror-originating spot".

"We cannot decouple this (incident) from the context of terrorism," presidential adviser Moustafa Hegazy told reporters.

Morsi's supporters remained defiant, with thousands still camped at the Rabaa al-Adawiya protest site where the violence erupted.

A security source and the Anti-Coup Alliance said two leaders of the moderate Islamist Wasat party -- president Abul Ala Mady and vice president Essam Sultan -- were arrested early on Sunday.

The party is taking part in the protests calling for the reinstatement of Morsi, who has been in custody since just hours after his July 3 ouster.

Last week, he was formally charged with offences related to his escape from prison during the 2011 uprising that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak.

In the Sinai Peninsula, where security has deteriorated rapidly since the 2011 uprising, an attack on a military post in Rafah near the border with Gaza killed one Egyptian soldier and wounded eight overnight.
#SOUECE google news

14 million/- awarded to Airtel Yatosha winners

Airtel Tanzania yesterday rewarded its winners through Airtel Yatosha promotion 14 million/- cash prizes.

The 14 Yatosha winners were drawn from various regions in the country, each taking away one million shillings cash prize. 

Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Arusha Airtel Regional Sales Manager Stephen Akyoo said: “The promotion aims to reward customers who subscribe and use our Airtel Yatosha bundle services.

Today we are happy to reward our daily winners one million shillings each. There are still more prizes to be won that is cash prizes daily and a house at the end of each month. I therefore appeal to our customers to continue enrolling for the Yatosha service.

Announcing all other winners Airtel Public Relations Manager Jackson Mmbando named the winners as Hawa Said from Mtwara, John Masawe from Singida, Joseph Emmanuel Nchimbi from Songea, Rosemary Michael and John Masanja from Tabora, Zuhura Sabuni from Lindi, Balistus Mambo from Moshi, Robert Faustine from Arusha , Frank Ladislaus and Paulina Michael from Sengerema Mwanza.

Others are Flavian Adamson Malilo from Katavi, Jacob Muhole from Dodoma, Singodi Severin kutoka Kagera and Ephrasia Thadeo from Ngara.

“To participate in the Yatosha promotion, customers should dial *149*99# buy daily, weekly or monthly yatosha bundle and automatically you’ll be registered for the draw to stand a chance to win cash prize or grand prize of a house in Kigamboni,” added Jackson.

For his part the winner from Arusha region Robert Faustine said: “I' m glad to be among the winners of Airtel Yatosha promotion. I will continue using Yatosha service and benefit from its various offers. 

Nelson Mandela Institute, Huawei sign MoU to build capacity in ICT research

The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) with the global information and communications firm Huawei technologies Tanzania aimed at building capacity in ICT research at the institute. 

The MoU will see Huawei Technologies releasing USD 30,000 (about Sh48m/-) each year for three years to support ICT research for students studying Master programme in ICT field at NM-AIST.

Speaking during the signing ceremony held at the Institute at the weekend, the Minister of Information, Science and Technology Prof Makame Mbarawa said the agreement will see Tanzania through NM-AIST’s masters and PhD students build capacity in conducting ICT research and to improve the country’s technology.

“Am sure that the agreement will be a catalyst for speedy development of ICT sector in the country as the university will now have the opportunity to do more research in the ICT field and the findings will enable us discover new technologies in the ICT industry,” said Prof Mbarawa.

The Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Lu Youqing in his remarks appreciated the contribution made by company to the development of ICT in Tanzania.

“I am very pleased to see Huawei play a vital role in bringing about ICT development in Tanzania. The company’s contribution to ICT sector in the country will not only bring technological advancement but also help grow the country’s economy as a whole.

“It is through Information and Communication Technology development that enables any country to achieve political, social and economic growth because ICT is an enabler of technology innovation, driving social and economic development, and creating value for individuals and society as a whole,” said Ambassador Youqing.

Huawei’s Technologies Public Affairs and Communication Director in the East African Region, Wang Shun Li during the event said the funds will be used to cater for masters’ students in ICT research at Institute that will see the university build capacity on researching the ICT related topics. 

“As part of our ICT Star programme which supports the development of ICT sector in Tanzania, we are confident that the contribution will encourage students to put more efforts into their ICT researches as their findings will play a vital role in boosting ICT sector development in the country,” said Wang.

He underscored his company’s commitment in supporting growth of the country’s ICT industry, pointing out that through support of ICT sector more and more ICT engineers and experts will be generated thus contributing to the ICT development in Tanzania.

For his part, the NM–AIST Vice Chancellor, Professor Burton Mwamila, said that the company’s support will be a great boost to the masters students at the institute to do their researches effectively.

“We thank Huawei for supporting our university, and we promise to use the funds provided accordingly in making sure that the funds are allocated into the ICT researches so as to enable boost the development ICT sector in the country,” said Prof Mwamila.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Using multimedia approach in education

Roger Slack in his article ‘PEDACTICE - The Use of Multimedia in Schools’ which was published in September, 1999, comments that the growth of information and communication technology (ICT) in society is reflected in policies to encourage the use of ICT in education and the development of educational multimedia. As the role of educational multimedia increases, it is increasingly important to have an idea of the potential it affords for teaching and learning.

Multimedia, as per Pearson’s website, can be defined generically as any combination of two or more media such as sound, images, text, animation, and video. For educational technology purposes, multimedia refers to computer-based systems that use associative linkages to allow users to navigate and retrieve information stored in a combination of text, sounds, graphics, video, and other media. 

According to Muhammad Asif in his paper titled ‘Multimedia in Education’, multimedia combines five basic types of media into learning environment: text, video, sound, graphics and animation, thus providing a powerful new tool for education.

Asif further argues that the world is changing rapidly and the field of education is experiencing these changes in particular as it applies to Media Services. The old days of an educational institution having an isolated audio-visual department are long gone! The growth in use of multimedia within the education sector has accelerated in recent years, and looks set for continued expansion in the future.

This article reviews the development and use of multimedia technologies in education. Particular emphasis is put on the instructional uses of multimedia. Interest and investment in this technology are increasing, and indications are that it has appeal to both teachers and students. 

It has been argued by many scholars that Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences establishes a theoretical framework for using multimedia in instruction. His theory relates to other widely recognized theories on learning styles and modalities of learning. 

Multimedia literacy is a growing concern among educators as societies worldwide continues to depend on image technologies such as television, video, and film. Educators need to prepare children to live and function in a society that relies on multimedia for information storage and dissemination. 

Multimedia can be used in instruction in a variety of creative and stimulating ways. Applications include teacher presentations, student projects, and discovery learning. Although teachers are encouraged to develop their own materials, many excellent educational multimedia products are also available. 

There are a number of reasons for arguments which supports incorporation of multimedia in classrooms. A paper titled ‘10 Reasons to Use Multimedia in the Classroom’ authored by Barbara Schroeder on August 4, 2010, provides a number of arguments towards use of multimedia in classroom.

By incorporating multimedia in their instruction, teachers can capture attention, engage learners, explain difficult concepts, inspire creativity, and have fun. However, there are many tools available and many ways to use those tools. 

PBS Teachers website comments that utilization of multimedia resources is very essential because they offer the following advantages:

(a) Portability: with multimedia, learning can happen anytime, anywhere. Students can listen to a podcast or view a vodcast at home, in the car or on a field trip. These tools are great ways to reinforce concepts and enable students to learn in context;

(b) Flexibility: today’s resources let you demonstrate concepts and lessons in ways that textbooks and classroom lectures alone can’t. Teaching about DNA? With multimedia, you can have students research DNA online, bring world-renowned scientists into your classroom with podcast lectures, show a 3D computer model of a DNA strand and then have students design their own strand.

(c) Individualized Learning: multimedia resources can help you meet the needs of many different types of learners Visual learners can watch an online video, while auditory learners listen to streaming audio and hands-on learners play an interactive game. Students who need extra practice can use these tools again and again.

(d) Collaboration and Community Building: blogs, social networking sites and wikis allow students to interact with and teach each other, not only within their own school, but with learners across the country and the world as well.

(e) A Broader View of the World: multimedia resources can help your students experience today’s global community. With multimedia, students can learn about new cultures and countries in immediate and authentic ways – and prepare to interact with that broader community in an increasingly collaborative global job market.

In addition, multimedia activities encourage students to work in groups, express their knowledge in multiple ways, solve problems, revise their own work, and construct knowledge. The advantages of integrating multimedia in the classroom are many. Through participation in multimedia activities, briefly, students can learn: 
(a) Real-world skills related to technology; 
(b) The value of teamwork; 
(c) Effective collaboration techniques; 
(d) The impact and importance of different media; 
(e) The challenges of communicating to different audiences; 
(f) How to present information in compelling ways; 
(g) Techniques for synthesizing and analyzing complex content; 
(h) The importance of research, planning, and organization skills; 
(i) The significance of presentation and speaking skills; 
(j) How to accept and provide constructive feedback; 
(k) How to express their ideas creatively;
As you can see from these ideas, you can easily align instructional goals and empower instruction through using appropriate multimedia tools. It takes some planning, time, and expenditures (video cameras, software), but in the long run, your students will reap many benefits, such as taking more responsibility for their learning, becoming aware of their learning and how to document it, and realizing their own creative potential.
It should be noted that there are some constraints to using multimedia in the classroom, which any teacher should take into account during decision making on using multimedia in you classroom, including: 
(a) Technological resources, both hardware and software;
(b) Technological skills, for both the students and teacher; 
(c) Time required planning, designing, developing, and evaluating multimedia activities. 
As the role of multimedia increases and policy drives ICT use to the heart of education, it is increasingly important to have an idea of the potentialities afforded by multimedia for teaching and learning.
It is very crucial to builds on teacher competence and experience to consider the implications of multimedia in education, at policy, resource, system development and use levels.
With increased ICT and multimedia literacy among students it is important that teachers gain an understanding of what multimedia can do in the classroom context.
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The writer is a specialist in education management, planning, economics of education and policy studies, and can be reached at: +255754304181 or masozi.nyirenda@gmail.com 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN