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THE BLACK BUSINESS NEWS BLOG  

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Black Family-Owned Business Launches Their Gluten-Free, All-Natural Fish Fry on "Good Morning America"... and It Was an Instant Hit!

Some of the family members during a recent appearance at the ESSENCE Music Festival

Joseph and Maranda Dowell are the genius entrepreneurs behind the popular Atlanta-based Black family-owned business that sells a very tasty and golden light fish fry! Their product, a seafood breaded mix called Joe's Gourmet Fish Fry, is available in two styles - one is made with wheat flour, and the other is available as a gluten-free mix made with yellow corn flour. With either option, all you have to do to make your seafood amazing... is just dip and fry!

Just recently, they were blessed with the opportunity to debut their gluten-free fish fry to the world on Good Morning America, and it was an instant hit. Millions of people in the U.S. are allergic to wheat flour, and gluten-free products have grown tremendously in popularity over the past few years.
Why this fish fry is so different

In addition to having a gluten-free alternative, what makes their product so different is that the mix doesn’t absorb as much oil, and brings a light, delicious crunch that brings out the best in food without having to overpower it with salt.

Even more, for the taste, they don’t rely on just flour and salt like traditional fish frys do. They use a handpicked variety of delicious herbs and spices to bring maximum enjoyment to their customers' dining experience.

Making big moves

In addition to their appearance on Good Morning America, earlier this year Joe and his family were also featured on ABC's Shark Tank and landed a deal with Daymond John for $150,000 in exchange for 25% of their company.

Now their products are available in several grocery retailers across the country including Walmart, Publix, Kroger, Winn-Dixie, HEB, Lund’s, Festival Food, Rouse’s, Nam Dae Mun, Northgate Trading, and Wayfield Foods.

They literally went from 7 local stores to 1,200 nationwide in less than 3 years!

For more details and/or to purchase Joe's Gourmet Fish Fry online, visit www.JoesGourmet.com or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JoesGourmet/

Affordable & Social Housing News

SA needs youth home-building plan 

16 Aug 2018 | Save | Email | Print |  PDF    

  By: Berry Everitt

The latest available figures from StatsSA show that there are about 3.3-million South Africans aged 15 to 24 who are not currently in education, training or employment, and about 3.9-million South Africans aged 25 to 34 who are unemployed.

© Andriy Popov – 123RF.com

These numbers represent a vast amount of energy, education and skill that is going to waste instead of being put to use to help grow our economy, and we all know that high youth unemployment is a time-bomb for any country in terms of crime and civil unrest.

At the same time, the majority of sources agree that SA’s housing backlog is still well over 2-million units and growing at the rate of about 178,000 units a year. And according to the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM), it would take about R400bn annually to fix this problem over the next few years, while the annual budget of the Department of Human Settlements is only around R32bn currently.

In fact, the DHS itself estimates that the 25 “catalytic” housing projects it is currently overseeing will deliver less than 500,000 subsidised and partly-subsidised homes by 2020.

Simultaneous solution

So, South Africa needs homes and its young people need employment that will ultimately enable them to buy their own homes instead of depending on the State for subsidised accommodation. Surely we can find a simultaneous solution to these problems?

My suggestions is a high-profile and well-funded national work programme or community service programme specifically for housing construction that will provide young people with training and the opportunity to gain practical work experience while also helping to alleviate the country’s huge housing backlog.

President Ramaphosa has spoken recently of the preparations that are going ahead for a National Jobs Summit, during which government, business, labour and civil society are expected to find innovative and rapid ways to create jobs on a massive scale.

In short, they are expected to make our “New Dawn” as successful as President Rooseveldt’s “New Deal” - the plan which pulled the US out of the Great Depression. And I believe one of the quickest and easiest ways to reach that objective would be to create a national housing task team authorised to cut through red tape and hierarchy and mobilise whatever public and private resources it needs (such as land, services, training facilities and materials) for a concentrated five-year home building programme.

Skills development

This would enable young people in SA not only to build homes and help to uplift poor communities but also to gain the practical, business and leadership skills they need to be employed or self-employed in those communities in the future.

The potential benefits of such a plan are indicated by the results of a recent study done by the National Association of Home Builders in the US, which revealed that 69 permanent jobs are created for every 100 single-family homes that are built in a given area, in addition to the 394 job opportunities that are created during construction.

The new homes also have the potential to generate an ongoing R13m a year in taxes and revenues for the local municipality and some R62m a year for local businesses, and one can just imagine the boost such results would give our morale as a country, as well as our economy.

About Berry Everitt

Berry Everitt is the CEO of the Chas Everitt International property group, which is one of the top five estate agency companies in South Africa and widely recognised for its innovative marketing methods, its technological leadership - and its absolute dedication to achieving exceptional customer service. Everitt is the youngest son of the group's founders, Charles and Tilla Everitt, and has been involved in the business since it was established in 1988.

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SAFA President, Dr. Danny Jordaan says their aim is to see about 5.3 million children involved in football within five years

Sasfa Schools Football a platform for player development

May 19, 2018 by staff Leave a Comment

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By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

It is reasonable to argue that the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA) is a bedrock of Youth Development and social cohesion in the country.

Sasfa has been in existence for the past 24 years.

But before this, Sasfa had to undergo a metamorphosis from unity stage when fragmented Schools Sport bodies from the previous order Education came together in 1994 to usher in Unity, Participation and Integrated Development under the aegis of the then United School Sport Association of South Africa (Ussasa).
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According to Sasfa, “Football was part of the 25 active sporting codes. With the demise of USSASA Mother Body, USSASA Football then had to undergo change and was later known as the SA Schools Football Association.”

Sasfa says, schooling, learning and teaching become ineffective when the umbilical cord between academia and extra- mural activities is cut.

“The natural process of schools being the honing ground for the holistic development of the child loses meaning since it has been proven that an active body produces excellent results. It is on this basis that SASFA continues to be catalyst in fostering effective learning and teaching, promoting the culture of education through sport. The creation of sound school football programmes seek to assist in this regard.

The era we live in today necessitates that together as a collective work hand in glove in assisting our future citizens to be organised, responsible to work as individuals as well as part of a collective team. The skills that the child learns in the field of play are guaranteed to help them when they are adults. For example when they gather from various schools, bonds of friendships are cemented and maybe relied upon in the real world at a later stage.”

The SA Schools Football Association runs a number of programmes that seek to introduce all children of South Africa to enjoy participating in organised football whether recreational, motor coordination, developmental, competitive and to keep fit.

The various partnerships that we have forged over the years have yielded positive and impact legacies for the participating schools and players alike. “We have witnessed the upgrading of infrastructure of class rooms, buildings, sports combos, upgrade of security systems and some even went on to purchase vehicles to ferry learners to school tours, games etc,” Sasfa notes.

Sasfa is also very much proud of the history and relationship that it has fostered with SAFA, Department of Basic Education, Sport & Recreation South Africa, SASCOC, and Sasfa’s commercial partners since inception being KFC for the KFC Cup; Cadbury for Chappies Little League; MTN for the MTN u/16 Cup; loveLife Games; Spur Masidlale.

Sasfa’s current sponsors include Danone South Africa for Danone U/12; Nestle for Milo Champs u/13; McDonald’s South Africa for the SASFA McDonald’s U/14 School League; Coca – Cola South Africa for the Copa Coca – Cola U/15 Cup; Metropolitan for the Metropolitan u/16 Cup and the Motsepe Foundation for the SANLAM Kay Motsepe Schools Cup.

Moreover, the association attests, through the above partnerships and collaborations, SASFA programmes have given an opportunity to play an active role to many educators that served as officials in administration and technical aspect of the game, learners as participants and match officials.

The lucky ones went on to ply their football skills in the National Junior Teams, PSL & NFD outfits some even made a mark in the various international tournaments and events.
Meanwhile, even though relations between Sasfa and the mother-body Safa may be at their lowest point, it still does not change the fact that a vision to develop football from grassroots is alive.

SAFA President, Dr. Danny Jordaan says their aim is to see about 5.3 million children involved in football within five years.

SASFA President, Mazibuko says, “People are talking and trying to mislead the country around the number of schools participating or that should participate. The truth is that we have 25 000 schools in the country. However, out of that number, there are not more than 6 000 high schools that participate in the development programmes.

He adds that not all of the 25 000 schools play soccer as there are those that play other sports such as rugby, cricket and hockey.

“You know, we don’t have girls’ leagues in the country or girls’ programmes in the schools, so you don’t use that as a ploy to say that Sasfa is not touching enough schools. What are you doing as a mother body to assist your ­associate member?” he asked, referring the question to Safa.

Since the election of the new SAFA executive in 2013, Sasfa and Safa have been doing battle over the running of schools football. With SAFA, the mother body, taking the decision to withdraw recognition of the former in 2015.

The matter is currently before the courts.

Speaking last October during the Copa Coca-Cola tournament in Bloemfontein, Sasfa president Mandla “Shoes” Mazibuko said the organisation was open and ready to work with Safa.

“There is no reason we can’t work with Safa. Whose ­interests are we serving if we are not working with Safa?” he asked.

“This is more about politics than what meets the eye, but, as far as we are concerned, we are working with everybody you see around here [at the tournament], including the departments of education and sports, stakeholders and the teachers’ union. There is no reason we should not work with Safa”.

In 2003, the Chappies Little League, which was relaunched with a R3 million per year sponsorship by Cadbury, surpassed the initial target to register about 2 500 primary schools around the country and amassed 6 023 schools.

As a result of that early success, veteran sports sponsorship consultant Geoff Wald flew to London this week to register the tournament with the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest soccer tournament ever.

The current record-holder listed by the Guinness Book of Records is a tournament held in South Korea that drew 5 000 teams.

“The response by schools was overwhelming and it gives us courage to think what we can do to expand and cover almost every school-going kid in the country,” said Wald.

SOURCE: The African Sun Times

http://africansuntimes.com/2018/05/sasfa-schools-football-a-platform-for-player-development/

YOUNG LEADERS NEWS

Meet 5-year-old Black Author, Kennedy O’ Neal Who Have Sold Over 10,000 Copies

by Staff Writer 6 days ago

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Not your normal everyday 5 year old child, Kennedy O’ Neal is the author of Adventures of Super Kennedy which she and her dad, Chris O’Neal, released in mid-March to a positive reception – both locally and nationally.

After her recent appearance on Good Morning America, the Sales of her debut book, The Adventures of Super Kennedy: Saving and Investing, have surpassed more than 10,000 copies.





Kennedy, who is a kindergartener at Faith Baptist School, had always been fascinated with shiny coins and “the green” while in diapers. She truly has a passion for earning and saving money as well as investing it which was the source of inspiration for her book.  In her debut book, the 6-year old morphs into “Super Kennedy” to teach kids creative ways to save and earn money on their own. Once she has enough money saved up, with her parents help, she buys an undesirable house to fix up and collect rent. The book is geared toward 5 to 14-year olds.

Since the book’s release, Kennedy was recently featured as a guest of Steve Harvey and Taylor Thomas’ Tots to Teens Expo in Prince George’s County in Maryland in May. Kennedy and her family have also made it their mission to take part in local literacy events to discuss the importance of saving and investing money at a young age. Presently, she’s touring local schools and talking to students about the importance of saving. She is currently looking for additional schools to add to the tour.

As little as she is, Kennedy is very passionate about helping other kids learn the value of saving money. She knows that it’s the key to building a more stable, secure future. She loves kids her age but gets concerned when she meets other children who do not know that they should be saving their money. Her father says she is hoping to turn the book into a cartoon and even release a second book focused on financial freedom.

According to her father, her ultimate dream is to eventually appear on The Steve Harvey Show and Ellen.

SOURCE: https://temmybalogun.com/meet-5-year-old-black-author-kennedy-o-neal-who-have-sold-over-10000-copies/

Young Leaders News

This 11-Year Old Genius Invented Device That Prevents Children From Dying In Hot Cars

by Staff Writer about 11 hours ago

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11-year old Bishop Curry, recently  invented Oasis, a prototype device that is designed to prevent children from dying in hot cars. The device is attached to children’s car seats and once it senses that a child has been left behind in the seat, it will start to blow out cool air until the child is rescued.




The 5th grader from McKinney, Texas, was inspired to create the device, after Fern, a 6-month-old baby girl who had died in an overheated car. He was greatly affected by her death as he passed by her family’s house all the time on the way to school.

After doing some research, Curry found that hot car deaths of babies and pets are tragically common especially in the summer months. His idea was to make a car seat cover with three fans, but now he also wants to create a full car seat with the ability to link up with a vehicle’s air conditioning system and turn it on automatically. Since 1994, 804 children have died from heat-related illnesses in cars in the U.S., according to Kids and Cars, an advocacy center that studies the issue.




Having loved the idea, Curry’s father, an engineer at Toyota also named Bishop Curry immediately filed for a patent. But he also realized that they would need about $20,000 for development and manufacturing. So, together they launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding page that has already raised more than $48,500 – more than double what their initial goal was. They are using the funds towards the attorney fees that are needed for the provisional patent, the prototyping fees, and for locating a manufacturer that is capable of mass producing the device. Toyota was so impressed by Bishop’s idea that it sent him and his dad to Michigan for a safety conference.

The world would not be forgetting this black inventor very soon as his innovation will help save countless of lives of babies that are dying due to carelessness of the parents part.





SOURCE:  https://temmybalogun.com/this-11-year-old-genius-invented-device-that-prevents-children-from-dying-in-hot-cars/

NEWS24

Bring back Mbeki, Motlanthe and Zuma to assist Ramaphosa

30 July 2018, 10:33

 

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

 

NEWS24

 

It has been a promising first five months for President Cyril Ramaphosa. 
 
Although much has come out of the past couple of months of Ramaphosa's reign like the new measure adopted to tackle corruption, such as changes in boards and/or management of major state-owned enterprises (SOEs); an inquiry into tax administration; actions to strengthen procurement; the signing of contracts with independent power producers; and in general, the intention to eliminate wasteful expenditure, concern is rife inside and out the ANC, that Ramaphosa lacks the support of the masses that Jacob Zuma enjoyed.

Other notable achievements of the five months old Ramaphosa Presidency include the billions of dollars of investments being pumped in to grow the economy. But obviously the real test will come when those billions worth of investments are able to create well paying jobs and empower the millions people that are still trapped in poverty.

The 50% to 60% alleged support for the ANC since Ramaphosa replaced Zuma in February, are clearly not the official vote nor can they be relied upon as the voice of the masses who vote at election time.

Many surveys are conducted prematurely and people can say anything. In addition, people's response are more or less depending on how the question or questions were asked.

Surveys also are not the surest way of knowing what the voter is likely to do at the ballot box. In other words,  the potential voter can change his or her mind at the voting station and vote for any other candidate.

For instance, most of the dozens of people one has interviewed over the past couple of weeks, still believe Zuma has a lot to offer the country. Some have even said they miss his leadership qualities.
In any event, Zuma is innocent until or when proven otherwise. The current charges of 783 questionable payments to Zuma allegedly received from Thint, in connection with the arms deal, have been thrown out of court before.

And the so-called "state capture" which suspiciously has also been called the "State of Capture", with the latter meaning something totally different to the former, in all likelihood will not stand in the courts of law.

And as Zuma has previously clarified, "state capture", would mean that the executive, the judiciary and the legislature have been captured. 

And we know that this is not what has happened here in South Africa. At least not under Zuma's reign.

But, what we do know is that, as reports have confirmed that Zuma still enjoys a lot of support in the Movement, from the Army through Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) combatants and to various structure of the Movement.

Not to forget the support Zuma still has with certain leaders in the ANC's top six, national executive committee (NEC), military veterans, various provinces, religious leaders and business associations, various senior ANC leaders throughout the country including in the current government, and other structures of the ANC and structures of the Alliance. 
 
In the broader scheme of things, the ‘exile’ unit which since the unbanning of the ANC in 1990 has gain ground in the political space in South Africa, would be pretty much concerned about their future with Ramaphosa, an 'inxile' at the helm. 
 
Even though exiles have their differences, they would be wondering about what the future will look like for them without an 'exile' leader at the helm. 
 
The main thing that needs to be understood about Ramaphosa, is that as popular as might be with the market, media and elites, he doesn't necessarily have a sure constituency in the Movement, particularly where it matters the most, the ANC branches.

If indeed Ramaphosa does not have the support he needs from the mass based structures of the ANC; he could be the weakest leader the ANC and South Africa has ever had.

In any case, the ANC will not gain much from excluding its former leader and even leaders who have served as the country's Presidents since 1994, (with the exception of the late Nelson Mandela). 

Leaving Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe out of the structures of the ANC, executive and governance of the country.

For example, Mbeki, with his proven credentials on the international arena could be become Foreign Relations Minister; while Motlanthe who's capable and credible, could be returned as Minister in the Presidency. And Zuma would become Prime Minister.

Although the Constitution doesn't allow a president to serve more than two terms; it does not say a former president can not occupy another executive position.

It makes no sense not to utilise the experience, skills, contacts and capacity of our former presidents to move the country forward. By bringing back the former presidents of democratic South Africa, Ramaphosa would grow in stature for performing another 'Mandela Magic' and for uniting a party that is troubled by factionalism.

By bringing back the former presidents of democratic South Africa, we would also have once again taught the world a lesson in political diplomacy and rationality.

The ANC would have a united and stable organisation. South Africa would have a strong, united and efficient governing organisation. Business and investor confidence would skyrocket. Millions of jobs would be created; and poverty and underdevelopment would be a thing of the past.

Mbeki and Zuma as former ANC presidents already qualify to be on the NEC as additional members list. Surely the ANC NEC can accommodate Motlanthe as former president and deputy president of the republic, and former secretary-general and deputy president of the ANC.

Ramaphosa should now imagine how this move could strengthen his public image and that of the ANC; and the country for that matter.

But most importantly, this will better position Ramaphosa within the ANC structures, who by the way, are still bleeding from the Zuma/Mbeki saga.

The return of Zuma, Mbeki and Motlanthe into the national political fold will strengthen the ANC and South Africa too. South Africa needs a strong governing party.

After all, that is what the founding fathers of the ANC would have had in mind.

And that is what Madiba would have wanted. 

NEWS24