Ms. Burns, he added, did not really believe that technical expertise was essential to creativity, partly because technology is continually changing. Another reason, Mr. O’Sullivan said with a laugh, was that “she really had zero technical aptitude.”

“To me, the computer is just another tool,” Ms. Burns once said. “It’s like a pen. You have to have a pen, and to know penmanship, but neither will write the book for you.”

Read the New York Times obituary; Red Burns, an educator who gained wide recognition for pushing for more creative uses of modern communications, helping to lead the movement for public access to cable television and starting a celebrated New York University program to foster Internet wizards.

Sometimes the stuff Zimbabweans believe can blow you away, and some have opined that the nature of our politics has made this the land of wild conspiracy theories.

I was in Mbare over the weekend where I witnessed long queues of people waiting their turn to get water from water points scattered around the area near Rufaro Stadium.

I was told there hadn’t been water since Thursday last week, and one commented, and I am not sure whether it was innocuous banter or he meant it, that the people were being punished for voting for Zanu PF.

I looked him straight in the eye and couldn’t make anything of his expression whether he was “joking” yet in a place where Zanu PF won “resoundingly” I was persuaded take his word for it.

I didn’t ask him who was doing the punishing, but considering what Zanu PF has always peddled, there were no prizes for guessing, yet the fact that someone actually believed it was in itself telling about the kind of people we have become, the kind of politics we have embraced where people are apparently incapable of thinking for themselves and will believe all sorts of canards spun by the revolutionary party.

Mobile phones have played an important role in bridging the information gap with the use of SMS and Whatsapp to mention just a couple. In Zimbabwe a great majority of the population own a mobile handset with a greater proportion having access to the Internet on their phone. Many think that phones are merely used to convey messages but smart phones have changed the dynamics. I know a book, Diary of a Zulu Girl, which was written using a mobile phone.

I was privileged to participate in the Mobile Community Zimbabwe (MCZ) project. According to their website: “MCZ is a project that gives ambitious young Zimbabweans a voice and a platform to share and exchange information through mobile telephony, video and social media. Using an application called StoryMaker, the MCZ project equips young Zimbabweans from across the country with skills to use mobile phones to tell effective stories about themselves and their communities.”

I attended a one-week training where a group of other enthusiastic young Zimbabweans from different walks of life were trained to use the software application StoryMaker on our mobile phones. With the aim of promoting citizen journalism MCZ encouraged participants to tell those untold stories in our communities.

I appreciate that MCZ made me open my eyes to various challenges and activities going on in communities. Without MCZ I would have not spent a day feeding children in Mbare at a soup kitchen. Without MCZ I would have not met the mentally challenged women at Harare Central Hospital who make beautiful bags to generate income to take their mind away from the stressing issues of life that cause depression.

Despite the repressive media laws in the country which inhibit such projects, a lot of participants went out of their way to make MCZ a success as evidenced by the video stories published on their website. For me my journey has been fruitful. MCZ has taught and equipped me to tell video stories. I have made friendships, which support my different spheres of life. A big thanks to Free Press and trainers for making this journey possible.

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Project Lawyer: Local NGO
Deadline: 26 August 2013

Location: Bulawayo

A vacancy has arisen in a local NGO for the post of a Project Lawyer based in Bulawayo.

Required personal information is as follows:
-Degree in Law
-Registered Legal Practitioner with at least one year experience in civil and criminal litigation
-Strong background in project and financial management
-Good communication skills, co – ordination, monitoring and evaluation skills
-Computer skills (PowerPoint, word etc)
-Should be fluent in Ndebele
-A valid driver’s licence is a must.

To apply
Applicants to email their detailed curriculum vitae to: projectofficerbyo [at] gmail [dot] com and produce original copies of their certificates during the interview.

M & E Officer: Local NGO
Deadline: 26 August 2013

Purpose of the Job
The Monitoring and Evaluation officer is responsible for monitoring and following up project activities among participating organisations.

Overall responsibilities
-In liaison with Funding Partner develop data collection tools for project activities
-Undertake the monitoring and evaluation activities in support of other team members
-Ensure maintenance of accurate records by the organisation and participating organisations
-Monitors the implementation of planned activities
-Collects, reviews, analyses and interpret data for planning purposes
-Formulates, reviews and maintains a sound and effective reporting system
-Provides technical support for monitoring and evaluation of the project
-Contribute to the organisational learning by preparing and disseminating data on lessons learned, good practices and statistical evidence of the program achievements
-Participate in activities to disseminate programme evaluation findings
-Prepares and compiles progress reports monthly and quarterly for project activities.

Minimum qualifications and experience
-First degree in development studies, social sciences, or a relevant field
-Diploma in M&E, experience in home based care or palliative care an added advantage
-A minimum of five years’ experience in community work, two of which should be in monitoring and evaluation and/or operational research
-Working experience in designing and implementing evaluation strategies
-Excellent documentation and data analysis skills of both quantitative and qualitative nature
-Highly computer literate in Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint, SPSS, EPI Info or any other statistical tools
-Highly innovative and a self starter
-Fluent in national languages Ndebele, Shona and English
-A clean class four driver’s licence

To apply
If you are interested and meet the above requirements please send your application letter, detailed CV and copies of your certificates to the following: fadzaic [at] zwla [dot] co [dot] zw
Successful candidate to start immediately

Physiotherapist: Sport 4 Socialisation (S4S)
Deadline: 27 August 2013

Location: Mutare, Zimbabwe
Start date: 1 September 2013
Duration: 4 months, with possibility to extend

Sport 4 Socialisation
Children with disabilities are often hidden, locked-up and isolated from society. Nobody believes in their potential. But S4S does! The only precondition is an encouraging environment.

We empower the children to break out from their isolation and surprise society with their potential. We inspire, encourage and coach them to move boundaries. We create lasting change, by involving the whole community.

We strengthen them via physiotherapy and adapted physical activity. We connect them with able-bodied as well as disabled peers and teach them to stand up for themselves in society. We teach families how to deal with disability and fend for themselves economically. During the whole process, we keep monitoring progress. So we can achieve maximum potential. And we inspire, encourage and coach the community to
change their minds about disability.

Background
Sport 4 Socialisation (S4S) is working in Zimbabwe since 2008. From the Eastern border Town Mutare, where the S4S headquarters is based, we work very hard on the implementation of our multiple award winning Social Inclusion Programme. We support children with disabilities and their families with adapted and inclusive physical activities, physiotherapy, healthcare, parent support groups and livelihood development.

Over 500 children and their families are supported through this programme.

Role of the Physiotherapist
In general the Physiotherapist shall be responsible for the running of the physiotherapy clinic and the casting room. Under the physiotherapist programme we have several sub-programmes:
-Intakes and assessments
-Physiotherapy (incl. casting)
-Direct Child Support (medication, corrective surgeries and assistive devices)
-Disability maintenance and awareness training.

Key tasks and responsibilities
-Organise and implement intake and assessments with (new) beneficiaries and their families
-Implement physiotherapy therapy activities on a daily basis for children with a disability
-Build and maintain a database for all beneficiaries including a Monitoring and Evaluation system
-Develop Individual Rehabilitation Plans with beneficiaries and their families and monitor and evaluate the progress of the beneficiaries
-Assess and plan individual child interventions (medication, corrective surgeries and assistive devices etc.) and provide follow ups of interventions done through home visits, school visits and group meetings
-Mediate for Direct Child Assistance (medication, corrective surgeries, assistive devices etc.)
-Maintain and improve relations with partners and stakeholders, especially with medical partners for individual child interventions
-Be responsible for the maintenance of the therapy equipment
-Prepare periodic evaluation reports
-Prepare periodic work plans, incl. budget.

Key requirements and skills

Education
-Bachelor of physiotherapy
-Work experience and knowledge
-Proven experience in a similar position
-Proven paediatric experience
-Proven experience in monitoring and evaluation
-Excellent written and verbal English communication skills
-Computer literate, excellent with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Personality
Proactive; Good and open communicator who is a critical thinker and has a strong personality; A professional orientation to work; Impeccable integrity; Committed; Dedicated.

Remuneration
Between US$600 – US$700 – depending on level of experience plus Medical AID
and transport reimbursement.

To apply
Applications: Cover letter and CV (2 separate documents) only via email to: office.zimbabwe [at] sport4socialisation [dot] org with “Physiotherapist” in the subject line.