President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, left, shakes hands with Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during the EAC Summit of Heads of State in Arusha, Tanzania on Nov. 24, 2023 where Somalia was officially admitted into the East African Community (EAC) trading bloc. Photo: Courtesy EAC
President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, left, shakes hands with Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during the EAC Summit of Heads of State in Arusha, Tanzania on Nov. 24, 2023 where Somalia was officially admitted into the East African Community (EAC) trading bloc. Photo: Courtesy EAC
Somalia officially joined the Community of East African States (EAC) on Friday, the regional organization with a single market allowing the free movement of goods and people announced.
The EAC, which has its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, now comprises 8 countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC was the last member to join the regional organisation, in 2022.
The member countries have “decided to admit the Federal Republic of Somalia under the accession treaty”, declared Burundian Head of State Évariste Ndayishimiye, outgoing President of the EAC.
Excluding Somalia, the EAC countries cover an area of 4.8 million square kilometres and have a combined gross domestic product of 305 billion dollars, according to the organisation’s website.
With a population of some 17 million, Somalia has the longest coastline on the African continent (more than 3,000 km), bringing the EAC’s potential market to more than 300 million people.
The Somali government, supported by the international community, has been fighting the insurgency of the radical Islamist Shebab, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, for over 16 years. Kenya and Uganda are contributing troops to an African Union force deployed in Somalia to fight the rebels.
Somalia’s entry into the EAC is “a decisive step in the bloc’s expansion into East Africa”, notes the Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies think-tank, but points to “Somalia’s poor record on governance, human rights and the rule of law” which could hamper its integration into the bloc.
Staff of the Nairobi-based Chams Media that has grown to over 20 since the company’s founding on Dec. 1, 2013. The firm’s founder and CEO is Mr. Alex Chamwada, sitting third from left, The company will celebrate the milestone at a Nairobi hotel on Dec. 1, 2023 which will be livestreamed on social media. Check out Mshale’s story for links. Photo: Courtesy Chams Media
Staff of the Nairobi-based Chams Media that has grown to over 20 since the company’s founding on Dec. 1, 2013. The firm’s founder and CEO is Mr. Alex Chamwada, sitting third from left, The company will celebrate the milestone at a Nairobi hotel on Dec. 1, 2023 which will be livestreamed on social media. Check out Mshale’s story for links. Photo: Courtesy Chams Media
When standout Kenyan journalist Alex Chamwada left a secure job at a prominent Kenyan broadcaster to launch Chams Media, a content creation and communication consulting firm, 10 years ago, he wanted to “tell positive stories that were often overlooked.”
He has done exactly that and those stories are everywhere: online in places like YouTube and social media especially Facebook, on free-to-air Kenyan TV, and its flagship program Daring Abroad is among the most widely shared on diaspora WhatsApp groups.
In the decade since its launching, Chams Media has featured stories of over 1,000 individuals and companies in its flagship program Daring Abroad, with production of the series involving Mr. Chamwada and his crew traveling overseas to gather content. The series highlights successful Kenyans abroad in the areas of business, economic and social endeavors.
Daring Abroad airs on NTV Kenya, the second most viewed tv station in Kenya according to data provided by GeoPoll, the Washington, DC-based data research firm that operates in Africa, Asia and Latin America. According GeoPoll, NTV had a viewership of 10.6 million people in the month of September 2023, the most recent surveyed month.
Those in the diaspora normally catch the show on YouTube and are among the over 120,000 subscribers on the Chams Media TV channel that has a cumulative viewership of over 6 million views across its different programs. In addition to the popular Daring Abroad series, other programs closer to home include The Chamwada Report which delves into development issues in the country.
″It was difficult to convince media that the positive can sell,” Chamwada tells Mshale during a WhatsApp interview. “It was difficult to overcome the narrative that numbers are built on sensation. But we have demonstrated that you can step out of the norm and excel.”
Interacting with Chamwada on a personal level, most recently in August when he was in Minneapolis for a live taping of Daring Abroad, one gets the sense he didn’t start the business exclusively just for the money, a thought that was posed to him during the WhatsApp interview.
“This is a journey of faith, a journey of resilience anchored on passion and humility and powered by the grace of the Almighty God,” Chamwada says. “When I stepped out of the newsroom to go independent, I had no savings, I had no office. I had zero equipment except my cellphone, laptop, the idea and networks.”
Chamwada says with a smile he finds it ironic that Chams Media’s main business with Kenyan mainstream media is with content they had ignored.
Ambassador Lazarus Amayo of the Washington, D.C. Kenyan embassy, left, and Ms. Roseline K. Njogu, the principal secretary in State Department for Diaspora Affairs at Kenya’s foreign ministry, center, listen to Chams Media CEO Mr. Alex Chamwada, during a Kenya @60 celebration in Atlanta on Nov. 25, 2023. Photo: Courtesy Chams Media Facebook
From the humble beginnings of just him as the staff, he has since grown Chams Media to a company of over 20 employees spanning the editorial and production crew and a strong the back office operations team.
He points out the case of the large Kenyan diaspora that media in Kenya had mostly ignored except for when there was tragedy. There were no human-interest stories that showed Kenyans abroad in their full scope.
Central Bank of Kenya figures show remittances from Kenyans in the diaspora were the leading foreign exchange earner last year totaling $4.027 billion in 2022.
“One of our most exciting episodes of Daring Abroad show featured Bramwell Bushuru, the only Kenyan living on the little known St. Helena Island in the South Atlantic Ocean,” Chamwada says. “The Island is a British protectorate with a population of only 4,000. Bramwell is an air traffic controller at the Island.”
The production of the St. Helena episode, which as of the time of this writing has over 135,000 views, involved Chamwada and his cameraman Eric Maweu timing their visit to coincide with the once a week flight that gets one to the tiny island via Johannesburg using South Africa-based FlyAirlink.
Mshale Editor-in-Chief and founder, Mr. Tom Gitaa, left, poses for a portrait with Chams Media CEO, Mr. Alex Chamwada, outside Tamu Grill and Catering in Minneapolis where he had brought him for a shooting session of Daring Abroad featuring George Ndege, the owner of Tamu. Photo: Eric Maweu/Chams Media
As Chamwada and his team have crisscrossed the globe showcasing Kenyans in all of their glory, he has transformed Chams Media into a trusted medium for connecting Kenya with its sprawling and all-important diaspora trusted by both government and business and most importantly, the audience.
Blue chip companies in Kenya such as Co-Operative Bank and Kenya Airways that are trying to expand their businesses to the diaspora have made Chams Media their partner of choice for reaching the lucrative market.
Additionally, conversations he has had with Kenyans in the diaspora have sparked new unrelated ventures for the 10-year-old firm, as those abroad express hunger for trusted business partners and service providers.
“I realized as I met with Kenyans whether in the U.S. or Europe or anywhere else, that they were looking for businesses they could trust,” Chamwada says. “They kept asking me where can we invest? can you recommend a trusted developer? and that is when ideas for Chams Adventures, Chams Real Estate and Chams Insurance Agency came up.”
“The future looks bright. There are many opportunities in the digital space. We will continue to diversify our content. We have also diversified into organizing and hosting investment forums abroad under the Daring Abroad brand. We will continue to nurture talents,” said Chamwada.
A formal celebration of company’s 10-year anniversary will be livestreamed on its social media pages from Nairobi’s Jacaranda Hotel on Friday, Dec. 1 starting at 5PM local Kenyan time (2:00 PM GMT or 9:00 A.M. CST). Links are below.
A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus. Photo: Rogelio V. Solis/AP
A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus. Photo: Rogelio V. Solis/AP
National Influenza Vaccination Week (Dec. 4-8) reminds us that everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu shot, including pregnant people. It is best to get vaccinated before the flu season starts, but you can get a flu shot at any time during the season and at any time during pregnancy.
Pregnant people are at higher risk of getting very sick from the flu, being hospitalized, or dying from flu-related complications. If a pregnant person gets sick with the flu, it can also cause serious problems with their pregnancy, such as preterm labor and birth.
Getting a flu shot is a safe way to protect both a pregnant person and their developing baby from serious illness and complications of flu. Flu shots have been given to millions of pregnant people for over 50 years, and have not been shown to cause harm to pregnant people or their babies.
If you are pregnant getting a flu shot reduces your risk of being hospitalized with flu by an average of 40%. Your flu shot also helps to protect your baby from flu illness and flu-related hospitalizations for the first several months after their birth. Antibodies you develop in response to the vaccine are passed on to your developing baby during pregnancy.
The best way to keep you and your baby healthy this flu season is to get your flu shot. For more information visit Pregnant? Get a Flu Shot.
Second Gentleman of the United States Doug Emhoff, left, speaks to the media after visiting the 2023 National Small Business Person of the Year, Mr. Abdirahman Kahin, second left, at one of his Afro Deli Grill outlets in St. Paul, Minnesota during Small Business Week on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 as SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, third left, looks on. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Second Gentleman of the United States Doug Emhoff, left, speaks to the media after visiting the 2023 National Small Business Person of the Year, Mr. Abdirahman Kahin, second left, at one of his Afro Deli Grill outlets in St. Paul, Minnesota during Small Business Week on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 as SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, third left, looks on. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Saturdays are a cherished day. Many spend their Saturdays running errands – whether that be to get a haircut, visit a gift shop, or stop by the local hardware store. Saturdays are for stocking up on groceries at the neighborhood market, or self-care time at the yoga studio. Saturdays are making fun memories with family and friends at corner coffee shops, or a local restaurant to gather post-football game. More often than not, Saturdays are spent at small, independent retailers that provide consistent, quality goods and services for their communities.
Saturday, November 25 is an especially important day. It marks the 14th anniversary of Small Business Saturday, where American consumers come out in droves to shop small and dine small, in-person or online, in mammoth support of small businesses nationwide. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is proud to be a co-sponsor of Small Business Saturday, founded by American Express in 2010.
Small businesses are the engines of our economy. They create two-thirds of net new jobs, and in Minnesota 525,156 small businesses employ 1.3 million people (which comprises 45.7% of Minnesota’s workforce). The day also advances equity by helping small businesses capture a larger piece of the critical holiday season consumer spending.
“With the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America economic agenda, the United States has experienced a historic small business boom being led by women and people of color at a rate 65% faster than the pre-pandemic average. By shopping small, we help create and preserve jobs which expands opportunities for inclusive prosperity and generational wealth building in communities,” says SBA Great Lakes Regional Administrator Geri Aglipay.
Shopping small online is also encouraged, as e-commerce is a priority of SBA Administrator Guzman because it helps make small businesses competitive across global markets. The SBA Great Lakes Regional Office and the SBA Minnesota District Office are thrilled to promote Small Business Saturday!
“Every independent store and dining venue are pillars in our communities. Small Business Saturday is a day to connect, appreciate, and celebrate the unique character and diversity of our local communities across the North Star state. Dining and shopping small spurs neighborhood growth and vibrancy,” according to Brian McDonald, SBA Minnesota District Director.
Make big moves! Shop and dine small at local Minnesota small businesses for Small Business Saturday on November 25 and throughout the holiday season.
George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly’s General Debate on Sept. 25, 2019. Weah conceded defeat late Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, after provisional results from last week’s runoff vote showed challenger Joseph Boakai beating him by just over a percentage point. Photo: Cia Pak/UN
George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly’s General Debate on Sept. 25, 2019. Weah conceded defeat late Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, after provisional results from last week’s runoff vote showed challenger Joseph Boakai beating him by just over a percentage point. Photo: Cia Pak/UN
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — Liberian President George Weah conceded defeat late Friday after provisional results from this week’s runoff vote showed challenger Joseph Boakai beating him by just over a percentage point.
Elections officials said that with 99.58% of ballots counted from Tuesday’s election, Boakai was in the lead, with 50.89% to Weah’s 49.11%. The results were a dramatic reversal from the election six years ago when Weah easily beat Boakai in the second round.
“The Liberian people have spoken and we have heard their voice,” Weah said in an address to the nation, adding that Boakai “is in a lead that we cannot surpass.”
“I urge you to follow my example and accept the result of the elections,” he said, adding that “our time will come again” in 2029.
The concession speech given even before official results were announced in Liberia comes at a time when there have been growing concerns about the decline of democracy in West Africa. The region has seen a spate of military coups over the last several years, including one earlier this year carried out in Gabon in the aftermath of a presidential election.
Weah said he had “the utmost respect for the democracy process that has defined our nation.”
Opposition candidate Joseph Boakai arrives to vote in the second round of presidential elections in Monrovia, Liberia, Tuesday,Nov. 14, 2023. Boakai beat Presidnet Weah by one percentage point according to provisionl results and Weah conceded defeat late Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. Photo: Rami Malek/AP
The 57-year-old former international soccer star won the 2017 election after his promise to fight poverty and generate infrastructure development. It was the first democratic transfer of power in the West African nation since the end of the country’s back-to-back civil wars between 1989 and 2003 that killed some 250,000 people.
But Weah has been accused of not living up to key campaign promises that he would fight corruption and ensure justice for victims of conflict.
Tuesday’s second round lived up to expectations of an extremely tight contest following the first round last month in which Weah got 43.83% of the votes and Boakai 43.44% to move on to the runoff. Boakai later managed to win endorsements from the candidates who finished third, fourth and fifth.
Boakai, 78, served as vice president under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first democratically elected female leader. He appeared to have an upper hand in the vote because of the many Liberians aggrieved over the unfulfilled promises of Weah to fix the country’s ailing economy and stamp out corruption, said Ryan Cummings, director of Africa-focused Signal Risk consulting.
The outcome of the second round so far shows “public disaffection with his (Weah’s) administration with Boakai considered a viable alternative for a lot of Liberians,” Cummings said.
Weah is the only African to have won international soccer’s Ballon d’Or. He played as a forward for Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea and Manchester City during an 18-year club career. His 23-year-old son, Tim, now plays for Serie A club Juventus and the U.S. national team.
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Associated Press writers Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria and Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey during a press conference with ethnic media at city hall to discuss the ongoing debate on the city's rideshare wage ordinance on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. Photo: Jerusa Nyakundi/Mshale
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey during a press conference with ethnic media at city hall to discuss the ongoing debate on the city's rideshare wage ordinance on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. Photo: Jerusa Nyakundi/Mshale
The city of Minneapolis is committed to finding a lasting solution that both rideshare companies and their drivers can agree on, according to Mayor Jacob Frey. The mayor spoke during a press conference he held at his office on Wednesday to brief local ethnic media on an issue that is important to the communities they cover.
“We’ve been working hard to find a solution that raises the wage for drivers in our city,” Frey said.
Fair pay for rideshare drivers in Minneapolis has been a very contentious issue, with the mayor and city council members unable to agree on how best to make sure drivers earn a living wage while keeping companies like Uber and Lyft operating in the city. In August, Frey vetoed an ordinance the City Council passed requiring Uber, Lyft, and other ride hailing companies to pay their drivers more.
On Wednesday, Frey acknowledged the need for a balanced approach and expressed readiness to consider a revised ordinance this year to address the issue of wage increase for drivers. The commitment came after extensive consultations with drivers, advocates, rideshare companies, individuals with disabilities, and residents relying on the service, he said.
“We need to get an increase in pay, and at the same time, ensure this valuable service in our city continues to exist,” Frey said.
There are three competing driver compensation models for rides that take place in Minneapolis. Model A, which was the original proposal Frey vetoed, would compel ride hailing companies to pay drivers a minimum of $1.40 per mile and $0.51 per minute. The second proposal, known as Model B, which the mayor supports, calls for $1.17 per mile and $0.34 per minute. The final proposal, Model C, would require rideshare companies to pay drivers a flat rate of $24 per hour, applicable only during the time the driver on the way to pick up a rider or during the time transporting a rider.
A day before Frey’s press conference, council members Jason Chavez (Ward 9), Robin Wonsley (Ward 2), and Jamal Osman (Ward 6) issued a joint statement declaring their intent to conduct a thorough analysis of minimum wage policies, aligning with an ethical approach to policymaking. This initiative originated from their collaborative effort in formulating the Fair Drives, Safe Rides policy, which aimed to establish minimum wage standards and protect the rights of rideshare drivers. The leaders said they had introduced a legislative motion for a comparative analysis of the three minimum compensation models and will present their findings to Council by Jan. 19th, 2024.
“We are hopeful that such a policy could pass with full support of the Council and Mayor early next year once there is full clarity on how the models compare to each other” their statement read.
Eid Ali, the president of the Uber/Lyft Drivers Association said that drivers the group represents did not have a stand on any of three proposals and would wait to see how the comparative analysis goes.
“We obviously want what is best for our drivers, so they have a living wage,” Ali said.
The League of Minnesota Cities' ‘Mayor for a Day’ essay contest is accepting submissions through Dec. 12, 2023. Photo: Courtesy League of Minnesota Cities
The League of Minnesota Cities' ‘Mayor for a Day’ essay contest is accepting submissions through Dec. 12, 2023. Photo: Courtesy League of Minnesota Cities
The League of Minnesota Cities is back this year with its annual “Mayor for a Day” essay contest for Fourth, fifth and sixth graders who have a chance to win $100 and recognition in Minnesota Cities magazine.
The contest, which is in its 11th year, received 560 submissions last year which the League said was the highest number received in the program’s history.
The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, Dec. 12. Students and parents/caregivers can submit essays via an online form, a PDF email attachment or postal mail. All contest materials are available at lmc.org/mayorforaday.
Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who lost to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in 2022, announced his second bid to unseat her on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Photo: Courtesy Don Samuels Campaign
Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who lost to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in 2022, announced his second bid to unseat her on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Photo: Courtesy Don Samuels Campaign
Both Mr. Samuels and Rep. Omar are Democrats and the August primary serves as the de facto general election in the heavily Democratic district.
Mr. Samuels announced his second bid against the congresswoman on yesterday’s WCCO Radio The Sunday Take by Blois Olson where he told the host what is different this time “is that I am starting in November instead of April and I am going to be participating fully in the preliminary aspects of the race meaning the caucus, convention and have an early relationship with the voters and funders.”
In a news release sent out immediately following his appearance on WCCO Radio, Samuels provided a reason for his second bid.
“Our neighbors deserve a leader who will represent our values in Washington, D.C., working with the Biden administration and other democratic colleagues to strengthen democracy, promote peace around the globe, and create a future of opportunity in America,” said Samuels in his news release.
The release also criticized the congresswoman, who in April announced her support for Biden’s reelection, for voting against President Biden’s infrastructure legislation.
In a release following Samuel’s announcement, Rep. Omar touted her legislative achievements benefiting her district.
“I’m incredibly proud of the model of cogovernance we’ve built in the 5th District, which has included monthly town halls, routine constituent service resource fairs and a brand new district office. I’ve brought over $40 million to the district in the form of community projects—including a brand new affordable housing facility for veterans in Robbinsdale that I toured this weekend. As a leader of the House Budget Committee and Progressive Caucus,” said Omar. “I’ve continued to fight for the progressive values Minnesotans sent me to advocate for—whether it’s fighting to codify Roe v. Wade into law, pushing for historic climate legislation, addressing the opioid crisis or fighting for an assault weapons ban.”
Samuels, who lives in north Minneapolis, is an immigrant from Jamaica and a former toy designer. He is married to Sondra and they have four children.
Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana of Rwanda speaks at a Bloomington, Minnesota hotel on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 during a business roundtable organized by Minnesota Africans United (MAU) to discuss business and investment opportunities in the East African nation. Looking on is Mr. Basil Ajuo, President & CEO of MAU. Photo: Courtesy Triumph Graphics
Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana of Rwanda speaks at a Bloomington, Minnesota hotel on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 during a business roundtable organized by Minnesota Africans United (MAU) to discuss business and investment opportunities in the East African nation. Looking on is Mr. Basil Ajuo, President & CEO of MAU. Photo: Courtesy Triumph Graphics
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Rwanda’s ambassador to the United States was in Minnesota yesterday to promote her country as an ideal investment destination.
Brought to Minnesota to talk with the business and civic community through the efforts of Minnesota Africans United (MAU), a coalition of African immigrant communities in the state, the ambassador had the opportunity to talk trade and investment on many different levels.
According to the U.S. Trade Office, trading of goods between the U.S and Rwanda totaled $122 million in 2022 with the U.S. enjoying a trade surplus of $8 million. U.S. exports to the East African nation last year came to $65 million compared to Rwanda’s exports to the U.S. that totaled $57 million. No services trade data between the two countries is currently available, according to the U.S. Trade Office. The trade surplus in favor of the U.S. is a recent change as Rwanda has enjoyed a surplus for the preceding years.
“Rwanda is linked to the East African community and other countries in Africa,” said Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana. “When you come to do business (in Rwanda) you will not just be doing business with us but the entire African continent.”
A panel discussion followed a presentation on doing business on Rwanda by Amb. Mathilde Mukantabana on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 organized by Minnesota African United at a Bloomington hotel. Participating, left to right, Mr. Lawrence Manzi, Rwanda’s Deputy Ambassador to the U.S.; Mr. Abdirahman Kahin, owner and founder of Afro Deli and 2023 National Small Business Person of the Year; Ms. Nelima Sitati Munene, MAU board chair; Mr. Patrice Bailey, Assistant Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Mr. Ben Dossman, Twin Cities entrepreneur and investor; Mr. Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief & publisher of Mshale who moderated the discussion.
What Mukantabana would like to see is partnerships between her country and Minnesota business in areas of light manufacturing and investments that allow Rwanda to build capacity as well as manufacturing that foster value additions in sectors such as coffee which remains the country’s biggest export.
“One of the areas we are looking for partnerships and where we think Minnesota can play a role is the building of an African (Health) Center so that our people in the region do not need to go to India or other countries to get treatment,” said Mukantabana.
German pharmaceutical giant BioNTech setup a vaccine facility in Rwanda’s capital Kigali in March capable of producing up to 100 million mRNA vaccines per year once it is scaled up. The ambassador said her country’s goal is to ensure the pharmaceutical industry and the health sector in general is expanded.
The ambassador also said that lately her country has invested heavily in infrastructure that positions it as a destination for conventions and sports tourism, stressing that many international notables are already taking advantage of the opportunities presented.
“Trevor Noah was talking the other day of maybe Rwanda hosting the next Grammys since we have built the venues that can host such an event,” Mukantabana said. “We have had a number of international festivals already in Rwanda so if you are in the creative industry we welcome you, as this is something that attracts tourism and also our young people are restless and this is something they want.”
Members of the Minnesota business community attend a business roundtable organized by Minnesota Africans United (MAU) at a Bloomington hotel on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 for a presentation from the Ambassador of Rwanda on business and investment opportunities in her country. Photo: Courtesy Triumph Graphics
Mukantabana suggested that investors and companies in Minnesota get in touch with the embassy for any guidance they might need in setting up business in her country, or how to get started in their investment journey.
During a panel discussion following the ambassador’s presentation, Twin Cities entrepreneur and 2023 National Small Business Person of the Year, Mr. Abdirahman Kahin, pointed out the ease of doing business in Rwanda.
“You can set up your business there in six hours, all online, I am already an investor there and what helps them is there is no corruption, I just love it,” said Kahin.
Mayor-elect Nadia Mohamed speaks to supporters at Westwood Hills Nature Center after she became the first Somali elected as mayor of a U.S. city on Nov. 7, 2023. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
Mayor-elect Nadia Mohamed speaks to supporters at Westwood Hills Nature Center after she became the first Somali elected as mayor of a U.S. city on Nov. 7, 2023. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
In 2019, 23-year-old Nadia Mohamed made history when she became the youngest person elected to the city council in the city of St. Louis Park. On Tuesday, Mohamed made history again, this time as the first Somali immigrant elected as mayor of a U.S. city, and the first Black mayor of the suburban city in the Minneapolis metro area. In her victory speech, Mohamed credited her mother for her win.
“She gets to go and watch her daughter legislate in the same building where she used to go to pay her public housing rent.,” said Mohamed.
Mohamed won 58.45% of all cast ballots by registered voters, defeating her opponent Dale A. Anderson.
Mohamed first ran for elected office in 2019 and won a position as an at-large councilmember. She was 22 years old and a fresh college graduate. She attributed her political success to the St. Louis Park Human Rights Award, which she won in March 2019. She said she entered politics because she saw the need for voices like hers—a person of color, an immigrant, a renter, and a woman.
Four years on the St. Louis Park Multicultural Advisory Committee prior to elected office also provided her with the experience needed to lead with competency. The Multicultural Advisory Committee plans and implements efforts to connect various communities within the city.
Mohamed kicked off her campaign for mayor in May at the Westwood Hills Nature Center on May 31, the same place where she held her elections night watch party.
Incorporated as a village in November 1886, St. Louis Park grew from 31 people to a first-ring western suburb of Minneapolis with more than 50,000 people, 77% whom identify as white, 8% as Black, 5% as Latino, and 4% as Asian, according to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data.
Mohamed attended Aquila Primary as a 4th grader, when she (at the age of 10) along with her mother and siblings joined her father in Minnesota. Mohamed continued in the St. Louis Park school system, graduating from the public high school in 2015.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from Metropolitan State University and is presently pursuing her master’s in educational leadership at St. Thomas University. She works as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion specialist at a primary school in St. Louis Park.
While Deqa Dhalac, the mayor of South Portland, Maine, is the first Somali American to serve as mayor, she was first elected to the city council in 2018 before a seven-member board chose her to serve as the city’s mayor in 2021.
Lynette Dumalag, who represents Ward 2 in St. Louis Park city council said she looked forward to seeing Mohamed bring her lived experience to her job as a first-generation, younger person who’s a renter, “we don’t hear very often in council chambers.”
“I’m excited to see all the things we’ll get to do as council with Nadia running the meeting advancing some of the values that we have as a city,” Dumalag said.
Tamirat Tola, of Ethiopia, crosses the finish line in the professional men’s division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in New York. Photo: Craig Ruttle/AP
Tamirat Tola, of Ethiopia, crosses the finish line in the professional men’s division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in New York. Photo: Craig Ruttle/AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Tamirat Tola wasn’t thinking about breaking the New York City Marathon course record as he was running by himself in Central Park for the last few miles of the race. He just was focused on trying to win.
The Ethiopian runner broke the 12-year old mark, finishing the 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 4 minutes and 58 seconds on Sunday — eight seconds faster than Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.
“The people of New York is amazing to give me moral support every kilometer,” Tola said. “I’m happy for them. Thank you all people. It’s a long kilometers to do alone. … I’m not thinking about a lot. I’m thinking to win. So this is nice.”
Tola, who finished fourth in the race in 2018 and 2019, pulled away from countrymate Jemal Yimer when the pair were heading toward the Bronx at mile 20. By the time Tola headed back into Manhattan a mile later he was up by 19 seconds and left only chasing Mutai’s mark. The 32-year-old was a late add to the field, joining three weeks ago.
Albert Korir of Kenya, who won the 2021 NYC Marathon, finished second nearly two minutes behind Tola.
While there wasn’t much drama in the men’s race after Tola pulled away, the women’s competition came down to the final stretch. Hellen Obiri of Kenya pulled away in the final 400 meters to take the women’s title.
The 33-year-old Obiri ran New York for the first time last year and finished sixth.
“My first debut here was terrible for me, and I say like I don’t want to come back here next year,” Obiri said. “After that, I said, wow, I’m here again. So you know sometimes you learn from your mistakes, so I did a lot of mistakes last year, so I said I want to try to do my best.”
She sure did.
Obiri, Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia and defending champion Sharon Lokedi were all running together exchanging the lead. Obiri made a move as the trio headed back into Central Park for the final half-mile pulling away. She finished in 2:27:23. Gidey finished second, six seconds behind.
Lokedi was 10 seconds behind Obiri, who won the Boston Marathon in April. She’s the first woman to win those two marathons in the same year since Norwegian Ingrid Kristiansen did it in 1989.
This was a stellar women’s field that was expected to potentially take down the course record of 2:22:31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003. Unlike last year when the weather was unseasonably warm with temperatures in the 70s, Sunday’s race was much cooler with it being in the 50s — ideal conditions for record breaking times and for the 50,000 runners.
Instead, the women had a tactical race with 11 runners, including Americans Kellyn Taylor and Molly Huddle in the lead pack for the first 20 miles. Taylor and Huddle both led the group at points before falling back and finishing in eighth and ninth.
“The first 20 miles, I was like what the heck was going on,” Taylor said. “It was super weird, one of the weirdest races I ever ran with the caliber of talent in the field. There were talks of breaking the course record and doing all the things, after a bit it was like that’s not going to happen. We’re running six-minute pace for no good reasons. Sometimes that’s how races play out. You can jump on board and do that or do your own thing. Today i just decide to jump onboard and try and hang on.”
Once the lead group came back into Manhattan for the final few miles, Obiri, Gidey and Lokedi pushed the pace.
As the trio entered Central Park they further distanced themselves from Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, who finished fourth.
The men’s and women’s winners finished within a few minutes of each other. About an hour earlier, Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race, finishing a few seconds short of his own course record by finishing in 1:25:29. It was the Swiss star’s record-extending sixth NYC Marathon victory.
“It’s incredible. I think it takes some time to realize what happened,” Hug said. “I’m so happy as well.”
He’s the most decorated champion in the wheelchair race at the event, breaking a tie with Tatyana McFadden and Kurt Fearnley for most wins in the division in event history.
Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland won her New York debut, shattering the course record in the women’s wheelchair race. She finished in 1:39:32, besting the previous mark by over 3 minutes, which was held by American Susannah Scaroni.
“It’s difficult to describe in words. I said to my coach if I win this race, it’s the best performance I ever showed,” she said. “Knew it’s the toughest marathon of all. It was the first time. I knew it was going to be so tough.”
Debrunner and Tola both earned a $50,000 bonus for topping the previous course records.
TICKETS TO PARIS
Daniel Romanchuk and Aaron Pike qualified for the 2024 Paris Games by finishing as the top Americans in the men’s wheelchair race. Scaroni and McFadden qualified on the women’s side for the Olympics.
