A CHAT FROM LONDON: My choice of three dramatic stories of the week

Six-year-old Christian Alex was mauled to death in broad daylight by dangerous dogs on Wednesday last week in Dar es Salaam. Sad news indeed.

A good day becomes evident in the morning...so the Swahili proverb goes. It was ice cold but the sun was shining.

>May I share a few clips from last week? First the video.  A mass of frenzied people are chasing a man somewhere in West Africa.   Right on the knees of Ebola.  Someone sent it via WhatsApp.  Don’t frown if you don’t use WhatsApp.

>Wednesday, October 15, 2014...A tiny delegation of well educated women; modest and intelligent, will be welcomed into one of the most powerful rooms in the northern hemisphere. First is Mrs Rhobi Samwelly (pictured), mother of four children, hailing from Butiama, Mara Region.

It is a cold wet winter afternoon, a few days after the Paris and Bamako terrorist attacks. As I stroll down a major street in East London, a man is melodically hollering:“Evening Standard! Evening Standard!”

Tanzania is doing well in breast-feeding as some 97 per cent of mothers adhere to the practice. But only 50 per cent of these mothers properly breast-feed their children.

>May we begin by asking a question? Is it true that there is a huge difference between the thinking of Africans living on the continent and those outside it? Over 50 years ago, we used to call overseas-based ones the “African Wazungus” not because of race but attitude and manners. It was insulting being called Mzungu Mweusi. Nevertheless, behind closed doors it was privileged.

>I was in a late, late night bus heading home after a gig; tired but satisfied that we had played our music well. Gratified that we had got paid too.

I received an SMS from a long time friend in Brazil.“Boss! Get out of Europe, those fanatics will kill you. It is no longer safe. Come to Brazil...”