The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the African Development Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the German development finance institution DEG announced that they have created a new private equity fund that will invest in Africa’s health sector. The Health in Africa Fund will invest in small- and medium-sized companies in sub-Saharan Africa, such as health clinics and diagnostic centers, with the goal of helping low-income Africans gain access to affordable, high-quality health services. The fund will help implement key recommendations of IFC’s report, ‘The Business of Health in Africa: Partnering with the Private Sector to Improve People’s Lives,’ which found that the private sector already delivers about half of all health-related goods and services in Africa, and that greater investment in private health companies could have major health and economic benefits for low-income Africans.

The World Bank’s Environmental Department is seeking civil society representatives to serve as observers on two Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Trust Fund Committees. The Bank has contracted a leading public policy dispute resolution organization, RESOLVE, to manage this self-selection process. The CIFs, which are managed by the World Bank and implemented jointly with the Regional Development Banks, were established through an inclusive and consultative process in support of the Bali Action Plan and approved by the World Bank Board in July 2008. Application forms, criteria, and instructions for the observer seats are available on the RESOLVE website (www.resolv.org/cif). Application instructions and criteria will be posted in Arabic, Bengali, Cambodian/Khmer, French, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tajik, and Turkish during the week of June 15. Completed applications are due by Wednesday, July 2. CSO Observers Sought for Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
The Bank’s Environmental Department is seeking civil society representatives to serve as observers on two Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Trust Fund Committees. The Bank has contracted a leading public policy dispute resolution organization, RESOLVE, to manage this self-selection process. The CIFs, which are managed by the World Bank and implemented jointly with the Regional Development Banks, were established through an inclusive and consultative process in support of the Bali Action Plan and approved by the World Bank Board in July 2008. Application forms, criteria, and instructions for the observer seats are available on the RESOLVE website (www.resolv.org/cif). Application instructions and criteria will be posted in Arabic, Bengali, Cambodian/Khmer, French, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tajik, and Turkish during the week of June 15. Completed applications are due by Wednesday, July 15.

Visit the website: www.resolv.org/cif for more details

FREEDOM

I never felt this way before
I never felt this light weighted before,
Like a feather; I am free…
Free to fly in this wind,
And cherish to be the king pin

I am in love, with the chirping of birds
Sky’s painting with black, blue and grey color
all for me is God’s love.
This musical wind makes me sing
A song that have been written long back
But waited for the perfect octet,

He blessed me with rain
this drained away all my pain;
Each drop of rain bought new smile and hope
Gave me the courage to fight and never take a hop
They asked me not to get wet
Coz I may catch cold and take a set back.
“You see me wet!
I see me completely dried up
And all the sorrow and pain just like this rain have been drained up.”

I never felt this way before
I never felt this light weighted before,
Like a feather; I am free…
Free to fly in this wind,
And cherish to be the king pin

Once seems to be an endless road,
today seems to be the path to reach my goal
Once seems to be the cactus near road
Today seems to be the flower with beautiful escort.

I can fly, I can fly
I always said this to me
Today I am flying without any worries
Saying out loud I have found ME!

The Presidency is satisfied with the conception and implementation of the Seven-point Agenda of the Administration and therefore has no plans to either prune or adjust it.

Presidential spokesman, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi said that the agenda was crucial to the survival of the Nigerian economy and the pivot on which Vision 20-2020 was anchored.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity was reacting to the suggestion put forward by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Sanusi Lamido Sanusi during his confirmation hearing on the floor of the senate.

Mr. Adeniyi noted that since the Seven-point agenda is not an ad-hoc measure, any attempt to prune it would amount to economic suicide and urged Nigerians to see the views expressed by Governor Sanusi as “a suggestion with the best of intention and not an attack on the government focal policy.

The 7 Point Agenda are:

1. Critical Infrastructure
2. Niger Delta
3. Food Security
4. Human Capital
5. Land Tenure Changes & Home Ownership
6. National Security & Intelligence
7. Wealth Creation

Having painstakingly laid the foundations of economic development, as articulated in the Seven-point Agenda and Vision 20:2020, there is a visible resurgence in Nigeria’s international economic relations under President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s administration. There is a new impetus, a fresh dynamism as well as growing momentum to open up Nigeria and make it ready for solid and sustainable investments. It is not just a case of doing more of the same old drive for foreign direct investments.

Though the concept of using Investment Forums/Fairs to interact with investors is not new, the style of the current investment drive is novel. The current exercise is not just a series of talk-shops or seminars. The campaign involves networking sessions, investment dialogue forums, informal and interactive engagement sessions as well as road shows and rallies as each particular occasion demands.

This time around, there are conscious efforts to diversify Nigeria’s economic diplomacy away from restriction to traditional partners in order to engage new and more development partners in the international arena. Through diplomatic contacts and hosting or making official visits, the current administration has concretized Nigeria’s economic relations with Asian tigers such as India, Japan, China and South Korea. It has also forged links with Brazil, South American and Caribbean countries. Of course, the traditional partnership with United States of America, United Kingdom, France, and continental Europe as well as with North America continues to be strengthened.

It is no longer about telling investors fairy tales about Nigeria, rather it is about letting them know the immense potentialities as well as the daunting challenges while encouraging them to come on-board. The government is also going beyond offering incentives and palliatives to creatively engage investors in fixing and improving the critical infrastructures in order to reduce the cost of doing business in Nigeria.

Moreover, the investment drive is not just about wooing big companies, conglomerates and trans-national corporations; it is more to do with encouraging partnership between Nigeria’s small and medium enterprises and their foreign counterparts. It is about encouraging information exchange, technology transfer and personnel exchange/training collaborative schemes in a way that will integrate Nigeria into the global economy matrix.

It is within this context that the present administration has enlarged and re-energized the Honorary International Investors Council (HIIC), which it inherited from President Olusegun Obasanjo’s civilian regime. The HIIC has been enlarged to become more representative of different economic sectors as well as the various geographical locations and investing populations of the world. Beyond the two six-monthly meetings held annually, Council Members scattered around the globe are now more practically engaged to organize investment meetings and dialogues in their different geographical regions as occasions demand.

From a high-brow technocratic talk-shop on investments, the HIIC is gradually becoming an interventionist and activist agency for attracting investors to Nigeria’s rich but challenging economy. HIIC has become more pro-active, pragmatic and sector-specific in its drive to too investors into the Nigerian market.

This administration is not just urging investors to come to Nigeria; it is also making the investing environment more conducive to investors and fertile for their investments. Definite steps are being taken to reduce corporate taxes, eliminate double taxation and end the rash of illegal levies on manufacturing companies. Following the advice and at the instance of members of the HIIC, the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has instructed Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs ministry to make issuance of visas in our embassies abroad more investor-friendly. In the same vein, the Vice President said our immigration laws must be more investment-oriented and tourist-friendly.

According to him, “It is in the overall national economic interests of our country to issue long-term visas and make procurement of visas easier for investors and tourists. We must also make our airports and ports less cumbersome and more people-friendly if we are serious about getting foreigners to partner with us in our development efforts.” With the effectiveness of Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission’s (NIPC) one-stop-investment-centre (OSIC), where foreigners can access information and register new business without delay, a brand new deal is being forged for investors in Nigeria.

A lot has changed as far as Nigeria’s investing environment is concerned. Yet, the world out there is still stuck with the old stereotype of Nigeria as the tottering sleeping giant. Not much is known is about the positively altered macroeconomic situation or more favourable policy environment.

It is against this backdrop of changed circumstances in Nigeria vis-à-vis global ignorance -- at a time when the country is in dire need of international resources and support -- that this administration has been organizing or facilitating a series of investment forums in key development centres across the globe.

The first in the series of investment forums was a two-legged conference on Stating the Case for Investing in Nigeria scheduled to take place in Dubai and London, which was jointly facilitated by African Matters Limited and Developing Markets Associates. While the Dubai Forum was postponed for logistic reasons, the London Forum was successfully held at IET Savoy Place on April 22, 2009 with about 200 participants comprising government officials, prospective investors, business tycoons, development activists, non-governmental organizations, diplomats and representatives of the international community.

At the London Event, the Ministers of National Planning, Commerce and Industry, Finance, Mines and Steel Development, Agriculture and Water Resources as well as the Governors of Kano State, Rivers State and Ondo State (represented by the Secretary to Government) were on hand to showcase Nigeria’s immense investment potentialities vis-à-vis the country’s agenda for development. Aside from fielding questions after each session of paper presentations, the Nigerian investment delegation used coffee breaks and networking moments to engage and interact with would-be investors and fact-finding tourists who had many posers about Nigeria’s social climate and economic environment.

The tone of the London Forum was set by H. E. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who spoke passionately and analytically about Nigeria’s largely untapped investment potentials amidst some daunting development challenges. He said that Nigeria remains the preferred investment destination because of its abundant natural endowment and immense manpower resources as well as because of infrastructural gaps and deficiencies that are being fixed. The investment forums, he explained, are veritable avenues to get willing and genuine development partners and investors to collaborate with Nigeria to develop, upgrade or upscale the infrastructures in order to make the country the ideal and fertile investment ground. He said we cannot wait to fix all our infrastructural deficiencies, logistics problems and legal hurdles before calling on development partners who may actually be needed to accelerate the process of getting the ideal investment climate in the first place.

Expectedly, the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Engr. Mustafa Bello was around to restate and recall all the steps that Nigeria has taken and is taking to transform Nigeria to an investor’s paradise. He spoke about the myriads of incentives, tax holidays and all sorts of sweeteners and palliatives designed to woo investors into the manufacturing sector of Nigeria’s economy. He said the One-Stop-Investment-Centre (OSIC) has removed most of the logistics challenges and bureaucratic hurdles that new investors face in a developing economy like Nigeria.

Representatives of the organized private sector in Nigeria like the Dangote Group and Total Oil were readily available to give the needed endorsement to Nigeria’s investment climate. The Chief Executive of Dangote Cement Group, Tony Hadley said “Nigeria’s improved investment climate is making it easier to do business, to source external finance and secure foreign technical partners.” He explained that investors and foreign finance institutions have more confidence in Nigeria’s economy.

Following on the resounding success of the London Forum, Nigeria’s ambassador to Sweden, Dr. Godknows Bolade Igali (who was present at the London Forum) successfully organized a Nordic Forum on Nigeria-Nordic Economic Partnership that will take the Vice President’s delegation to Finland, Sweden and Denmark between May 10 and 17, 2009. This is a bold initiative to concretize and expand Nigeria’s international economic relations with Scandinavian countries with a view to benefiting from their high technologies and other comparative economic advantages.

The first of two HIIC meetings held annually will hold from June 25 to 26 in London this year to take stock of the gains and challenges of Nigeria’s investment drive in the light of the current global economic melt-down. The second Council meeting slated for November should ordinarily take place in Abuja but may be moved to the United States to tap into the business connections and investment potential of some American members on the Council. There is also the possibility of another Nigeria Investment Forum in Germany in the first quarter of next year to engage with investors in Germany, Austria, Czechs and Slovenia.

The global meltdown or economic downturn is not a reason for Nigeria to slow down its drive for foreign investment rather it is a good reason to intensify it. For one, investors have become more wary and discriminatory in their choice of investment destinations, making it necessary for countries to deliberately publicize their investment opportunities and comparative advantages. Secondly, the fact that several investors and banks had their fingers burnt in hitherto favoured investment destinations has made emerging markets like Nigeria to become objects of favourable consideration for new equities. It is therefore the right time for Nigeria to press her comparative advantage as a preferred investment destination.

In any case, as explained by the Vice President, to achieve Nigeria’s Vision 2020-20, there is no way Nigeria can shy away from partnership with the international community by way of international trade and utilization of foreign investment. The current drive is for solid strategic investments that can deepen and diversify the country’s economy and promote sustainable development. Such investments would lead to genuine value-addition through improving and increasing local content of Nigeria’s products. Moreover, the investments would not only build personnel and institutional capacity but also create more jobs and employment opportunities for Nigeria’s huge and resourceful population

Therefore, while Nigeria continues to take concrete actions to improve her infrastructure and improve the regulatory environment, it must continue to state and reassert its credentials as a desirable emerging market in order to continue to attract and retain foreign investments.

Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, GCFR is the President, and the Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was born in the ancient city of Katsina, Katsina State on August 16, 1951 to the famous Musa Yar’Adua family that has become synonymous with politics and public service in Nigeria.

He started his primary education at Rafukka Primary School, Katsina in 1958. He moved to Dutsinma Senior Boarding Primary School in 1962 where he completed his primary education in 1964.

Between 1965 and 1969, Yar’Adua was a student at the Government College, Keffi, in the present day Nasarawa State for his secondary education, from where he moved to the famous Barewa College, Zaria for his Higher School Certificate between 1970 and 1971.

He gained admission into the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in 1972 and obtained a B.Sc Education degree with specialization in Chemistry in 1975. He returned to the same University in 1978, earning a Master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry in 1980. Yar’Adua taught Chemistry at the Katsina Polytechnic before venturing into private business and eventually into politics.

In the political arena, Yar’Adua opted for a socialist leaning contrary to the traditional conservative posture of his renowned family. During the Second Republic, the late Malam Aminu Kano, leader of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP)and acclaimed ‘champion of the masses’, was his political mentor when most members of his family were with the more establishment-inclined National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He also associated very closely with the late Ahmadu Bello University 'radical' lecturer, Dr. Bala Usman, among others as a member of the Think-Tank.

Yar’Adua was a member of the 1989 Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) which prepared the groundwork for the return to civil democratic governance in the aborted Third Republic. In 1990, he became the Secretary of both the defunct Peoples Front (PFN) and was later elected the State Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Katsina State. A year later, he emerged the SDP gubernatorial candidate in the state. In 1999, he contested and won the governorship of Katsina State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – a positioned he retained for eight years following his re-election in 2003.

For Yar’Adua, politics has always been viewed as a vehicle for transforming the society for the general well-being of the citizens. This is evident from his commitment to the ideals of accountability, transparency and prudent management of state resources. It is on record that as Governor of Katsina State, Yar’Adua was not only able to massively change the infrastructural landscape of the state, he also radically transformed the educational sector.

His commitment to engendering qualitative education in the State has manifested in the trebling of primary school enrolment in the State from 460,000 pupils in 1999 to over one million in 2007; and the reduction of the number of pupils per class in primary schools from 250 to 40 pupils throughout the State. He also established a N1.5 billion Scholarship Trust Fund.

More remarkable is the fact that even with these laudable accomplishments, Yar’Adua was able to leave behind well over six billion naira (N6b) in the Katsina State treasury at the end of his outstanding stewardship. This, surely, is an enduring testimony to prudent management of public resources.

Given these exceptional antecedents, it is no surprise that the PDP decided to field him as its presidential candidate during the 2007 presidential election. He contested and won the election convincingly.

Today, Nigerians are beginning to see that his declaration at his inauguration of himself as a Servant-Leader was made with the highest sense of responsibility and clear vision of the legacy he wishes to leave behind for posterity.

His self-effacing style, disarming humility, transparently honest devotion to the supremacy of the rule of law, focused leadership and uncommon commitment to Nigeria’s restoration combine to evoke a new hope and abounding faith in the eventual realization of the great potentials with which Nigeria is endowed.

Yar’Adua, who holds the traditional title of the “Mutawallen Katsina”, is married to Hajia Turai and the couple is blessed with many children.

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Thursday June 11 signed a N74billion contract for the dualisation of the East-West highway running through the states in the Niger Delta.

The contract was signed in Abuja on behalf of government by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Ufot Ekaette while the chief executive of the construction firm, Setraco, signed on behalf of his company.

The contract which was first signed three years ago was then awarded to Julius Berger Plc but the company pulled out citing militant activities in the area.

The new contract is to cover Port Harcourt-Eleme Junction to Ahoada-Kiaima.

Speaking during the occasion, the minister said the present administration was irrevocably committed to improving the lives of the people in the Niger Delta.

He warned contractors handling jobs for the ministry to work in accordance with certified standards and to deliver on schedule.

The minister expressed optimism that peace will reign in the Niger Delta region.

“We believe once the details of the amnesty are worked out the people will reciprocate and imbibe the spirit of peace which the government has been preaching. Once this happens, once peace is restored in the Niger Delta, we go in and develop the area”.

Like all popular music groups, the Jukebox Trio has its own successful formula. Presenting a rich mix of classic covers and original material in an open, friendly, accessible style – with two singers and a human beatbox – it’s hard not to enjoy the experience of seeing them play.

“I don’t know any other a cappella bands with only three people,” says lead singer Vladimir Ivanov. “Usually they have six, but we cut it down to the main things: bass, rhythm and melody. And actually, that’s all you really need in music.” Clever live sampling techniques are also often used to create layered, harmonised soundscapes that give the impression of more voices.

The group formed in 2004, when brothers Vladimir and Ilya Ivanov met Kirill Sharafutdinov at a vocal studio where they learned jazz and funk fundamentals. “We had mutual interests, we were listening to a lot of the same music – Bobby McFerrin, Take 6, Queen, The Beatles. It’s different music but we like it all,” explains Vladimir.

At live shows, this diversity is evident. Re-worked Elvis Presley hits, silky Bossa Nova ballads and sermonising soulful serenades are all on the agenda. The penultimate track on the Trio’s debut album, Acappellipsis, features a list of influential artists: names as varied as Ozzy Ozbourne, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix and the Chemical Brothers are recited in comically exaggerated Russian accents.

However, copies of the CD are somewhat hard to come by. “We decided not to sell the album in shops, it’s only available at our concerts,” says Vladimir. Why? “It’s a big problem to make a good production with Russian record labels. They are really down now.” He also cites the mercenary nature of the country’s music industry as something the group wants to avoid. “Radio stations and TV channels play everything just for money, apart from maybe Western musicians – mainstream stuff. If you want to be big in Russia, you have to pay.

“The most important thing with Jukebox Trio is that, at first, it wasn’t for money – simply for pleasure. When we started to earn money with the music, it was a bonus. And that’s still the order of priorities.”

The fickle nature of the scene in their home city, Kazan, was another obstacle the group strove to overcome. “The funny thing about Kazan is that, as it’s the capital of Tatarstan, the Tatar public tend to like mostly Tatar singers. We were like some kind of circus for them. Breaking onto Moscow stages in 2006 was a really big step for us – people started to say we were musicians and not just a circus, we were getting real respect,” says Vladimir.

A subsequent string of gigs around Russia earned Jukebox many fine reviews, as well as a prize from pop heroine Alla Pugacheva and the chance to open Elton John’s show in Rostov-on-Don. They are already writing for a third CD, which will come after an album comprising cover versions of well-known Russian rock songs.

Ilya Ivanov, the Trio’s rhythmic engine, is optimistic about future prospects. “We’re hoping to collaborate with a suitable record label, which can help us produce great albums.” And in the long term, he makes no secret of lofty ambitions: “We want to become famous and be like rock stars all over the world – at least like The Beatles! I want to travel and perform in many different countries. And I think it is really possible, because I believe in the power of music.”

The Jukebox Trio take music down to its basic elements, focusing on the purity and versatility of the human voice – no instruments required. An online video for their song ‘So… Let Me Know’ emphatically illustrates this concept, as the group are shown smashing guitars into splinters at the tune’s climax. Don’t expect that to happen at every show, but, as Vladimir says, “you’ll be put in a good mood”.


Published in The Moscow Times, 9/6/09 - click here for original.

“Developments in the nation’s Niger Delta region over the past few weeks have necessitated the Federal Government’s decisive action against armed criminal elements.

“The criminals have hijacked genuine agitations in the region and constituted themselves into very real threats to Nigeria’s national security and economic survival”.
The President stated that his administration’s agenda for resolving the lingering developmental challenges in the Niger Delta remained on course.

Lima, Junio de 2002


A quien corresponda:

Intentar escribir una carta para mi siempre fue algo sencillo. Pero esta vez no. Por eso decidí escribirla así, con mis palabras y a mi modo, porque de otra forma hubiera resultado ornamentada falsamente.
Hay momentos en la vida de todas las personas en los que queremos cambiar el mundo y hacerlo un lugar perfecto. O por lo menos habitable, o por lo menos hacerlo un lugar tranquilo donde sonreír sea algo tan natural como respirar. Personalmente ese momento llegó hace poco más de 4 años, cuando recién veía y vivía la libertad de la juventud. Salí a la calle con 18 años, un DNI, un cuaderno donde apuntar poemas, un lapicero, y dinero suficiente para ser feliz en Lima. Viejas canciones de la nueva trova, Jhon Denver, y Bob Dylan me mostraron otra cosa.

Decidí entonces embarcarme en la carrera de periodismo, aunque hubiera querido estudiar literatura. Entonces empecé a leer, a buscar respuestas a las cosas que me cuestionaron desde siempre. Para ello me junté con todo tipo de grupos, desde la izquierda marxista (no sé porque aun no termina de agonizar), pasando por un socialismo, hasta la derecha. Todos diferentes, pero con una consigna en común.

Había algo que nos estaba haciendo daño desde el 5 de abril de 1992. Averiguar todo lo que hacía el gobierno me llenó de miedo. Pensé que si se podía saber de tanta tortura y corrupción con leer un diario, cuánto habría detrás. Porque se supone ocultaban la información. Miedo, sentí mucho miedo.

Pero amigos que ahora ya no están aquí ( están en Europa estudiando, me dejaron, buuu.) me invitaron a juntarnos a protestar. Y protestamos , fuimos a marchas, en grupos o nos encontrábamos allí. Decidimos decirle ya no al que dañaba el país. Al que dañaba nuestro país. Recuerdo que en clase pedí apoyo, pero recibí ,muy poco. La resignación de mis compañeras era tanta que dolía. ¿Qué tenía que pasar para que reaccionaran de una buena vez? Recuerdo que casi lloro en clase mientras decía “ ¿Acaso quieren que nos torturen como a los de la cantuta o como a Leonor la Rosa para que reaccionen?”.

De terrorista me tildaron varias veces. Y hasta un SEÑOR de mi universidad me dijo que leía basura , cuando me vio leyendo la República, y luego tiró mi Caretas a la basura.. Sólo el tiempo me dio la razón.
Créame que esos tiempos fueron muy duros , pero a la vez emocionantes. Saberse yendo en contra de un sistema y más aun tan corrupto como ese es algo que me hacía sacar fuerzas de adentro.

Las marchas, las bombas lacrimógenas, los golpes, los insultos, las zapatillas gastadas, las flores que regalamos a los policías que nos golpeaban, las mochilas en la espalda, las manos unidas rezando por los de la Cantuta, las matracas, los amores universitarios nacidos en la lucha...todo tuvo un fruto.

Hoy suspiro .

Eso me ayudó a crecer. Y en varias de esas marchas vi a una persona a Victor Delfín. Un artista. Si, un artista con muchos otros artistas, en una marcha. Si, porque el dolor también era de ellos, era de todos. El dolor por un país herido era general. Salvo algunos ciegos que necesitaron verlo a colores y en canal N. Todos éramos uno.
Ahora el malo se fue. Pero la horda de felones aún esta cerca y quiere dañarnos una vez más. Pero ya no pues. Ya no quiero que vuelvan. Pero no se puede hacer mucho con querer. Como hubiera dicho Belaunde, hay que actuar. Ya es tiempo de actuar. De conversar acerca de los sueños. De decirle a los jóvenes como yo, a los niños en los colegios, que todavía tiene la oportunidad de luchar por sus sueños. Por un país lindo y libre.

Pero mucha gente prefiere llenarlos de basura para que no piensen, para que caminen ciegos y sean todo menos seres humanos.
Debemos ser víctimas del impulso de nuestros corazones y luchar por algo. Pero aun prefiero seguir desde las canteras de la universidad , amigos, primos y el internet, en donde escribo y comento lo que pienso, lo que siento y lo que deseo para todos.
No me siento aun tan fuerte como para llevar las cosas. Prefiero me conozcan de a pocos. Además, las instituciones están tan mal vistas, que el decir pertenezco a tal o cual movimiento los ahuyenta terriblemente.
Sólo queria comentar esto , no sé que más decir hoy. Tal vez mañana, tenga la fuerza de un gran compromiso. Hoy prefiero el pequeño de compromiso de no más de 26 personas amigas que componen mi mundo.
Buenas tardes, siempre es un gusto escribir una carta

Piluchi Lozano Salas

De cómo con lágrimas se me quitó el callo de los ojos
Pensaba escribir algo alegre hoy , pero de pronto las palabras cambiaron y no pude hacerlo así. Hoy me quedé hasta tarde en la redacción de diario y revisando papeles viejos encontré las fotografías de los periodistas muertos en Iraq. Las iba a botar como papeles viejos. Antes de hacerlo las volví a ver y sentí pena por mi y por ellos.
Sentí pena del callo que me ha salido en los ojos luego de dos semanas de trabajo en El Comercio. "Qué suerte me dijeron todos, estás en el área internacional. Esa es la pepa del diario". Pero ahora, no es que me queje, no sé si puedo alegrarme tanto. Estuve a punto de botar las fotos de éstos periodistas, así como boté fotos de niños llorando. Luego pensé en las historias que encerraba cada foto: de los periodistas y de los niños.Y lloré un ratito. Vino Carlos y antes de que se diera cuenta me fui al baño. Y allí lloré. Me acordé de los periodistas españoles muertos recien, y me sentí mal.Y me sentí tonta por llorar, porque allí afuera , toda la redacción seguía como si nada.Y yo, como una nueva practicante me puse a llorar. Por que asi me sentí : una tonta practicante de la sección Mundo del El Comercio.
Cuando salí, me dijeron : los postones están listos?. Y pues tuve que seguir con eso. Pero, mientras editaba en la computadora, pensaba en Patrcia Castro Obando, la corresponsal del diario que ahora esta camino de Iraq...si no es que ya llegó. Pensé en ella, en su familia, en sus amigos aqui en Lima.Y ¿qué pasa si ella corre la misma suerte que los periodistas en el hotel Palestine?.Ese ataque terrorista de los Gringos. Porque fue un ataque terrorista, porque trató de sembrar terror. No pudo. No podrán.
En Iraq las muertes, la anarquía, el hambre y la sed continúan. Pero, lamentablemente ya no es un tema periodístco interesante. Los kurdos en el norte y los chiitas en el sur, van a confinar a esa tierra en no sé qué. Eso es tierra de nadie. Y allá va Patricia Castro Obando, junto con otros periodistas.
Esta noche, sólo pido a Dios que la traiga sana y salva a casa. A ella y a todos los periodistas que están allá. Y carajo, lo acepto, si quiere que gane Washington, pero que ya se acabe todo. Hoy soy egoísta y pienso en los periodistas. Pienso en ellos y sé que no tengo derecho de quejarme de 11 muertos contra los miles de civiles en Iraq. Pero hoy si me quejo. Discúlpen a esta practicante de la sección Mundo de El Comercio por ser egoísta hoy.
Esta noche, sólo rezaré por ellos: por seguir a cargo y por defender esta PUTA PROFESIÓN...a pesar de todo.

(C) PILAR LOZANO SALAS

Las manos a la cintura, un pie adelante del otro y el cabello libre al viento. Sonríe: Uno, dos, tres y Clic. A esperar cinco minutos.
Hagamos un recuento.

Son las nueve de la mañana en el Paseo de los Héroes. Nadie lo conoce por ese nombre, basta con decir que es el parque que esta frente del hotel Sheraton. El sol apenas termina de amanecer en el centro de Lima, pero todo ya está lleno. Es domingo y día de salida para la mayoría de empleadas de hogar que trabajan en la ciudad. Vienen de todos lados y la mayoría baja en la avenida Grau.

Antes iban al parque Universitario pero, ahora, hay muchos rateros por allí y les da miedo. Por eso prefieren ir al parquecito frente al Sheraton. Con tacones altos sonríen y caminan felices por la vereda. Como cualquier peruano en Nueva York.

Cruzan corriendo la pista muertas de risa, con los tacones altos que compraron en el “hueco” de la avenida Abancay la semana pasada.

Una de ellas se moja el cabello con el agua de la pileta que aún no está encendida: se arregla los rulos que tiene y un par de gotitas de agua caen por la frente. Se mira en el espejo rectangular fucsia y se siente bella. Es bella.
Su cabello negro y las mejillas rosadas por el calor de su tierra la hacen bella. No se parece a las que salen en las portadas, ella es mucho mejor: es genuina. Pero, como nadie es profeta en su tierra, sigue pensando en pintarse el hermoso cabello negro y ser rubia.

Un grito y ella despierta. Guarda el espejo rectangular y sigue a sus amigas que se sientan en el pasto. Es curioso ver cómo caminan y hasta corren con esos tacos sobre lo verde.

Juan Carlos baja en la avenida Tacna y trae su equipo al Paseo de los Héroes, es una “minutera” que ya no funciona y una de las pocas que quedan en Lima. Se coloca el chaleco verde y la credencial que lo acredita como miembro de la “Asociación de fotógrafos del Paseo de los Héroes”. Coloca la película a su cámara profesional y una a la polaroid instantánea. Arma la silla y se sienta a esperar clientes. Sabe que es domingo y hay mayor movimiento.

El sol se vuelve a ocultar y pierde la flojera de caminar. Se estira y dará el recorrido por todo el paseo de los Héroes con las dos cámaras en el cuello.
“¿Una foto para el recuerdo?”, Así ofrece sus servicios. Camina y Camina, puede dar hasta cinco recorridos antes de su primera fotografía, porque una vez que le tome a foto a alguien, el resto es sencillo: todos quieren una foto igualita.

Juan Carlos llega hasta donde están las chicas y les ofrece las fotos. Todas ellas se ríen y se miran unas a otras. Nadie se anima aún. El profesional sigue su camino y ve parejas jóvenes con bebés, sus futuras víctimas. Ellos aceptan al instante, quieren guardar un recuerdo de su paseo dominical. Como una pareja de peruanos en el Central Park. Clic y cinco soles.

Ellas se quedan pensando en las fotos que no quisieron y se echan la culpa unas a otras. La más “mandada” se lanza a llamar al fotógrafo y es ella la que se encarga de contratar a Juan Carlos. Quieren cuatro fotografías, una para cada una y una del grupo, todas instantáneas.
Frente al Sheraton, frente al Palacio de Justicia, en las llamitas y la del grupo en la pileta. Todas se arreglan para salir en las fotos. Cada una de ellas saca el espejito y se pintan los labios con colores fuertes. Quieren lucir sensuales como las modelos o como las de la tele.
Juan Carlos les enseña las mejores poses y hasta les acomoda el cabello. Todas, muy risueñas se dejan acomodar, quieren lucir lindas y Juan Carlos sabe como. Las otras gentes que pasan por allí, las rodean para ver cómo son retratadas. Ellas son felices y se sienten importantes. Juan Carlos se siente todo un profesional y les habla fuerte para que sigan sus instrucciones.
Clic, clic, clic y clic. Cuatro fotos, veinte soles.

Juan Carlos se olvida de las chicas y se dispone a seguir con su trabajo. Varios transeúntes lo llaman y el trabajo esta fuerte. Hoy saca para pagar a primera hora de mañana la luz o el agua: Familias, enamorados y jovencitas ; todos pugnan por una foto para el recuerdo. El precio oscila entres tres y cinco soles, eso depende. Si es instantánea es más cara: “el proceso de revelado instantáneo es americano y mucho más dificultoso”, eso es lo que dice.

La del cabello negro y las mejillas rosadas de su tierra mira su foto una vez más y no puede dejar de mirarla. Le parece linda y quiere una copia para toda su familia. Aun no sabe si tomarse otra, o esperar a teñirse el cabello de rubio. Se mira en su espejo fucsia rectangular y por un momento viaja en el tiempo. Otro grito la trae a Lima, al paseo de los héroes. Es hora de ir a almorzar al “Pollo Chévere”, el que está junto al “hueco”. Caminan hasta allá y tal vez , luego de almorzar, se anime a teñirse el cabello gratis en una de las academias de Abancay.

Juan Carlos sigue tomando fotos en el Paseo de los Héroes: han llegado más clientes. Caras van y caras vienen.
Ella se entregó al agua oxigenada. Gracias a Dios, aun queda la foto de la primera: bella, genuina, con el cabello negro y las mejillas rosadas por el calor de la sierra.

Pilar Lozano Salas

Chamba es chamba
Con los clasificados bajo el brazo, ropa limpia y taco 8… salí a buscar trabajo....
Mi madre siempre me decía que se pueden perder muchas batallas , pero aun así ganar la guerra. Sólo hay que ser perseverantes y no dejarse amilanar en la primera derrota. Esa frase me acompaña mucho en éstos días en los que decidí aventurarme a buscar trabajo.
Era un domingo en la tarde y luego del almuerzo , como a todos, se me provocó recostarme en el sofá a leer algo o simplemente a dormir. Pero ese domingo no, luego de las indirectas de la mayor parte de mi familia decidí coger la sección de clasificados de un conocido diario limeño y empezar a buscar trabajo.
Así, resaltador en mano me senté cómodamente en la mesa del comedor y fui leyendo uno a uno los avisos que me sorprendieron por la complejidad de sus requerimientos. Pocos eran los que solicitaban periodistas o redactores. Cosa que me hizo terminar de hacer una lista de recorridos para el lunes con mucha facilidad: San Borja, San Isidro, Lince, Lima. Listo.
Luego, y por si acaso, empecé a ver trabajos de otro tipo, lo importante es conseguir trabajo fijo. Desde vendedores, repartidores, hasta de nana, todos. Dije de lo que sea. Todos, absolutamente todos, requerían experiencia, pero no excederse de 23 años. Y quiero saber donde un joven de 23 años adquiere experiencia tan rápido.

Lo que importa es lo de adentro....
Otro factor que me sorprendió fue el ver siempre una frase ultra conocida: se requiere buena presencia y hasta un prototipo A-1. Y desde cuando alguien decide qué es tener buena presencia. Y , en todo caso una persona A- 1 jamás buscará trabajo en los clasificados. Por si acaso creo que ellos ya tienen trabajo con sus respectivas empresas. No me imagino a una Miró Quesada o una Graña buscando trabajo de recepcionista en el centro de Lima.



Ahora llegó el turno de las masajistas. La cantidad de avisos es impresionante y los sueldos que ofrecen aun más. No voy a negar que sentí curiosidad y que una o dos ideas morbosas cruzaron por mi mente. Pero el problema es que no sé nada de masajes y tampoco creo que las que dan esos “masajes” sepan algo. Que asco pensé en mi cabeza. ¿Y si me toca un viejo verde?... no, mejor no me meto en camisas de once varas...

El Día D
Salí el lunes muy temprano, el martes media hora después, el miércoles, el jueves... y finalmente el viernes. Ese bendito viernes. La chamba era mía , me habían llamado dos veces y pues por teléfono habíamos hablado de sueldo. Hasta me fui en taxi por temor de llegar tarde. Abrí la puerta , dejé mi DNI. Había una chica que como yo buscaba el puesto.... Nos sonreímos hipócritamente . En ese momento ella era mi enemiga.
Pasamos a la oficina y allí las dos fuimos expuestas a varias preguntas de todo tipo: a mi me gusta la lectura, a ella también. Yo sé trabajar bajo presión, ella también. Yo había terminado la carrera, ella también. Yo hablaba inglés, ella también. Yo, manejaba el entorno de Windows, ella también. Yo sé hablar francés, ella también. Yo tengo experiencia de dos años, ella también. Cuando se nos acababan los méritos, llegó otra chica: apellido importante, con pinta de niña mimada. Tenía carta de recomendación de su tío. Ella ocupó la plaza. Sarita Colonia no me hizo el milagro.
Sigo buscando trabajo. Si saben algo, me avisan.
© Pilar Lozano Salas