Varsity Network Lockdown Issue

MAY 24

Varsity INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE

HEALTH INSIGHTS Oxford University and Moderna lead the COVID-19 vaccine search

University of Capetown student invents a smart UVC sanitizer

Varsity

MAY 24

Varsity LOCKDOWN EDITION

CONTENTS COVID-19 WATCH

IN THIS EDITION

Wha we have for your

Nulla quis dui quis ante fermentum

8

MODERNA AND OXFORD VACCINE

Science of Depression and more

GROUP LEAD VACCINE SEARCH

Dive into the hot topics on worldwide

Learn more in a fun way

AMAZING HEADLINE TO KICKSTART YOUR DAY

The storms often get stronger with time but this is not the solution of your problems.

EDITOR’S NOTE To empower all University students all over the world is the top priority of Varsity Network Magazine. To bring together the great minds of University students through linking all the Universities in the world into one network is our drive. Innovation is key to the moving forward of the world as a whole hence bringing together students from different Universities has an end result of a better future. The magazine is a tool crafted to encourage all students to express themselves in ways which help other students and the society around them. All articles in the magazine are aimed at adding value to the society. Varsity Network Magazine is not just a compellation of articles but it is a hub which students use to showcase their talents with the world, it is the voice-box for students to tell the world about all their ideas hence Varsity Network Magazine is an innovation hub in writing.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA editorial@varsitynetwork.co.zw varsitynetworkmag varsity_network_official

Dumisani Mvula(CUT, Zimbabwe)

Lead Editor

Varsity NETWORK

CONTRIBUTORS SPECIAL THANKS TO A GREAT TEAM WE HAVE HERE AT VARSITY NETWORK FOR YET ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PUBLICATION

EDISON MUROMBE CO-FROUNDER,TELECOMMS Engs Zimbabwe

TINASHE MAHWENDA DESIGNER,MICROSOFT CLOUD ACADEMY Zimbabwe

DUMISANI MVULA LEAD EDITOR,MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY Zimbabwe

ANSELM NNAMEKA WESTERN AFFAIRS CO-ORDINATOR Nigeria

MONALISA KATENGE AUTHOR,CHINHOYI UNIVERSITY OF TECH Zimbabwe

MARY CYNTHIA AMARACHUKWU AUTHOR, ENUNGU STATE UNIVERSITYV Nigeria

HENRY CHIZOBA AUTHOR,EBONYI STATE UNIVERSITY Nigeria

FORBEARANCE MARINGAPASI AUTHOR, MICROSOFT CLOUD ACADEMY Zimbabwe

GABRIELLA ONYINYECHI AUTHOR,EBONYI STATE UNIVERSITY Nigeria

VICTOR ANIGBO AUTHOR, EBONYI STATE UNIVERSITY Nigeria

VIVIAN OTUBO UCHECHI AUTHOR Nigeria

Varsity COVID-WATCH Insights

COVID-19

COUNTRIES AFFECTED THE MOST BY CORONAVIRUS AS AT MAY 24

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

RUSSIA

TOTAL INFECTED.......................1.6million

TOTAL INFECTED.......................344k

TOTAL RECOVERED..................230k

TOTAL RECOVERED..................113k

TOTAL DEATH...............................97k

TOTAL DEATH...............................3.5k

SPAIN

BRAZIL

TOTAL INFECTED.......................235k

TOTAL INFECTED.......................350k

TOTAL RECOVERED..................150k

TOTAL RECOVERED..................142k

TOTAL DEATH...............................28k

TOTAL DEATH...............................22k

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VACCINE UPDATE

Will we get the vaccine in time?

Massachusetts based medical company Moderna Inc. has fast tracked developments and testing of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine called mRNA-1273. On May 19, 2020 Moderna announced that all 45 people given its trial vaccine had created immune responses that could help them from Coronavirus.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the national Institute on Allergy and Infectious Disease said he was “cautiously optimistic about it�

The phase I study of the vaccine was designed to assess the safety, tolerability and ability to induce an immune response at three dose levels.

12

VACCINES AT HUMAN TRIALS AROUND THE WORLD

MODERNA AND OXFORD ARE LEADING THE VACCINE PURSUIT

Its collaborator at the (NIAID) were already working on an experimental syndrome the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) which targeted closely related coronavirus spike protein. Moderna and its collaborators got a head start when the SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequence became available.

Moderna announced that the interim phase I data showed that mRNA-1273 was generally safe and well tolerated except for minor redness and swelling at higher doses. During the 6-week study, no volunteers faced any life-threatening sideeffects.

However, while Moderna blitzed the media, it revealed little information and most of what they disclosed were words not numbers. Scientists are much interested in data tables not corporate statements as they have insisted that numbers speak louder than words. Will this be the answer to the Coronavirus pandemic or its another catch-22 situation, only data will tell!

Drug giant, Pfizer partnered with BioNTech

Moderna Inc patnered with vaccine manufacturer LONZA GROUP

Oxford Vaccine Group Partnered with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca

8

Oxford Vaccine Group on Friday announced that its vaccine trial, the AZD122 or ChAdOxl1 nCoV19 clinical study was progressing well amid vaccine trials. The vaccine was first tested on two humans on the 23rd of April in Oxford following results on six macaque monkeys in the US in March.

million doses for about 1.2 billion dollars.

According to statistics,1000 people have been given the trail vaccine in UK. Children and adults over 55 have been excluded from the trials. The program will inoculate 10 000 people between May and June.

The world largest vaccine maker from India, Serum Institute said it would manufacture 40 million trial.

The group also tipped that the results will be rolled out soon but due to outside factors it could take up to 6 months.

Oxford Vaccine Group Partnered with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and on Thursday US government agreed to buy 300

According Associated Press, there are 12 vaccines in development around the world have reached human trial stage. Experts working on the Oxford vaccine said on April 11 that the earliest it could be ready was September.

Drug giant, Pfizer also partnered with BioNtech and they began trialing its BTN162 vaccine on 5 May. Pfizer is yet to release its preliminary results.

Although there is lots of progress regarding the vaccine trials, there are concerns that even when the vaccine becomes available, a global rollout will be affected by shortage of package materials necessary to distribute the vaccine.

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COVID-19

TOP AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES RESPOND TO THE GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA,SOUTH AFRICA

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN,SOUTH AFRICA

UP is leading a South African Medical Research Council study on the development of rapid COVID-`19 test methods. It is also working on a project objec�ve of accurately es�ma�ng the effects of an�viral treatments on in-hospital motality

Scien�sts at the Biopharming Research Unit at the University of Cape Town are using the DNA and poxvirus and cell culture and plant produc�on approaches to develop candidate vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 S protein and its related genes.

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA,GHANA

ADDIS ABBABA UNIVERSITY

UG researchers have successfully sequenced the genome of the coronavirus in Ghana. This was achieved through collabora�on between scien�sts from the Noguchi Memorial Ins�tute for Medical Research and the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infec�ous Pathogens

Researchers comprising of facul�es from different colleges and research ins�tutes are focusing on certain areas including psychosocial and economic impacts, epidemiological and clinical, molecular epidemiology, vaccines and diagnos�cs development.

Meanwhile, other two faculty members from the Associa�on of African Universi�es formed part of the COVID-19 Clinical Research Coali�on, which aims to accelerate research on the preven�on and treatment of COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries. Research conducted by Makerere University in Uganda has detected coronaviruses in bats which live near humans in Rwanda, while studies by researchers at the University of Nairobi in Kenya have found that 10% of bats carry coronaviruses.

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WHO rolling latest updates on researches on Coronavirus DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

pre-exis�ng

An increase in symptoms of

condi�ons are all at par�cular

respiratory

depression and anxiety are

risk.

alcohol

diabetes which put people with

already being reported in a

consump�on is another area of

these condi�ons at higher risk

number of countries in rela�on to the COVID-19 pandemic. A

A

mental rise

in

health

concern for mental health experts.

cardiovascular disease, cancer, disease

and

for developing severe illness when affected by COVID-19.

study in Ethiopia in April 2020

TOBACCO AND NICOTINE

reported a 3-fold increase in

COVID-19

the prevalence of symptoms of

disease that primarily affects

WHO's

depression

to

the lungs. Smoking impairs lung

Maternal, Newborn, Child

es�mates from before the

func�on making it harder for

and

epidemic.

the

compared

is

body

coronaviruses

an

to

infec�ous

fight and

off other

Frontline health-care workers,

diseases. Tobacco is also a

women, children, adolescents,

major risk factor for non-

older persons and people with

communicable diseases like

10

Dr Pura Rayco-Solon, from Department Adolescent

of

Health,

emphasised that there is no evidence so far that the virus is transmitted through breastfeeding.

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Varsity TECHNOLOGY Insights

UCT student invents a smart UVC light sanitizer In response to Professor Amit Mishra’s challenge to engineering students to design devices to help counter COVID-19, University of Cape Town (UCT) electrical engineering student Rowyn Naidoo is close to finalising the design of an affordable, smart short-wavelength ultraviolet-C (UVC) light system that disinfects surfaces, the air and large rooms – and even face masks, making them reusable.

In taking up Mishra’s challenge, the UCT senior undergraduate student started by looking at his own campus: the now empty classrooms, lecture halls and other large spaces, expanding on his long-held interest in science and technology.

“I took the route of how we can destroy or inac�vate the actual viruses that are around on a large scale, with a view towards ge�ng our campuses and similar spaces func�oning normally, but safely,” said Naidoo.

UVC light is effec�ve in killing other viruses and micro-organisms in and on our surroundings. It does this by destroying

ROWYN NAIDOO

nucleic acids and disrup�ng their DNA. Here Naidoo cites research by the IES Photobiology Commi�ee in a freely available report on germicidal ultraviolet radia�on (IES 2020). The report has been welcomed as “a counterpoint to informa�on appearing in social media, the popular press, and in shady sales literature”.

The report states that the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) can be rendered non-infec�ous with the applica�on of UVC radia�on because “it damages its RNA sequence, breaking its bonds in a way that stops its ability to replicate. Colloquially, it may be said that UVC radia�on ‘kills’ the virus that causes COVID-19.”

Read more here 12

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Varsity HEALTH VAULT Insights

HEALTH INSIGHTS FORBEARANCE M.

The anatomy of caffeine headaches Caffeine headaches are headaches caused by

caffeine consumption. It can develop in as little as

caffeine consumption. These headaches are

a few days of drinking lattes or other drinks with

usually felt behind the eyes and can range from

caffeine. However, most caffeine withdrawal

mild to debilitating. Caffeine is a naturally

headaches are a result of consuming 500

occurring stimulant found in coffee, tea, yerba

milligrams of caffeine or more per day for two

mate, and chocolate, and it is added to many

weeks or longer before reducing or eliminating

sodas and colas. Surprisingly there are other

caffeine in the diet. Caffeine reductions can

sources that contain caffeine that most people

trigger a rebound effect, causing blood vessels to

not even aware of. This include Decaffeinated

widen. This reaction is significant because blood

Coffee which are given these titles to misled

vessels tend to enlarge before the onset of

people also do contain caffeine. Other sources

certain types of headache. People who consume

include chocolate, Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt

caffeine regularly tend to develop more of these

and breakfast cereals.

adenosine receptors, making them more likely to

Although too much caffeine can cause headaches, the most common cause of caffeine headaches is

develop a headache when they stop drinking caffeine.

caffeine withdrawal. Caffeine withdrawal occurs

Many food and drink products now contain

when you have developed a caffeine addiction

added caffeine to enhance their stimulating

and then you suddenly reduce or eliminate your

effects, such as jellybeans, waffles, syrup, and

caffeine consumption. Caffeine addiction is not

chewing gum.

necessarily the result of long-term or high-level

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PHYSICAL FITNESS CAN HELP YOU COPE WITH DEPRESSION

W

hen you’re depressed, just getting out of bed can seem like a daunting task, let alone working

out! But exercise is a powerful depression fighter—and one of the most important tools in your recovery arsenal. Research shows that regular exercise can be as effective as medication for relieving depression symptoms. It also helps prevent relapse once you’re well. To get the most benefit, aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. This doesn’t have to be all at once—and it’s okay to start small. A 10-minute walk can improve

Add a mindfulness element, especially if your depression is

your mood for two hours.

rooted in unresolved trauma or fed by obsessive, negative thoughts. Focus on small things like how your body feels as

Your fatigue will improve if you stick with it.

Starting to exercise can be difficult when you’re depressed and feeling exhausted. But

you move—such as the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, or the feeling of the wind on your skin, or the rhythm of your breathing.

research shows that your energy levels will improve if you keep with it. Exercise will help

Pair up with an exercise partner. Not only does working out

you to feel energized and less fatigued, not

with others enable you to spend time socializing, it can also

more.

help to keep you motivated. Try joining a running club, taking a water aerobics or dance class, seeking out tennis

You can find exercises that are continuous and

partners, or enrolling in a soccer or volleyball league.

rhythmic. The most benefits for depression come from rhythmic exercise—such as

My fitness coach always told me that your physical fitness

walking, weight training, swimming, martial

determines your mental toughness and it seems to be a

arts, or dancing—where you move both your

whole lot true!

arms and legs

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CONTACT +234 810 894 4637

ETHERIUM MILLION MONEY SMART CONTRACT OFFERS YOU WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME FINANCIALLY BOUYANT THROUGHT CROWD FUNDING! 17

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Varsity CAREER WATCH Insights

MARY CHUKWUMA

A DATE WITH MICROBIOLOGY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Microbiology is the scientific study of these microorganisms. Microorganisms are organisms that are too small to see with the naked eye and include things like bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Microbiologists study these organisms using tools, like

microscopes,

genetics,

and

culturing.

Microscopes allow scientists to magnify microbial cells

that

are

otherwise

too

small

to

see.

Microbiologists study microorganisms such as parasites, viruses, algae, fungi, and some types of bacteria.

Work

Environment:

laboratories

and

Microbiologists

offices,

where

they

work

in

conduct

scientific experiments and analyze the results. Most microbiologists work full time and keep regular hours. How to Become One: A bachelor’s degree in microbiology or a closely related field is needed for entry-level microbiologist jobs. A Ph.D. is typically needed to carry out independent research and to work in colleges and universities Job Outlook: Employment of microbiologists is projected to grow 5 percent over the next ten years, about as fast as the average for all occupations. More

MEDIAN SALARY: USD$72K

microbiologists will be needed to contribute to basic research, solve problems encountered in industrial production processes, and monitor environmental conditions to ensure public health and safety.

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HEALTH SCIENCE ANSELM NNAEMEKA

Health sciences – are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Because these two subject matter relate to multiple academic disciplines, both STEM disciplines as well as emerging patient safety disciplines (such as social care research) are relevant to current health scientific knowledge. Health sciences knowledge bases are currently diverse, with intellectual foundations which are sometimes mutually inconsistent. There is currently an existing bias in the field, towards high valuation of knowledge deriving from controlling views on human agency (as epitomized by the epistemological basis of Randomized Control Trial designs); compare this against the more naturalistic views on human agency taken by research based on Ethnography for example).

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VINTAGE GEEKS BY GAB: DR GERTRUDE ELION NAME: GERTRUDE ELION CAREER: BIOCHEMIST & PHAMACOLOGIST ERA: 1918-1999

studying the chemical composition of diseased cells.

American biochemist and pharmacologist

Rather than relying on trial- and - error methods, they

Gertrude B. Elion helped develop drugs to

used the difference in biochemistry between normal

treat leukemia and prevent kidney plant

human cells and pathogens to design drugs that

rejection.

could block viral infections. Elion and her team's

She

won

a

Nobel

prize

for Medicine in 1988.

research led to the mitigation of condition such as

The start of world war II created more

ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and developed

opportunities for women in industry. Elion

drugs that combat malaria, urinary tract infections,

was able to obtain a few quantities - control

gout, kidney stones, developed AIDS medicine and

jobs

the first antiviral drug (acyclovir) and treatments to

in

food

and

consumer

product at

reduce the body's rejection of foreign tissue in kidney

Burroughs-welcome (now GlaxoSmithKline)

transplants between unrelated donors. She played a

in 1944, where she Bagan a 40-year

major role in development of Mercaptopurine, a drug

partnership with Dr George H. Hitchings.

that changed the childhood leukemia from death

Her thirst for knowledge impressed Dr

sentence to a condition that many children survive. In

George H. Hitchings and he permitted her

all, Elion developed 45 patents in Medicine and

to take on more responsibility.

awarded 23 honorary degrees.

companies

Elion

and

before

Hitchings

being

set

hired

out

on

an

unorthodox course of creating medicines by 22

Read more here varsitynetwork.co.zw

Varsity LIFESTYLE Insights

EXTRA VAULT

MONALISA KATENGE

How to build a strong and Every love life has its story, ups and downs. The storms often get stronger with time but this is not the solution of your problems. Well it all come s down to little things that you all have to work on and joy your love life.

Every successful relationship is built upon a strong foundation of essential ingredients. These ingredients help to support the relationship through ups and downs of life. It doesn’t matter that you have been in a relationship for many years or you have just started a relationship. Even if you have experienced a lot of disappointing relationships in the past or you have struggled to rekindle the romance in your current relationship. There is always a way to connect, fulfill and enjoy a lasting relationship.

What you want in a relationship and where you want it to go defines a healthy relationship. You should have a goal and values in your relationship. This goal is achieved by two different people and they have to come up with one thing. Knowing the basic principle can help your relationship to be meaningful, exciting and helps you to fulfil whatever goal you’re working towards and face the challenges without fear.

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LIFESTYLE

YALE: THE UNIVERSITY WITH THE HAPPIEST FRESHMEN IN THE WORLD Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, founded in 1701. The university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,405, a freshman retention rate of 99 percent, and a student/faculty ratio of 6:1. Yale's distinctive residential system divides the undergraduate population into twelve separate college communities of approximately 450 members each, which enables students both the intimacy of a small college environment and the vast resources of a major research university. Yale is well known for its secret societies, the most famous of which is Skull and Bones. Yale's buildings, towers, lawns, courtyards, walkways, gates, and arches comprise what one architecture critic calls "the most beautiful urban campus in America." collegechoice.net

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FIVE WAYS TO FRESHEN UP YOUR DORM ROOM DUMISANI MVULA Vault Columnist FRESHEN UP WITH FLOWERS Plants are a great way to make any room feel like home, fresh flowers are an easy way to add color to a dorm room.

DECORATE YOUR WALLS Claim your wall space in a big way, you can do so much with your dorm room walls.

Cover the walls of your dorm with prints or frames with pictures of friends and family.

Home Tricks GET A COMFY CHAIR A small corner of your room can become nice place to add a comfortable chair to chill out after a rough day. The chair is a good place to sit when studying.

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WARM UP YOUR FLOOR A rug underfoot makes getting up in the morning just a bit better especially if you have a cold, hard concrete floor in your dorm.

You can go bigger for more comfort especially when studying.

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Electrical Services

For all your electrical installations general merchandise and general contractors

Commercial & Domestic Maintanances Repairs

Want to get more insights,please contact our engineering team Onele George Nelson(DIRECTOR) 090 373 43777 070 867 59434

Varsity EXTRA-VAULT Insights

ANTI SUICIDAL STACK YOUR ULTIMATE SURVIVAL GUIDE TO FIGHT SUICIDAL THOUHTS LEVEL 1

STEP ONE

IDENTIFY

Identify triggers or situations that lead to feelings of despair or generate suicidal thoughts, such as an anniversary of a loss, alcohol, or stress from relationships. Find ways to avoid these places, people, or situations.

STEP TWO

DEVELOP

Develop new activities and interests. Find new hobbies, volunteer activities, join an action club orwork that gives you a sense of meaning and purpose. When you’re doing things you find fulfilling, you’ll feel better about yourself and feelings of despair are less likely to return.

STEP THREE

CARE

Take care of yourself -Eat right, don’t skip meals, and get plenty of sleep. Exercising and doing workouts is also key;it releases endorphins, relieves stress, and promotes emotional well-being

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HOW I TRANSFORMED MY LIFE The power of starting now!

There is this famous saying, “Procrastination is

postponed to a later date to be announced. My

the thief of time.� There is never the right time

monthly rentals were due so were my monthly

to start working on something. Now is the right

expenses which came with renting my own space

time to start working on that project, business,

since I had moved out of my parents place a year

working out, eating right, removing the toxic

ago. My monthly salary had been delayed, my

people from your life that is evaluating your life

expenses did not care about that, I still wanted to

in all aspects.

eat, dress, bath and do all of the basic stuff a

Evaluate your life, for God's sakes it is your life after all you have the right to add and remove anyone you deem necessary and unnecessary

human being requires to survive. It was official, I was in a financial crisis from my own making and decisions I had made.

respectively.

As a young lady, I have always pushed things to a later date in the mere future for me to start working on something. Guess what, that time never arrived at all. I have seen my friends grow,

That moment opened a new version of my life that I never thought existed. I felt a strong need to look for money, search for it and grab it if it was going to be the case.

family build, workmates quit their 9-5 jobs as I went through my daily routine thinking and telling myself that the RIGHT time or MY time will come. Time stands for no fool, it is our choice to make use of the time available to us. It was up until one day when my landlord came on pouncing at my door asking for the monthly rental when reality kicked in that I actually had no income generating hustle of my own. I had no business, project, hustle, work in progress in

There came a point in my life that I grabbed every opportunity life threw at me. I did not care, plan, evaluate, critic other decisions I made but just went all in. I did not have an option because leaving my cozy apartment and herding back home was not even an option so I decided to start working on my dreams. I went all in, gave it my everything

from

time,

effort

and

available

resources.

my name. I had solely been depending on my 95

job’s

30

salary

which

had

been

currently

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I started working on my blog though I had zero

mind to build our dreams and start working on

experience and doubt creeping in but I

them right now as this is the right time to start.

managed to pull through. Always know that once one sets their mind on something, absolutely nothing will be able to crush or destroy that idea or dream you would have thought of. The mind carries the strongest ability to influence the body on acting upon it.

Therefore, no one can destroy what you set your mind on unless the same mind which built

No one was born an expert, life is all about exploration hence discover, fall, learn and come back on your feet motivated to try again this time the right way. You will never be able to distinguish between the right or wrong way of doing something if you do not attempt. Make that attempt, learn from it and do it now the right way correcting the previous mistakes.

the dream decides to switch off and destroy the same dream. Each and everyone of us carries the ability to either produce (build) or destroy

EXTRA-VAULT

our dreams. It is therefore our ability to use the

Tecla Masangunza

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