Recag/C4_21 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Individually, it's the most talented team in the World Cup. But collectively, it's struggling to piece together a convincing win. Looks like a neat - if not the best - way of describing the Pakistan team presently playing in South Africa.
The team has in its ranks the best bowler the abridged version of the game has ever seen -- Wasim Akram. Recently, he crossed the 500-wicket mark as well. Skipper Waqar Younis is second behind Akram on the all-time wicket-takers list with more than 400 victims.
The batsman who's credited with the highest individual score ever in the game is also in this team - Saeed Anwar with the masterly knock against India in that one-dayer at Chennai.
The batsman who has scored the fastest hundred ever in one-dayers -- Shahid Afridi --- is also there. Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq who invented the 'doosra' -- the delivery that has become the most talked about in present times --- is in the pack. The batsman who almost single-handedly won Pakistan the Cup in 1992 -- Inzamam-ul-Haq -- is still around. The fastest bowler the game has ever seen, Shoaib Akhtar, -- he crossed the 100 mph barrier recently -- is also very much there.
With so many star performers, Pakistan are still playing disorderly, unplanned, chaotic cricket. But why do we want to talk about the Pakistan team at all? The Indians are on a tremendous roll and that's what matters. If Pakistan are playing poor cricket that's their problem.
But sheer, raw, bristling talent cannot be totally ignored - even if the team that possesses it happens to be India's principal foe.
So there has to be some reason for the current chaos in the Pakistan camp. It's no secret that Akram wanted to lead the team in his last Cup. It's also no secret that the current captain did not want Akram and some others in this team. It is also common knowledge now, that Anwar would much rather be elsewhere.
The team also has in its midst the match-fixing whistle-blower who landed most of his teammates in trouble --Rashid Latif. His mere presence could be unnerving for some of the players. Given the current wretched form of the batsmen, Akram would be wishing his buddy Moin Khan were there, even if purely as a batsman.
After inventing the doosra the talented Saqlain forgot the pehla as it were. Inzamam got so fixated with losing weight that he lost touch with the bat. And the tearaway Akhtar got so absorbed in crossing the 100-mile barrier he lost his lethal yorker.
So, has this talented bunch been reduced to the status of non-performers?
For India's sake it is to be hoped that Pakistan continue to flounder in the chaos and confusion that they themselves have created. At least for one more match. But conversely, a clash with their traditional rivals could be just the spark that could ignite the passions of the Pakistan players and bring them together in an India-like huddle on the field.
For a complete list of canada.com RSS feeds, or to create your own, go here.
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Note: If you select this option you can use your own CSS for formatting. See script output for class names.
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© 2007 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
That’s good, because home buyers are coming out to see what is on the market.
Q: Last Monday the temperature reached 50 degrees, the sun was out and State College was bustling. Is this the time of year you start getting more calls from people looking to buy a house?
A: Spring is a busy time, and we call it the busy time. A lot of it is weather-driven. I remember back about five years ago in the first week of January it was in the 50s, and I sold over 10 homes in 10 days. Then, we had another storm, and it really slowed down. After the holiday season, people always wait for good weather, and this past week it reached 58 degrees versus -8 degrees 10 days ago, so it’s just very brisk, very active in real estate.
Q: How does the real estate market change seasonally?
A: It does change, there are about two to three changes. Here, in the spring is the big push. A lot of people buy houses now to close in April or May, because a lot of people like to be settled in before school starts in September. August is also a big close closing month, but August and September are usually not the best time when people are buying houses. The weather can still be nice and sometimes too hot, but people have already had things in line for school in September. It will then get a little busy again, but slow down a little over the holiday season, but not always. It depends on the weather.
Q: When is the best time of the year to be a buyer? And, on the flip side, a seller?
A: The best time to buy financially is typically from Oct. 31 to the end of February, because you’re coming into what we call the tail end of the season. Someone’s house may have been put on the market in May, June or July, and they missed that brisk market. Maybe their price was too high, so the buyer should be looking in that time period. Plus, people want to sell, because they don’t want to winterize their house and pay for heat. The buyers that want to make the best financial decisions and make good deals can do it in that time period. The downside is that there’s not always a lot of inventory to pick from.
For sellers, the best time to sell is now, now, now. Right now is the good time to sell for multiple reasons. Inventory of our Centre County houses are low right now, and interest rates are low.
Q: I once heard the best time to make an offer is on a Tuesday. Is there ever a right time of the week to make an offer?
A: I’ve never heard of the best time of the week to make an offer. The busiest day for me is Monday, because I’ll take care of things that happened all weekend. The second busiest day is Friday to get ready for the weekend, because I’m lining up all my shows. Those that wait until Tuesday may have lost the opportunity to by that house, because if I showed it on the weekend I’m writing it Monday. If you wait, you may lose it. Real estate is like a pair of shoes — it has to fit, it has to be comfortable, and if it’s comfortable you buy it.
Q: What’s the shortest and longest time that one of your houses has been on the market?
A: The longest I’ve probably ever had a property on the market was about two and a half years. It was a very unique property that needed a lot of TLC. There was a lot of upgrading and deferred maintenance. A lot of people today like everything ready to go now. They don’t like to go in there thinking they have to paint all weekend, that they need to redo roofing and cut shrubs and trees and all the things that need done on deferred maintenance. People want to move in and relax.
The shortest? I think I had it on for about an hour and a half, because every Tuesday we have a sales meeting, then we go on properties that have just been listed. I had just listed a real nice stone duplex in College Heights near the golf course, and another real estate agent happened to be there. She looked at it and gave me an offer, full price obviously, and it was sold.
Q: Any funny stories about selling a house?
A: Oh, yeah. I sold a house in Penns Valley, and the people were moving to Syracuse. They had about nine chickens and an old dog. We got an offer, but part of the negotiations were the nine chickens and the dog had to stay with that house. The people said, “What are going to do with nine chickens and a dog?” I told them they could start collecting eggs, and they’d have a watch dog. It ended up the chickens and dog were included in the sale.
New energy standards will improve quality and reduce costs.
must begin preparing now for added building costs – approximately $2,290 per home, according to data from the California Energy Commission. However, the investment will pay off handsomely in the form of impressive energy and cash savings for the long haul.
With the necessity for greater energy savings on the rise and a widespread desire among homeowners to cut back on utility costs, the state’s new regulations signal an important step forward in sustainable building. Indeed, as Bob Raymer of the California Building Industry Association tells the Journal, when it comes to energy efficiency and conservation, “if this were a mile race, we just lapped the rest of the country.” The California Energy Commission reports that the energy upgrades will yield $6,200 in energy savings over a 30-year period. And in addition to monetary savings, there are the intangible benefits of more efficient buildings to consider as well – including longer-lasting materials, greater temperature control and a reduced need for resource-sapping air conditioning and heating systems.
LED lighting serves as a clear example of this phenomenon. While the initial upfront cost of LED lights is higher than that of conventional bulbs, the products last fifty times longer than their less-efficient counterparts. They also produce less heat while in use; and by reducing added heat with the home, the LED lights subsequently help lessen demand for indoor cooling, making the entire structure more energy efficient overall.
is the ideal source for everything from expert consulting to project management to complete design and building services.
Neil Lennon says it is "an honour" to have been asked to manage Celtic for a second time after Brendan Rodgers completed his move to Leicester City.
Lennon, 47, will take charge until the end of the season, starting with Wednesday's Scottish Premiership game against Hearts at Tynecastle.
The Northern Irishman returns to the club he led to three titles from 2011, having left Hibernian last month.
"This is a club which has been a huge part of my life already," Lennon said.
Lennon, who will be assisted by current first-team coach John Kennedy and former Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff, also won two Scottish Cups during four years at Celtic Park.
Prior to that, the former midfielder made 214 appearances for the club in a seven-year spell before leaving in 2007.
"There's a chasm to fill with Brendan leaving," Lennon told Celtic TV.
"He's done a remarkable job, but I'm here for the club. The club comes first as do the players. I want to bring as much success during my time here as I possibly can.
"All I want to do is carry that on - it's not broken and I'm not coming in and looking to revolutionise anything."
Rodgers has signed a contract with Leicester until June 2022 and succeeds Claude Puel, who was sacked on Sunday after 16 months in charge.
It marks a Premier League return for Rodgers, who previously managed Liverpool and Swansea City.
Lennon, meanwhile, left Hibs in controversial circumstances in January, with the Scottish Premiership side saying he had "not been dismissed" and had "not resigned".
He left Celtic in 2014, before an ill-fated stint with Bolton Wanderers in the English Championship.
"In bringing Neil back until the end of the season, we have appointed a man who knows what it means to be Celtic manager and someone who knows how to win," Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said.
"We know he has the commitment and desire needed to face the challenges ahead.
"We are delighted to also promote John Kennedy to assistant manager and bring Damien Duff into our first-team management group. This will bring vital continuity and allow us to build on Brendan's legacy."
It's very good from a Celtic point of view that they've been able to bring in someone so quickly to steady the ship. As a player, you always want to know and see your leader and to have someone come in straight away. There are still players there who had Neil as a manager and I'm sure they'll be sending the message out to the other players as to what type of manager he is.
What he knows about that football club is everything, so I think at this moment in time it's the perfect appointment. I can't imagine him coming in and changing too much. I think he'll just go with what has been successful and the man-management skills he's got are key in the run-in to the end of the season.
Lucille Atiamuga makes “high-end” jewellery for local and American markets.
She is now looking to expand into European, Asian and African countries.
She briskly steps into the makeshift workshop to start her day.
Lucille Atiamuga is carrying a bag, not for keeping beauty accessories, but her tools of trade that include pliers, chisels, light hammer, and screw drivers.
Set behind a residential building, the workshop could easily pass for an extended store outside the main house. However, when she opens the metal door, you instantly fall in love with what you see; beautiful pieces of handmade jewellery hang on the wall.
“We specialise in both men and women jewellery and each piece is chosen with care and attention. We love being part of our clients’ special moments and helping them choose the perfect gift is at the heart of what we do in this workshop,” says Ms Atiamuga, 34.
She makes “high-end” jewellery for local and American markets and is looking to expand into European, Asian and African countries.
Interestingly, Ms Atiamuga, who is the founder of Lukagwa African Art and Jewellers, is a trained lawyer from the University of Nairobi and holds a bachelor’s degree in law.
However, she has put law practice on the back burner as she seeks to quench her thirst for creative art.
“I am an advocate of the High Court but I have never practiced since I was admitted to bar in 2012. My last court appearance was during my pupilage,” she notes.
She is a self-taught creative artist, with the idea taking root in 2007 when she was a second year student at the university.
“I had a passion for art as my parents were buying artefacts at Maasai market and selling them overseas,” she says.
She would also buy artefacts at Maasai market, Nairobi, and many students would ask her where she got them.
“I realised there was a lot of demand for artefacts amongst the students and I saw this as a ready-made market,” she says.
“This is what led to the birth of African Art and Jewellers ,” says Ms Atiamuga.
She has no regrets about ditching law, she says. “Many people are shocked when they see me in a workshop, wonder ing why I am wasting my legal brains instead of arguing cases in courtroom. When I tell them I am happy doing this kind of work they still don’t believe it,” Ms Atiamuga explains.
She says she takes her creative work “every bit as seriously as a lawyer in a courtroom”.
Her workshop off the noisy and busy Likoni Road in Nairobi’s Industrial Area has everything you could want from brooches, rings, anklets, lockets, bangles, wedding rings, earrings, bracelets, neckties, cufflinks to statement necklaces.
The entrepreneur is capitalising on the social media platforms to market her products and has opened an online store where one could browse a range of jewellery.
“There is a great demand for local jewellery in American markets and this inspires me to push harder,” Ms Atiamuga told Enterprise.
Her products sell for between Sh4,000 and Sh10,000.
“On a good month I sell up to 30 pieces of jewellery,” she reveals.
The budding entrepreneur says she talked to two other colleagues who had passion for arts and they pooled resources to start the venture.
“Our seed capital was about Sh50,000, which we raised from our own savings, friends and family,” she says.
Ms Atiamuga attributes her success to faith in God, supportive family, friends, and “team players” who believe in her vision.
The venture started with one employee and the number has increased to five.
She advises young entrepreneurs wishing to start a similar venture to do thorough market research and find their niche.
She says her law degree has greatly helped her improve negotiating skills, as well as understand business regulations and how they affect her venture.
“I use my law skills to understand contracts. I have realised that the United States’ African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) is not all about apparel. It also caters for creative industry and I am exploiting its benefits,” she says.
She says one of the laws she would like strengthened is the Intellectual Property Act.
” The law is so vague it can’t protect my jewellery designs, which are prone to duplication by copycats,” she says.
One of the biggest challenges, she notes, is mistrust from the overseas clients who sometimes doubt whether the products will reach their destination.
“Doing market research is expensive, shipping charges are also high, and there is no good tracking system for items when in transit,” she says.
Her lowest moment since she started, she reveals is when she held a show in New York City but failed to clinch a single order.
The highest moment, she says, was when she did a roaring business at Village Market, Nairobi, despite the threat of Al-Shabaab attack.
” I feel so happy when clients come back and say they love with my products,” she says.
The entrepreneur says working from a Jua Kali shed has helped her cut costs.
“I have no pressure on rent. I use the savings to reinvest in the business,” she says.
Demand for freelance creatives has picked up steadily in the past two months, with one headhunter estimating that her firm’s placements have jumped 300 percent in the last month alone. Not surprisingly, the upswing, which follows a particularly slow summer, stems mainly from work created by the recent flurry of sizeable account reviews, such as those for UPS, Pizza Hut, Volkswagen of America and Cadillac, according to headhunters, agency leaders and freelancers.
Other headhunters, including Anne-Marie Marcus of Marcus St. Jean in New York, Susan Kirshenbaum of Greenberg Kirshenbaum in New York and Lucy Marino of The Creative Group in San Francisco, also confirmed a rise in freelance creative placements, though they were unable to quantify the gains.
The recent uptick comes against the backdrop of what had been a miserable year for freelancers. A perfect storm of massive layoffs combined with agency cuts in freelance spending, and a relative paucity of new business opportunities forced some freelancers to slash their day rates by as much as a third, and others to consider taking less lucrative staff jobs.

Individually, it's the most talented team in the World Cup. But collectively, it's struggling to piece together a convincing win. Looks like a neat - if not the best - way of describing the Pakistan team presently playing in South Africa.

The team has in its ranks the best bowler the abridged version of the game has ever seen -- Wasim Akram. Recently, he crossed the 500-wicket mark as well. Skipper Waqar Younis is second behind Akram on the all-time wicket-takers list with more than 400 victims.

The batsman who's credited with the highest individual score ever in the game is also in this team - Saeed Anwar with the masterly knock against India in that one-dayer at Chennai.

The batsman who has scored the fastest hundred ever in one-dayers -- Shahid Afridi --- is also there. Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq who invented the 'doosra' -- the delivery that has become the most talked about in present times --- is in the pack. The batsman who almost single-handedly won Pakistan the Cup in 1992 -- Inzamam-ul-Haq -- is still around. The fastest bowler the game has ever seen, Shoaib Akhtar, -- he crossed the 100 mph barrier recently -- is also very much there.

With so many star performers, Pakistan are still playing disorderly, unplanned, chaotic cricket. But why do we want to talk about the Pakistan team at all? The Indians are on a tremendous roll and that's what matters. If Pakistan are playing poor cricket that's their problem.

But sheer, raw, bristling talent cannot be totally ignored - even if the team that possesses it happens to be India's principal foe.

So there has to be some reason for the current chaos in the Pakistan camp. It's no secret that Akram wanted to lead the team in his last Cup. It's also no secret that the current captain did not want Akram and some others in this team. It is also common knowledge now, that Anwar would much rather be elsewhere.

The team also has in its midst the match-fixing whistle-blower who landed most of his teammates in trouble --Rashid Latif. His mere presence could be unnerving for some of the players. Given the current wretched form of the batsmen, Akram would be wishing his buddy Moin Khan were there, even if purely as a batsman.

After inventing the doosra the talented Saqlain forgot the pehla as it were. Inzamam got so fixated with losing weight that he lost touch with the bat. And the tearaway Akhtar got so absorbed in crossing the 100-mile barrier he lost his lethal yorker.

So, has this talented bunch been reduced to the status of non-performers?

For India's sake it is to be hoped that Pakistan continue to flounder in the chaos and confusion that they themselves have created. At least for one more match. But conversely, a clash with their traditional rivals could be just the spark that could ignite the passions of the Pakistan players and bring them together in an India-like huddle on the field.

For a complete list of canada.com RSS feeds, or to create your own, go here.

Note: If you do not specify a title then the title from the feed will be used.

Note: If you select this option you can use your own CSS for formatting. See script output for class names.

Make it easier for your users to access your content!

Placing a 'Add to my canada.com' button on your website helps promote your content and makes it easier for your users to access your RSS or ATOM feeds.

The form below will step you through the process of adding a button on your website. When your users click on the button your content will automatically start appearing on their personalized canada.com page.

Place the button on your site.

Click the Create HTML button on the left to generate a script to put on your website.

This site is a part of the canada.com Network.

That’s good, because home buyers are coming out to see what is on the market.

Q: Last Monday the temperature reached 50 degrees, the sun was out and State College was bustling. Is this the time of year you start getting more calls from people looking to buy a house?

A: Spring is a busy time, and we call it the busy time. A lot of it is weather-driven. I remember back about five years ago in the first week of January it was in the 50s, and I sold over 10 homes in 10 days. Then, we had another storm, and it really slowed down. After the holiday season, people always wait for good weather, and this past week it reached 58 degrees versus -8 degrees 10 days ago, so it’s just very brisk, very active in real estate.

Q: How does the real estate market change seasonally?

A: It does change, there are about two to three changes. Here, in the spring is the big push. A lot of people buy houses now to close in April or May, because a lot of people like to be settled in before school starts in September. August is also a big close closing month, but August and September are usually not the best time when people are buying houses. The weather can still be nice and sometimes too hot, but people have already had things in line for school in September. It will then get a little busy again, but slow down a little over the holiday season, but not always. It depends on the weather.

Q: When is the best time of the year to be a buyer? And, on the flip side, a seller?

A: The best time to buy financially is typically from Oct. 31 to the end of February, because you’re coming into what we call the tail end of the season. Someone’s house may have been put on the market in May, June or July, and they missed that brisk market. Maybe their price was too high, so the buyer should be looking in that time period. Plus, people want to sell, because they don’t want to winterize their house and pay for heat. The buyers that want to make the best financial decisions and make good deals can do it in that time period. The downside is that there’s not always a lot of inventory to pick from.

For sellers, the best time to sell is now, now, now. Right now is the good time to sell for multiple reasons. Inventory of our Centre County houses are low right now, and interest rates are low.

Q: I once heard the best time to make an offer is on a Tuesday. Is there ever a right time of the week to make an offer?

A: I’ve never heard of the best time of the week to make an offer. The busiest day for me is Monday, because I’ll take care of things that happened all weekend. The second busiest day is Friday to get ready for the weekend, because I’m lining up all my shows. Those that wait until Tuesday may have lost the opportunity to by that house, because if I showed it on the weekend I’m writing it Monday. If you wait, you may lose it. Real estate is like a pair of shoes — it has to fit, it has to be comfortable, and if it’s comfortable you buy it.

Q: What’s the shortest and longest time that one of your houses has been on the market?

A: The longest I’ve probably ever had a property on the market was about two and a half years. It was a very unique property that needed a lot of TLC. There was a lot of upgrading and deferred maintenance. A lot of people today like everything ready to go now. They don’t like to go in there thinking they have to paint all weekend, that they need to redo roofing and cut shrubs and trees and all the things that need done on deferred maintenance. People want to move in and relax.

The shortest? I think I had it on for about an hour and a half, because every Tuesday we have a sales meeting, then we go on properties that have just been listed. I had just listed a real nice stone duplex in College Heights near the golf course, and another real estate agent happened to be there. She looked at it and gave me an offer, full price obviously, and it was sold.

Q: Any funny stories about selling a house?

A: Oh, yeah. I sold a house in Penns Valley, and the people were moving to Syracuse. They had about nine chickens and an old dog. We got an offer, but part of the negotiations were the nine chickens and the dog had to stay with that house. The people said, “What are going to do with nine chickens and a dog?” I told them they could start collecting eggs, and they’d have a watch dog. It ended up the chickens and dog were included in the sale.

New energy standards will improve quality and reduce costs.

must begin preparing now for added building costs – approximately $2,290 per home, according to data from the California Energy Commission. However, the investment will pay off handsomely in the form of impressive energy and cash savings for the long haul.

With the necessity for greater energy savings on the rise and a widespread desire among homeowners to cut back on utility costs, the state’s new regulations signal an important step forward in sustainable building. Indeed, as Bob Raymer of the California Building Industry Association tells the Journal, when it comes to energy efficiency and conservation, “if this were a mile race, we just lapped the rest of the country.” The California Energy Commission reports that the energy upgrades will yield $6,200 in energy savings over a 30-year period. And in addition to monetary savings, there are the intangible benefits of more efficient buildings to consider as well – including longer-lasting materials, greater temperature control and a reduced need for resource-sapping air conditioning and heating systems.

LED lighting serves as a clear example of this phenomenon. While the initial upfront cost of LED lights is higher than that of conventional bulbs, the products last fifty times longer than their less-efficient counterparts. They also produce less heat while in use; and by reducing added heat with the home, the LED lights subsequently help lessen demand for indoor cooling, making the entire structure more energy efficient overall.

is the ideal source for everything from expert consulting to project management to complete design and building services.

Neil Lennon says it is "an honour" to have been asked to manage Celtic for a second time after Brendan Rodgers completed his move to Leicester City.

Lennon, 47, will take charge until the end of the season, starting with Wednesday's Scottish Premiership game against Hearts at Tynecastle.

The Northern Irishman returns to the club he led to three titles from 2011, having left Hibernian last month.

"This is a club which has been a huge part of my life already," Lennon said.

Lennon, who will be assisted by current first-team coach John Kennedy and former Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff, also won two Scottish Cups during four years at Celtic Park.

Prior to that, the former midfielder made 214 appearances for the club in a seven-year spell before leaving in 2007.

"There's a chasm to fill with Brendan leaving," Lennon told Celtic TV.

"He's done a remarkable job, but I'm here for the club. The club comes first as do the players. I want to bring as much success during my time here as I possibly can.

"All I want to do is carry that on - it's not broken and I'm not coming in and looking to revolutionise anything."

Rodgers has signed a contract with Leicester until June 2022 and succeeds Claude Puel, who was sacked on Sunday after 16 months in charge.

It marks a Premier League return for Rodgers, who previously managed Liverpool and Swansea City.

Lennon, meanwhile, left Hibs in controversial circumstances in January, with the Scottish Premiership side saying he had "not been dismissed" and had "not resigned".

He left Celtic in 2014, before an ill-fated stint with Bolton Wanderers in the English Championship.

"In bringing Neil back until the end of the season, we have appointed a man who knows what it means to be Celtic manager and someone who knows how to win," Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said.

"We know he has the commitment and desire needed to face the challenges ahead.

"We are delighted to also promote John Kennedy to assistant manager and bring Damien Duff into our first-team management group. This will bring vital continuity and allow us to build on Brendan's legacy."

It's very good from a Celtic point of view that they've been able to bring in someone so quickly to steady the ship. As a player, you always want to know and see your leader and to have someone come in straight away. There are still players there who had Neil as a manager and I'm sure they'll be sending the message out to the other players as to what type of manager he is.

What he knows about that football club is everything, so I think at this moment in time it's the perfect appointment. I can't imagine him coming in and changing too much. I think he'll just go with what has been successful and the man-management skills he's got are key in the run-in to the end of the season.

Lucille Atiamuga makes “high-end” jewellery for local and American markets.

She is now looking to expand into European, Asian and African countries.

She briskly steps into the makeshift workshop to start her day.

Lucille Atiamuga is carrying a bag, not for keeping beauty accessories, but her tools of trade that include pliers, chisels, light hammer, and screw drivers.

Set behind a residential building, the workshop could easily pass for an extended store outside the main house. However, when she opens the metal door, you instantly fall in love with what you see; beautiful pieces of handmade jewellery hang on the wall.

“We specialise in both men and women jewellery and each piece is chosen with care and attention. We love being part of our clients’ special moments and helping them choose the perfect gift is at the heart of what we do in this workshop,” says Ms Atiamuga, 34.

She makes “high-end” jewellery for local and American markets and is looking to expand into European, Asian and African countries.

Interestingly, Ms Atiamuga, who is the founder of Lukagwa African Art and Jewellers, is a trained lawyer from the University of Nairobi and holds a bachelor’s degree in law.

However, she has put law practice on the back burner as she seeks to quench her thirst for creative art.

“I am an advocate of the High Court but I have never practiced since I was admitted to bar in 2012. My last court appearance was during my pupilage,” she notes.

She is a self-taught creative artist, with the idea taking root in 2007 when she was a second year student at the university.

“I had a passion for art as my parents were buying artefacts at Maasai market and selling them overseas,” she says.

She would also buy artefacts at Maasai market, Nairobi, and many students would ask her where she got them.

“I realised there was a lot of demand for artefacts amongst the students and I saw this as a ready-made market,” she says.

“This is what led to the birth of African Art and Jewellers ,” says Ms Atiamuga.

She has no regrets about ditching law, she says. “Many people are shocked when they see me in a workshop, wonder ing why I am wasting my legal brains instead of arguing cases in courtroom. When I tell them I am happy doing this kind of work they still don’t believe it,” Ms Atiamuga explains.

She says she takes her creative work “every bit as seriously as a lawyer in a courtroom”.

Her workshop off the noisy and busy Likoni Road in Nairobi’s Industrial Area has everything you could want from brooches, rings, anklets, lockets, bangles, wedding rings, earrings, bracelets, neckties, cufflinks to statement necklaces.

The entrepreneur is capitalising on the social media platforms to market her products and has opened an online store where one could browse a range of jewellery.

“There is a great demand for local jewellery in American markets and this inspires me to push harder,” Ms Atiamuga told Enterprise.

Her products sell for between Sh4,000 and Sh10,000.

“On a good month I sell up to 30 pieces of jewellery,” she reveals.

The budding entrepreneur says she talked to two other colleagues who had passion for arts and they pooled resources to start the venture.

“Our seed capital was about Sh50,000, which we raised from our own savings, friends and family,” she says.

Ms Atiamuga attributes her success to faith in God, supportive family, friends, and “team players” who believe in her vision.

The venture started with one employee and the number has increased to five.

She advises young entrepreneurs wishing to start a similar venture to do thorough market research and find their niche.

She says her law degree has greatly helped her improve negotiating skills, as well as understand business regulations and how they affect her venture.

“I use my law skills to understand contracts. I have realised that the United States’ African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) is not all about apparel. It also caters for creative industry and I am exploiting its benefits,” she says.

She says one of the laws she would like strengthened is the Intellectual Property Act.

” The law is so vague it can’t protect my jewellery designs, which are prone to duplication by copycats,” she says.

One of the biggest challenges, she notes, is mistrust from the overseas clients who sometimes doubt whether the products will reach their destination.

“Doing market research is expensive, shipping charges are also high, and there is no good tracking system for items when in transit,” she says.

Her lowest moment since she started, she reveals is when she held a show in New York City but failed to clinch a single order.

The highest moment, she says, was when she did a roaring business at Village Market, Nairobi, despite the threat of Al-Shabaab attack.

” I feel so happy when clients come back and say they love with my products,” she says.

The entrepreneur says working from a Jua Kali shed has helped her cut costs.

“I have no pressure on rent. I use the savings to reinvest in the business,” she says.

Demand for freelance creatives has picked up steadily in the past two months, with one headhunter estimating that her firm’s placements have jumped 300 percent in the last month alone. Not surprisingly, the upswing, which follows a particularly slow summer, stems mainly from work created by the recent flurry of sizeable account reviews, such as those for UPS, Pizza Hut, Volkswagen of America and Cadillac, according to headhunters, agency leaders and freelancers.

Other headhunters, including Anne-Marie Marcus of Marcus St. Jean in New York, Susan Kirshenbaum of Greenberg Kirshenbaum in New York and Lucy Marino of The Creative Group in San Francisco, also confirmed a rise in freelance creative placements, though they were unable to quantify the gains.

The recent uptick comes against the backdrop of what had been a miserable year for freelancers. A perfect storm of massive layoffs combined with agency cuts in freelance spending, and a relative paucity of new business opportunities forced some freelancers to slash their day rates by as much as a third, and others to consider taking less lucrative staff jobs.