Author: IGIHE

The bongo flava recording artist and dancer arrived in Kigali, Friday of 19th January 2018 with an entourage of more than ten people that visited Jordan Foundation; an organisation involved in improving lives of children with visual impairment in Rwanda.

The Number One singer on arrival was driven to Jordan Foundation in Karuruma, Gatsata sector, Gasabo district where he donated food items and different necessities to the organisation.

He was briefed about the life of the blind children where after during a press conference committed to supporting twenty blind children housed by the foundation.

Clad in jeans and sneakers, the 27-year-old also took part in an impromptu singing session as children joined him in rolling some of his songs.

Speaking to IGIHE, the Ministry of Health (MINISANTE) Spokesperson, Malik Kayumba confirmed the news saying there are reforms in public service that are being implemented by the Ministry of Public Service and Labour.

“Currently MINISANTE is conducting reforms in its affiliated institutions; it is in that regard that these workers’ responsibilities were shifted to Public and Environmental Healthworkers who they have always been working closely with in Health Centers,” he said.

He said that majority of those who will be affected studied social sciences while their responsibilities would be basically performed by these who studied Public and Environmental Health studies.

Solange Mukamwiza working at Bugarura Health Center in Gatsibo District told IGIHE that they were shocked with the news of impending loss of jobs.

“It is terrible to lose your job;we have been given one month to leave without any termination benefits. f. We had been working for one year renewable contract and being paid by Global Fund. Contracts had expired on December 31st 2017 and we were given one month contract which will last until 31st this month. We have been surprised hearing that it is the end of our the job,” she said.

Intellectual property policy was established in Rwanda back in 2009.

Though the policy has been established, artists have not benefited from it, due to different factors including lack of institutions to enforce them.

Last year, MINICOM requested WIPO to conduct a study on hindrances that deter intellectual property policy implementation in Rwanda.

The study revealed that in Rwanda different institutions share single responsibility and poor skills among staffs in charge of the sector regulation.

Speaking in meeting on intellectual property yesterday, MINICOM Minister, Vincent Munyeshyakasaid that the more the art industry grows, the more it needs good policies that protect ownership.

“As our country is developing, people are inventing new things, they are bringing new ideas but policies are not protecting them enough. We need to enhance institutional framework,” he said.

“You used to see cultural arts and artistes are located in the Ministry of Sports and Culture and Industrial arts in MINICOM, in everyday activities we used to share common services with Rwanda Development Board (RDB), many institutions shared common responsibilities and end up without anything successful thing done,” he explained.

He said that they are discussions are ongoing whether they can establish a board that will gather together all those responsibilities.

“We are thinking to establish one board that will work closely with international institutions as well as collaborating with local institutions and ministries,” he said.
He said that regulations will help people overcome loss caused by people who simulate others’ original arts.

Prof.NyasseBarthelemy a consultant working with WIPO said that the problem with Rwanda including many countries is poor skills about intellectual property.
He said that if good laws and policies were established, both artists and the country would benefit.

“It will help arts development and the country. See these baskets from Rwanda, how can Rwanda have its particularity on such items so that they can be exported? That’s what we want do, because they can help in development of Rwanda,” he said.

The centre of excellence was launched during a high-level National Forum on Knowledge Sharing for Inclusive and Sustainable New Community Development in Kigali.

This center was set up and is managed by the Rwanda Green Fund, and has been operational since 2016, through a series of workshops that were organized to gather and share knowledge and preliminary expectations and to build capacities in knowledge sharing among key stakeholders.

Hubert Ruzibiza, the Rwanda Green Fund’s CEO said he hopes the knowledge sharing platform will facilitate the exchange on tools and practices for sustainable development amongst different institutions.

The online centre of Excellence will be able to feed into the development dialogues taking place in neighbouring countries, said Fodé Ndiaye, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of UNDP.

“Rwanda has developed a number of innovative solutions to its development challenges over the past 20 years, by sharing its successes through this platform with other countries, Rwanda will be helping others.”, he said.

Kim Eung Joong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Rwanda, said the genesis of the project was a multi-country initiative based on a form of community-driven local development in Korea called Saemaul Undong (SMU), which is based on the principles of diligence, self-help and cooperation towards transformed communities with a long-term shared vision of a better life for all through small-scale self-help projects.

“UNDP and the Republic of Korea partnered to promote the SMU-inspired Inclusive and Sustainable New Communities (ISNC) programme in six countries: Rwanda, Uganda, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Bolivia,” he said, adding that the Rwanda experience was the only one of the six to involve the development of a virtual platform to facilitate knowledge management and sharing.”

The Rwandan Center of Excellence is now being assessed as a best practice for lessons that can be leveraged and applied elsewhere.

Mwesigwa was speaking in Kigali on Wednesday during the closing of holiday national civic education programme known as ‘Intore mu biruhuko’

He said that the Ministry of Youth and Ministry of Education have agreed that students’ luggage will be checked out for drugs having realized that substances tobacco and alcoholic drinks, among others, are brought by students during the beginning of the term.

“According to information from students, they bring substances from outside which has prompted authorities to carry out thorough checks which will be followed by sensitization.

Speaking at the event, Kicukiro District Mayor, Dr. Jeanne Nyirahabimana said that the holiday’s civic education programme equipped youth with proper appreciation of cultural values and profitably use their time.

Over one million youth participated in the programme, 60% of them are youth between seven and eleven years old.

They were taught Rwandan values, culture, sports and patriotism among others.

CP Munyanbo made the call on Thursday in Malakal area located in the upper Nile State while meeting police officers of the Formed Police Unit 1 (FPU1) at their Base Camp.

He challenged them to uphold discipline and deliver on their peacekeeping duties and mandate.

“The UN family commends RNP peacekeepers for their professionalism, discipline, and we urge you to stay focused strongly committed to the restoration of peace in South Sudan,” CP Munyambo said.

He farther hailed the officers for showing great professionalism and dedication during the December operations to close the Melut refuge site and for ably protecting civilians.

“I thank you for your excellent performance in protecting civilians especially during the recent closure of Melut site and for your relentless efforts to restore peace in South Sudan,” he said.

UN also recognized the distinguished service of sixty five officers (65) of the Rwanda formed unit RwanFPU1-3 and 12 Individual Police Officers (IPOs).

“Your efforts and professionalism are highly regarded and you make a valuable contribution to UNMISS,” he added.

He further said medals are an indication that they are worthy ambassadors of their country and of the United Nations in general.

I recently had an interview with a publication company. The hiring manager was very easy to talk to. He made me feel calm during the interview and I was able to give it my best.

At the end of the interview however, he surprised me by saying, “I only hire people that I can have a beer with”. I just smiled and let it go. I haven’t heard from him since.

I think he was only verbalising what many managers must think — that the best people to hire are those they can hang out with socially. What do you think about that standard?

There is no standard here. I am yet to come across a job that requires an employee to have a beer with their boss, so for him to say, “I only hire people I can have a beer with” is highly unprofessional.

The good interview you had just given and were feeling very confident about was reduced to a statement that has no reference whatsoever to the competencies of the role. Do not defend his action as ‘verbalising’ what managers think when hiring.

Managers may find it awkward and unprofessional to ask questions that tend to suggest interference with a candidate’s personal space, but yet long to know if there would be room for flexibility to accommodate out of work demands.

There are ways of dealing with this, like asking appropriate questions such as, “This role requires some flexibility, which may include occasional informal gathering after work, would that be a problem for you?” Or “My team likes to hangout once in a while to reflect and catch up in an informal setting, is that something you would be open to?”

This way, it is more about the team, not a drink with the boss. And in any case, hanging out is not always about drinking beer, you can play games or watch sports.

There are smart ways to answer such odd statements to demonstrate you are up to the challenge. Smiling and letting go as you did shows indifference, and can be understood to mean yes and no.

You could refocus your answer in favour of informal team gatherings and say that you have always found them a good way to create better synergy within a team.

Showing preference to gatherings that include the team as a whole is likely to dissuade any sexual innuendos and emphasize your values.

{{With Daily Nation}}