Author: IGIHE

  • Mouth Odour: What’s responsible and how to cure it

    There are several known causes of mouth odour, including poor oral hygiene, poor dieting, other diseases, dry mouth, etc. Dry mouth is when there’s limited saliva in the mouth. Eating too much garlic and onions can also destroy ones breath. Poor oral hygiene is when you don’t prioritise keeping your mouth clean. How can one not brush for two days at a stretch? When you do that, you allow micro organisms have a field day with your mouth.

    Now, let’s go to ways to cure and keep bad breath at bay.

    {{Avoid certain foods. }}

    I mentioned that foods like onions and garlic can cause your breath to have a horrible smell, so it makes sense to advice that you stay away from them. You don’t have to eat these things in their raw forms really. I know they’re healthy and all, but the side effect isn’t great. If you’re so drawn to them, you can’t fight it, at least, brush thoroughly afterwards.

    {{Stay hydrated.}}

    Stress is a leading cause of dehydration, which often results in dryness of the mouth. Get anointed rest as you can. Drink lots of water, and sleep well.

    {{Rid your mouth of plaques}}

    Plaques are a leading cause of bad breath. Every now and then, check for them on your teeth, and remove them thoroughly. It’s not every time a brush can do the job, so a visit to the doctor may be your best option. I know people who use office pins to get them off too, but you’ll have to be very careful so you don’t hurt your gums.

    {{Brush thoroughly.}}

    It’s not enough to brush your teeth alone, brush your tongue and upper mouth. Otherwise, you’ll just allow the materials left by Micro organisms to fester and get worse. Brush your tongue thoroughly until you no longer see the whitish/yellowish stuff on it.

    {{Use a mouth wash or minty bubble gum/candy}}

    Buy yourself a mouth wash, and use it after every meal or when you feel like you need to. Minty bubble gum and candy, you’ll need because you may not be able to brush always.

    Source: www.elcrema.com/

  • Rwanda made the fastest progress in satisfying the demand for modern contraception-UNFPA report

    Under the report dubbed ‘Worlds Apart’, UNFPA says that gender inequality and inequalities in realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights is still a problem in developing countries.

    The report says that the unmet demand for family planning in developing countries is generally greatest among women in the poorest 20% of households.

    It says that without access to contraception, poor women, particularly those who are less educated and live in rural areas, are at heightened risk of unintended pregnancies.

    According to the report, unintended pregnancies may result in health risks and lifelong economic repercussions.

    It says that lack of power to decide whether, when or how often to become pregnant can limit education, delay entry into the paid labour force and reduce earnings.

    The report suggests that making information and services more widely available and accessible will lead to better reproductive health outcomes.

    “But this is only part of the solution. Unless we start addressing the structural and multidimensional inequalities within our societies, we will never attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health for all” the authors of the report advise.

    The report says that in many developing countries, women who are poor, in the bottom 20% of the income scale, and particularly those who are in rural areas, are far less likely to have access to contraceptives and to care during pregnancy and birth than their wealthier urban counterparts.

    According to the report, among adolescents, who face the extra vulnerabilities associated with being young, those in the poorest 20% of households in developing countries have about three times as many births as adolescents in the richest 20% of households. Those in rural areas have twice as many births as their counterparts in cities.

    {{Rwanda made remarkable progress}}

    The report says that Rwanda transformed both access and equality to contraceptive services between 2005 and 2015.

    “Rwanda made the fastest progress among about 60 developing countries over a 10-year period in satisfying the demand for modern contraception. The success is attributable to government efforts to make family planning services available in each of the country’s 14,841 administrative villages through 45,000 community health workers. Measures included introduction of long-lasting contraceptive methods, and integration of family planning services in hospitals and health centres” the report reads in part.

    The Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), Dr. Condo Jeanine Umutesi said that the reason Rwanda has no disparity problems was due to inclusive health and social welfare programmes the government has introduced.

    “The government of Rwanda has done its possibilities to reduce disparity gap among families, those are VUP in terms of welfare. In health sector, child mortality rate has reduced and all pregnant women have access services to medical care” she explained.

    RBC's Dr. Condo and UNFPA representative in Rwanda, MArk Bryan Schreiner
    Dr. Condo
    UNFPA representative, Mark Bryan Schreiner
  • Carlson Rezidor’s Simone Kuhn shares tips for women to lead in hospitality

    In Kigali, Carlson Rezidor manages both Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre Kigali and Park Inn by Radisson Kigali.

    Simone is among the continent’s most successful women in the industry and was, last month, awarded in the Top Hoteliers category at the AKWAABA African Travel Market’s African Travel 100 Women Awards as part of the Women in Tourism Programme.

    IGIHE talked with Simone on the sidelines of African Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) that ended in Kigali last week and revealed her experience of being a woman in hospitality and the global hotel group’s expansion ambitions.

    Simone has been making waves across Africa as a female leader in the business development sector within the tourism industry and consequently added three hotels to Carlson Rezidor’s portfolio within the last 16 months.

    “I do not think there is any difference between a man and a woman in this industry. It is all about setting yourself in the right position at the right time and networking with the right people. I also think it is about trusting your gut,” she said.

    Simone urged women in the industry to “have a clear goal of what you want to achieve if you are working for a company, don’t let anything turn you away from your focus. If you want to achieve a goal, you have to work hard to do so. It will not just simply be handed to you, make sure you surround yourself with the right people, trust your gut and move forward.”
    {{
    Group’s expansion plans
    }}

    Simone focuses on the expansion of four Carlson Rezidor’s brands namely Radisson Blu, Radisson Red, Park Inn and Quorvus in 10 Anglophone countries including Botswana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia and Namibia, among others, where the global hotel franchise has 28 hotels among the 80 hotels with 17,200 rooms in operation and under development the group currently runs on the continent. The target is to have 125 hotels with over 23,000 rooms in Africa by 2022.

    Simone says that over the last three years, the group has signed a new hotel deal in Africa every 37 days and improved its hotel openings to open a new hotel every 60 days. “We are looking at key markets like Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe… and will look into bringing new brands into the market in 2018,” she adds.

    Having two hotels under Carlson Rezidor in Kigali, Simone finds Rwanda as a hub in East Africa for hospitality, saying “Every time I come here, I am amazed at the passion of the Rwandan business community. There is an opportunity to come together and grow the businesses here.”

    Simone was literally born into the hotel industry as her father served as the General Manager for Sun International Hotels & Casinos under Sol Kerzner for many years. Her career in the industry started in 2000 after being enrolled in an in-house training programme at the Savoy Hotel in London and later held management positions within hotel operations in South Africa and the United Kingdom within Relais & Châteaux and Starwood.

    In May 2011, Simone joined Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group which currently features a portfolio of 480 hotels with over 106,000 rooms in operation or under development in over 80 countries.

    Simone Kuhn, Business Development Manager at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group for African Anglophone countries
    Park Inn by Radisson Kigali is managed by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group which manages 80 hotels in Africa targeting to reach 125 hotels by 2022
    Kigali Convention Centre is under management of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
  • Tigo Rwanda launches new packs allowing customers to call all networks for the same price

    This launch is part of Tigo Yanjye, a campaign that aims to celebrate the individuality of each Tigo Rwanda customer.

    The Imirongo Yose packs, which will range from Rwf100 per day to Rwf500 per week, will allow customers to call all mobile networks for up to 35 minutes per week. In addition, Imirongo Yose customers with be able to send 35 SMS’s a week respectively while also enjoying 35 MBs of data a week.

    “The launch of the Imirongo Yose packs is a response to our customers’ need for a communications product that offers great value and a simple way to stay in touch with friends and family here in Rwanda. In addition, with Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority’s (RURA) reduction of the Interconnect rate from Rwf20.7 per minute in August to Rwf15 a minute in September, we believed that our customers deserved to enjoy a tariff reduction that was in line with RURA’S directive to all mobile network providers,” said Tigo Chief Executive Officer, Philip Amoateng during the launch of the pack

    To enjoy Imirongo Yose packs, dial *255# select “Imirongo Yose” and choose your preferred pack.

  • How to get a fitter, leaner body fast

    People may exercise for a variety of purposes such as toning or losing weight. But whatever the reason, one can usually see results within three months if one exercises regularly and follows nutritional instructions.

    The Huffington Post reports that it only takes consistent exercise at a high intensity to see significant results in a short period of time.

    However, regular exercise means more than just visiting the gym; it requires combining different types of workouts in order to break routine and avoid plateauing, according to Elina Bamulanje, an experienced spa services professional and Recreation Supervisor at Kigali Marriott Hotel.

    Bamulanje says the Kigali Marriott explored the need for improving workout sessions and introduced fitness classes so that those striving for fitness can have a range of options beyond gym machines.

    “Some people can get discouraged and bored if they don’t change up their workouts. To combat this, we designed these classes to help our customers break their routines and shake up their fitness regimen. Classes give guests the chance to experience new, fun ways to get in shape,” she says.

    She adds that exercise can not only be fun, but also provides a number of health benefits including increased strength, greater flexibility, a re-energised body and more.

    From Tuesday to Friday, there are three different classes: Outdoor Fitness, Aqua Aerobics and Vigor. Guests can pick their favourite class and participate in instructed sessions from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

    While guests can join classes on an ad hoc basis, Bamulanje encourages fitness lovers to enrol in a Saray Spa gym membership which features access to all fitness classes as well as deep discounts on other hotel services. Discounts include 20% off food and beverage, 10% off spa services, and 10% off guest rooms.

    A Saray Spa fitness trainer demonstrates how to use an upper body gym machine
    Kigali Marriott has various weights
    Gym machines are important to getting one fit but various other phyical exercises are needed to break the routine
    Kigali Marriott's gym is well equipped and the hotel introduces fitness classes to avoid sports sports routines with machines
  • PS Imberakuri mulls suing Rwigara

    Diane Rwigara submitted her candidacy to the National Electoral Commission (NEC) in August election, but she did not make it to the final list over lack of some documents.

    Among reasons that NEC turned down her candidacy are submitting 34 signatures for PS Imberakuri supporters.

    Commenting on the case, Mukabunani said that the register was stolen and no individual on the list was contacted.

    Speaking to IGIHE, Mukabunani said that they are yet to open a lawsuit on that case as they are still gathering evidence.

    Mukabunani said that the general assembly of the party will decide on whether they will take Diane to court.

    “We are still gathering evidence, but we plan to have a general meeting where we shall decide on it. Taking her to court will depend on meeting resolutions after collected evidence,” she said.

    Christine Mukabunani
  • Over 195,000 households to have access to electricity by July 2018-MININFRA

    During the signing of performance contracts for 2017/2018fiscal year between MININFRA and implementing agencies yesterday, the ministry committed to investing more resources to ensure that the set targets are met.

    Speaking at the ceremony, the State Minister in-charge of Energy and Water in MININFRA, Germaine Kamayirese said that available energy sources are enough to connect the targeted households but more projects are ongoing to boost power generation.

    “Available energy sources are enough to achieve this target, there is no doubt that all targeted households will be connected” she said

    Currently, there are 26 investors across the country distributing electricity. The signed performance contracts are in line with vision 2020 of the country, EDPRS II and seven-year government programme.

  • BBOXX MD Monica Keza tips young scholars on impacting communities

    Katumwine was speaking at Bridge2Rwanda luncheon at University of Rwanda’s College of Business and Economics in Kigali on Friday. She recounted her return to Rwanda to get involved in the work being done here.

    She said BBOXX also started with a desire to impact the community when its “Three founders who were engineering students from England visited Musanze during their internship while at University and felt compelled to get involved in solving the energy problem not only in Musanze but worldwide. They decided to come up with solar energy solution and that is how BBOXX came of age.”

    She urged the 37 including 28 Rwandans and nine from three regional countries to think of what they can do for their communities and consider coming back once they are done with their studies.

    “Take advantage of every opportunity you get and be willing to change! That is the main message I want to give you, young people,” she said.

    Adhel Geng, one of the students from South Sudan, found Katumwine’s message very inspirational among other lessons she has acquired in the last eight months which made her choose public health as her future career to bring impact in her community, country and the continent.

    Rwandan Deogratius Mukuralinda said he has learned that being successful is more of finding solution to problems in the society than accumulating money, saying that he wants to pursue engineering career.

    Happiness Uwase, Senior Career Development Advisor at Bridge2Rwanda, said the luncheon was part of their programmes of inviting guests speakers to share about their career journeys and why they chose to work on the continent.

    “We invited Monica Keza to share about what made her return to serve in Rwanda. As she said it is for making impact in the community and that is what we teach our students. We also added BBOXX on the list of companies from which we need speakers because it is voicing out what we are teaching our students and has been mentoring our students through internships,” said Uwase.

    She said Brigde2Rwanda is hopeful to get scholarships for all the 37 under the programme as it was able to do so 100% for the previous four intakes but strongly focusing on making them return after their studies to make an impact in their respective countries.

    BBOXX has provided energy access through solar home systems to over 40,000 households all over the Country and targets to reach 58,000 by end of this year. BBOXX has 26 outlets across the Country and employs over 500 Rwandans to-date.

    BBOXX Rwanda MD Monica Keza addressing  young scholars undergoing career guidance by Bridge2Rwanda in Kigali
    BBOXX Rwanda MD Monica Keza speaks to young scholars undergoing career guidance during a bridge2rwanda luncheon in Kigali on Friday.
    Young scholars under Bridge2Rwanda programme follow instructions by BBOXX Rwanda MD Monica Keza, in Kigali
  • Man confesses to killing wife

    According to Kigali City Police Spokesperson, SP Emmanuel Hitayezu, Police was informed about Marie Rose Mukeshimana’s death yesterday and immediately arrested her husband.

    “On Monday evening, her relatives informed Police that Mukeshimana was missing since Saturday and worried that she might be killed by her husband. We arrested the man and asked him his wife’s whereabouts. He confessed to have killed and buried her at their home and then planted vegetables on her grave,” Hitayezu explained.

    Hitayezu said that today, Police went in their home and found the deceased’s body.

    According to neighbors, the couple had had family conflicts which they think might be the root cause of the murder.

    Mukeshimana 38 and her husband had been living in Amarembo II village, Nyabisindu cell of Remera sector in Gasabo District.

    Karegeya and his wife Mukeshimana that he confesses to killing
  • Political parties run short on accountability-Ombudsman

    Organic Law N° 10/2013/0L of 11/07/2013 Governing Political Organizations and Politicians states that The Office of Ombudsman shall each year and whenever necessary verify the accounts of political organizations, on its initiative or upon request by the authority in charge of registration of political organizations.

    The Ombudsman received financial records for eleven political parties which are RPF Inkotanyi, PDC, PDI, PL, PPC, PSD, PS Imberakuri, PSP, PSR, UDPR and DGPR, assessed their sources of funding as well as their expenditures.

    The Ombudsman said that four political parties; PSR, PDI, PPC and PS Imberakuri had inaccurate information characterized by poor records

    According to the report, PS Imberakuri financial declarations did not follow fiscal year calendar as their report covers 1st October 2015 to 30th September, 2016.

    In PSR, the party did not account for Rwf360,000as PPC accounts show that the paid an extra Rwf480,000 in rent without explanations. and PDI do not follow financial reporting guidelines. Speaking to IGIHE, the chairperson for PS Imberakuri, Christine Mukabunani said that they were so far confused with laws.

    “At first we had to report to the Office of the Ombudsman and submit a copy to the Rwanda Governance Board, but following the revision of the law in 2013, newchanges confused us” she explained.

    She explains that they used to report in October and include activities performed in August and September.

    “Now, they explained to us that we should declare activities performed between July and June. Errors are now corrected,” she added.

    Public servants failed to declare wealth sources

    Ombudsman’s report also revealed that six public servants failed to declare their source of wealth and some of them h had their cases taken to prosecution.

    Presenting the report to both chambers of parliament yesterday, the Ombudsman, AnastaseMurekezi said that among 1,088 individuals that had to declare their wealth in 2016/2017, six did not.

    The Office of Ombudsman requested that the government should seize ¼ of salary for people who fail to declare their sources of wealth.