Category: News

{{kLab, the open innovation space located in Kigali’s ICT Park in Telecom House, Kacyiru will in May 2012 open its doors to young and dynamic innovators and entrepreneurs aimed at promoting, facilitating and support the development of innovative ICT solutions by nurturing a vivid community of entrepreneurs and mentors in Kigali.}}

Recently, kLab held a competition among potential members and designers to develop its logo.

Several people participated in the competition via kLab’s Twitter account (@klabrw) and Eugene Rwagasore, a graphic designer with Nyaruka emerged as the winner.

A graduate of KIST in Computer Science, Rwagasore’s passion for graphic design and programming emerged after secondary school.

Rwagasore entered the kLab logo competition because of his desire to create something meaningful and long-lasting in Rwanda’s emerging ICT market.

In line with the Government of Rwanda’s objectives, kLab’s goals are to support the development of ICT in Rwanda and to make Rwanda a focal point for IT in the region.

kLab was developed with the support of the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology in the Office of the President, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), JICA, the Private Sector Federation (PSF), and the Carnegie-Mellon University Rwanda.

With its location in the ICT Park, kLab members will benefit greatly from being part of the country’s first innovation incubator.

In this space members will develop the projects and businesses that will form Rwanda’s ICT industry, under the guidance of experts and mentors from around the world.

Visit kLab’s website, like kLab on Facebook and follow on Twitter @klabrw

{{Education Development Center (EDC) is supporting the Rwanda Education Board (REB) in organizing its initial Writer’s Workshop at Nyamata, Bugesera.}}

More than 30 primary school teachers will attend the Workshop to improve their creative writing skills and produce engaging stories for use in classrooms across Rwanda.

The three-day event begins Monday, April 2nd and will be the first of its kind in the country.

As part of the Ministry of Education’s “Rwanda Reads” campaign, language specialists from REB, the Curriculum and Pedagogical Materials Department, VSO volunteers, and representatives from EDC’s Language, Literacy and Learning (L3) Initiative will assist teachers in learning the fundamentals of powerful storytelling and how to instill a love of storytelling in students.

Workshop participants will eventually receive copies of all the stories created, so they can begin building a library of read-aloud books for their classes.

By organizing this Writer’s Workshop and future ones like it, EDC hopes to nurture a culture of self-sufficiency by training teachers and communities how to produce low/no-cost instructional materials for literacy.

Participants will learn the importance of storytelling in helping students understand texts and create their own – both inside and outside the classroom. It is expected that new public-private partnerships will be made to publish and distribute these reading materials, benefiting local economies.

With greater access to written works, literacy rates will improve as Workshop graduates continue to encourage a culture of reading among other teachers, students, and the public at large.

The first Writer’s Workshop will be held at Cafe de Nyamata, with all 36 participants sponsored by the EDC/L3 Initiative. Head teachers and P1/P2 English and Kinyarwanda teachers from Butereri, Kindama, and Rugarama Primary (in Ruhuha sector); Rugando, Ngenda, and Kigarama Primary (in Nyarugenge sector), and the two sectors’ education officers will attend.

Over three days, Workshop facilitators will guide educators through the five steps of the writing process – from generating ideas and producing a first draft, to revising and polishing it for publication.

The end result will be more than 30 original stories already written, and many more appearing in the future as teachers pass these lessons along to their students and help them become authors.

{{A delegation of Ethiopian Members of Parliament is in the country to acquaint themselves with how Rwanda managed to recover from the 1994 Tutsi Genocide and stabilising its economy as well as position itself at the forefront in upholding gender equality and women empowerment.}}

The Rwandan Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Aloisea Inyumba (see Photo in suit standing) has received the visiting delegation including Senior Political Leaders of women MPs of the Leadership Parliamentary Caucus from Ethiopia.

The delegation is on a working visit in Rwanda to share experiences with their Rwandan Parliamentarians’ counterparts.

At the meeting which was held at Primature on March 29th 2012, the head of the delegation, Hon. Roman Gselessi explained that Rwanda was chosen for this visit because of its good record in women empowerment and gender equality, equity and gender mainstreaming.

In addition, Rwanda has similar parliamentary structures – bicameral type of parliament and economic structure – as Ethiopia and both countries are found in the same region and have a similar cultural set up.

Hon. Inyumba explained to the MPs that good leadership and a sustainable political will have led Rwanda in taking these humble strides.

“As you recall, this nation was completely destroyed in 1994. The reconstruction of every aspect of life started almost from scratch. The challenges of rebuilding and restoring the State were enormous.

But as a society that was once characterised by unequal social, economic, and political relations between men and women, we struggled to ensure that men and women, boys and girls enjoy equal opportunities in order to realize their full human and productive potential for the sustainable development of the country”, the Minister said.

The visiting MPs were also briefed on the ongoing women and girls’ month which brings all stakeholders to tackle issues like fighting malnutrition especially for women and children, economic empowerment of women, girls’ education and fighting violence against women and girls.

The delegation is due to visit the National Women’s Council, the Gender Monitoring Office, Profemmes Twese Hamwe, Rwanda Women Parliamentarians, COOPEDU and Isange One Stop Center.

{{Pastor Bazaramba Francois has been convicted to life imprisonment sentence over the 1994 tutsi Genocide. }}

The National Public Prosecution Authority of Rwanda says that, yesterday 29th March 2012, the Helsinki Appeal’s Court in Finland convicted Pastor BAZARAMBA to jail for life.

The Helsinki Appeal Court last year September 2011, came to Rwanda and stayed for 30 days hearing witnesses and visited crime scenes in NYAKIZU, after BAZARAMBA had logded an Appeal challenging the Porvoo District court of Itä-Uusimaa which had found him guilty and convicted him to life imprisonment sentence on 11th June 2010.

The Appeal Court found guilty of genocide committed against Tutsi in BIRAMBO, CYAHINDA, RUSHUNGURIRO, MARABA, and KIBANGU in former NYAKIZU Commune and again handed him a life imprisonment sentence.

Francois BAZARAMBA is the former Pastor at CYAHINDA Baptiste Church and Director of NYANTANGA technical School in NYAKIZU Commune former BUTARE Prefecture.

The National Public Prosecution Authority of Rwanda welcomes this decision by the Finnish Appeal Court.

{{MTN Rwanda Friday inaugurated an ‘ICT School Project’ at Rusumo High School where a fully connected lab with 36 computers was opened under the flagship of MTN Foundation, the company’s corporate social responsibility program.}}

MTN officials including Zulfat Mukarubega, a board member of MTN Foundation, visited Rusumo High School where they officially opened the lab.

Paul Mugemangago the Senior Manager, Legal and Corporate Affairs at MTN Rwanda said, “MTN supports education and ICT as part of our corporate social responsibility. Within education this project termed as ‘ICT School Connect’, is designed to enable teachers and pupils in secondary schools gain practical skills on the usage and understanding of ICT and how it can add value to their lives.”

“Since the project was inaugurated in 2010 it also allows them have access to Internet in their own locality and premises. This is a way of MTN Rwanda empowering young people so that in the future they can become of economic relevance to the country,” he added.

Already 6 high schools from different provinces have benefited from the project. They include Essa High School in Musanze, Ste Bernadette in Huye, Kabarondo High School, Kanombe High School, ESG Rubavu and Gihundwe high School

Overall MTN Rwanda has donated over 250 computers in these schools, across the country with more 5,500 students and 300 teachers benefiting from the project to leverage ICT in education in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC).

During the year 2010/11 about Rwf150 million has been spent on ‘ICT Connect School’ projects. In 2012 two more schools are scheduled to benefit from the same project.

{{On the final day of his working visit to Washington DC., Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame was hosted to a luncheon by members of the Atlantic Council, a council that promotes constructive U.S leadership and engagement in international affairs.}}

The meeting covered a range of issues including business investments and reforms carried out in Rwanda.

President Kagame was received by the Atlantic Council Chairman, Senator Chuck Hagel, who expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Council for the opportunity to engage in a conversation expected to be beneficial in strengthening the different ties between Rwanda and the US.

“I think everybody in this room knows something about President Kagame and what he has done for Rwanda, for his society but it goes well beyond the borders of Rwanda when you look at the continent of Africa.”

Senator Hagel emphasized, “The importance of leadership cannot be understated, underestimated or underappreciated. Technology, institutions governments all give us resources to make a difference but it is the individuals; the leader who makes the difference and President Kagame has done that in immeasurable ways and has gone far beyond the borders of his country.”

Addressing the council, President Kagame shared his appreciation and that of his countrymen for the continued collaboration between the two countries.

Through partnerships built on dialogues such as meetings such as that of the Atlantic council, President Kagame went on to emphasize that, “Rwanda is changing, Africa is changing, both for the better, and certainly the future is even brighter.”

“We want to see Africa take its rightful position in global affairs, as a participant and player in the global community – not a victim. Not a continent always waiting to benefit from the generosity of others.”

“We have been learning lessons, Africa is changing because people are trying to address these mistakes of the past, but in the same way for Africa to be better and participate better in global I think lessons need to be learnt for others as well.”

“Those who deal with Africa partner with Africa and invest in Africa. All if us in my view have learnt lessons or are expecting to learn lessons on how we can make this partnership more meaningful in the sense that it would contribute better to the stability that we want to build globally”.

President Kagame was accompanied by Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United States James Kimonyo and CEO of the Rwanda Development Board John Gara.

{{On Wednesday morning at Gisozi, thieves walked into a residential home carrying machete’s and took the owners laptop right in front of him.

They simply walked out of his compound leaving him and his wife unharmed but seriously shocked and traumatized.}}

A resident of gisozi (name withheld) was attacked in broad daylight by three men that walked into the victims compound in the early hours of the morning while he was working on his laptop.

They entered the house and suddenly pointed panga’s into his face and told him to give them the laptop that was placed in front of him.

The man was shocked. The goons brandished machete’s in his face in broad daylight immediately put his hands in the air in total surrender and told the thieves to take whatever they want but to not harm him and his wife who was also in the house.

The house was open as the gentleman was preparing to head off to work and would never thought that such a thing could happen in one of what is supposedly to be one of the most secure residential areas.

The couple who were attacked was lucky not to have been harmed.

{{A school pupil identified as Eric Tuyishime 7 years was severely injured in a Tuesday car accident when an overspeeding commuter taxi knocked him along the Kamembe-Bugarama road in Rusizi District.}}

Tuyisenge was heading home from school. After the accident, he was rushed to Gihundwe Hospital for treatment. According to an eye witness, the accident was a result of over speeding.

Police Spokesperson Superintendent Theos Badege noted that careless driving and over speeding were major causes of road accidents.

In Rwanda, at least one person dies every day and almost 3,000 per year get disabled due to traffic accidents.

“Despite the law and increased awareness, over speeding leads in causes of car accidents’’, said Supt. Badege.

Police particularly instructed students whose schools are near major roads to be vigilant whenever they are crossing road.

{{President Paul Kagame on Wednesday in Washington DC delivered the key remarks at a tribute to honor outgoing World Bank vice president, Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, for her contribution to Africa during her tenure.}}

Hosted at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for scholars, and jointly organized by the Tony Emelu Foundation and the Whitaker Group, the event brought together African Ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps, global business leaders, representatives from the World Bank, IMF, civil society, and NGOs.

In his opening remarks, President Kagame spoke of the pivotal role Dr. Oby Ezekwesili played in championing a strategy which in her words is built around ‘partnership with Africa, working with Africa, not for Africa.’

President Kagame congratulated Dr. Oby and her work done across the continent over the last 5 years saying, “What we have seen in Rwanda working with the World Bank over the last decade is indeed shared across the continent and there is no doubt that two very competent women that have been at the World Bank.

“Our sisters from Africa, Oby and Ngozi Okojo- Iwela have been competent leaders in this institution under the able leadership of Bob Zoellick who has also been a good friend of Africa”

Kagame also paid tribute to Dr. Oby’s role as a strong advocate for Africa, emphasizing how through her continued encouragement to both Africans and others to seize the moment and turn the continents immense potential into profits.

“Through the World Bank’s increased support to productive areas such as infrastructure, agriculture and energy, the potential for investment in these areas and in harnessing a developed private sector has greatly increased” said the President.

Speaking on behalf of the event’s organizers, Rosa Whitaker, CEO of the Whitaker Group, praised Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, who “ came to the World Bank with a demonstrated record of achievement as a pioneer and public servant.”

Whitaker emphasized Ezekwesili “Is driven by a cherished and fundamental belief that opportunity should not be bestowed arbitrarily, but incontrovertibly.”

Bringing the ceremony to a close, Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili began her remarks by thanking President Kagame, “For being the face of aspiration that we all share for the development of the our continent.”

Ezekwesili said she always believes, “development is a process that is exemplified by the strength of will, the strength of purpose and the resilience on the part of the people to create the impetus for their own progress.”

“I have never looked at development as the activity of the weak and that is why I have always seen the continent as a continent with so much power and yet not demonstrated it for many decades so now Mr. President the strength of vision, that dignity that is necessary, that strength of character that you have demonstrated has been an important factor of progress that we have seen in Rwanda “

In her conclusion, Dr. Oby expressed her gratitude to the organizers for having put together the event and re-iterated her intention to continue to act as an advocate for Africa.

Other tributes for Oby included a taped address to Ezekwesili by the former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo.

{{East African universities are set to harmonise their academic programs and establish a program of exchanging lecturers.}}

The board of the inter university council for East Africa announced today during a press conference that was aimed at giving details on its achievements and prospects.

According to the Executive Director of the Higher Education Council, Prof Geoffrey Rugege, Rwanda will benefit a lot from the forthcoming conference.

The 2012 annual meeting will be held 30th March in Kigali under the theme
“The role of universities in fostering knowledge based economies in East Africa through University/partnership”.

The conference will discuss implementation of harmonization of programs and exchange of lecturers and students as well.

Participants will discuss what the council has achieved with a view to establishing a program of fostering regional education development.

The previously conferences were in Arusha and Bujumbura respectively,
Prof Silas Lwakabamba rector of the national university of Rwanda said that the development is aimed at improving quality of education in the region.

Prof. Lwakabamba is also the chairperson of the Inter-university council for East Africa.

Prof. Mayunga Nkunya the council’s secretary says the meeting will also discuss harmonization of tuition fees in universities in the region to enable exchange of students.

The official said that the program has already kicked off at the National University of Rwanda, and added that private universities are expected to comply with the program.