Category: News

{{Rodrigo Arboleda, the leader of the program ‘one laptop per child’ world wide has ended his four day visit in the country with a call to the President at Village Urugwiro.}}

During courtesy visit to the president at Village Urugwiro, Arboleda thanked the president for the steps in promoting education through IT program of giving a laptop per child in lower levels of education.

Arboleda who also delivered to the president, the message of Prof. Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the program said that ‘one laptop per child program’ is running well in Rwanda and that what is missing is supporting it to be more successful.

The Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, Dr. Mathias Harebamungu added that the program has been extended to 128 primary schools across the country.

He said that the ministry is planning to use it for data storing by pupils in primary schools adding that the program will be using the server machine to distribute lessons to these laptops.

Harebamungu also said that 65.000 laptops have been distributed and that the ministry is planning to distribute at least 100, 000 laptops in 150 primary schools before the end of this year.

One Laptop per Child program was founded in 2007 to oversee the creation of an affordable educational device for use in the developing world. It also focuses on fund-raising and the development of future learning technologies.

{{A broader regional policy that will mainstream gender into the structures, programs and process of Federation of African Women Journalists focusing on gender equality and equity has been drafted by FAJ during the media conference in Kigali.}}

On behalf of government Ignatius Kabagambe, Director General for Information in the Prime Minister’s Office emphasized that the plan of action on resolutions should aim at restructuring journalists’ unions, media houses and association to eradicate gender imbalances identified.

He said the issue of Gender equality was on the agenda since the formation of FAJ in 2008 where they required a policy framework to guide initiatives aimed at transforming gender relations in the current period.

The President of the International Federation of Journalists Jim Boumelha, however, observed that as the Kigali conference is the first meeting concerning female journalists, the federation needs to a women’s council within journalists unions to highlight the importance of gender equality.

“We need to gather reliable data on equal opportunities based on gender equality in all media outlets and show the importance of gender equality within the profession,” he stressed.

Throughout the discussions most participants underscored the fact that the continent’s female practitioners occupy lower positions in the media industry where they are marginalized, discriminated, harassed and sexually exploited.

In her solidarity message, Beth Costa representing the international Federation of Journalists said, it is important to put the resolutions in practical terms to avoid gender marginalisations and other prejudices that have negative impact of the profession and its achievements.

The conference adopted recommendations including; establishing a continental commission / council for gender equality (CGE) to advance, promote and protect gender equality within the journalists’ movement and the media industry in Africa.

Participants underscored the fact that African female media practitioners occupy lower levels in decision-making within the media industry that results into their marginalization, discrimination and exploitation.

{{During the Eid al-Fitr festivity for the Islamic faithful that marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan across the world, MTN Rwanda joined the Islam community and donated Frw 11, 050, 000 particularly to boost over 29 cooperatives trained during the holy month.}}

The eligible recipients were Muslims in five districts of Rulindo, Nyarugenge, Bugesera, Kicukiro and Gasabo in pursuit to alleviate poverty.

The projects will include agriculture and other small income-generating bunesses.

According to Yvonne Mubirigi, MTN CSR and MTN Foundation Manager, the contribution is also meant to cover the costs of local medical insurance for 200 families and covering the cost of basic materials to be donated during the hospital visits as well.

Paul Mugemangango who represented MTN at the event noted,“In our capacity and our projects, we wish to reach our clients and we know well that in the Islamic community, the big number is our subscribers and that’s why this year we are donating in their projects that will make a difference over a long time.

“It will also help them access medical insurances, and care of those who less fortunate in our communities is something at the core of MTN’s corporate social responsibility program we are honored to be allowed to share in the cerebration of Eid al-Fit.”

Sheikh Suleman Byagusetsa, the Kigali city Imam said,“MTN has helped us for a long period of time and this annual contribution will help to boost cooperatives particularly in our youth because most of them seem to be people who never went to school and are lagging behind in doing developmental activities.”

According to Assoumani Niyigena, the leader of the youth of Rwanda Muslim Association (AMUR) over the fasting month they organized the football competitions in secondary schools to sensitize the youth against HIV/AIDS.

{{The Board of Directors of ISHEMA Newspaper who last weekend sat on roundtable talks about the paper publication has announced they discontinue printing out Ishema Newspaper for a period of one month to review well the root cause of the bad image that the media house is facing from the public.}}

The publications’ management also requested the President of the Republic to adjust the structure of powers of the Media High Council’s Executive Secretary.

The statement released by the Ishema management reads: “The Board call upon H.E President Paul Kagame to urgently adjust the structure of powers of the Media High Council of Rwanda.

“We have realized that the threats which our media house continues to receive from either Media High Council or motivated citizens are based on such powers attributed to the Council’s Executive Secretary with the knowledge that he is more of a politician than a media practitioner, and we realized that he can also confuse the citizens for political reasons.”

Speaking to igihe.com, Fidele Gacire, the Managing Director of Ishema newspaper noted,“We took our request to the president because he is the only person who can bring such transformation. On top of that he the guardian the National Constitution through which the media high council was created.

“Patrice Mulama seems to be having all powers of institution yet it’s against the law. There should be an elected President of the council and that person must be a journalist.”

“That is why we want the President to get involved,” Gacire added.
The statement says that after elapse of 30 days without any reactions, the Board will have to review the communiqué and look at any other ways to deal with these concerns.”

Efforts to reach Executive Secretary of the MHC for comment on the issue were futile.

{{The latest reports indicate that according to a former bodyguard for one of the Embattled Libyan President Col. Muammar Gaddafi is heading south via Bani Walid towards Sabha, the Landon-based The Guardian publications has revealed.}}

The same route also said to have been used by the members of his family who have escaped to Algeria was in Tripoli as late as Friday, having a meeting with his son Khamis and daughter Aisha, and then headed towards Sabha, 500 miles (800km) south in the desert, according to Khamis’s 17-year-old bodyguard.

An Italian news agency had earlier speculated Gaddafi and another son, Saif al-Islam, had fled to Bani Walid . Sabha is one of the last remaining major holdouts for Gaddafi’s forces. There are reports Khamis and intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi were killed over the weekend, the third time Khamis has been reported dead during the conflict.

Algeria government, however, is to close part of its border with Libya, reports say owing to likely UN embargo.

The rebel National Transitional Council called Algeria’s decision to host Gaddafi’s wife Safiya, daughter Aisha and sons Hannibal and Muhammed an “act of agression” and said they would try to extradite them.

Gaddafi loyalists in Sirte, Gaddafi’s hometown and a remaining stronghold for his troops, have until Saturday to surrender, the head of the rebel National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, has announced.

NATO jets have been seen over the town again, according to reports and the Anti-Gaddafi forces have converged on the city from east and west but stopped short of an all-out attack in the hope of negotiating the town’s surrender.

Meanwhile, a human rights group has found evidence that Gaddafi’s troops used civilians as human shields, and committed war crimes such as rape and summary killings.

{{Japan has granted 1.86 billion yen ($24.2 million) to Tanzania for the construction of a bridge linking the country with its neighbour Rwanda to help boost trade across the bloc, Tanzania Finance Minister, Mustafa Mkulo said on Monday at the Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam.}}

The East Africa’s second largest economy, one of Africa’s biggest per capita aid recipients increased infrastructure spending in its 2011/12 budget by 85 percent to 2.78 trillion Tanzanian shillings ($1.71 billion).

According to Minister Mkulo, the construction of the Rusumo international bridge and one-stop border facilities between Tanzania and Rwanda is expected to be completed within a period of two years.

Mkulo added that the construction of the two-lane bridge and border facilities would boost trade between the two member states of the East African Community (EAC) trade bloc.

“Construction of the Rusumo international bridge to replace the existing one built some 40 years ago will enhance regional integration and facilitate increased trade between Tanzania and Rwanda,” he noted.

Japan’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Hiroshi Nakagawa, pointed out in a joint press conference with Tanzania’s finance minister that;”This project will contribute to an efficient logistics network between Tanzania and Rwanda and will most certainly have a positive effect on the economic development of both nations.”

This Financial aid from Japan according pundits on international relations between developed and developing nations is a warning by the emerging economic giants from the far East; China, Japan and Korean states to USA, France and Britain that sooner than later, their Lion’s share in economic superiority will up for grabs.

With just a few days to the end of Muslim colourful Ramadhan, the Egyptian embassy invited the Rwandan Muslim community to share an evening meal also known as Iftar.

The Egyptian ambassador to Rwanda, Khaled Abdelrahman (above) noted that despite the gathering, the embassy has been cooperating with the government and particularly the local muslim community.

He further pointed out that the event is highly facilitated by the embassy’s program, Egyptian Authority for Providing Technical Cooperation (EAPTC) which focuses more on areas of education, health and technology.

“We intend to bring 30 professors to teach in several faculties and so far we have 28 engineers who come to Rwanda annually.

“We also assist in health sector, where we now have two physicians and more are yet to come and in agriculture there’re two experts but we intend to add more in order to hasten Rwanda’s development,” the ambassador remarked.

Rwanda’s Mufti Abdulkarim Gahutu was quick to hail the cooperation referring to scholarships that were offered by the Egyptian government the best learning institutions in Cairo.

“Al-Azhar University is among the institutions that accommodate our students, and so far we have 10 students pursuing a degree in law and 12 on masters.
“We hope that very soon they will provide PhD scholarships on the same discipline,” said Gahutu.

Commenting on the Ramadhan, Mufti highlighted that the fasting period had recorded success in various domains as required by the religion. “First of all we unanimously assisted the vulnerable, encouraged our believers to create their own jobs, raised awareness on HIV/AIDS and other development activities.

Moreover, the local Muslim association wants to be vibrant and they intend to construct their headquarters which will have income-generating activities such as a dispensary, Muslim lessons and a library.

The gathering is part of a traditional Muslim practice of interacting during the 30 day fasting period.

{{MTN’s latest promotion; Faranga Y’ello Y’ello has this morning handed over Rwf 9M to 9 winner subscribers who came from different parts of the country, in an event held at MTN head offices, Nyarutarama.}}

Speaking to the press, Robert Rwakabogo, Marketing Operations Manager noted that the main intension of the promotion offer is to uplift standards of living of the Rwandan community.

“We have realized that all our promotions have contributed greatly to the well being of our customers across the country and we intend to continue helping them in such a way,” he said.

Among the winners; Kamiri Karitanyi 54, a driver of a lorry that belongs to a cooperative called Copanasia located in Saki sector, Ngoma district, Eastern province noted, “when I received a call that I have won a million from MTN; I was driving and I almost had an accident because of the surprise….” “I am going to use this money to buy myself a motorcycle of which I will paint with MTN banners with the exception of tyres because this is a big surprise I have ever had in life,” he added.

Karitanyi has used MTN network ever since he acquired a phone.

One Floridah Mukarukundo of Ruhango district, also a winner noted; “I had seen a text on my phone before about the promotion but I never expected I can be among the winners. Now I have starting capital, I am going to do business in my house and I will make sure that I also sell MTN airtime cards.”

According to the Chief Marketing Officer, Yvonne Makolo; the prize handover will be taking place every Tuesday morning.

“We have the media today and will do so every week to further demonstrate how transparent the promotion is and to give the media the opportunity to meet the winners,” Makolo added.

At the end of the promotion, one grand winner will go away with Rwf 13M as the biggest single cash prize ever given out by MTN Rwanda.

To enter the draw, a prepaid customer must have recharged a minimum of Rwf 200 on the previous day.

The numbers of the customers who would have met the eligibility will be picked at random during the live draw with automotive machine and the winner will be called upon to notify him of the winning.

The promotion is open to MTN prepaid and post paid subscribers excluding MTN employees and their families, MTN agents, and anyone else professionally connected with the promotion.

Faranga Y’ello Y’ello’s promotion shall award a total of Rwf 63million to lucky subscribers. The promotion will run for 5 weeks from August 22, to Sept 25.

{{Aimed at improving the health sector, the minister of health, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho has set aside a prize of Rwf I million for the most innovative staff at the ministry.}}

The ministry of health is among the best performing government institutions.

Part of the major drive towards the success is through motivating employees whereby the best performers are given a financial reward in addition to their salary.

“The program is known as Performance Based Finance (PBF) and is beneficial to all MINISANTE staff, but only those who have scored 85% and more, are rewarded,” said Minister Agnes Binagwaho.

Dr. Binagwaho was addressing a retreat of MINISANTE staff that mainly focused on motivating staff for better delivery given that there are some lagging behind.

Janvier Mugabo a clinical officer acknowledged benefits from PBF every trimester, “You see the amount is given to a unit, and when there’s someone performing poorly it affects the whole team, meaning they might not get the PBF reward,” Mugabo commented.

He added, “getting the reward is not hard for any employee that full fills their obligation. “If someone writes their report on time, good book keeping records and punctuality they automatically benefit from BPF. I earn Rwf 250,000 and my reward goes up to Rwf 150,000”.

The minister encouraged them to be innovative especially in coming up with ideas and programs for improving the health sector. “I’ve given an innovation reward and the first prize will be Rwf 1 million and of course the rest will get something lower than that and the last prize is Rwf 250,000 which I hope would motivate them more,” she remarked.

{{Transport shortage is affecting life in Kigali. At the begining of last week students returned to school late because of limited transport. This man failed to find a car or motor taxi. The only and cheap way was to walk to his final destination with his baggage.}}