Category: People

{{One evening, I walked from ORINFOR offices to the bus stop named after Kimicanga. As I was approaching, I saw a fourteen-year old Didier wiping silently behind other people who wore selfish faces.}}

On my arrival, I asked the sad boy and he answered me shedding more tears that he had waited for the bus for almost two hours.

The school boy went on saying that some buses had approached with empty seats but whenever he tried to board, he was pushed back. Having told me about the bad story, I thought the best solution is to speak for him and that’s what I did until he left.

It’s normally known that the one who expects to be paid back is the one who lent. In this context, some parents do the reverse where they need discipline from their children when they didn’t set examples for the young ones.

Failure to be exemplary to children makes them indiscipline which in turn makes parents complain time after time and even those who take pie as pie would tell you negative stories about the youths if you asked them.

In this article, Didier’s serves as a general case. I would, therefore, like to remind parents and adults in general of the bad practices that should be abstained from, so as to have children and youths who are well-behaved.

I would also like to start with home life. A child is like a visitor, the world in which he finds you is like a home and the parent is like a host from whom the visitor expects hospitality.

Now you can imagine if a visitor is neglected; you fail to welcome him, you don’t show him where to sit, and you show no or little love to him. It’s clear that after some time he can change from good to bad behaviors on the basis of your weaknesses.

Nowadays, most of the parents (not all) do not do enough to bring up children in the right way. In fact, some of those parents were also never given care in their early days and so they can’t give what they don’t have. Some others lack time in line with hard life they live, and a number of others are just negligent by nature.

Some questions arise. How can you expect your children to greet you if you don’t greet them when you arrive at home? If at times you use dirty words in presence of your children, don’t you think they are recording your words on their minds?

If you always go home drunk, is that a good example your children should follow? If frequently you violate the rights of your spouse, don’t you think your children will do the same when they grow up?

In Rwanda’s culture, a child is expected to respect all elder people as much as he does to his parents. But this is possible by the condition that you treat the other child in the way you treat your own children. This is the reality of life.

One of exemplary parents gave us an important advice in this statement “Treat every child as your own” but this is always ignored by many parents in different ways.

The best example to serve this point is the times of evenings where you find many people at bus stops waiting for the buses to take them home. You will see adult people pushing school children carelessly when actually it’s getting dark. Here you can ask yourself the concept the child picks at that moment.

If you mistreat children in the same way, how do you wait for respect from them? Remember that by the time the child grows to be energetic like you are today, you will have grown weaker. You are pushing him for no reason; he will step on you for that reason.

I urge the bus drivers and conductors to be considerate to young children before elders as the adult people have many ways of solving their problems.

{contact author at
andrewjohn137@yahoo.com.
0788402391/0722402391 }

{{Abakobwa bacu,}}

Today we celebrate the ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ a day that the whole world has dedicated to you. A day that will promote your rights as girls, highlight gender inequalities that remain between you and your brothers and look for ways to correct any discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the globe.

We in Rwanda for the first time are celebrating ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ and as a nation we honour our young girls and prepare you to become women of integrity in your own right.

I would like to remind you of the strength that you carry within you. Rwanda continues to do its best to create a level playing field for you and your brothers. Opportunities have been laid forth for you; schools, programs, scholarships to mention a few.

It is now up to you to step up, claim what you have always had the right to have, join the boys and show that you are also capable. We are behind you all the way. So seize every chance and do so with confidence!

As I am sure your parents, guardians and mentors have told you, it takes more than a good education and the right opportunities to become a woman of strength.

I urge you to also cultivate your character by asserting yourselves, recognising the talents and importance of others but most importantly discovering your self-worth – the Rwandan “Agaciro”.

Learn to love yourself and build yourself both from self evaluation and accepting constructive criticism from others. Maintain your core values of honesty, integrity and loyalty, in order to stay true to yourselves and lead others.

As they say, great leaders are those that lead by example. So start now. Wisdom will come with age, but you can start to acquire it through open-mindedness and self discipline.

Young girls, our futures are defined by our choices we make along the way. Believe in yourself and in your dreams, always have hope and your dreams will most certainly come true.

Most importantly, there is no doubt whatsoever that you are all valuable, so never ever settle for less than what you know you are worth.

With love.

{{Mrs Jeannette Kagame}}

First Lady of Rwanda

{{Over the past year, I’ve been writing a book about the future of sales and marketing with Howard Stevens, chairman of the leadership assessment firm Chally.

As part of a decades-long research project, Chally has gathered extensive personality data about 150,000 salespeople, including 9,000 sales managers.}}

Last week, I had a conversation with Howard where he described the results of a statistical analysis on the cumulative data on sales managers. While the data set is specific to sales, I believe that personality traits that emerged apply to any management position.

According to the success vs. failure statistics that Howard shared with me, successful bosses tend to be:

{{Humble Rather Than Arrogant}}

Failed bosses defined their role as some form of telling people what to do. Employees perceived them as obnoxious know-it-alls who wouldn’t let them do their job.

Successful bosses put themselves and their own egos into the background. They focused on coaching employees to perform to their highest potential.

{{Flexible Rather Than Rigid}}

Failed bosses couldn’t tolerate change themselves and so found it nearly impossible to get their employees to embrace necessary change.

Successful bosses knew that adapting to new conditions requires personal flexibility in order to inspire similar flexibility throughout the rest of the team.

{{Straightforward Rather Than Evasive}}

Failed bosses tried to manipulate employees using half-truths that left false impressions. When employees realized they’ve been fooled, they felt resentful and disloyal.

Successful bosses gave employees the information they need to know to make the best decisions, even if that information is difficult or sensitive.

{{Forward Thinking Rather Than Improvisational}}

Failed bosses often attempted to run their organizations ad-hoc, constantly shifting gears and directions, creating a more-or-less constant state of confusion.

Successful bosses had a plan and made sure that everyone understood it. They adapted that plan to changing conditions but did so carefully and intentionally.

{{Precise Rather Than Vague}}

Failed bosses created mushy goals that employees found difficult to map into actual activity. As a result, the wrong things got done and the right things didn’t.

Successful bosses let employees know exactly what was expected of them, in sufficient detail so that there was no ambiguity about goals.

{{Patient Rather Than Ill-Tempered}}

Failed bosses blew up and threw fits when problems cropped up. Their employees became more afraid of doing things wrong than eager to do things right.

Successful bosses confronted problems by listening, considering options, deciding on the best approach, and then communicating what needed to be done.

{{Uzanyinzoga Suzan was born in 1959, she had a minor defect on her upper lip of her mouth. As she grew, the Lip also gradually increased in size. }}

Today Uzanyinzoga says her lip has grown so big such that it covers her lower lip and part of her face is swollen.

She is a mother of four children resident at Musongati village , Nyarusange sector in Muhanga district.

For the past years she checked in at Nyarusange health center in her district but she was not given any attention.

Uzanyinzoga says that some good samaritans once brought her to Kigali to seek treatment at the central Hospital CHK.

However, she was advised to return home promising her that CHK would send her medicine to Nyarusange hospital but she has never recieved any such medicine.

She says that these days whenever she tries doing work she gets headache and sometimes gets dizzy.

Uzanyinzoga is seeking help to find a house to stay in with her children.

{{Rwanda Partners organization has employed an elderly man Karongozi Stephan 84, to prevent him from begging on the streets.}}

He has been known to go begging at the Rwanda Partners office in Ruhango District.

Karongozi has been a popular beggar at Byimana Sector where he usually asks passengers for money.

The coordinator of Rwanda Partners Sylvie Iraguha said they have employed him to stopping his begging activities adding that it is to enable him raise his social economic livelihood.

Karongozi has promised never to beg anymore since he has a job which generates income.

{{Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai Friday lost a bid to have the US$15 000 maintenance claim lodged against him by his wife Ms Locardia Karimat­senga struck off the roll.}}

Harare Civil Court magistrate Mr Reuben Mukavhi ruled that the appli­cation was properly before the courts and that the hearing should be held.

PM Tsvangirai had argued that the application did not comply with the provisions of the Maintenance Act.

The premier’s lawyer Advocate Tha­bani Mpofu said the claim could have been brought up through summons and not a court application.

He also argued that service of the court papers was not done properly.
Adv Mpofu raised the objection just before the maintenance inquiry, but Mr Mukavhi ruled against him.

Mr Mukavhi held that the applica­tion was properly before him and that the hearing should start.

“The proceedings before me have been properly instituted.
“The points in limine (preliminary points) are without merit and are hereby dismissed.”

Adv Mpofu notified the court of his intention to appeal to the High Court challenging the lower court’s failure or omission to consider some of his sub­missions in dismissing the prelimi­nary points.

“We intend to approach the High Court so that it deals with the issues we raised concerning the attachment of an affidavit to the summons,” he said.

“The point has not been determined by this court.”

Mr Mukavhi ruled that the hearing should take off on October 15.
In the failed preliminary arguments, Adv Mpofu submitted that the maintenance claim was void and that it was an unnecessary burden on the court roll.

Adv Mpofu said a maintenance complaint should be made on oath and the fact that Ms Karimatsenga’s lawyers filed a court application rendered the process defective.

He said the law did not allow the court to condone any departure from the statutes.

Adv Mpofu described the application as “dog’s breakfast”.
He said proper service of summons should be effected by the police and not by any other person.

Responding to the objection, Ms Karimatsenga’s lawyer Mr Everson Samukange described the preliminary challenge as mischievous and a deliberate attempt to delay court proceedings.

Mr Samukange said the complaint had properly been made on oath as required by the law and that service could be done by other persons other than the police.

He said the application, although it was not brought on summons, had an affidavit which constitutes the maintenance complaint on oath.

Ms Karimatsenga is claiming US$15 000 monthly maintenance to match the high standards of life she is now accustomed to as a result of her relationship with PM Tsvangirai.

She wants the PM to contribute towards her upkeep and accessories, as she has been accustomed to.

In her claim, Ms Karimatsenga said she was customarily married to PM Tsvangirai after he paid lobola to her parents in November last year.

{{Rwandan artist Bruce Melody has said his mother, Zenena Muteteri, 46, died “with her family at her bedside” on September 14 following a short illness.}}

“Mom told us that she felt like her head was heavy and hurting so much, so we took her to (Rwanda) Military Hospital in Kanombe where she passed on in the hands of the doctors,” said Bruce Melody, the deceased’s second-born.

Muteteri born December 1, 1966 was a single mother after her husband passed away in 1996. She was laid to rest on Sunday at her home in Kanombe. She is survived by four children.

“She was a loving and caring mother, with a never-say-never spirit and she raised us well. We shall always look up to her,” Melody said.

{NewTimes}

{{Nigeria’s Chinua Achebe, often called the father of modern African literature, released his first major work in years Thursday with a long-awaited memoir centred on the war that nearly destroyed his nation.}}

“There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra” chronicles Achebe’s experiences during Nigeria’s 1967-1970 civil war, which saw his native eastern region, dominated by the Igbo ethnic group, secede as the Republic of Biafra.

The split came largely in response to massacres of Igbos in Nigeria’s north and saw Achebe, author of the revered novel “Things Fall Apart,” speak out forcefully in support of the move.

His memoir was released in Britain on Thursday and will be available in Nigeria shortly after, said publishers Allen Lane, a division of Penguin. Its release in the United States is set for October 11.

The tensions that ignited the Biafran conflict, which left around one million people dead, including many from starvation, are largely settled. Today, sporadic calls for greater Igbo autonomy have limited impact in Nigerian politics.

Experts, however, say a Biafra memoir from the 81-year-old Achebe is urgently needed in a country that remains deeply fractured on other levels, despite the book’s focus on events that happened more than four decades ago.

“Achebe is sustaining the debate on integration, on unity and on oneness,” said Dapo Thomas, a history professor at Lagos State University.

“Until there is a sovereign agreement from the peasants to the elite that we want to remain as one, we must continue that debate. A nation cannot remain comatose while these issues are unresolved.”

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with 160 million people, groups around 250 ethnic groups and is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

Achebe strongly backed his native Biafra in the civil war and even toured to speak on its behalf. Echoes of the conflict emerge in his writing, including his collection “Christmas in Biafra and Other Poems.”

The octogenarian remains a towering figure in Nigerian and African literature, though he has been based in the United States in recent years where he has been a professor at Brown University in Rhode Island. He travels infrequently due to a 1990 car accident that left him in a wheelchair.

Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart”, about the collision between British colonial rule and Igbo society, remains a landmark work 54 years after its release.

“Just as we read Shakespeare, it’s not possible for any student in this department to graduate without reading the works of Chinua Achebe,” said the head of the English department at the University of Lagos, Adeyemi Daramola.

{{Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s former lover has said she is bitter over being dumped through a text message.}}

Nosipho Shilubane launched an unsuccessful court application to stop Mr Tsvangirai’s wedding on September 15 to Elizabeth Macheka claiming he had also promised to marry her.

Although her appeal was dismissed for lack of merit, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader’s marriage license was cancelled after another woman Locardia Karimatsenga Tembo convinced the court that he was customarily married to her.

Mr Tsvangirai, aged 60, opted for a customary union with Ms Macheka (35) amid calls for him to be arrested for allegedly lying under oath.

Ms Shulubane (35) told a South African television station eNews Chanel Africa (NCA) the Zimbabwean politician should have had the decency to inform her of the reasons he wanted to end the relationship.

“I deserved for him to sit down with me and say Nosi this is what is happening,” she said.

“That decency I think he owed it to me. He is supposed to be an example to other people, young kids.

“At an age of 60, you dump women through SMS then what do the young ones do?”

Ms Shulubane said she felt used and abused by Mr Tsvangirai whom she met in 2009.

The two enjoyed whirlwind romantic trips to Seychelles, Singapore and Botswana before the relationship ended.

“I received a message from an unknown number that said the relationship was terminated because of distance,” she said.

The woman said the politician ignored her calls and this forced her to resort to the court action to stop the wedding.

Ms Shilubane claims she met the Zimbabwean premier in September 2009, six months after the death of his wife Susan and he told her that he was a widower looking to settle.

She said Mr Tsvangirai was due to pay her bride price in January, but the Prime Minister claimed he was held up by government business and would only do so in December.

The magistrate ruled that her claims had no merit after the premier admitted that she was once his girlfriend but had never promised to marry her.