Mrs. Kagame who is also the Chairperson of Imbuto Foundation was speaking to youth yesterday during the 2nd edition of ‘Beyond This Moment’.
Beyond This Moment is a youth forum organized under Imbuto Foundation’s Youth Empowerment and Mentorship Programme.
The forum brought together hundreds of youth to discuss Rwanda’s future and the role they play in building the country.
“As you start living a purposeful life, and are able to make a distinction between ‘living’ versus ‘existing’, you will start acting more responsibly, in the choices that you make,” First Lady told youth.
“We are here to further emphasise to our young men and women, the importance of playing their part in the direction of this country, by taking on leadership roles, whether they are still pursuing their education, have entered the workforce, or are already raising a family,” she said.
She told youth that they are never too young to reflect upon what the world needs, to be a better and safer place.
“Acknowledge that the rebuilding of this nation was made possible because of the vision of young men and women, from all walks of life, to see our country rise from its ashes,” she reminded youth.
“It is imperative that you learn to embrace your leadership abilities from early on, and that you do not allow your young age to deter you from stepping into the light, to become a key player, in the development and prosperity of our nation,” she urged.
Mrs. Kagame is optimistic that through organized conversations,youthwill have a renewed sense of commitment towards seeking excellence in all they do, as they ask themselves if they are doing all it takes, with everything they have, as they build strong systems that will outlive them.
Addressing the forum, President Kagame said that Rwanda is creating an ecosystem that will benefit African entrepreneurs.
“Betting on the young people of our continent is a sure bet. Our continent is famous for its natural resources. But the value of our human capital, our people, exceeds all minerals in the continent. It isn’t about counting the number of human beings but rather looking at the potential they have and creating an environment for them to unleash their potential. We must be deliberate in our scale to create opportunities for African youth. Young people and everyone involved, we need to up our game. We owe it to ourselves, communities and continent to work hard and keep trying. Let’s not fail to try. Trust needs to be earned and nurtured,” he said.
The objective of the project is to enhance all season road connectivity to agricultural market centers in selected districts.
The grant will help finance the costs associated with the scale-up of the on-going project and broaden the program from the existing four districts to ten districts of Rwanda. The grant would also help the rehabilitation, upgrading and multi-year maintenance of an additional 450km of feeder roads in six new districts to the on-going 270km in the existing districts.
These districts are Gatsibo, Nyagatare, Naybihu, Rutsiro, Nyaruguru and Gakenke.
“The scale-up of the program follows the government’s strong willingness to improve connectivity in rural areas and thus enabling farmers to access input and output markets,” said the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Amb. Claver Gatete.
The FRDP is designed as an integral part of the agricultural support initiatives in Rwanda and helps farmers to transport key agricultural inputs, and move their crops and products to markets.
The pilot phase of FRDP started in Districts of Rwamagana, Karongi, Nyamagabe and Gisagara with a total of $45 million provided by World Bank as loan.
“The project is expected to directly benefit about one million people in ten districts, generate about 5,000 employment opportunities through road rehabilitation contracts and a further 3,700 under roads maintenance contracts,” said the World Bank Country Manager, Yasser El Gammal.
The State Minister for Transport in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye said that said that feeder roads that are set to be constructed are the first under seven year government programme from 2017-2024.
He said that they target to have constructed 700km by three years ahead.
Umushyikirano is an annual event that gives Rwandans from different walks of life the opportunity to ask questions directly to their leaders. The event is chaired by the President and attended by members of the cabinet and parliament, representatives of the Rwandan Community abroad and, local government, media, the diplomatic community and others invited by the President.
Speaking to the media, the Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Marie SolangeKayisire said that this year they will focus on National Transformation Programme, economic development and the role of youth in national development among other topics.
“As for the previous sessions, youth from different sides of the country will participate in the event using online technologies. They will be on different sites including Petit Stade in Kigali, Nyamasheke, Gatsibo, Musanze and Huye as organized one site per province,” she said.
In the event, they will also present the performance of last year’s Umushyikirano resolutions implementation which took place under the theme ‘Shaping together the Rwanda we want’.
Umushyikirano is governed by Article 140 of the constitution where it takes place once a year and debates issues relating to the state of the Nation and National Unity.
According the statement from the bank management, appointment takes immediate effect.
While announcing the new appointment, the chairman of BRD Board of Directors, Francis Mugisha said that the change is intended to cement the Bank’s achievements and accelerate the efforts to implement the Bank’s Strategic Plan 2016-2020.
The incoming CEO, Rutabana joins BRD having most recently been the Country Head, Corporate and Investment Banking at BPR (part of Atlas Mara Group).
“On behalf of the entire BRD Board and Stakeholders, I am pleased to welcome the new CEO, Mr. Eric rutabana, and offer our unreserved support in his new assignment. Eric is an accomplished banker and understands the new mandate of BRD as a development financial institution. We are confident that he will successfully steer the bank to make even greater contribution to Rwanda’s socio-economic development,” said Mugisha.
On behalf of the Board, Mugisha extended his sincere appreciation to the out-going CEO, Kanyankore for his dedicated services, particularly leading the bank’s successful reorganization and restructuring to focus as a development finance institution.
“I would like to thank Kanyankore for his dedicated service leading the bank since July 2013. We are privileged to have worked with him, and commend his able leadership during the development and implementation of the Bank’s new strategy. We wish him success in his endeavors,” reads BRD statement.
Meanwhile, £1 milliom will go to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP ) and £500,000 million will go to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The contribution was availed yesterday by the Ambassdor of Belgium to Rwanda Benoît Ryelandt during his official visit to Gihembe refugee camp.
At the camp the envoy was received by the Minister of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs (MIDIMAR), Jeanne d’Arc de Bonheur, the UN Refugee Agency’s Representative, Ahmed Baba Fall, and the World Food Programme Deputy Representative, Siddiqui Abdurrahim.
“On behalf of the Government of Rwanda, I commend the Kingdom of Belgium for the contribution to WFP and UNHCR given to maintain food assistance for Burundian and Congolese refugees as well as asylum seekers residing in camps in Rwanda,” said Minister Jeanne d’Arc de Bonheur.
“Furthermore, we expect that the initiative of clean cooking fuel pilot will help achieve both environmental protection providing efficient cooking techniques which will as well reduce indoor air pollution. The current climate change challenges call for innovative solutions alternative to firewood. We are always working for the people, for our planet and our prosperity. As the Government of Rwanda, we are committed to doing our best to make sure all contributions available reach the specific beneficiaries. Meeting the needs of the refugees and asylum seekers in terms of food and nutrition situation prevent malnutrition in the population, especially among women, young children and other vulnerable groups,” DeBonheur added.
This contribution is critical as food ration cuts have been implemented across all camps in Rwanda by 10% as of last month, and are expected to continue if further contributions are not received. Refugees in Rwanda’s camps continue to entirely depend on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs.
The Belgian contribution has allowed WFP to purchase mainly maize and beans for Burundian refugees as well as cash transfers to Congolese refugees to enable them to buy food from local markets. WFP also purchased fortified blended food, to support the most vulnerable people who are in need of a particular diet.
In addition to monthly food distributions and cash transfers, WFP also provides supplementary food for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under the age of five, people receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
“WFP is grateful to the Kingdom of Belgium for its continuous commitment to refugees in Rwanda, the region and around the globe,” said WFP Rwanda Country Director and Representative, Jean-Pierre de Margerie adding that support is important in meeting the food needs Burundians and Congolese who have fled their homes to Rwanda.
Belgium’s 500,000 EUR contribution to UNHCR will enable 19,500 Congolese refugees in Kigeme camp, located in Southern Province, and the host community members, to have access to clean cooking through cash to purchase sustainably produced pellets, which includes the lease of clean and highly efficient cook stoves.
As UNHCR and WFP are both providing cash assistance in Kigeme camp, in lieu of food and in-kind support traditionally provided by UNHCR such as blankets, soap among others, refugees will be able to opt to buy the clean fuel and stove package with their cash allowances.
The meeting also approved to increase Rwf3.48 billion making the total fixed assets Rwf10.5 billion.
The Chairman of the Board, Marc Holtzman said that BK CEO, Dr. Diane Karusisi will be heading the Group and the bank will appoint the board members.
The move follows different institutions that BK launched including TecHouse that provides technology services, BK General Insurance and BK Securities.
Karusisi said that BK started in 1966 by deposit and loan provision services adding that the more it grows the more it ventures into other financial services.
“We made it clear that Bank of Kigali is an institution combining different companies with financial services including banking and insurance services among others,” she said.
According to the statement released by the Office of the Prime Minister, President Kagame also appointed Olivier Kayumba, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) replacing Antoine Ruvebana.
Also appointed is Francis Musoni, the new Secretary General for Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), replacing Henriette Umulisa.
Mutimura who had been the African Centers of Excellence Project coordinator replaces Dr. Papias Musafiri Malimba who had been on the post since June 2015.
New MITEC Minister Rurangirwa had been the Integrated Financial Management Information and System (IFMIS) Project Coordinator at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. He replaces Jean Philbert Nsengimana who had been the Minister since 2011.
The two replaced ministers have been dropped from the cabinet.
Gatare who was giving a key note address during the presentation of findings of a three-year research project on “Women in Artisanal and Small Scale Mining in Central and East Africa: Empowerment Challenges and Possibilities,” noted that a number of barriers that hinder women participation in the mining sector are rooted in traditional subjugation of women rights, a practice that Rwanda has unwaveringly worked to eliminate.
“Although Rwanda is a country that puts emphasis on gender equality, where situation analysis is regularly conducted to identify gender gaps and propose affirmative action to fill them; We are conscious that we still have a long way to go to reach equal footing in all sectors. Nevertheless, we are confident that we shall make changes given time and hard work, ” he said.
The three-year research project led by IMPACT (formerly Partnership Africa Canada), Canada’s Carleton University, the Development Research and Social Policy Analysis Centre (DRASPAC) and Women in/and Mining Organisation (WIAMO), explored women’s livelihoods in the artisanal mining of 3Ts (tin, tantalum, tungsten) and gold within Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.
During a conference held today, 6th December, researchers presented their research findings on the challenges women face in the artisanal and small scale mining sector and opportunities for their empowerment.
Policymakers from the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, Ministries of Local Government, Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, women and men miners, private sector, and civil society were taken through how gender inequality limits women’s contribution in the artisanal and small scale mining sector and their potential as economic and social actors.
Gisèle Eva Côté, the Coordinator of the research, observed that challenges faced by women in the artisanal mining sector cannot be ignored as they have an important contribution to the sector.
“There are mindsets, patriarchal norms and cultural lag that hold back women’s full participation in Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM); even though surveyed women describe the the job as “good and satisfying” and only seek improved work conditions.”
Among different barriers observed during the research, women’s voices are not represented in the country’s mining laws and policies. Women also face inequality at the mine sites—preventing them from taking on higher paying tasks or more senior positions. Women told researchers that their technical capacity and strength have been questioned due to their gender.
Researchers recommend supporting women’s access to credit, which would allow entrepreneurial activities at the mine sites.
IMPACT—formerly Partnership Africa Canada— an independent non-profit, collaborating with local partners for lasting change, transforms how natural resources are managed in areas where security and human rights are at risk, investigate and develop approaches for natural resources to improve security, development, and equality.
Among the key findings, on average, women make more than two times the income from artisanal mining per month than in other income generating activities and 72% of women surveyed in Southern Province contribute to at least half of the household’s income and 30% of these women are sole income earners, while 71% of women surveyed in Northern province contribute to at least half of the household ‘s income and 38% are the sole income earners.
Others are; despite a standardized pay structure for mining roles, women still tend to earn less than men; in both sites studied, women are largely limited/excluded from mining activities with higher earning potential, including digging and sluicing.
The report also indicates that women have difficulty accessing credit from banks because they require their husbands’ permission. “This permission, we were told, can be difficult for the women to secure, and high service fees further limit women’s access to banking services. Without access to credit, women are unable to invest in mining activities as subcontractors, a position which would allow them to move from subsistence to accumulation activities, “ reads part of the report.
The Unilever Tea Rwanda project will benefit Nyaruguru residents by providing with them a total of 1000 permanent jobs.
Under the project, a new tea processing plant will be constructed and will be able to produce 10,000 tones per year.
Speaking at the inauguration event, the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), Dr. Geraldine Mukeshimana told Nyaruguru residents that the project seeks to develop their welfare and urged them to use the opportunity by developing themselves.
“When investment opportunities unfold, livelihoods improve. This project will give you permanent jobs and will benefit you, your children and grandchildren as it is a long term project. We urge you to educate your children so that in the future they will be skilled enough to work in that plant,” Mukeshimana urged Nyaruguru residents.
Nyaruguru District Mayor François Habitegeko said that their region is suitable for tea growing and that they already have three processing plants in the district.
“Currently, production from our plants is 3,900 tones per year. When this plant is completed by 2018, the yearly tea production shall be increased by 10,000 tones,” he said.
Meanwhile, 228 families were relocated from Mata and Munini sectors to pave way for 2000 hectares to be used for the construction of the plant and tea cultivation.
Residents welcomed the project saying that it will help in the district’s development.
The Chief Executive Officer of Unliever, Paul Polman said he decided to bring the project to Rwanda after meeting with President Paul Kagame in 2015 in New York where they discussed development programmes.
“When you wish to move faster you walk alone, but when you need to reach far you go with others. After discussing with President Kagame about programmes that uplift peoples’ welfare, I decided to bring this project we are launching today,” he said.
