Igihe

Author: b_igi_adm1n

  • ‘Forbidden Fruit’ Film Screening Tonight at Ishyo Center

    Today a touching Film of 51minutes by Georges Kamanayo (2000)-French Original with English subtitles, will be screening for Free at Ishyo Theatre Hall at Kacyiru in Kigali.

    Georges Kamanayo was born in Rwanda in 1947, the ‘forbidden fruit’ of the relationship between a black Rwandan woman and a white Belgian colonist.

    His father was a wealthy industrialist, the owner of tin mines, who was married and had one son.

    His mother was a poor woman, who had no place to go with her mixed race child. He was not accepted by the black community and a place in his father’s large house was completely out of the question.

    The small Kazungu (‘de white one,’ as his nickname was) attended a Catholic boarding school in neighbouring Belgian Congo and, at the age of 14, was taken to Belgium to start a new life with a strange family, and given the French first name Georges.

    In this film, the grown-up boy, now a cameraman and filmmaker, follows the trail back to his native country. He finds his mother, who has survived the conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis and is still living in Rwanda.

    Some years later, his search for the past is completed, when Georges also meets his old father, who is now living in the south of France.

    KAZUNGU, LE MÉTIS is not only an account of the search by a lost son for his roots and identity, but it also shows the great political and social changes that have taken place in Africa since the fifties.

  • Club Rouge to Honour Genocide Victims

    Club rouge of Uganda will join Rwandans in the 18th commemoration of Tutsi genocide.

    Club rouge is an upmarket night club that also dedicates every last Saturday of a month to Kinyarwanda music and also hosts guest performers from Rwanda to entertain the Rwandese community in Uganda.

    Onyango Gareth the club rouge marketing manager says the club won’t play anything every last Saturday during April because it’s a genocide commemoration month.

    “Club rouge together with its fans is joining Rwanda in mourning,” he added.

    “We decided to create Rwanda night after we had realised we had a big Rwandese following in rouge, so the demand was particularly there, he said.

    Basically we try to bring the best artists from Rwanda to entertain the Rwandese in Uganda and on such nights we play Kinyarwanda songs all night long and always hire deejay Mupenzi and Bisoso from Rwanda,” he added.

    Gareth said that Masamba Intore will perform in May at Club Rouge

  • ‘Operation smile’ Brings Reconstructive Surgery to Rwanda

    Operation smile is a global non-profit medical group that provides free reconstructive surgery to children and adults with cleft lips or cleft palates in dozens of countries worldwide.

    Operation Smile’s Rwanda team is made up of volunteer doctors from 10 different countries. They perform reconstructive surgery for people with cleft palates or cleft lips.

    A cleft lip is a hole in the lip that has caused the lip to not fully form, and a cleft palate is a hole in the roof of the mouth.

    Patients from every corner of Rwanda made the journey to the capital of Kigali for a chance at this procedure. Emmanuel whom is seven months old, is the youngest patient at Kigali’s Central University Hospital.

    South African Conrad Pienaar,is the plastic surgeon who will be performing some of these operations, in one of his operations, he describe the operation to a journalist from VOA what happens once a patient is under anaesthesia .

    “I’m repairing a kiddy with a cleft pallet. He had a bi-lateral or unilateral-cleft lip, as well as palate, and on one of the previous missions his lip has been repaired and now the second stage is closing up the whole palate.”

    “This one is going very well and we’re almost done. We wonder why do we close up the palate and there’s essentially three reasons: the palate is very important for normal speech; and for eating and drinking; an then also for hearing,” said Pienaar.

    Rwandan patients who do not have access to advanced surgeries can benefit from Operation Smile.

    Dr. Amie Lokulutu of the Democratic Republic of Congo is the Regional Director for Operation Smile. He said the organization’s missions throughout the world, including those in Rwanda and other parts of Africa, have been a success.

    “We’ve been in Rwanda since 2009. We’ve already performed two missions and this is the third one, surgeries for about 200,000 patients around the world in 60 countries, 13 African countries have already been succesful” he said.

    Here in Rwanda, Operation Smile has performed more than 500 surgeries to date.

  • The 18th Commemoration of the Tutsi genocide

    The week marking the 18th edition of the commemoration of the genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda beginS April 7 by the broadcasting of music and meditation songs on all the airwaves and on national television during this period.

    Jean De Dieu Mucyo the president of the Rwandan Commission for the Fight against Genocide made the announcement.

    “During this period no person is authorized to perform marriages, and everyone should avoid the holidays or any other event of its kind,” the source said.

    Among the events planned during this period, it is expected that a minute of silence will be observed throughout the country while the national flag be flown at half mast in honor of the hundreds of thousands victims of this tragedy of 1994.

    A “Flame of Hope” that will shine until next July will be lit earlier in the day by the head of state, Paul Kagame, the genocide memorial site at Gisozi, a hill overlooking the city of Kigali are buried approximately 300,000 Tutsi genocide victims.

    The 18th commemoration of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda will be under the theme “Remembering the genocide against Tutsi in learning from our history and building a better future.”

    During the genocide, more than one million Tutsis were murdered by Hutu extremists who controlled the political and military power at the time.

  • Call for an Open, Inclusive World Bank

    We live in a time of historic opportunity. Today more people live in fast-growing economies than at any time in history, and development can take root anywhere – regardless of whether a country is landlocked, just emerging from conflict or oppression, large or small.

    If we build on this, we can imagine a world in which billions of people in developing countries enjoy increases in their incomes and living standards. Given our collective experiences, successes and resources, it’s clear that we can eradicate global poverty and achieve in our lifetimes what for generations has been a distant dream.

    My own life and work have led me to believe that inclusive development – investing in human beings – is an economic and moral imperative. I was born in South Korea when it was still recovering from war, with unpaved roads and low levels of literacy.

    I have seen how integration with the global economy can transform a poor country into one of the most dynamic and prosperous economies in the world. I have seen how investment in infrastructure, schools and health clinics can change lives. I recognise that economic growth is vital to generate resources for investment in health, education and public goods.

    Every country must follow its own path to growth, but our collective mission must be to ensure that a new generation of low and middle-income countries enjoys sustainable economic growth that generates opportunities for all citizens. As co-founder of Partners in Health and director of the World Health Organisation’s initiative to treat HIV/Aids, I will bring practical experience to the World Bank.

    I have confronted the forces that keep more than 1bn people trapped in poverty. I have worked in villages where fewer than 1 in 10 adults could read or write, where preventable diseases cut lives short and where lack of infrastructure and capital held back entrepreneurs. In all those villages, the local people knew where improvement was needed.

    But for change to happen, we need partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society to build systems that can deliver sustainable, scalable solutions. And as we work for global prosperity, we must draw on ideas and experience from around the globe.

    My message is simple: an era of extraordinary opportunity requires an extraordinary global institution. I want to hear from developing countries, as well as those that provide a big share of the resources to development, about how we can together build a more inclusive, responsive and open World Bank.

    A more inclusive World Bank will have the resources to advance its core mission of poverty reduction. It will have a governance structure that provides legitimacy and fosters trust and confidence.

    The Bank has recently achieved a historic capital increase and begun an ambitious programme to modernise its operations. It has also taken important steps to increase the voting power and participation of developing countries.

    If I am entrusted with the responsibility of leading the World Bank, I shall ensure this continues. If the World Bank is to promote inclusive development, it must give developing nations a greater voice.

    A more responsive World Bank must meet the challenges of the moment but also foresee those of the future. The World Bank serves all countries. My focus will be to ensure that it provides a rapid, effective response to their needs. I will come with an open mind and apply my medical and social-science training to take an evidence-based approach.

    Finally, a more open World Bank must recognize it does not have all the answers and listen closely to its clients and stakeholders. I have led a world-renowned higher education institution and I will ensure that the World Bank provides a platform for the exchange of ideas.

    It is already working more closely with a diverse array of partners and it can build on these changes. The Bank has taken significant steps to become more transparent and accountable: it must continue on this path of openness.

    Opportunity is nothing without action. In the coming weeks, I look forward to hearing the views of the World Bank’s constituents – clients, donors, governments, citizens and civil society – as we forge a common vision to build an even stronger institution, prepared to meet the world’s needs in the 21st century.

  • Rwandan Wins US$ 50,000 of Inspire Africa

    A Rwandan has emerged winner of the US$50,000 in the ‘Inspire Africa’ competition Sunday.

    Clarisse Iribagiza was ranked first after establishing a telephone program while at the same time helping young operators.

    Iribagiza feuded with iron fists against Davis Musinguzi and Emmanuela Gonahasa, both from Uganda.

    After 13 weeks, 24 winners of the Commonwealth of the East Africa have exposed a variety of ideas on trade especially in agriculture, developing a program of mobile telephones, entertainment, construction, education, industrialization etc.

    Participants in this competition were chosen by an advisory board of experts from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. They toured the sub-region of East Africa in carrying on business as market research, economics and management by television.

    During the ceremony attended by various authorities, the Prime Minister, Dr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi pledged the support of the Rwandan government in this project that is timely.

    “Inspire Africa”, he said, comes at time when Rwanda is facing the fight against youth unemployment.

    He asked the winners in this competition to demonstrate their experiences and knowledge gained by “Inspire Africa” to develop their countries.

    Musinguzi Davis, who made the final, also held the promise of 50,000 U.S. dollars by the telecommunications company “Warid” of Uganda to implement its project to improve health services.Different companies have pledged $ 15,000 to Emmanuela Gonahasa to assist its project capacity building in small children.

    Clarisse Iribagiza, champion of the competition, is program director of telephony called HeHe Ltd and is part of the association ‘i-hills “of young entrepreneurs working in ICT.

  • Birding Tour Guides Conclude Training

    Last week birding tour guides were awarded certificates after three weeks of training at Kitabi College of conservation and environment management at Nyungwe.

    The event took place at Serena hotel. According to the chairman Tourism Chamber Edwin Sabuhoro, the three weeks study were aimed at training tour guides gain capacity on meeting and interacting with birds.

    “Some of them see the birds, know them and hear them but did not have extra knowledge about them. The main essence was to train them to get more experience and represent the country’s purity in cultural tourism to increase revenue”, he said.

    “Where there is tourism there is guiding”, said Manzi Kayihura chairman Rwanda Tour and Travel Association under tourism chamber.

    “Guides had to get more knowledge on how to manage the needs of clients to have standards in every aspect of tourism; birding is very important in the tourist target market and requires high capital to improve the quality.

    There are tourist organisations around Nyungwe which creates a high experience and it requires high capital to improve the quality,” said Manzi.

    One of the students and a tour guide Noura shabamungu said, “it was enjoyable learning more on birds though it required more material.

    This is going to increase the number of tourists who have been going to neighbouring countries. We have acquired general knowledge about Rwanda and customer care reactions,” he said.

  • kLab Logo Competition Winner Announced

    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

  • Teachers to Learn Story Writing, Storytelling

    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.

  • Ethiopian MPs On Study Tour in Rwanda

    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.
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    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.