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A report which has been released by ActionAid has indicated that Rwanda is among the only three countries that is equipped to fight triple crisis.

Among 28 developing countries where ActionAid carried their study, Rwanda, Tanzania and Mali were the only three countries in a position to confront what they have called triple crisis involving the accelerating climate change, growing population and rising food prices.

The report warns titled ‘On the Blink; Who’s best prepared for a climate and hunger crisis?’ suggest that the triple crisis could lead to a collapse in global food systems by 2050.

According to the report Rwanda has programmes and political will including a 25 year plan intending to confront the triple crisis.

“Rwanda was the first country in Africa to sign on to the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), and has demonstrated a clear political will to decrease endemic levels of hunger and malnutrition,” the report read in parts.

In addition to doubling government spending on agriculture over the last few years, from a low of five per cent in previous years, Rwanda’s government committed an extra US$5 m (Est. over 2,9bn) in the agriculture sector for 25 years.

In February this year, Rwandan government announced its intension to undertake a countrywide restoration of its degraded soil, water, land and forest resources for the next 25 years.

It was in a bid to restore the lost forest cover that had since 1990 become a victim for agricultural activities and settlements triggering floods and heavy rains that not only destroyed crops but also human lives.

A predicted 30% increase in world population by 2050, together with the severe impact of climate change on harvests, a scene of food scarcity in decades is predicted.

This year’s famine in East Africa provided a terrible preview of how such crises could play out years to come, with severe drought, conflict over access to water and land, and high food prices interacting to push 13 million people into starvation.

The report states that 526 million people could be at risk of hunger because of climate change by 2050 because Land is being diverted away from the small-scale farmers who produce most of the food consumed in poor communities.

The report states that since 1960, a third of the world’s farmland has been abandoned because it has been exhausted beyond use; about 10 million hectares are destroyed every year.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that in Africa alone 6.3 million hectares of degraded farmland has lost its fertility and water-holding capacity and needs to be regenerated to meet the demand of food from a population set to double in Africa by 2050.

Worldwide hunger has been reduced by just 2% in the last 15 years.

ActionAid is the only UK international development charity with headquarters in the developing world with head offices in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It works in 19 countries across the continent dealing with issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment; famine relief; peace building; food and education.

With regional headquarters are in Nairobi while operating in 40 countries including Burkino Faso, Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The British High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ben Llewellyn – OBE yesterday congratulated Jean Damascène Ntawukuliryayo upon his post as the new Senate president.

During his visit to the senate the Commissioner hailed the excellent working relationships High Commission had with the previous Senate and expressed his will to be more strengthened with new senate.

The new Senate President Dr. Ntawukuliryayo thanked the Ambassador for the courtesy call and the congratulations.

Ntawukuriryayo also said that he was devoted to fulfill his new duties saying that he had acquired experience in the last 3 year working in the lower chamber of parliament.

The two discussed existing working framework between the Parliament of Rwanda and the one of the United Kingdom.

They also talked about bills that the Parliament is likely to vote in the near future such as the media law, mending the existing law on genocide ideology among others.

They agreed that existing cooperation initiatives will be strengthened during this new Senate term, for the benefit of both parties.

A high profiled delegation from the World Bank has visited President Paul Kagame to be tipped on governance.

Recently Mo Ibrahim Foundation ranked Rwanda in its index as one of the most improving countries in African governance emerging the 25th country.

Led by Georgina Baker, Director of the Corporation in International Finance Corporation (IFC), the delegation came to share with Kagame on his experiences in leadership.

The IFC is the lending subsidiary of World Bank charged with financing and providing advice for private sector development in developing countries.

Speaking to Press after meeting Kagame, Baker said they shared a number of issues including accountability, transparency, and country development and management.

She said their visit was part of the IFC’s prestigious corporate management programme.

“We brought new leaders from IFC, We wanted to learn from the leadership of Rwanda and the journey this country has made under President Kagame,” Baker told the press at Village Urugwiro.

“We were moved by what he shared with us, not only in terms of how he brings people together, but what happened in this country and the reconciliation process. we don’t have to go through such a tough leadership journey ourselves but to learn from someone who was very moving for everyone that was here,” Baker added.

Baker who is also the Director of Short term finance at IFC, said that there was a growth trend in Rwanda’s private sector.

Baker also added that IFC looks at investment in finance, infrastructure, housing and education as a way of boosting the private sector growth.

John Rwangombwa, Rwanda’s Minister of Finance said that IFC delegation coming was part of their annual leadership training programme which targets the organisation’s young and upcoming leaders.

Also World Bank governor in Rwanda, Rwangombwa said; “They chose Rwanda out of other countries because the country’s leadership has tackled a lot of challenges in a short time and they wanted to learn from our experience.”

Rwangombwa said IFC is the biggest supporter of Rwanda’s private sector providing both short-term and long-term financing of projects especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

He also said IFC helps the government to improve doing business and improving the investment climate.

Jean Leon Iragena, a Rwandan student studying in the US under Rwanda’s Presidential scholarship,October 15th launched Isaro Foundation a non-profit organization to help improve reading and writing skills in Rwandan primary and high schools.

Isaro Foundation will receive different types of writings: essays, short stories, poems, from Rwandan students aged between 7 and 18. The Foundation will grade the writings and award best writers.

A student whose writing will have been selected as good will be awarded a prize which will include money. The award will be estimated between Rwf 5,000 and Rwf 10,000.

“Fluent student in writing can even benefit from this money and pay school fees for themselves” Jean Leon claimed.

What motivated him to found this Foundation, Jean Leon replied in these words: “Even if Rwanda is among the countries that spend a lot of money in education, there is still a lot to do in the reading and writing field. Rwandan students should start learning not only from classes, but also from books. I personally believe that the most precious knowledge comes from reading books. “

“There is no other way we can improve reading and writing skills in Rwanda without starting by the youngest generation. The main objective of Isaro Foundation is to improve reading and writing skills starting by young people. “

“I have been thinking about this project for about 10 months, and even if the Foundation has been already launched there is still a lot to do for it to starting operating.”

The impact of this Foundation will be improvement of reading and writing skills in Rwanda. This will be achieved through different ways including; the organization of reading and writing competitions in Rwandan primary and high schools, publication of Isaro magazine on a trimester basis and the creation of a library for students. Promoting reading and writing habits in Rwanda is not an easy task, the reason why as a motivation, we will give prizes in money so that many students can participate.”

Iragena pointed out that students will pay nothing to get Isaro Foundation’s magazine or to participate in the competitions. “We want students to benefit from Isaro Foundation’s opportunities for free.”

“It is important that the foundation gets supports from the government, non-governmental institutions and organizations and also from people who can donate to Isaro Foundation.” He added.

He continued by encouraging the Rwandan diaspora around the world and the Rwandans to help the organization achieve its non-pecuniary goals. He also mentioned that some friends of Rwanda are getting involved: “some friends of Rwanda have already shown their interest in the Foundation” Jean Leon noted.

“When I see how students here, from the kindergarten to universities invest their time shaping their reading and writing skills, it inspires me so much. For almost a year, I have been thinking how I can take that culture back home and now I have come to a durable solution. As a science major, I had never realized that the first thing I would quickly want to take back home would be reading and writing skills. However, I know it is the most needed thing in Rwandan primary and high schools. I am sure I am in the right environment, an environment where almost everyone is reader or a writer, an environment where everyone would stand up and support his or her cause. An environment where almost everyone would help young Rwandans achieve one of the things that made America a great nation. It is time to share what I have been learning here in the US with my country.”

A study conducted by ActionAid-Rwanda shows that women have more potential to contribute towards food security.

However, majority of women are vulnerable and small scale farmers who rarely benefit from various government initiatives aimed at improving agriculture.

ActionAid’s country director Josephine Uwamariya, says the campaign aims at assisting women engaged in small scale farming particularly in rural areas.

Explaining activities of the weeklong campaign, Uwamariya insisted that affected women ought to unite in order to request for necessities with a stronger voice.

“This will first be enabled through debates at the local level where villagers will learn how to freely present their problems. Similar debates will be held at national level where ActionAid staff will meet government officials such as policy makers in order to influence better planning that benefits poor farmers,” Uwamariya said.

Prior to the debates, the NGO’s staff will train women farmers on how to group themselves into cooperatives.

According to Sulah Nuwamanya, the ActionAid’s partnership development and communications manager, women cooperatives wouldn’t only improve their yield but also increase their chances of access to credit from financial institutions.

“We want women to know their rights, assist them in forming cooperatives and I believe with more support from government this program will facilitate poverty eradication,” he remarked.

The campaign is in line with global celebration of the World Food Day, major activities will be conducted in Districts such as Musanze, Nyaruguru and Nyanza.

A Kinyarwanda tabloid Ishema Newspaper is set to resume its operations after a one month self-imposed suspension.

The management of the paper made that decision claiming of getting threats after blasphemous article that ridiculed the person of President Paul Kagame and undermining the government.

According to the press statement; the Board of Directors meeting held Sunday yesterday came up with the resolution of continuing publications after taking into considerations a number of issues.

It says that the Board, after analyzing the status of the threats which were the basis of discontinuing publications, they have decided to resume their operations without any hindrances.

The statement also says that the Board, after it analyzing the consequences incurred by Ishema Newspaper and its personnel as well as following its publication of Issue no 24, it ruled out that the publications of the news items will be appearing on its website.

The management have re-organized to find other sources of the funding to print out hard copy, for countryside circulation project since they had lost several advertisement contracts.

Speaking to igihe.com, Fidele Gakire, Ishema Newspaper Managing Director said that the management of the paper have made consultations and found out no problem to resume.

“ We therefore hope that there will be no more difficulties in our publications,” said Gakire

Senator Teddy Gacinya, has called upon women to strive for their development and fighting for their rights.

Gacinya who was presiding over rural women day celebration at Mukuyu cell, Ndera sector in Gasabo District also called upon women to join efforts in fighting Gender Based Violence that has affected them.

“Despite the long journey ahead, rural women have achieved a lot in terms of development. These achievements have shifted them from one socio-economical level to another,” Gacinya says.

“More than 500 here today are celebrating with hundreds of others elsewhere in the country. They have been able to open up their own bank accounts for example and have saved enough now,” Gacinya added.

Didacienne Mukankuranga testifies that she has also improved and has been assisted by an NGO called women for Women which she claims transformed her life through saving schemes.

Mukankuranga says that she leant the benefits of joining cooperatives and has now completed her own house that she wouldn’t have done alone.

Gasabo Vice Mayor in charge of social affairs Marie Louise Uwimana reminded women that laws protecting them were existing including laws on succession.

In the celebration of rural women, there were also unveiling 34 houses built to rural poor women by National Women Council.

Rwanda Local media practitioners today gathered at Lemigo Hotel for two day training on media development intending to create more skills and professionalism.

The Media High Council that has organized the training intends to initiate a series of activities among media organisations and leaders of Rwanda media to promote high professional standards and advance general media development in the country.

In a study conducted by Prof. Karikari Kwame about Rwanda’s media, MHC validated a program for a series of seminars, forums, symposia, workshops, and events designed to address challenges of media development, especially strengthening media sustainability and advancing professional standards.

Professor Kwame Karikari is the executive director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, a Ghana-based media advocacy organization whose vision is for a sub-region in which the fundamental human rights of freedom of thought and expression are guaranteed; and in which free mass media serve to bring to fulfillment all the other universally subscribed rights and freedoms for all persons.

Such series of trainings will be including only 36 media owners, 21 managers, 35 editors, and 18 program managers with website owners excluded.

Patrice Mulama during the press interview said, “This workshop will help give skills, ethical values, and professionalism to media practitioners.”

The MHC report shows only 30% of journalists in Rwanda have enough skills required in journalism.

He said that there are other journalism training manuals meant to equip reporters with skills too and will be implemented by the School of Journalism in Kigali (GLMC).

41 final year students at the national university of Rwanda have failed language proficiency exam and shall not graduate this year.

This has attracted complaints from students taken against their colleagues affected.

According to minutes from the academic senate meeting held on 7th October 2011at NUR main branch, affected students will not be permitted to graduate. Those mostly affected are final year students.

Thousands of students in their final academic year are preparing for their graduation next year February 2012.

If the decision is implemented, it means that about 50 students will have to repeat for whole year studying language lessons.

Gatoni Egide a final year student in the faculty of civil engineering failed language test and told igihe.com, “I don’t understand why such a decision has been adopted at such a time.”

“We couldn’t be in such a crisis now had they informed us earlier that we were supposed to retake the exam. Personally, the last time I did the language (English) test was in 2nd year and since then I never got to know my status until recently when I had just submitted my dissertation that I saw a notice indicating that I wouldn’t graduate because I hadn’t passed the English test in 2008.”

“Why did they let us go through 4years knowing we hadn’t passed the test? Why did they promote us to the point of submitting our dissertations when they knew we hadn’t passed the English test?”

Gatoni explained that in all the academic year at NUR, “we have passed other course units examined in English.Then why do they say we don’t know English?”

The furious Gatoni said it is very unfair and not right “We were given another test on 10th August 2011 and I got 62% but still they are saying we have to get 70%.”

“My wish is let them give us another test or let them lower the grades because some of our colleagues who joined in 2007 and went through the EPLM year have their certificates yet they passed with only 50%.”

Kereni Irdehpnse the director of school of languages at NUR told igihe.com, “We have enforced a policy that has existed for some time. It is unfortunate they are the first lot to be affected but it’s a policy that applies to all students.”

“Those students knew about the policy. Their representatives met with both the former minister of education (Hon. Mujawamaliya) and the High Education Council chairperson (Pamela) on the issue. It was made clear to them that they would not graduate unless they retake the test and pass with 70% as the policy stands.”

Open and Distance learning Director Prof. Roger SAPSFORD said, “The policy has been in existence for several years. All we have done is to implement it accordingly.”