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  • Fallen Legislator Honoured a State Funeral

    The fallen legislator Tharcisse Shamakokera has been laid to rest and honoured a state funeral this Friday.

    A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance.

    State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition.

    The journey to his final resting place was preceded with a requiem at Regina Pacis Catholic Church in Remera.

    The body of late Shamakokera was first taken to the parliamentary building where members of Parliament and other dignitaries paid him their last respects before commencing to cemetery.

    The speakers at the ceremony described Shamakokera as a hardworking, zealous and committed person in his days he lived.

    The Speaker of Parliament Rose Mukantabana noted that the country has lost a very significant person.

    Shamakokera has been a member of Parliamentary Education commission.
    The late Shamakokera was born in 1944 in Gahini.

    He went to Buhambe Primary School in Byumba, Rwesero seminary in Kabwayi, and later joined the national university of Rwanda, where he pursued linguistics.

    During his life, he taught in Uganda at Ntare School, Lycee de Nyabiharage in Burundi.

    The 68-year old held different positions in cabinet; He was former Rwanda’s Education Minister after 1994, Officer in charge of social affairs in the President’s Office, Officer in the General Secretariat of RPF- Inkotanyi and Deputy Secretary General in the Office of the Prime Minister in charge of Cabinet Affairs.

    He is survived by a wife, four children and numerous grandchildren.

    ENDS

  • WB Opens Global Center To Help Conflicted Countries

    The World Bank has opened a new Global Center on Conflict, Security and Development to make its financial support and expertise work better for poor and vulnerable people living in fragile countries.

    It estimates that more than 1.5 billion people living in countries afflicted by repeated cycles of conflict and violence.

    The center will also help to establish a stronger community of practice and knowledge-sharing across the worldwide network of practitioners who work on development issues confronting fragile and conflict-affected countries.

    The Bank says that more than 30 countries, mostly in Africa, have been or are affected by conflicts and that its new center in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, will allow the Bank to provide their communities with more flexible, transparent help.

    At its opening ceremony in Nairobi, attended by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Finance, government ministers, UN and development agencies, and NGOs active in post-conflict development, the Bank said the world is now witnessing a number of countries that are navigating their way out of war and conflict.

    Sierra Leone, Liberia, Timor Leste, and Bosnia by resuming education, health, and other key social services, and creating stable, elected governments which in turn have drawn development support and local and foreign investors.

    However, according to the Bank, millions of people across Africa, South Asia, and other regions still face perilous, isolated, lives in war-torn situations.

    “Political and criminal violence should not be the chains that shackle people for life. We know violence knows no borders. We know the impact of violence can last generations,” said Dr. Caroline Anstey, the World Bank’s Managing Director for Operations, who officially opened the center.

    “Our challenge is to provide more support and make development work more effectively in fragile and often violent places. Not to do so would be abandoning our development mission.”

    Anstey noted that the Bank had mobilized more than 690 staff to work in fragile countries across the globe, and had provided more than US$5.9 billion in zero-interest in reconstruction support to these countries since 2000 from the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, the International Development Association (IDA), and the Bank-administered State-and Peace-Building Fund, which fosters peace-building in fragile and conflict countries.

    The Nairobi center, which will operate out of the headquarters of Africa’s leading affordable housing NGO, Shelter Afrique, will also unveil a new online and face-to-face knowledge web portal called The Hive to connect practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and networks of people and organizations working on violence, conflict, and fragility around the world.

    ENDS

  • Best ‘A’ Level Science Students Listed

    The Rwanda National Examination Board (RNEC) has listed nine best Science students in the just released 2011 senior six (S6) examination results.

    Onesphore Ndayishimiye of G.S.O Butare scored ‘As’ in all subjects; Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Emmanuel Taylor Dufitumukiza of E.SC Byimana who also scored straight As in the same subjects combination.

    The best students listed in sciences scored ‘As’ in all their subjects Combinations and only two girls made it to this year’s best students list in science subjects.

    Others include Romeo Ntazinda (MPC) of G.S Saint Andre, Leonce Nshuti (MCB) of E. SC. Musanze and the only female candidates, Alice Igiraneza and Sauda Niyigena, (MCB) both of E.SC. Byimana.

    According to the Ministry of Education 87.5% of students passed 2011 ‘A’ level examinations and 54% were boys while 46% were girls.

    It has been indicated that upcountry schools have performed better as compared to urban based schools.

    The released results, excluded students who completed Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools, which were administered by Workforce Development Authority (WDA).

    It was also announced that beginning this year, Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) took up the responsibility of Teacher Training Centres (TTC).

    Begining this year the examination board will only administer examinations for Primary, O’Level and A’ Level. Technical and professional examinations will be administered by WDA and KIE.

    This explains why the number of candidates who sat for A’ Level exams reduced from 49,133 in 2010 to 30,845 in 2011, according to Harebamungu.

    The announcement of the results made by both Dr. Mathias Harebamungu the state Minister for both Primary and secondary schools and John Rutayisire RNEB boss came with encouragement to the parents to pay for their children in the universities.

    Minister Harebamungu who made the call said that government is not in position to give bursary to over 80% students who passed this year’s examinations hence government will be too selective in offering bursaries.

    Groupe Scholaire du Butare in Huye District and Ecole Des Science Byimana in Muhanga District have been ranked the best schools in science subjects.

    ENDS

  • EWASA Cuts Electricity Fees For Local Industries

    Industries operating in the Rwanda will soon have their charges on electricity reduced starting from 11pm to 7pm in the morning.

    The management of Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWASA) has presented a proposal explaining how the program will operate to the ministry of infrastructure and Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority.

    Yves Muyange,the director of EWASA noted that reduction of electricity fees at certain hours for industries would attract investors at the same time reduce on the cost of production.

    “In the region, Rwanda has higher charges on electricity but soon we intend to reduce the costs after improving power generation in the country,” he said.

    Muyange further noted that activities to improve electricity are underway, “we’re exploiting all power sources such as the hydro, geothermal, solar and methane gas, the aim is to improve power generation of which industries consume 30% of the current electricity production.”

  • Mushayidi Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

    The Rwanda Supreme Court has today confirmed a life sentence for Deo Mushayidi, on charges of trying to overthrow the government by means of war, inciting Rwandan population against the current regime and using a false passport.

    His lawyer Twagirayezu said that he was saddened with the court’s decision.“All of these charges are political, we are saddened by the decision and it’s not at all what we expected,” he said.

    Mushayidi was arrested in Burundi and immediately extradited to Rwanda on March 5, 2010. At the time, Rwanda was in the midst of a series of coordinated and deadly grenade attacks in the run-up to the 2010 president election and prosecutors insisted that Mushayidi was part of a “terror network”, along with fellow dissidents Lt. Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa and Col Patrick Karegeya, behind the attacks.

    Rwanda’s High Court had cleared Mushayidi, a former combatant of the Rwanda Patriotic Army and the controversial ex-head of the Association of Rwandan Journalists (ARJ), of the terrorism related charges in September 2010, but sentenced him to life for the three remaining indictments.

    After fleeing to Europe in 2000, Mushayidi became a fierce critic of Rwandan government and joined with multiple opposition groups there. He did not return to Rwanda until his 2010 extradition following the Burundi arrest.

    Additional Reporting: AFP

  • Kirehe District Recieves Motor Cycles

    The Ministry of Health on 22nd February offered 7 motor cycles to Health Centres of Kirehe district. Jean Damascene Kayiranga in charge of Health at the district said that motorcycles will help in various Health activities in the district.

    He said, “The motorcycles will help in transferring medicines from the district pharmacy to different health centers by conducting a follow-up of health advisors’ activities, then in the sensitization of the population on medical health insurance.

    He added that motorcycles will play a big role of sensitizing people on time in the fight against poor hygiene related diseases.

    The mayor of Kirehe district Protais Murayire thanked the ministry for the offer. “It will reduce on the district expenditure under decentralization of health services and thus services will be very quick.”

    He asked officials of the health centers who received motorcycles to use them accordingly otherwise contrary to that they will be severely punished.

    The motorcycles are branded YAMAHA AG 100 and offered to 7 health centers which are Nasho, Nyarubuye, Mushikiri, Rusumo, Kirehe, Bukora and Gashongora.

  • Real Contractors Offers Job to IPRC’s Best Student

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    Real Contractors Limited a local construction and real estate company has awarded a job and a brand new laptop to Olivier Nsabamungu that emerged the best student in his class.

    Nsabamungu beat the rest of students in Environmental Management and Water Technology class 2009, 2010.

    Nsabamungu graduated with a distinction and was awarded an Advance Diploma at the first-ever graduation ceremony held at the integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre Kigali (IPRC).

    Over 170 students graduated, with the ceremony being attended by the Prime Minister Dr Pierre Damien Habumuremyi and Education Minister Vincent Biruta among other senior officials.

    Both Habumuremyi and Biruta stressed the importance of vocational and technical education in the country’s developing saying that it provides the much needed skills in the job market.

    The Prime Minister urged parents to take their children to vocational institutions since skills offered there help them create their own jobs after graduating.

    Handing over the prize to Nsabamungu, Real Contractors Limited General Manager, Charles Lugira, said: “I have the pleasure to present an award to the best student who has completed studies with the highest marks.”

    Lugira urged other students to work hard. “You have a great responsibility to continue to pursue your careers and to continue to strive for excellence in every area of your lives,” he said adding that what the students acquired is “not just an education but a ticket to change the world” starting with changing the industry and the country at large.

    Lugira said the time has come for the private sector to foster relationships with institutions of higher learning to inspire technicians and engineers, saying they have responsibility in developing the country.

    Nzabamungu applauded Real contractors for the prizes, saying he will do his best to contribute the country and encouraged students behind him to concentrate on their academics.

    Under its 2012/2012 Corporate Social Responsibility plan, Real Contractor has participated in social activities which positively impact on local communities, says Lugira.

    The company has participated in initiatives such as Bye-bye Nyakatsi, One Cow Per Family Project (Girinka) and the donation of mutuelle de santé for the disadvantaged people in Kigali, Rwamagana, Nyagatare, Rusizi, Muhanga and Ruhengeri.

    The company is in partnership with all academic institutions that are in line with its business. They offer industrial attachments, prizes and jobs to best students in engineering departments.

    Real Contractors Limited won the RDB Business Excellence awards 2011 in the real estate sector for its innovativeness and contributing to Rwanda’s economy by providing employment, paying taxes and creating market for its suppliers.

  • DOT Trains 18 in ICT, Life Skills

    Eight women and ten men some Interns and Trainers have been awarded certificates by Digital Opportunity Trust after completion of 10 months internship under ReachUp! Program on Project Management, Advocacy, Facilitation, coaching and leadership skills.

    DOT’s vision is to make these opportunities available to marginalized people, especially women and youth, as a strategy to eradicate poverty, vulnerability and gender inequality.

    Nadine Umuhire a Computer Engineer at KIST and an outgoing Intern said, “Over nine months we trained and coached marginalized community members in ICT, Life Skills and Entrepreneurship. This has improved their livelihoods and incomes. We helped them conduct market research, business planning and sourcing for micro finance.”

    Hormisdas Ndayambaje – Teacher and intern says,“The time we had at DOT has been about our delivering the ReachUp! Program. When I think of DOT, I think of Business not employment. It means a lot to me. I have learnt from the courage of participants. I have seen them grow and transform their lives.”

    DOT works with Community Participants which include women, youth, unemployed and under-employed where the entrepreneurial spirit and skills are developed within their minds.

    Within the training each intern is supposed to teach a minimum of 20 participants each month on ICT, business and livelihood skills and 140 participants are expected to be taught at the end of the training of each.

    DOT Rwanda was launched in March 2010 to deliver the Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Development in Rwanda (E2DR) Project to deliver DOT’s economic programs the ReachUp! and StartUp!

    DOT was established in Canada in 2002, Digital Opportunity Trust is an innovator in enabling people to access and apply information and communications technologies (ICT) to create education, economic and entrepreneurial opportunities.

    It was awarded funding to run its program by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the MasterCard Foundation.

  • Dance! Dance! ….And the World Will Dance With You!

    Yes, oh yes….it is CARNIVALE season in Brasil…in particular in Rio de Janiero…and anyone who loves dancing as much as I do, knows this is one of the highlights of the global dance calendar each year.

    It’s that time of the year…Dancing and of course….drumming….and spangles, feathers….and most of all the spirit that is ‘community’.

    I know I am amongst friends as I write this, because the Rwandan skillful dance is known throughout the world. I have a modest collection of antique Rwandan postcards and amongst them your dance traditions are well represented.

    I must say, one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life was standing at the entrance to the Sambadrome….tens of thousands singing in Portugese from the stands…drum beats pumping out the rhythm…surrounded by thousands of twirling, dancing, singing dancing performers – young and old, tall and short, thin and fat….everyone in the community…and everyone smiling!

    That celebration of community life, dance, culture, history, music and costume….The colour….The spectacle! …that goes from dusk to dawn, twice! …needless to say it was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life!

    All praise to the Brasilians for having the brains to build the Sambadrome! What a place! Approximately 30m wide and 700m long…a straight, flat piece of concrete…more like a runway to look at rather than a stage….but indeed – what a stage it becomes!!!!

    For a rank amateur dancer like me…the chance of a lifetime to perform in front of tens of thousands!….well, when you think about the global broadcasting of the Carnivale…I guess I did actually perform in front of millions….Woo hoo! (Thankfully they weren’t looking too closely at my footwork or listening to my appauling attempt at singing in Portugese hee hee)

    You can’t find anything even close to the Sambadrome in Australia (I wish I could)…instead we spend $100M on building a football stadium to passively watch about forty men play combative sport and chase a ball around a field each weekend during Winter….uuugghghhhh!

    As the Rwandan tourism industry is thriving, there is much to be learnt from those Brasilians – the Carnivale itself is a remarkable global tourist drawcard! ..and no wonder!

    As reported on the www.rio-carnival.net website “The five-day mega-event will be broadcast live around the world. Carnival in Rio generates 250,000 jobs and revenues of some $640 million for hotels, bars and restaurants, according to state officials. City officials expect more than five million people, including 850,000 tourists, to attend.”

    …of course, none of that factors in the profit from the sale of the television broadcasting rights.

    With so many similarities between Brasilian Samba and so much Rwandan music…such obvious links between those cultural expressions….I hope there is some sharing of dance expertise fostered by your government…..as the history of Brasilian Samba is deeply embedded in Africa.

    “In the slums of downtown Rio, a place referred to as ‘Little Africa’, they established a number of religious houses devoted to religious ceremonies where they played and danced the early forms of samba. However, African religions were illegal in a dominantly catholic Brazil. These roots of samba remained invisible to the white elite for a long time.” Source: http://www.rio-carnival.net/rio_carnival/rio_carnival_programs.php

    As for why listen to an Aussie about fostering your tourism through Rwandan dance, I first learnt Latin dance through Rio Rhythmics Latin Dance Academy in Brisbane which has taught more than 20,000 Australians to latin dance since it began in 1994. Thus as a community, we embrace dances from other cultures! Every year its founder, Brazilian Tarcisio Teatini-Climaco takes a group of his students to dance in the Carnivale in Rio.

    As reported by Angela Surine in ‘The Courier Mail’ on February 11 – 12, 2012 ‘The equivalent of half the Australian population will take an overseas trip each year by 2017 as the love affair with international travel continues.” With the Australian population over 20 million…that equates to more than 10 million travelling abroad each year….that’s a lot of Aussie tourists looking for somewhere to visit each year!

    From my experience Rwanda is known for two things in Australia and they both start with ‘G’….Gorillas…and the 1994 Tutsi Genocide. I know there is a lot more to Rwanda than this….I look forward to the day when Rwandan dance troupes tour Australia regularly.

    I know they have travelled elsewhere including in Europe. There is no greater Ambassador for a country – than the; Arts,music,dance,performing arts,visual arts,and mixed media. The Arts builds cross-cultural bridges and respect for others traditions.

    Certainly at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in the last few years I have seen the Cuban ballet, a Cuban contemporary dance company, a couple of Brasilian bands, the Bueno Vista Social Club and at The Powerhouse – TaikOz – a large Australian-based Japanese drumming band, whose members regularly study in Japan. I look forward to the day that I read that Rwandan dancers, musicians and singers are coming to town! I’ll be the one in the front row!

    We Aussie’s love great music and dance from all over the world! Therefore, please come to Australia…let us shower you with applause! I am sure we will.

    The Author is a Director
    Plan-it Life Pty Ltd

    Australia

  • Rotary Foundation Water Project to Pump 8800 Galons Daily

    On a medium sized mountain called Cyakabiri in the center of Rwanda sets Binunga Village where ‘Urukundo Home for Children’was started in 2006 by Arlene Brown.

    The Home for Children has 44 children, aged between 1 and 19 years.

    The project is funded by the Rotary Foundation through a Matching Grant initiated by the Rotary Club of Forest Hills in Pittsburgh, USA and hosted by the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga.

    Over 8800 gallons a day will be pumped up a mountain to the orphanage/school and a village of about 2500 people that have no water at that level and must travel down the mountain to manually haul water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and to water livestock.

    The project estimated at a cost of Rwf41.6 Million, will free women and children of the burden of hauling the water.This will make more abundant water available for these uses and for gardening.

    “This project is typical of the good works and projects that Rotary International provides” says Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga President Dr. Jolly Mazimhaka.

    Kigali-Virunga Rotary Club is also behind the initial idea of establishing the first public library in Rwanda (across from the US Embassy at Kacyiru) which, it is hoped, will open later this year.

    The project was officially launched this past Saturday 18th February, 2012 at a village just outside of Gitarama.

    This was an important event for the community who turned up singing songs of appreciation to all parties that made this project a reality.

    Through the songs and poetry/spoken word the community also pledged to look after the solar powered water pumps.

    To better understand just what this community had to go through to fetch just one jerry can of water, visiting Rotarians walked down a steep slope to look at the source/spring water.

    Whilst the walk down the slope was slippery often requiring that one uses both hands not to fall down, walking back proved to be even a bigger challenge – an exercise reserved for those who are fit and strong.

    This made those with running water in their homes to realize just how fortunate they are.

    About Rotary

    Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

    There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto Service Above Self, Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.

    There are 5 Rotary Clubs in Rwanda, 4 in Kigali and 1 in Butare. Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga meets every Wednesday at 7 PM at the Umubano /Laico Hotel. New members and guests are always welcome.

    Additional Information Contact;

    Urukondo Foundation Water Project:

    Prof. William Kosar 0784 529 057/ [email protected]

    Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga:

    President Dr. Jolly Mazimhaka/[email protected]