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  • Districts Set to Benefit From Partnerships

    Huye district vice mayor in charge of Social Affairs Christine Niwemugeni has said that one way to accomplish performance contracts should be through partnership of districts since they can learn from one another.

    Vice Mayor Niwemugeni urged made the remarks on February 9th 2012, after a study tour carried out at Rulindo district by all district and sector staff members in charge of social welfare.

    The tour intended to emulate best practices of Rulindo as a role model. Delegates from Huye visited various activities in Rulindo including; radical terraces made to encourage land use consolidation policy, modern breeding and other activities.

    Delegates acknowledged they learnt a lot and promised to implement such best practices acquired during the tour. According to Huye vice mayor in charge of social welfare, the visit was like a mirror that permitted visitors to compare themselves to others.

    Niwemugeni noted that if all districts performed similar visits, this would quickly help achieving targets set in Performance Contracts for every district.

    Rulindo district Mayor Kangwagye Justus said such tours help people in exchanging experiences and promised Rulindo will also visit Huye to learn from its best achievements.

    The two districts agreed to enhance their partnership as one way to learn from each other in order to quickly and correlatively attain targets of their performance contracts.

  • Military Hospital Starts Special Medical Outreach

    A medical team led by Maj Dr Kayondo King from Rwanda Military Hospital has started a special medical outreach to Nyamiyaga sector residents in Kamonyi district.
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    The medical care exercise that kicks off on 13th February shall provide free medical treatment to more than 500 children in five days at Mugina Health Center.

    Maj Dr Kayondo King said that this medical outreach is the second of its kind in Kamonyi District Rwanda Military Hospital uses its mobile clinic vehicles and staff to provide treatment to the needy in a remote area.

    He added that this special outreach is more reinforced in terms of equipment and specialties in pediatrics, ophthalmology, dermatology and dental.

    The military medical team is also using one of the mobile clinic vehicles with modern equipment that includes an Electro cardiograph to conduct heart examinations, an auto clave to sterilise medical equipment, an ultra sound to check internal organs of the body, refrigerator and an operating table, among other equipment.

    The mobile clinic is a donation of the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare.

    The medical outreach is organized jointly with Ministry of Health, Rwanda Military Hospital and Good Neighbors, a South Korean Non Government Organization operating in Kamonyi District.

  • Choosing Valentine’s Day Gift for Him

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    Are you tight with the budget and not knowing what to get at affordable cost and the right Valentine’s Day Gift?

    Valentine’s Day can be a complicated celebration for some people because you want to make sure that you do as much as necessary in order to be appreciated for your effort.

    Valentine’s Day is such a lovable holiday especially if you have someone special in your life.

    However, how do you pick out the right gift for your man? Often time’s men make more money than women, so that buying an expensive gift may not be as special than you think.

    In fact, sometimes what you choose as valentine gift may have reflected his perception.

    Making the minimum such as a creative valentine day card and favorite treat makes difference. Other than that you need to make sure to choose a gift that your valentine would feel happy about. That may not be what you would like to give!

    Know him before choosing a gift. For example, do not buy your favorite expensive cologne that your ex loves to use. In addition, you want to make sure you to choose a special gift that you are thoughtful about not just cheap. Your Valentine’s Day Gift should make him happy for whatever it is.

    The most important thing is that you want to give him something thoughtful and most importantly appropriate for the level of your relationship such as how long you have been together and his personality.

    You can buy a nice pair of jeans or a perfume would cost you average Frw 20,000.

    If you don’t have money to splurge but you still want to make him feel special you can there you can buy a simple gadget for him.

    If you can’t spend a lot of money, you can choose an original gift. Valentine’s gift can be a handmade card or a gift certificate for the movie that he would like to watch.

    You can mix a music CD of all his favorite songs. Gifts can be inexpensive. The most important thing is he will be happy that you are thinking about him.

  • Australia Aboriginals Could Learn from Rwanda Trauma Healing

    Rwanda’s approach to healing trauma with tradition and culture could provide lessons for Aboriginal Australia, according to Prof. Jacqui Lavis, University of Canberra, Australia.
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    Prof. Lavis was speaking at a public lecture and discussion sponsored by the Centre for Gender, Culture and Development at the Kigali Institute of Education attended by students, lecturers and members of the public.

    The lecture examined opportunities for cultural and traditional approaches to trauma healing in progressing the journey of healing in post conflict societies.

    “In Australian Aboriginal communities, traditional rituals and acknowledgement of traditional healing have either disappeared or gone ‘underground’.” Prof Lavis said.

    “After traumatic events many people experience posttraumatic stress disorder, feelings of shame and guilt, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, loss of trust, family breakdown and ongoing violence”.

    According to Prof Lavis, traditional healing practices could focus on the ways that ritual and ceremony can address trauma reconciliation, cultural reinstatement and the building of resilience.

    This spiritual process would involve strengthening and re-connecting with identity, language, land, dance and song.

    Rwandan society has embedded some aspects of its continuing traditions in everyday life, but emerging research has shown that traditional healing practices in this country could further enhance community resilience and development.

    In both Australia and Rwanda there are significant opportunities for further field research on these important topics to establish where traditional practices are still in use and their value in enhancing personal health and wellbeing.

    The main questions raised by participants in the lively discussion that followed were ‘Can trauma be healed?’, ‘Does improving access to economic resources foster trauma healing?’, Can there be reconciliation while there is economic disparity?’ and ‘Are there different types of trauma– is there a difference between a protracted period of oppression and catastrophic events ?’

  • THREE University Scholarship Opportunities You Should Know About

    If you want to study in the US or England, of course you will find that it’s complicated! After all, you are leaving the education system you are familiar with and trying to show that you deserve to attend university in a different country.

    However, if you have the qualifications for the programs below, these are the best ways to attend an international university on a scholarship. For now, here is information on two opportunities at the master’s degree level, and one more at the undergraduate level!

    See the attachments at the end of this article for full information on each of the first two scholarships — and remember, if you don’t yet fully qualify for these scholarships, there are things you can do over time to improve and apply as a qualified student which we will discuss in a future column.

    1) Master’s degree scholarships – United States – Fulbright Junior Staff Development Program.

    Funded by the United States government, the Fulbright Scholarship program is the best way for foreign students to get a master’s degree in the US, if they qualify. In 2011, Fulbright sent 10 Rwandans to the US to get master’s degrees.

    These professionals include 5 English professors at various Rwandan univerisities, and 5 professionals from a variety of sectors who have great ideas for projects that will contribute to the development of Rwanda.

    Key requirements include: good professional experience (at least 2 years), complete application and successful interview

    TOEFL and GRE scores are also required.
    For more information (and to see the application instructions for English professors): contact the US embassy library or public affairs section
    Applications are due in March 2012. See a link to this year’s Call for Applications at the end of this page.

    2) Master’s degree scholarships – England – Rwanda Cambridge Scholarship
    A new opportunity offered by the University of Cambridge and the Ministry of Education for the first time in 2011, this scholarship is open to any Rwandan who meets its high standards.

    The first group of applications were due in December 2011, so look for the next application to be due in late 2012, with students starting at Cambridge in mid-2013!
    See the end of this page for the 2011 announcement.

    3) Undergraduate scholarships – United States – Apply to universities in the US as a qualified student
    In the US, it’s the individual universities that give scholarships, depending on their budgets and on how many scholarships they can afford.

    This will be the focus of a full column in the future, but if you are an outstanding secondary school student, you should know that it is possible to apply to US universities as a regular candidate.

    If the school agrees that you are qualified and accepts you, then they will give you a scholarship according to their policies – and at the best schools in the US, these scholarships are often guaranteed, even for international students.

    To win admission and scholarships to the best US schools, you will need:

    – great secondary school grades from S-3 to S-6 (ideally you should be in the top 3 of your class)
    – great national exam results for A-levels
    – excellent spoken and written English, backed up by a score of more than 600 on the TOEFL exam
    – high SAT scores, if possible more than 1800 out of 2400
    – a record of activities at school and in your community that shows that you will be a good community member in the US

    In practice, it is difficult for even the best students to achieve all of this by the end of S-6, so you may want to apply for a transition year program, which will give you one more year of school and help you show you are a qualified candidate to apply to the US.

    Currently, Bridge2Rwanda Scholars is the only program in the country offering this kind of program, but we are going to put as much of this program as possible on Igihe.com so that students all over Rwanda can begin to prepare to apply to the US even when they are still in secondary school!

    So what are 3 universities in the US that currently say they will meet international students’ full financial need if they accept them? Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Dartmouth – but there are many more schools in this category, if you have the scores, grades and English to apply as a qualified candidate.

    For more information on Bridge2Rwanda Scholars, please see:
    http://en.igihe.com/spip.php?article1705

    Want more information on this or another subject related to international education? Ask us a question in the comments section!

    Contact the Bridge2Rwanda International Training Centre. We are located on the first floor of Telecom House, or you can write us at joris [at] bridge2rwanda.org.

    http://www.cambridgetrusts.org/documents/en/Rwa/Rwanda_Cambridge_Scholarship_information_sheet_April_2011.pdf

    Link for Fulbright 2012

    http://www.google.com/search?q=Rwanda+Fulbright+2012&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

  • Patients not Contented with Services at Kabgayi Hospital

    Patients admitted at Kabgayi hospital aren’t contented with the service rendered to them at the hospital. This was revealed during commemoration of a global patient day at Kabgayi hospital.

    Among the patients noted that the physiotherapy department hasn’t been operating for the past week. “Some of us don’t have wheel chairs for instance.”

    However, Osée Sebatunzi, the director of Kabgayi hospital refuted the claims adding that services at the hospital had improved especially with the introduction of suggestion boxes.

    “I personally make surprise visits to patients and ask them about their welfare and how they think about services provided to them,” he said.

    Kabgayi hospital receives over 400 patients daily.it consists of a staff of 106 nurses and 16 physicians.

  • Ingabire Trial Adjourned Again

    The trial involving jailed politician Victoire Ingabire has today been adjourned until 12 March after her lawyers successfully requested court for more time to examine latest evidence from Holland presented by the prosecution.

    One of her lawyers Gatera Gashabana said that he was given the file of evidences late and couldn’t get time to analyse them to facilitate him defend his client.

    While her second defense lawyer Ian Edouard asked for more time so as to translate the evidences into French the language he understands better for him to be prepared too.

    Also on the other hand Ingabire asked the panel of Judges to reconsider the testimonies of a witness against her since she also accuses the government for having been responsible for her husband’s death.

    “I don’t understand and it is not convincing how this witness against me and she is the same witness who is accusing the government over her husband’s death,” Ingabire said.

    Ingabire also asked the court to summon the witness Specioza Mujawayezu testifying against her and also the court to summon the Minister of Defence or Minister of Foreign affairs to explain circumstances surrounding the death of this witness’ husband.

    However the court says they will summon the parties mentioned above, if the court finds it necessary.

    The prosecution says it had come prepared to give explanations surrounding the new evidences from Holland that was presented to Rwanda last December.

    The prosecution however admits that it is indeed the right of the lawyers to get more time to study and understand every detail in the file.

    The court ordered Ingabire’s lawyers to notify the court upon completing the examination of the evidences by March 5th this year.

    The issue of the evidence in question was first raised on September 5, when prosecution requested the court to adjourn the hearing, pending the transfer of the evidences from The Hague, Netherlands.

    It had been sabotaged by a petition to deny the transfer of evidences incriminating her and while the husband, Lin Muyizere for the failed legal battle back in The Hague.

    Prosecution alleged that the evidence includes several documents discovered during a search of Ingabire’s residence in Holland that contain proof of her subversive activities, telephone records that indicate her past communication with militia commanders, as well as testimonies of people in The Netherlands who worked alongside the accused.

    Ingabire came in Rwanda January 16th 2010 to register her party FDU-Inkingi to be involved in the presidential elections but she was arrested and begun her legal battle October 10th 2010.

    Ingabire and her four co-accused Major Vital Uwumuremyi, Col Tharcisse Nditurende, Lt. Col. Noel Habiyaremye and Jean Marie Vianney Karuta are accused of forming an armed group, terrorism, complicity to commit terrorism, and genocide ideology, among others.

    ENDS

  • Kidum Critic Released From Detention

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    Cedric Bangirimana (photo above) a veteran musician also known as Bangy, has been set free after a week in police detention in Burundi capital Bunjumbura for ridiculing Kidum.

    Bangy is alleged to have mocked Kidum during a live radio interview hosted by RPA Radio, where he criticized Kidum for staying longer in Bunjumbura because he lacked bus fare to travel to Kenya where he resides.

    After Bangy uttered the words on radio, Kidum is alleged to have alerted police on the matter and they immediately arrested Bangy after the entertainment talk show and the reporter who was interviewing Bangy was fired on spot by the station manager.

    Bangy a former band member of the late Christophe Matata boasts of being a veteran musician and is known for making public statements that undermine Kidum trashing him as ‘just an underground musician whose music hasn’t reached the professional level’.

    Responding to the criticism, Kidum’s advisor Pacifique Ahmed noted that those undermining Kidum are like kicks of a dying horse who are jealous of Kidum’s progress especially with his growing popularity within the region.

    “Just because Bangy is a veteran musician doesn’t give him the right to disrespect other musicians most of whom are better than him by far,” he remarked.

    Kidum a Burundian musician based in Kenya spends less time in Bunjumbura and recently he spent almost a month conducting a music talent search competition dubbed as Ten in One.

  • Rwandan Refugees Start Tour of Country

    Five Rwandan refugees from Zambia are currently in Rwanda where they are touring various sites in the country; their visit is part of a campaign initiated by the government aimed at encouraging them to return to their home country.

    Similar visits have been ongoing whereby a few refugees are invited to tour the country and later left to return to their places of asylum in order to persuade their Rwandan friends to return home.

    Addressing the team, General Marcel Gatsinzi the minister of disaster management and refugee affairs, noted that the visits are a major milestone towards facilitating free repatriation of Rwandan refugees, since those invited go back to explain to their colleagues about the country’s progress.

    Gatsinzi has on frequent occasions advised refugees to avoid being misled by enemies of Rwandan known to spread negative reports about the country’s leadership.

    The team led by Geraldine Mukakabego a lecturer at Gavendish National University of Zambia, is scheduled to tour the national museum, various genocide memorial sites, the National University of Rwanda and some industries.

    “We intend to see some of the opportunities in Rwanda and find mechanisms on how to exploit them, anyway I’m impressed with the country’s development,” he remarked.

    Zambia still hosts a big number of Rwandan refugees and the government through the ministry of national disaster and refugee affairs has been conducting awareness to encourage them to return to Rwanda, this follows the recent approval of a UN cessation clause banning Rwandan refugees by mid 2013.

  • Nelson Tugume Behind Project Inspire Africa

    Inspire Africa promotes entrepreneurship among the youth through a reality television show code named Project Inspire Africa.
    The Idea was conceived by a one Nelson Tugume, overall achiever of the 2011 Young Achievers Awards, focuses on encouraging entrepreneurship among the youths throughout Africa.
    “Project Inspire Africa features twenty-four of East Africa’s best business minds competing for a grand prize of $50,000 worth of business capital,” Tugume explains.
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    If you weren’t Nelson Tugume, who would you rather be?—and why?

    I would be Tugume Nelson because he will never any one else.
    There is no one else I would rather be. My life is a gift from God and what I have made of my life thus far, is my gift back to God and all of humanity.
    Tell us a little about a book that changed your life.

    The Bible

    The Bible is probably the most misrepresented and most misunderstood book in the world. For me personally, it has provided a road map, a compass that has helped me navigate the many storms of my life and to stay focused.

    Speaking of changes, I bet there are boatloads of people (including those that used to ignore you as a matter of principle and cut you dead on the street just for the fun of it) who now want to associate with you. They probably call you incessantly, begging you to hang out with them.

    Do you say, ‘For the last time, you have the wrong number; please stop calling me’, or do you quickly mumble something unintelligible in a foreign language, hang up and start laughing?

    I learned much from my mother and other elders who have guided my life. I am a humble and simple man, who would never consider not picking up the phone. I am always open and alert for the next “deal” and I never know where that opportunity may come from. Having said that, I am also learning to have a discerning spirit and not waste time with people who are not serious about their own development..

    Hang on; I have just received an elaborate text that says you are going to be a woman in your next life, and that you will wear your hair in curls and espouse feminism. What are your thoughts on womanhood, curly hair, and feminism?

    Wow!! That person really has a wild imagination. I am sure my wife could never imagine me in that way. I have no problem however, espousing my feminine side. Each of us have both a masculine and feminine side. My success recently has actually put me in touch with that more sensitive, softer side of myself. My wife is an awesome and beautiful woman and she has enough beauty, class and style for both of us.

    Stephen King, the celebrated novelist, is supposed to have said that the road to hell is paved with adverbs. Others say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. But Stephen king and the others must be talking about the usual hell—with a lake of fire and demons. Let’s talk financial hell, now. In your opinion, the road to financial hell is paved with:
    The road to hell is paved with poor planning, inflated egos, lack of direction and focus and spiritual ignorance.

    The concept of soulmates is overrated, is it not? Surely, there can’t be a person that exists for the express purpose of completing you. That’s rather selfish, isn’t it?

    I prefer to use the word “complementing” one another. My wife is truly my soul mate. She loves and accepts me unconditionally as do I for her. WE do not need anyone to complete us, yet we both are aware of how blessed we are to have one another to share this awesome journey with.

    Do you apologise even when it isn’t your turn?

    All of us, I think struggle with ego. Yet, I try and not get caught up in the petty things and instead focus on what is truly important in my life. It takes a truly humble person to be able to say, I am sorry, it was not my intention to hurt you.

    Your friends and siblings must think they know everything there is to know about you, but, alas, I am here to prove them wrong. Sadly, they have absolutely no idea that you:

    That I am not perfect. Still in the process of becoming and like everyone else I have my share of fear and uncertainties. I simply choose to not allow those moments to control my destiny.. We live in creative and changing world, and I am forever changing.

    Your biggest worry about twenty first century Africa is that:

    That if Africa does not realize that we are one people, one race we will again be slaves in our own land. Africa is Rising and nothing can stop the ascent. It is my prayer that we as Africans will participate fully in this Rise and be benefactors of the growth and development and natural resources. The gravest mistake budding entrepreneurs make is to assume that:

    You have reached the Top

    People shy away from starting their own businesses because of the risk and uncertainty involved at the beginning. Please prescribe an antidote.

    There is no antidote that will diminish the anxiety involved in taking a leap of faith and choosing to purse your dream. It is a simple choice. I can only say, what are the alternatives? A life of certainty that is boring, unfulfilled, lacks passion and promise. Who would choose that option, knowingly?

    Not many people can afford BBAs and MBAs and DBAs, unfortunately, and through no fault of theirs. What are their options?

    Google, Books should be your friend

    I have often heard people say that Ugandans do not save enough. However, I have also heard people ask questions like, ‘Why save your money when you can invest it?’ help us get some closure, here. Which is which?

    Africans, those that save most likely will see procure liabilities as opposed to assets. Investment is high level procure that starts from 1,000,000 USD.
    Business jargon is mostly double-dutch to us mere mortals; when people say, “they are step-changing the transition towards a seamless boundary between shared commitments and best practice”, the majority of us fall into a fitful sleep or develop a migraine. Could you capture the complexity of ‘business ethics’ in a few words?

    Those values upon which business success depends on,…………… honesty…………….hard work…………courage ……………. fair play………………. loyalty and patriotism – these things are old and true.

    In other parts of the world, a foreign investor commits capital to gain financial returns. In Uganda, a foreign investor usually commits diddlysquat and disappears with millions of taxpayers’ money. What are we doing wrong?
    Corruption is a cancer, that is destroying the very fiber of our government and society.

    When tomorrow comes, it’ll be today, and you’ll be working on another exciting project codenamed:
    Stay Tuned

    When all is said and done, you’d like the people alive in 2050 to discuss your projects and endeavours in terms of:

    How different their lives are because of my work and success, and to keep visioning and imagining how they can make things even better. There will always be room for improvement. The next generation, will critique, honour change, adapt and re imagine a different world, even from the one I am working to create. That is called progress.

    New Vision

    So you were named young achiever of the year recently, what do you think made you stand out from all the other hardworking Ugandan youths out there?

    Am a unique businessman, especially for the reason that he combines business acumen with an amazing and special class of intellectualism.

    At 28 Years you seem to be running too many businesses including a car dealership, a real estate firm and an investment company to mention but a few, what keeps you steadily on top of all this minus crumbling?

    I’m a determined guy and driven by profit. I’ve been actively involved in business since I was 9yrs so it’s obvious the dynamics are firmly embedded in my system and day to day routine, so crumbling is a thing unheard of to me.

    Mean while briefly tell us about that secret formula that got you this far at such a young age even if its juju because we all need to get there now?

    Hah hah hah!!! I don’t believe in juju! I think anyone who does that is wasting their time. Anyway, my secret is hard work, dedication, and above all prayer and Faith. After all, God is the one that has blessed me and seen me through so many trials and tribulations. Faith is a kingdom principal exercised in all spheres of life. Be it a believer or not. If you don’t have faith , you wont risk and managing your risk is important.

    From the look of things you are a very busy man, how much time do you put in and do you have any free time and what exactly do you with it?

    I put in a lot of time…I can’t say I work for specific hours a day. Sometimes I go till 4am! I’d say my free time is during the festive season and more occasionally on Sundays, where I go to church with my wife and spend some time with family and friends. Besides that, I like to read inspirational books. I’m thinking of golfing and getting involved in rally driving.

    Talking about free time all healthy men have a thing for the fairer sex, so who is your ideal kind of woman and why?

    My ideal kind of woman is only my wife. Simply because she’s the closest perfect can get to. Faithfulness is not exercised in Business but also in marriage as well.

    So you got married at a very young age, what is the secret in this and how has it impacted you?

    The secret is love, understanding and communication. My wife and I work together, so we strengthen our relationship everytime we interact. I think as a result of being married.

    You seem to be a man of the gadgets so between your macbook pro, ipad and black berry, which one do you treasure most?

    It must be my Apple products. I think Steve Jobs and his team were visionaries. They inspire me and make believe that one day Africa will change. They show me that everything is possible.

    As a really successful entrepreneur, there are people who have inspired you and those you really look up to both locally and globally, who could those be and why?

    My mother inspired me. She taught me how to be the kind of man I am today, in more ways than one. Name sake Nelson Mandela and Paul Kagame are exceptional leaders, And I think every one should look up to them. They are real Pan Africanists

    Besides the people is there any book you read that really got you fired up and what book are you reading currently?

    Good to Great

    There is this big project you started called Inspire Africa we had written off aimed at rewarding the smartest business brain in the region with a cool 50,000 US dollars start up capital, briefly tell us how far you have gone with it?

    We’re in postproduction right now, the series should soon be on your television sets by the close of the year.

    And where did the auditions and selections take place, we need to be aware so that next time we don’t miss the 50,000 US dollar bounty?

    In March next year, keep your eyes on TV, newspapers and social media

    You are a prosperous young businessman, how come you don’t drive flashy top of the range Mercedes Benzes and Range rovers with customized plates and go splashing around money?

    I don’t believe in showing off(Swagg). To me life is basic; I function like every other human being. As long as I’m comfortable, it isn’t necessary for me to show off. I have you tried to put on 2 shirts because u have a lot money or drive 2 cars at the same time. We still have so much t do rather than Swagg.

    So what word do you have for that young struggling entrepreneur who hasn’t yet been as lucky as you and gotten that break?

    Don’t give up your dream, keep innovating, seek the Lord’s counsel and work towards your dream. Nothing is impossible. However Luck has no definition and luck is when it meets a prepared mind,. However you will never see the color of luck

    Is there one thing you missed so much as a poor child that you rushed and bought for your self when you hit the big money?

    I was never a poor child, I leaved a humble a life. Mum and I worked had to have an average life.

    So when you get time off your busy schedule where is that dream destination you want to go have a holiday of a life time?

    Miami beach

    And finally whats the most embarassing thing you have done all your life and wanted to retrieve it but couldn’t?

    I have always embarrassed my self when I make losses or when the deal is not in my favor.