Minisiteri y’Uburezi yibutse abakozi bayo bazize Jenoside yakorewe Abatutsi

Ku wa kane tariki 12 Mata 2012, Minisiteri y’Uburezi yibutse ku nshuro ya kabiri abakozi bahoze bakora mu byahoze ari Minisiteri y’Amashuri Abanza n’Ayisumbuye hamwe na Minisiteri y’Amashuri Makuru, Ubushakashatsi n’Umuco. Ku rutonde rw’agateganyo haragaragara amazina y’abakozi bagera kuri 69 bazize Jenoside yakorewe Abatutsi mu mwaka w’1994. Abo bose bakaba barakoreraga ku Kacyiru, i Remera mu mirimo itandukanye y’Uburezi ndetse no kuri IMPRISCO ku Kicukiro. UWIMANA Rose, warokotse jenoside, yakoreye Minisiteri y’Amashuri Abanza mbere na nyuma ya Jenoside y’Abatutsi yo muri 1994. Mu buhamya yatanze muri uyu muhango aragira ati : « Abakozi benshi bakoraga mu Burezi muri kiriya gihe barangagwa n’amacakubiri », agatanga urugero rw’uko bamwimye ishuri ry’umwana wari ufite 58/100 mu gihe abari bafite 20/100 bahabwaga amashuri meza. Arashimira imikorere iriho muri iki gihe kubera ko nta vangura rirangwa mu Burezi, abana b’Abanyarwanda bose bakaba biga mu buryo bumwe. BUHIKARE Yvonne ni umukobwa wa BUHIKARE Charles wazize Jenoside yakorewe Abatutsi. BUHIKARE Charles yari umukozi wa Minisiteri y’uburezi warangangwaho umurava mu murimo we, ariko ntibyabujije ko azira uko yavutse. Yafunzwe inshuro zirenze imwe, ariko ntibyabuzaga ko igihe yakenerwaga bamukuraga muri gereza akaza agakora iby’imishahara yari ashinzwe, hanyuma yarangiza agasubizwayo. Usibye imirimo myiza yakoraga mu Burezi BUHIKARE yaranzwe n’urukundo rwinshi ku buryo yashakiraga ishuri abana b’abahanga, benshi muri bo muri iki gihe barabimushimira. BUHIKARE yasigiye abana be batatu barokotse kuri 10 yari afite, ndetse n’abantu benshi umurage mwiza wo gukunda akazi. Mu ijambo rya Minisitiri w’Uburezi Bwana Vincent Biruta, yashimiye abitabiriye uyu muhango bose by’umwihariko ababuze abavandimwe cyangwa ababyeyi bakoraga mu Burezi, maze yifuza ko hakomeza umushyikirano hagati y’abakozi ba Minisiteri y’Uburezi hamwe n’abo bavandimwe babuze ababo. PRO MINEDUC

Mentor Training for English language in schools of Rwanda

One hundred mentors are being trained for six days at FAWE Girls School in Gisozi / Kigali city and this training was officially launched by the Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Mathias HARABAMUNGU. All these trained mentors will be in charge of the supervision of teachers in primary and secondary who always use English as a medium of instruction in teaching different subjects. Note that since 2008, English language has become a medium of instruction in Rwanda. Now all courses are taught in English except language courses as Kinyarwanda, Swahili and French. In his speech for the occasion, the State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education has shown the importance of this training in teaching English which is already one of the official languages of Rwanda. Other trainings are yet to be held in the nearfuture and will target recruited teachers from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania who in return will be mentors The trainers are agents of the British Council and the International Education Council. PRO MINEDUC

Early Childhood Development National Stakeholders Meeting takes place in Kigali

Kigali, 19 April 2012: At the opening of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) National Stakeholders Meeting, the guest of honour and First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda, Her Excellency Jeannette Kagame, emphasised the importance of investing in Early Childhood Development Programmes for Rwanda’s overall development. “Early Childhood Development interventions are among the most cost-effective investments a country can make in the human development and capital formation of its people, and its impact in economically disadvantaged communities can be transformational,” the First Lady said. “Therefore, giving children the best possible start in life is one of the best investments Rwanda can make for its present priorities,” she explained. The First Lady’s remarks were made at the opening of a one-day workshop, which brings together policy makers from several concerned Ministries, as well as District officials and other stakeholders involved in Early Childhood Development programmes. The government recently approved an Early Childhood Development Policy and Strategic Plan, which provides a framework to ensure a holistic and integrated approach to the development of young children. The goal of the Early Childhood Development Policy is to “ensure all Rwandan children achieve their potential, are healthy, well-nourished and safe, and their mothers, fathers and communities become nurturing caregivers through receiving integrated early childhood development services”. This integrated approach to Early Childhood Development within the Policy calls for inter-sectoral coordination across various sectors. Early Childhood Development forms the foundation of Basic Education programmes in the Ministry of Education; Maternal and Child Health, Nutrition and Sanitation Services for the Ministries of Health and Infrastructure; and Social Protection Services of the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, among others. “We are all responsible to promote the right of every child to grow up in a conducive environment with opportunities to be the best that they can be”, the First Lady reminded the meeting. Also addressing the ECD Stakeholders Meeting was Noala Skinner, UNICEF Rwanda Country Representative, who highlighted the important role played by the community and families in the early development of children. “The community-based approach at the heart of the Early Childhood Development Policy underlines the importance of the family in giving young children the best start in life through promoting good parenting practices” said Ms Skinner. “Building an integrated system around children, centred on a nurturing and loving family equipped with positive parenting skills and community-based ECD services will contribute to sharply and permanently reduce the main problems related to the protection and development of children”, she said. During the summit, participants will plot a way forward for the implementation of the national ECD Strategic Plan in an integrated and coordinated manner and they were encouraged in that endeavour by the Minister of Education, Dr. Vincent Biruta, who told the gathering that the theme of the meeting was “coordination and integration” and called upon the stakeholders “to examine our commitments under the ECD Policy and Strategic Plan and to strengthen areas of coordination”. The ECD Stakeholders Meeting also marks the beginning of the Early Childhood Development Global Action Week Campaign, which comprises several media and awareness raising events, lasting up to 28 April. For these events, Government, UNICEF and Civil Society organisations have come together to jointly implement several initiatives, including radio broadcasts, media briefings, poster and leaflet campaigns, public discussions on Early Childhood Development and reading day events which will focus on instilling a reading culture at a young age.

For more information on both the ECD Stakeholders Meeting and the ECD Global Action Week, please visit the website: http://mineduc.gov.rw/ECDRwanda/. A twitter account – ECDRwanda - has also been created for the event. For more information, please contact The Ministry of Education: www.mineduc.gov.rw

Aim to improve your lives, says Kagame

President Paul Kagame yesterday urged residents of Gatsibo District to explore all avenues to lead better lives.

He made the remarks while visiting the district.

The President noted that the progress the country has registered was visible and is proof that a lot more can be achieved.

President Kagame emphasised the importance and benefits of working under cooperatives, saying that with a collective approach, a lot more can be accomplished.

He pledged continued government support to help cooperatives work better and more efficiently.

Located in the Eastern province, Gatsibo district has immense potential to prosper in agriculture production and livestock farming. The President urged the residents to exploit the available opportunities and called on the private sector to be more involved in the district’s development initiatives.

“We cannot live on aid indefinitely, if we have to, it should only help us to build a future where we will no longer depend on anyone for assistance. Those who help us today worked hard to obtain the resources they have. We too should find means of acquiring our own wealth,” the President said.

President Kagame added that with the right mentality and attitude towards work, anyone can achieve what they aspire. He noted that as the President, he is charged with ensuring that citizens have the tools and guidance they need to prosper. And, with close partnership of the people, the government and the private sector, a lot can be achieved. He emphasised that Government alone cannot entirely provide what people need, hence the need for partnership.

Earlier, the President visited Augustin Rukundo, a farmer who has earned a fortune from his banana plantation.

 Rukundo started banana farming in 2007 after he imported 32 seedlings from Uganda. To date, he has nine hectares and earns annual net profit of Rwf 12 million from his business.

President Kagame also visited the newly constructed Ndatemwa Rice Processing factory which he had previously pledged to the district.

The Governor of the Eastern Province, Odette Uwamariya, said the factory, that has the capacity to process 2.5tonnes of rice per hour, will be of great benefit to the community.

“Rice suppliers have been walking long distances to collection centres, but with the new factory, they will spend less time on the road. The factory will process rice from Rwagitima, Ntende and Ndatemwa swamps,” Uwamariya said.

All districts in the Eastern Province, apart from Kayonza, have at least one factory and according to the Governor, plans are underway to set up a factory in the district.

Contact email: edwin.musoni[at]newtimes.co.rw

Peace Corps introduce energy saving fuel

United States volunteer service organisation, Peace Corps, has introduced energy saving fuel in Rwanda, in an effort to help conserve the environment by reducing the impact of deforestation.

The new technology, called green charcoal, is considered an environmentally safe method of charcoal production and sustainable alternative to wood charcoal. It’s also seen as an income generating activity for local families and organisations.

The green charcoal project has been implemented in selected areas in the Southern Province in partnership with local communities.

Currently, there are three trained community members who help produce more than 300 green charcoal briquettes daily. 

The briquettes are created using a combination of biomass materials such as agricultural waste, leaves, grass and sawdust. 

The material is chopped up and soaked in water, and then pressed with a manual ram and cylinder into a pellet and left in the sun to dry.

“The great thing about these green charcoal briquettes is that they do not require any destruction of forests or habitats to produce,” said Jarod Ring, who has been working as a health volunteer since February 2010.

Jarod is one of the brains behind the introduction of the energy saving fuel. 

Following a two-day training session in northern Rwanda, the Peace Corps worked with community members and a local non-governmental organisation to purchase a green charcoal briquette press and train community members in green charcoal production.
“As word continues to spread about the importance of green charcoal, more community members will be employed.

Also, village resources and materials will continue to be recycled in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way,” Jarod added.

The Peace Corps organisation founded by former US President John F. Kennedy in 1961 was reopened in Rwanda in 2008 on the invitation of President Paul Kagame after it was interrupted by the Genocide in 1994.

Currently, there are 161 Peace Corps in Rwanda working in health and education sectors. More than 330 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Rwanda since the programme was established in 1975.


http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=14958&a=52324

KIST, UK academy agree on grading system

After almost a year of disagreements over the grading system of Master of Communications Management (MCM) degree programme, Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and the United Kingdom Telecommunications Academy (UKTA), have reached an agreement.

Both institutions reached a consensus, end March, to settle for the Rwandan grading system for students doing the MCM course.
KIST wanted the grading system to comply with Rwanda Higher Education Council post graduate framework of 60 per cent pass mark, while UKTA maintained 40 as the course pass mark.
For the first four years, both the UK and KIST percentage marks and grades matched. KIST by introducing the Rwanda Higher Education system meant that the pass mark in the Rwanda system went above that used by the UKTA professors in the UK.
Prof. Steve Capewell, representative of UKTA told The New Times that when the UKTA professors marked work to the UK standard to keep the Rwanda programme identical to that run in the UK, students reaching a pass at UK standards were deemed to have failed in Rwanda.  
“It is important that students and employers understand that KIST and UKTA are fully in agreement to this and are looking forward to many more years of working together,” he said.
“Our misunderstandings have been solved and the students who were affected have been invited to complete their studies. Once it was agreed that grades would be given, for example a B grade being a pass, then it meant that there was no longer a problem and students that had been affected last year could then progress to complete their studies as they are currently doing.”
Capewell further said MCM will be offered online for students who are interested in doing it online.
In 2005, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), UKTA, and KIST, paving way for delivery of the MCM in Rwanda.
The programme was officially launched at KIST in 2006, with an initial group of 20 students from Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia.
The MCM programme at KIST has been externally examined by Professor Izzat Darwazeh from the University College London, United Kingdom, and is delivered by highly qualified lecturers from the UK.
The programme, sponsored by the ITU and the UKTA, is aimed at broadening understanding of interdisciplinary knowledge for ICT and Telecommunications engineers and professionals.

Leopard Mbereyaho, the Dean of faculty of Engineering at KIST, said KIST has graduated over 150 students doing MCM and Master of Science in Operational Communications (MOC) which is also provided by UKTA through KIST. The grading system will also apply to MOC. Currently the course has about 40 students enrolled.

Contact email: frank.kanyesigye[at]newtimes.co.rwhttp://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=14958&a=52312