Rwanda : A new entertainment best radio channel for youth introduced

Rwanda Bureau of Information and Broadcasting recently introduced a new radio channel for youth dubbed Magic FM which will be only producing entertainment talk shows and news.

Magic FM is basically aiming at uniting, sensitizing and giving out plant form to youth across the country to share ideas, according to the director general of Orinfor, Willy Rukundo.

“Rwanda as a developing country with a vision needs to give space youth to share ideas and interact with each other through entertainment to develop better future Rwanda” Willy Rukundo, director general of Orinfor says.

He added the big percent of Rwandan population is made up of youth which likes entertainment news, talk shows on their favorite musicians and that’s the job of the government to support them.

Orinfor used to have such entertainment youth channel in 1998 dubbed channel 2 and was hosted by a journalist called Geofry Mutangoma, who is currently working with Nation Media Holdings.

Magic FM has been now added on the family of over 7 radio stations owned by Orinfor across the country.

The new entertainment youth channel is being broadcasted on 104.7 frequency, since its establishment in late September this year.

Magic FM will only be broadcasting entertainment bits, talk shows and playing requested songs by the youth across the country who will be calling to request songs free of charge on 5068 phone number.

http://itangazamakuru.com/index.php/2012/11/rwanda-entertainment-radio-channel-youth-introduced/

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Rwanda : MPs commend new reforms in TVET

The parliamentary Committee on Education, Technology, Culture and Youth tour the TVET

Expo 2012

The parliamentary Committee on Education, Technology , Culture and Youth led by its president Agnes Mukazibera on Monday November 6, 2012 met with WDA and PSF top management to discuss current reforms and challenges in TVET. The meeting coincided with the second TVET Expo taking place at the Gikondo Expo Grounds.

Mukazibera and her team commended efforts made in transforming TVET in Rwanda especially on new developments which include the introduction of the Rwanda TVET Qualification Framework (RTQF), Competence-based curricula and assessment, Industrial attachment Program, Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centers (IPRCs) to mention but a few.

The MPs however, noted that more efforts are needed in creating awareness on the Importance of TVET to the general public.

Jerome Gasana the director general of WDA said that they are planning to introduce the TVET levy which is still under consultations from stakeholders and the centers meant for Training of Trainers (TOT) will be established in various parts of the country.

The need to change some TVET schools which do not operate under the set-up requirements by WDA was also highlighted in this meeting

Hannington Namara the CEO of the Private Sector Federation (PSF) explained how TVET is being enhanced through empowering the population with entrepreneurship capacity, changing people’s mind-set towards making good business especially among youth and women.

In his presentation, the director of partnership with WDA Didier Munezero showed how new reforms in TVET are targeting to transform Rwanda into a middle class economy.

He cited out key development priority sectors incorporated in TVET which include ICT, Hospitality and Tourism, Film industry, Mining, renewable energy,  construction, etc

The MPs expressed happiness about the existing partnership between WDA and PSF that promotes skills development but noted the need to carry out a massive campaign that will enable people realize how TVET can speed up Rwanda’s economic development.

The 2012 TVET Expo  brought together over 200 exhibitors from various private companies, TVET  institutions  in Hospitality and Tourism sectors, construction and building services, ICT, Technical manufacturing and services, agriculture and food processing, Art and craft, beauty and esthetics, renewable energy and water management.

http://ubumenyingiro.com/index.php/2012/11/rwanda-mps-commend-reforms-tvet/

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Rwanda : Private sector urged to invest more in TVET

A student from the African Beauty academy located in Kimironko

demonstrates his hair styling techniques

Rwandan private sector has been called upon to invest more in TVET so as to have a potential private sector-led and Knowledge-based economy.

The call was made by the minister of public service and labour Anastase Murekezi while officially opening the 2012 TVET symposium under the theme ‘Involvement of the private sector in the promotion and implementation of TVET’.

Making the presentation on TVET reform in Rwanda, the director of partnership in WDA Didier Munezero encouraged all stakeholders to help change people’s mind-set so as to develop Rwanda’s economy through TVET.

He cited out key development priority sectors incorporated in TVET which include ICT, Hospitality and Tourism, Film industry, Mining, renewable energy, construction to mention but a few.

Donatien Mungwarareba an official from private Sector Federation (PSF) shared with participants the programs put in place to support upcoming and young entrepreneurs to grow up into large companies.

The ongoing symposium aims to raise awareness among private sector companies to utilize better the potential of TVET graduates and provide employment chances for female students too.

This point was also stressed by the Minister of Labour Anastase Murekezi who called on the private sector to always give TVET final students opportunity for industrial attachment.

The 2012 symposium has also raised the challenge on reinforcing the marketing campaign to create awareness on TVET.

Both WDA and PSF have pledged to put more efforts in making more publicity for TVET through various channels of communication.

http://ubumenyingiro.com/index.php/2012/11/rwanda-private-sector-urged-invest-tvet/

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Rwanda | Kayonza: “Salary increment improved our social life” -teachers

Some mentors in Kayonza district affirm that salary increment has improved their standards of living, a reason enough to accredit Rwandan Government.

Robert Mugisha, a teacher at Kayonza modern school asserts that though it’s not enough 100 percent, life is abit easier ever since his salary increased.

“We can’t say we are satisfied with it, but we are no longer known for accumulated debts in shops and markets like before. The small salary was for paying debts,” he narrates

Though the increment is like a drop in the lake, teachers confess that it gives them a feeling of value by the government, reveals Alphonsine Mutumwinka, a teacher at Shyogo primary school in Nyamirama sector.

She adds that allowances used to come four months late but ever since the salaries increased, allowances come in time too.

Talking of challenges, mentors highlighted that the government promised to increase on the salary every after three years, which has never been met.

Another challenge is delayed salaries during the first months of work as a government school teacher. Teachers explain that it’s a big problem to teach for six months without pay yet in rented house pus other expenses.

To solve these issues, Minister of education Dr Vincent Biruta says that the Ministry of Economic and Planning is working hand in hand with concerned sectors to avert the problem.

In his speech on October 5^th 2012, International Teachers’ Day, Dr. Biruta noted that the government of Rwanda is establishing different programs aimed at promoting teachers development.

They include free accommodation, Gir’inka Mwarimu that started in 2008 and “Umwarimu Sacco” that charges little interest compared to other banks.

http://thebasic12.com/2012/11/rwanda-kayonza-salary-increment-improved-social-life-teachers/

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Rwanda | Gitovu: water shortage still a problem

Residents of Gitovu sector in Burera district decry lack of clean water in their sector as most of the residents use water fetched from Burera and Ruhondo Lakes.

Some of the residents fetch water from Canons in the valleys which are not clean and pure as rain pours in mud and clean water provided in the sector is far from their homes and it takes a journey of more than 1 hour to get there and fetch that water.

Evariste Habumuremyi the executive secretary of Gitovu sector also says that shortage of water in this sector is still a big problem to many people though a step has been taken and people might get clean water soon.

By the year 2006, there was no single water tunnel in this sector but only few water sources in the fields but now there is one big water tunnel that channels clean and pure water to people in one part of this sector as Habumuremyi explained.

There are other 10 water tunnels that were renovated and are operating which increased the number of families that get clean water though this doesn’t take away the fact that some residents are still experiencing water shortage problem.

Habumuremyi says that to solve this problem, the sector will enlist the help of VUP (Vision 2020 Umurenge Program) and build a 2^nd water tunnel and distribute water to the remaining people.

The money that will build this water tunnel is in the economic budget of 2012/2013 and they have announced the tender and yet to get the contractor to start working on this project as Habumuremyi explained.

Gitovu is in the rural area of the district and it has about 10.415 population of which the majority survives on farming.

http://rwandaenergy.com/2012/11/rwanda-gitovu-water-shortage-still-a-problem/

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Rwanda : Deadly effects of smoking in women, another threat to life

 Research has revealed that women as well are affected by life threatening consequences of smoking like men.

According to the research carried out on more than 1 million women in the United Kingdom, smoking reduces 10 years on a woman’s and a man’s life span.

Smoking is harmful to women’s health as well as men’s

It was found out those women who stop smoking at the age of 30 years die one month earlier, while those that stop at 40 years die a year before their actual time.

Prof. Sir Richard Peto, a lecturer at Oxford University and who directed the research team, asserts that women who smoke about 10 cigarettes a day are at a risk of untimely death.

“A half of women who smoke for life die of the smoking related effects,” Professor Richard adds.

Also, research discloses that about 5 million people die every year worldwide, of which 25 diseases are caused by smoking.

The effects of smoking depend on the number of years that a person smokes and on how much the person smokes. For instance starting smoking earlier in life and smoking cigarettes higher in tar increases the risk of these above mentioned diseases.

Used cigarettes

Tar in cigarette smoke paralyzes the cilia (slender, microscopic, hair-like structures) in the lungs and contributes to lung diseases like lung cancer and other diseases like stomach cancer, oral cancer, cancer of the kidney and many others.

In solid form, tar is the brown, tacky substance that is left behind on the end of the cigarette filter. It stains a smoker’s teeth and fingers brown and coats everything it touches with a brownish-yellow film.

Though it’s not easy for smokers to quit the addiction, researchers advise smokers to stop for the sake of their life.

http://womenhall.com/index.php/2012/11/rwanda-deadly-effects-smoking-women-threat-life/

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Rwanda : School Head teachers to promote EAC program

Head teachers have been urged to include east African community program on the schools syllabuses, to bring to the students’ attention the advantages of EAC to Rwandan society.

This was resolved during training that gathered 60 Head teachers of all secondary schools in the five provinces of Rwanda.

Some of the head teachers during the training

The conference was meant to sensitise teachers on using students to reach the bigger population on matters concerning EAC program.

This is because when students understand, they will sensitise their parents and fellow youth in their areas of residence.

During the conference, it was resolved that the program starts in the 60 secondary schools in Rwanda including 2 exemplary schools in every district.

In this program, students will be sensitised on the advantages of their country being a member of East African Community, Pascal Ngendahimana, a trainer in the conference explains.

The program targets youth because the future of the country is determined by its youth, he adds.

Teaching students benefits of EAC will be carried out by officials from the Ministry of East African Community with the support of school head teachers.

http://thebasic12.com/2012/11/rwanda-school-head-teachers-promote-eac-program/

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