UN Envoy to the Great Lakes Region to visit
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson, will make her first visit to the region in this new capacity from April 29 to 5 May.
Robinson will on her visit come from Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Burundi and South Africa, before concluding her mission at the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Information from the One UN Rwanda office, the Envoy looks forward to initiating discussions with leaders and officials from key countries that recently signed the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region.
The Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the region was signed on 24 February 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The peace initiative provides an important opportunity for countries to work collaboratively for peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.
It was signed by Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Congo, the DRC, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
She hopes that she will together with these countries find ways of how to translate this encouraging new agreement into tangible actions and cooperation to end the recurrent cycles of crisis and suffering in the eastern DRC.
The envoy will also meet with regional and sub-regional organizations and envoys working on issues surrounding the Great Lakes; representatives of NGOs, including women�s organizations; and UN and international partners.
She is expected in Rwanda on May 1. While here, she will meet with officials including Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo; NGOs; international community and the UN country team.
Source: News of Rwanda
April 28, 2013 No Comments
Rwanda: NUDOR roots for quality education for the disabled
The National Union of Disabilities Organisations in Rwanda (Nudor) has called on government to urgently improve the quality of education for children with disabilities.
Dominique Bizimana, the Nudor president, who was yesterday speaking at a workshop to discuss access to quality education for children and youth with disabilities, said challenges force many disabled children to remain dependent.
�The problems people with disabilities are facing are because they lack basic education. Much has been done but we still have a long way to go,� said Bizimana.
�People with disability can be helped in various ways such as getting shelter, clothes yet without education nothing can serve, what we need is more education than anything else,� he added.
The three-day workshop, which opened in Musanze district, yesterday, is meant to find ways to improve the quality of education for such people while alleviating the barriers they meet.
Participants said there is no need to have special schools for people with disability as Rwanda promotes education for-all, but urged for appropriate infrastructure to be put in place.
Low percentage
Officials said education for people with disabilities stands at one per cent in Rwanda, while the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation put the number at between 3 and 4 per cent.
Janvier Gasana, the deputy director-general of quality and standards in the Rwanda Education Board, said the Ministry of Education is committed to improving the quality of education for people with disability.
�In our poverty reduction strategies, no one will be left behind. This year, we have revised and updated education plan and one of the criteria is special needs education,� said Gasana, citing special needs teachers and infrastructure.
Gasana said teachers are regularly trained in special needs education and that the grassroots people are being consulted regularly for views on how to improve the sector education.
Pia Ahlin, a special needs teacher in Sweden and one of participants at the workshop, said Rwanda has done a lot but still needs to improve.
Source: The New Times
April 28, 2013 No Comments
Rwanda: Gakenke puts more efforts into providing better health services
The Ministry of Health has officially initiated District Health Management Team (DHMT) in Gakenke district a team that connects the district, hospitals and health centers for better health services in the district.
This team was initiated on Tuesday the 23rd.april.2013 when the officials from the Ministry of Health explained the operations of this team to the team members. Mathieu Niyonkuru who works in MINISANTE and who is in charge of following up the operations of DHMT in Gakenke district says this team will work on all health projects.
�DHMT will coordinate the health operations in the district that have been neglected. This team will make health services better in the district� he said.
�The Ministry of Health has many projects in the district that is sometimes not known b y the district administration, this team will therefore coordinate these projects as well as implementation of their action plan� Niyonkuru goes on to say.
This team will ensure that projects do not work on the same programs because they will be coordinated and people will participate in these programs.
�I need all local leaders in Gakenke district to get up and sensitize people about their health and how their lives can be compromised for them to seek out health services� says Zephyrin Ntakirutimana the vice mayor for social affairs.
DHMT committee is made up of the vice mayor for social affairs in the district, directors of the hospitals, 2 representatives of health advisors, the district health officer, Mutuelle de sant� health insurance officials, the district pharmacist and officers in charge of the fight against AIDS in the district among others.
Source: Ubuzimabwacu
April 28, 2013 No Comments