ZOEZI LA UCHANGIAJI DAMU IKUNGI LAPOKELEWA KWA HISIA TOFAUTI

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Na Jumbe Ismailly-Ikungi <br />ZOEZI la uzinduzi wa uchangiaji wa damu salama lililozinduliwa kiwilaya katika kata ya Minyughe,tarafa ya Ihanja,Mkoani Singida limepokelewa na wananchi wa kata hiyo kwa hisia tofauti kutokana na baadhi yao kuamini kuwa endapo watatoa damu upo uwezekano wa kupata madhara katika siku za baadaye. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Uzinduzi huo uliofanyika katika Kijiji cha Minyughe unalenga kupunguza vifo vya akina mama wakati wa kujifungua katika wilaya ya Ikungi na Mkoa wa Singida kwa ujumla. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Mjumbe wa serikali ya Kijiji cha Minyughe,George Mahuna aliyasema hayo alipokuwa akizungumzia hofu ya zoezi hilo kufanikiwa katika upatikanaji wa damu nyingi kwa ajili ya kuwasaidia wagonjwa wanaokwenda katika vituo vya kutolea huduma za afya kufuata matibabu mbalimbali. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />“Kwa ukweli zoezi hili la utoaji wa damu hapa Kijijini kwetu na katika kata yetu ya Minyughe jambo hili ni jipya na mara ya kwanza limepokelewa kwa hisia tofauti tofauti,kwa sababu ni jambo jipya kumekuwa na maneno mengine ya kupotosha”alifafanua mjumbe huyo wa serikali ya Kijiji cha Minyughe. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Kwa mujibu wa Mahona baadhi ya wananchi wamekuwa wakipotoshwa kwamba zoezi hilo la uchangiaji damu limekuwa likigubikwa na imani za jamii ya freemason,na licha ya wengine kulipokea vizuri lakini bado wanahofu kubwa miongoni mwao kutokana na sababu mbali mbali. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />“Bado wanahofu kwa sababu hili ni jambo geni kabisa katika kata hii na katika Kijiji hiki,kwa hiyo wamekuwa na wasiwasi unapotoa damu huwenda baadaye unaweza ukapata madhara katika afya kwa hiyo hili limekuwa ni tatizo sana”alisisitiza Mahona. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Hata hivyo mjumbe huyo wa serikali ya Kijiji aliweka bayana kwamba ili kuondokana na hali hiyo zoezi la uchangiaji hup wa damu Halina budi kufanyika mara kwa mara ili waweze kulizoea ili ule uzushi na woga uweze kuwatoka kabisa na waone ni jambo la kawaida kwa wao kuchangia damu kwa hiyari na kuokoa maisha ya wagonjwa. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Alibainisha Mahona kwamba mpaka sasa wananchi hawana elimu kabisa juu ya faida ya kuchangia damu salama na kutoa mfano kuwa hata yeye ambaye anayeonekana kuwa ni mwelewa,lakini bado hana elimu hiyo. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />“Elimu ya kutosha hakuna,hata mimi ninayezungumza hapa ni mara yangu ya kwanza na nimefika hapa ili nijifunze na kupata elimu juu ya jambo hilo kwa hali hiyo bado kuna umuhimu kwa wananchi hao kupatiwa elimu juu ya jambo hili ili waondokane na dhana hiyo potofu”alisisitiza Mahona. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Naye mkazi wa Kijiji cha Minyughe,Mwajabu Pamba alitaka kufahamu serikali imejipangaje kumsaidia mama mjamzito anapopelekwa kwenye kituo cha afya kwenda kujifungua unatakiwa uwe na mipira ya kukusaidia kujifungua,wakati mumewe hana uwezo wa kifedha kugharamia vifaa hivyo?”alihoji Mwajabu. <br /><br />Awali akimkaribisha kuzindua uchangiaji wa damu salama katika viwanja vya shule ya msingi Minyughe,Mganga Mkuu wa wilaya ya Ikungi,Dk.Christopher Ntamakanya alisema sababu kubwa ya vifo vinavyotokea takribani asilimia kati ya 26 au robo ya wananwake wanaojifungua katika vituo vya kutolea huduma inatokana na kuvuja damu nyingi. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />“Sababu ziko nyingi sana,lakini leo nazungumzia moja tu ambayo inahusiana na akina mama waiawazito,”alisema </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Aliweka wazi daktari huyo kwamba wilaya ya Ikungi inapoteza idadi kubwa ya akina mama wajawazito wanaopata ujauzito kabla ya kujifungua au baada ya kujifungua. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />“Lakini takribani asilimia 26 au robo ya akina mama wanaojifungua inatokana na kuvuja damu nyingi hasa damu hii inavuja wakati tofauti tofauti,kuna wakati inavuja kabla ya kujifungua,na wakati mwingine inavuja baada ya kujifungua”alifafanua. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Awali akizindua uchangiaji wa damu salama,Mfuko wa afya ya jamii(CHF) na daftari la ufuatiliaji akina mama wajawazito,Mkuu wa wilaya ya Ikungi,Miraji Mtaturu alisema wilaya hiyo imekuwa na idadi kubwa ya vifo vya akina mama wanaojifungua inayoongezeka mwaka hadi mwaka.</span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>

ZOEZI LA UCHANGIAJI DAMU IKUNGI LAPOKELEWA KWA HISIA TOFAUTI

Na Jumbe Ismailly-Ikungi ZOEZI la uzinduzi wa uchangiaji wa damu salama lililozinduliwa kiwilaya katika kata ya Minyughe,tarafa ya Ihan...

Read more »

Viongozi wanawajibu mkubwa kwa jamii

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpepcQ7LtzqiYOHYAttdjHq-_dZzEtSuJdU1BMLIcm_JWanFcx70A8iawQ6OSokuxJ4-qjiADZU7cG8aGXAc10tcpEvpirF158PInz-fRAYwYcJxI8YHn_OmmfOErz8cB-u9_vbAIXlMG/s1600/191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpepcQ7LtzqiYOHYAttdjHq-_dZzEtSuJdU1BMLIcm_JWanFcx70A8iawQ6OSokuxJ4-qjiADZU7cG8aGXAc10tcpEvpirF158PInz-fRAYwYcJxI8YHn_OmmfOErz8cB-u9_vbAIXlMG/s400/191.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Makamu wa Pili wa Rais wa Zanzibar Balozi Seif Ali Iddi alisema kwamba Viongozi na Watendaji wa Taasisi na Mashirika ya Umma wana wajibu wa kubadilika na kubuni mbinu zitakazowezesha kuongeza mapato kwa Taasisi hizo kwa faida ya Taifa na Jamii kwa jumla.<br /><br />Amesema Serikali Kuu haiwezi kuleta maendeleo bila ya kuwa na vianzio madhubuti ambavyo ni pamoja na ukusanyaji wa mapato yanayokusanywa kupitia taasisi zilizopewa jukumu la kushughulikia makusanyo katika vianzio mbali mbali.<br /><br />Balozi Seif Ali Iddi alisema hayo wakati akizungumza na Wakurugenzi na Mameneja wa Matawi ya Benki ya Watu wa Zanzibar { PBZ }, Shirika la Bima { ZIC }, Shirika la Meli pamoja na Shirika la Taifa la Biashara Zanzibar { ZSTC } waliopo Tanzania Bara hapo katika jengo la Ofisi ya Uratibu wa shughuli za SMZ Mtaa wa Magogoni Jijini Dar es salaam.<br /><br />Mkutano huo pia ulilenga kumtambulisha rasmi kwa Wakurugenzi hao Mkuu wa Ofisi ya Uratibu wa shughuli za SMZ Mjini Dar es salaam Ndugu Issa Mlingoti Ali aliyeteuliwa hivi karibuni na Rais wa Zanzibar na Mwenyekiti wa Baraza la Mapinduzi Dr. Ali Mohammed Shein kushika wadhifa huo mpya.<br /><br />Balozi Seif alisema Taasisi na Mashirika yanayosimamia fedha lazima yaongeze jitihada mara dufu katika ukusanyaji wa mapato ili kukidhi mahitaji na matarajio ya Taifa kwa vile hali ya fedha sio nzuri katika kipindi hichi.<br /><br />Alisema suala hili ni vyema likaenda sambamba na matumizi bora ya fedha za Serikali na kuwataka Wakuu wa vitengo waendelee kusimamia vyema na kuwa wakali kwa kuwadhibiti watendaji waliokosa uaminifu.<br /><br />Makamu wa Pili wa Rais wa Zanzibar alifahamisha kwamba wapo baadhi ya watumishi wa Umma wanaoendelea kukosa uaminifu katika utekelezaji wa majukumu yao ya kila siku na kuamua kujilimbikizia fedha na mali kinyume na taratibu na imani za Dini wanazozifuata.<br /><br />“ Tumekuwa tukishuhudia ndani ya mashirika na Taasisi zetu za Umma kujichomoza Vijana wasio na maadili ya kazi na kuamuwa kujilimbikizia mali na fedha katika kipindi kifupi tokea wapate ajira na kuwakuta tayari wana uwezo wa kumiliki majumba na magari tofauti na kiwango wanachokipata katika mishahara yao ya mwezi ”. Alionyesha kusikitishwa kwake na tabia hiyo Balozi Seif.<br /><br />Makamu wa Pili wa Rais wa Zanzibar alieleza kwamba Serikali ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar tayari imeshaanza na utaratibu wa kupunguza matumizi ya fedha yasiyo ya lazima katika Taasisi zake kwa lengo la kupata nguvu ya utekelezaji kwa yale mambo yasiyo ya msingi na muhimu.<br /><br />Aliwapongeza Viongozi na Watendaji wa Taasisi na Mashirika ya Umma yanayowajibika Tanzania Bara kwa jitihada wanazochukuwa katika kutoa huduma kwa Wananchi mbali mbali wa Tanzania sambamba na kukusanya mapato yanayosaidia Taifa.<br /><br />Nao kwa upande wao Mameneja na Waguruigenzi hao wa Taasisi za SMZ zinazotoa huduma upande wa Pili wa Jamuhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania walielezea mafanikio na changamoto wanaopambana nazo katika utekelezaji wa majukumu yao waliyopangiwa ya kila siku.<br /><br />Meneja wa Shirika la Bima la Zanzibar Tawi la Dar es salaam Ndugu Imam Ally Makame alisema Uongozi wa Bodi ya Shirika hilo unaangalia maeneo ya Mikoa tofauti Nchini Tanzania ili iwekeze miradi yake kwa lengo la kujitanua katika kutoa huduma zao zinazokubalika na wateja mbali mbali.<br /><br />Nd. Imam alimueleza Makamu wa Pili wa Rais wa Zanzibar kwamba mapato makubwa ya Bima yanayokusanywa na Shirika hilo yanapatikana katika Mikoa mbali mbali Tanzania Bara.<br /><br />Alisema mafaniko hayo yamechangia kubuniwa mbinu za kuwasiliana na Taasisi nyengine za Fedha Zanzibar na upande wa Bara katika kuangalia namna ya kujenga jengo la kudumu litakalopunguza gharama kubwa zinazotumika kwa kukodi majengo ya huduma.<br /><br />Kwa upande wake Menaja wa Benki ya Watu wa Zanzibar { PBZ }Tawi la Dar es salaam Ndugu Mohammed Bakari alielezea kwamba Benki hiyo kwa sasa haina mpango wowote wa kutaka kujenga majengo yake ya kudumu kwa upande wa Tanzania Bara.<br /><br />Nd. Mohammed alisema hatua hiyo inakuja kutokana na sababu za Kibenki kulazimika kujenga Majengo yao kwa kutumia Mfuko wa Benki husika jambo ambalo kwa sasa nguvu zao wameamua kuendelea kuzielekeza katika biashara zaidi kwenye majengo ya kukodi.<br /><br />Meneja wa Shirika la Meli Zanzibar Ndugu Salum Ahmad Vuai amemueleza Balozi Seif kwamba Uongozi wa Taasisi hiyo uko katika harakati za kutaka kujenga Jengo kubwa la ghirofa litakalokuwa Kitega uchumi cha shirika hilo katika Mtaa wa Magomeni Mjini Dar es salaam.<br /><br />Nd. Ahmad alisema kinachoendelea kwa sasa ni Uongozi wa Shirika hilo kutafuta hati miliki katika eneo hilo ili wapate uhakika wa kuanzisha mradi huo baada ya kukamilika kwa mazungumzo na taasisi za fedha za Zanzibar kwa hatua ya mashirikiano katika ujenzi huo.<br /><br />Othman Khamis Ame<br />Ofisi ya Makamu wa Pili wa Frais wa Zanzibar</span></div> </div>

Viongozi wanawajibu mkubwa kwa jamii

Makamu wa Pili wa Rais wa Zanzibar Balozi Seif Ali Iddi alisema kwamba Viongozi na Watendaji wa Taasisi na Mashirika ya Umma wana wajib...

Read more »

A new tool containing 160.000+ keys will help victims to retrieve their data

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzEJLESlVYRjlhKr-nQBnC-lXWZqhNaew7nXUOhw00lhOp3jsRbn1H0hbcJxLc3GE3Jni3AWhIgVGbrKnJPdVMKTp6TDQMVDzCkaXX9gBn452KZiGexPQquP6zR0an61HnAKvGrtsvcWp/s1600/KAE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzEJLESlVYRjlhKr-nQBnC-lXWZqhNaew7nXUOhw00lhOp3jsRbn1H0hbcJxLc3GE3Jni3AWhIgVGbrKnJPdVMKTp6TDQMVDzCkaXX9gBn452KZiGexPQquP6zR0an61HnAKvGrtsvcWp/s400/KAE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.kaspersky.co.za/">The</a> Dutch National Police, Europol, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab have joined forces to launch an initiative called No More Ransom, a new step in the cooperation between law enforcement and the private sector to fight ransomware together. No More Ransom is a new online portal aimed at informing the public about the dangers of ransomware and helping victims to recover their data without having to pay ransom to the cybercriminals.<br /><br />Ransomware is a type of malware that locks the victims’ computer or encrypts their data, demanding them to pay a ransom in order to regain control over the affected device or files. Ransomware is a top threat for EU law enforcement: almost two-thirds of EU Member States are conducting investigations into this form of malware attack. While the target is often individual users’ devices, corporate and even government networks are affected as well. The number of victims is growing at an alarming rate: according to Kaspersky Lab, the number of users attacked by crypto-ransomware rose by 550%, from 131 000 in 2014-2015 to 718 000 in 2015-2016.<br /><br />NoMoreRansom.org<br /><br />The aim of the <a href="http://www.nomoreransom.org/">online portal</a> is to provide a helpful online resource for victims of ransomware. Users can find information on what ransomware is, how it works and, most importantly, how to protect themselves. Awareness is key as there are no decryption tools for all existing types of malware available to this day. If you are infected, the chances are high that the data will be lost forever. Exercising a conscious internet use following a set of simple cyber security tips can help avoid the infection in the first place.<br /><br />The project provides users with tools that may help them recover their data once it has been locked by criminals. In its initial stage, the portal contains four decryption tools for different types of malware, the latest developed in June 2016 for the Shade variant.<br /><br />Shade is a ransomware-type Trojan that emerged in late 2014. The malware is spread via malicious websites and infected email attachments. After getting into the user’s system, Shade encrypts files stored on the machine and creates a .txt file containing the ransom note and instructions from cybercriminals on what to do to get user’s personal files back. Shade use strong decryption algorithm for each encrypted file, with two random 256-bit AES keys generated: one is used to encrypt the file’s contents, while the other is used to encrypt the file name.<br /><br />Since 2014, Kaspersky Lab and Intel Security prevented more than 27 000 attempts to attack users with Shade Trojan. Most of the infections occurred in Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Austria and Kazakhstan. Shade activity was also registered in France, Czech Republic, Italy, and the US.<br /><br />By working closely together and sharing information between different parties, the Shade command and control server used by criminals to store keys for decryption was seized, and the keys were shared with Kaspersky Lab and Intel Security. That helped to create a special tool which victims can download from the No More Ransom portal to retrieve their data without paying the criminals. The tool contains more than 160.000 keys.<br /><br />Public – private cooperation<br /><br />The project has been envisioned as a non-commercial initiative aimed at bringing public and private institutions under the same umbrella. Due to the changing nature of ransomware, with cybercriminals developing new variants on a regular basis, this portal is open to new partners’ cooperation.<br /><br />Wilbert Paulissen, Director of the National Criminal Investigation Division of National Police of the Netherlands: “We, the Dutch police, cannot fight against cybercrime and ransomware in particular, alone. This is a joint responsibility of the police, the justice department, Europol, and ICT companies, and requires a joint effort. This is why I am very happy about the police's collaboration with Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab. Together we will do everything in our power to disturb criminals' money making schemes and return files to their rightful owners without the latter having to pay loads of money.”<br /><br />“The biggest problem with crypto-ransomware today is that when users have precious data locked down, they readily pay criminals to get it back. That boosts the underground economy, and we are facing an increase in the number of new players and the number of attacks as a result. We can only change the situation if we coordinate our efforts to fight against ransomware. The appearance of decryption tools is just the first step on this road. We expect this project to be extended, and soon there will be many more companies and law enforcement agencies from other countries and regions fighting ransomware together”, says Jornt van der Wiel, Security Researcher at Global Research and Analysis Team, Kaspersky Lab.<br /><br />“This initiative shows the value of public-private cooperation in taking serious action in the fight against cybercrime,” says Raj Samani, EMEA CTO for Intel Security. “This collaboration goes beyond intelligence sharing, consumer education, and takedowns to actually help repair the damage inflicted upon victims. By restoring access to their systems, we empower users by showing them they can take action and avoid rewarding criminals with a ransom payment.”<br /><br />Wil van Gemert, Europol Deputy Director Operations, finally: “For a few years now ransomware has become a dominant concern for EU law enforcement. It is a problem affecting citizens and business alike, computers and mobile devices, with criminals developing more sophisticated techniques to cause the highest impact on the victim’s data. Initiatives like the No More Ransom project shows that linking expertise and joining forces is the way to go in the successful fight against cybercrime. We expect to help many people to recover control over their files, while raising awareness and educating the population on how to maintain their devices clean from malware.”<br /><br /> Always report<br /><br />Reporting ransomware to law enforcement is very important to help authorities get an overall clearer picture and thereby a greater capacity to mitigate the threat. The No More Ransom website offers to the victims the possibility to report a crime, directly connecting with Europol’s overview of <a href="http://links.africa-wire.com/mpss/c/5AA/0KMbAA/t.1z9/9cPNB8qlR9yxBHLgv4WBKw/h3/nN32rvL6LgjUtQXTS3yHMKjWk8MvOU0UhJDIvtShIwrV8Dv0rt9QZY3LNg-2Fo1pfFbSq7F4DqN6VmbW7dHGCkrhRPB6WYPS6EERGZiOLivtcxX1w8h0vZXM-2BeE2XVxlYmVvnDoPRv3XV2vttQyraaXVfU-2BP42P63W-2BTU-2FsljyPb2BlozyNWc3u2TFisIT4IXrm7lJqUOTa8itIkfEg6jTEBWTnZShbMNiFwEZrR4ufRk-3D">national reporting mechanisms</a> .<br /><br />If you have somehow become a victim of ransomware, we advise you not to pay the ransom. By making the payment you will be supporting the cybercriminals’ business. Plus, there is no guarantee that paying the fine will give you back the access to the encrypted data.<br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of Kaspersky. </span></div> </div>

A new tool containing 160.000+ keys will help victims to retrieve their data

The Dutch National Police, Europol, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab have joined forces to launch an initiative called No More Ransom, ...

Read more »

MAAFISA WATENDAJI WA KATA NA VIJIJI WATAKIWA KUSIMAMIA UANZISHWAJI WA MABARAZA YA WAZEE KWENYE MAENEO YAO

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-wo0DSdPPHGFn29vJytjjLo8TFT8gPSEYyHtGUUeWgVtXn1uvWt_4E1Hh-HH7LK1Q9KwhNCpOoVBDjRDndDqvtiItu9-G3hE6Pybm0ptm9lWSMbulLt53uOQc1jcCQ9tHhAxnbcQjwTE/s1600/maafisa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-wo0DSdPPHGFn29vJytjjLo8TFT8gPSEYyHtGUUeWgVtXn1uvWt_4E1Hh-HH7LK1Q9KwhNCpOoVBDjRDndDqvtiItu9-G3hE6Pybm0ptm9lWSMbulLt53uOQc1jcCQ9tHhAxnbcQjwTE/s400/maafisa.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;">Na Jumbe Ismailly-Ikungi </span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">MKUU wa wilaya ya Ikungi,Mkoani Singida amewaagiza maafisa watendaji wa kata na vijiji wilayani hapa kusimamia kwa karibu sana uanzishwaji wa mabaraza ya wazee na kuhakikisha mabaraza hayo yanaanzishwa kwenye maeneo yao na hatimaye waweze kuunda baraza la wazee la wilaya hiyo. <br /><br />Akizungumza na wazee maarufu wa wilaya hiyo kwenye ukumbi wa mikutano wa shule ya sekondari ya Ikungi,Mkuu huyo wa wilaya,Miraji Mtaturu alisema kuwepo kwa mabaraza hayo katika ngazi za chini yatasaidia kuzishauri shughuli za serikali. <br /><br />Alibainisha Mtaturu kwamba asilimia kubwa ya wazee hao ni wastaafu na watu wenye taaluma zao na kutoa mfano uwepo wa wataalamu wa kilimo utasaidia kuwawezesha wakulima waliopo kwenye maeneo yao kulima kwa kufuata ushauri wa wataalamu hao. <br /><br />Kufuatia ushauri huo wa kuanzisha kwa mabaraza ya wazee katika ngazi zote,wazee hao alisema baada ya utawala wa mwalimu Julius Nyerere wazee walisahaulika,jambo ambalo limeanza kurudisha heshima katika pande zote mbili. <br /><br />Mkuu wa wilaya ya Ikungi,Mkoani Singida ameanzisha utaratibu wa kukutana na wazee maarufu wa wilaya hiyo kwa lengo la kufahamiana na kupeana mikakati ya kujiletea maendeleo yao. <br /></span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>

MAAFISA WATENDAJI WA KATA NA VIJIJI WATAKIWA KUSIMAMIA UANZISHWAJI WA MABARAZA YA WAZEE KWENYE MAENEO YAO

Na Jumbe Ismailly-Ikungi MKUU wa wilaya ya Ikungi,Mkoani Singida amewaagiza maafisa watendaji wa kata na vijiji wilayani hap...

Read more »

Djibouti joins Africa Finance Corporation

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVE7l9FUKFmkfmnDOmf96-XMcDP2OU1JO06rPuXN43ci9G8Do0Pl3PKaulAA45C3azfVtnBqYVoOoJ-Z1NgjcmeuVOmZywN3FEDCgzm2yC8u-Va2shNS55cCwclesAg0V4qXkKTxrS4q3/s1600/afc.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVE7l9FUKFmkfmnDOmf96-XMcDP2OU1JO06rPuXN43ci9G8Do0Pl3PKaulAA45C3azfVtnBqYVoOoJ-Z1NgjcmeuVOmZywN3FEDCgzm2yC8u-Va2shNS55cCwclesAg0V4qXkKTxrS4q3/s400/afc.png" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Djibouti has become the newest member of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), an international investment grade multilateral finance institution investing in key infrastructure projects across Africa. <br /><br />Mr Ali Guelleh Aboubaker, Minister of Investments in the Office of the President, commented on his country's membership of AFC: "I am delighted to announce that Djibouti has become a member of Africa Finance Corporation, an international DFI with a proven track record in large-scale infrastructure investment. The government of Djibouti is committed to proactively investing in essential infrastructure to drive economic growth and doing what we can to attract international private investors to infrastructure investment opportunities. We look forward to working with AFC to deliver projects with real and positive economic and social impact across the country." <br /><br />Andrew Alli, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation, welcomed Djibouti to the Corporation: "Djibouti is a small but important market, with natural strengths as a transport and logistics hub thanks to the government's successful free trade policies and its location at the gateway to the Red Sea. Djibouti offers some great investment opportunities and AFC is delighted to be assisting Djibouti to meet its full growth potential and to create jobs for its citizens." <br /><br />Djibouti is the 14th country and the third east African country to join the AFC. The Corporation's other members are: Cape Verde; Chad; Ghana; Guinea-Bissau; Guinea; Liberia; Nigeria; Sierra-Leone, The Gambia, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Rwanda, and Uganda. As with all other members, Djibouti's membership enables AFC to receive preferred creditor status within the country, the benefits of which reduce AFC's investment risk, enabling the Corporation to provide more competitive financing solutions. <br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency on behalf of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).</span></div> </div>

Djibouti joins Africa Finance Corporation

Djibouti has become the newest member of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), an international investment grade multilateral finance instit...

Read more »

WAKULIMA WILAYANI IKUNGI WASHAURIWA KULIMA KILIMO CHA KIBIASHARA ZAIDI

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2M1yiXOOyK43n8JrTQQwYgoVefZnxygol5WctbVc95TO6U9QLHB8AyWFlg4J_O5q4fGBdsgnfLboV29eqJkCoxSt8Ty5V-wsTf_BJcELxlzd-b9y4braQbPd6fMOoT2IPG6Xe_RB7Pz6K/s1600/wakulima.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2M1yiXOOyK43n8JrTQQwYgoVefZnxygol5WctbVc95TO6U9QLHB8AyWFlg4J_O5q4fGBdsgnfLboV29eqJkCoxSt8Ty5V-wsTf_BJcELxlzd-b9y4braQbPd6fMOoT2IPG6Xe_RB7Pz6K/s400/wakulima.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;">Na Jumbe Ismailly-Ikungi </span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">WAKULIMA wa mazao aina ya alzeti,karanga pamoja na ufuta katika wilaya ya Ikungi,Mkoani Singida wameshauriwa kuacha kulima kilimo cha mazoea,na kisicholenga kuwaondoa kwenye umaskini uliokithiri miongoni mwao na badala yake wajenge utamaduni wa kulima mazao aina hiyo kibiashara,kwa lengo la kujiongezea kipato kwenye familia zao. <br /><br />Ushauri huo umetolewa na Mkuu wa wilaya ya Ikungi,Miraji Mtaturu kwenye mkutano maalumu kati yake na wazee maarufu wa wilaya hiyo uliolenga kufahamiana pamoja na kuzungumzia masuala mbali mbali ya shughuli za maendeleo ya wilaya hiyo. <br /><br />Kwa mujibu wa Mtaturu baadhi ya wakulima katika wilaya hiyo wamejenga utamaduni wa kulima kilimo cha mazoea, ambapo kwa kutumia fursa ya mkutano huo wa wazee maarufu amewasisitiza wakulima wa aina hiyo kuondokana na kilimo hicho ili kiweze kuwaondoa kwenye umaskini uliokithiri miongoni mwao. <br /><br />Wakizungumzia sababu zinazochangia wananchi wa jimbo la Singida mashariki kugoma kuchangia michango mbali mbali ya kujiletea maendeleo yao,baadhi ya wawakilishi wa wazee hao walisisitiza kuwa hali hiyo inatokana na kutofahamu fedha zao wanazochangishwa zinatumika kwenye shughuli zipi. <br /><br />Mmoja wa wazee hao ambaye pia ni mkazi wa Kijiji cha Kikio,Raphaeli Mtinda alikanusha kwamba watu wa jimbo la Singida mashariki hawataki kuchangia shughuli za maendeleo,bali kinachosababisha ni kuchukia vitendo vya wizi vinavyofanywa na watendaji wa vijiji na kata zao. <br /><br />Aliweka bayana mzee huyo kuwa amewahi kushuhudia mmoja wa watendaji akipokea fedha za michango lakini cha kushangaza ni kutolewa risiti zisizokuwa halali kisheria na baadhi ya watendaji wanaoshirikiana na wakubwa wao wa Halmashauri. <br /><br />Naye Evaristi Mughanga kutoka Kijiji cha Kikio hakuunga mkono kwamba shughuli za maendeleo zinakwamishwa na viongozi wa kisiasa,kwa kile alichodai kwamba hajawahi kuona barabara zinazojengwa kwa kiwango cha lami wananchi wanalazimishwa kuchangia. <br /><br />“Umeongea vizuri,lakini umeongelea shule,ukaongelea zahanati,kuna vitu vingi vinavyohitajika katika nchi hii,kuna barabara ambayo ni miundombinu,kuna viwanda,kuna reli yote hayo yanahitajika ni mipango ya nchi”aliweka bayana. <br /><br />Hata hivyo mzee huyo alionekana kutokubaliana na ushauri wa mkuu wa wilaya juu ya kuchangia zahanati,shule kwa nini hatukasikia siku hata moja waambiwe juu ya kuchangia ujenzi wa barabara. <br /><br />Mughanga hata hivyo alikiri kuwa aliwahi kusikia kauli za Rais kuzuia michango,lakini hakusita kuhoji ni kwa nini Mkuu huyo wa wilaya anawataka wachangie michango na ushuru mdogo mdogo kwa kutumia ilani ya chama gani. </span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>

WAKULIMA WILAYANI IKUNGI WASHAURIWA KULIMA KILIMO CHA KIBIASHARA ZAIDI

Na Jumbe Ismailly-Ikungi WAKULIMA wa mazao aina ya alzeti,karanga pamoja na ufuta katika wilaya ya Ikungi,Mkoani Singida wameshaur...

Read more »

The new visa regulations had a sharp impact on the South African tourism industry

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFCKIfJWj7Ga62LBUhXVZvHJtQrX1BQLfaMiziQ66Ds_cU5TtIio8cyDG8D_vSVMxCCNYzAYfJOIlS4KQPDsWIF5mrjGqs3IKpl6KJ_ovkNxphGjna5pdfGvGQkXLTVHeSDMr5hwJjk7G/s1600/PW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFCKIfJWj7Ga62LBUhXVZvHJtQrX1BQLfaMiziQ66Ds_cU5TtIio8cyDG8D_vSVMxCCNYzAYfJOIlS4KQPDsWIF5mrjGqs3IKpl6KJ_ovkNxphGjna5pdfGvGQkXLTVHeSDMr5hwJjk7G/s400/PW.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">South Africa’s hotel industry is set for steady growth in the next five years driven by an increase in the number of foreign visitors into the African continent.<br /><br />Pietro Calicchio, Industry leader of Hospitality & Gambling, PwC <a href="http://www.pwc.com/">Southern</a> Africa, says: “Although the South African economy has weakened considerably, the overall outlook for hotels in South Africa is expected to remain positive.”<br /><br />According to PwC’s 6th edition Hotels Outlook 2016 – 2020, revenue from hotel room accommodation in South Africa rose 8.1% in 2015 to R14.2 billion, reflecting an increase in stay unit nights and a 6.5% rise in the average room rate. Overall, hotel room revenue is projected to expand at a 7.8% compound annual rate to R20.6 billion in 2020. PwC’s report features information about hotel accommodation in South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya, and Tanzania.<br /><br />“The devaluation of the rand and the relaxation of certain visa regulations has had a positive impact on the tourism industry in South Africa, making the country a more attractive tourism destination. This has also had a positive impact on the number of foreign visitors to South Africa over the past six months,” says Calicchio.<br /><br />The new visa regulations had a sharp impact on the South African tourism industry. After growing at an 8% compound annual rate between 2009 and 2013, the number of foreign overnight visitors rose only 0.2% in 2014 before falling 6.8% in 2015 – the biggest decline in six years, according to official statistics. China had the largest decrease of 46% in 2014, while the decrease from India was 23.5%. Visits from China edged up 2.2% in 2015, but remained 45% lower than the peak in 2013, while visits from India fell an additional 8.5% in 2015 for a cumulative 30% decline over the past two years.<br /><br />A key factor cited as contributing to the decline was the requirement that foreign travellers appear in person at South African embassies to have their biometric information taken. However, some countries such as India, Russia and China have very few South African visa processing centres.<br /><br />In October 2015, some of these regulations were eased and the Department of Home Affairs is considering introducing further amendments.<br /><br />Overall, in 2015 there was a decline in the number of foreign travellers to South Africa from every region except the Middle East and North Africa. Of non-African countries, the UK is still the largest source of visitors to South Africa at 407 486 in 2015, an increase of 1.4%. It was one of the few countries from where visitors increased in 2015, but that gain did not offset the overall 6.8% decline from 2014. Visits from the US dipped below 300 000 in 2015, down 3.9% from 2014. Germany was down 6.5% in 2015, while Australia fell 10.8%.<br /><br />Of African countries, the largest numbers of foreign visitors to South Africa in 2015 came from Zimbabwe (2.1 million), followed by Lesotho (1.5 million) and Mozambique (1.3 million) but all were lower than in 2014.<br /><br />On a more positive note, the number of monthly overnight tourist visitors to South Africa started picking up towards the end of 2015 and rose above the one million mark for the first time in January 2016, with international visitor numbers up by 16.8% for the months of January to April 2016 when compared to the same period in 2015. Visitor numbers from Europe have increased by 13.6%, China 38.0% and North America 16.4% through to April 2016 when compared to the first four months of 2015. For 2016 as a whole, a 12.4% increase in foreign visitors is anticipated.<br /><br />Hotel accommodation: South Africa – Nigeria – Mauritius – Kenya - Tanzania<br /><br />The number of hotel rooms planned in Africa has increased from prior years in the wake of a number of developments across the continent.<br /><br />Overall, room revenue in South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya and Tanzania rose 6.7% in 2015, the largest gain since 2011. Tanzania had the largest increase with a 14.4% gain, the result of a large increase in the average room rate that offset a drop in stay unit nights.<br /><br />“It is promising to see a growing number of new hotels that are planned for the South African market over the next five years. We are forecasting an additional 2 600 hotel rooms to be added over the next five years,” says Calicchio. “We forecast that hotel room revenue will grow by 11.9% in 2016 to R15.8 billion.” The interest in new hotel developments in Cape Town reflects its strong growth rates and its appeal as a tourist attraction.<br /><br />Five-star hotels had the highest occupancy rates in the market at 79.5% in 2015, up from 70.7% in 2014 as stay unit nights increased by 12.5%.<br /><br />The hotel sector in Mauritius experienced an increase in stay unit nights in 2015, but a drop in the average room rate that resulted in a 6.7% increase in room revenue. Nigeria’s long-term prospects for the hospitality sector remain positive, though the impact of its current weaker economy is likely to reflect in near-term hotel performance. Kenya’s economic growth has been strong and a number of initiatives have contributed to a recent increase in the tourism industry.<br /><br />South Africa: The Outlook (2016 – 2020)<br /><br />With occupancy rates and visitor numbers on the rise, there is renewed activity in the hotel sector. There are a number of major hotels expected to open in the next five years and several others in the planning stage. The number of available hotel rooms are projected to rise at a 0.8% compound annual rate to 63 700 in 2020 from 61 100 in 2015.<br /><br />Stay unit nights are expected to increase at a 1.9% compound annual rate to 14.6 million in 2020 from 13.3 million in 2015. With stay unit nights growing faster than room supply, the occupancy rate for hotels is forecast to rise from 59.6% in 2015 to 62.6% in 2020.<br /><br />Nigeria – Mauritius – Kenya –Tanzania: The Outlook (2016 – 2020)<br /><br />The hotel market in Nigeria has not fared as well as South Africa with stay unit nights dropping 12% and room revenue down by 3.6% over the past two years. There are a number of new hotels planned or under construction and we forecast an additional 4 700 rooms to be added in Nigeria during the next five years. Hotel room revenue is expected to grow to US$ 507 million in 2020 from the US$321 million achieved in 2015, due to increases in both stay unit nights and average room rates. The number of tourist arrivals to Mauritius increased by 10.9% in 2015, the largest increase during the past five years. The number of available hotel rooms is expected to increase at a 2.8% compound annual rate, rising to 15 600 in 2020 with hotel room revenue forecast to grow at a 10.6% compound annual rate to Euro 920 million in 2020 .<br /><br />Kenya’s hotel market is recovering, with growth being achieved for the first time in four years due to an increase in the average room rate even though stay units fell 2.8% in 2015. Revenue is projected to grow at 6.1% compounded annually to 2020. Tanzania’s hotel room revenue amounted to US$222 million in 2015 and is expected to grow by 10.8% compounded annually to US$371 million in 2020.<br /><br />“The hotel market in each country is affected by both the local and global economy, with some countries being more dependent on foreign visitors than others. The growth forecast is therefore dependent on how well both the local and global economy performs and grows over the next five years.”<br /><br />“The tourism industry continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors of Africa’s economy. In spite of recent challenges, including the change in visa regulations in South Africa and the contraction of the global economy, the sector has significant potential to create jobs and uplift inclusive economic growth across the continent”, concludes Calicchio.<br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). </span></div> </div>

The new visa regulations had a sharp impact on the South African tourism industry

South Africa’s hotel industry is set for steady growth in the next five years driven by an increase in the number of foreign visitors in...

Read more »

KANISA LA TAG LAKABIDHI PIKIPIKI 400 KWA WAANGALIZI WA MAKANISA

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsg8OuZT0WQ4s3aXUmUuoCHBCNCLaKSRYkzA0tWgeaHmdgZpNrR_fR5vd6PtqLj3IOTdkeTDtnkkH6zzKSB5CKj3P3cf3VJEQZgxLm_pSXEghXnryuNsljO0FFIMX8w5CKscQnO69EG4T/s1600/kanisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsg8OuZT0WQ4s3aXUmUuoCHBCNCLaKSRYkzA0tWgeaHmdgZpNrR_fR5vd6PtqLj3IOTdkeTDtnkkH6zzKSB5CKj3P3cf3VJEQZgxLm_pSXEghXnryuNsljO0FFIMX8w5CKscQnO69EG4T/s400/kanisa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;">Na,Jumbe Ismailly-Singida </span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">KANISA la Assemblies of God Tanzania (TAG) limewapatia waangalizi wa majimbo 33 nchini ya Kanisa hilo,ili kuwawezesha kufanikisha utekelezaji wa malengo makuu kumi ya dira ya maendeleo ya kanisa hilo,ili ifikapo mwaka 2018, utekelezaji wa malengo hayo yote yawe yamekamilika. <br /><br />Msaada huo wa usafiri wa pikipiki 400 kwa nchi nzima umegharimu kati ya shilingi milioni 12 na milioni 16 kutokana na pikipiki moja kununuliwa kwa bei ya wastani wa kati ya shilingi milioni tatu na milioni nne. <br /><br />Askofu Mkuu wa Kanisa la TAG,John Mtokambali aliyasema hayo kwenye halfa ya kukabidhi pikipiki 400 kwa waangalizi wa makanisa ya TAG Tanzania,hafla ambayo ilifanyika katika kanisa la TAG Mandewa,mjini Singida. <br /><br />“Na tumetoa pikipiki hizi kwa makusudi makubwa matatu,kwanza kila mwangalizi ambaye ni kama mkuu wa wilaya wa kanisa letu anao wajibu wa kikanisa anao wajibu wa kikatiba,kutambua kwamba pikipiki hizi zitaharakisha kuwapa wepesi wa kuharakisha utekelezaji wa majukumu yao”alifafanua. <br /><br />Kwa mujibu wa Askofu huyo jukumu la pili ni kuwezesha utekelezaji wa diya ya maendeleo ya kanisa letu,kanisa letu lina dira ya maendeleo yenye malengo makuu kumi ambayo yanalenga ifikapo mwaka 2018 malengo hayo yote yawe yamekamilika. <br /><br />Mapema akizuzngumza na waumini wa madhehebu ya Kanisa hilo la TAG Mkoani Singida,Katibu Tawala Msaidizi kitengo cha maji,Mhandisi,Lidya Joseph aliwahimiza zaidi waumini wa madhehebu ya dini mbali mbali juu ya umuhimu wa kuhubiri amani,utii pamoja na kuwajibika kwa wananchi wao. <br /><br />“Kwa kweli sisi kama serikali tunasisitiza sana watu wa madhehebu ya dini waendelee kuhubiri amani,wahubiri utii pamoja na kuwajibika kwa wananchi na tunawapongeza sana kwa hatua hii ambapo nimeelezwa kuwa pikipiki hizi ni kwa ajili ya watendakazi wa kanisa,basi waendelee kuwa na juhudi katika kuwahimiza washirika wao ili wawe raia wema na waendelee kulitumikia vizuri jamuhuri ya muungano wa Tanzania”alisisitiza mwakilishi huyo wa serikali. <br /><br />Akizungumza kwa niaba ya waangalizi waliopokea usafiri huo wa pikipiki,Mchungaji Kalebi Patrick Maumbuka wa kanisa la TAG,Ikungi Mkoani Singida alisema usafiri huo wa pikipiki utawasaidia sana kutangaza neno la Mungu kwa haraka zaidi,kwani awali walikuwa wakitegemea usafiri wa mabasi ambayo yalichangia kuwakwamisha kufikisha ujumbe wa neno la mungu kwa wakati muafaka. </span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>

KANISA LA TAG LAKABIDHI PIKIPIKI 400 KWA WAANGALIZI WA MAKANISA

Na,Jumbe Ismailly-Singida KANISA la Assemblies of God Tanzania (TAG) limewapatia waangalizi wa majimbo 33 nchini ya Kanisa hilo,ili ...

Read more »

A More Affordable Uber for the People of Nairobi

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BhnGUTQc2a7H47d-I_FPvbYz9iqxmNk8v5h-GOfSA5HbZgMBroJ0PSsf935Jw8bpvqFwav54vz3TFBrVMsLMv3snazXZFUmAorbNHC84DMuZth1XR1GUArvgxTfKiUYE2y-N761k4vDg/s1600/Uber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BhnGUTQc2a7H47d-I_FPvbYz9iqxmNk8v5h-GOfSA5HbZgMBroJ0PSsf935Jw8bpvqFwav54vz3TFBrVMsLMv3snazXZFUmAorbNHC84DMuZth1XR1GUArvgxTfKiUYE2y-N761k4vDg/s400/Uber.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.uber.com/">More </a>than one million trips have been made using Uber since our launch in Kenya’s capital in January 2015. Added together, that’s roughly eight million kilometers, or enough to go to the moon and back ten times. Those trips didn’t happen on a space rocket though - they happened right here in cars on the streets of Nairobi, with more than 1,000 local drivers earning money as a result.<br /><br />The reason we offer such good value prices is because our advanced technology means there are fewer minutes wasted for drivers. With Uber, drivers don’t sit idle in a queue waiting for their next passenger. And they don’t travel as far, or as often, with an empty car.<br /><br />Now we want to get even more business for our partners - by dropping prices by 35%. After years of experience, including in cities like Lagos in Nigeria, we have learnt that price cuts boost demand so more people request more rides with Uber, meaning drivers spend more time earning.<br /><br />It’s a virtuous cycle. We can keep prices low for everyone, while maximising the amount of time drivers have a rider in the back seat.<br /><br />Nate Anderson, Uber’s General Manager in Kenya, explains, “We are committed to making Uber the most affordable and safest option to move around Nairobi. Our experience shows us we can make that happen while making Uber the best way for drivers to earn. This also means riders can ditch their car keys and travel with Uber more often. For some it will make Uber cheaper than owning a car. This means fewer cars on the road, less traffic, and fewer issues trying to find parking.”<br /><br />To help drivers using Uber, Uber has also partnered with Total to provide some great deals on fuel. This partnership allows Nairobi driver-partners to receive a great discount off every litre of fuel and as an added extra they can get a power wash for KES200.<br /><br />“We believe these changes will help, but while the city adjusts to the new prices, we are putting in place minimum payment guarantees for drivers to ensure they don’t lose out. And if the amount they make on the road isn't what we expect, we’ll reassess this price change,” says Nate Anderson.<br /><br />Uber is all about making sure people have a safe, reliable, affordable and convenient way to get from A to B. With these changes, Uber hopes even more people in Nairobi will let Uber help them get where they need to be.<br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of Uber. </span></div> </div>

A More Affordable Uber for the People of Nairobi

More than one million trips have been made using Uber since our launch in Kenya’s capital in January 2015. Added together, that’s roughl...

Read more »

WANYAMA WAHARIBIFU AINA YA NGEDERE WAHARIBU MAZAO YA WANANCHI WA MKALAMA

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeG1sZNP8C9GR-pYINwvQK5XQdW-tQw7IjOq_H5zw_ESXoPmnMQBvbs4GZZshfl1c7vx8wbXogIoGWVyz5CENPwjW1c_B8pK5wNvEpK_mrBtpqMDQQqVTnX_D8YkIluIoaIRT_sY9u948/s1600/wanyama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeG1sZNP8C9GR-pYINwvQK5XQdW-tQw7IjOq_H5zw_ESXoPmnMQBvbs4GZZshfl1c7vx8wbXogIoGWVyz5CENPwjW1c_B8pK5wNvEpK_mrBtpqMDQQqVTnX_D8YkIluIoaIRT_sY9u948/s400/wanyama.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Na,Jumbe Ismailly-Mkalama <br />ZAIDI ya ekari 250 za mazao mbali mbali yakiwemo mahindi,mtama,karanga na alzeti katika kata ya Ibaga,tarafa ya Kirumi,wilayani Mkalama yameharibiwa na wanyama waharibifu waitwao ngedere na hivyo kusababisha wakulima wengi kutofikia malengo waliyojiwekea ya mavuno yao waliyotarajia. <br /><br />Ngedere hao wanaokadiriwa kufikia zaidi ya 20,000 wamekuwepo katika kata ya Ibaga,tarafa ya Kirumi,Wilayani Mkalama na kuendelea kuwasumbua wakulima wa mazao hayo kwa kipindi cha takribani kati ya miaka saba hadi minane sasa. <br /><br />Akitoa ufafanuzi wa swali lililoulizwa kwa Mbunge wa jimbo la Iramba Mashariki,Allan Kiulla na mkulima wa Kijiji cha Ibaga,Mwendomgelwa Kingu aliyetaka kufafamu serikali imejipangaje kuondoa kero ya wanyama hao waharibifu,diwani wa kata ya Ibaga,Salumu Abdallah Lindi alibainisha kuwa kero hiyo inatokana na Halmashauri ya wilaya ya Mkalama kutokuwa na wataalamu wa idara ya wanyamapori wa kupambana na wanyama hao waharibifu. <br /><br />Aidha Lindi akizungumza katika mkutano ulioitishwa na mbunge huyo kwa lengo la kuwashururu wananchi kwa kumchagua ikiwa ni pamoja na kusikiliza kero zao zinazowakera uliofanyika katika Kijiji cha Ibaga,alisema wanyama hao wanaokadiriwa kufikia 20,000,wana zaidi ya miaka saba hadi minane kwenye eneo hilo na wanaendeleo kula mazao ya wananchi. <br /><br />Kwa mujibu wa mwakilishi huyo wa wananchi tangu alipoingia madarakani mwaka 2015,alishatoa taarifa kwa afisa mazingira wa Halmashauri ya wilaya ya Mkalama bila mafanikio. <br /><br />“Tangu nimeingia madarakani nikiwa kama diwani nilishawasiliana na afisa mazingira wa wilaya lakini mpaka sasa hivi hakuna juhudi zozote zile zilizochukuliwa dhidi ya kukabiliana na ngedere hawa”alisisitiza diwani huyo. <br /><br />Hata hivyo Lindi alitumia fursa hiyo kuiomba serikali ya wilaya hiyo ikiangalie kilio cha wananchi wa kata ya Ibaga na kuhakikisha inamtuma haraka afisa mazingira ili aweze kwenda kwenye maeneo hayo na kuangalia uwezekano wa kukabiliana na ngedere hao ambao kwa kiasi kikubwa wanawaathiri wakulima wao. <br /><br />Alisisitiza kwamba wakulima wa maeneo hayo wamekuwa wakiutumia muda wao mwingi kufukuzana na ngedere hao na kuacha kabisa kushiriki katika shughuli mbali mbali za mendeleo ya vijiji vyao. <br /><br />Katika swali lake la msingi kwa Mbunge wa jimbo la Iramba mashariki,mkulima wa Kijiji cha Ibaga,Mwendomgelwa Kingu alimuomba mbunge huyo kuhakikisha wataalamu wa idara ya wanyamapori wanafika katika kata hiyo kwenda kuondoa kero ya wanyama hao waharibifu wa mazao. <br /><br />“Hapa tumeingiliwa na wanyama wametoroka porini,naomba wahusika waje kwa njia yeyote ile wawarudishe porini kwa kutumia utaalamu wao wanyama hawa wanaitwa ngedere”alifafanua mwananchi huyo na mkulima wa Kijiji cha Ibaga. <br /><br />Huku akimshirikisha Mungu katika kula kiapo,Kingu aliweka wazi kuwa pamoja na kutumia nguvu zao kulima mazao hayo,lakini akaonesha masikitiko yake kutokana na kugawana mapato ya mazao hayo na wanyama hao. <br /><br />“Ukweli tunagawana mapato yetu hasa karanga na mahindi naomba kama mbunge wetu hili utatusaidiaje,yaani humo wameenea mwote humu tunagawana sana mavuno yetu,ukiwa kama mbunge hawa wanyama wametoroka”alifafanua mkulima huyo. <br /><br />Akijibu hoja za wananchi wa Kijiji cha Ibaga kyhusu wanyama hao waharibifu,Mbunge wa jimbo la Iramba mashariki,Allan Kiulla aliwataka wananchi kujenga utamaduni wa kuwatumia viongozi wao kwa kuwapelekea matatizo yanayowakabili ili waweze kuyashughulikia. <br /><br />“Sasa tutumie serikali zetu hawa si ndiyo tuliowachagua sisi wenyewe,hebu tuwaamini tuwatume kazi…..sawa basi tutafuatilia kwa karibu wilayani,tutafikisha na mimi leo napita wilayani ntafikisha ujumbe wenu huu,sawa jamani?alihoji Mbunge Kiulla. <br /><br />Kwa upande wake diwani wa viti maalumu,Tarafa ya Kirumi,Habiba Issah Kununta alimthibitishia mbunge Kiulla kwamba suala la ngedere linawasumbua kwa kiasi kikubwa wananchi wa kata hiyo. <br /><br />Hata hivyo mwakilishi huyo wa wananchi aliweka bayana kuwa wanyama hao waharibifu wamekuwa wakila mahindi,kwani mara tu wakulima wanapopanda mbegu,wanyama hao hufukua na kuanza kuzila mbegu hizo. <br /><br />Alibainisha Habiba akiwa kama diwani wa viti maalumu Tarafa ya Kirumi alishawahi kwenda wilayani Iramba kabla ya kugawanywa kuwa wilaya mbili na kutoa taarifa mara mbili na walipogawanyika alitoa taarifa mara moja,lakini jibu alilopewa ni kwamba Halmashauri haina afisa mali asili wa wilaya,kitendo kinachoendelea kuwaumiza sana wananchi. <br /><br />Akizungumzia uharibifu wa mazao hayo kwa niaba ya serikali,Afisa Tarafa wa Kirumi,Juma Salumu Sima alielezea jitihada zilizochukuliwa na serikali kuwa ni wananchi wenyewe kulinda mashamba yao ili wanyama hao wasiendelee kuvamia mashamba hayo pamoja na kutoa taarifa kwenye idara ya wanyamapori ili waweze kufika haraka kuwaondoa wanyama hao. <br /><br />“Kuhusu na suala la uharibifu wa wanyama hawa ngedere katika eneo hili la Ibaga,kweli uchunguzi umefanyika zaidi ya ekari 250 zimeharibiwa na wanyama wale sababu wao wanakula kwa kuchimba karanga ambazo tayari zimeshakomaa na kula alzeti iliyokomaa na mahindi mashambani”alifafanua afisa tarafa huyo. <br /><br />Aidha Sima aliweka bayana kwamba kufuatia tathimini iliyofanyika,ni zaidi ya ekari 250 zimeharibiwa na wanyama hao aina ya ngedere. <br /><br />Kwa mujibu wa Sima juhudi walizochukua ni pamoja na wananchi wenyewe kulinda mashamba yao na kwamba wakulima hao wamekuwa wakiutumia muda wao mwingi kwa kazi ya kukabiliana na wanyama hao na kuacha kushiriki katika shughuli mbali mbali za mendeleo. <br /><br />Hata hivyo kwa mujibu wa afisa tarafa huyo ni kwamba tayari wamekwishatoa taarifa wilayani kwenye idara inayoshughulikia wanyamapori ili waweze kwenda kuwasaidia kuokoa maisha ya watu na mali zao kutoendelea kuharibika kutokana na mashambulizi hayo ya ngedere. </span></div> </div>

WANYAMA WAHARIBIFU AINA YA NGEDERE WAHARIBU MAZAO YA WANANCHI WA MKALAMA

Na,Jumbe Ismailly-Mkalama ZAIDI ya ekari 250 za mazao mbali mbali yakiwemo mahindi,mtama,karanga na alzeti katika kata ya Ibaga,tarafa...

Read more »

TreatmentforAll campaign to support treatment expansion and stop the spread of HIV

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsJHVeBg1BOYa7XcvnXJQuQw92-hSeccHIn-q2EGOAVQZ-EJuAOVIY65ZAOYaV71GxclM3LIfELnnMqwY1vN0Fcrq-6UfnmYvcpd8kYbOoU1Qc100BX2-LCVnltvZCQOkCwLMIj2VBEGA/s1600/va.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsJHVeBg1BOYa7XcvnXJQuQw92-hSeccHIn-q2EGOAVQZ-EJuAOVIY65ZAOYaV71GxclM3LIfELnnMqwY1vN0Fcrq-6UfnmYvcpd8kYbOoU1Qc100BX2-LCVnltvZCQOkCwLMIj2VBEGA/s400/va.png" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Alongside the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Health in Agenda 2030 and Ventures Africa, will debut Treatment For All: Our Lives, Our Stories, a documentary film that captures the deeply personal narratives of three African protagonists as they explore the impact of HIV on their lives and detail the wider ecosystem that supports access to treatment. A worldwide premiere of the film will take place at 9:00am SAST at the U.S. government exhibition booth at AIDS 2016, and will feature an engaging dialogue on treatment expansion as a key tool in the global HIV/AIDS response between Ambassador Deborah L. Birx, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, and Uzodinma Iweala, Founder and CEO of Ventures Africa. This dialogue will also be live-streamed on Facebook Live.<br /><br />Treatment for All: Our Lives, Our Stories chronicles the HIV epidemic as told through unscripted monologues of people contemplating themselves, HIV, and treatment in relation to crosscutting themes such as happiness, mortality, relationships, stigma and work. This is the second film to support the #TreatmentforAll campaign, a global movement launched on the eve of World AIDS Day 2015 to bring an end to the AIDS epidemic by scaling-up access to treatment for all people diagnosed with HIV. #TreatmentforAll calls on countries to prioritize the adoption of key policies and provide high-quality implementation to support the collective vision of treatment for all people living with HIV. The movement's shared goal is to ensure treatment for 28 million people by 2020.<br /><br />"Achieving treatment for all would be a game changer in ending the epidemic by 2030," said Ambassador Deborah L. Birx. "PEPFAR is supporting partner countries in rapidly adopting and implementing the 2015 WHO guidelines for "Test and START" and more efficient service delivery models. Together, we can save and improve millions of lives."<br /><br />#TreatmentForAll was launched in response to the World Health Organization's (WHO) landmark HIV treatment guidelines, which for the first time called for everyone infected with HIV to be treated immediately. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), nearly 37 million people are currently HIV-positive, and of those only 17 million are currently on treatment. Treating all is key to ending the epidemic, and can be done with a more efficient use of existing resources and critical policy changes in high HIV burden countries. Together, by prioritizing and fast-tracking treatment, the world can collectively aim to support the shared vision of 28 million men, women and children on treatment by 2020. According to projections, this would reduce the number of new AIDS-related deaths and HIV infections by nearly 50 percent. <br /><br />"We have been at war with HIV/AIDS for over three decades now, amounting to millions of unnecessary deaths and affecting millions more. It is morally reprehensible to delay the delivery of treatment to all people suffering from the virus, particularly as we have the funding to provide all with treatment" said Ray Chambers, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Health in Agenda 2030 and for Malaria. "It is our collective responsibility to heed this call and provide treatment for all now."<br /><br />Recent momentum has set the path toward achieving #TreatmentforAll. A total of 22 countries have already adopted the 2015 World Health Organization Guidelines recommending that all people living with HIV be treated immediately, and many more countries have announced their intention to adopt these Guidelines by the end of 2016.<br /><br />"The way we speak about the epidemic is crucial in framing how the public at large, patients, health care providers and policy makers unite to find solutions to a problem that has been with us for so long," said Uzo Iweala, Founder and CEO of Ventures Africa. "We have come so far in the last ten years and it is clear that improving access to treatment is key in changing the local and global narratives around HIV and AIDS. Treatment for All: Our Lives, Our Stories is a short film that in looking at how narratives change when treatment becomes available also seeks to change the way that we view HIV/AIDS in the twenty-first century." <br /><br />#TreatmentForAll is one of the first movements to join Facebook's internal social good initiative, Global Causes. Global Causes is a Facebook-wide program with an array of social good activities and serves as an opportunity for people to connect with each other over causes they care about, volunteer in local communities and educate and train nonprofits on how to use the Facebook platform and solutions most effectively. <br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).</span></div> </div>

TreatmentforAll campaign to support treatment expansion and stop the spread of HIV

Alongside the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFA...

Read more »

L’Oréal Accelerates Product Development for Sub-Saharan Africa Thanks to New Research & Innovation Center

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCARHrb79A_n8VeCf7B68edinYrIhxCBhIUtaZrmpQERRS1LbbU1cXe38dFy7E0pE1eoFx46OZfEoGGCmV_hNjrPKh6aGKxZq3j1eQrkrflFCSYGehX1miGBFLgulgyOAuDR7u1GnFK5K/s1600/ore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCARHrb79A_n8VeCf7B68edinYrIhxCBhIUtaZrmpQERRS1LbbU1cXe38dFy7E0pE1eoFx46OZfEoGGCmV_hNjrPKh6aGKxZq3j1eQrkrflFCSYGehX1miGBFLgulgyOAuDR7u1GnFK5K/s400/ore.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.loreal.com/">L’Oréal</a> inaugurated today its new Research & Innovation Center to study African hair and skin specificities as well as the beauty routines and expectations of sub-Saharan consumers. The Research & Innovation Center in South Africa is the Group’s 7th R&I hub globally. It hosts product development, evaluation and advanced research teams and will employ scientists from the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, physiology, cosmetology and biochemistry.<br /><br />Alexandre Popoff, Executive Vice-President Eastern Europe and Africa, Middle East, said “Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest growing regions for L’Oréal. Our new research arm in South Africa will solidly enable us to continually create the beauty products of the future for our African consumers, while drawing inspiration from the diverse beauty rituals and the various needs of our consumers on the continent.”<br /><br />Laurent Attal, Executive Vice-President of Research and Innovation, said “By opening this new Research & Innovation Center, we are spearheading L'Oréal Research for the African continent. We are showing our determination to go further in innovations for the African beauty market. Our consumer surveys conducted since 2010 and our in-depth studies of skin and hair since early 2000, represent the knowledge base for the development of tailored products for African consumers. We are starting with hair and our ambitions are much broader and cover the body, hygiene, skin care and makeup categories.” <br /><br />Deep knowledge of African beauty<br /><br />The Research activity in South Africa started in 2003 with an Evaluation Center focused on consumer knowledge and product assessment. The mission of the brand new Research & Innovation Center is to translate beauty needs and hair and skin knowledge into innovative products ranging from hair care, hair color, relaxers and shapers to personal hygiene. Cutting edge instruments to visualize the skin surface, the spots or to measure hair breakage and rigorous protocols are used daily to assess the technical, functional and sensorial benefits of the products. The key areas will be skin evenness, sebum, acne, dryness, hair manageability, sensitive scalp and the fine tuning of fragrances.<br /><br />The new Research & Innovation Center will also cooperate with the African scientific ecosystem, universities, dermatologists, natural biodiversity centers as well as hairdressers.<br /><br />Innovating for the African consumer<br /><br />L’Oréal has already introduced key beauty innovations for African consumers. For example, the African Beauty Brands team has brought to the market the black oil technology for hair color, failsafe relaxers as well as skin evenness routines. In addition, customized products such as Hair Food and Makeup fully adapted to African skin tones are already offered to sub-Saharan consumers. <br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of L'Oréal Group. </span></div> </div>

L’Oréal Accelerates Product Development for Sub-Saharan Africa Thanks to New Research & Innovation Center

L’Oréal inaugurated today its new Research & Innovation Center to study African hair and skin specificities as well as the beauty r...

Read more »

Aquila's First Flight: a Big Milestone Toward Connecting Billions of People

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIU0pItkIHvpRKUpKzcexx63fDQzo5tPHjg7DdLCGu9GLKnNfOAvkRQAPKBJM3HgYDpxPBatct_uJHFxJ8XUVc8GCIJ8oIFJm3IjHVgjYi6dV1SdUcrOyBZfpWKYXSCTGHlbidQUsAskO/s1600/facb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIU0pItkIHvpRKUpKzcexx63fDQzo5tPHjg7DdLCGu9GLKnNfOAvkRQAPKBJM3HgYDpxPBatct_uJHFxJ8XUVc8GCIJ8oIFJm3IjHVgjYi6dV1SdUcrOyBZfpWKYXSCTGHlbidQUsAskO/s400/facb.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.newsroom.fb.com/">Facebook</a> is accelerating its efforts to bring internet connectivity to the four billion people around the world who are not yet online, with the goal of contributing to prosperity, progress and development around the globe. The company’s Connectivity Lab has reached a major milestone in this ambition with the first full-scale test flight of Aquila, an unmanned solar-powered airplane that can be used to bring affordable internet to hundreds of millions of people in the hardest-to-reach places.<br /><br />Internet access can offer life-changing opportunities, information, and experiences, but 1.6 billion people today live in remote locations with no access to mobile broadband networks. Facebook is building new technologies like Aquila to help address this challenge.<br /><br />When complete, Aquila will be able to circle a region up to 60 miles in diameter, beaming connectivity down from an altitude of more than 60,000 feet using laser communications and millimetre wave systems. Aquila is designed to fly for up to three months at a time.<br /><br />The aircraft has the wingspan of an airliner, but at cruising speed it will consume only 5,000 watts — the same amount as three hair dryers, or a high-end microwave. Facebook has flown a 1/5th-scale version of Aquila for several months, but this was the first flight of the full-scale aircraft.<br /><br />This test flight was designed to verify the operational models and overall aircraft design. To prove out the full capacity of the design, Facebook will push Aquila to the limits in a lengthy series of tests in the coming months and years. As encouraging as the first successful flight is, there is still plenty of work to be done.<br /><br />To reach the goal of being able to fly over a remote region and deliver connectivity for up to three months at time, Facebook will need to break the world record for solar-powered unmanned flight, which currently stands at two weeks. This will require significant advancements in science and engineering to achieve. It will also require Facebook to work closely with operators, governments, and other partners to deploy these aircraft in the regions where they'll be most effective.<br /><br />Facebook’s mission is to connect the world and with their growing team of aerospace, optical physics, RF communications and other world experts, and existing relationships with the technology community, telcos, governments, and communities that use Facebook, the company is uniquely positioned to do this work.<br /><br />To date, Facebook’s connectivity efforts, which include initiatives like Free Basics, are estimated to have brought more than 25 million people online who wouldn’t be otherwise. <br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of Facebook. </span></div> </div>

Aquila's First Flight: a Big Milestone Toward Connecting Billions of People

Facebook is accelerating its efforts to bring internet connectivity to the four billion people around the world who are not yet online, w...

Read more »

Staying the Course, Despite a Relative Economic Slow Down

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsptsS8desPZcIaGRxg6olDYBz3IP0pARne5aO6cCWa9cy9lKXKeIzY8qN3QSM408ATC4vckLX-WGI3okeGK3fh8PPWNNbjeM7hCAWd8Ech6Rma_2aNj5N6cql_dVwh48GL5OtGpS5Q9r/s1600/Build0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsptsS8desPZcIaGRxg6olDYBz3IP0pARne5aO6cCWa9cy9lKXKeIzY8qN3QSM408ATC4vckLX-WGI3okeGK3fh8PPWNNbjeM7hCAWd8Ech6Rma_2aNj5N6cql_dVwh48GL5OtGpS5Q9r/s400/Build0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">According to EY’s <a href="http://www.ey.com/">www.EY.com</a> 2016 Africa attractiveness program 2016, Staying the course, despite a relative slow down, Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the fastest growing regions in the world. This is reflected in the foreign direct investment (FDI) levels in 2015, where FDI project numbers increased by seven percent. Although, the capital value of projects was down year-on-year — from US$88.5b in 2014 to US$71.3b in 2015 — this was still higher than the 2010–2014 average of US$68b. Similarly, jobs created were down year-on-year, but, again ahead of the average for 2010–2014.<br /><br />Ajen Sita, Africa Chief Executive Officer at EY, comments, “Over the past year, global markets have experienced unprecedented volatility. We’ve witnessed the collapse of commodity prices and a number of currencies across Africa, and with reference to the two largest markets, starting with South Africa, we saw GDP growth decline sharply to below one percent and the country averting a credit ratings downgrade; in Nigeria, the slowdown in that economy was impacted further by the decline in the oil price and currency devaluation pressure.”<br /><br />Sita adds, “The reality is that economic growth across the region is likely to remain slower in coming years than it has been over the past 10 to 15 years, and the main reasons for a relative slowdown are not unique to Africa. In fact, Africa was one of the only two regions in the world in which there was growth in FDI project levels over the past year.”<br /><br />East Africa closes the FDI gap, with Kenya a big gainer<br /><br />In 2015, East Africa recorded its highest share of FDI across Africa, achieving 26.3% of total projects. Southern Africa remained the largest investment region on the continent, although projects were down 11.6% from 2014 levels. The West Africa region saw a rebound in FDI projects by 16.2%, and interestingly in 2015, the region became the leading recipient of capital investment on the continent, outpacing Southern Africa.<br /><br />North Africa experienced 8.5% year-on-year growth in FDI projects. Furthermore, while projects are increasing in North Africa, they are increasing at a much faster rate in Sub-Saharan Africa.<br /><br />Michael Lalor, EY’s Africa Business Center Leader, adds, “In a context of heightened concerns about economic and political risk across the continent, FDI flows remain robust, and in line with levels we have seen over the past five years. A key factor here is the structural shift in FDI — from a high concentration of source countries and destination markets and sectors, to a far more diverse FDI landscape. As a result, risks and opportunities are being spread much wider, and there is no longer an overdependence on a limited group of investors or sectors to drive FDI performance.”<br /><br />Historical investors gain strength, new investors emerge<br /><br />The US retained its position in 2015, as the largest investor in the continent, with 96 investment projects valued at US$6.9b. During 2015, traditional investors such as the UK and France, as well as the UAE and India, also showed renewed interest in Africa.<br /><br />Investors diversify focus across sectors<br /><br />Over the past decade, there has been a shift in sector focus in FDI from extractive to consumer-facing industries. Mining and metals, coal, oil and natural gas, which were previously the key sectors attracting major FDI flows, have given way to consumer products and retail (CPR), financial services and technology, media and telecommunications (TMT), accounting for 44.7% of FDI projects in 2015. In 2015, further evidence of sector diversification came through, with business services, automotive, cleantech and life sciences all rising in significance and becoming the likely “next wave” for investors.<br /><br />Striking a balance between growth, profitability and managing risk<br /><br />Sita concludes, “Given the growth potential in and relative underdevelopment of many African markets, the primary focus for many companies over the past few years has been on entering new markets, capturing market share and driving revenue growth. A combination of factors — including tightening economic conditions, increasingly well-informed consumers and citizens, intensifying competition, a heightened sense of global geopolitical uncertainty, and shifting priorities from global or regional HQ — is now driving a change in focus toward striking a greater balance between growth, profitability and risk management.”<br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of EY. </span></div> </div>

Staying the Course, Despite a Relative Economic Slow Down

According to EY’s www.EY.com 2016 Africa attractiveness program 2016, Staying the course, despite a relative slow down, Sub-Saharan Afr...

Read more »

Eko Atlantic City Completes Eko Boulevard, Nigeria’s First 8 Lane City Road

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXN4AC0mBx_yVxpiZA1F2F8aaS254bdhNINja4d_KPKcux7Y-W1gujVeez0XZQ1btv5IHFN9HS5tKabwvQS9u1I0R4acOAJ9ZKc8doFv7Cw0xyX2thPPNsXhED1aq9rgf7I7KPhwBW15G/s1600/oka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXN4AC0mBx_yVxpiZA1F2F8aaS254bdhNINja4d_KPKcux7Y-W1gujVeez0XZQ1btv5IHFN9HS5tKabwvQS9u1I0R4acOAJ9ZKc8doFv7Cw0xyX2thPPNsXhED1aq9rgf7I7KPhwBW15G/s400/oka.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Eko </span><a href="http://www.ekoatlantic.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">Atlantic</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> City , a unique, innovative development, in a vibrant environment with 21st Century facilities on the coast of Lagos has reached advanced stagesin the first 5 million sq. metres of the project. The city notonly boasts of independent power and water supply,seamless communications network but also anextensive citywide road network. This will be the first of its kind in Lagos and Nigeria.<br /><br />The city, which is divided into 8 districts, is planned for mixed-use with commercial, residential, entertainment and leisure activities to make the city a 24/7 lively environment. City amenities and services will include an international school, hospital, and a high qualityshopping mall, the largest in sub Saharan Africa.<br /><br />The city’s road design and construction has been built according to world’s best practiceswith beautifully paved sidewalks,tree-lined and streetlights completed with a stunning ocean view. One of the considerations when developing the Eko Atlanticcity was to guarantee free flowing traffic. This has now been achieved with the major road network recently completed. The extensive road networks now clearly defined with an area in excess of 200,000 sq. metres. Most significantly Eko Boulevard, an 8 lane Boulevard, 1500M long ( similar to the 5th Avenue in New York) the focal point of the Business District is fully completed from Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island to the Ocean Front, where an exquisite waterfront entertainment is being planned.<br /><br />“We are extremely proud to have achieved another major milestone in the development of Eko Atlantic City. This futuristic city is not just for residential and commercial activities but a tourist attraction. We strongly believe the new boulevard will enhance business activities and be the ideal location for company headquarters, luxury and business hotels and also residential elements as well as attracting tourists from all over Africa,” says Ronald Chagoury Jr.<br /><br />In addition, the city’sinfrastructure network makes it the most technically advanced city inNigeria. It comes with a fullyintegrated autonomous and reliable infrastructurenetworks with all its undergroundservice pipes installed under the extensive paved sidewalks( such as the storm-water drains, sewer drains, water supply piping, power cables and IT network ).<br /><br />In 2006 South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of The Chagoury Group was awarded the concession to reclaim land, develop infrastructure and act as the exclusive authority over the development of Eko Atlantic city, next to Victoria Island in Lagos. Furthermore, South Energyx Nigeria Limited was specifically created to oversee the planning and development of Eko Atlantic, the new city of Lagos.<br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of Eko Atlantic. </span></div> </div>

Eko Atlantic City Completes Eko Boulevard, Nigeria’s First 8 Lane City Road

Eko Atlantic City , a unique, innovative development, in a vibrant environment with 21st Century facilities on the coast of Lagos has r...

Read more »

Digital transformation in education key to stirring growth in East Africa, upskilling youth and employment

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZZ5tfNjpSQsB8bJJtZ2HCaaQWRe6aVarxoeDo37LDQoTzhzDtY6yqaam4Iyzg5lv7vgT0tQ6pUhvUbKJ4ywUT_yGrSQTKEsubvXVFefu94GAJmQx_q7PDvKCsbe9-riIaiEbtp5FxAnO/s1600/kontena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZZ5tfNjpSQsB8bJJtZ2HCaaQWRe6aVarxoeDo37LDQoTzhzDtY6yqaam4Iyzg5lv7vgT0tQ6pUhvUbKJ4ywUT_yGrSQTKEsubvXVFefu94GAJmQx_q7PDvKCsbe9-riIaiEbtp5FxAnO/s400/kontena.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">There's an ongoing discussion about development in East Africa and a new narrative have emerged in recent years that it is a lot more exciting. It is a story of resilience, self-reliance and a passion for growth facilitated largely by technology.<br /><br />It is therefore encouraging to see trade investments being committed by South Korea and its East African counterparts, as it will allow more people to access technology and address the issues of skills and employment. Case in point is the signing of a bilateral deal to set up a key science and technology institute in Kenya for a tune of 10 billion Kenyan Shillings which could prove to be an important accelarator of growth.<br /><br />But the issue of education, skills and employment are not for the public sector alone. It is against this backdrop that Samsung Electronics Africa have adopted an attitude of innovation; introducing world-class technology where it previously hasn't existed. <br /><br />Our aim is to make sure that every African child have access to education no matter where they are - be it in a rural area lacking infrastructure or perhaps in an existing infrastrastructure but lacks educational resources - by providing access to technology.<br /><br />Samsung sees education as the seed of innovation and we believe digital technology can completely transform the learning process, as well as the nature of teaching and learning, to create inclusive environments for everyone. <br /><br />Our Solar Powered Internet Schools, Smart Schools and E-Learning Centres provide <br /><img border="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" /> <br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" /> <br /><br />solutions that deliver on this vision, and improve the quality of learning, enhance teaching effectiveness and allow administrators to run institutions more effectively. We work with educators around the world to improve learning experiences through the use of technology, facilitating a classroom environment that gives students access to a world of knowledge.<br /><br /><br />Through these initiatives, Samsung hopes to instill a love of learning in students so that they may have equal access to opportunities and go on to become active participants in the economy. <br /><br /><br /><br />For example, the Samsung Electronics Engineering Academy provides extensive, hands-on training to learners in the technical field. The programme forms a core part of Samsung's vision to fast-track the entry of African youths into the electronics job market and to reduce the shortage of scarce skills in the IT industry.<br /><br />We see our efforts - along with those of our government and NPO partners - as an ecosystem. Samsung's aim is to increase the number of learners accessing technology, an aspect vital to their education process. This in turn allows learners to learn apt skills which will prepare them for the workplace of the future and acquiring in-demand skills is a critical step not only for individual, but also for social and economic development and the upliftment of the continent.<br /><br />Africa has a beautiful story to tell. And a responsible corporate citizen, Samsung is committed to help write this story through the innovation, expertise and technology we provide. <br /><br />And from were we sit, the story is made up of various episodes of digital innovation, hope and truimph that will soon be seen and heard around the globe. <br /><br />Abey Tau is the Public Affairs and Corporate Citizenship Manager for Samsung Electronics Africa. With over 10 years' experience in the local and global development arena, Abey was a South African finalist in the 2014 Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) / Mandela Washington Fellow and was selected by the National Empowerment Fund as one of 56 young junior managers for a secondment in Paris in 2011. He continues to sit on the Board of AIESEC at Monash University.<br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Samsung Electronics Africa.</span></div> </div>

Digital transformation in education key to stirring growth in East Africa, upskilling youth and employment

There's an ongoing discussion about development in East Africa and a new narrative have emerged in recent years that it is a lot mor...

Read more »

AFC concludes debut CHF bond issue

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_lFXayBnZMvUXVHee_bnBM8f4-eY0Z6Sj2wZd7lsUB-77ApZ9WkeuTJm2fAL9B9QJ41rIux0MUd0F9XsvpBPQrrd9HqhUEU7q4VO5Qtk7DKtNWS-V_NEhbt3PljHSAEXLYpA5qYCyd4B/s1600/french.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_lFXayBnZMvUXVHee_bnBM8f4-eY0Z6Sj2wZd7lsUB-77ApZ9WkeuTJm2fAL9B9QJ41rIux0MUd0F9XsvpBPQrrd9HqhUEU7q4VO5Qtk7DKtNWS-V_NEhbt3PljHSAEXLYpA5qYCyd4B/s400/french.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Africa Finance Corporation ('AFC'), a leading pan-African multilateral development finance institution and project developer, has issued its debut senior unsecured Swiss Franc (CHF) denominated bond, raising CHF 100 million with a tenor of 3 years and 150 days. The bond which pays an annual coupon of 0.85% has a settlement date of 27 July 2016 and maturity date of 27 December 2019. <br /><br />UBS Investment Bank and Deutsche Bank AG London Branch, acting through Deutsche Bank AG Zurich Branch were Joint Lead Managers on the transaction while J.P. Morgan Securities plc and MUFG Securities EMEA plc were Hedging Banks.<br /><br />The bond was issued following a non-deal roadshow in Geneva and Zurich held in June 2016. The bond issuance enables AFC to further diversify its funding sources and will provide additional long-term liquidity to support the Corporation's investment activities. The proceeds of this bond issue will be used to fund vital infrastructure projects across the African continent.<br /><br />Andrew Alli, President & CEO of AFC, said: <br /><br />"Through our experience as both a financier and project developer, AFC has over the years demonstrated its ability to deliver essential infrastructure projects in Africa that will help grow African economies. We are very proud to issue our debut CHF bond as this enables us to tap a new and very important investor base as we diversify our funding sources. AFC continues to promote the real opportunities in African infrastructure around the world. <br /><br />"At a time of heightened international volatility, AFC continues to provide opportunities to invest in African infrastructure to investors around the world. The successful issuance of this bond demonstrates continued investor confidence in AFC and our ability to deliver for our investors and for African economies."<br /><br />Ade Adebajo, Executive Director at UBS in London further commented: <br /><br />"We are very pleased to help AFC establish this debut CHF bond issue. We view this transaction as a further step in AFC's strategy, to diversify its funding base across multiple currencies and investors, from time to time."<br /><br />Henrik Johnsson, MD and Head of EMEA Debt Syndicate at Deutsche Bank, added: "we believe that AFC's bold and successful entry into the CHF market will pave the way for other new market entrants as investors continue to diversify their holdings".<br /><br />To date the Corporation has invested US$3.2 billion in projects across 25 African countries and in a wide range of sectors including power, telecommunications, transport and logistics, natural resources, and heavy industries.<br /><br />In June 2016, the AFC was awarded an A3/P-2 , investment grade credit rating with a stable outlook by international ratings agency Moody's for a third consecutive year.<br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency on behalf of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).</span></div> </div>

AFC concludes debut CHF bond issue

Africa Finance Corporation ('AFC'), a leading pan-African multilateral development finance institution and project developer, ha...

Read more »

World must work together to ensure Africa's young can seize their potential and thrive, says Bill Gates

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXs9wMTf0ZWn8EfVxLl6zaDpztGx0q1SvJM9cGDPOxXcZ8yP5o6m7DqFE3z0Bu5HC7sC3pkVPtOf0qUPJMexXWUxmwS-bbjD03whGZUayB7JWnQVRcPNyQBau8hdly3LfckRtBpZlZA5gs/s1600/world2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXs9wMTf0ZWn8EfVxLl6zaDpztGx0q1SvJM9cGDPOxXcZ8yP5o6m7DqFE3z0Bu5HC7sC3pkVPtOf0qUPJMexXWUxmwS-bbjD03whGZUayB7JWnQVRcPNyQBau8hdly3LfckRtBpZlZA5gs/s400/world2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Africa's future rests in the hands of its youth - and every effort must be made to ensure they thrive, philanthropist and entrepreneur Bill Gates said in South Africa today (EDITORS: SUNDAY, 17 July 2016). <br /><br />Delivering the 2016 Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture at the University of Pretoria (Mamelodi campus), Gates said he was optimistic about the future of the continent - because of its young people. <br /><br />Pointing out that Africa was demographically the world's youngest continent - in the next 35 years, it is estimated that 2-billion babies will be born in Africa and by 2050, 40% of the world's children will live in Africa - Gates said he believed Africa's youth "can be the source of a special dynamism". <br /><br />"Economists talk about the demographic dividend. When you have more people of working age, and fewer dependents for them to take care of, you can generate phenomenal economic growth. Rapid economic growth in East Asia in the 1970s and 1980s was partly driven by the large number of young people moving into their work force. <br /><br />"But for me, the most important thing about young people is the way their minds work. Young people are better than old people at driving innovation, because they are not locked in by the limits of the past. The real returns will come if we can multiply this talent for innovation by the whole of Africa's growing youth population," he said. <br /><br />Gates used the platform of the 14th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture - the Nelson Mandela Foundation's flagship programme to honour its founder, Nelson Mandela, and to raise topical issues affecting South Africa, Africa and the rest of the world - to lay out his vision of how to create a better world. The theme of his speech was "Living Together". <br /><br />Gates said he had admired Mandela, whom he had met on many occasions. He said that "one topic that Nelson Mandela came back to over and over again was the power of youth". <br /><br />"He knew what he was talking about, because he started his career as a member of the African National Congress Youth League when he was still in his twenties. Later on, he understood that highlighting the oppression of young people was a powerful way to explain why things must change. There is a universal appeal to the conviction that youth deserve a chance. I agree with Mandela about young people, and that is one reason I am optimistic about the future of this continent," said Gates. <br /><br />But to exploit Africa's potential, its young people needed to be given "every opportunity to thrive". <br /><br />"We are the human beings who must take action, and we have to decide now, because this unique moment won't last forever. We must clear away the obstacles that are standing in young people's way so they can seize all of their potential," he said. <br /><br />Added Gates: "If young people are sick and malnourished, their bodies and their brains will never fully develop. If they are not educated well, their minds will lie dormant. If they do not have access to economic opportunities, they will not be able to achieve their goals. <br /><br />"But if we invest in the right things - if we make sure the basic needs of Africa's young people are taken care of - then they will have the physical, cognitive, and emotional resources they need to change the future. Life on this continent will improve faster than it ever has. And the inequities that have kept people apart will be erased by broad-based progress that is the very meaning of the words: "living together." <br /><br />The co-founder of software giant, Microsoft, said issues that needed to be tackled to ensure Africa's youth thrived were: <br />● Health and nutrition; <br />● Education; <br />● Productivity and economic opportunity; and <br />● Governance <br /><br />He said health and nutrition were a top priority because "when people aren't healthy, they can't turn their attention to other priorities. But when health improves, life improves by every measure". <br /><br />Next was education without which children cannot develop the knowledge and skills to become "productive contributors to society", said Gates. <br /><br />Then, Africa's youth needed to have the "economic opportunities to channel their energy and their ideas into progress". <br /><br />But Gates said good governance was vital to ensure that this happens - and he urged governments to play their part. <br /><br />"All of these things - advances in health, in education, in agricultural productivity, in energy - won't happen on their own. They can only happen in the context of governments that function well enough to enable them," he said. <br /><br />Gates concluded his lecture by insisting he believed that Africa could achieve the future it aspired to. <br /><br />He said Africa's young "believe in themselves, and they believe in their countries and the future of the continent". <br /><br />"The priority now is to make sure they have the opportunity to turn those beliefs into action. Because young people with this sense of purpose can make the difference between stagnation and more and faster progress. Nelson Mandela said, 'Young people are capable, when aroused, of bringing down the towers of oppression and raising the banners of freedom.' But our duty is not merely to arouse; our duty is to invest in young people, to put in place the basic building blocks so that they can build the future. And our duty is to do it now, because the innovations of tomorrow depend on the opportunities available to children today." <br /><br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.</span></div> </div>

World must work together to ensure Africa's young can seize their potential and thrive, says Bill Gates

Africa's future rests in the hands of its youth - and every effort must be made to ensure they thrive, philanthropist and entreprene...

Read more »

Setting the example for Digital Transformation

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLea4mkS2e7ElUTvLbGNPnVx-SoRpDtlAjGZa8ALlBdpeBsPwcpGNgBXM3iSjZCEpZ9pTzdTYZXOrKml5REnL_5s7wuC8QXel9Lx8HQ99mPDoTKYHh_kyrsJNwi0ZigsZAVVXnoHM-s5x9/s1600/Sap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLea4mkS2e7ElUTvLbGNPnVx-SoRpDtlAjGZa8ALlBdpeBsPwcpGNgBXM3iSjZCEpZ9pTzdTYZXOrKml5REnL_5s7wuC8QXel9Lx8HQ99mPDoTKYHh_kyrsJNwi0ZigsZAVVXnoHM-s5x9/s400/Sap.jpg" width="257" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Digital Transformation is both the challenge and opportunity of our generation. The rise of computers is creating the most seismic shift in society since the Industrial Revolution over a century ago. Data is increasingly the currency by which future success - and the decisions to reach that success - is funded.<br /><br />No part of the world is exempt from this. Rather, any region that ignores the eventuality of digital transformation is fated to a disappointing future, left dependent on others for its wellbeing. This is the time for rising economies to shine. Whereas many developed nations have invested heavily on preceding technologies, countries in regions such as Africa, South America and Southeast Asia are able to leapfrog ahead and take advantage of this new era.<br /><br />East Africa is often named as a region that appreciates the situation at hand. According to Ashley Boag, Acting Managing Director of SAP East Africa, countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania have a solid grasp on the principles of digital transformation.<br /><br />"There is definite recognition that technology and African innovation need to be a big factor and focus. Governments and companies know they have to invest in innovation if they want to continue their growth paths and even leapfrog others. More and more companies around East Africa are asking what we see as the key threads in technologies such as big data and the Internet of Things. They are already wrapping their heads around it and they understand that to stay competitive, they have to make significant investments in the future."<br /><br />Boag cited a few examples, such as Kenya's innovation hubs including iHub and Rwanda's aggressive broadband expansion. Regional ambitions stretch as far as potential drone airports, though more immediate challenges are not being ignored. There has been growing momentum across the spectrum of sectors: utilities, healthcare, financial services and agriculture are all experiencing technology investment led by leaders who understand they are aiming for more than just efficiency and savings. They are building the region's future.<br /><br />"There is a renewed sense of cooperation and positivity in East Africa - quite a positive view and outlook going forward. It's moderated, but it is a general positive sentiment. When I was at the World Economic Forum on Africa, held in Rwanda recently, that sentiment came through multilaterally."<br /><br />There is a lot of agreement that East Africa is in a relatively good space now, bolstered by more cooperation between the various countries. This feeds back into the forward-thinking investments in technology, a culture of advancement that SAP plays an active role in. SAP has made great strides in supporting governments, companies and individuals toward the benefits of digital transformation. For SAP in East Africa, it's business as usual: to help drive the region's digital agenda.<br /><br />"We are seeing the companies are asking the right questions. Many have skipped the efficiency, cost-saving level of thinking. Instead they wonder about what the relevant large trends coming to their industry and how they can engage with these to be relevant in the long term. It's a complex conversation, but there is a willingness to listen and a realisation that they have to come up with their own innovations. SAP may provide the platforms, but it is the ideas of governments, private companies and individuals being put to the test."<br /><br />Digital transformation poses a challenge across the globe. No region, country or company will be left unshaken by its impact. Those who see its potential and grab it by the horns are destined to come out on top. If East Africa continues on this course it has laid out, one day everyone else will look to its example on how to win in the 21st century.<br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of SAP Africa.</span></div> </div>

Setting the example for Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation is both the challenge and opportunity of our generation. The rise of computers is creating the most seismic shift i...

Read more »

SAP's Alexander Meyer set to talk about technology and sustainability at UN forum

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEe5HjaRsLLv48EQBmbIgsSZaW_0pk-r3ICz_gFhtwTpYEiprMQS_f4t4ZaA_vj04FhhRy0722oI8wghQnDgbWKu5YUU-JEN1tBlDZh6h9D0oDmSEXzt0VzvgeAdpVnllhn1DwwR9csOh/s1600/Role.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEe5HjaRsLLv48EQBmbIgsSZaW_0pk-r3ICz_gFhtwTpYEiprMQS_f4t4ZaA_vj04FhhRy0722oI8wghQnDgbWKu5YUU-JEN1tBlDZh6h9D0oDmSEXzt0VzvgeAdpVnllhn1DwwR9csOh/s400/Role.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Sustainability is a worldwide challenge. The growth of populations and industries, combined with the reduction of poverty and improvements in service delivery, is creating a broad positive effect across the globe.<br /><br />Yet industrialisation and populations are also placing greater pressure on societies. The principles of sustainability have to be foundational to progress or the world faces certain disaster. To help reach this goal, last year members of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a plan of action to promote prosperity and peace through the principles of sustainability.<br /><br />The 17 point plan and its 169 targets builds on the Millennium Development Goals and addresses areas where the MDG fell short. Over the next fourteen years the plan aims to promote the best for people, the planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. Technology has a massive role to play in helping countries and regions accomplish these sustainable development goals.<br /><br />From July 17 to 21, 2016, the UN will host the World Investment Forum to mull the progress of this agenda and the next steps to be taken. Alexander Meyer, Vice President - Global Business Development at SAP, will present his views at the Forum's Global Leaders Summit to be opened by the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta. He will also serve on several panels at the forum.<br /><br />In his commentary Meyer will look at the role of the private sector as well as technology in meeting the objectives of the agenda. "It is clear that the private sector must play a role in order for the SDG's to succeed. This is a responsibility that SAP has assumed wholeheartedly long before the goals were formalized," said Meyer.<br /><br />Topics under Meyer's spotlight will include how technology - notably big data, cloud, connectivity, digitization and supercomputing - can positively impact food supply, emissions control, sustainable cities, healthcare and more. "So many of the sustainability challenges we face today are exacerbated by a lack of information, knowledge, or access. But these limitations are exactly the ones being addressed by today's innovations in computing technology." He will help breed understanding around how modern technology platforms such as those orchestrated by SAP are critical in enabling the processes that drive sustainability and innovation.<br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of SAP Africa.</span></div> </div>

SAP's Alexander Meyer set to talk about technology and sustainability at UN forum

Sustainability is a worldwide challenge. The growth of populations and industries, combined with the reduction of poverty and improvements...

Read more »

Healthymagination Mother and Child Programme Welcomes its First Group of Social Entrepreneurs Addressing Maternal & Child Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61Mo9RnWsBo0VEMoGXwENPkGVqriBsvKJ7qRQ_m6VBr74wlZqxhSdBDQ5JY8XEG3tMmMX-Ct3_m5hTIBfu8RkKG8_mYnzHpH6wkgGCCV2d_tYyd6ols-RL-YEzW79UK6x7KQZvHpQbfsx/s1600/kenya.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61Mo9RnWsBo0VEMoGXwENPkGVqriBsvKJ7qRQ_m6VBr74wlZqxhSdBDQ5JY8XEG3tMmMX-Ct3_m5hTIBfu8RkKG8_mYnzHpH6wkgGCCV2d_tYyd6ols-RL-YEzW79UK6x7KQZvHpQbfsx/s400/kenya.png" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The healthymagination Mother and Child Programme — </span><a href="http://www.ge.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">launched</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> in March 2016 by GE and Santa Clara University’s </span><a href="http://www.scu.edu/MillerCenter"><span style="font-size: large;">Miller </span></a><span style="font-size: large;">Center for Social Entrepreneurship to address maternal and child mortality by supporting African social entrepreneurs operating in the health sector — has taken the first big step toward achieving its objective: selecting the first group of social enterprises that will receive training and mentoring.<br /><br />After a rigorous evaluation process, 17 social entrepreneurs from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia were selected to be in the programme’s first cohort and are currently attending a three-day, in-person workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. This kick-off event packs core business lessons into a powerful three-day event facilitated by senior-level Miller Center mentors and GE business leaders. It is designed to help the social entrepreneurs acquire business fundamentals, improve their strategic thought processes, and articulate a business plan that demonstrates impact, growth and long-term financial sustainability.<br /><br />“Social innovations and entrepreneurs in the health sector have in recent years yielded sustainable solutions to some of the world’s biggest health challenges,” said Jay Ireland, GE Africa president and CEO. “It is for this reason that the healthymagination Mother and Child programme is focusing on training and mentoring social entrepreneurs working on increasing the quality, access and affordability of maternal and child health in sub-Saharan Africa, thereby enabling more women and children to experience better health.”<br /><br />Thane Kreiner, Ph.D., executive director, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship said, “Despite major gains made globally in maternal and child mortality, the levels in sub-Saharan Africa remain unacceptably high. This GE and Miller Center collaboration takes an innovative and highly practical approach to combatting this challenge, by providing African social entrepreneurs with the skills and resources they need to expand the positive impact of their interventions.”<br /><br />“We are excited to work with our first cohort of social entrepreneurs to improve mother and child care in Sub-Saharan Africa. This program builds on GE’s strong track record in bringing innovation to emerging markets while increasing positive health outcomes,” said Robert Wells, executive director of strategy for GE’s healthymagination commitment.<br /><br />The initial workshop will be followed by a six-month, online accelerator programme, where mentorship will be provided by high-profile Silicon Valley-based executives who have themselves undergone mentorship training by Miller Center. This accelerator and mentorship programme will culminate in a “Premier Pitch” event in Africa where the 17 participants will present their respective enterprises to an audience of potential investors. <br /><br />This training and mentoring that blends Silicon Valley entrepreneurial principles with venture impact investing utilizes Miller Center’s Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI®) methodology, which has been proven and refined through 12 years of working with more than 570 social enterprises worldwide. Participants will also be introduced to GE’s portfolio of products; hence they will gain specialized support and training on technologies and resources for the maternal and child health sector.<br /><br />In alphabetical order, here are the social enterprises selected for the healthymagination Mother & Child programme—along with the countries in which they operate and the social entrepreneurs leading them: Access Afya (Kenya; Dr. Daphne Ngunjiri); ayzh, (Kenya; Habib Anwar and Zubaida Bai); Health-E-Net (Kenya; Pratap Kumar); Hewa Tele (Kenya; Steve Alred Adudans); LifeNet International (Uganda, Burundi and DRC; Stefanie Weiland); Live Well Social Enterprise Business (Zambia; Charles Kalonga); Lwala Community Alliance (Kenya; Julius Mbeya and Ash Lauren Rogers); Nurture Africa (Uganda; Brian Iredale); Outreach Medical Services (Nigeria; Dr. Segun Ebitanmi); Peach Health (Ghana; Cobby Amoah); PurpleSource Healthcare (Nigeria; Olufemi Sunmonu); SaferMom (Nigeria; Adeloye Olanrewaju); Telemed Medical Services (Ethiopia; Yohans Emiru); The Shanti Uganda Society (Uganda; Natalie Angell-Besseling); Tulivu Imaging (Kenya; Matthew Rehrig); and Village Hopecore International (Kenya; Anne Gildea). <br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of GE. </span></div> </div>

Healthymagination Mother and Child Programme Welcomes its First Group of Social Entrepreneurs Addressing Maternal & Child Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

The healthymagination Mother and Child Programme — launched in March 2016 by GE and Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for Soc...

Read more »