Rwandan woman scoops Goldman Sachs Award

American investment banking and securities firm, Goldman Sachs, has rewarded Euphrasie Mukanyarwaya for her outstanding entrepreneurial skills which have seen her life and the wellbeing of her family transform remarkably. The 50-year old who received her award in Washington DC last week, makes necklaces from beads and weaves baskets.

After being enrolled in Women for Women Rwanda, an international humanitarian organisation in 2006, Mukanyarwaya got the opportunity to undergo the Goldman Sachs ‘10,000 women’ training programme which is run in conjunction with the School of Finance and Banking (SFB). ‘10,000 Women’ is a five-year, global initiative aimed at driving economic growth and opportunity by providing 10,000 underserved women with a business and management education around the globe. Since its launch in March 2008, 10,000 Women has become active in 22 countries including Afghanistan, Brazil, China, Egypt, India and the United States.  It is from this training that Mukanyarwaya obtained the skills to exp
and and manage her small business which later became an award winning enterprise.

Media cautioned against inciting violence

Media practitioners have been urged to always be mindful of information they disseminate as it can be destructive.The call was made by Milo Rau, the scriptwriter and director of Hate Radio during performances depicting the negative efforts of the infamous Radio-Télévision Libre des Mille Collines, (RTLM) that fuelled the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Rau noted that the programme was aimed at demonstrating the power of the media in society and how it played a role in inciting violence during the Genocide. On whether the films would evoke bad memories to survivours, Rau said the case of legitimacy was not simple to achieve in a situation where one million people lost their lives.The project is run in partnership with the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, IBUKA, and the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide, CNLG.

Kagame, N’Guesso call for a united Africa

President Paul Kagame and his counterpart from the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou N’Guesso have observed that Africa needs to adopt a collaborative approach to overcome the various challenges the continent faces, including the effects of financial crises. The Heads of State made the remarks during a state banquet held in honour of N’Guesso and his entourage, Tuesday evening. President Kagame said he believes in a vision of a politically strong and independent, peaceful, and secure Africa in which all citizens live in dignity and enjoy prosperity. Kagame emphasized that an African voice is stronger, and the continent’s interests are better articulated when countries and leaders, with a shared worldview, work together.

Amb. Rice hails healthcare system

The United States Permanent Representative at the UN, Ambassador Susan E. Rice has commended Rwanda for the great strides it has made in the promotion of the health sector. Rice made the remarks, on Wednesday, while addressing healthcare providers during her tour of Masaka Health Centre in Kicukiro District as part of her four-day visit in the country. Rice was in the country to review its situation, 17 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. She hailed the healthcare providers at Masaka for their dedication and commitment towards providing quality service to the patients. Rice toured the health centre’s lab and interacted with patients before being briefed by the hospital staff about the prenatal services offered.

Kibuye hospital trio denied bail

Three detained staff members of Kibuye Hospital were mid this week formally charged with embezzlement of Rwf24 million belonging to the facility and breaching procurement laws. Innocent Sevumba, Dominique Xavier Nzanana and Leandre Ntigurirwa, appeared before Bwishyura Primary Court but they all denied the charges. They sought bail that was turned down by presiding judge, Samuel Murenzi. Ntigurirwa, the hospital’s Environmental Health Officer, argued that his office is not answerable to the audit report, a claim that the judge turned down. They were arrested following an audit report conducted by district authorities between 2008 and 2010, which showed extra expenditures without supporting documents, especially in fuel, transport and meeting costs. Prosecution led by Venuste Minani requested for more time.

Hollywood star dedicates award to Gisimba brothers

Famous English movie actor, Clive Owen, has dedicated his UNESCO award to two Rwandan brothers who played a role in saving people during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Owen, who is also a Goodwill Ambassador for Aegis Trust, dedicated the prestigious award to Jean-Francois Gisimba and Damas Gisimba, who also run an orphanage in Nyamirambo, a Kigali suburb. During the 20th UNESCO Charity Gala in Dusseldorf, Germany, Owen was presented with the UNESCO award ‘Pyramide con Marni’ in recognition of his humanitarian work. Immediately after receiving the award, Owen, handed it to Jean-Francois Gisimba, recognising him and his brother Damas, for their efforts in saving people during the Genocide. Reports indicate that at the peak of the Genocide, the Gisimba brothers saved the lives of over 400 men, women and children who had taken refuge at the orphanage they still run in Nyamirambo.

Over two million undergo voluntary testing for HIV/AIDS annually-RBC

The Coordinator of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) care and treatment at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, on Thursday disclosed that, on average, more than two million people in Rwanda go for HIV testing every year. In an interview with The New Times, Nsanzimana said that a number of strategies are being implemented to ensure that more people test to find out their HIV status. He said that Community Health Workers (CHW’s) spread across the country play a crucial role in creating awareness about HIV /AIDS and encouraging people to go for testing. "CHW’s are sensitising people about the scourge. We are also facilitating people to test for HIV/AIDS; services that are offered free of charge,” Nsanzimana said. According to the official, most of the population is aware of the disease, how to prevent transmission and what to do once infected.

PM calls for improved services at King Faisal

Prime Minister, Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, has appealed to King Faisal Hospital Kigali (KFH-K) to strive for excellence in service delivery to meet its ambitious quest of becoming a national and regional referral facility.The Prime Minister toured the hospital late this week to get a first-hand account of the operations of the hospital and collectively draw measures of ensuring that it meets its mission. According to the Premier, the first mission expected of the staff is delivery of high quality services, not only to Rwandans, but to the entire region, which he said, must be motivated by the kind of medical care offered at the hospital.

Ends