GEM Sites Bi-Weekly Updates

                                                 August 15th - August 23rd 2024

RWANDA

Ex-Namibia First Lady appointed Chancellor at Kepler College

The former Namibian First Lady, Monica Geingos, will assume her new responsibilities as the Chancellor at the Kigal-based Kepler College, the college management announced on Monday, August 19. Geingos, who began her term on July 29, is also the first appointed Chancellor at the College, where she joins Prof. Baylie Damtie Yeshita, the Vice-Chancellor, and Ambassador Charles Murigande as the Chairperson of the College’s Governance Council. A lawyer by profession, Geingos, 47, has made significant contributions to both the private and public sectors, particularly in her home country Namibia, and beyond. “We are pleased to welcome (H.E.) Monica Geingos as our first Chancellor. Her vast experience and leadership in support of young people make her the right person to lead our institution,” said Murigande, Chairman of Kepler College’s Governance Council.

Kagame meets Rwandan students who won gold medal in math competition
President Paul Kagame on Thursday, August 22, hosted a team of Rwandan secondary school students who won a gold medal in the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO), which concluded on Tuesday in Johannesburg, South Africa.It was Rwanda's first-ever gold medal in the continental competition, which is organized by the African Mathematics Union. The gold medal was awarded to Denys Prince Tuyisenge, one of six students on the Rwandan team.The team, trained by the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Rwanda, also secured a silver medal, three bronze medals, and several PAMO Girls Bronze Medals. “We are deeply honored that the President welcomed the students who won medals at PAMO,” said Education Minister Gaspard Twagirayezu, who accompanied the students to Village Urugwiro.

LEBANON

Why does Lebanon have no electricity? Lebanon left much of its population without state electricity last weekend after shutting down its power plants due to a lack of fuel. The resulting power cut affected crucial infrastructure including ports, the airport, prisons, sewerage systems and water pumps. The National revealed on Tuesday that the delay in fuel deliveries was due to Lebanon's attempt to renegotiate its mounting debt to Iraq – which stands at about $1.6 billion over three years, according to calculations based on official figures. Lebanon, which has been suffering from a severe economic crisis since 2019 and has few natural resources, cannot afford to pay Iraq for its fuel delivery. It “doesn’t have the money to pay even a dollar”, an Iraqi senior official told The National.

Escalating Israeli attacks on Lebanon kill nine Nine people were killed in a series of Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon and the northeastern Bekaa Valley, marking a new escalation as ceasefire talks for Gaza, closely linked to a truce with the powerful Hezbollah group, continue to stall. Two Syrian nationals were killed in air strikes on the villages of Al Wazzani and Khiam in the Nabatieh Governorate, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, and one Lebanese national was killed overnight in strikes in the Baalbek district in Bekaa where 20 people were injured. The Lebanese group Hezbollah announced the death of five of its fighters following Israel’s attacks.

KENYA

Teachers to receive pay rise as State releases Sh13b salary deal The government has released Sh13 billion to fully implement the second phase of teachers' pay deal. Calculations by The Standard reveals that teachers will get an increment of up to Sh2, 570 for the least paid, to Sh393 for the highest earners.

This means that the new salaries of the lowest paid teachers will range between a minimum of Sh23, 830 to a maximum of Sh29, 787. The new salary scales for highest paid teacher will range from a minimum of Sh131,389 and a maximum of Sh162,539. In addition, teachers will also benefit from four allowances: commuter, house, leave and hardship. The allowances will range from Sh3,850 to a maximum of Sh50,000. Specifically, commuter allowance will range between Sh4,000 to Sh16,000. Those who will get housing allowance will be paid Sh3,850 and Sh50,000. While leave allowance has been put between Sh4,000 and Sh10,000.

Kenya and German governments partner to boost education
The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Mr. Julius Migos Ogamba has expressed gratitude to the Germany government for supporting education, training and research in Kenya. Mr. Ogamba said the support has created an environment for cultural exchange, technology and skills transfer.
Present at the event were the Principal Secretary (PS) for Basic Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang, Principal Secretary for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Dr. Esther Muoria and Director for Higher Education, Mr. Darius Ogutu. In his remarks, Dr. Kipsang said currently a total of 10,000 students were being taught the German language in over 130 secondary schools. “High School exchange programmes between schools in Kenya and Germany offered students quality immersion and educational programs to improve and practice language skills and enjoy German culture and landscape,” said the PS.

SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa, patriarchal law cuts some women off from owning their home For more than a decade, Johanna Motlhamme has been fighting to get her family home back after it was sold from under her, leaving her and her four children without their rightful inheritance. The 74-year-old’s plight is one that has its roots in the racist laws that prevented Black people from owning land in apartheid South Africa, housing activists have said – a plight inadvertently worsened at the start of democracy when legislation seeking to repair the racial injustices created gender barriers instead. “Thirty years after the end of apartheid, hundreds of thousands of Black families living in South Africa’s urban townships are facing the same tenure insecurity and the threat of homelessness as they fiercely contest the ownership, occupation, control and rights to access so-called ‘family homes’,” legal rights group the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) said in a recent report

Basic Education Sets Record Straight On School Feeding The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has moved to set the record straight following recent allegations regarding the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). In a statement, Director General Mathanzima Mweli, explained that the delay in the department's response was due to discussions between himself and DBE Minister Siviwe Gwarube. Mweli refuted claims made in the Sunday Times article of 18 August 2024, titled, "Gwarube halts R10bn school food tender", stating that the article contained "numerous inaccuracies, fabrications, and falsehoods". He emphasised that the DBE did not publish the NSNP tender "surreptitiously" or during a period when the department lacked a Minister. The tender was published on 22 July 2024 after the new administration had taken office. "The DBE rejects the suggestion that it surreptitiously published the NSNP tender "at a time when it had no Minister," said Mweli.

MALAWI

Every child has right to education – Ndaona Zomba District Council’s Social Welfare Officer, Christopher Ndaona, says every child including those with a disability should be accorded the equal right to  education per inclusive education policy. Ndaona made the remarks at Group Village head Taulo, Traditional Authority Ngwelero in the district during the commemoration of the Day of African Child organised by Future Vision Ministry International under the theme: Promoting Inclusive  Education for All Children in Zomba. Ndaona added that every child has the right to education and be allowed to stay in school up to university irrespective of physical status. He therefore called on traditional leaders, faith leaders and all influential leaders in society to ensure that parents send and support their children in schools.

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