Global Initiative Bi-weekly site updates
October 1st - 17th October 2024
Kenya
Refugees in Kenya face limited access to education, healthcare and employement among other challenges, a new report by the Kenya National Commision on Human Rights (KNCHR) has revealed.
The report, conducted in collaboration with Refugees International and the University of Nairobi Center for Human Rights and Peace, also hightlighed the challenges and gaps that must be addressed by the government and stakeholders to ensure smooth integration of refugees into Kenyan Society. The seccessful implementation of the Refugee Act 2021 will require coordinated efforts from all stakeholders, especially in addressing key issues such as education, housing, employment and freedom of movement," said KNHCR Chief Executive Officer Dr. Bernard Mogesa.
University leaders and researchers across Africa are seeking to raise funds from within the continent.
In a two-day seminar held at Hyatt Regency in Nairobi, the leaders observed that funding shortfall limits the continent's ability to address critical challenges in healthcare, agriculture, and technology. To bridge this gap, the leaders urged for a shift from dependence on donor funding to sustainable, locally-driven financing mechanisms. This approach they said would empower Africa to tackle its unique challenges and build a self-reliant innovation ecosystem.
Rwanda
US official advice against non-essential travel to Rwanda in light of the outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus is “not fair”, Africa’s top health official Jean Kaseya has said. The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) added that it was “not the treatment Rwanda and Africa deserve”. In just two weeks, Rwanda has recorded 13 deaths from the disease - most of them among healthcare workers, according to a statement from the country’s health minister. But the outbreak is under control, the authorities say. Nevertheless, those on the front line of dealing with its consequences remain nervous.
Despite significant progress, Rwanda’s skill levels remain insufficient to meet its development ambitions. According to the 2021 employment survey conducted by Rwanda Polytechnic (RP), the top employing sectors in Rwanda are tourism and hospitality, technical services, and construction and building services. It highlights that graduates in fields like information technology, electronics and telecommunications, electrical technology, and construction technology achieved the best employment outcomes, while those with qualifications in agriculture, food processing, crop production, and culinary arts fared the worst.
Lebanon
Israel has resumed air strikes on Beirut despite objections from the United States over the way it is conducting its campaign in Lebanon. Israeli military jets targeted the capital early on Wednesday for the first time since October 10.
Three strikes were reported to have hit the southern suburbs of the city. The attack came despite Washington having expressed concern over the scope of Israeli attacks on Beirut. At the same time, the US continues to support Israel’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza, in which it says it aims to destroy Hezbollah and Hamas. The Israeli military stated on social media that Wednesday’s strikes targeted “combat equipment that was stored inside an underground warehouse”.
About 1.2 million people and “almost every child” in Lebanon has been impacted by war, the UN agency for children, Unicef, and the World Food Programme said.
Almost 190,000 displaced people are seeking refuge in 1,000 centres from bombardment while “hundreds of thousands” have left their homes to be with friends and family, the UN agencies said after a three-day visit to Lebanon. “And as the conflict worsens, the psychological toll on the population, particularly among children and youth, is increasing. Almost every child in Lebanon has been impacted in some way. Many have been victims of bombardments, losing loved ones, their homes, access to education and are facing an uncertain future in possibly deeper poverty,” they said.
South Africa
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has projected that seven provinces will not be able to afford their budgets in the 2027/28 financial year.
This is due to budget pressures being experienced by the department, with provinces now scrambling to make it work by cutting some programmes to save others. In the Western Cape, the department has decided to reduce the basket of teaching posts for 2025. This will result in fewer teachers in classrooms, while pupils increase. Over the last five years, the number of pupils has increased by approximately 292,820 nationally. Who is supposed to take care of her?’: Pule Mabe asks why its a crime to give wife money. Other provinces are working to avoid cutting budgets for key services like textbooks, admin support and scholar transport programmes.
The Western Cape education department has clarified that although 2400 teaching jobs will be lost by the end of the year, no teachers will be retrenched — but contract teachers won’t be reappointed.
An uproar followed an earlier department statement about plans to cut 2 400 teaching jobs in the province as a result of a severe budget cut of R3.8 billion. “We are not firing teachers, and we are not retrenching teachers,” Western Cape education MEC David Maynier said in the latest statement. “The reduction in posts will mean that some contract teachers will not be reappointed after their contracts end on 31 December 2024, and some permanent teachers will be asked to move to another school where there is a suitable vacancy.”
Malawi
According to Henry Chingaipe, Chairperson for the Loans and Grants Disbursement Committee at the Loans Board, the approval rate represents a remarkable 99.9% of total applicants, marking a 10% increase from last year’s approvals. While speaking to the local media, Chingaipe expressed optimism about the increased approval rate. The Board has allocated K29 billion for this academic year, with K24 billion coming from the government’s national budget and an additional K4 billion expected during the mid-year budget review in Parliament. The remaining funds will be sourced from various channels, including the World Bank-funded Skills for a Vibrant Economy (SAVE) project.
Vietnam
Parents in rural Vietnam are increasingly investing in their children's English education, undeterred by the high costs involved.
Kim Thai, 43, from northern Vinh Phuc Province, has been taking his children more than 10 km from a small town in Tam Dao District to the province's capital city Vinh Yen to study English, spending over VND240 million ($9,663) so far. "Even if I have to bring my child to a class 50 km away, I will still do it," he said, explaining that classes in small districts are insufficient for his children's needs. Thai believes that learning English has become a widespread trend among students and parents in recent years.
India
Even as Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) has grabbed the number one position in the debut open universities rankings of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 released in August, students’ demand for not receiving study material on time, delayed work assignments, and poor communications from the varsity side remain an unresolved issue.
Ignou is a distance learning varsity that offers multiple certificate and degree courses at all levels. Aditya Bhargav from Delhi started pursuing an MA in History from Ignou in June 2020 and received books in April 2021. “Apart from delayed study material delivery, confusion regarding exam schedules, and difficulty in getting timely support are some other issues I faced. Even after registration, I didn’t receive any update from my regional centre regarding assignments, exams etc.
South America
The coalition of 125 rights organisations, led by the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and Haitian Bridge Alliance, made their plea on Wednesday in an open letter to US President Joe Biden. “We demand that your administration close the Guantanamo Migrant Operations Center (MOC) and process asylum seekers encountered at sea in a manner consistent with US human rights obligations,” the letter stated.
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