May 2014

US President Barack Obama (C) kisses Dr. Maya Angelou, a prominent and celebrated author, poet, educator, producer, actress, filmmaker, and civil rights activist after presenting to her the 2010 Medal of Freedom on Feburary 15, 2011 at the White House in Washington DC. Sitting next to her are former President George H.W. Bush (L) and investor Warren Buffet (R). (Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images)



Maya Angelou, the American poet and author, died at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Wednesday. She was 86.

 Her son, Guy B Johnson, confirmed the news in a statement. He said: "Her family is extremely grateful that her ascension was not belabored by a loss of acuity or comprehension.

 "She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace. The family is appreciative of the time we had with her and we know that she is looking down upon us with love."
 Johnson said Angelou "passed quietly in her home" sometime before 8am on Wednesday.

Bill Clinton, at whose inauguration Angelou read her On the Pulse of the Morning, said in a statement: "America has lost a national treasure, and Hillary and I a beloved friend." 

 Angelou’s failing health was reported as recently as Tuesday, when she canceled an appearance honoring her with a Beacon of Life Award because of “health reasons”. The ceremony was part of the 2014 MLB Beacon Award Luncheon, in Houston, Texas, part of Major League Baseball’s Civil Rights Games.

Last month, forced to cancel an appearance at a library in Arkansas, she wrote: "An unexpected ailment put me into the hospital. I will be getting better and the time will come when I can receive another invitation from my state and you will recognize me for I shall be the tall Black lady smiling. I ask you to please keep me in your thoughts, in your conversation and in your prayers."

 Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson, in St Louis, Missouri, in 1928. She described in an NPR interview how her brother's lisp turned Marguerite into Maya.




Maya Angelou, poet in residence at Wake Forest University, talked about the poem she wrote for President Clinton's inauguration from her office in Winston-Salem, N.C., Sept. 16, 1996.
Chuck Burton/AP


Poet Maya Angelou and Gloria Steinem join a march in Washington in 1983. James M. Thresher / THE WASHINGTON POST
Poet Maya Angelou and Gloria Steinem join a march in Washington in 1983. James M. Thresher / THE WASHINGTON POST











Angelou was hired as Hollywood's first black woman movie director on Nov. 3, 1971. She wrote the script and music, as well as directed Caged Bird, which was based on her best-selling 1969 autobiography. She had been a professional singer, dancer, writer, composer, poet, lecturer, editor, and San Francisco streetcar conductor. AP











Angelou recites her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning," during President Clinton's inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1993.
Mark Lennihan/AP







President Obama presents a Medal of Freedom to Angelou during a ceremony at the White House on Feb. 15, 2011.
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Tanzania has been hailed in its commitment to fight sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children in the African region.

Today, Non Government Organization, OAK launched a study called “Learning from children exposed to sexual abuse and sexual exploitation”. Speaking to reporters in the news conference in Dar es Salaam OAK, Director Florence Bruce said the government of Tanzania has shown commitment in the fight against child abuse.
“We are now looking forward in the future to have close collaboration with the local non-government organizations, activists, governments and others in order to have a clear solution by having agreed implementation that involves all stakeholders,” she said.
She added that the project contributes knowledge around the concept of resilience by listening to the life experience and circumstances of 257 children and young people in three countries, Ethiopia, Bulgaria and Nepal.


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OAK Foundation, Program Director, Florence Bruce, gestures as she speaks to reporters at the news conference in Dar es Salaam today about the report on child abuse.

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Professor Robbie Gilligan emphasizes a point to reporters during the launch of the child abuse report from three countries findings, Ethiopia, Nepal and Bulgaria.




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Jane Warburton, International Consultant on Child Protection, give her experience on child abuse report findings.



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A section of reporters listens attentively to the key speakers about the findings on child abuse



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Rwanda’s small trucking industry hasn’t had much to shout about recently, unless it was to complain about interminable roadside delays due to bureaucracy, corruption and paperwork. Until now.
 


Flags of the East and Central African Countries
Some neat diplomatic footwork with neighbouring Tanzania has given Rwandan truckers some good news in an industry where time is money, costs are high, and margins small and the playing field tilted towards the regional giants and their huge trucking sectors.
 

 
Head of the Rwanda Truckers Association, Theodore Murenzi
 “Yes, some good news for a change,” says Theodore Murenzi, head of the Rwanda Truckers Association. “Tanzania has dropped a road toll which penalized Rwandan trucks on the central corridor. It’s not 100% good news, but it’s a real start.”
 
A study into the competitiveness of Rwanda’s road freight industry highlighted what Rwandan truckers had long complained about – Tanzania charged Rwandan trucks a $500 transit toll yet Rwanda charged Tanzanian registered trucks only $152, putting Rwanda’s drivers at a $348 disadvantage every return trip and adding to already high costs.

Such bureaucratic hurdles to free trade are known as Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs).  The EAC is committed to eliminating them altogether, but the process is laborious and the barriers cemented in protectionism.

“We registered this as an NTB at the level of the EAC, but the harmonization of the road toll at EAC level is not decided,” says Vincent Safari, head of the National Monitoring Committee on NTBs. “But the study was evidence-based, factual and detailed and we were confident it would succeed, somehow.”

After validation of the findings of Rwanda’s road freight industry competiveness study, the Government of Rwanda engaged Tanzania which subsequently dropped its road toll from $500 to $152. But for Rwandan truck owners, it meant annual savings of around $800,000 on transport costs that are already among the world’s highest.

The study, carried out by TradeMark East Africa for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, was a boon for Rwandan truckers using the central corridor to Dar es Salaam because of the Tanzanian port’s growing importance in trade with Rwanda and the region.

Since 2007, Rwandan trucking firms have steadily lost market share in the trucking industry, from 21% in 2007 when Rwandan firms were one of the largest players, to 14% in 2012. The market for road freight services to/from/across Rwanda is estimated to be worth over 500M and the value of freight across Rwanda’s borders has increased by at least 119% since 2007.

“The reduction has significantly leveled the playing field,” says Murenzi. “But we still suffer high tolls in Uganda and Kenya. Uganda charges our trucks $160 and Kenya $200 making a total of $360 to get to Mombasa – that’s still more than their truckers pay and more than through Tanzania, but it’s a huge amount for us.”

Safari and others are confident that the advocacy success with Tanzania will point the way for similarly successful outcomes with Uganda and Kenya, despite the powerful grip coastal states, in particular, have on the trucking industry.

TMEA Rwanda Country Director says the study was part of a multi-pronged approach to help Rwanda become more competitive as the EAC moves towards integration and harmonization of tariffs and tolls.

“It’s one of several areas we are trying to help Rwanda with but the common link is competitiveness because Rwanda does not have much in the way of natural resources and whatever it sells, it has to be competitive to survive. Transport costs are a big part of competitiveness, and we welcome the toll reduction.



Some of Trucks which are operated in East African Countries

Source by http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f44074099d0ad3f6e63a5c7f5&id=f8892226d4&e=e02eca5dae


































































WAKULIMA mkoani Singida wamehimizwa kujenga utamaduni wa kuwa waaminifu kwa kuuza mazao yao bila kuchanganya na vitu vingine kuongeza uzito kwa madai kwamba vitendo hivyo vinaharibu masoko na kushusha thamani ya mazao.


 Wito huo umetolewa hivi karibuni na Meneja Masoko na Usambazaji wa Wakala wa Mbegu za Kilimo wa Taifa (ASA), Philemon Kawamala wakati akizungumza kwa nyakati tofauti na wakulima viongozi wa wilaya ya Mkalama mkoani Singida.


 Amesema baadhi ya wakulima wamekuwa sio waaminifu wakati wa kuuza mazao yao kwa kuchanganya mazao na vitu vingine kwa lengo la kuongeza uzito ili waweze kupata kipato zaidi.


Kawamala amesema kwa sasa wanunuzi wamekuwa wakitumia vifaa vya hali ya juu kupima na kuchunguza kwa kina mazao kabla ya kuyanunua.

Akifafanua zaidi,amesema baadhi ya wakulima hao huchanganya mazao yao ya biashara na mawe,vitu vichafu na baadhi ya wasindikaji mafuta nao huchanganya mashudu na udongo wa mbugani.


 “Kutokana na hatua hiyo ya upimaji, wakulima wamekuwa wakiumbuka kutokana na kutokuwa waaminifu.  Mazao yao hukosa sifa na kutokununuliwa kabisa kwa hiyo mkulima husika kuingia hasara na hivyo kurudisha nyuma maendeleo yake”,amesema.


 Kutokana na  hali hiyo, Meneja huyo amewataka viongozi wa kiserikali, kisiasa na wataalam wa kilimo kuwahimiza zaidi wakulima wajenge utamaduni wa kuwa waaminifu kwa maana ya kutokuchanganya mazao na uchafu mwingine ili mazao yao yaendelee kukubalika katika masoko ya ndani na nje ya nchi.


 Aidha, Meneja huyo ameitaka kambi ya magereza iliyopo kijiji cha Singa wilayani Mkalama, kutumia shamba darasa lao kuwaelimisha na kuwafunza wananchi walioko jirani juu ya umuhimu wa umuhimu wa kujikita kwenye kilimo bora.


Kwa upande wake, Mkuu wa kambi hiyo, Inspector Juma Mkoma amesema kambi hiyo yenye mashamba ya ukubwa wa zaidi ya hekta 500, hawana trekta wanategemea  majembe ya kukokotewa na ng’ombe kitendo kinachochangia kusiwepo na ufanisi katika kilimo.

MWANAFUNZI wa darasa la sita shule ya msingi Ikungi mchanganyiko wilaya ya Ikungi mkoani Singida,Julius Charles (12) ambaye hana mikono ameiomba serikali imsaidie kupata mtu atakaye mhudumia ili aweze kusoma kwa uhuru zaidi aweze kufikia lengo lake la kusoma hadi chuo kikuu.
Mwanafunzi wa darasa la sita shule ya msingi Ikungi mchanganyiko wilaya ya Ikungi mkoa wa Singida,Julius Charles (12) ambaye anatumia mguu wa kulia kuandika kutokana na kutokuwa na mikono.Pia anatumia mguu huo kutandika kitanda chake.

Julius amesema amefikia uamuzi huo wa kuomba kupatiwa mtu wa kumhudumia kutokana na kutokuwa na mikono.


Amedai ulemavu huo, umesababisha pamoja na mambo mengine atumie mguu wake wa kulia kuandika na kutandika kitanda.

Julius amefafanua zaidi kwa kusema ulemavu wake huo vile vile, unasababisha ashindwe kuoga,kufua nguo zake na kwamba anapata taabu kubwa wakati wa kujisaidia chooni.

"Kutoa madaftari na kalamu ndani ya mfuko,natumia mdomo wangu.Pia kwa vile sina mikono natumia mdomo kuchukua chakula kutoka kwenye sahani",amesema.
Julius anasema binafsi anamshukuru na kumpongeza rais Kikwete,kwa moyo wake wa kuwajali walemavu wa aina mbalimbali.
Mwalimu mkuu wa shule ya msingi Ikungi wilaya ya Ikungi mkoa wa Singida,Olivary Kamilly,akimsaidia mwanafunzi Julius Charels Kumvalisha soksi baada ya kutoka darasani

"Nina imani kwamba kama ningeonana na Rais Kikwete kwa jinsi anavyowajali walemavu mimi mwenye uchu mkubwa wa kujisomea ataweza kunisaidia kupata mtu wa kunihudumia.Hata hivyo,sikati tamaa kusaidiwa na Rais wetu Kikwete.Akisoma habari hii kwenye gazeti,nina hakika atanisaidia ili ndoto yangu ya kufika chuo kikuu siku moja iweze kuwa kweli",amesema Julius.
Mwanafunzi wa darasa la sita shule ya msingi Ikungi mchanganyiko wailaya ya Ikungi,Julius Charles,akitandika kitanda chake kwa kutumia mguu wake wa kulia ambao pia anautumia katika kuandika.

Kwa mujibu wa mwalimu wake,Ana Mjema, Julius kwenye mitihani mbalimbali huwa anashika nafasi ya tatu au ya nne.

Amesema mwanafunzi huyo asiye na mikono,kwa kutumia mguu wake ana mwandiko mzuri kuliko wanafunzi wasio na ulemavu.Pia ana kasi katika kuandika.



Mwanafunzi wa darasa la sita shule ya msingi Ikungi mchanganyiko wilaya ya Ikungi mkoa wa Singida,Julius Charles,akichukua daftari lake kwa ajili ya kulihifadhi kwenye mfuko wake.Julius anatumia mdomo kwa vile hana mikono.Picha zote na Nathaniel Limu
















































































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