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Putting the youth away from the danger of drugs!
Alexis DE HERDE | 08/09/2017
BTC through the programme “Ubuzima Burambye” is funding Rwanda’s national campaign against drug abuse. This activity led by the Mental Health Division of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) involves various stakeholders such as the Ministry of Youth and ICT, Ministry of Education, Rwanda National Police, National Youth Council, NGOs including association of Girl Guides and associations of ex drug users.Drug abuse in Rwanda Jeanne D’Arc Dusabeyezu who is in charge of drug abuse prevention and treatment within the Mental Health Division at the RBC exposes the situation in the country: “a recently conducted study by the Ministry of Youth and ICT shows that 52.5% of the youth aged between 14 and 35 years old has consumed one or more substances at least once in their lifetime. Moreover, the age of substance use initiation is on average 11 years old. Due to regular drug use, one young man or woman out of thirteen (7.46 %) is alcohol dependent, one young man or woman out of twenty (4.88%) suffers from nicotine dependence and one young man or woman out of forty (2.54%) is cannabis dependent”. This situation is putting pressure on health care facilities. At Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital, the number patients with alcohol and drug-induced mental illness has seriously increased in the last few years from 440 in 2009 to 2804 in 2016. It is clear that without sound actions, Rwanda will face an increasing number of drug addictions. This could become a serious public health issue and an important barrier to development.National anti-drug abuse campaignIn line with the prevention and treatment of mental disorders, the Mental Health Division of RBC and the inter-ministerial committee responsible for fighting against illicit use of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, supported by BTC Rwanda is conducting a national campaign of awareness and sensitization against drug abuse.“We took the opportunity of the spirit surrounding the international day to fight against drug abuse traditionally held on June 26 to mobilize people. There are lots of fake messages such as “Taking drugs will make you stronger and solve your problems”. We have realized how important it is to reach out to the youth with clear messages about their health and the danger of drugs. They also need to know that if they suffer from psychological or mental health problems they have opportunities to consult and be assisted. Taking drugs should never be seen as an option. This is what the campaign is all about” concludes Jean D’Arc Dusabeyezu.The campaign was officially launched on June 22nd in Kirehe district and extended to Huye, Nyarugenge, Gicumbi & Rubavu districts which are at high risk of drug use and drug trafficking particularly those on borders. The campaign will last until December and will be countrywide. Drug use awareness is integrated within a global package of sensitisation on health issues conducted by the RBC & MoH.
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Preventing and countering NCDs in Rwanda
Alexis DE HERDE | 08/09/2017
Last June, a non-communicable diseases mass campaign took place in the car-free zone of Kigali. This initiative was funded by BTC through its health sector programme “Ubuzima Burambye” and its component on urban health.“The programme supports initiatives taken by the City of Kigali (CoK) to fight against non-communicable diseases (NCD) and the associated risk factors. Indeed, there is a continued rising burden of NCDs particularly in urban areas which represents an additional challenge with major implications” explains Public Health Expert Veronique Zinnen.By financing an annual mass campaign, Ubuzima Burambye addresses one of the challenges of rapid growing urbanization and contributes to early detection and prevention of NCDs. Patricie Mukangarambe Director of the Public Health and Environment Unit of the CoK explains: “Each year, the City of Kigali, in partnership with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre and with the funding of BTC, is organizing a campaign to mobilize the population on early detection and prevention of NCDs and associated risk factors. The campaign lasts for one week and enables us to examine and counsel between 3000 and 5000 people.”NCDs, a major health challengeNCDs are one of the major health and development challenges of the 21st century. General public awareness regarding risk factors, prevention and early detection of NCDs is essential. If nothing is done, the human, socialand economic costs of NCDs will continue to grow and overwhelm the capacity of countries to address them.“The problem with the main NCDs - like diabetes & hypertension - is that they are not symptomatic and people do not get themselves spontaneously tested unless complications occurred. Those “silent” diseases do lots of damages and it is why we support this early detection and prevention campaign. We try also to raise awareness on risks associated with NCDs such as overweight, obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco, etc. This is a very important activity” states Veronique Zinnen.Promoting healthy lifestyle The theme of the 2017 campaign was Promote healthy life style to prevent NCDs”. Throughout the campaign, free screening and counselling activities took place in the car free zone of Kigali. The screening for risk factors suchas overweight and obesity (BMI), blood sugar and blood pressure, detecting diabetes and hypertension was done in collaboration with the RwandaAssociation of Diabetes and Cardio-vascular foundation and conducted by the Rwanda Pharmaceutical Students Association. Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital provided equipment and staff for the measurement of visual acuity and intraocular pressure.Free counselling was also provided in order to guide patients to adequate health care facilities. The patients who had abnormal measures were referred to hospitals. In addition, prevention messages were broadcasted onthe radio and disseminated in district hospitals in order to reach more than the population living in Kigali. We estimate that around 3000 people were reached by the 2017 campaign.
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WorldSkills Palestine Team Building Day
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 08/09/2017
There are only a few weeks left until the big adventure, WorldSkillsAbuDhabi2017, and the WorldSkills Palestine team is busy with the final preparations.The core team, the three participants Ibraheem Qawasme for graphic design, Noor Awawdeh for pastry and Ameen Baker for painting and of course the team leader Naser Ghanim, recently went on a successful team building day. In the open nature, after a hike through olive groves, the team discussed various topics. Health safety and environment (HSE) protection, rules and regulations, code of ethics were on the agenda. But also the reflections on the motivation, the necessary personal qualities and attitudes were brought up. Team games and the chance to share own perspective shaped the team further.On the other hand, there were a few worries with the preparation of Noor. Unfortunately, the interaction between the expert and the participant was not as expected. Therefore the necessary level for a successful participation in Abu Dhabi could not be reached. WorldSkills Palestine, the official delegate, the technical delegate and the team leader, explained the situation to the expert. He was offered another chance but unfortunately, the expert refused and announced his departure from the team. WorldSkills Palestine regrets this development and decided to take Noor not as a contestant but as an observer to Abu Dhabi. It will give him the unique opportunity to watch the world’s best young confectioners live at work. As a result, Noor can learn a whole for his personal working career and take a lot of inspiration with him for his future contribution to WorldSkills Palestine. Last but not least: the stakeholders have invited the WorldSkills Palestine team for Abu Dhabi to a farewell party and everyone is invited. So don't forget to write down the date: 20th of September 12:00 at Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre Ramallah. More detailed information will follow soon at facebook.com/palestineskills
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Strategic workshop on institutionalising TVET with the Ministry of Labour
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 06/09/2017
On the 28th of August, The Ministry of Labour and the Belgian Development Agency developed a strategic plan and mechanisms to institutionalise work-based learning schemes in TVET in Palestine. Furthermore, a road map was designed to ensure immediate implementation of the work-based learning schemes in the coming scholastic year. The workshop was attended by different departments of the Ministry of Labour involved in TVET, in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Labour, Mr. Samer Salameh, and by the ECIB team of the Belgian Development Agency. Randa Hilal of Optimum was responsible for the consultancy and training. Similar workshops will take place with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Private Sector as well.
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The Ministry of Local Government, in cooperation with BTC, has completed four different training workshops
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 30/08/2017
The Ministry of Local Government, in cooperation with the Belgian Development Agency, has completed four different training workshops in the past weeks. The first one was a workshop on the Strategic Development Planning Manual (SDIP/ACIP) in the presence of 33 participants of the project, the ministry, and directorates of the West Bank governorates. Strategic planning plays an important role in promoting the Palestinian society and in contributing to local economic development. The workshop, which took place over 2 days and counted 12 training hours, focused on the participants’ understanding of the concept, objectives, and principles of strategic development planning and on providing them with the knowledge and skills to use the SDIP manual. The second workshop was an orientation workshop on empowering female members of Local Councils in the local government sector. The ministry is keen on giving elected members the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in the councils. The Assistant Undersecretary of the ministry, Mr. Ahmed Ghoneim, emphasized the role of women in general and their role in the local government in particular. Mr. Raed Barghouthi, the Director General of the local rule of Ramallah, praised the work of the elected members of the local councils and of the Ministry of Local Government, represented by Minister Hussein Al-Aaraj, for their relentless efforts to let local bodies be in direct contact with citizens. The following topics were addressed in the workshop: women rights and duties, the importance of their participation in decision making, accountability principles and their participation in urban planning from a gender perspective. Furthermore, a number of female council members elected in the last period had a chance to tell more about their success stories, challenges and lessons learned. The third workshop was dedicated to the financial management of the LGSIP program for the village councils and joint service councils benefiting from the program. Ensuring that the accountants are up to date on the requirements and financial procedures of the program is part of the ministry’s plan to enable local bodies to provide the best services to their citizens. The fourth workshop targeted the civil affairs employees and General Directorate Managers in the planning system and addressed the use of maps and law dimensions. Deputy Minister Mr. Mohammad Hassan Jabarin opened the session by welcoming the 35 participants and he praised the coordination and cooperation mechanism between both ministries of civil affairs and the MoLG. He encouraged both to continue working together to improve the situation of marginalized groups in Area C. At the end, the participants prepared recommendations for the next step focusing on institutionalizing the work by the different parties. Dooa Qutub, Engineer and representative of the Belgian Development Agency attended all workshops implemented in the last period. She also evaluated the workshop with the participants, in full coordination with MoLG direct beneficiaries, to ensure the objectives were met and a follow-up mechanism was put in place.
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Finishing the rehabilitation of historic buildings in Bani Naim, ‘Asira Ash Shamaliya, Bani Zeid Al Gharbiya and Abud
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 29/08/2017
The Regeneration of Historic Centers in Local Government Units (RHC) project finished the rehabilitation of Khalid Ijdee’ historic building in Bani Naim. The building will be used as a multi-purpose center for the Bani Naim municipality and it will contain branches of governmental and public sector offices. The RHC project also rehabilitated historical buildings in ‘Asira Ash Shamaliya and Bani Zeid Al Gharbiya. In Abud, near Ramallah, the project focused on the main court of the historic center and the Al Burbara church road. Furthermore, the project is working on rehabilitating another historic building in Deir Istiya and it aspires to finish the rehabilitation of 7 more historic centers in the coming year. The aim of the RHC project is to bring life back to historic centers by focusing on their social, cultural and economic development.
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School opening of the DUMA Secondary School for girls in Adh-Dhahiriya, South Hebron
Laura SCHILLEMANS | 29/08/2017
On the 23rd of August 2017, Eric De Muynck, Head of Cooperation of the Belgian Consulate, joined the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Sabri Saidam, in the celebrations of the school opening of DUMA Secondary School for girls in Adh-Dhahiriya, South Hebron. The DUMA school was built under the bilateral Schools Construction program of the Belgian Development Agency (BTC). It provides an answer to the issues of over-crowdedness in nearby secondary schools, unsuitable and old classrooms, lack of specialized schools and long travel distances to school. The DUMA school consists of 16 classrooms that can host 600 girls, specialized rooms for science and ICT, a multi-purpose hall, teacher rooms, outdoor facilities, and a library with a terrace for reading. The school also adheres to environmental standards by optimizing natural light, natural cross-ventilation, water reuse, and thermal insulation. Later this year solar panels will be installed as well. In his speech, Eric De Muynck stressed the strong collaboration between Belgium and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, focused on the joint efforts to provide safe access to schools and protection of children, especially in vulnerable areas such as Area C, and the vital role of girl’s education for the future of the Palestinian Territory. The opening of the DUMA school featured in a day of celebrations to initiate the first day of school across the Palestinian Territory. In the events, Belgium was joined by Ireland, Norway and Germany as partners in the Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA) in support of the education sector.
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Research paper on the effects of land use changes in the Kilombero Valley
Jennifer SWERTVAEGHER | 28/08/2017
KILORWEMP established a collaboration with two Wetland Science projects based at the University of Bonn. The science projects are funded respectively by the German Ministry of Education and Research, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the EU Horizon 2020 program. This collaboration and pooling of efforts enabled KILORWEMP to improve the cost effectiveness of the assessment of landscape change in the project target area. The teaming up with well-established expertise in the field of Wetland Science also enabled the production of a solid scientific assessment of key change processes taking place in the Kilombero Valley.Recently, a paper in the scientific journal ‘Sustainability’ was published, reflecting some of this collaborative work. Results of the scientific research show that the changes of land use in the Kilombero Valley – being a floodplain that is increasingly being utilized for agriculture – has “significantly altered the floodplain and already shows an impact on the ecosystem by degrading the existing wildlife corridors”. KILORWEMP is undertaking efforts to raise awareness on the effects of these land use changes, and policy makers are urged to make informed decisions on how to sustainably manage agricultural activities and environmental protection in the area. The full paper can be found through this link: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/9/1513.
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Chaque voix est unique!
Stephanie EECKMAN | 24/08/2017
Les vacances n'empêchent pas notre projet Sarraounia de continuer son travail d’amélioration de la rétention des filles dans l’enseignement secondaire. La preuve avec un théâtre participatif dans les collèges de Birni N’Falla, Tombo Kasso, Malam Koara, Kossèye, Yéni et le complexe d’enseignement secondaire de Kiota! Découvrez comment le théâtre participatif implique chaque membre de la communauté pour améliorer l'environnement scolaire.
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Réduire les inégalités en matière de santé
Stephanie EECKMAN | 23/08/2017
Il est 9 heures du matin et le soleil est déjà haut dans le ciel de Boulkagou, un village à environ 120 kilomètres de Niamey. Dans le Centre de Santé Intégré, un groupe de femmes attend avec beaucoup d'impatience l’arrivée de la sage-femme. Il est vrai que les choses ont bien changé à Boulkagou. Avant l’intervention de la CTB, ces femmes devaient se rendre à Gothèye pour se faire soigner, faire appel à des agents de santé mobiles circulant à moto dans cette région désertique ou acheter des médicaments vendus dans les rues. L'ouverture du Centre de Santé Intégré, en mauvais état depuis des années, leur permet enfin d'avoir accès à des soins de santé de qualité. Les locaux ont été entièrement réfectionnés et les conditions de travail se sont nettement améliorées. Mieux encore, la case de santé de ce village a, en plus des travaux de réhabilitation, été équipé en matériel et a bénéficié d'une moto. « Avant, nous n'avions ni table de consultation, ni lit d'accouchement, ni matériel de consultation prénatale et nourrisson. Et voilà que maintenant, la CTB vient de mettre à notre disposition tout ce matériel », témoigne Issaka Tahirou, infirmier de Centre de Santé Intégré. En plus du matériel, la petite pharmacie du centre de santé a été garnie en produits pharmaceutiques essentiels. Avec ces nouvelles conditions de travail, la fréquentation de la case de santé a augmenté. « Ce dernier trimestre, nous avons enregistré pas moins de 4.004 consultations», affirme Issaka. « des chiffres pareils témoignent de la pertinence d’une telle initiative ». En effet, des centres de santé équipés dans une zone comme celle de Boulkagou, c'est plus qu'une nécessité. Dans l'organisation pyramidale du système de santé au Niger, les Centres de Santé Intégrés constituent la structure de base offerte aux communautés villageoises pour leur procurer les premiers soins médicaux. Ils jouent le rôle de dispensaire et assure, avec un équipement minimum, les soins de santé primaires: consultation curative, vaccination et le planning familial, la consultation prénatale et l’accouchement. Les 15 structures réhabilitées, soutenues et approvisionnées par la CTB à travers le Projet d’Appui au Renforcement du Système de Santé du Niger (PARSS) améliorent donc considérablement l’accès à des soins de qualité pour plus de 90.000 habitants des régions de Maradi, Zinder et Tillabéri, en particulier en termes de protection maternelle et infantile. Contribuer à réduire la mortalité maternelle et néonatale « Accoucher au Niger apporte souvent une grande souffrance. J'ai rencontré d'énormes difficultés par le passé et j’ai déjà perdu 8 enfants. Lorsque j’ai accouché de mes derniers jumeaux, je me suis rendu ici et sans l’intervention du docteur je n’aurais peut-être pas survécu. Sans ce centre de santé, j'aurais dû me rendre à 45km d’ici pour recevoir les soins dont j’avais besoin. Même en louant la charrette de mon voisin, un tel voyage serait très difficile. Au moins maintenant, nous avons tout sur place et les soins sont de bonne qualité. » (Mariama, 35) « La région est classée comme une région pauvre », explique Issaka « Et la pauvreté est très associée à la santé maternelle. Beaucoup de mères ont des problèmes de reproduction. Nous voyons de nombreuses urgences obstétricales parce que les femmes vivent si loin, et, en cas d'urgence, les entraîner ici devient un défi » . « Au Niger, comme beaucoup de pays africains, la femme est responsable de sa famille. C'est elle qui s'occupe des enfants, nourrit la famille et veille à ce que la famille soit saine », nous confirme Dr Soumana Adamou Hamma, responsable national du projet PARSS. « La plupart de nigériens vivent dans des zones rurales et là, nous ne disposons pas d'installations de santé adéquates, de sorte que les femmes doivent parcourir de très longues distances pour rechercher des services de santé. Et c'est encore pire quand elles sont enceintes. Trop souvent, elles accouchent à la maison, peut-être avec une sage-femme traditionnelle, peut-être avec une belle-mère ou avec une voisine. Donc, quand il y a des complications, elles ne savent pas quoi faire et la femme est en risque de mourir », explique-t-il. «Nous mettons l'accent sur la fréquentation et surtout les soins aux femmes enceintes et aux enfants de moins de cinq ans ». À l'heure actuelle, la principale cause de mortalité maternelle au Niger est l'hémorragie. «Nous détenons le taux de fécondité le plus élevé au monde avec 7 enfants en moyenne par femme. Il est clair que cela entraine souvent des complications à l'accouchement. Les femmes saignent à mort pendant ou après l'accouchement parce qu'elles ne peuvent pas atteindre les établissements de santé. Pourtant, accoucher dans un centre médical est fondamental pour la santé de la mère et du nouveau-né. », nous dit Dr Hama, « C’est bien pour cela que nous sommes en partenariat avec le gouvernement nigérien, pour nous assurer que les services peuvent atteindre les mères et les enfants là où ils se trouvent ». Chiffres clés : - Le taux de mortalité maternelle au Niger se situe quant à lui à 553 décès pour 100.000 naissances vivantes , tandis que le taux de mortalité infanto-juvénile s'élève aujourd’hui à 26.8 pour 1.000 naissances vivantes. - Seulement 39.7% des accouchements sont assistés par du personnel formé. Le Projet d'Appui au Renforcement du Système de Santé (PARSS) appuie les système de santé nigérien à travers des investissements en infrastructures et équipements. Il s’agit notamment de la construction de 4 hôpitaux de district, la transformation de 15 cases de santé en centres de santé intégrés et un appui à l’organisation des consultations foraines et mobiles pour atteindre les populations résident dans des zones reculées .
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Un nouveau destin à travers la vannerie
Stephanie EECKMAN | 23/08/2017
La force et la résilience des femmes nigériennes est sans limite. A l’aube de la journée de la femme nigérienne, nous sommes fières de vous présenter Sahia, entrepreneuse, elle démontre son courage au quotidien. Ensemble, poursuivons notre combat pour garantir aux femmes la place qu’elles méritent dans notre société.
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La terre aux femmes qui la travaillent
Stephanie EECKMAN | 23/08/2017
Les femmes des villages reculés sont très rarement sous les feux des projecteurs, mais aujourd’hui, ce sont elles qui sont à l’honneur. Nous avons profité du 8 mars pour mettre en lumière une lutte importante qui reste à mener. Laquelle? Découvrez la réponse dans notre vidéo!
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La restitution publique, une confiance partagée
Stephanie EECKMAN | 23/08/2017
« Les séances de restitution publique nous permet de comprendre dans quels domaines, la commune a investi l’argent de nos impôts. Ce sont ce genre d’initiatives qui permettent de créer un climat de confiance entre la mairie et les administrés. » témoigne Abdoul Salam Garba, chef de village de Tounga Chao, un village au sud-est du Niger. Le Programme d’Appui à la Mise en place des Entités Décentralisées dans la région de Dosso, phase 2 (PAMEDII) accompagne 12 communes dans la région de Dosso dans l’amélioration de la gouvernance communale, notamment en matière de planification et de suivi du développement communal, de mobilisation et de gestion transparente des ressources locales et de promotion d’un dialogue et d’une concertation entre les acteurs communaux afin d’être véritablement au service de la population, améliorant les vies des plus pauvres et des plus vulnérables.
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HCMUT-TBI has a new image
Huong TRANTHANH | 23/08/2017
In the framework of operational sustainability, the BTC funded Science & Technology Start-up Incubator Project BIPP supported the Ho Chi Minh University of Technology - Technology Business Incubation Centre to further excel within Vietnams’ technology startup ecosystem. The university incubator recently partnership with a private sector company “UP” to upgrade the incubator with high-end co-working space facilities. The joint partnership mission between the University Incubator and UP is to support high quality incubation and co-working facilities for science & technology startups. UP has sound experiences throughout Vietnam in arranging state of the art co-working space facilities. The development business plan of the incubator isto provide an ideal destination in HCM for start-ups, VCs, lecturers, students as well as people interested in startups with a wide range of networking activities, workshops, trainings, etc. Through the recently completed upgrading and renovation, the incubator strongly supports technology-based start-up businesses and groups, as well as provide potential incubation tenants with a professional working environment to hedge their science & technology ideas for prototyping as well as testing market commercialization. The BIPP project financially assisted the refurbishment of the incubator with partial equipment and furniture
