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Funding enables opportunities for Kenya’s youth

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from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – KENYA and the World Bank have enhanced the creation of employment opportunities for vulnerable youth and marginalised communities with an allocation of KSh120 million (US$15,5 million).

The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, Innovation and Youth Affairs as well as the World Bank made the funds available through the Future Bora Initiative aimed at creating income-generating opportunities for orphan youth, youth affected by conflict, persons with disabilities, young single mothers, street youths and youth from vulnerable and marginalized communities.

Afya Research Africa, Hydroponics Africa, Life In Abundance-Kenya and TakaTaka Solutions, received the funding for winning the Future Bora Initiative.

Charles Sunkuli, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of ICT, State Department for Youth Affairs, said the ministry’s goal was to empower the vulnerable and under-served youths and create job opportunities for them.

“These youths have adversely been affected by unemployment as they are excluded from benefiting from formal employment, thus forcing them to depend on others for survival,” he said.

The vulnerable communities also face societal barriers such as lack of mentorship, stigmatisation and misconceptions, limited access to adaptive learning and sole childcare responsibilities.

“These lead to low household income and poor living standards. By supporting such winning organizations – that facilitate self-sustenance opportunities to these highly susceptible categories of youths – the ICT Ministry, through the Future Bora Initiative, will ensure sustainable generation of income and boosting of their living standards,” Sunkuli said.

Dr Paolo Belli, World Bank’s Program Leader – Education, Health and Social Protection in Africa, said the four organisations, with transformational solutions for creating economic empowerment opportunities for the most vulnerable Kenyan youths, were selected from a pool of over 300 applications that were received from across the country.

“All applications underwent a rigorous evaluation process by a pool of an independent judging panel,” he said.

Each of the winning organisations is set to receive a grant funding of up to KSh30 million for implementing these solutions, disbursed in tranches based on goals achieved.

The Future Bora initiative is one of the projects under the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project funded by the World Bank through a KSh15 billion credit aimed at empowering more than 280 000 youths between the ages of 18 and 35 years.

– CAJ News

 

MTN modernises network in SA

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by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – MTN, the leading emerging markets operator in Africa and the Middle East, has selected Nokia to drive its voice core evolution and network modernization in South Africa.

By leveraging Nokia’s 5G cloud infrastructure and cloud-native IMS, MTN South Africa is modernizing and expanding its Voice over Broadband, Voice over WiFi and Voice over LTE (VoLTE), a digital service over its LTE wireless high-speed data network.

This gives users faster and more reliable connectivity experiences. Nokia IMS and VoLTE lay the foundation for Voice over 5G, a fundamental requirement for the introduction of 5G for mobile phones.

“With Nokia cloud-native IMS, MTN has a strong path to 5G,” said Giovanni Chiarelli, Chief Technology and Information Officer at MTN South Africa.

“This deployment allows us to provide customers the highest quality and fastest connectivity, including superior voice connectivity through VoLTE. Nokia is our longstanding partner and has been integral for us to bring the industry’s best services and products to our users and enhance customer experience,” said Chiarelli.

Through this strategic and longstanding partnership between the two companies, MTN is also able to expand this modernization to its networks in other African countries.

“By adopting a cloud-based network foundation through Nokia, MTN enhances the customer network experience, as well as ensures much-needed flexibility and lower network management costs,” said Raghav Sahgal, President of Cloud and Network Services, Nokia.

– CAJ News

 

Botswana bourse in the red

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from ODIRILE TOTENG in Gaborone, Botswana
GABORONE, (CAJ News) – THE Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) is bearing the brunt of the country’s economic decline linked to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

During the period January 1 to August 31, the Domestic Company Index (DCI) depreciated by 2 percent in comparison to a decrease of 5,9 percent during the same period in 2020.

The Domestic Company Total Return Index (DCTRI) appreciated by 1,6 percent in comparison to a decrease of 2,4 percent in the corresponding 2020 period.

The Foreign Company Index (FCI) appreciated by 0,1 percent on a year to date basis in 2021 compared to a decline of 0,8 percent over the same period in 2020.

As at the end of August 2021, a total equity turnover of P405,1 million (US$36,9 million) was recorded from traded volumes of 280,5 million shares compared to P483,3 million recorded from 274,3 million shares in 2020.

The market capitalisation of listed bonds stood at P22,4 billion.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects the Botswana economy to grow by 7,5 percent in 2021.

The Southern African country was one of the world’s poorest countries at independence in 1966 but rapidly became one of the world’s development successes.

President Mokgweetsi Keabetswe Masisi’s government has been urged to diversify Botswana’s economy from an over-reliance on diamond mining.

– CAJ News

Huawei expands STEM learning in SA

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from NJABULO BUTHELEZI in Durban
DURBAN, (CAJ News) – HUAWEI has recommitted to promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in South Africa.

This past weekend, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor officially opened a newly-refurbished Science Laboratory and library at Siqongweni High School at Imbali Township in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.

The science laboratory has been built with the help of Huawei South Africa at a cost of approximately R500 000 (US$35 000).

Spawn Fan, Huawei South Africa Chief Executive Officer, said in South Africa, ICT technologies has played a prominent role in fighting the pandemic and continues to play a crucial role in the economic recovery process.

“Science and technology can empower young South Africans,” Fan said.

However, the Huawei boss urged South Africa’s youth to be equipped with the skills necessary to take advantage of the economic opportunities and compete both locally and internationally.

“That’s why Huawei is investing in STEM-related infrastructure at all levels to grow innovation of local solutions for social problems,” Fan added.

He said the laboratory at Siqongweni High School was at a micro-level.

“The learners here have just as much potential to be great scientists as anyone else,” Fan said.

“Thanks to the science lab, they’ll be in a much better space to achieve that potential. We are just proud to be part of this initiative and look forward to seeing continued success from Siqongweni High School.”

Huawei runs a series of youth programmes which include training in new technologies like 5G, cloud and artificial intelligence, a bursary programme for postgraduates, an intern and graduate programme and the Huawei ICT Academy, which runs in more than 50 universities and colleges around South Africa.

– CAJ News

 

 

 

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