Day: March 6, 2024

TSUMEB: The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) in the Oshikoto Region is calling on NGOs, companies, and other stakeholders to come together to prevent crime in the region.

Regional Commander, Commissioner Theopoline Kalompo-Nashikaku in particular urged non-governmental organisations and private companies to come on board and create awareness in preventing crimes.

Kalompo-Nashikaku during a crime prevention stakeholder meeting held in Tsumeb on Wednesday said the police cannot solve crime alone; it needs stakeholders to help curb crime because having them on board will have a positive impact in society.

‘We cannot solve the crime alone, we need stakeholders to assist us in fighting crimes and safeguarding our society,’ she said.

Kalompo-Nashikaku said this after Dundee Precious Metal suffered from several copper wire theft incidents in the past 14 months. A total of seven cases were opened where suspects were arrested and several incidents were reported internally where no suspects were arrested.

She said t
hat copper wire theft is a serious problem in the town as Cenored regularly replaces copper wire.

Kalompo-Nashikaku also called on the public to not buy copper wire from any person.

‘People should not buy any copper wire from unlicensed business owners because they might also become culprits,’ she warned.

Dundee’s Protection Services and Emergency Response manager Jaco Haasbroek said the impact on the plant and community is that it caused an emergency shutdown due to water loss from the dam and powerplant.

He further said they lost production totalling an estimated loss of production revenue of N.dollars 22 million, electricity outages in town, and impact on other business revenue.

‘Our biggest challenge is the market owner of this copper wire theft and we want to kill the market for this culprit,’ said Haasbroek.

Law enforcement is planning to create awareness with stakeholders such as Telecom Namibia, Tsumeb Municipality, Dundee, Rubicon Security, Cenored, Ongopolo Mining, Office of the Prosecutor Gen
eral, and the local Neighbourhood Watch.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) has rolled out an outreach programme to contain the fresh HIV infections among the fishing community in Kisumu County

Through the initiative, NSDCC targets to train and build capacity for 140 Beach Management Unit (BMU) leaders to give impetus to the fight against the virus.

Kisumu and Siaya Regional HIV Aids Coordinator Steve Kathaka said the targeted BMU leaders will undergo a Training of Trainers programme on taming new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and in turn, cascade the information to their peers.

Each of the BMU leaders, he added, will reach out to 700 others working under them to drive the message home.

Kathaka said the focus on the fishing community comes against the backdrop of rising numbers of new infections amongst the fishing community, dealing a blow to the gains made in the fight against the virus.

‘Data is showing us that a large number of new HIV infections take place amongst the fis
hing community. That is why Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori counties rank among the top five in HIV burden in the country,’ he said.

He attributed the rise in infections to the migratory nature of fishermen and the availability of cash which fuels transactional sex.

This, he added, has further contributed to a sharp rise in teenage pregnancies in Kisumu with up to 6,000 cases reported in Kisumu County in the year 2022.

The trend, he said, was worrying since the teenagers who get pregnant are also exposed to HIV adding to the number of new infections in the area.

‘The number of cases is worrying because the same route for the pregnancies is the same route for HIV transmission,’ he said.

SGBV, he added, was rampant amongst the fisher folk in Kisumu with Nyakach, Nyando and Seme sub-counties recording the highest number of cases.

This, he said, was attributed to the nature of the work since fishermen venture into the lake and stay away from their families for days and when they return home conflicts ari
se.

Speaking at Asat Beach in Kisumu County during the launch of the three days’ outreach program, Kathaka said the BMU leaders will receive training on HIV prevention, use of PREP and PEP and adherence to Antiretroviral therapy and Tuberculosis (TB) drugs.

Adherence to ARV treatment and TB drugs, he said remained a big challenge among the fishing community adding that the BMU leaders shall be equipped with the necessary information and materials to educate their peers on the importance of taking the drugs.

‘This is a mobile population and adherence to treatment and attendance for health talks is wanting. As they venture into the lake some of them forget their drugs at home thus interfering with their treatment,’ he said.

‘That is why we are saying as you go fishing and you are on treatment please carry your medication with you so that you remain healthy,’ he said.

The TOTs, he added will also be engaged in sensitizing the community against non-communicable diseases especially cervical cancer which is on
the rise in the area.

Caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is common in uncircumcised men, he said, NSDCC has embarked on a programme to scale up Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision to reverse the tide.

The interventions, he said were set to create a demand for services and regenerate the vigour of fighting HIV in the area.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The government maintains its commitment to providing 12.5 million bags of subsidized fertilizer to farmers across the country this year ahead of the expected long rainy season.

Agriculture and Livestock Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi says the distribution exercise has kicked off in time for the farming season which has commenced in most parts of the country.

Linturi also announced that in a bid to reduce the overreliance on imported edible oil, for every purchase of subsidized fertilizer, farmers will receive free certified sunflower seeds.

He says the high-quality subsidized fertilizers will help boost food production in the country and enhance nutrition and food security.

‘All the steps we are undertaking underscores the government’s dedication to bolstering agricultural self-sufficiency,’ he said.

The CS accompanied by Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani and State Department of Crop Production Principal Secretary Paul Rono spoke during the flagging off of the subsidized fertilizer distribution excise at t
he National Cereal and Produce Board in Kwale town.

He said the flagging off the distribution of fertilizers and seeds to farmers in the area as part of measures of the government to ensure bumper harvest by local farmers during this rainy season.

The minister at the same time inaugurated bulk mobile grain dryers aiming to support farmers in preserving their yields effectively.

He stressed the importance of utilizing the dryers noting the role they play in preventing post-harvest losses and ensuring the proper storage and drying of harvests.

The Agriculture CS urged farmers to register and redeem vouchers promptly as there is a sufficient supply of certified fertilizers.

Emphasizing oil crop production, especially in Kwale, Linturi says his ministry is providing complimentary sunflower seeds to farmers alongside their fertilizers fostering agricultural growth.

Later the Agriculture minister inaugurated the Kwale PAVI Milling facility in Msambweni, Kwale County, he emphasized its role in increasing farme
rs’ incomes in the Kwale PAVI (Kwale Pamba na Viazi) farmers’ cooperative through value addition.

He highlighted value addition for its positive impact allowing local farmers in Kwale to not only harvest their grain but also enhance its value.

Governor Achani says the mobile cereal driers can dry 110 bags of cereals in 2 hours and it comes as a major boost to Kwale smallholder farmers who had a bumper harvest in the last season.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Ministry of Agriculture announced that Feed the Future Ethiopia Transforming Agriculture Activity has developed a ground-breaking Enset processing machine in partnership with Arba Minch University and local private companies.

During the launching program, Agriculture State Minister Meles Mekonen said this ground-breaking innovation of Enset processing machine has been developed by the Feed the Future Ethiopia Transforming Agriculture Activity, Arba Minch University, and private companies.

According to him, this will effectively address one of the strategic issues identified during the preparation of the National Enset Development Flagship Program.

In 2021, the Government of Ethiopia launched the “Sodo Declaration” that focuses on the Enset value chain in 2021.

A National Enset Development Flagship Program (NEDFaP) wasthen developed to streamline strategic interventions to be implemented from 2023 to 2030, it was learned.

The general objective of the flagship program is to transform Enset research, prod
uction, processing and marketing into a robust, competitive, commercially oriented, and sustainably productiveindustry.

The state minister noted that Enset is not just a crop. It’s a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia, especially in Sidama, Central, South West and Southern region of Ethiopia.

Enset’sremarkable resilience to drought and climate change makes it even more crucial in these times of environmental challenges.

The traditional way of Enset production, processing and consumption has long been hampered by labor-intensive methods, placing an unfair burden on women and girls who are primarily responsible for this difficult task.

Ethiopia Transforming Agriculture is a five-year, 67 million USD activity that seeks to influence and inspire the country’s agriculture and food system actors to sustainably improve the diets of 7 million people, particularly women and children living in 132 target woredas across the country.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Uwezo Fund disbursed cheques worth a total of Sh 740,000 to deserving youth and women groups in Bomet County.

The event, graced by the Bomet Central Assistant County Commissioner Rose Mirition on behalf of the area Deputy County Commissioner, marked a significant step towards empowering local communities and fostering economic growth.

The issuance of the Sh 740,000 in cheques implies a commitment from the government’s Bottom Up Transformation Agenda (BETA) to supporting small-scale businesses, women’s groups, and youth initiatives.

The Uwezo Fund aims to uplift these community projects, enabling them to thrive and contribute to the local economy.

Through initiatives like the Uwezo Fund, underrepresented communities are given the tools they need to succeed and prosper.

Director Japhet Turgut expressed his enthusiasm about the impact of the Uwezo Fund on grassroots initiatives, stating, ‘This initiative is a game-changer for these groups, providing them with the financial resources needed to realize their
full potential’.

‘Empowerment starts with a single act of financial and training support from the government. The ripple effect of support can transform lives and communities,’ explained Rugut.

By providing financial assistance to grassroots groups, the Uwezo Fund not only empowers individuals but also spurs economic growth at the community level. The impact of these funds goes beyond monetary value, igniting a sense of hope and determination among beneficiaries.

With the support of the Uwezo Fund, local initiatives have the opportunity to flourish and make a tangible difference in their communities.

Funds issued on this remarkable day serve as a beacon of progress and a testament to the power of collective empowerment.

Since its inception, the Fund has disbursed more than Sh7.2 billion countrywide and directly supported 1,124,221 beneficiaries of which 69% are female and 31% male through the provision of affordable and accessible credit, capacity building on entrepreneurship skills, basics on bookkeepin
g and market linkages and networking.

Source: Kenya News Agency