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“This is an area where this cooperation between Africa and China can really be very useful … Especially at a time when the world is facing disruptions in terms of food distribution through supply chains,” said Monique Nsanzabaganwa, deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission.

DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) — Fikiri Kisairo, a farmer from Kitete village of the Morogoro region, west of Tanzania’s economic capital Dar es Salaam, walks with pride as he looks after his thriving corn crop.

“The days of spending sleepless nights thinking about how to pay school fees for my two children are over,” said Kisairo, a beneficiary of the decade-long China-Tanzania agricultural cooperation.

People attend a forum on Achievements of China-Tanzania Agricultural Cooperation: Small Technology, Big Harvest project, in Morogoro region, Tanzania, on Nov. 16, 2021. (Photo by Nurdin Pallangyo/Xinhua)

SMALL TECHNOLOGY, BIG HARVEST

Kisairo joined a maize project in 2019 overseen by China Agricultural University (CAU) in collaboration with Tanzania’s Sokoine University of Agriculture in a few villages in the Morogoro region. This project, called “Small Technology, Big Harvest,” aims to reduce poverty in this rural region of Tanzania.

Today, with a family of five, Kisairo has managed to not only pay his children’s school fees, but also build a deep-water cellar to irrigate his about 1.21-hectare vegetable garden throughout the year, including the dry season.

Martine Shigela, regional commissioner of Morogoro, said that with the help of local authorities in collaboration with the CAU, farmers have boosted their maize yield significantly, and 1,667 demonstration farmers have grown at least one acre (about 0.4 hectares) of maize each.

Denis Nkala, regional coordinator for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office of South-South Cooperation, said the project is a concrete example of China-Africa cooperation for resilience and food security, achieved through a demand-driven, multi-stakeholder approach.

“Through the sharing of good farming practices, the project aims to triple maize production and increase farmers’ incomes, thus contributing to poverty reduction, food security and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Tanzania,” Nkala said.

SMALL BEAN, GREAT NUTRITION

Soy milk, a traditional Chinese drink rich in flavors and nutrients, is gaining popularity among local villagers. “I love it and I hope my friends will like it too. It’s good for our health,” said Tatu Seif, a 62-year-old farmer from Kitete village.

Soybeans were first introduced to the Morogoro region through another China-Tanzania cooperation project, dubbed “Small Bean, Great Nutrition.”

According to Morogoro’s 1991-2018 Nutrition Report, local farmers long suffered from malnutrition due to limited protein, vitamins and minerals with their outdated farming techniques.

To effectively improve their nutritional structure by promoting inter-cropping soybeans, Chinese agronomist Li Xiaoyun and his team at the CAU decided to work with the local authorities to promote the project in four villages, and provided on-site and remote instructions on planting and management techniques.

“Soy milk is enjoyable, especially for children under five, pregnant and lactating women to improve their health, and the project should reach as many people as possible,” said Rozalia Grayson Rwegasira, deputy administrative secretary in charge of the economic and productive sector at the Morogoro regional police station.

Through this project, farmers “will get a substitute for cow’s milk, which is expensive and rarely available,” said Leah John Mwingira, another agricultural extension worker.

FINE EXAMPLE OF CHINA-AFRICA COOPERATION

Poverty reduction and agricultural development are among the nine China-Africa cooperation programs announced last year at the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The Morogoro region, one of Tanzania’s agricultural bases, is a miniature of such collaboration.

China and Tanzania are good partners in the agricultural sector, said Xu Chen, minister counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania. Through experience sharing and investments, bilateral agricultural cooperation projects have not only increased crop yields, but also improved the living conditions of many local farmers. Meanwhile, an increasing number of Tanzanian agricultural products are entering the Chinese market, Xu said.

China-Africa agricultural cooperation can help realize Africa’s aspiration for self-sufficiency by harnessing its own natural resources, said Monique Nsanzabaganwa, deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission.

“This is an area where this cooperation between Africa and China can really be very useful … Especially at a time when the world is facing disruptions in terms of food distribution through supply chains,” she said.  

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with visiting Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Beijing on Thursday.

Commending the development of bilateral relations between China and Tanzania, Li said the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has made strategic plans for China’s development in the coming period, and China will continue to carry forward high-level opening-up.

Li said China stands ready to work with Tanzania to enhance the alignment of development strategies, deepen cooperation in key areas such as economics and trade, energy, health, agriculture and fishery, and enhance people-to-people exchanges.

China is willing to expand imports of marketable Tanzanian products and encourage Chinese companies to increase investment in Tanzania, said Li, adding that the Chinese side hopes that Tanzania will provide necessary support.

On China-Africa relations, Li said China is willing to work with African countries on the basis of sincerity and equality, increase unity and mutual trust, and pursue inclusive and sustainable development.

Hassan thanked China for its support and assistance to Tanzania over the years, saying Tanzania firmly upholds the one-China policy and is committed to carrying forward its traditional friendship with China.

She said that Tanzania will implement the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, promote cooperation on trade, investment, agriculture, fishery, infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges.

Tanzania welcomes investment from Chinese companies, Hassan added. 

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with visiting Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Beijing on Thursday.

Commending the development of bilateral relations between China and Tanzania, Li said the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has made strategic plans for China’s development in the coming period, and China will continue to carry forward high-level opening-up.

Li said China stands ready to work with Tanzania to enhance the alignment of development strategies, deepen cooperation in key areas such as economics and trade, energy, health, agriculture and fishery, and enhance people-to-people exchanges.

China is willing to expand imports of marketable Tanzanian products and encourage Chinese companies to increase investment in Tanzania, said Li, adding that the Chinese side hopes that Tanzania will provide necessary support.

On China-Africa relations, Li said China is willing to work with African countries on the basis of sincerity and equality, increase unity and mutual trust, and pursue inclusive and sustainable development.

Hassan thanked China for its support and assistance to Tanzania over the years, saying Tanzania firmly upholds the one-China policy and is committed to carrying forward its traditional friendship with China.

She said that Tanzania will implement the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, promote cooperation on trade, investment, agriculture, fishery, infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges.

Tanzania welcomes investment from Chinese companies, Hassan added. 

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Beijing on Thursday. The two presidents announced the elevation of the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Noting that President Hassan is the first African head of state China has received after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi said it speaks volumes about the two countries’ close ties and the important position of China-Africa relations on China’s diplomatic agenda.

Xi recalled putting forth, while visiting Tanzania in 2013, the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith to guide China’s cooperation with African countries. It has now become the basic policy guiding China’s solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries.

Under the new circumstances, the sound growth of China-Tanzania relations not only advances the common and long-term interests of the two countries, but also carries great significance for building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, said Xi.

Xi briefed President Hassan on the proceedings of the 20th CPC National Congress. He pointed out that starting from now, the central task of the CPC will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

“Modernization does not mean Westernization,” Xi said, adding China has already found a development path suited to its national conditions. Chinese modernization is grounded in China’s own realities, with features that are unique to the Chinese context, said Xi.

Xi pointed out both the CPC and the Tanzanian Revolutionary Party (CCM) shoulder the historical mission of strengthening themselves and the country they govern, adding the CPC will expand exchanges and cooperation with the CCM and support the curriculum and operation of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School.

Xi stressed that China views its relations with Tanzania from a strategic perspective and will always be a trustworthy friend of Tanzania. Moving forward, Xi said the two sides should advance friendship and cooperation across the board, in keeping with the China-Tanzania comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

China firmly supports Tanzania in upholding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and in exploring a path of development that suits Tanzania’s conditions. China and Tanzania will continue to show firm support on issues involving each other’s core interests and major concerns, said Xi.

Xi also said China will further increase import of specialty products from Tanzania, and support Chinese companies in investing and operating in Tanzania, so as to contribute to the economic and social development of Tanzania. China is ready to exchange experience and best practices with Tanzania on rural revitalization, and support the betterment of livelihood there, added Xi.

Xi pointed out that the Tazara Railway marks a milestone in China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendship. Even when China was poor, it tightened its belt to help its African brothers build this railway. “Now that China is more developed, it is better placed to act on the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, help our African friends achieve common development, and build a stronger China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.”

In growing China-Africa relations, Xi said both sides need to remain committed to the overall direction of mutual trust, mutual benefit, mutual learning and mutual assistance. Both China and Africa need to build on their time-honored traditional friendship, carry forward the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and show greater historical initiative in advancing friendship between China and Africa, he added.

Xi went on to point out China’s continuous development will create new opportunities for Africa. China will speed up the implementation of the ongoing nine initiatives for cooperation with Africa. “With a particular focus on infrastructure, we will continue to nurture new drivers for China-Africa cooperation through trade, investment and financing.”

China stands ready to work with African countries to uphold the basic norms governing international relations including the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, actively operationalize the Global Development Initiative, increase the representation and voice of developing countries in global governance, and do more to bring about a community with a shared future for mankind, said Xi.

Noting that she was excited and honored to be invited to visit China soon after the successful conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress, Hassan said that the visit is a testament to the high level of Tanzania-China relations.

On behalf of the CCM and the Tanzanian government, Hassan once again extended warm congratulations on the success of the 20th CPC National Congress and Xi’s re-election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

Tanzania views China as its top real friend and will always be a trustworthy partner for China, said Hassan, adding that with the establishment of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, Tanzania will work with China to strengthen practical cooperation across the board, take the relationship to a new height, and turn it into an exemplar for Africa-China relations in the new era.

Hassan stressed that Tanzania will continue to firmly support China on issues relating to Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and other core interests of China.

She expressed appreciation for China’s support in the development of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School, and conveyed the hope of southern Africa’s six sister parties to step up experience sharing with China on national governance in order to achieve better development.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has not only boosted the development of African countries in various fields, but also had a demonstrative effect in driving other countries’ cooperation with Africa and helped enhance Africa’s international standing, the president said, adding that Tanzania will continue to take an active part in and support the development of FOCAC.

Noting that the Global Development Initiative put forth by Xi is very timely and conducive to addressing the global challenges of today, Hassan said Tanzania will work with China to operationalize this initiative and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The two heads of state agreed to keep up the momentum of high-level exchanges and dialogue, and enhance exchanges and cooperation at all levels between the localities, legislatures and political parties of the two countries.

They agreed to expand the scale of bilateral trade, boost the level of trade and economic cooperation, deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, advance cooperation projects on infrastructure, enhance industrial complementarity and production capacity cooperation, and expand mutually-beneficial cooperation in such areas as manufacturing and processing, green development and digital economy.

The two heads of state reached consensus on strengthening people-to-people and cultural exchanges, holding a China-Tanzania year of tourism and culture at an appropriate time, encouraging more exchanges between the academics and media organizations of the two countries, and carrying forward the friendship between the two peoples.

The two presidents agreed to enhance cooperation in international and multilateral settings, step up communication and cooperation on climate change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and jointly uphold international fairness, justice and the common interests of both sides.

At the end of the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents covering trade, investment, development cooperation, digital economy, green development and blue economy. The two sides issued a Joint Statement on Establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the People’s Republic of China and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Prior to the talks, Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Hassan in the Great Hall of the People.

Upon President Hassan’s arrival at the Great Hall of the People, a 21-gun salute was fired in Tiananmen Square to greet her. Seventeen honor guards lined up the steps on both sides of the red carpet to salute her and trumpeters blew horns to welcome her. The two presidents stepped onto the review stand, after which the military band played the national anthems of the two countries. Accompanied by Xi, Hassan then reviewed the guard of honor of the People’s Liberation Army and watched the march-past.

After the talks, Xi held a welcoming banquet for Hassan at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People.

Wang Yi and He Lifeng, among others, were present at the events. 

NAS catering services are the overall winners of this year’s Hospitality & Tourism Sports Organisation(Hotoso) games after garnering 164 points.
Tribes Hotel finished second after collecting 118 points. Kenya Utalii College(KUC) came third with 74 while Move NPick and Four points followed each other in that order with 56 and 50 points respectively.
Due to the uncertainty facing the hotel Industry where several hotels were closed while others are making a comeback following the Covid pandemic invasion, this year’s Hotoso games attracted few teams compared to previous years.
The event that featured Football, Athletics, Volleyball, Tug of war, pool Table and Badminton among others attracted five teams and three guest clubs.
The guest teams were Machakos county based Maanzoni Lodge, Kenya rural(KERA) and Kudheiya.
In football, Four points Hotel emerged the new champions after edging out stubborn Moven N pick 2-1.The winners who were a joy to watch scored through man of the match Japhet Mzungu who scored a double in the first half before MovenN pick exploded in the second half with their consolation goal coming in the 75th min through Victor Muchina. The goal came barely a minute after their goal scored by former Tusker FC midfielder Fred Ojuang was disallowed for offside.
Hotoso Games chairman Julius Koech lauded participants for honoring the event during a short notice and exhibiting high level of discipline despite the two years absence owing to the Covid pandemic.
He promised a better tournament next year. He said the event was hampered by low turn-out as several hotel s like Hotel Intercontinental were closed while others are making a comeback after they resumed work following their closure.

by Maximilla Wafula

Ambassador of Hope , Okoa Maisha Initiative, Brother Reuben Kigame today launch an emergency response to the dire hunger crisis in Kenya , whereby he
called attention to the severe hunger situation and the serious humanitarian crisis that our dear country is grappling with.

The Arid and Semi-arid counties of Kenya (ASALs) are experiencing a fifth consecutive season of severely depressed rainfall. This has led to acute water shortages, livestock deaths, crop failures and serious mental health challenges. According to the Humanitarian Network and national disaster reports, over 4.5 million Kenyans in ASAL counties are experiencing acute food insecurity.

Over 2.5 million animal deaths have been reported. An estimated 54,500 children are at the risk of dropping out of school at a sensitive time of national examinations. Over 942,000 children under the age of five years are severely affected as malnutrition levels in some of these counties such as Marsabit, Turkana and Kajiado hit three times the global average. Weather experts are already predicting a gloomy outlook of a sixth failed season for March to May 2023.

It is against this background that we, Kenyans of diverse faiths, political persuasions, private and non-state actors hereby launch the ‘Okoa Maisha’ Initiative. Through this initiative, we are mobilising humanitarian support from Kenyans of goodwill – the private sector, individuals, Kenyans in the Diaspora and humanitarian actors – to cushion our severely affected brothers and sisters who are at a dire risk of starvation. The initiative is targeting to reach over 1,000,000 severely affected Kenyans from ASAL counties in the short term and millions more in the long-term.

We therefore request you to support us with dry food stuff, nutritional supplements to malnourished children, money, water, logistics support such as transport among other emergency needs. A dedicated pay bill number – 188668; Account Number: Okoa Maisha, has been set up for the same. Please help us to spread this message as widely as possible.

We appreciate the support that we have received so far from the Pastoralist Parliamentary Group (PPG), non-profit actors such as Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Group, Juhudi Mashinani and Christ is the Answer (CITAM), ministries. We also appreciate the in selflessness of Brother Reuben Kigame who has agreed to be our Ambassador of Hope in this initiative.

As an initiative, we appreciate the ongoing humanitarian efforts by the Government of Kenya, county governments, non-state actors, faith-based organisations, private sector players and other Kenyans of goodwill. We call on the Government of Kenya to accelerate emergency interventions to the level of a National Disaster that this crisis is.
Ends…..

by Jeff Kizzilah

Director, Economic Development and Regional Integration Dr. Paul Otung when addressing distinguished youth delegates from the 12 ICGLR Member States during the international conference of the grate lakes region in the Republic of Kenya .

He emphasized on promoting regional learning in agricultural and industrial for job creation for youths , opportunities through the establishment and promotion of cooperatives .

Through the project promotions of youth employment in GLR is a capacity building project for the youth by IGLR . Prioritized eight ICGLR member states based on unemployment and poverty rate . Targeted countries includes : South Sudan , Republic of Congo, Sudan , CAR , DRC, Burundi, Zambia, Angola, Kenya , Rwanda , Tanzania and Uganda .

To benefit from the regional research and learning , the project will cost about USD10M , over a period of 5 years in pertneship with Development Partners like AfDB, UN agencies and UN Office of the Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region according to Dr. Paul Otung.

The three components project will includes : project management and institutional capacity building, Regional research and Regional learning. The project will help train in the field of cooperative to eight Ms of ICGLR, support the national empowerment framework and the gender empowerment in GLR MS.
The project outcome will enhance knowledge a mong the youths management cooperative, lessons and shared experience and technical capacity in the areas of establishing and running agricultural and industrial cooperatives . Due to the a bove the project incur several challenges including social cultural factors, time and budget .
Ends ..

Staff Reporter

Women suffer in business because of lack of sustainable market.

Dr. Jennifer Riria CEO Kenya Women Holding Group has said women should be bold and think of What is competition everyday,our problem we copy each other in business.

“There are too many policies in kenya,we must lobby too much,over 90% are with small women in business, we need to be recognized in the financial sector ,”Dr. Riria

From different perspective of business.

She says, women should focus on one business,get your role model in business.

“Don’t assume your passion mold it and get network enough,” she adds

She was speaking during the Annual KCB bank Women Proposition Networking forum.

 Launched in 2011, the Orange (www.Orange.com) Social Venture Prize (OSVP) in Africa and the Middle East recognizes the best tech start-up projects that make a positive impact on society or the environment in their region or align with sustainable development goals.

The competition reflects the Group’s drive to further socioeconomic progress in its operating countries, support social and environmental innovation and encourage entrepreneurship.

A 12^th edition that exceptionally recognized five winners

This year, nearly 1,400 applications were submitted from across the 17 countries involved in the competition.

The OSVP is split into two awards:

• The International Women’s Prize, which awards €20,000 to the winner whose business venture is led by women entrepreneurs or with the primary purpose of improving women’s lives by developing solutions to specific obstacles or issues they face.
• The International Grand Prix, which recognizes three projects that harness tech to make a positive social and environmental impact. The three winners receive the following:

• 1^st prize: €25,000
• 2^nd prize: €15,000
• 3^rd prize: €10,000

For the second time in 12 years, the panel decided to award the Judges’ Choice prize – €10,000 given to a project that is expected to make a particularly significant impact.

Winners of the international competition

At the Mobile World Congress Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, from October 25 to 27, 2022, Elizabeth Tchoungui, Executive Director CSR, Diversity and Philanthropy and Deputy Chair for the Orange Foundation, and Brelotte Ba, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Orange Middle East & Africa, held a ceremony during which the winners were announced.

The winner of the International Women’s Prize is:

• iRole ! (https://oran.ge/3W2Qiy8) (Jordan) – iRole! is a digital platform that connects women looking for remote work with organizations seeking to fill such vacancies.

The winners of the International Grand Prix are:

• 3^rd prize: Kamioun (https://oran.ge/3gMI3G4) (Tunisia) – Kamioun has developed an e-commerce platform to supply local convenience stores in Tunisia.

• 2^nd prize: Biomass4GLC (https://oran.ge/3swU9Gk) (Mali) – Biomass4GLC produces and distributes biogas suitable for cooking in Mali by renting out connected systems.

• 1^st prize: LifeBlood (https://oran.ge/3SF2FNX) (Sierra Leone) – LifeBlood is a digital health platform designed to solve the acute shortage of blood products available in the country’s healthcare system.

The winner of the Judges’ Choice prize is:

• Abana (https://oran.ge/3TUUyOj) (Democratic Republic of the Congo) – Abana is a marketplace through which clothes designers can sell their creations to shoppers.

A long track record of supporting entrepreneurship, responsible innovation and empowerment of women in Africa and the Middle East

Across the continent, which is enjoying vibrant population growth and considerable economic momentum, young African entrepreneurs find themselves more in need of support than ever. As a long-standing driver of progress in Africa, Orange seeks to support young people by giving them the possibility to raise their profile, through the Orange Social Venture Prize. Orange puts in place tangible action to promote and improve gender equality, an area that has long been identified by the Group as a priority, for example by creating the International Women’s Prize and including it in the OSVP. Part of the competition for three years now, this prize acknowledges projects designed to improve women’s lives.

Since the OSVP was launched in 2011, Orange has awarded €600,000 in prize money to over 30 winners and has financed mentoring and support for nearly 90 entrepreneurs from experts at Orange or its partners.

Social entrepreneurship in Africa and the Middle East is more deeply rooted than ever in the lives of people, especially women. This trend is confirmed by the number of female candidates collected under the OSVP 2022 which is in line with the continental average, which is nearly 30% according to World Bank.

 Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s (www.Marriott.com) award-winning travel programme and marketplace, is proud to announce its exclusive multi-year partnership to become the official accommodation partner of Orlando Pirates Football Club. The partnership will offer fans incredible opportunities to experience football in South Africa at a whole new level through unrivalled and exclusive access.

“The partnership with Orlando Pirates is an exciting opportunity for us to provide Marriott Bonvoy members and football enthusiasts with VIP access and money-can’t-buy experiences,” said Neal Jones, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, EMEA, Marriott International. “Orlando Pirates is one of South Africa’s biggest sporting brands and together, we look forward to creating some unforgettable moments for Marriott Bonvoy members, inspired by the thrill and excitement Orlando Pirates games.”                                         

Since their formation in 1937, Orlando Pirates have been a fixture in the history and heart of the South African sporting landscape. Brought to life through this partnership, Pirates fans can experience their team and community through unique and shared opportunities.

“We are very excited as a Club to be associated with such an iconic worldwide travel programme that is Marriott Bonvoy. Orlando Pirates is proud to become Marriott Bonvoy’s first sports Club partner on the African continent, and to be joining a list of renowned sports brands that are already associated with programme.  We will strive to unlock some great experiences for the Orlando Pirates fans throughout this relationship,’’ said Joseph Bertrand, Brand and Sponsorship Manager, Orlando Pirates Football Club.

Marriott Bonvoy members and Orlando Pirates fans who follow the Buccaneers by attending their games across the country will be rewarded with access to exclusive hotel offers.

Through this partnership, Marriott Bonvoy members will have the opportunity to experience South African football like never before with rewards such as grandstand seats, VIP suite access and extraordinary content, as well as with money-can’t-buy experiences through Marriott Bonvoy Moments. 

Ex Buccaneer striker and TV analyst, Phumudzo Manenzhe, has been named as the Official Ambassador of the partnership. With a successful football career including a stint at the Bucs, Manenzhe will provide Marriott Bonvoy members with unique insights into the inner workings of the team and offer valuable strategic opinions on upcoming fixtures both online through a series of filmed opinion pieces, and face-to-face at member exclusive events.