The King Baudouin Foundation has awarded the 2023-2024 Africa Prize to Her Initiative, in recognition of its work to unlock women’s economic potential, tackle the youth unemployment crisis and accelerate economic and social development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Tanzania has made significant progress on women’s empowerment and women’s rights. Yet, 60% of women still live in poverty and many don’t have access to the resources they need to shape their future and participate in economic development[1]. As a youth-first and women-led organisation, Her Initiative offers a range of innovative and holistic programmes which equip young women with the education, skills and resources needed to enter the job market or run their own businesses. Notably, Her Initiative aims to remove persisting barriers by leveraging the power of technology to advance digital inclusion among young women and girls. Its Panda Digital platform uses SMS technology to deliver learning courses in Swahili to young women with limited internet access, and its Digimali project helps young entrepreneurs scale-up their businesses online. Since its foundation in 2019, Her Initiative has reached over 15,000 young women and girls through its programmes, including supporting over 200 women to launch a business through Panda on the Ground and enabling 2,805 more to digitalise an existing business.

To support the next phase of its development in Tanzania and beyond, the KBF Africa Prize will provide Her Initiative with 200,000 euros (over 560 million Tanzanian shillings), as well as the opportunity to connect with the King Baudouin Foundation’s international network of non-profit organisations and development professionals. With this support, Her Initiative aims to expand its programmes in Tanzania and across East Africa to reach 100,000 more women over the next five years. It will also use the funds to bring together an ecosystem of youth organisations to facilitate knowledge sharing, share resources, and harness the power of African youth.

Lydia Charles Moyo, Founder and Executive Director of Her Initiative, comments:

“Gender-based violence, underage marriage and HIV are just a few examples of the problems that are stopping women from going to school, getting a job and breaking the cycle of poverty. My friends and I experienced these barriers when we were in high school, and so started to look for solutions to the challenges we were coming up against. And that’s how Her Initiative started.

“We already support young women to build their financial resilience in six Tanzanian regions, but with the KBF Africa Prize we will be able to scale our work to help so many more women to achieve their dreams in Tanzania and beyond.”

The 2023-2024 Africa Prize will be presented to Her Initiative at an awards ceremony today at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Brussels. The organisation was selected from a pool of more than 400 applicants by an independent committee of 12 international experts, including past winners of the KBF Africa Prize.

Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, Chair of the KBF Africa Prize Selection Committee 2023-2024 says:“The selection committee was highly impressed with Her Initiative’s combined approach to advancing women’s rights and financial independence. Coupled with its innovative use of modern technologies and strategic local partnerships, Her Initiative is a highly deserving recipient of this year’s KBF Africa Prize. We look forward to seeing what the team achieves in the years to come.”

The KBF Africa Prize recognises African organisations working to drive African-led solutions to the challenges facing the continent and to sustainably improve the lives of Africans. The Prize plays a transformative role in helping organisations scale-up and advocate for their work on a wider stage. Several past laureates, including Dr. Denis Mukwege, Elman Peace and Grameen Bank, have since been awarded and shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Stories Continues after ad

Victoria University has started a loan scheme for its students who are struggling with tuition in their course of study in order for them to acquire high-quality and affordable education in Uganda.

Victoria University administration urged all students willing to apply to wind-as the application deadline is almost closing.

“If you are concerned about tuition and how you’ll manage your expenses, don’t worry. The Government introduced the Students Loan Scheme, and Victoria University is Chartered and selected to assist you in securing your tuition through this Programme,” the Institution announced.

To take advantage of this opportunity, students are required to apply through Victoria University’s admission platform on https://vu.ac.ug/programmes/under-graduate or to alternatively, reach the administrators on 0782 397699

The institution added, “Upon admission to Victoria University Kampala our team will assist you in applying for the Students Loan Scheme, helping you secure the funding you need to pursue your education.”

Victoria University secured the loan scheme in September 2022 following the issue of Charter by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) on July 31st, 2022 and its subsequent approval by President Yoweri Museveni on August 19th, 2022.

Victoria University is currently the 13th Private University to receive a Charter with the total reaching 23 Universities including 10 Public Universities.

According to the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (2001), a Charter is granted by the President as evidence that the University meets the requirements and standards of academic excellence as stipulated by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).

Stories Continues after ad

Following the refusal by President Yoweri Museveni to sign the Appropriation Bill 2024 into law, Adolf Mwesige, Clerk to Parliament, has recalled Members of Parliament (MPs) from recess in order to reconsider the President’s concern raised in the letter, accompanying the returned Appropriation Bill 2024.

The Parliament passed the Appropriation bill 2024 on Thursday 16th of May, 2024.

Adolf Mwesige revealed that the President returned the Bill to Parliament for reconsideration in accordance with the provisions of Article 91 (b) and (c) of the constitution.

“This is to inform you that there will be a plenary sitting of Parliament on Tuesday, 2nd July at 2:00pm to reconsider the Appropriation Bill 2024,” Mwesige alerted the MPs.

Museveni declined to sign the Bill cautioning the Parliament to restore the Sh750 million that were reallocated from the government’s priorities in the period 2024/2025 Budget.

An Appropriation Act is a law that contains the amount of money to be spent by each government ministry, department and local government, and authorizes the withdrawal of that money from the Consolidated Fund.

The object of the Appropriation Bill was to provide for the authorization of public expenditure from the Consolidated Fund in the amount of Sh30.314 billion to meet the expenditure for the year ending June 30, 2025 and to appropriate supplies granted by Parliament.

Stories Continues after ad

Alfred, (not real name for safety reasons) is all praises for the personal support he received from Dr. Aggrey David Kibenge Permanent Secretary Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development. He was recently repatriated from Myanmar after a year ordeal in rebel captivity.

“I am really grateful, who am I to attract the attention of such big people”.He said when he came by to say thank you to the Permanent Secretary who he was meeting for the first time

I received a call from the Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja, she had received a distress call from some Ugandan Youth, most of them computer scientists who had been lured into Myanmar on false promises of Jobs and ended up in rebel captivity in the jungles of Myanmar.

“Definitely the Prime Minister contacted me on the understanding that the Ministry of Gender is responsible for externalisation of labour, but these were victims of trafficking.” Kibenge says

As the clock ticked so did the situation get desperate for the trafficked youth. “They were using us to commit internet fraud and you had a target if you fell short of the target they would punish you using electric shock.” Alfred narrates

Meanwhile in Kampala Dr. Aggrey Kibenge had advised the Prime Minister that the issue of the kidnapped youth would require an Inter-Ministerial committee including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Gender and others. It’s this advice that would break the jinx

“What came to my mind in the first place is that these are Ugandans, irrespective of how they ended up in Myanmar my duty is to ensure their safe return home.” Kibenge said when one of the rescued youth paid him a visit at the Ministry of Gender

“I kept calling the Prime Minister, Permanent Secretary and later Ambassador Bigombe who kept assuring us that our issue is being worked on and that is what kept our hope alive.” Recalls Alfred

“He would call you sometimes late in the night sometimes when you are in meetings and you step aside to talk to him, the last time you called I think I was in Geneva” Recalls Kibenge

Meanwhile in captivity the situation was getting desperate every passing day, many mostly Kenyans were committing suicide, other would be killed by the rebels, on average two people would die every day but every time we talked to some body home you would get energised that one day we shall be free.

Alfred had kept a phone on him during captivity, and as fate would have it his phone looked exactly like the phone the rebels gave them to use for their daily routine of committing online fraud in on banks and bitcoin. It’s that phone that helped him to call the Prime Minister Hon Robinah Nabanja and Permanent Secretary Aggrey David Kibenge. The phone contacts were got after a blind such on the Internet.

Every time I would get through on a call other would come around to listen in, Betty Bigombe asked as to share photos with her and we took the photos for 26 of us, others feared to take the photos, it appears it’s those photo rebels relied on to set us free those who feared to take photos remained in captivity

Stories Continues after ad

Uganda Prisons Service, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and European Union has trained prisons officers to strengthen efforts in managing violent extremist prisoners, preventing radicalization to violence and enhancing human rights in prisons.

The training, which kicked off at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala, and will conclude on Friday June 28th 2024 brought together 80 participants from various prisons in the Kampala Extra, Central, and North Central Regions, including Upper, Murchison Bay, SSU, Luzira Women, Kampala Remand, Kigo, Kitalya Mini Max, Kitalya Farm, Kasangati, Butuntumula, and Nakasongola Prisons.

Ms. Brenda Sana, Commissioner of Prisons (Commandant – PATS), presided over the opening ceremony and emphasized the importance of proper rehabilitation and reformation of Violent Extremist Prisoners (VEPs). She cautioned the officers on maintaining integrity while working in prisons and encouraged them to ask questions, share, and learn from each other during the training.

The training program for prison officers is ongoing at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala, it is equipping them with skills to prevent radicalization and violent extremism in prisons. The officers are learning how to identify and support vulnerable inmates, challenge harmful ideologies, and create a safe and secure environment.

They also gained knowledge on alternative narratives, counseling techniques, and rehabilitation strategies to counter extremist influences.

The training is part of a broader effort by the government of Uganda Uganda Prisons UNODC and European Union in Uganda to enhance prison management, improve staff capacity, and promote inmate rehabilitation. The initiative aims to reduce the risk of violence and terrorism and promote safer communities.

By understanding the signs of radicalization and how to address them, prison officers can play a crucial role in preventing the spread of violent extremism and keeping communities safe.

The training program also aims to enhance the capacity of prisons officers to manage VEPs, prevent radicalization, and promote human rights in prisons.

This will be achieved by establishing various centers countrywide to facilitate the training and developing Prisons Intelligence Platforms to prevent violent extremism, with all prisons in Uganda set to benefit from the initiative.

In the training, the participants gained insights into international frameworks and guidelines for preventing radicalization and violent extremism in prisons. They learned about the UN Standard Minimum Rule on treatment of offenders, the Ankara Memorandum, the Rome Memorandum, and the UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

Rehabilitation of prisoners is a collective effort that requires the active participation of every prison officer.

By understanding international standards and best practices, participants will be empowered to contribute to the development of effective rehabilitation programs, fostering a safer and more secure prison environment.

Mr. Muhurizi Papus, Superintendent of Prisons, coordinator of the program, emphasized the significance of the training, highlighting that the greatest achievement is having trainers who are uniformed prison officers, a departure from the past where consultants dominated. He affirmed the core mandate of Uganda Prisons as ensuring the safe, secure, and humane custody of offenders, and urged the officers to prioritize reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of inmates in their daily roles.

Congratulating the officers on their selection to participate in the course, he encouraged them to live up to the task bestowed upon them, emphasizing the importance of detecting security risks in their units. He assured them that they will be trained in best practices to enhance their capacity to prevent radicalization and violent extremism in prisons.

Stories Continues after ad