''Corona Voice'' - Angola. The tok show with Sofonie Dala. Don't Miss It. Day 20

 Our coronavirus show is live in Angola. Day 20

The disproportionate effect of the pandemic on young people has exacerbated inequalities and risks reducing the productive potential of an entire generation.The situation has been even worse for youth living in lower-income countries.

Our today's guest is Father Orange, he will sing and share with us how the covid-19 pandemic affected his life.

COVID affected me, affected me. Covid affected me, affected  me

I don't know what I'm going to do, I'm homeless, without a home to sleep

I need some help for me to be okay

Covid entered me and entered the entire world

That's why I'm here singing like this

COVID affected me, affected me. Covid affected me, affected me

I'm here always pausing to fight but I'm not finding anything, only God knows the day that will give me something

I'm here all the time complaining, but I can't find anything I don't know when I'll find

COVID affected me, affected  me. Covid affected  me, affected  me

I want you to look at me, help me get out of this disgrace

So I always sing, COVID affected me, affected me. Covid affected me, affected me

This covid that is here with us is putting us down, leading us to bankruptcy

COVID affected  me, affected  me. Covid affected  me, affected me

After singing for us, Father Orange decided to share the impact of the covid-19 pandemic in his life.

Hello, my name is Orange father, I was impacted by the covid-19 pandemic. I am very down, I really need help.

Anyone who has anything please donate to help me.

“The pandemic is inflicting multiple shocks on young people. It is not only destroying their jobs and employment prospects, but also disrupting their education and training and having a serious impact on their mental well-being."

This is the first and the only Coronavirus show in Angola where the most ordinary citizens show their brilliant talents.

The heroes of the program are the most ordinary citizens - they share with the audience their songs, poems and real stories of how the Coronavirus pandemic affected their lives.

We launched the “Corona Voice show” campaign to provide a space for young women and men around Angola to share their views, experiences and initiatives.

FIND SOMEONE TO SPONSOR TODAY

Your sponsorship will help the most affected people by covid-19 to take the first step out of poverty.

Father Orange was with us in the beginning of the program. Do you remember him?

Click here to see his first interview: https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2020/12/corona-voice-angola-tok-show-with_6.html

Africa Educates Her Campaign - Angola. Season 3. Don't Miss Out! Webisode 6

 Our girls back to school campaign is ongoing. Day 6

Both early teen marriage and dropping out of school have historically been associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including higher poverty rates throughout life.

Our today's guest  is Luisa, she will share with us her academic history and consequences of her choices.

I regret breaking my studies because of a young marriage

Hello! My name is Luisa, I will talk a little about my academic life and how I stopped studying.

I stopped studying when I was twenty years old because I found a husband. This marriage made me forget school, I gave birth to four children. But I regret that I stopped studying. Now I have no way to go back to study because life no longer allows me to study. I don't have a job, my husband is also unemployed, and we're all stuck.

If someone offers me a help, I would like to go back to study because I have this desire so that my daughters can also study, in order to improve our life a little bit.

What grade did you stop studying in? How old are you now?

I stopped studying in the 8th grade. Now I am 34 years old.

Have your daughters ever gone to school?

Yeah, they did. My first daughter is 14 years old, finished the 8 grade and has been two years without studying.

The second daughter is 13 years old, she concluded the 4th grade and is also two years without studying.

Have you done anything to continue your daughters' academic development at home?

What I've been doing isn't enough to pay their tuition. I am a street vendor and the little bit I earn is used to buy food that has also not been enough. Sometimes we sleep without eating dinner, there is no food to eat.

Another thing, our life is very difficult, we live in a poor slate house with a miserable yard, there is no light or running water. We carry the bathtub for 200 kwanzas that is very expensive for us.

I take this moment to ask for support from good faith people to help my family.

Madam, you said that there is no water in your house. Isn't it difficult to comply with the prevention measures against covid-19?

It is very difficult indeed. In the neighborhood where we live people do not respect the rules, we can find many people crowded in public places, things are very expensive. In general we live a very critical life.

Studies indicate that a woman who marries young is 31 percentage points more likely to live in poverty when she is older. Similarly, a woman who drops out of school is 11 percentage points more likely to be poor.

Women who marry early can have a high likelihood of ending up poor later in life, yet can still be optimizing. However, even if the individual is optimizing, society might still be concerned about the effects of poverty on her children and the costs associated with transfer programs.

Don't miss this opportunity to bring girls back to school. Tell us your story!

Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the poverty among women?

FIND SOMEONE TO SPONSOR TODAY

Your sponsorship will help the most vulnerable girls and women to take the first step out of poverty.

Click here to watch free full webisodes: https://she-leads.blogspot.com/

USAID YouthLead #Reaching16 Essay Contest 2020 for young changemakers.

 Application Deadline: January 13, 2021

Calling all young changemakers! Participate in the “YouthLead # Reaching16 Essay Contest” and join us in advocating for peace, justice, and strong institutions! “Reaching 16” refers to Goal 16 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that aims to promote just, peaceful, and even societies. It also serves as a reference and commitment to ensuring youth reach the age of 16 and beyond by stabilizing communities. As a young changemaker, our # Reaching16 Essay Contest provides you with a unique platform to share your personal experience and creative voice with the world!

Requirements

• Citizens of low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) as listed here;

• Aged 18-35 and;

• Members of YouthLead with a member profile that is at least 80 percent complete. Becoming a member of YouthLead is easy and free. All Entrants must be successfully registered on YouthLead. As registration may take several days to process, all YouthLead.org registration requests must be submitted at least four business days prior to the end of the Entry Period to ensure timely approval for entering the contest.

Click here to apply:  http://bit.ly/2WBUpUc

IUBH University of Applied Sciences Online – Scholarship Initiative: Save up to 80%!

 Get your German degree, from one of the largest private universities for online studies in Germany with over 35,000 students, without sacrificing your job or family commitments!

Distance learning at IUBH offers our students the opportunity to develop on a personal and professional level and advance their career through flexible, practice-oriented study. We are particularly looking for professionals and otherwise busy individuals who would like to grow on a personal and professional level whilst continuing their core duties. That is why we design our programs and courses to be as flexible and innovative as possible but without sacrificing the usual high IUBH German quality.

Click here to apply:  https://bit.ly

GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH

 Angolan head of State João Lourenço Tuesday reiterated the permanent commitment of the Executive to creating conditions for the increase of the national production in 2012.

Delivering  his speech at ceremony aimed to pay tribute to national producers of essential goods, Joao Lourenço pledged to focus on the support for private sector, with a view to ensuring production growth. 

The president also announced plans to invest more in the expansion and modernization, creation of new jobs, the increase in family income and the profits for the investors.

In order to achieve this goal, the head of State called for major engagement in

improving business environment,  simplifying and reducing bureaucracy of companies daily activities, as well as increase and facilitate credit access. 

"We will also focus on support for training of staff, entrepreneurs, creation of partnership between national business people and foreign investors,  export initiatives  and expansion of companies", said the President.

João Lourenço also said that three textile industry unities installed in the country, which remained idle for long time, will start operating soon to create more jobs. 

He also said that the country needs to resume the cotton production with the commitment of the agriculture business people and the cooperatives of peasants.

Expressing concern about the destruction of the goods produced by the peasants and taking into account the need to reduce the prices of food products, João Lourenço said his Executive will open credit facilities for transport operators in the rural market to ensure transportation of goods from the countryside to consumption centers.

The president also announced plans for private investments in production of iron and steel, as well as in the shipbuilding and repair, pharmaceutical, fertilizer and vaccination industry for veterinary.

During a ceremony held in Presidential Palace, the president paid tribute to producers of essential commodities, and basic goods linked to the sectors of agriculture, trade, industry, tourism, fishing and livestock.

In November, the President João Lourenço paid tribute to the front line workers, due to their commitment to combat Covid-19.

They include physicians and nurses, Defense and Security Forces, the Air Force and TAAG pilots, business people, track drivers, art and culture makers and journalists.

PRESIDENT HAILS LOCAL PRODUCTION OF BASIC COMMODITIES

 President João Lourenço Tuesday in Luanda hailed the commitment showed by local businesspeople to the production of basic commodities, despite existing hurdles, some associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Today, despite persisting constraints of various nature, apart from those resulting from Covid-19, it is fair to publicly recognise that the private business sector has responded positively,” said President João Lourenço.

Addressing the ceremony of homage to local producers of basic commodities, the President underlined that the private business operators have been making satisfactory and visible investments.

He said the homage to local producers ahead of the festive season is fair as it is a good moment to think about the commitment and capacity of resistance showed by them this year he considered "very difficult".

Speaking to representatives of 62 companies from the country’s 18 provinces, João Lourenço said he hopes the coming year 2021 will bring in a boosted internal production.

According to the President, good results have been achieved this year in the production of the main crops.

The Head of State mentioned three million tons of cereals, 11 million tons of edible tubers and roots, two million tons of vegetables, and 145,000 tons of meat, of the 197,000 expected, including 1.2 billion eggs, against 1.5 billion planned.

Earlier on in November this year, President João Lourenço paid a homage to medical doctors and nurses, members of the Armed Forces, Defence and Security agencies, Airforce and commercial pilots, business operators, long distance track drivers, arts and culture makers and journalists, for their contribution to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

SÃO TOME AND PRINCIPE/ANGOLA: VISA WAIVER FOSTERS COOPERATION

 Angola’s Foreign Affairs minister Téte António said Monday that visa waiver agreement, signed between Angola and Sao Tome and Principe on Monday in Luanda, will boost the pace and strengthening bilateral cooperation ties.

The official was speaking to the press on the sidelines of the event, stating that the two countries have taken the lead in relation to the CPLP's vision on the issue.

Considering Sao Tome and Principe a privileged destination for Angolans, the minister  said the visa waiver is an incentive for the two peoples to travel more in both territories.

He said that in 2019 several sectors were identified for a new cooperation strategy, including tourism, transportation, and the exploration of hydrocarbons, the two countries perform offshore.

Por sua vez, a ministra dos Negócios Estrangeiros, Cooperação e Comunidades de São Tomé e Príncipe, Edite Ramos da Costa Ten Jua, destacou que o acordo assinado é histórico.

According to the minister, with the signing of the agreement the two countries write a page in gold letters of the history of existing ties, including those of inbreeding that unite the two peoples.

Tete said that the relations of friendship and cooperation between Angola and Sao Tome and Principe are based on political, historical, cultural and geographical factors.

Reiterating the country’s intention, the minister noted that Angola wants to contribute to the revival of cooperation and introduce a new dynamic for the development of the areas of mutual interest identified, reinforcing the general lines of bilateral cooperation.

In her turn, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities of Sao Tome and Principe, Edite Ramos da Costa Ten Jua, highlighted that the agreement signed is historic, stressing that the visa exemption will foster regional tourism and entrepreneurship.

"Angola has always been, and will be a preferential partner of Sao Tome and Principe," Ten Jua said.

Angola and Sao Tome and Principe formalised cooperation in February 1978 through the General Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation and the Bilateral Joint Commission created in January 1980.

The Joint Commission held its sixth and final session in Luanda in November 2007.

These legal instruments allowed the conclusion of more than 26 sector agreements, the effective implementation of which falls short of its initial expectations.

UN aims to send team to Ethiopia’s Tigray to probe war crimes

 The United Nations is striving to get a team on the ground to investigate alleged human rights violations, including a mass killing in Ethiopia’s Tigray, described by the UN rights chief as one of many “appalling” human rights abuses that could amount to war crimes.

Ethiopia’s army has been fighting rebellious forces in the northern Tigray region for more than six weeks in a conflict that has displaced close to 950,000 people.

Access for humanitarian workers has until recent days been impossible and rights workers are now seeking access on the ground to verify reports.

“If civilians were deliberately killed by a party or parties to the conflict, these killings would amount to war crimes and there needs to be, as I have stressed previously, independent, impartial, thorough and transparent investigations to establish accountability and ensure justice,” UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday, describing incidents there as “heartbreaking” and “appalling”.

One of the events she mentioned was the alleged killing of several hundred people, mainly Amharans, in the northwest town of Mai Kadra on November 9.

She also described other incidents including artillery attacks on populated areas, the deliberate targeting of civilians, extrajudicial killings and widespread looting.

UN rights office (OHCHR) spokeswoman Liz Throssell later told a Geneva virtual briefing that her office had been holding talks with the Ethiopian government and was aiming to prepare a team to verify rights abuses as soon as possible.

She said some of the incidents of individual killings of civilians were blamed on the “Fano” militia from the province of Amhara, thought to be aligned with the government.

The Reuters news agency also received similar reports from displaced Tigrayans.

However, information obtained by the UN consistently pointed to violations by all parties to the conflict, she added.

Until now, the UN has been monitoring the situation remotely and has obtained some of its information from refugees among the tens of thousands who have fled to neighboring Sudan.

Both sides deny their forces have committed atrocities, and blame other forces for the killing of civilians.

Accounts on all sides are difficult to verify because telecommunications links were down for most of the conflict and the government tightly controls access to the region.

SOURCE: REUTERS

IMF supports Benin’s Covid-19 response plan with $178mln

 The International Monetary Fund announced yesterday it has approved $ 177.9 million to help Benin strengthen its response plan against the pandemic coronavirus.

The money includes $ 118.6 million granted under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) and $ 59.3 million under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF). It will be used to meet the country Its urgent budget and balance of payment needs induced by the anti-Covid-19 measures.

This is the second emergency disbursement approved by the Fund since the outbreak of the pandemic. Last May, IMF granted the West African country an increase in the financing it was to receive under a three-year extended credit facility (ECF) agreement.

“Benin Mays macroeconomic outlook has further deteriorated since the completion, in May 2020, of the sixth and final review under the ECF-supported arrangement. Economic growth is projected to decelerate to 2 percent in 2020, from nearly 7 percent in 2019 […] While Benin's pandemic response has been effective in curbing the spread of the COVID-19, the economic shock has created urgent fiscal pressures and balance of payment needs, ”the IMF statement read.

“Once conditions permit, the authorities are committed to reverting to their medium-term fiscal path, by maintaining the fiscal deficit below the regional ceiling. Raising domestic revenue closer to the regional target should remain a primary fiscal objective, as this would strengthen debt sustainability, ensure that the COVID-19 shock does not jeopardize fiscal sustainability, and allow Benin to finance its medium-term economic development plan and reduce poverty , ”The statement said.

Let brings note that the new disbursement brings the total amount of loans granted by the IMF to Benin as part of the fight against the Covid-19 to $ 281.26 million. According to the latest official data, Benin has 3,167 cases of coronavirus with 44 deaths and 3,061 recoveries.

African Development Bank approves $7 million in SEFA technical assistance to transform mini-grid investment in Africa

 AfDB) - The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a $ 7 million grant from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), for a new technical assistance initiative meeting the needs of the continent’s fast-evolving renewable mini-grid industry.

The Africa Mini-Grid Market Acceleration Program (AMAP), which aims to expand private mini-grid investment on the African continent, will include three core components: the implementation of a new and standardized framework for national-scale Mini-Grid Acceleration Programs ( MAPs) in four countries; the design and enhancement of financial de-risking solutions; and support for knowledge, innovation, and skills development activities, including the continuation of the Bank continus Green Mini-Grid Help Desk website.

“Mini-grids are an integral and increasingly important feature of the energy access solution, not just in terms of providing lights to households, but also in ensuring that underserved populations have access to productive uses of energy to power inclusive and green economic growth. AMAP underscores the African Development Bank's commitment to strengthening Africa's mini-grids industry, which we see as a key driver for accelerated energy access, climate resilience, and a green post COVID-19 recovery, ”said Dr. Kevin Kariuki, the Bank's Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth.

Over the years, the Bank has established leadership in building the African mini-grid industry. In addition to the AMAP, the Bank hosts a number of targeted initiatives, including the Green Mini-Grid Market Development Program under the Sustainable Energy for All Africa Hub, the Nigeria National Electrification Project, and the DRC Green Mini-Grid Program.

AMAP’s initial phase is expected to lead to 880,000 new electricity access connections providing modern energy access to over 4 million people; over 80 MW of renewable energy-based generation; the creation of 7,200 full-time jobs, of which 1,800 are anticipated to be held by women; reductions of over 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2eq) in lifetime greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the facilitation of an estimated $ 650 million of public and private investments in mini-grids.

AMAP is strongly aligned to the ambitions of the Bank AMs New Deal on Energy for Africa as well as the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Aaron Leopold, CEO of the Africa Minigrid Developers Association, said, “Mini-grids are a fundamental but under-supported element of Africa’s energy future. To achieve SDG 7, the UN's target for universal energy access, the sector must be radically scaled up, and to do this, a holistic and broad-spectrum support program informed by industry needs is required to bring governments, investors, and of course the mini-grid sector the kind of support that can facilitate fast and efficient progress. For these reasons, AMDA is excited to see AfDB working to bring mini-grid investments in Africa to the next level. ”