Inclusive education for disabled and illiterate girls - campaign with Sofonie Dala. Penultimate day 5

 Our girls back to school campaign is ongoing

Being a girl has only made things harder for Mima. She has to fight against various forms of discrimination –being female, having a disability, and being amongst the poorest of the poor. Moreover, she is a double orphan and also lost her siblings.

My deceased parents never vaccinated me, this caused my disability. Reading and writing my name are my biggest school challenges.

Hello!

Hey!

Are you okay?

I'm fine thanks.

What is your name?

My name is Mima.

Do you have a full name?

I do not have. I only have half of my name.

Why don't you have a full name?

Because I didn't live with my mother. I lived my whole life with my father.

Didn't your parents register you in National directorate and notary?

No.

Can you share a little about your academic life?

Yes! I can.

Have you ever attended school?

Yea.

When was the first time you went to school?

When I was 7 to 8 years old I studied at preschool. Then my disability got worse, I got sick and had to stop studying.

After staying at home for a long time, I went back to school when I was 14 to 15 years old. I started to study again in preschool.

When was that?

Well, the first time I went to pre-school was in 2007-2008. Second time when I returned to school it was in 2018-2019 here I was already 14-15 years old. Even so, I didn't stay there for long, in the same year my father died and I stopped studying again.

Did your father pass away?

Yes.

Is your mother still alive?

No, she died, too.

Are you a paternal and maternal orphan?

Yes.

Who do you live with?

I live with my grandfather my father's father and my aunts my father's sisters.

How old are you now?

I'm 21 I will turn 22 soon.

Would you like to study again?

Yes I would like.

Are you eager to study?

Yes.

Do you work?

I do not work.

Could you share with us a little of your social life, your disability?

Well, what caused my disability was the fact that my parents never vaccinated me since I was born.

Why did your father and your mother never vaccinate you?

I dont know.

What life did they have? Did they live together? were married?

They lived together but were not married.

How was their relationship?

They lived well but then my mother suddenly abandoned my father and me. I lived with my father only.

Did your father lead a good life?

Yes, but his problem was alcohol. He drank a lot.

Did he have any serious problems with alcohol?

Yes.

Was he a good father to you?

Yes, he was a good father.

How has your social life been? Don't you suffer insults and discrimination?

No no. Nobody abuses me. When I went to school, some classmates abused me but the teachers prevented and sensitized the students to not abuse me, because one day they can also have a disabled daughter. And when I fall down they help me get up.

When you were at school. Have you learned anything?

Yes, I learned numbering, multiplication tables and drawing. Unfortunately I didn't learn to read, make copies and write my name.

Are these one of the biggest challenges of your academic life?

Yes, writing my name, reading and copying are great challenges for me.

Do you have the possibility to learn at home? make copies and proofread your notebooks?

Yes, I review my notebooks

Do you have brothers and sisters?

I do not have. I had two brothers but they also passed away.

Oh, you are an orphan of father and mother and you have lost your brothers.

Are you the only one left in your family's generation?

Yes.

Discrimination, social isolation, illness and abuse are common experiences among women living with disabilities in poverty. Mima lost her blood family, could not continue studying and is unable to access the market, school, or healthcare services.

Orphanhood is an expanding issue that requires the effective involvement of all stakeholders. The orphan situation is more precarious than many vulnerable members of society, because of their exposure to limited social support systems, the inadequate basic social services, lack proper supervision, care, support and guidance at a very crucial time.

Don't miss this opportunity to bring girls back to school. Join us! 

Our campaign aims to identify illiterate and girls with disabilities in such a way that it supports building an inclusive society for all. 

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Nearer, my God, to thee. André Rieu - Powerful song 🌸

1. Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

E’en though it be a cross

That raiseth me.

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

2. Though like the wanderer,

The sun gone down,

Darkness be over me,

My rest a stone,

Yet in my dreams I’d be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

3. There let the way appear,

Steps unto heav’n;

All that thou sendest me,

In mercy giv’n;

Angels to beckon me

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

4. Then with my waking thoughts

Bright with thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs

Bethel I’ll raise;

So by my woes to be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

5. Or if, on joyful wing

Cleaving the sky,

Sun, moon, and stars forgot,

Upward I fly,

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

WHO approves Moderna vaccine for emergency use

 GENEVA - The World Health Organization has given the go-ahead for emergency use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine.

The mRNA vaccine from the U.S. manufacturer joins vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson in receiving the WHO's emergency use listing.

Similar approvals for China's Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are expected in the coming days and weeks, WHO has said.

The greenlight for Moderna's vaccine, announced late Friday, took many months because of delays that WHO faced in getting data from the manufacturer.

Many countries without their own advanced medical regulatory and assessment offices rely on the WHO listing to decide whether to use vaccines. U.N. children’s agency UNICEF also uses the listing to deploy vaccines in an emergency like the pandemic.

The announcement, however, wasn’t likely to have an immediate impact on supplies of Moderna’s vaccine for the developing world. The company struck supply agreements with many rich countries, which will have already received millions of doses.

In a statement Friday, CEO Stephane Bancel said Moderna was “actively participating in discussions with multilateral organizations, such as COVAX, to help protect populations around the world.”

He was referring to a U.N.-backed program to ship COVID-19 vaccines to many low- and middle-income countries, based on need.

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Hungary reopens for people holding COVID-19 immunity cards

 BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - Hungary on Saturday loosened several COVID-19 restrictions for people with government-issued immunity cards, the latest in a series of reopening measures that have followed an ambitious vaccination campaign.

As of Saturday, individuals with the plastic cards may enter indoor dining rooms, hotels, theaters, cinemas, spas, gyms, libraries, museums and other recreational venues. Opening hours for businesses were extended to 11 p.m. and an overnight curfew in place since November will now start later, at midnight.

People who have received at least one vaccine dose and those who have recovered from COVID-19 are eligible for the Hungarian immunity cards, which must be presented at establishments before entry. Businesses can be issued heavy fines if they allow non-cardholders to enter.

Hungary’s famous thermal baths, a hallmark of its tourism industry, opened their pools, saunas and steam rooms to guests Saturday after nearly six months of closure. Budapest, which operates 12 such spas, opened six of them.

Ildiko Szucs, the CEO of Budapest Spas Ltd., told The Associated Press that she thinks the baths will benefit people who have suffered physically and mentally during the pandemic.

“The effect of medicinal water on stress management and mental rejuvenation is very important, and we hope as many people as possible will recognize this and visit us,” Szucs said.

Speaking from Budapest's neo-Baroque Szecheyni Baths, the largest medicinal spa in Europe, Szucs said many guests arrived Saturday with proof of vaccination issued by their doctors but had not received their government-issued cards and had to be turned away.

“We will try to take action on this matter and, if necessary, ask for an amendment to the legislation… since these guests have already received two vaccinations in many cases,” she said.

While millions of Hungarians got the opportunity to return to some semblance of their normal lives with the issuance of immunity cards, organizational problems have meant that many who are eligible did not receive them within eight days of their first shot as planned.

Maria and Gabor Gal, a retired married couple, received their first dose on March 21, and their second in early April. But six weeks after their initial shots, they haven’t received their cards.

“They told us that the vaccination certificate will come when it comes. Now we’re asking when it will come, because it would be good if we could use it, ”Maria Gal, 67, said. “We’re sitting here locked in for a year-and-a-half.”

The Humgarian government launched a website and special email address for people waiting for their cards may submit inquiries. Earlier plans indicated a mobile application would be available to provide proof of vaccination, but the system has yet to go online.

Hungary has administered 4 million first doses of coronavirus vaccines, reaching about 40% of its population. The country has the second-highest vaccination rate in the European Union and is the only one of the EU's 27 nations to use vaccines from China and Russia in addition to Western jabs.

But a devastating pandemic surge this spring also gave Hungary the world’s highest overall COVID-19 mortality rate per 1 million inhabitants, according to Johns Hopkins University. The country of about 9.7 million people has reported over 27,500 deaths in the pandemic.

The whole issue of immunity cards or so-called COVID-19 passports is fraught, with critics saying they discriminate against people in poorer nations who do not have access to vaccines. Hungary is also trying to counter possible EU moves to issue such documents only to people who have received vaccines approved by the European Medicines agency, which so far do not include the vaccines made in China and Russia.

Zoos also began admitting guests after nearly six months of mandatory closure. Budapest Zoo spokesperson Zoltan Hanga said the last time the zoological park in Hungary’s capital was shut for so long was during World War II.

“This is a big day,” Hanga said. “The zoo is the best when it's full of visitors, when a lot of people come to get to know the world of animals and have a good time. Finally, the time for this has arrived. ”

Children under 18 who are accompanied by adult cardholders may enter establishments without a card. At the zoo, lines of parents and eager children formed at cash desks ahead of the opening on Saturday morning.

“Now that the restrictions are eased, we can go more places with my child and husband,” said Eva Marozsan, who brought her young son Zoltan to visit the animals. “It was very bad to be closed inside, and now that places are opening, it’s really uplifting for us.”

 A soccer match in Budapest on Saturday is expected to admit fans holding immunity cards. A competing club issued a statement saying masks would not be required in the stadium but urged fans to wear them anyway.

Border control regulations were changed Friday to allow Hungarian citizens and legal residents to reenter the country without needing to quarantine. Hungary's foreign affairs minister, Peter Szijjarto, announced that Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Bahrein would recognize the Hungarian immunity cards in a mutual agreement, permitting travel.

Negotiations for similar agreements are underway with Greece and Israel, he said.

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COVID-19 levy, taxes on fuel take effect from today- Ghana

 Three of the government's new taxes have taken effect, beginning today, Saturday, May 1, 2021.

These new taxes are as a result of the imposition of an Energy Sector Recovery Levy of GHS 20 pesewas per liter of petrol / diesel and 18 pesewas per kg on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and a Sanitation and Pollution Levy of GHS10 pesewas per liter of petrol and diesel.

Also taking effect is the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy Act, 2021 (Act 1068) and the Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act 1064).

In an earlier statement, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) noted that Parliament had passed these new tax laws.

The COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy Act “imposes a one percent levy on the supply of goods and services made in the country, other than exempt goods or services and the import of goods and services, other than exempt imports”.

The levy also applies to the supply of goods subject to the VAT Flat Rate but is not allowable as an input tax deduction.

Parliament is said to have amended two existing laws to be implemented later in the year.

These are the Penalty and Interest Waiver Act, 2021 (Act 1065), COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy Act, 2021 (Act 1068), Financial Sector Recovery Levy Act, 2021 (Act 1067), Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act 1064) and the Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act 1066).

Here are the details of the laws to be implemented:

1. Penalty and Interest Waiver Act 2021 (Act 1065)

• A waiver of penalties and interests on accumulated tax arrears up to December 2020 for persons who make arrangements to pay the principal tax

• The application for the waiver can be done from 1st April to September 2021

• The period of payment of the waiver lasts until 31st December 2021

• The waiver does not apply to payments and returns due from 1st January 2021 under an enactment administered by the Commissioner-General.

2. COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy Act, 2021 (Act 1068)

• This Act imposes a one percent levy on the supply of goods and services made in the country other than exempt goods or services; and import of goods and services other than exempt imports.

• The Levy also applies to the supply of goods subject to the VAT Flat Rate.

• The COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy is not allowable as an input tax deduction.

3. Financial Sector Recovery Levy Act, 2021 (Act 1067)

• This Act imposes a five per cent levy on the profit before tax of banks

• The tax is payable in quarterly instalments. However, for 2021, the levy is payable in three instalments commencing from 30th June 2021.

4. Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act 1064)

This amendment has added two additional sections, 5A and 5B.

• 5A - The imposition of an Energy Sector Recovery Levy of GH ¢ 20 pesewas per liter of petrol / diesel and 18 pesewas per kg on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

• 5B - The imposition of a Sanitation and Pollution Levy of GH ¢ 10 pesewas per liter of petrol and diesel respectively.

5. Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act 1066)

• This Act amends the Sixth schedule to the Income Tax Act 2015 and provides for a 30% rebate of income tax due for the second, third and fourth quarters of 2021 for taxpayers in the following areas - accommodation and food, education, travel and tours , and arts and entertainment sectors

• A suspension of quarterly income tax instalment payments for the second, third and fourth quarters of 2021 by self-employed persons applying the Income-tax stamp system and owners of taxis and trotros under the Vehicle Income Tax (VIT) system.

• To benefit from these concessions, the person must be registered with the Ghana Revenue Authority, made instalment payment for the first quarter of 2021 and continue to discharge any other obligation specified by an enactment administered by the Commissioner-General.

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US says no ‘grand bargain’ as Biden changes approach to N Korea

 Biden opts for diplomacy after months-long review considered lack of progress in convincing Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons.

US President Joe Biden will explore diplomacy but not seek any “grand bargain” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he embarks on a new approach to pressuring Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, the White House said on Friday.

“Our goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, told reporters.

US policy will see “a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy” with North Korea, she said.

The new approach follows a review of North Korea policy by the incoming Biden administration after three headline-grabbing meetings between Kim and former US President Donald Trump failed to make any progress in convincing Pyongyang to give up its weapons.

The policy of Barack Obama, who refused serious diplomatic engagement with North Korea in the absence of any steps by Pyongyang to reduce tensions, also made little impact.

“Our policy will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience,” Psaki said.

North Korea, so far, has refused diplomatic entreaties from the Biden administration. Pyongyang wants the United States and its allies to lift economic sanctions imposed over its weapons programs.

Psaki did not provide details of what the administration’s next step might be beyond discussions with allies. Biden met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga two weeks ago and is to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in on May 21 at the White House.

The US had consulted with South Korea throughout the policy review process and Washington had informed Seoul of its conclusions in advance, the South Korean foreign ministry said.

"The two countries will discuss the direction of North Korea policy at the scheduled summit and meeting of foreign ministers in May and continue cooperation to have the North Korea-US talks resumed shortly."

Last month, Moon urged Biden to engage directly with Kim on denuclearization, saying he favored “top-down diplomacy”.

Jenny Town, director of 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring program, said the broad strokes of the Biden policy sound good so far.

“But the details will matter greatly to assessing how successful the administration might be with this‘ new approach ’. Not sure there’s much to say until we see more, ”she said.

There are ongoing concerns that North Korea might return to testing nuclear devices. North Korea launched two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea near Japan in March.

The White House did not say whether it would offer concessions to convince North Korea to return to talks.

The Biden administration has simultaneously signaled a hard line on human rights, denuclearization and sanctions, while making diplomatic overtures that officials say have been rebuffed by Pyongyang, which has long demanded sanctions relief.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

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Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Program (Class 6) for African Startups.

Application Deadline: 14 May 2021 

Google for Startups Accelerator Africa is a three-month accelerator program for Seed to Series A technology startups across the African continent. Applications for the Class 6 Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme, a three-month programme that is slated to start on 21 June 2021, will be open until 14 May 2021.

The accelerator is designed to bring the best of Google's programs, products, people and technology to startups that leverage machine learning and AI in their company today or plan to in the future. In addition to mentorship and technical project support, the accelerator also includes deep dives and workshops focused on product design, customer acquisition and leadership development for founders, specialized training, media opportunities and access to Google’s network of engineers and experts.

Requirements

Seed to Series A-stage technology startups are eligible for the program.

The Accelerator program is sector-agnostic and thus welcomes startups leveraging machine learning (or plan to in future) from any vertical.

The CEO and CTO must participate in all three online bootcamps of the program, and a third core team member can also attend, but this is optional.

A maximum of three total company representatives can participate in each bootcamp.

Benefits:

Three months equity-free support

Mentoring from 20+ Google teams such as Android, Cloud, Machine Learning and Web

Access to Google's global network of industry experts and mentors

Partnership on an advanced technology project

Technical training on design, people, product and growth marketing

Support on high-level company and product strategy

Google product credits

Early access to new Google products and tools

Click Here to apply: https://bit.ly/3u8do82

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations/BMW Group Intercultural Innovation Award 2021 (USD$200,000 Prize)

Application Deadline: 27 May 2021 

For the past ten years, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group have invited organizations around the world to apply for the Intercultural Innovation Award. The two partners have used this award to support innovative projects promoting intercultural understanding

This year, the focus will primarily be on projects promoting gender equality, countering violent extremism, hatred, and prejudices, and advocating for art, culture, and sports as vehicles for social cohesion and diversity.

Requirements

Eligible to apply for the Intercultural Innovation Award are not-for-profit organizations implementing projects focused on promoting intercultural dialogue and fostering diverse and inclusive societies, and who are willing to expand their range of action.

Examples include projects in the fields of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, preventing xenophobia, violent extremism, and hate speech, promoting the use of sport, art and culture as tools to drive social change and foster social inclusion.

The Intercultural Innovation Award does not support one-time events (e.g. festivals, events, conferences. etc.)

Benefits

The Intercultural Innovation Award is bestowed upon ten organizations. Awardees will benefit from a comprehensive one-year capacity-building program aimed at strengthening their work. The support program will consist of funding, training and capacity-building, customized support and mentoring. Support will also be provided to successful projects so that they can be replicated in other contexts or settings where they might be relevant. The specific support received will depend on the individual needs of the projects.

Click Here to apply: https://bit.ly/336SpXe

Refugees forced to uproot again as Greece closes ‘safe’ camp

Crowds moved from Kara Tepe, an environment with childcare and regular food aid, to Mavrovouni, where rape has been reported.

Anis Alizai arrived in Lesbos with her parents and four siblings in December 2018.

After sleeping rough for seven months in the olive groves around Moria camp, the Greek island’s main reception centre at the time, the Afghan refugee family were granted a coveted modular housing unit at Kara Tepe, a municipal camp seen as an example of humanity and solidarity since it was created in 2016.

Anis, now 17, dreams of studying mathematics at the University of Patras, one of Greece’s most competitive technical universities, and she is determined to succeed.

“I went to the vocational high school for my foundation year. They told me I was very good at maths, and I said I would try for the general high school the next year,” she told Al Jazeera.

“They said it was much more difficult there, and I said, ‘I don’t mind’.”

Anis succeeded in a Greek high school. She sat an exam for the First Experimental High School of Mytilene, the island’s top school which admits just 13 students a year and prepares them rigorously for university entrance exams.

With just a year of Greek schooling, Anis got 80 percent on the exam, and along with an Iranian refugee, won seats in the class.

If all had gone well, Anis would be sitting her university entrance exams in the summer of 2022.

But now that future is up in the air, because the government abruptly shut down Kara Tepe camp this month, and moved most of its 1,000 residents to a tent city down the road called Mavrovouni.

Rights groups have described Kara Tepe as “safe” and decried its closure.

One of the ingredients to Anis’s success was her stable environment.

At Kara Tepe, her younger siblings could attend daycare and language classes offered by aid groups.

The camp itself, a promontory jutting out top sea, felt more like a village community than a refugee camp.

It was gated and families felt safe to leave their children to run around unsupervised.

The foundations for the housing units women and unaccompanied children were entitled to at Kara Tepe [John Psaropoulos/Al Jazeera]

Even though the Alizais have not yet been granted asylum, they survived on food and medicine provided by the municipality and volunteers.Mavrovouni is a different story.

“A tent that doesn’t have a door you can close isn’t safe,” said Anis.

“You could go from [Kara Tepe] to public schools in town … in the new camp I don’t know if we’ll be able to attend school.”

Greece opened up its public schools to asylum seekers in September 2016, but not on the islands.

That is because they were considered halfway houses where new arrivals would either be granted international protection or be deported back to Turkey.

The process was supposed to take weeks, but in many cases, like the Alizais’, has taken almost two years.

Anis’s ability to attend high school was an exception, and one that may not continue once her family is put back in the general refugee population.

Mavrovouni was hastily built on an artillery range after Moria burned down last September, police say due to arson.

“It’s not clean, the accommodations aren’t properly waterproofed, they’re not on flat ground,” said Imogen, a volunteer with an aid group that works in Mavrovouni. “There are no mattresses, it’s not a suitable place for people to stay.”

An aerial view of the Mavrovounio camp, over which human rights groups have raised the alarm [John Psaropoulos/Al Jazeera]

Raed Alobeid, a Syrian community leader, told Al Jazeera: “We are waiting our fate and we are waiting how to die.“It’s better to transfer [people] from this jail to the mainland. It is like a jail. I do not say this. All the people say this. You’re allowed out two, maximum three hours and then you must return.”

‘You feel too scared to go out of your tent’

Thousands of refugees have been transferred to the mainland this year, as the government attempted to ease overcrowding to try and quell unrest among refugees and political problems among Greek voters.

Some 7,500 asylum seekers remain at Mavrovouni, down from twice that number when Moria was burned.

But according to Karolien Janssens, a doctor with Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF), the government has not solved the challenges of overcrowding.

“Today in our clinic we had a pregnant woman who has moved [from Kara Tepe], who is totally freaking out. She and her family are now in a huge tent full of single men, with her four little children. So it’s totally out of place. It’s totally absurd.”

Janssens says some of MSF’s female patients have reported being raped at the new camp, despite government assurances that it is safe.

“In the nighttime, you feel too scared to go out of your tent, certainly if you’re a woman you cannot go to the toilet. You stop drinking at two in the afternoon to avoid going to the toilet. If you have to go, you pee in a bottle,” she said.

The now burned Moria camp had homed thousands of people, but there were always fears over the effect of its poor conditions on refugees [John T Psaropoulos/Al Jazeera]

For children and young people like Anis and her siblings, there is significant risk in moving.“There’s a child who was already in our treatment for mental health problems and he’s been having very severe panic attacks, fainting episodes, symptoms we had stabilised him on. These are all coming back because as a child, already before being moved, he knew he was going back,” said Janssens.

Glimmers of hope

Lesbos’s mayor promised to close Kara Tepe when he was elected in 2019, and the government promised to decongest the islands of the east Aegean.

The Kara Tepe promontory will most likely revert to being a driving practice ground.

There is a glimmer of hope for Anis.

She and her family may end up being shipped to the mainland instead of Mavrovouni – the hope of most refugees on Lesbos.

“All the people are angry they are very upset about asylum. Some have been waiting a year, a year and a half,” said Alobeid, the Syrian community leader. “What we need from the European countries is help the people, help the children here inside this camp.”

The European Union has pledged 267 million euros to build a new generation of better-quality camps on Greece’s five east Aegean islands with refugee reception centres.

And Greece has now sped up the adjudication of new asylum cases to about two months, the government says.

But none of this addresses the problems of older residents such as the Alizais, whose cases have, if anything, suffered delays because resources were diverted to new cases.

Anis remains resilient.

“I don’t know if we will be allowed to stay in Greece,” she said. “But I learned in mathematics that to every problem, there is a solution.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

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