Congratulations! Sofonie Dala attends YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2022 - Key Takeaways

  Accelerating Investments in Youth

“Resilient Youth, Resilient Africa”

13 - 15 October 2022 | Kigali | Rwanda

"After the award ceremony for young Angolan innovators, this was the second most transformative event of the year 2022 in my life. Thanks to UNDP Angola for supporting this journey", said the African digital entrepreneur and gender specialist Sofonie Dala.

Sofonie Dala is an African digital entrepreneur, philanthropist and activist who is founder and CEO of the startup Talentos Multiplus she was born in Luanda on October 31, 1991.

While visiting the startups' exhibition stands, Sofonie Dala met other African women entrepreneurs developing the reusable menstrual pad project that she is also developing in Angola. The meeting was very beneficial, they networked, exchanged ideas in order to form future partnerships.

Green Menstruation

 Ladies without plastic - Key to reduce our carbon footprints

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2021/12/live-congratulations-we-are-celebrating.html

Dala has strong focus on sustainable development goals, is passionate about communicating the development projects and believes that if we want to achieve the 2030 Agenda, we should communicate in ways and languages everyone can understand.

In the next 5 years Sofonie Dala intends to create a community-based cooperative with a sustainable activity model that empowers women who live below the poverty line. By 2030, she hopes to empower and transform the lives of 50% of the 4 million illiterates who are left behind in the digital world in Angola.

Like any young entrepreneur in its initial phase, she needs funding and mentoring opportunities for her startup to survive. Intending to build a corporate headquarters in Luanda, she is actively looking for sponsors, investors and partners.

Learn more about Sofonie Dala here: https://she-leads.blogspot.com/2022/09/meet-our-founder-sofonie-dala-heads.html?m=1

“Resilient Youth, Resilient Africa”

“The vision for YouthConnekt Africa (YCA) is to connect the youth to socio-economic transformation. I identify with this vision for African youth.”

We start by recognizing H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda for hosting us and being a great champion for the development of youth in Africa. His incredible support to the YouthConnekt Africa from the beginning is what continues to drive this pan African initiative. Young people have engaged with their leadership in shaping the narrative on Africa’s development to ensure that Africa is portrayed for what it truly is: a continent rich in talent, natural resources and resilience, Africa is indeed the future.”

Throughout the sessions, attending youth felt a sense of empowerment after leaders and experts from various fields pledged their support to empowering the youth to successfully undertake projects that can steer the continent’s development.

A selfie with Michele Candotti

“We can not continue framing the future with the priorities of the past.”

“This initiative symbolizes a revolutionary approach that can only be producing lasting results for the future”

-@UNDP Chief of Staff & Director of Executive Office, Michele Candotti

The summit brought together over 10,000 youth delegates representing 98 countries from across Africa and beyond including Henriques Ngolome from Angola.

The YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2022 Concluded

Thousands of African youth left the just concluded YouthConnekt Africa 2022 Summit (YCAS) in Kigali with their heads held high, after three-days of discussions and assurances from world leaders and experts on how they can lead Africa’s development efforts.The annual continental summit, which took place for the fifth time, brought together participants from 30 African countries to discuss and chart a way forward on how to involve the youth in Africa’s trade, health, climate resilience and financing, technology, skilling for the future and other topics that are critical for a sustainable future.

Speaking while presiding over the closing of the summit this afternoon, the Prime Minister of Rwanda, Rt. Hon. Edouard Ngirente said:“As we come to the end of this summit, I’m confident, in addition to the wonderful atmosphere of solidarity that we have witnessed, that you have gained much and contributed much to the goals of YouthConnekt.

We know that the most important resource in Africa is our youth, in particular skilled African youth.”

YouthConnekt Africa is a continental initiative with the mission to empower young people by enhancing their knowledge, experiences and skills while investing in their ideas, innovations and initiatives to harness Africa’s demographic dividend which aims at contributing to the achievement of Africa’s SDGs mandate, the AU 2063 agenda, and AU Youth Charter.

Sofonie Dala, young entrepreneur from Africa, Jorge Trula-undpAngola, woman entrepreneur from Cameroon.

It was initiated in 2012 by the Government of Rwanda in partnership with the UNDP and is a multifaceted youth empowerment model focused on leveraging youth employability, entrepreneurship and civic engagement through innovation.

Program

Vision 

Connecting African youth for socio-economic transformation.

Mission 

YouthConnekt Africa Hub is a Pan-African platform that seeks to empower  young people by enhancing their knowledge, experiences and skills while  investing in their ideas, innovations and initiatives so that Africa makes  progress in harnessing its demographic dividends by 2030. 

YouthConnekt Africa Initiative is endorsed by the African Union Executive Council as a model  implementation framework of the Africa Youth Charter, with the YouthConnekt Africa Secretariat  as its implementing partner.  

It is taken a platform approach to solving challenging development issues by bringing the  youth together with Heads of State, Policymakers, Business Leaders in the private sector and  Development Partners to address the needs of the youth. 

Eyewitness videos

Ahead of the Summit, on Monday the Pre-summit activities started with the #AfCFTA Bootcamp, the leadership fellowship meeting, the African Youth #COP27 meeting and the #YouthConnekt Technical committee meeting.

The executive director Oulie Keita paid courtesy visits to the various meetings and thanked them for their valuable contributions to the #YouthConnekt2022 Africa summit.

DAY 1

DAY 2

The first Lady Jeannette Kagame delivered the Guest of Honor's Remarks at the #YouthConnekt2022 on Sexual & Reproductive Health, And Mental Health service delivery.

StartupsExpo - Startups Exbhition Event

DAY 2

DAY 3

Powerful performance from Gashora Girls portraying the still existing social norms and stereotypes that hinder them from joining STEM. The #ConnektedGirlsHub is here to provide this wonderful intergenerational conversations with youth and leaders at all levels. #YouthConnekt2022.

On the third day of the summit a couple of sessions on various themes including; investing in young startups, Private Sector Roundtable, a transition to a more resilient, including sustainable climate future for Africa among others were carried out. Some entrepreneurs received awards for their startups.

YouthConnekt Africa Hub’s central role is to primarily strengthen the African youth empowerment ecosystem by equipping existing initiatives with technical and financial resources, knowledge sharing and improved national ownership of the youth’s socio-economic transformation agenda.

Twenty-eight countries have established YouthConnekt Africa national chapters to date.

Unfortunately, Angola has not yet established a national chapter, but we intend to do so, and this was one of the reasons for our participation as delegates from Angola.

An Angolan commission of 3 people attended the summit, they are:

- Sofonie Dala - Engineer / Digital entrepreneur and Gender specialist;

- Jorge Trula - Coordinator of the Employment and Skills Development for UNDP Youth;

- Henriques Ngolome - Director of the Center for Social Innovation and

Incubation of the Catholic University of Angola.

If you missed the first part click here: Sofonie Dala - Young Talents from Africa : Joining the YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2022. An article by Sofonie Dala

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2022/10/joining-youthconnekt-africa-summit-2022.html

‘Superfly’ actor sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for multiple rapes

 A Los Angeles-based rapper who acted in the 2018 movie “SuperFly” was sentenced Monday to 50 years to life in prison after he was convicted of sexually assaulting seven victims — including three minors.

Kaalan Walker, 27, was also ordered to register as a lifetime sex offender for a series of crimes dating back to 2013.

The performer was convicted of three counts of forcible rape, two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, two counts of rape of an intoxication victim and one count of assault with intent to commit oral copulation by a Van Nuys jury on April 18.

Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Wallace said she believes Walker is “truly a predator” for his assaults on young women and teenagers between 2013 and 2018, according to City News Service.

Walker used Instagram and Twitter to find his victims — who were often aspiring models and actresses — and lure them to locations by saying he had booked them for photo shoots and music video productions that never happened.

Kaalan Walker, who was ordered to register as a lifetime sex offender for the crimes, used Instagram and Twitter to find his victims. (WireImage)

Instead the rapper raped as well as assaulted the women and underage girls, prosecutors said.

“When they said ‘Stop,’ he didn’t care,” Deputy District Attorney Yasmin Fardghassemi told the jury of Walker during the trial in March, the news service reported.

Walker’s attorney said he didn’t force the women and girls and that they were seeking revenge against his client for the false promises he made of music shoots and opportunities to meet his famous and well-connected friends.

Kaalan Walker (left) appears alongside Terayle Hill in the 2018 film “SuperFly.” IMDb

The lawyer, Andrew Flier, added that the rapper’s career has been ruined and that he has suffered “a living nightmare” due to the allegations he was later convicted of.

Walker — who also appeared in the 2017 film “Kings” starring Halle Berry and Daniel Craig — was arrested in September 2018 and released on bond. He was taken into custody again after he was found guilty.

………………………………………………………

South Africa: Johannesburg’s water crisis to worsen before it improves

 Johannesburg is in the midst of a water crisis.

Residential areas, schools and hospitals across the city have been experiencing intermittent water shortages since the beginning of the month.

People across the region have reported spending days without running water, and have found themselves unable to cook, cleanse themselves or flush their toilets.

These severe water shortages were caused by a combination of load shedding and heat waves.

Although the reservoirs which supply Johannesburg are not – for the most part – empty, a sequence of power failures which occurred in September have affected the city’s main water plant from being able to pump water into the city.

To avoid more taps running dry, water utility Rand Water announced Stage 2 water restrictions for the foreseeable future.

This means that they have recommended that all of Gauteng’s municipalities place a ban on:

• Sprays and sprinkler systems
• The watering of lawns
• The use of hosepipes to wash cars or clean pavements

The reservoirs which supply much of Gauteng are running low on water. If they are going to be replenished, Rand Water says public consumption will have to be reduced.

Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo has said that if public consumption of water does not go down, they will be forced to announce tougher restrictions.

“We will have to move up to different stages to ensure we manage the situation,” she said.

The situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.

On Sunday, the Johannesburg Water’s Commando system levels went from critically low to empty, meaning residents in the Hursthill reservoir zone have no water.

This zone includes Montgomery Park, Westbury, Greymont, Coronationville, Newlands, Northcliff, Newclare, Auckland Park, Albertville, Melville, Richmond, Parkview, Emmarentia and Greenside.

What are the ‘stages’ of water restrictions?

Much like load shedding, water restrictions are imposed in so-called ‘stages’ depending on the severity of the water crisis.

Gauteng is currently in Stage 2, but it could get worse. Here is a guide to all the stages:

Stage 1

• Watering of gardens is not allowed between 6am and 6pm during summer
• Using garden hoses to clean hard surfaces is also not allowed

Stage 2

• Sprays and sprinklers are banned
• Handheld hose pipes can only be used between 5pm and 7pm

Stage 3

• Ban on sprinkler and drip systems
• Handheld hoses can only be used for 15 minutes between 5pm and 7pm
• Filling of pools is only allowed for 15 minutes using hosepipes

Stage 4

• Outdoor irrigation of commercial and industrial spaces is banned
• Only buckets of water can be used to wash vehicles
• No filling of swimming pools
• Recycling of water is encouraged

Stage 5

• All limits of level 4 are upheld
• In addition, the moderate use of water is encouraged

Stage 6

• Non-residential households and properties must cut consumption by 45%
• Water drawn from boreholes should not be used for outdoor purposes
• Watering for agriculture should be reduced to 60%

………………………………………………………

Senegal on the verge of fuel crisis as govt owes 375b CFA

 L’Observateur, a daily Senegalese independent newspaper reports the “red alert for oil tankers” due to the State’s debt of 375 billion CFA francs, risking creating a “sector shutdown” and therefore a “shortage” of hydrocarbons.

President Jacob Zuma and President Macky Sall attending the South Africa-Senegal Business Forum held today, 24 October 2017, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre following the Senegal State Visit to South Africa in Cape Town. South Africa and Senegal enjoy cordial bilateral political, economic and social relations underpinned by strong historical ties dating back to the years of the liberation struggle. 24/10/2017 PHOTO: Kopano Tlape GCIS

“In a particularly tense global context, oil companies in Senegal have to deal with a debt of 375 billion CFA francs owed to them by the State. A debt which, if it is not settled, risks plunging the country into a lack of supply of petroleum products,” warns the newspaper.

CoPG says gov’t not “serious about fighting rampant corruption”

…………………………………………………………

Mali to militarize police to help with fight against jihadists

 BAMAKO – The national police will once again become a military body and undergo the same training if a new Bill is approved by the National Transitional Council.

“The police and the military will have the same training, the same bonuses and will have the same advantages. The only difference is that the police and civil protection agents will remain under the Ministry of Security, and the military will remain under the Ministry of Defence”,  Aboubacar Sidick Fomba, a member of the National Transition Council (CNT) has said.

The Bill will allow the militarised police to protect areas liberated by the army, but according to opposition leader Amadou Aya, the police and civil protection have missions over and above the defence of the territory.

Meanwhile, Junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita received a draft of a proposed constitution this week that will shift the balance of executive power from the parliament towards the president, if approved. The document – a key part of the military’s bid to retain power until 2024 – has not been made public.

All Africa News

……………………………………………………………

Ugandans, not I, would decide who succeeds me – Museveni

 I am not here to stay; Museveni says but remains tight-lipped on succession

President Museveni has said that the country belongs to Ugandans who should make decisions on what they want, urging that he definitely does not expect to stay forever.

Museveni was handling a question on succession during a one-on-one interview with KTN, a Kenyan media house at State House Entebbe.

During the interview, the president said the leadership he envisions for Uganda post-Museveni era is one that will continue to be decided by the people who are fortunately increasing in number.

“Uganda has got owners; they are here and increasing in number. When the time comes, they will sit down and decide,” he said.

However, he was quick to interject that the issue is not who leads Uganda but what is done.

“The issues we have been dealing with here from 1965 are the same problems in different phases, now we are in an easier phase where we are running the country and the question is what is to be done? What is needed?” Museveni said.

The president said that the country may not need him necessarily but Uganda “needs all hands on deck”.

“For us, we do not think it is the who, but then what?” he added, without necessarily revealing a succession plan.

Previously, President Museveni has been faced with a question on whether he is grooming his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba for the position but he said Ugandans have the right to decide who leads them.

Notwithstanding, Gen Muhoozi has expressed interest in the top seat through his Twitter threads leaving no more guesses.

By Crispus Mugisha

……………………………………………………………

We failed Galamsey fight collectively, not just government – Lecturer

 The entire nation, not just the government, must share in the failure to effectively address illegal mining and its attendant devastation.

Law lecturer and practitioner, Mr. Kwame Gyan insists the failure is a collective one, explaining that everyone has a role to play to ensure the safety of the country and its resources.

According to him, there is no need in apportioning blame to a particular government or the other.

In an interview on JoyFM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Gyan said Ghanaians should focus on the impacts of the menace seen now and how it can be addressed once and for all.

Kwame Gyan

He insisted that, until that is done, the menace will continue resurfacing after fights upon fights by governments.

“The fight against illegal mining (galamsey) is a collective fight. What we are all calling a failure is a collective failure. We shouldn’t blame anybody. So if you sit here today and say it is the current government that has failed in the fight, I will not agree.

“We Ghanaians, any time we fall, love to concentrate on where we have fallen instead of concentrating on where we slipped and fell.

“So, we should not look at just what we are seeing today and ascribe responsibility that it is just this current government that has not been able to deal with galamsey or illegal mining,” he insisted.

The government’s anti-galamsey policies and strategies have come under criticism with many questioning the will to rid the country of the menace.

Last week, the Akufo-Addo administration came under fire from Asantehene, who claims the much-touted fight is shrouded in falsehood.

According to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the fight would remain a sham unless the appropriate individuals, particularly financiers, who are responsible for the illegal mining scourge, are identified.

“Are they saying they don’t know those behind galamsey in Ghana? The gold ends up being sold abroad. So who is behind the sale of gold abroad? Is it not the financier? How come he is not arrested?”

But Mr Gyan believes everyone has a role to play in ending the menace.

……………………………………………………