Rwanda Roundup: Women empowerment, fleet expansion, by-elections
Women empowerment talks at Saudi summit
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, speaking at the seventh Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh on October 25, 2023, underscored the pivotal role women play in driving development. Highlighting Rwanda's efforts in empowering women, the Saudi Press Agency reports that President Kagame emphasized women's importance given that they make up 52% of the country's population.
RwandaAir fleet expansion
RwandAir has added its seventh Boeing 737-800 aircraft, registered as 9XR-WY, to its fleet, based in Kigali. The 14-year-old aircraft, equipped with two CFMI engines, will operate on routes throughout Africa and the Middle East. With 12 Business Class seats and 144 Economy Class seats, according to Airspace Africa.
By-elections to fill local government positions
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has scheduled October 28 to fill over 13,000 vacant positions across local government tiers, from village to district levels. These vacancies emerged due to resignations and various other factors. According to The New Times, NEC Executive Secretary Charles Munyaneza has confirmed that the by-elections are set to take place from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., immediately following Umuganda community work on Saturday.
Card game to break mental health stigma
Rwandan author and founder of Imagine We Rwanda, Dominique Alonga Uwase, has launched an innovative initiative called 'Deeper Conversations' aimed at promoting open discussions on youth mental health experiences. According to Africanews reports, this project introduces a card game with 55 carefully designed cards to create a safe and supportive space for emotional and mental expression, addressing the challenge of emotional expression in Rwandan culture.
€50 million EU deal to boost ECD
Rwanda and the European Union have signed a €50 million agreement to boost Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Rwanda, with additional funding for school infrastructure from the European Investment Bank. This announcement came during the Global Gateway Forum 2023 in Brussels, where Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente emphasized the importance of education, innovation, and research in the context of a green and digital transition. He also unveiled Rwanda's plan to establish an African Biomanufacturing Institute to address the shortage of skilled professionals in the bio-manufacturing sector across Africa, according to The New Times.
