WINKER

The four year pilot project that ends in 2015 aims to train upto 16,000 youth with skills and provide internship to atleast 11,000 of the former. Kenya is among the 30 world’s poorest countries in the world, ranking 152 out of 177 according to the 2006 Human Development Index. And with 78 percent of Kenya’s population younger than 35 years facing unemployment of 70 percent according to last census, seven out of ten unemployed are aged between 18 – 35 years. The government’s promise of 1,000,000 new jobs was not met last year; however the Economic Outlook for 2014 shows that the country requires over 1 million jobs annually. In 2013, the formal sector recorded 116,800 new jobs of which the public sector contributed 26,300 while the informal sector recorded 636,000. This means that the informal sector is a large contributor to the growth of the country’s economy. The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in conjunction with the government received funding of upto 1.6 billion Keny...

Lack of dispute resolving mechanisms has led to many Kenyans seeking justice in courts thereby derailing development. Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Information Communications and Technology Dr. Fred Matiang’i said while Kenyans were busy resolving conflicts in courts, other countries continued developing. While addressing participants during a conference on Digital Broadcasting Migration: Opportunities and Challenges for Marginalized Communities Dr. Matiang regretted that the digital migration had been delayed due to constant court cases.. “ In 2006, Kenya participated in the Regional Radiocommunications Conference in Geneva which agreed on June 2015 as the cutover date for the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting,” he said. The Doctor called on Kenyans to embrace dialogue to resolve disputes, adding that it was the only way to ensure growth and development. He regretted that most cabinet secretaries were not able to execute their duties following constant court injunc...

Embrace innovations, African countries urged. African countries need to embrace innovation and entrepreneurialism to ensure growth and development. In a newly published paper policy and complex systems, the writer a Kenyan born professor Calestous Juma of the Havard Kennedy Schools Beifer Centre for Science and International affairs, calls on developing countries to adopt technical fields such as science, technology and engineering to catch up economically with developed countries. He says this would transform economic systems to new levels of performance in all sectors and spread prosperity. Prof. Juma's paper examines the impact of Joseph Schumpeter, an Austrian-born Harvard scholar ranked among the world's most influential economists, whose 1911 book, The Theory of Economic Development, advanced the notion that innovation and individual entrepreneurship are the dynamic foundations of a nation's economic evolution, that "creative destruction" and the rene...

Saving lives of mothers and new born babies. Tanzania SUMBAWANGA, Tanzania – Pregnant women in some parts of Tanzania are still at unacceptably high risk of dying in childbirth, despite the government’s promises to make emergency healthcare services available to women in their communities. But in a new drive aimed at re-doubling efforts to save the lives of mothers and newborn babies, the Tanzanian Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, will on March 15, lead the nation in marking the 9th Annual White Ribbon Day in Sumbawanga, Rukwa Region, one of the country’s worst affected regions. He is also expected to commission a new state-of-the art caesarean theater, donated to the community, by a non-governmental organization (NGO) affiliated to the White Ribbon Alliance, in a ground breaking ceremony in Mtowisa. The fully furnished facility worth $110,000 will serve as a model for other health centres in the East African country. The national event is aimed at urging the government ...

Conference to examine finance options for local communities adapting to climate change An international conference in Nepal next month aims to show how to unlock finance that can help communities in developing countries adapt to climate change. The 8th International Conference on Community Based Adaptation (CBA8) on 24-30 April will explore ways to encourage the private sector to invest in adaptation and ensure that public finance reaches communities that need it. The meeting in Kathmandu is organised by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies and Clean Energy Nepal on behalf of Climate Change Network Nepal. The Government of Nepal will host the conference. Speakers will include: · Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC · Jose Maria Clemente Sarte Salceda Co-Chair, Green Climate Fund Board · Mamadou Honadia, Vice Chair of Adaptation Fund Board · Margaret Mu...