June 12, 2023

Toast Selects FreedomPay as its Preferred Payments Partner for Global Enterprise Merchants

Toast will now enable enterprise merchants to combine FreedomPay’s best-in-class global Commerce Platform with its leading restaurant digital platform

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreedomPay, the world’s leading independent commerce platform and Toast, the all-in-one digital platform built for the entire restaurant community, signed a partnership agreement making FreedomPay Toast’s preferred payments gateway partner for select enterprise brands.

Toast will be able to offer its cloud-based digital platform for restaurants to leading enterprise merchants in the U.S. and Canada who are on the award-winning FreedomPay Commerce Platform.

Kelly Esten, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise at Toast stated: “As the restaurant industry rapidly adapts to new service models, Toast continues to deliver the industry’s trusted digital platform to help restaurants of all sizes and types—including franchisees—drive profitability, create the streamlined dining experiences guests expect, and make managing food service operations across properties easier than ever. We look forward to partnering with FreedomPay as we drive our enterprise expansion.”

FreedomPay Senior Vice President, Sales & Digital Development Nate Ware added: “This exciting collaboration between FreedomPay and Toast delivers advanced capabilities to large merchants. We are quite simply ‘unleashing the power of pay’ to thousands more businesses to help support Toast’s growth across enterprise level merchant solutions.”

FreedomPay is one of the world’s fastest growing Fintechs, innovating and transforming commerce to Next Level payment solutions. FreedomPay is aggressively expanding in new markets including the Middle East, South America, Africa and APAC. FreedomPay has recently been named one of the Fastest Growing FinTechs to Watch in 2022 and is a finalist for the Best Payment System in the PayTech Awards, London 2023.

FreedomPay and Toast will be exhibiting together at HITEC in Toronto, June 26-29. Visit booth 516/518 to learn more.

About FreedomPay
FreedomPay’s Next Level Commerce platform transforms existing payment systems and processes from legacy to leading edge. As the premier choice for many of the largest companies across the globe in retail, hospitality, lodging, gaming, sports and entertainment, foodservice, education, healthcare and financial services, FreedomPay’s technology has been purposely built to deliver rock solid performance in the highly complex environment of global commerce. The company maintains a world-class security environment and was first to earn the coveted validation by the PCI Security Standards Council against Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE/EMV) standard in North America. FreedomPay’s robust solutions across payments, security, identity, and data analytics are available in-store, online and on-mobile and are supported by rapid API adoption. The award winning FreedomPay Commerce Platform operates on a single, unified technology stack across multiple continents allowing enterprises to deliver an innovative Next Level experience on a global scale. www.freedompay.com

Jennifer Tayebi
Hill+Knowlton Strategies for FreedomPay
+1 734 395 0780
jennifer.tayebi@hkstrategies.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8856540

June 12, 2023

Dominica Ranks as Safest Country in the Caribbean in 2023 World Citizenship Report: CS Global Partners

London, June 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Commonwealth of Dominica has been crowned as the safest place in the Caribbean in the second annual World Citizenship Report published by the world’s leading government advisory and marketing firm, CS Global Partners.

Using data from the World Citizenship Index (WCI), the World Citizenship Report’s data-driven tool which measures 188 countries across five motivators most relevant to the mass affluent, the Nature Isle topped the Safety and Security pillar in the region with a score of 76.9, bringing it to the 38th safest place in the international arena.

In the Caribbean, Grenada (46), St Kitts and Nevis (48), Saint Lucia (50) and Antigua and Barbuda (52) followed Dominica’s safety and security rank of 38. Iceland (1), New Zealand (2) and Switzerland (3) kept their top rankings globally for the second year in a row, while economic giants like the US (65) and China (111) trailed much further behind Dominica.

Dominica continues to place emphasis on physical safety, rule of law, and political stability and ranks high in categories like voice and accountability, where citizens feel empowered to hold leaders accountable to their demands and needs.

The post-pandemic return to ‘normal’ has been marred by generational inflation, broader macroeconomic volatility as well as the geopolitical instability stemming from the crisis in Ukraine – which has threatened to upend the ‘Long Peace’ enjoyed since the end of WWII.

The resultant supply chain, energy, and political pressures have pushed the global economy closer to a recession and are forcing governments to enact monetary and fiscal policy changes that are pressurising households the world over. Perhaps more importantly, the upheaval of the last two years that has engendered both restrictions on local and international movement and increased economic headwinds have compelled the world’s citizens to reappraise their relationship with their own governments with respect to freedom, safety, and opportunity.

The mass affluent and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are looking for alternative destinations as a bolt-hole for future crises in countries that offer the freedoms that are lacking in their home nations.

With many parts of the world also experiencing an uptick in violent crime due to ineffective policies and rising inequality, smaller jurisdictions in particular are increasingly prioritising efforts to ensure the rule of law for all as part of efforts to boost tourism and attract digital nomads. In the Caribbean for example, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data shows that St Kitts and Nevis saw a 50 per cent reduction in its average crime statistics over the past five years resulting in it being ranked among the safest islands to visit in 2023 by well-known tourist guide “Travellers Worldwide”.

Caribbean nations that offer investment migration schemes such as Dominica, offer global citizens access to some of the best travel and economic markets in the world.

Dominica began welcoming foreign nationals to obtain citizenship in 1993. The island remains politically and economically stable, with a low crime rate and rich investment opportunities.

Chantal Mabanga
CS Global Partners
+44 (0) 207 318 4343
Chantal.Mabanga@csglobalpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8856088

June 12, 2023

Cohere Lança Série C de US$270 Milhões para Levar IA Geradora para Empresas

Financiamento irá acelerar a posição de liderança da Cohere e proporcionar para as empresas a capacidade da IA na plataforma de nuvem de preferida, para a manutenção dos dados privados e seguros

SÃO FRANCISCO e TORONTO, June 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Cohere, principal plataforma de IA para empresas, anunciou hoje a disponibilização de novo capital no valor de US$270 Milhões como parte de seu financiamento da Série C. A Inovia Capital liderou a rodada, com participação adicional de um grupo diversificado de investidores institucionais e estratégicos globais, incluindo NVIDIA, Oracle, Salesforce Ventures, DTCP, Mirae Asset, Schroders Capital, SentinelOne, Thomvest Ventures e retorno do investidor Index Ventures. Este grupo representa investidores dos EUA, Canadá, Coreia, Reino Unido e Alemanha, e inclui algumas das empresas de tecnologia mais respeitadas do mundo.

“A IA irá impulsionar a próxima década de sucesso nos negócios”, disse Aidan Gomez, CEO e cofundador da Cohere. “Com a empolgação inicial com a IA generativa se transformando em novas maneiras de acelerar os negócios, as empresas estão procurando a Cohere para posicioná-las para o sucesso em uma nova era da tecnologia. A próxima fase dos produtos e serviços de IA irá revolucionar os negócios e estamos prontos para liderar o caminho.”

“Estamos no início de uma nova era impulsionada pela computação acelerada e IA generativa”, disse Jensen Huang, fundador e CEO da NVIDIA. “A equipe da Cohere contribuiu fundamentalmente para a IA generativa. Seu serviço irá ajudar empresas em todo o mundo a aproveitar esses recursos para automatizar e acelerar.”

IA Criada para Empresas
A plataforma de IA da Cohere foi projetada exclusivamente para empresas, oferecendo opções de implantação seguras de dados nos ambientes de nuvem, personalização e suporte ao cliente existentes das empresas. A plataforma inclui também um ecossistema de parceiros de consultoria e integradores de sistemas para ajudar as empresas em qualquer estágio de sua jornada para a IA.

A suíte de IA corporativa da Cohere é independente da nuvem, oferecendo os mais altos níveis de flexibilidade e privacidade de dados. A plataforma foi desenvolvida para estar disponível em todos os provedores de nuvem, implantada dentro do ambiente de nuvem existente de um cliente, nuvem privada virtual (VPC) ou até mesmo no local, para atender às empresas onde seus dados estão abrigados. Isso capacita as empresas a transformar produtos existentes e criar a próxima geração de soluções inovadoras que definem a era, mantendo seus dados seguros.

“Temos por objetivo investir em grandes empreendedores que tenham grandes missões e ambições em todo o mundo”, disse Steve Woods, CTO e sócio da Inovia Capital. “Poucas ideias podem mudar fundamentalmente a sociedade e agregar mais valor à humanidade. Esta é obviamente uma dessas oportunidades e estamos entusiasmados em fazer parceria com a Cohere para poder fazer parte deste empreendimento.”

A notícia de hoje dá seguimento a vários acontecimentos da Cohere em diversas áreas: anúncio recente de colaboração com a Salesforce Ventures para a promoção de uma IA geradora com valor comercial; engajamento com a LivePerson para impulsionar a experiência dos clientes; e uma série de demandas e interesses adicionais por parte do mercado corporativo. Com o avanço da tecnologia líder do setor da Cohere, a avaliação mais recente do modelo de linguagem da Stanford também classificou o modelo de Comando da Cohere com alta precisão em relação aos modelos comparáveis. A Cohere também lançou recentemente o primeiro modelo de compreensão multilíngue publicamente disponível, treinado em dados autênticos de falantes nativos; este modelo tem capacidade para ler e entender mais de 100 dos idiomas mais falados do mundo.

“A Cohere tem uma rara combinação de talentos de primeira linha, a tecnologia mais inovadora e está mais bem posicionada para aproveitar a oportunidade do mercado corporativo global de IA Gerativa e LLMs”, disse Lance Matthews, Diretor Administrativo da DTCP. “Nossa estrutura de fundos e relacionamentos exclusivos nos permitem reunir uma coalizão de investidores institucionais e estratégicos globais, incluindo a Deutsche Telekom, para acelerar a visão da Cohere de oferecer essa tecnologia para empresas de todo o mundo”.

Para mais informação sobre a Cohere e a sua equipa em crescimento, visite cohere.com.

Sobre a Cohere
A Cohere é a principal plataforma de IA para empresas. Sua IA de categoria mundial é unicamente adequada às necessidades dos negócios, desbloqueando a facilidade de uso, acessibilidade e privacidade de dados sem precedentes. A plataforma da Cohere é independente da nuvem, acessível por meio da API como um serviço gerenciado e pode ser implantada em nuvem privada virtual (VPC) ou mesmo no local para atender às empresas onde seus dados estão abrigados, oferecendo os mais altos níveis de flexibilidade e controle. Fundada por ex-alunos do Google Brain e um coautor do seminal artigo Transformer, a Cohere tem a missão de transformar empresas e seus produtos com a IA, desbloqueando uma maneira mais intuitiva do que nunca de gerar, pesquisar e resumir informações. A empresa é apoiada por um grupo de investidores institucionais e estratégicos globais, incluindo DTCP, Index Ventures, Inovia Capital, Mirae Asset, NVIDIA, Oracle, Radical Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Section 32 e Tiger Global, bem como vários luminares da IA, incluindo Geoffrey Hinton, Jeff Dean, Fei-Fei Li, Pieter Abbeel e Raquel Urtasun.

Contato com a Mídia
press@cohere.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8856104

June 12, 2023

Cohere annonce une série C de 270 millions de dollars pour mettre l’IA générative à la portée des entreprises

Le financement renforcera la position de leader de Cohere en permettant aux entreprises de bénéficier de l’IA sur la plateforme cloud de leur choix, tout en préservant la confidentialité et la sécurité de leurs données

SAN FRANCISCO et TORONTO, 12 juin 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cohere, la plateforme d’IA numéro 1 pour les entreprises, a annoncé aujourd’hui un nouvel apport de capitaux de 270 millions de dollars dans le cadre de son financement de série C. Inovia Capital a mené le tour de table, avec la participation d’un groupe diversifié d’investisseurs institutionnels et stratégiques mondiaux, dont NVIDIA, Oracle, Salesforce Ventures, DTCP, Mirae Asset, Schroders Capital, SentinelOne, Thomvest Ventures, et à nouveau l’investisseur Index Ventures. Ce groupe représente des investisseurs des États-Unis, du Canada, de Corée, du Royaume-Uni et d’Allemagne, et comprend certaines des entreprises technologiques les plus respectées au monde.

« L’IA sera le moteur du succès des entreprises au cours de la prochaine décennie », a déclaré Aidan Gomez, PDG et co-fondateur de Cohere. « À l’heure où l’intérêt initial pour l’IA générative s’oriente vers des moyens de renforcer les entreprises, celles-ci se tournent vers Cohere pour se positionner avec succès dans une nouvelle ère technologique. La prochaine phase des produits et services d’IA va révolutionner les entreprises, et nous sommes prêts à ouvrir la voie. »

« Nous sommes au début d’une nouvelle ère portée par le calcul accéléré et l’IA générative », a déclaré Jensen Huang, fondateur et PDG de NVIDIA. « L’équipe de Cohere a apporté des contributions fondamentales à l’IA générative. Son service aidera les entreprises du monde entier à exploiter ces capacités afin d’automatiser et d’accélérer leurs processus. »

Une IA créée pour les entreprises
La plateforme d’IA de Cohere est spécialement conçue pour les entreprises. Elle offre des options de déploiement sécurisé des données dans les environnements cloud existants des entreprises, une personnalisation et un support client. Cela inclut un écosystème de partenaires consultants et intégrateurs de systèmes pour aider les entreprises à chaque étape de leur parcours en matière d’IA.

La suite d’IA pour entreprises de Cohere est agnostique au cloud, offrant ainsi les plus hauts niveaux de flexibilité et de confidentialité des données. La plateforme est conçue pour être disponible chez tous les fournisseurs de services en cloud, déployée dans l’environnement cloud existant des clients, dans un cloud privé virtuel (virtual private cloud, VPC) ou même sur site, afin de répondre aux besoins des entreprises là où se trouvent leurs données. Cela permet aux entreprises de transformer les produits existants et de créer la prochaine génération de solutions révolutionnaires, tout en sécurisant leurs données.

« Notre raison d’être est d’investir dans de grands entrepreneurs qui ont une mission et des ambitions d’envergure mondiale », a déclaré Steve Woods, directeur technologique et associé d’Inovia Capital. « Très peu d’idées peuvent changer fondamentalement la société et représenter une vraie valeur ajoutée pour l’humanité. Il s’agit de toute évidence d’une telle opportunité et nous sommes ravis de nous associer à Cohere pour la mettre à profit. »

La nouvelle d’aujourd’hui succède à des avancées de Cohere dans plusieurs domaines : une annonce récente de collaboration avec Salesforce Ventures pour faire progresser l’IA générative afin d’apporter de la valeur aux entreprises ; un engagement avec LivePerson pour dynamiser les expériences des clients ; et une demande et un intérêt croissants de la part du marché des entreprises. Cohere continue de faire progresser sa technologie de pointe, et selon l’évaluation la plus récente des modèles de langage par Stanford, le modèle Command de Cohere atteint aussi un haut niveau de précision par rapport à des modèles comparables. Entre-temps, Cohere a récemment lancé le tout premier modèle de compréhension multilingue accessible au grand public entraîné à partir de données authentiques provenant de locuteurs natifs ; il est équipé pour lire et comprendre plus de 100 des langues les plus couramment parlées dans le monde.

« Cohere dispose d’une combinaison rare de talents de premier plan et de la technologie la plus innovante. L’entreprise est idéalement placée pour saisir l’opportunité que représentent l’IA générative et les LLM sur le marché mondial des entreprises », a déclaré Lance Matthews, directeur général de DTCP. « Notre structure de fonds unique et nos relations nous permettent de rassembler une coalition d’investisseurs institutionnels et stratégiques mondiaux, dont Deutsche Telekom, afin de mettre en oeuvre la vision de Cohere, qui consiste à rendre cette technologie accessible aux entreprises du monde entier. »

Pour en savoir plus sur Cohere et son équipe en pleine expansion, rendez-vous sur cohere.com.

À propos de Cohere
Cohere est la plateforme d’IA numéro 1 pour les entreprises. Son intelligence artificielle de classe mondiale est spécialement adaptée aux besoins des entreprises et offre une facilité d’utilisation, une accessibilité et une confidentialité des données sans précédent. La plateforme de Cohere est agnostique au cloud, accessible par API en tant que service géré, et peut être déployée sur un cloud privé virtuel (virtual private cloud, VPC) ou même sur site pour répondre aux besoins des entreprises, offrant ainsi les niveaux les plus élevés de flexibilité et de contrôle. Fondée par des anciens de Google Brain et un co-auteur du rapport de recherche novateur Transformer, Cohere a pour mission de transformer les entreprises et leurs produits grâce à une IA qui permet de générer, de rechercher et de résumer l’information de manière plus intuitive que jamais. La société est soutenue par un groupe d’investisseurs institutionnels et stratégiques mondiaux, dont DTCP, Index Ventures, Inovia Capital, Mirae Asset, NVIDIA, Oracle, Radical Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Section 32 et Tiger Global, ainsi que par plusieurs experts de l’IA, dont Geoffrey Hinton, Jeff Dean, Fei-Fei Li, Pieter Abbeel et Raquel Urtasun.

Contact auprès des médias
press@cohere.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8856104

June 12, 2023

Scrap Metal Dealers Warned Against Involving Children In Trade

Dealers in scrap metal within Kericho County have been warned against involving children in the hazardous business, which endangers their lives and keeps them away from school.

According to Kericho County Children’s Department Officer Mr. Daniel Kiba, the department’s main concern has been the increasing number of children dropping out of school to join the scrap metal business within Kericho Town, which he said was illegal.

Mr. Kiba said that a number of children below the age of 18 from primary schools within the town engaged in the collection of scrap metal, glass, and plastics from dump sites to sell to manufacturers for meagre wages.

The children’s officer was speaking during the World Day against Child Labour observed worldwide as a demonstration of commitment to ending child labour and highlighting the rights of children, which include the right to health, education, and protection.

Mr Kiba said resolving child labour issues needed a multi-agency approach involving not only the children’s department but also the labour office, the national police, and the judiciary in order to protect the rights of minors.

‘If the scrap metal buyers could cease trading with children, the cases would decline, and children would remain in school for their studies. However, even parents have to be proactive in discouraging their children from engaging in the collection of scrap metal,’ said Mr. Kiba.

He also noted that there has been an increase in child abuse cases reported within Kericho County, with statistics indicating a 75 per cent rise due to domestic issues.

Meanwhile, Kericho Labour Officer Boniface Karugi explained that the employment age as provided for in the law is between 13 to 16 years under the supervision and direct authorization of the labour commissioner.

He further explained that the two types of labour include light duties, which are legal, and hazardous forms of labour which are illegal.

Karugi further explained that hazardous labour includes bodaboda business, pushing hand carts, digging and extraction of minerals, carrying heavy loads, brick making, working with machinery chemicals, earth digging, carrying stones or rocks, deep sea fishing, and collecting scrap metal, among others.

‘I would advise members of the public to report to the labour office issues of child labour especially those involving children in hazardous labour,’ added Karugi.

And Labour Officer Jane Waweru defined child labour as any work that deprives a child of their right to be engaged in children’s activities like playing and going to school. She further said that according to the Employment Act Section 59, no person shall employ a child in an industrial undertaking between the hours of 6:30pm to 6:30 am.

‘Factors that determine if a minor is under child labour are the age, hours of work, condition, and nature of work. Children should only be engaged in lighter duties which do not hinder them from school and playing,’ added Waweru.

The Labour Officer mentioned the worst forms of child labour as slavery, child trafficking, debt bondage, forced labour, sexual exploitation of children, and early marriages.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), child labour deprives children of education and opportunity and increases the odds against their chances of securing a decent income and stable employment as adults.

Source: Ghana News Agency

June 12, 2023

Chinese Investors To Expand Manufacturing In Kisumu

A team of Chinese investors has expressed interest in scaling up the manufacturing of building materials and internal decoration products in Kisumu County.

This follows the successful establishment of KEDA Ceramics Company in the area by Chinese investors, which opened its doors last year.

The investors operating under the umbrella of China Lesso Group Holdings Limited aim to leverage on the success of KEDA Ceramics to manufacture diversified building materials and products.

China Lesso Group Holdings Limited Chairman, Wong Luen Hei, led a team of 14 investors from Hong Kong China on Monday to explore investment opportunities in the lakeside city.

Speaking during a courtesy call on Kisumu Deputy Governor, Dr.Mathwe Owili, Hei said the investors were keen on setting up plants on the 150-acre piece of land owned by KEDA Group in Miwani to venture into manufacturing.

The investors, he added, will specialize in the manufacturing of pipes and fittings, interior decoration products, and home furnishing materials and, at the same time, play an active role in the supply chain and environmental conservation.

Hei said the initiative targets to create job opportunities for the youth and improve the livelihoods of the people of Kisumu.

‘We started by investing in ceramics production seven years ago in Kajiado. In 2021, we expanded to Kisumu. From the implementation of the first production line here, we have seen a big potential and market in Kisumu and the neighbouring counties,’ he said.

Through the new investments, the Company targets doubling its investment in Kisumu to create more opportunities for the locals.

On his part, Dr. Owili lauded the initiative, saying it was set to open up the County for development, besides creating job opportunities for the youth.

‘The China Lesso Investment Group is not new to Kisumu, as KEDA Ceramics has been in the country for seven years. They entered Kisumu in 2021 and started operations in 2022, employing thousands of people, both directly and indirectly,’ said the Deputy Governor.

He said the county government of Kisumu will continue to partner and create a conducive environment for investors.

Source: Ghana News Agency

June 12, 2023

Transfer Of Multi-Million Leather Tannery From Kisumu To Narok Opposed

The Kenya Industrial Research Development Institute (KIRDI) has opposed a transfer of multi-million leather tanning equipment from its Kisumu branch to Narok following a request placed by the Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority (ENSD).

KIRDI Director General (DG) Calvin Onyango confirmed receipt of the transfer note through the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, adding that the agency was working on a response to explain why the equipment cannot be moved.

Onyango said the equipment was actively in use in Kisumu, serving the lake region counties, and its transfer would deal a blow to the numerous Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) using it.

The notion that the equipment was being underutilized, he added, was not true, saying five SMEs were currently being incubated at the center in Kisumu, adding value to skins and leather to produce different products.

‘We also have a leather goods unit here, which is used to produce different leather products like shoes, belts, and bags,’ he said.

Addressing the media at the Kisumu KIRDI center along Kibos Road, Onyango said the agency’s senior management was preparing a response to the request to advise the Principal Secretary (PS), State Department for Trade and Industry, and Cabinet Secretary (CS) against the move.

The Sh. 600 million tannery is the largest in the country and was installed in Kisumu in 2016 as a Vision 2030 project to help resuscitate the leather industry in the Western region.

Onyango said the KIRDI Board of Management has been briefed on the matter, assuring residents of Kisumu and Lake Region counties dependent on the facility that the equipment will not be moved.

‘The equipment we have here was procured to support the people of Kisumu and the Lake Region Economic Bloc. Therefore it is not going to be taken away,’ he said.

He asked county governments in the lake region to take advantage of the facility to add value to hides and skins to help rejuvenate the sector.

KIRDI, he said, was in talks with county governments in the area to explore new opportunities to maximise the usage of the equipment.

Kisumu County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in Charge of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, and Fisheries Kenneth Onyango said the decision to relocate the facility was a big concern to area residents.

KIRDI, he said, has been very instrumental in incubating and building capacity for SMEs in the area, adding that the transfer of the equipment would deal a big blow to ongoing projects.

‘I am happy the DG has assured us that the equipment is here to stay; now I want to call upon our people to use this institution as a talent development center in many fields,’ he said.

The Kisumu County Government, he added, will support the center to ensure that the facility remains operational.

Source: Ghana News Agency

June 12, 2023

Alumni Associations Boost Funding For School Infrastructure

As schools continue to struggle with funding occasioned by higher enrollment, a number of secondary schools in Thika, Kiambu County, have come up with alumni associations to improve school infrastructure and pay fees for needy learners.

Chania Boys and Chania Girls High School Principals said the government’s directive to have a 100 per cent primary to secondary school transition has led to congestion in classrooms and dormitories, making their facilities overwhelmed.

Speaking in Thika during the launch of the Chania Boys High School Alumni Association, the school’s principal, James Gitau, said the alumni will go a long way in supplementing the government’s and parents’ efforts in solving some of the challenges they faced as a school.

Gitau said through the alumni association, they will conduct a fund drive as they seek to put up Sh50 million worth of dormitories and other projects to decongest the schools.

‘With a population of 1,500, we are overstretched in terms of infrastructure, dormitories, and classes, and that’s why, through the alumni association, we plan to have a fund drive to help in constructing blocks,’ said Gitau.

His counterpart in the girls’ school, Mary Mwangi, hailed the initiative to form the association, saying not only will they help to support needy students but will also be able to mentor them and link them into the job market and other opportunities.

She said both schools will start an education kitty to support needy students with bursaries to enable them to achieve their dream careers without challenges.

‘The school has about 1,450 students, and with the limited infrastructure, we can’t wholly depend on the government’s support. We need to come up with programmes through the alumni to support students as well as infrastructural development in the schools,’ said Mwangi.

The alumni chairman, Juma Hemedi, said that the old boys and girls will soon roll out an elaborate programme to support the schools in infrastructural developments and raising fees for needy students.

He added that they will also help in networking and linking the schools to organizations that offer financial support to enable them to achieve those goals.

Mwangi called on other old students in various schools to organize themselves into similar associations to give back to the schools.

Bimal Shah, the CEO of Broadways Bakeries Limited, was appointed the pioneer association patron.

He promised to support the two schools in the various projects being initiated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

June 12, 2023

Busia Receives 100 Pieces Of Chess Boards

The Kenya Chess Federation (KCF) has donated 100 pieces of chess boards to Busia County with a view to introducing the sporting activity in schools.

Speaking during the handover ceremony of the items to Busia Chief Officer for Sports on Sunday, Western Chess Coordinator Situma Makokha said that the move is to demystify the notion that Chess is expensive and therefore meant for the rich people living in big towns like Nairobi.

‘We are here to walk the chess journey with Busia students and residents at large,’ he said, adding that most people know about the game but do not engage in it.

Makokha added that the items will be given to schools including St. Thomas Aquinas in Madende, Joe Destiny, St. James Model, and Resonate Elite, among others.

He encouraged the residents to embrace chess as the sport will enable them to earn a living, adding that most of the prizes have been won by Ugandans who cross over to compete, especially in Bungoma.

‘We have been organizing games, among them the Nairobi Open, Mombasa Open, Bungoma Open, and Kitale Open, and people have been scooping millions of shillings and other items like vehicles.

Busia County Chief Officer for Sports Saviour Panyako said the County is ready to work with the Chess Kenya Federation National Board and incorporate chess in schools in Kenya Intercounty Sports and Cultural Association (KICOSCA) games.

‘We shall ensure that Busia schools embrace and play chess come August this year,’ he said, adding that the sporting activity does not require a lot of space.

Source: Ghana News Agency

June 12, 2023

Kisumu Residents Hail Nyong’os Huduma Mashinani

The residents of Kisumu County have hailed the Huduma Mashinani service that was rolled out by the County Government of Kisumu in efforts to bring government services closer and make them more accessible to the people.

The County Government of Kisumu rolled out the Huduma Mashinani services in efforts to evaluate the progress of the projects that it had unveiled to the people, particularly the projects contained in the county’s manifesto as contained in the County’s Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).

The County Government has, therefore, invited the participation of the residents in the exercise to help give validation to the process.

A resident of Nyando, Grace Awino, while giving her take on the process, hailed the process as a critical step towards ensuring that development reaches the people at the grassroots.

‘My name is Grace Awino, and I hail from Awasi location and I want to express my gratitude to our Governor, Prof. Peter Anyan’g Nyong’o, because he has charted new ground by what he has done in ensuring that the entire office of the Governor is out to pursue the matter of service delivery to the residents,’ noted Awino.

Awino hailed the County Government for the various fronts it has taken on matters of development, especially in agriculture, in partnerships with the various nongovernmental organizations that have supplied the local farmers with various inputs, including seedlings such as beans, some of which are drought-resistant, that have boosted the food basket of the locals.

Residents also hailed the efforts of the County Government in sprucing up the conditions of the local roads, even as they pleaded with Governor Ny’ong’o to continue in the same trend and ensure that his development blueprint is felt in all the sub-counties in Kisumu.

Source: Ghana News Agency