Year: 2023

Elgeyo Marakwet County has today launched the El-Niño inter-agency preparedness contingency committee comprising of the Kenya Red Cross Society, and the national and county government to respond to any calamities related to the rains.

Keiyo North DCC Julius Maiyo said the county has set up a command centre to coordinate rescue and relief activities with the following toll-free numbers which residents should use to report any incidents, 1199, 0720 903030, 0728 602502 and 0704 220220.

This comes as the county continues to suffer the effects of the current El-Niño rains which has left two people dead after they were swept away by raging waters while 3,500 households in 37 villages have been affected.

The area governor Wisley Rotich named several villages among them Turesha, Biretwo, Kibendo, Arror and Upper Sambirir located along the hanging valley which cuts across the county as some of the most affected and will continue to suffer the effects of the rains currently pounding the county.

Speaking during the
launch of the committee at his office, the governor said 35 animals have also been buried alive by floods saying as the rains intensify more calamities were expected to hit the county.

The governor said the committee has embraced the use of a geospatial information system which shows live updates on the El-Niño prevalence in the county and urged those living in waterways and landslide-prone areas to move to safer grounds.

He, however, encouraged farmers to take advantage of the ongoing rains and plant short-term crops and heed the call from the president to plant trees in addition to establishing water pans to store water for irrigation and domestic use during the dry season.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Community leaders from Loita and Naroosura ward in Narok South Sub County have benefited from an environmental training sponsored by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and World Vision.

Speaking during the training held in a Narok Hotel, an environmental expert at Maasai Mara University Festus Barchok challenged the community leaders to lead their communities in planting trees to conserve and improve the environment.

Barchok said trees have multiple benefits to the environment and asked people to take advantage of the ongoing rains to plant trees on their individual farms.

The leaders, who included youth, religious leaders, and village elders were also urged to embrace Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) where they will be able to plant drought-resilient crops and carry out agricultural practices that seeks to protect the environment and reduce destruction.

Lydia Mashori, a farm expert at Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority (ENSDA) urged the community leaders to educate their communities
on the importance of keeping fewer livestock as one of the CSA practices.

She warned that the old practice of keeping large herds of livestock leads to overgrazing which has over time proven to be hazardous to the environment as it leads to desertification.

Jared Otieno, Natural Resource Management officer at World Vision said the training was meant to help the communities that reside in Naroosura and Loita ward to restore forest in that area and conserve their environment.

Otieno also challenged the community leaders to come up with a strategic plan that will see the restoration of the forest.

Moses Naeku, one of the community leaders from Naroosura said that the training has been of great impact to the trainees as they will be able to train their respective communities on the importance of afforestation.

Naeku urged farmers to embrace organic farming like crop rotation and the use of manure to protect the environment.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Eastern Region has recorded a slight reduction in road crash fatalities from 622 last year to 570 this year.

The number of those who survived with serious injuries also went down from 635 last year to 526 in the current year according to National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

Regional NTSA Manager Doris Sabaya however said there was still a lot to do to end road carnage as ‘one life lost on the road is one too many.’

This, according to Sabaya, called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders towards the agenda for reduction in traffic crashes.

Speaking during this year’s commemoration of World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims at the Regional Police Headquarters in Embu Town, the manager said they were in the process of putting up traffic calming strategies including road signage and formation of County Transport Safety Committees (CTSC) to reduce deaths on the roads.

She said these strategies and partnerships from various stakeholders will greatly contribute in lessening carnage
on Kenyan roads.

She lauded the Council of Governors (CoG) for supporting the fight by forwarding names of CTSCs to NTSA for gazettement.

Embu County Executive for Roads Elija Njeru said the committees will be charged with the responsibility of leading in the management of road safety at the county level.

He added that the county was also in the process of formulating a bill to assist in the management of county vehicles as well as public transport vehicles.

Embu West Sub-County Assistant County Commissioner Charles Opiyo regretted that the majority of accidents could be prevented if all road users remain vigilant and obey traffic rules.

He said only a small percent of road accidents are attributable to mechanical or environmental factors and called on road users to exercise caution to end unnecessary loss of lives.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Publisher Riadh Ben Abderrazak has been re-elected President of the Tunisian Publishers’ Union (UET).

A new governing board made of 7 members was also elected following the UET’s General Assembly, held Saturday in Tunis.

Here follows the new board of directors:

President: Riadh Ben Abderrazak

Vice President: Mohamed Ali Shili

Secretary General: Amel Jegham

Deputy S-G: Hichem Soussi

Treasurer: Bayram Marzouk

Member in charge of public relations: Habib Argoubi

Member: Mohamed Salah Maalej.

Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The cultural, sports and leisure centre in Oued Kacem district, Ksar Hellal, built as part of the first generation of the Programme for the Rehabilitation and Integration of Residential Areas (PRIQH1), has impacted the lives of locals, said Head of Projects at the Urban Rehabilitation and Renovation Agency (French: ARRU) in Monastir Lotfi Barketallah.

The official highlighted the role played by the centre which offers youths a wide range of sports and cultural activities. The number of visitors/day stands at about 150.

This centre had actively supported the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts by serving as a vaccination site for 1,200 people/day from such delegations as Lamta, Sayeda, Ksar Hellal, Bekalta, Teboulba and Ksibet El Medyouni for eight months.

The centre was chosen as its premises meet the standards set by the ministry.

People from all age groups visit the centre, said social education teacher at the centre Hela Essid. Drop-outs and illiterate people are provided with the opportuni
ty to learn reading, writing, maths and social communication over a period of three years, in a bid to help them integrate the job market in various specialities.

The agency’s action covered 45,000 hectares with the number of recipients hitting 15,000 in Oued Kacem at a total cost of TND 9 million, including infrastructure components, Barketallah added.

The official further said a drinking water distribution network of 600 linear metres had been installed in the region, in addition to 5km of wastewater pipes and 580 light points. 25km were asphalted which helped improve the landscape and the living conditions of lcoals.

ARRU scheduled works worth TND 7 million in Ksar Hellal. The target population is 15,000 inhabitants over an area of 70,000 hectares. The project will kick off in H2 of 2024.

Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

To mark the World Children’s Day, observed on November 20 of each year, the Ministry of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly is organising a national communication campaign till December 20 under the theme: “They grow up and don’t forget,” to underline the State’s commitment to protecting children’s rights and combating violence against them.

A training programme for trainers was also launched under the theme: “No to violence in schools,” in a bid to promote the culture of children’s rights and hold awareness-raising sessions to combat violence in schools, reads a ministry press release.

The ministry further indicated that the Observatory for Information, Training, Documentation and Studies on the Rights of the Child has started updating all the indicators on the situation of children in Tunisia.

Two studies have also been launched on “ways of strengthening the social protection system” and on “the impact of violence against children,” in addition to a reference framework for the reintegration of child
ren back from conflict zones.

The ministry further drew national plans to protect children from violence in cyberspace and to ensure Tunisia’s active participation in international efforts to reduce the impact of climate change on children, especially migrants, the same source reads.

The ministry recalled in this regard, the ministry recalled that a set of projects had been implemented to promote children’s rights, such as the opening of 47 integrated public kindergartens for 2,700 children, most of whom are from low-income and poor families in rural and border areas, in a bid to guarantee the children’s right to pre-school education, and the integration of 600 autistic children into public and private early childhood institutions by providing monthly financial support to their families.

Besides, the ministry indicated that under its partnership with the Tunisian Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (STPEA), a guidebook for teachers had been drawn up. This is the first official scientific guideb
ook of its kind to be provided in Tunisia for teachers in nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools.

The ministry pointed out the efforts it is exerting to raise awareness among the parents about the need to build their skills and knowledge to ensure a better guidance for their children, under the “Positive Parenting” programme.

A capacity-building programme targeted child protection officers, and a toll-free number (1809) was launched for listening, psychological assistance and guidance for children and families, and a digital child protection platform was set up to make it easier to receive reports.

The draft text of the integrated public policy for the protection of children will soon be finalised, the ministry added.

Some 6908 children are being taken care of by the State in 105 children’s centres and 22 integrated centres for young people and children, at a cost of TND 13.5 million.

Besides, 280 children have benefited from the family deposit programme in 2022-2023, (TND 200 per child), in additi
on to building the capacity of families to provide better care for their children.

Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Ministry of the Family, Women, Children and the Elderly is working to develop a national multi-sector plan to protect children from cyberviolence, Minister Amel Belhaj Moussa said at the launch of the national campaign to combat violence against children in Tunis Monday.

She added that this national plan aims to ensure an effective, coordinated and multi-stakeholder response to protect children in cyberspace and create a safe and secure digital environment for children. This will be done by defining the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, including public institutions, civil society organisations and private sector entities, particularly those working in the field of technology, as well as academic institutions. The aim is to combat the potential dangers and risks faced by children in the cyber space.

She also pointed out that the Ministry of the Family has begun preparing a quantitative and qualitative field study on violent disciplinary practices in all governorates of the Republic.

The
aim of this study is to determine the perceptions, practices, knowledge and attitudes of children, parents and all those working in the field of childhood with regard to violent discipline of children, in addition to involving children and encouraging them to express themselves and be aware of all cases of threats and types of violence to which they are exposed.

Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The launch of a national campaign to combat violence against children and the start of the month of child protection (from November 20 to December 20, 2023) was announced by Minister for the Family, Women, Children and the Elderly, Amel Belhaj Moussa, on Monday in Tunis.

During the launch ceremony of this national campaign on World Children’s Day, which is observed every year on November 20, the Minister explained that the choice of the slogan “he will grow and will not forget’ for this campaign, organised in collaboration with UNICEF, aims to break with the social justification and legitimisation of violence against children and the underestimation of its negative impact.

She stressed that this national campaign, which targets different social categories, especially parents, children and childhood professionals, aims to create a sense of community in the fight against all forms of violence against children, and to raise awareness and educate about the legal and psychological aspects, as well as the effect
s of violence on children and society.

The campaign also aims to encourage the children concerned to speak out and report all threats and forms of violence they are exposed to, by informing them about the concept of violence and threats, reporting mechanisms and protection services available.

Starting Monday, a series of television, radio and digital spots will be broadcast through a network of media, websites and social networking sites at national, regional and local levels. A major urban communication campaign will also be launched in all governorates from Tuesday, November 21, with wall posters to raise awareness of the importance of combating violence against children.

As part of the campaign, a 2D animated film aimed at children and young people will be shown in schools. It focuses on the different forms of violence, with advice for children on the seriousness of violence and the reporting mechanisms available.

Several influential national figures, including artists, intellectuals and athletes, will
act as ambassadors to support this campaign on the ground and through their accounts on social media or by appearing in various media, said Minister Amel Belhaj Moussa.

She added that from 2024, the second phase of the campaign will be implemented through the programming of various field activities targeting children, families and professionals in the field of childhood in all governorates.

Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The number of recipients of programmes designed to support the creation of small businesses from early January to late October reached 11, 499, edging up 10.9% in comparison with the same period last year.

Employment and Vocational Training ministry statistics released Monday show 2,777 entrepreneurs gained access to services under the business creation and training of entrepreneurs mechanism while a further 2,293 were given support grants.

Figures also show 5, 626 projects were studied, up 7.5% on last year. 57% of these projects were presented by women and 40.7% by higher education graduates; 6% were designed for expansion.

This includes 28.3% in the sector of services, 12.3% in the food and beverage industry, 8% in the textile and clothing sector, 7% in trade, 6.05% in maintenance and 4.5% in hairsressing.

Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Air passenger traffic through Tunisian airports was up 24.5% during the first 10 months of 2023, compared with the same period in 2022, standing at 7,611,650 “passenger movements,” according to statistics released Monday by the Office of Civil Aviation and Airports (OACA).

This upward trend affected air traffic at most Tunisian airports, with an increase of 22.5% at Tunis Carthage International Airport (5,657,301 passenger movements), 29.8% at Djerba-Zarzis International Airport (1,790,233 passenger movements), 50.3% at Sfax-Thyna International Airport (146,470 movements) and 9.1% at Gabès-Matmata International Airport (3,232 movements).

However, traffic fell by 13.7% at Tozeur-Nefta international airport (11,635 movements) and by 12% at Tabarka-Ain Draham international airport (2,259 movements).

The OACA statistics also show a 17.81% increase in commercial traffic (aircraft movements) during the first ten months of 2023, compared with the same period in 2022, with 64,445 aircraft movements recorded.

In
terms of aircraft movements, Tunis Carthage International Airport recorded a rise of 19.8% (47,252 movements), Djerba-Zarzis International Airport 17.1% (13,457 movements) and Sfax-Thyna International Airport 2.6% (3,193 movements).

Aircraft movements, however, were down 13.6% at Tozeur Nefta International Airport (241 movements), 30.8% at Tabarka-Ain Draham International Airport (155 movements) and 2.7% at Gabès-Matmata International Airport (144 movements).

Overflight traffic (aircraft crossing Tunisian airspace) reached 44,197 movements during the first ten months of 2023, up 44.6% compared with the same period in 2022.

Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse