Israeli Ambassador to Rwanda Ron Adam. Photo Courtesy

(December 16, 2021 / JNS) Israel’s embassy in Rwanda has donated nearly $100,000 to purchase computers and other equipment for schools, the Rwandan daily The New Times has reported this week.

Under the U.N. Children’s Fund Giga project, educational institutions are being hooked up to the Internet, noted the report, adding that the International Telecommunication Union is also a partner in the program to connect every school on Earth to the Internet by 2030.

Rwanda has been chosen by the U.N. Broadband Commission in 2020 to lead implementation in Africa.

Ron Adam, Israeli Ambassador to Rwanda, said his country was pleased to support the program, saying “education is the foundation of everything, and this goes hand in hand with the quality. In this era, you can’t talk about quality while excluding technology.”

“We believe that this support from Israel will be another stepping stone for Rwanda to realize its ambition of universal connectivity in schools and becoming a knowledge-based economy,” he added.

Of the 63 Rwandan schools taking part in Giga, only 29 percent have the needed computers and other equipment, the report said, citing UNICEF.

UNICEF country representative to Rwanda Julianna Lindsey said “this generous support … will enable the purchase of laptops for teachers in schools that are being connected to the Internet across the country. The funding also [helps] bridge the digital divide in schools, which is a barrier to quality learning.” - Jewish News Syndicate

Photo via Pakistan Observer

The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, in collaboration with High Commission of Pakistan in Tanzania, invited a trade delegation of pharmaceuti-cal, medical supplies and surgical instruments to visit Pakistani firms of pharmaceutical and surgical sectors to source from Pakistan.

After the arrival of the delegation in Pakistan, it met 12 firms in Karachi and also plans to meet represen-tatives of a number of companies at Lahore, mainly from pharma sector. - Pakistan Observer

Nimisha Madhvani has been appointed Uganda’s high commissioner to the UK. Photo via EasternEye

NIMISHA MADHVANI has been appointed Uganda’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Her appointment comes at a time when the Ugandan Asian diaspora is celebrating the 50th anniversary of their expulsion by the Idi Amin regime in 1972.

Nimisha is the daughter of the late east African industrialist Jayantbhai Muljibhai Madhvani and Meenaben Madhvani – who passed away earlier this year. The Madhvani family over the last 100 years has remained one of the largest contributors to Uganda’s growth.

She joined Uganda’s Diplomatic Service in 1990, first being posted to Washington DC, then to India, followed by a series of postings across the world. Her last postings were in countries such as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Nimisha’s appointment is expected to be a big boost to the business community in the UK, who have welcomed her appointment.

Lord Dolar Popat, the prime minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda – welcomed the announcement and said Nimisha’s appointment will play a key role in strengthening UK-Uganda relations.

Lord Popat said: “I am eager to continue to build the UK’s future trade relationship with Uganda – and with Nimisha at the helm here in London it will make that a reality.

“Increased trade between the UK and Uganda will deliver more jobs, increased exports and technology transfers.” - Sattwik Biswal, EasternEye