Category Archives: The New Times

Times Reporter

Wednesday, March 018, 2023

When Esperance Maniriho, 47, a resident of Rubavu District, found out that she was HIV positive in 2007, she thought of committing suicide—it didn’t help that she was mocked by the neighbours and relatives who knew about it.

People, including Maniriho’s family, started to defame her and say hurtful words to her. Self-love was distant to her, but her husband who was also HIV positive was there to comfort her and inform her more about HIV, whilst encouraging her to take antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for HIV control.

Maniriho was infected by her husband who had several other wives, some of whom were among the people who would not go near her. They would laugh at her from a distance, and not even touch anything she did, let alone share with food her.

Emmanuel Nkangura

Wednesday, March 08, 2023

If ‘never give up’ or ‘it’s never too late to pursue a dream’, were a person, it would be Margaret Mugirwanake.

As a ‘bright student’ in the 1980s, at least from her viewpoint, Mugirwanake, 52, dreamt of becoming a teacher, but her dreams, and rights, were cut short.

In 1978, reforms to localise education were made, but this time, quotas were introduced for each ethnic group. Students like Mugirwanake were no longer admitted to secondary schools on the basis of merit but on the policy of “balance” (‘iringaniza’).

Article 60 of the law (at the time) on public instruction stated that the transition from primary to secondary school was to consider national exam results, students’ progressive performance, ethnic group, and balance. The policy left out many Tutsi children, girls specifically, even if they were smart.

Emmanuel Ntirenganya

Wednesday, March 08, 2023

To tackle the gender digital divide, the UN Women Rwanda country office said it plans to have the first boot camp under the African Girls Can Code Initiative in April this year, whereby it will train 60 girls aged between 17 and 22.

Those who have completed S6 and are interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), are eligible for the coding training, it indicated, adding that two girls will be selected from each district of the country.

The African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) was launched in 2018 with the aim to address the gender digital divide, as a partnership between UN Women, the African Union Commission (AUC), and the International Telecommunication Unit (ITU). It seeks to train African girls in critical coding and tech skills, setting them up to be computer programmers, creators, and designers.

Ines Rutayisire Umurerwa

Wednesday, March 01, 2023

When Esperance Maniriho, 47, a resident of Rubavu District, found out that she was HIV positive in 2007, she thought of committing suicide—it didn’t help that she was mocked by the neighbours and relatives who knew about it.

People, including Maniriho’s family, started to defame her and say hurtful words to her. Self-love was distant to her, but her husband who was also HIV positive was there to comfort her and inform her more about HIV, whilst encouraging her to take antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for HIV control.

Maniriho was infected by her husband who had several other wives, some of whom were among the people who would not go near her. They would laugh at her from a distance, and not even touch anything she did, let alone share with food her.