The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), QU Dongyu, today signed an agreement to provide FAO’s support to the Government of Cameroon in building the capacity of small-scale farmers in the country’s Eastern Region.

The Cameroon Emergency Food Crisis Response Project which is receiving $2.92 million from the World Bank and for which FAO is an implementing partner, seeks to strengthen sustainable food production and enhance farmer’s resilience to the impacts of the climate crisis. The mid-term report on the 2023 food crises reveals that in Cameroon 22 percent of the population is in Phase 2 (Stressed), and 10 percent of the population is in Phase 3 (Crisis) of Acute Food Insecurity.

The FAO Director-General signed the agreement in a ceremony with Gabriel Mbairobe, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cameroon, Dr. Taiga, Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries of Cameroon and a Representative of the World Bank.

“The climate crisis has impacted across the agriculture sector, including livestock and fisheries, as well as affecting other key areas such as health,” Qu stated.

“In view of climate variability and the disruptive events observed in the country, FAO supports the Project through agricultural and livestock support in the eastern region” the Director-General added.

The PULCCA Project will provide support through four key components:

One: by supporting food and nutrition stabilization of rapid response for early recovery and resilience building;
Two: by strengthening smallholder production capacities through crop and livestock support for climate and nutrition resilience;
Three: through support for community preparedness and early warning systems; and
Four: through project management, monitoring, and evaluation.

FAO’s intervention will include the procurement and distribution of agricultural inputs (improved drought-resistant seed varieties, fertilisers) and equipment for primary production to farmers, 60 percent of whom are women. In addition to boosting crop production, support for livestock production is also envisage, including the distribution of inputs and materials for livestock farmers and mass vaccination campaigns for traditional poultry.

FAO will also provide technical assistance to strengthen farmers’ resilience to climate change through the farmer-field-school and climate-smart production approach.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Legislators have scrapped the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Board returning its mandate of overseeing operations of NGOs back to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 

This was while the lawmakers considered the NGO (Amendment) Bill, 2024 passed during the plenary sitting on Tuesday, 23 April 2024. 

The Chairperson, Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs, Hon. Wilson Kajwengye said that the functions of the National Bureau of NGOs can be performed in the Ministry, like it was the case in 2016 before the Board was created. 

The amendment now mainstreams the Bureau as a department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as part of government’s policy to rationalize various entities. 

The new law replaces the NGO Board with a Bureau that will be headed by a Secretary, who will be supervised by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 

According to the new legal regime, the Secretary shall be responsible for the day to day operations of the Bureau, the management of its funds, as well as administration and management of the property of the Bureau. 

Kajwengye justified that dissolving the Board will save government from accumulating arrears of up to Shs1.1 billion every year, being the costs of facilitating the NGO Board and Adjudication committee. 

“The Non-Tax Revenue collected from NGO registration will also be mainstreamed into the Ministry,” said Kajwengye. 

Hon. Asuman Basalirwa (JEEMA, Bugiri Municipality) said that the stay of the National Bureau of NGOs is not justified because of the current bureaucratic processes entailed in renewal of NGO licenses.   

“Getting information or renewal of licenses from NGO Board is extremely difficult, even basic things are being a challenge, I do not think its stay is justified,” Basalirwa said. 

Hon. Dononzio Kahonda (NRM, Ruhinda South County) however differed from the Committee’s report, arguing that the Board has enhanced registration, monitoring and inspection of NGOs. 

He added that the NGOs and CBOs registered in Uganda are reported to bring into the country a minimum of Shs4.5 trillion annually, and therefore compliments the work of government.

“It is the Minority’s concern that mainstreaming the Bureau as a department will deny the country the unique, specialized expertise required to oversee a rather complex and dynamic NGO sector,” said Kahonda. 

Kiboga district Woman MP, Hon. Christine Kaaya supported the minority report, saying that mainstreaming the Bureau under the Ministry of Internal Affairs will affect inspections and monitoring of NGOs. 

“It will be a very difficult moment if the Board is dissolved because NGOs are bound by donors who need timely responses and we know their contributions in terms of fundraising for this nation,” she said. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

We Were Here, a three-part video series produced in partnership by UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and YouTube to challenge perceptions about refugees, has won the people’s choice award in the documentary category of the Webby Awards.

The series pairs popular content creators with refugees in Jordan, Germany and Uganda who share the same passions for music, food, and innovation.  

The announcement today of the winners of the 28th Annual Webby Awards, which celebrate the best of the internet, acknowledges UNHCR’s commitment to challenging stereotypes and misperceptions about refugees and highlights the importance of making sure refugees have opportunities to develop their skills and pursue their passions while in exile.

“Winning the People’s Voice Webby Award is a significant recognition for the refugees we serve around the world,” said Dominique Hyde, Director of External Relations, UNHCR.

“Too often we see narratives that seek to divide us, but by focusing on what unites us, the passions that drive us all, we are reminded of our universal and basic need for protection. Worldwide, more than 1 in 73 people have been forced to flee their homes. They deserve to be seen and heard. We are incredibly grateful to the refugee creators who have allowed us to share their stories and to all the partners who supported this initiative. This is truly a collective win.”

“YouTube is the place where people come together and find their voice. The video series ‘We Were Here’ talks about challenging stereotypes and perceptions about refugees by shining a light on what unites us – our shared passions. We’re proud that YouTube could play a role in sharing these powerful stories with the world,” said Camilla Hill, YouTube Marketing Director.

In an episode focusing on music as an expression of belonging and identity, English DJ and producer, Jax Jones, meets the female Ukrainian hip-hop trio, For Sho, for a studio recording session. The episode sees the artists collaborate on a track that explores life in exile from the war in Ukraine and their new lives in Germany.  

Welsh chef and vegan entrepreneur, Gaz Oakley, also meets Congolese permaculture expert, Bemeriki, and they discover a shared approach to growing food. When his family fled Congo for Uganda, his grandmother took with her seeds so that she could grow food for the family.  Here is where his love for cultivation began.

In Jordan, Swedish American inventor and innovator, Simone Giertz, meets Syrian toymaker Mohammad at his workshop, exploring the novel materials and mechanisms he uses and working together to create a remote-controlled helicopter.   

The series was created and produced in partnership with Uncommon Creative Studio and Lief, award-winning multi-disciplinary creatives, to mark last year’s World Refugee Day, on 20 June 2023. The team includes renowned director Alma Har’el as executive producer, Oscar-nominated director Laura Checkoway, internationally acclaimed Jordanian director Mahmoud Al Massad, and British-Ghanaian rising star Curtis Essel. The film scores were overseen by music supervisor Bridget Samuels.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Pesach is a celebration of freedom, and commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery. 

President Ramaphosa said: “The Jewish community is an important and deeply valued part of our diverse society. As we reflect on the story of Exodus, let us take this moment to appreciate the freedoms we enjoy and commit ourselves to the value of Tikkun Olam, healing the world.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.