April 14, 2023 – L' Observateur Burundi

April 14, 2023

Centro Semillero Offers Two Master’s Programs and Endless Possibilities

Houston, Texas, April 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — You may have heard the motto, “Those who dare to teach must never cease to learn.” This principle strongly applies to two Houston-area educators who, through Centro Semillero at University of St. Thomas-Houston (UST), have confirmed their callings as teachers and fortified their faith. Moreover, they are applying the academic program’s four pillars — kindness, discipline, knowledge, and community — to everything they do.

Angel de Jesus Garcia, Current Master’s Student

One of them is Angel de Jesus Garcia, a college advisor at Houston Independent School District and currently enrolled in Centro Semillero’s Master of Sacred Scriptures Program.

“When my friends told me that St. Thomas was about to launch a master’s degree program in Spanish, I went to orientation and decided to give it try,” Garcia said. “That’s how I became part of the first generation of Spanish-speaking theology students, and I thank God for that decision.”

Garcia made this decision because it perfectly supported both his profession as an educator and his after-work role as a leader at his parish’s youth ministry where he attends pastoral meetings, plans retreats, and creates Christian formation programs.

About Centro Semillero

Centro Semillero was created in 2019 as a graduate studies program in pastoral and biblical studies theology at the UST School of Humanities. Offered online and 100% in Spanish, Centro Semillero offers two postgraduate programs: a Master’s in Pastoral Theology and a Master’s in Sacred Scriptures.

“Centro Semillero,” according to its director Father Dempsey Rosales Acosta, “is inspired by the book of Proverbs 2:2-3 when fulfilling the invitation to incline our hearts to the understanding and study of God to grow in his love. Our center offers the opportunity to fulfill this goal of personal and professional growth by obtaining a postgraduate degree in pastoral or biblical studies at UST from the comfort of your home with our 100% online programs.”

Iris Lai Nayas, MAPT ‘21

For Iris Lai Nayas, a 9th-grade Spanish teacher at Pasadena Independent School District, and a graduate of the Pastoral Theology program in 2021, the concepts she learned have opened a door for dialogue with colleagues from other religions.

Nayas said, “The program has helped me find pastoral strategies for interacting with my colleagues, who are not necessarily Catholic. The strategies enable me to dialogue with all of my colleagues and live experiences of faith without losing the essence of mine.”

Most importantly, the program has made her realize that through her interactions with her students and peers, she can be a testament to God’s presence.

“Today, schools they have taken God out of the classroom but thanks to this program, I understand that God has never been outside, and it is up to me to present him, through values, justice, love, prudence, prayer, and faith,” adds Nayas.

Thanks to her graduate degree, Nayas is also a facilitator in the Small Communities of Salt and Light of Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.

How to Enroll

Centro Semillero has open enrollment for new students. To learn more about Centro Semillero click here.

Attachments

Sandra Soliz
University of St. Thomas - Houston
713-906-7912
solizs@stthom.edu

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8807777

April 14, 2023

President updates rules to contain increase in Covid-19 cases

Angolan head of State João Lourenço signed on April 14 a decree updating the rules for administrative management in the country of the Covid-19 pandemic, taking into account the relative increase in the number of positive cases in recent times , whose measures come into force at midnight on Saturday (April 15).

According to a Press Release from the Presidential Palace, reached ANGOP, the update comes in order to prevent the spread of the disease and the return to previous crisis scenarios.

As for health control at borders, the diploma determines that departures from national territory are dependent on the presentation of a vaccination certificate confirming the complete immunization, without prejudice to additional formalities required by the country of destination.

The document also determines that entries into the national territory are dependent on the presentation of a vaccination certificate confirming the complete immunization or, alternatively, the presentation of a test for the SARS-COV 2 virus, of the RT-PCR type, with a negative result, carried out within 48 hours previous to the trip.

Minors up to 12 years old are exempt from the measures, being exempt from presenting a vaccination certificate or test when entering and leaving the country.

The decree signed Friday by President João Lourenço establishes, as a measure of health containment, the mandatory use of a face mask in health units and in pharmacies or similar services, its use being optional in other places of public access.

The document also states that as long as the pandemic situation and the risk of mass contagion persist, competence is delegated to the ministerial departments to establish rules and administrative measures for surveillance and health control that prove to be useful and proportionate to the mitigation of the risk, under the terms of the International Health Regulations and the National Health Regulations.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

April 14, 2023

Angola, Estonia sign cooperation agreement on digital governance

The Minister of State and Head of the Civil Affairs Office to the President of the Republic Adão de Almeida witnessed Friday in Tallinn (Estonia), the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that strengthens the cooperation between the Republics of Angola and Estonia, in terms of digital governance and administrative modernisation.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was the main component of the working visit to Tallinn, capital city of Estonia, of an Angolan delegation led by the Minister of State, Adão de Almeida.

The delegation is also integrated by the secretary of the President of the Republic for State Reform, Pedro Fiete, the general director of the Institute of Administrative Modernisation (IMA), Meick Afonso, diplomats from the Angolan Embassy in Poland and technicians from the Auxiliary Bodies of the President of the Republic.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries was signed by the Director General of IMA and the Vice-Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications of the Republic of Estonia.

The Minister of State and Head of the Civil Affairs of the President of the Republic of Angola, Adão de Almeida, witnessed the formal signing ceremony flanked by the Estonian Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology, Krstjan Jarvan.

Based the signed document, the parties pledged to strengthen cooperation in several areas related to digital governance, administrative modernisation and training of staff, considering the experience and technological potential of the host country, whose public services digitalisation rate is 99 percent, the result of 20 years of investment and process changes.

During its 24-hour stay, the Angolan delegation visited economic and social objectives and learnt of the level of digitalisation and modernisation of public services in a country that is an important reference in dematerialisation processes, debureaucratisation and digitalisation of the public administration.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

April 14, 2023

Yetwene mining project to produce 10,000 carats of diamonds

Yetwene Mining Project, due to start operating on 27 April, will initially produce an average of 10,000 carats of diamonds per month, on permanent prospecting activity aimed to maximise the capacity of exploited diamonds.

The CEO of Diamond company, Endiama, Ganga Júnior, told the press that US$25 million had been invested in the project.

Addressing an opening ceremony of the technical and scientific event on 27 April, Miners’ Day, Endiama boss said that the investment showed that the sector was constantly growing.

The project’s economic reserves go up to five years and, he added, the diamonds will be priced at US$300 per carat.

A total of 500 workers, including men and women, will carry out the activity.

The Secretary of State for Mineral Resources, Jânio Correia Victor, noted that the projects of this nature take time to generate a return on investment.

He said that in order to generate revenues or profits it is necessary the prospecting, which in many cases takes 5 to 10 years for its conception, for a better discovery and exploitation of the existing resources in that region.

He said that the Executive has been doing everything so that the companies can not only guarantee transparency, profitability for their own, but also generate wealth for the families of the localities that, in many cases, live below the poverty line.

He explained that the actions to reassess the reserves followed the implementation of a geological study, which showed the existence of proven blocks.

Thus the continuous prospecting work is essentially aimed at gauging the reality of what is being done, in terms of reassessing the potential of the existing blocks in the Yetwene concession.

About the Yetwene Project

Yetwene Project is a private project, in partnership with Endiama, after a long stagnation since 2009, when the last production was verified, by the previous owner of the initiative.

In 2019, the Yetwene Project received a licence for the start of exploration activity, in a 508 square kilometre concession.

The Pre-Treatment (PT) plant has a daily target of 600 cubic metres of treated gravel, while the other, known as DMS, with around 350.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

April 14, 2023

Douala: abandoned AFCON road project continues

The extension road project of the East entrance to Douala which had to be completed and used during the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) has resumed. Heavy road construction machines have once again been deployed on the project site.

This road project will cost F CFA 58.8 billion. This project had been handed to the Canadian Company MAGIL as an extension to the construction of the Eatern entrance to Douala meant to fluidify traffic for people traveling to Yaounde, Edea or Kribi.

The road extension will allow access to the Japoma stadium and facilitate the transfer and transportation of goods on the Douala – Ndjamena and Douala – Bangui corridors used to transport goods worth billions each year as reported by Cameroon Customs in 2019.

“For some time now we have been seeing new workers and different machines and when we observe the quality of work, we see that they are doing a great job and we are really excited to watch the road construction project come to an end smoothly,” Denis Chi a bike rider in Douala says.

“We appreciate this a lot and we wish that they construct the road as fast as possible because very soon it will be the rainy season and we will not like a pause again,” Musa Mahidu a tricycle driver in Douala adds.

“The work is going on smoothly and quickly and we are assured that in just a few months from now, it is going to come to an end,” Mbengue Mekoame Littoral Regional Delegate for public works says.

Officials say 5 simple roundabouts will be set up at the main intersections located around the road. There are also plans to create three pedestrians walk ways as well as a fly over at Yassa.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

April 14, 2023

The socio-political climate and limited fertilizer is slowing down coffee production.

Fonfuka Joseph, president of the Nso area cooperative Union laments as farmers in his territory have difficulties accessing farms to cultivate and harvest:

“Farm to market roads are not good. Farmers cannot go to their farms without meeting separatists on the way who sometimes attack them. This makes many to shy away from the farming activity.” Another cooperative Union head Lawrence Tukwo from Njinikom, says coupled with insecurity, they have to battle with insecticide and youth rural exodus “there are insects that come and eat coffee… We do not always have money to buy insecticides. Adding to that, youths have fled to the city leaving behind elders who do not have enough strength to grow the plants… This is making coffee production slow.”

The North West region of Cameroon has fertile volcanic soil and high altitudes which favor the growth of Arabia and Robusta coffee. In 2015, more than 615 tons of the grains were sold out home and abroad.

7 cocoa and coffee unions have gathered under the North West Cooperative Association (NWCA) to assist each other in the production of these crops which are among the main crops grown in the region. Speaking during the general assembly of NWCA, the president Peter Ndikwa Bayo attested the present unrest has led to a drop in production but they are working tirelessly to boost farmers “we give loans to farmers, market their products… We also act as middleman between stakeholders and farmers and see to it that the farmers can reap greatly from their work.”

This 2023, the ministry of agriculture and rural development has donated more than 2000 bags of fertilizer have been given to farmers through NWCA to assist them. Farmers see a bright future for coffee in the North West region of Cameroon should financial assistance be accompanied by skills on coffee production “the future of coffee is very bright. Yes government is really supporting us but I think that if many of us farmers get good education on how to nurse, and harvest these seeds, we will have more fruits of good quality” Irene Yanshe a coffee farmer in Oku.

They add, that more advertisement be done on locally produced coffee to lure consumers and youths should be drilled on the benefits of coffee farming so that many could embark on the journey thereby increasing production.

Source: Cameroon News Agency