UNDERPRIVILEGED YOUTH GET COMPUTERS TO ENHANCE SKILLS

…...as Sameer Agriculture seeks to develop the ICT sector in Uganda

Uganda– Students from Mwereerwe Community Vocational Training Center in Matugga have today been handed  ten computers by Sameer Agriculture and Livestock Ltd (SALL), one of the largest buyers of fresh milk in Uganda in a move aimed at developing the ICT sector.

Over 200 students who trained at the Community Center will now benefit from enhanced technology, access to internet and quick and easy processing of information and connectivity made possible by the additional computers.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, SALL’s Mr. Parikh said that the company has in the past given back to the society with an aim of promoting the wellbeing and livelihoods of communities in Uganda.

“Access to information is a major influence in the economic growth of a society. We acknowledge the challenges the youth face today in this area and we believe that with the new computers, the students here will increase their ICT knowledge while also connecting with other youths across the world,” added Mr. Parikh.

Sameer Agriculture and Livestock Ltd donated the first set of eleven computers in 2008 and have now come back with more, an indication that the move made a tremendous change in the students’ computer skills and data management thus the additional machines to give more efficiency in doing their work.

Mr. Kalifani Kyasanku, The Chairman of the Board of Directors at Mwereerwe Community Vocational Training Center hailed the move by SALL terming it as a show of commitment to develop Uganda’s education and ICT sector which.

“Computers are both a window and a tool: a window out to the world and a tool with which to think. They are a wonderful way for all students at the center to learn and teach each other through independent interaction and exploration.”

SALL’s initiative to  continuously monitor quality, performance, innovate and effect improvements in the country has been extended to equipping young people with computer technology and shall continue in the future,” said Mr. Parikh.

PROCTER & GAMBLE SPORTS LEGACY CAMPAIGN REAPS CHAMPIONS

Public Primary Schools supported qualify for primary school sports championships -

Kenya - Over 200,000 children have had access to sports facilities and equipment thanks to the Procter & Gamble Sports Legacy campaign launched in partnership with the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K).

The sports kits containing team sports equipment included basket balls, net balls, volleyballs, rugby balls, referee uniforms, nets among others which were distributed to 150 public primary schools nationwide by Procter and Gamble (P&G), the company behind brands like Ariel, Pampers and Always. The company is currently in the process of raising $25 million globally to help say ‘Thank You Mom’ by helping establish and sustain youth sport programs around the world, as part of its 10-year partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Speaking during an award ceremony at the Machakos School for the Deaf who were the runners up in the national special

sports games, Procter & Gamble Communications Ms Irene Mwathi said the company was happy to see that selected schools had made progress with their participation in the national sports tournaments. She further reiterated the company’s commitment to youth engagement and the use of sports as a tool for self-empowerment.

           

“At P&G, we understand the critical role that the young people play in our society and through this campaign, we hope engage them through platforms that can positively transform their lives with sports being one of them. We are glad that the schools have taken the initiative and progressed to the national games,” said Ms Mwathi.

Through the Legacy programme, the company has been engaging school children in sports activities that resonate with the 2012 London Olympic Games. At the same time, P&G has been working with teachers to raise awareness on the importance of sports in development among the youth.

Machakos School for the Deaf Principal Mr. Anthony Muthembwa with Procter & Gamble's Communication Ms. Irene Mwathi

“At the start of our ‘Thank You Mom’ program, we asked moms everywhere, what would be a great way for us to help you and they said – “Help support youth sports because sport helps moms too. It helps moms raise healthy, happy kids. This is why we are committing to support not just the moms of Olympians – but every mom who does whatever it takes to make her child’s life the best it can be,” said Ms. Mwathi.

National Olympic Committee of Kenya Machakos coordinator Stephen Makau said that there is importance in encouraging sports development from the grassroots level so that students’ with special sporting abilities can be supported.

“We are thankful as all the 30 schools which received the sports kits reached the national championships. There is a lot of sports talent in schools and we are happy that our stakeholders are working together with us to identify and coach children with sporting abilities to succeed as Kenyans next Olympians.” said Mr. Makau.

To support the Legacy campaign, P&G sold specially packaged products with the P&G logo and Olympic rings towards the improvement of Kenyan lives through sports. In return, P&G donated one Kenyan Shillings for every product purchased during the 2012 London Olympic Games period.

Samsung Electronics: An exclusive 2- year warranty in Africa

That Guarantees  your peace of mind……

Uganda: The on-going national anti-counterfeit drive has received an extra boost with the confirmation by Samsung Electronics that its genuine range of products will continue carrying an exclusive two-year warranty.

The confirmation by Samsung Electronics East Africa chief operating officer Robert Ngeru effectively means that customers buying genuine Samsung products from the authorised dealers will continue enjoying their peace of mind.

Dubbed the Samsung Smart Care, customers buying original Samsung products can easily activate their 2-Year warranty using an electronic activation system for all hand held devices. The warranty, already rolled out via Samsung Uganda’s E-Warranty platform also allows registered handset owners to win a range of attractive prizes in monthly draws.

In addition, local customers purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S4 are also enjoying the unique Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) warranty, covering two screen damages or two liquid damages or a screen and liquid damage within the 2 years warranty period. The ADH warranty is activated only when the consumer registers their phone via E-warranty.

Samsung Mobile customers wishing to check the validity of their E-Warranty can easily check the status by sending an SMS with the words: “Check*IMEI number#” to 6585 to confirm their 2-year warranty validity. Customers can also access Samsung Customer Care services through the 0800300300 toll free line.

E-warranty registration is a simple process whereby the customer sends an SMS with Reg*IMEI number# to 6585. The IMEI number is found under the battery of the phone. For consumer electronics and IT products, the customer should fill out a warranty card and they will get an SMS confirmation within one week.

“The Samsung Smart Care 2-Year warranty that covers our full range of consumer electronic appliances and mobile devices is the first of its kind in Africa and is aimed at saving our customers the unnecessary pain and anguish that comes with buying counterfeit products,” said Ngeru.

He added that: “Customers buying original Samsung products from our authorised dealers in Uganda continue to enjoy the peace of mind brought about by our undisputed quality, durability and 2 years warranty across our entire product line.”

The rollout of the 2-year warranty in Uganda, Ngeru explained, has been made possible by the firm’s quality assurance systems and adoption of the Samsung Built for Africa strategy, which focuses on manufacturing products tropicalized for local conditions.

“At Samsung, we are confident enough that we manufacture quality products which can last for many years and our 2 year warranty is a clear testimony of our superior product quality,” Ngeru explained. Further noting that: “Putting our customers’ requirements first, means taking relevant steps to ensure the highest level of product compatibility and service is maintained. This is a key business imperative for us and one that we will continue to drive into 2013 and beyond as part our Built for Africa agenda.”

As the market leader in East Africa, Samsung Electronics is pursuing an active customer service enhancement programme which also focuses on raising the quality of its after sales support capacity.

With a two-year warranty, Samsung has further managed to raise its value proposition for its customers who enjoy better value for money. In a market suffering from an influx of Counterfeit and Gray products that don’t carry any warranty, Samsung customers will enjoy the value of a two year Warranty backed by a dedicated service support system.

Epson introduces fast, compact and reliable printer to the local business community

Epson is targeting the Kenyan business community with the introduction of new set of printers into the local market. 

The introduction of the new compact dot matrix printers, LX-350, is aimed at helping Epson enhance its business footprint in the East African market in view of increased competition. 

The new printers, which will be retailing at Shs14000, are targeted at customers who are keen on reliable products that offer maximum productivity but at a lower cost. The LX-350 printers are ideal for commercial, industrial and logistic applications.

According to Epson Regional Sales Manager Mukesh Bector, the company is keen to enhance customer experience by not only introducing reliable products but also tailoring them to meet their day to day business needs.   

“The introduction of the new printers is in line with our plans to grow our business in the Kenyan market, which offers huge potential for growth,” he said. “Consumers especially in emerging markets like Sub-Saharan Africa have constantly expressed the need for saving money while going about their printing businesses, and at the same time increasing their productivity. The LX-350 ensures that these specific needs are met,” Mukesh added.

Epson has been aggressively increasing its business presence in the region with introduction of new products. Recently, the company introduced Label Works printers targeted at the retail market and ultra-short throw projector meant for learning institutions.  

Mukesh said the company’s business growth especially in the East African region will be driven by developing dedicated products for the local needs and enhancing customer experience by offering quality and reliable after sale service. 

The LX-350 printers are also qualified for excellent energy efficiency; this makes the range more economical to run, with power consumption of just over 1 watt in sleep mode and 24-27 watt when powered on.   

 “Reliable, compact and economical, the Epson LX-350 has all your printing needs covered. Small and light enough to be used almost anywhere, the LX-350 also has incredibly low power consumption, helping to keep your carbon emissions and running costs down”, said Mukesh. 

With its compact size and weight, the LX-350 fits neatly on a desk and is quite ideal where space may be limited. Moreover, this highly dependable printer has flexible connectivity options that ensure swift and simple integration with existing systems offering Parallel, Serial and USB interfaces as standard.

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SAFE WATER AND AIDS PROJECT (SWAP) DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER KNIGHTED

Access to clean safe drinking water has contributed to a decline in opportunistic diseases among HIV positive persons in the Nyanza region. This follows the introduction of water purification systems that have seen over 18,000 thousand families have been provided with clean water.

According to a study conducted by the Centre for Disease Control showed that HIV infected persons who drank clean water had less occurrences of diarrhoea and other opportunistic diseases.

Netherlands Ambassador to Kenya Mr. Joost Reintjes said that opportunistic infection in HIV infected persons has also decreased as communities can now utilise an inexpensive programme of providing safe water at point of use through treatment, safe storage and behaviour change.

Netherlands Ambassador to Kenya Mr. Joost Reintjes said that it was commendable that organizations such as Safe Water and AIDS Project (SWAP) supported the findings of the CDC by ensuring communities have clean drinking water.

The ambassador was speaking during the presentation of the Knight in the Order of Orange to Ms. Alie Eleveld who is Country Director with Safe Water and AIDS Project (SWAP) in Western Kenya. The honour is conferred on persons of Dutch origin who have rendered exceptional service to societies that they work in.  

Ms. Eleveld was honoured for the work including her ingenious development of baby and Family Care Centres which:  provide clean drinking water to communities as well as support them to commercially sell other Baby/Child/Maternal Life Improving Products and Services. Through a partnership with Procter & Gamble’s Purifier of Water (formerly Pur) brand over 3.5 million sachets of P&G purifier of water supplies translating to 35,571,180 liters of safe drinking water have been distributed to communities in Nyanza.

Commending Ms Eleveld, Procter & Gamble’s Sub-Sahara Communications Associate Director said that her efforts have enabled the company touch and improve more Kenyan lives.  “We are particularly proud of Ms. Eleveld’s ingenious initiative The Pampers Baby & Family Care Centre which has helped us reach more Kenyans by expanding the reach of our products. She has opened a world of possibilities to Kenyan communities through a simple commercial practice that has long term positive impacts while at the same time helping us reach more people’, said Ms. Khululiwe Mabaso.

Procter & Gamble and SWAP have been working together in Western Kenya to promote and sell water treatment and other health products as an income generating activity that also benefits the wider community