African leaders on May 25 opened extravagant celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the African Union, with the continent’s myriad problems set aside for a day to mark the progress that has been made.

African Union Chairman and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn told leaders as he opened the celebrations they should seek to “create a continent free from poverty and conflict, and an Africa whose citizens enjoy a middle income status.”

Rwanda on track to meet the December deadline

When Rwanda TV salesperson approached Esther Mukarugomwa to include her household in the trials of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) signal transmission technology, her family members were visibly afraid.

They feared that the cost of using the new broadcasting technology and receiving television signals was out of their financial means.

Mukarugomwa thought that it required replacing her TV screen with a modern flat screen. They were wrong. Today, the family is proud to be among the trialists - using the same old TV screen to watch digital TV channels.

The coffee retailer’s coffee shipments from Rwanda on the rise

A group of 35 members from Starbucks offices in USA and Europe recently visited Rwanda particularly coffee farmers, washing stations and exporters. Led by Craig Russell, the head of Global Coffee, the team included t managers and employees from the American based company that has more than 18,000 shops in over 60 countries.

They toured for one week as guests of the  National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) and visited Gakenke in Gicumbi district, Karenge in Rwamagana district and RWACOF, a coffee exporting company in Kigali.

Investments in modern health facilities to help attract foreign patients

Joseph Uwimana, a resident of Kabuga, a Kigali suburb says that 2012 was his worst year.

“I had an eye complication which our local eye specialists couldn’t treat. Specialists recommended a transfer to India or South Africa where I ended up paying a lot of money to cater for transport, accommodation and treatment,” he says.

Cases like Uwimana’s are frequent in East and Central Africa and they are always referred to specialised medical attention abroad.