The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is currently implementing an education initiative in two largely nomadic regions of Niger. The programme focuses on sustaining school enrolment in a Catholic primary school in the northern Tuareg region of Tchirozerine, as well as in public primary schools in Bermo, primarily inhabited by the Peul people, a statement from CRS said.

Older people in Mozambique have struggled to recover from the devastating floods of 2000. Necodemus Chipfupa of HelpAge International describes how older people's organisations have mobilised support for vulnerable people in the community.

Every Rwandan needs to be given a stake in a peaceful future. There are numerous obstacles to peace and development, which require imaginative responses from government and civil-society groups, in conjunction with donors, regional organisations, and NGOs. Large-scale financial and technical assistance will be needed. Rapid population growth is placing pressures on an under-resourced social sector, and is increasing competition over land and water in densely populated rural areas. The social sector, cruelly targeted during the genocide, urgently needs new investment. Training of teachers, health workers, and administrators is critical. Violent conflict continues.

The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers submits the following briefing for the regional preparatory process of the Second World Congress on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, alerting participants to the dire need to address the problem of child sexual exploitation in armed forces and armed groups.

With dislocation in the Nigerian economy, women and children, have been at the receiving end. The report presented by UNICEF in Lagos recently painted a gloomy picture of the situation, but at the same time, gave a ray of hope that with concerted effort, this vulnerable group of humanity can be rescued from disease, ignorance and want. Godwin Haruna was there.

Hundreds of West African children have been brought illegally into Britain and other European countries in a modern-day form of slavery, according to a BBC investigation. The probe, triggered by the tragedy of Victoria Climbie, says that the practice of children being brought to Europe amid promises of a life of comfort and a good education is widespread.

South African President, Mr Thambo Mbeki has urged African youth to master
the Internet technology and use it to solve the enormous problems confronting the continent.

In South Africa, boarding schools register more strikes and other forms of students' agitation than other schools. A reason being advances is that children in these schools live away from their families at a time when they
badly need guidance.

State agents attacked at least 10 persons in Chimanimani including a nine-year-old boy. One of the victims of the attack was beaten by soldiers and sustained a fractured skull. In Bindura, an 11-month-old infant was taken into custody along with its parents and beaten by a police officer. There have also been reports of widespread attacks on civil servants in October, particularly focused on teachers. This is the continuation of intimidation and threats since January; civil servants have been ordered to support Zanu (PF) in numerous rallies throughout the year.

For many years farmworkers in Zimbabwe have been a marginalised and neglected community. This is even truer of their children. Children in our Midst brings together the voices of several hundred childrencollected through essays and interviews. You can order a copy by email or visit the Weaver Press web site.

Liberia's leading independent newspaper, The NEWS, has been summarily closed by the government for the second time this year, on the grounds that it has not paid its taxes. The chairman of the newspaper has been taken in for questioning.

The Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (RAPCAN) is an NGO based in South Africa committed to the development of innovative child abuse prevention strategies which combat the patterns of abuse which affect the lives of children and adults everywhere. RAPCAN seeks to appoint a Training Manager to join its training team.

Media reports about a controversial decision by the American Red Cross to use some of the funds raised post-September 11 for administrative and other purposes have prompted many inquiries and comments about the obligation of charities to honour donors' intentions.

STE Publishers is a young, savvy publishing house and design studio, focussing on quality publications in the development sector. It is looking to employ a sales consultant.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has drawn up a five-year programme to boost girls' education in six Nigerian states starting next year, Maman Sidikou, head of UNICEF's education unit in the country said.

Despite recent instability in Bangui, capital of the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that the situation in Zongo, across the Bangui river in the northwestern Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), remained "calm", with no major new influx of refugees reported.

In its current civic education programme the Popular Education Collective is conducting community-based workshops in Masvingo and Manicaland. The workshops are on good governance, choosing effective leaders, citizen participation, non-violence and tolerance, transparency and accountability. Civic education materials such as posters, leaflets, T-shirts, stickers etc. will be produced on the above topics.

Applications for USAID's
Civil Society Strengthening Programme will be accepted up to one year of the issuance date of the Annual Programme Statement, 9 March 2002.

A Healing Through Creative Arts Conference is being hosted by the Centre for the Study of Violence and
Reconciliation in collaboration with the cultural desk of Evangelischer
Entwicklungsdienst Deutschland, at Museum Africa, Newtown, Johannesburg.

AMREF, which was founded in 1957, has recently launched its ambitious new corporate strategy which focuses on retaining AMREF’s position as a leader in health development across Africa.
It is searching for suitable candidates to fill the challenging positions of Country Director - Uganda and Director, Fundraising and
Communications in our organisation.