Zambia Netball team to play in Pacific Australia tournament

Canberra, April 6 (MCNA Newsdesk)

The Zambia Netball national team has become the first country in Africa to be invited by Netball Australia Pacific Australia Sports Netball, to take part in their prestigious netball tournament.

Netball Zambia Secretary General

Pritchard Ngoma has told the Zambia High Commission in Australia that training for Zambia’s participation in the Pacific Australia Sports Netball tournament has intensified with all netballers putting in their best. And National Netball team Doctor Brian Bwalya Mwila has declared the team injury free, save for one player who was dropped and replaced. Other invited countries from Africa are Kenya and Malawi.

Australia Olympic committee head are excited to welcome the Zambia Netball national team on April 19th in Brisbane, Australia.

The Chief Executive Officers conversed with Zambia’s High Commissioner to Australia Dr. Elias Munshya on the occasion of Parliamentary Friends of the Olympics and Paralympics reception. The event brought together

Ambassadors, parliamentarians, sport administrators, and athletes, all anticipating Brisbane’s 2032 Olympics and Paralympics games.

Dr. Munshya said the opportunity would be used to market Zambia’s sports discipline as well as attract foreign investment.

Australia assisting Sri Lanka in facing eye health challenge

an Australian organisation, in partnership with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health.

The initiative is being funded through the Australian Government’s Knowledge and Linkages for an Inclusive Economy Grants (KLIE) program. The Eye Health Initiative will upskill eye health workers and upgrade equipment across Sri Lanka’s regional eye health units.

Recently, the Ministry of Health and Sight for All signed a head agreement, officially ‘sealing’ the partnership and providing Sight for All the clearance needed to work in Sri Lanka’s government hospitals.

Australia Awards alumna spearheading project to reduce carbon footprint

Colombo, March 28(MCNA Newsdesk)

Since eye health is a significant public health challenge in Sri Lanka, Australia and Sri Lanka are working to better prevent, identify and treat eye health issues across the country. The Eye Health Initiative will be implemented by Sight for All,

First Secretary, Erika Seymour, attended the heads of agreement signing and also Sight for All and the Ministry of Health with a plaque each to acknowledge their involvement in the KLIE Grants Program. Working alongside the Ministry of Health, Sight for All will establish a clinical teaching program for eye health workers so that they can better screen patients for blindness risks. The Australian grant will also fund the provision of eye health equipment to 46 ophthalmologists to improve testing and diagnosis.

Australia helping to improve health & food security of SL women

Colombo, April 5 (MCNA Newsdesk)

Supported by a small grant

Australia Awards alumna

Manel Kularatne has started a project in Sri Lanka recently, which saw the establishment of the Women in Sustainable Heritage - WISH foundation, a project which is at the forefront to support laying of the foundation for a social enterprise solution to reduce the impact of increasing carbon footprint through the engagement of women.

Over 300 beneficiaries across Deraniyagala, Eheliyagoda, and Galigomuwa were selected to distribute 1000 trees such as Jackfruit, Durian and Nelli (Amla) using the Divisional Secretariat women agriculture societies of the areas. Leveraging on the development officer network and divisional secretariats was a move taken to encourage reforestation.

Out of these 3 species, Jackfruit and Durian forms a huge thick canopy with a lot of foliage which could contribute for carbon sequestration enormously. Nelli could thrive in any harsh soil type and is a popular medicine. All three species have high economic contribution through their fruits which has created high demand for plants. This pilot project supported to lay the foundation for a social enterprise solution to reduce the impact of increasing carbon footprint through the engagement of women.

Three-day photojournalism workshop in Somalia

Colombo, March 23 (MCNA Newsdesk)

The Australian High Commission team in Sri Lanka (SL) met with women leaders involved in the Nourish North Initiative who had come together for training at the Kannaddi Permaculture

Training Centre in Vavuniya.

The Nourish North Initiative is supported through Australia’s Direct Aid Program and is working to improve health and food security among young women and break inter-generational cycles of malnutrition.

Women producers are exploring value-addition for their agricultural products so that they can produce a wider range of products and diversify their incomes. The women are also exploring the pros and cons of working in a cooperative model.

Former PNG PM Rabbie Langanai Namaliu no more

Port Moresby, April 5 (MCNA Newsdesk)

Former Papua New Guinea

(PNG) Prime Minister

(PM) Sir Rabbie Langanai Namaliu, 75, passed away from a sudden illness in Rabaul recently. The Australian High Commission joined the people of Papua New Guinea in remembering the life and achievements of Sir Rabbie L. Namaliu.

Sir Rabbie’s left behind a rich legacy and his contribution to building a strong and independent Papua New Guinea will be remembered. Through his many and varied roles, but particularly as the fourth Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and as Foreign Minister, Sir Rabbie was a central figure in our bilateral relationship.

Nairobi, April 3 (MCNA Newsdesk)

With support from Australian High Commission, Kenya, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is hosting a three-day photojournalism workshop in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Photojournalists will receive technical training as well as learning from three experienced mentors, including internationally recognised and award-winning Australian photographer, Adam Ferguson; British/Somali filmmaker and photographer (Al-Jazeera, BBC, Channel 4 and Somali TV), Said Fadhaye; and Somali/Australian journalist (The Age - Australia), Najma Sambul.