Popularity of Swedish Language in Åland Island

There was a record in Swedish language enrolment at Medis Institute in academic year 2008-2009.With this type of development,it shows that Swedish language has become an important tool in everyday life in Åland. It reflects on the fact that most of the students or language students at Medis are of immigrant origin hence there has been  an increase on immigrants moving to Åland Island.

The tolerance of Åland residents and its system should be applauded for this influx.

It was reported that about 20 students did not get a place in the above mentioned study year,thereby creating an atmosphere which requires the authorities concerned  to intervene and improve on the educational structure so that no one will be left out in next academic year 2009-2010

Onyango Okeyo

NOTICE: Nordea Bank to Recall Credit Cards

Nordea Bank has announced that it will recall the credit cards issued to its customers on the ground that the cards can be copied by fraudstars.

According to past weeks article in Nya Åland, the bank acknowledged that if the card get into the wrong hands at home or abroad it can be copied. There had been an earlier complaints that the card had been copied by fraudstars.The most affected is mastercard silver which is mostly used abroad.

Onyango Okeyo

Stigma causes spread of HIV

Some Aids patients are intentionally spreading the disease due to stigmatisation.

An NGO working in Nyanza says, as a result, cases of infection had almost doubled, putting the province at the top with a prevalence rate of 15.8 per cent.

“There is still a lot of finger pointing in the community hence the infected want to revenge for being disgraced and viewed as immoral,” said Ms Mary Jane Musungu, community care advisor of the Aids Population & Health-Integrated Assistance programme (APHIA II).

Marginalised

The stigma is deeply rooted in Kuria and Kisii areas, which she noted had been marginalised in HIV/ Aids sensitisation and intervention programmes.

“The communities have missed out on several programmes as most are focused on Luo Nyanza,” she said.

She added: “Residents in the remote areas of the mentioned towns, however, still view it as a curse out of ignorance, hence the stigma.”

Musungu said if residents learnt to embrace the infected, the spread arising from vengeance could be reduced.

“If these people are shown love, care and support they wouldn’t do such a thing,” she said.

Wife inheritance

She noted that continued wife inheritance and early girl-child marriages impeded the battle against the disease through new infections daily.

She was speaking during a press briefing at a Kisumu hotel.

Elsewhere, people living with HIV/Aids have been urged to speak out on critical issues affecting them to help in the fight against the disease.

USAID/Health Policy Initiative Regional Director Angeline Siparo has called on the affected to stand up and voice their concerns.

Unchecked silence

Speaking at a workshop for organisations for people living with HIV/Aids at the Sportsview Hotel, Kasarani, she said the silence of positive people posed a serious threat, which if unchecked, could wipe out many lives.

“There are HIV positive people who fought for treatment in the mid- 90s. Because these people spoke out, we now have ARVs. This does not mean we should take things for granted,” she said.

Lifted from www.eastandard.net.

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World Aids Day: 1st december 2008

World Aids day will be marked on the 1st day of december as it has always been yearly.Preparations are going on to mark this day here in Åland as never before. Heidi öst and Vincent Okeyo are planning this years event to educate and create awareness to confront the stigma about the spread of hiv/aids in the world and Africa in particular.

The two are planning a musical cafe and a fund raising event to be held at Red Cross hall in Mariehamn on 1-12-2008 from 19hrs to 22hrs. There will be musical performance and a seminar. All intrested  parties are welcomed. For more information you can contact, Heidi at 0408316017,heidi_ost@hotmail.com or Vincent at 0408592768,dvinto@yahoo.com

Onyango Okeyo

Thought to Keep in Mind

Pay no attention to what the critics say, there has never, never been a statue erected in honour of a critic.

“Jean Sebelious,Composer”

Breaking News: Barack Obama Victory

Barack Obama has been elected the first  black president of the United States of America. A democrant, Obamas roots can be traced to Kenya, Alego Kogelo clan, which prompt a huge celebration in Kogelo after his victory was officially announced.

Barack Obama President-elect, did run a positive,mature campaign where he out smarts the Clintons during the primaries, out reasoned his Republican rival John Mc Cain in almost all the debates around that huge country and out placed the Republicans from the white house come next year.

The whole world now look upon President-elect Barack Obama to provide a sound,positive leadership and we wish him well and luck in his future endures

“Victory is not a change we need, Victory is a chance for the change we need” Barack Obama.

onyango Okeyo

Health Hotel

I believe that good health leads to a sound mind which results in a positive productivity in a society. Research has revealed that for a society to be productive, some measures has to be taken into account and the most important one is the individual health. Without this, the economy of the society can be ruined.

Recently, during my frequent travels to Finland, I was blessed to stay in one of the health hotels called Kansanlääkintäkeskus. Health hotel is no different from any other hotels a part from that it offers a variety of health facilities to it clients. These includes massage therapy, gym facilities, availability of doctors and special doctors around the clock, edible diets just to mention a few.

I stayed in Kansanlääkintäkeskus for about a week on a business trip and each and every day the hotel rooms were fully booked, accomodating people from all sorts of life, old and young plus children. The customer service and treatment was perfect, hence its popularity.

There was nothing like that experience in comparison to our society here in Åland and the hotels here in Åland, Mariehamn in specific. I recommend that entrepreneurs and business people in hotel industry here in Åland should shift their focus and fill this niche in the hotel industry market. They should not just only concentrate on marketing Åland hotels as a tourist hotels and resort clubs. Surely, Åland needs a health hotel to help also the locals living here have and sustain a healthy life as in the long run it will benefit Åland economically and socially. Here is link to the kansanlääkintäkeskus.

http://www.kansanlaakintakeskus.fi

Onyango Okeyo

Winter:Time Change and Darkness

As we rolled our times an hour backwards last week, one thing run-in my mind “winter is back”. Winter is just one of the four seasons most of the Nordic countries experience here in Scandinavia.

The though of winter here in Finland is a scary thing as winter is the longest of all the four seasons and it comes in different forms. The most horrid one being the darkness as all the night is covered with darkness and parts of the day too is dark.

This darkness  tend to cause breakage to some inhabitants.Then comes the usual or ever present cold which at times reaches extremely unpleasant temperatures. Lastly, is the high speed winds,snow storms and rains which are also unpleasant.

There is also an aspect of putting on many warm clothes to protect one-self from these harsh conditions.I think it gets annoying to walk around putting on this pile of clothes and the same annoying to remove them when you enter in a house.

Not all is bad, there is also a good part of the winter which is appealing. The snow is beautiful and I like the snow sports like sking, snowboarding, ice skating and ice hockey.

These activities regulates the winter season, hence make it survivable for the inhabitants. Have a nice winter.

Onyango Okeyo.

Tema Japan

On the 27^th October 2008, I was honoured to be invited to café Bonan in Mariehamn to attend a presentation by the Japanese living here in Åland, and here some comments I would like to make about that event.

Generally, the event was a success with a presentation about Japan by the three presenters. The presentational was good enough as it touched a wide range about Japanese culture,religions and socio-political beliefs. The food”sushi” was alittle bit weird and the soup was good.

The cafe was fully packed with no sitting places left, which shows how popular these kind of events have become popular in Åland, hence the organisers of these events should sit down and think twice on a more suitable accomodation which accomodate all the particeparts and host the future events.

Otherwise Kudos, Keep it up.

Onyango OKEYO