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africa now COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Reviving Tunisia’s School System One Farm at a Time

The Makthar boarding school in Tunisia looks ordinary, but a partnership with NGO “Wallah We Can” has made it unique. Thanks to patrons, the school located in the country's rural northwest is equipped with over a hundred solar panels and solar water heaters covering the school's energy needs, AfricaNews reported on Saturday, November 12, 2022. 5 Pupils gather in the playground of the Makhtar boarding school The NGO aims to transform more public schools into before returning to class on September 29, 2022. what it calls a social enterprise. "A public school transformed into what we call a social enterprise is a school that is energy self-sufficient and produces its own food," Lotfi Hamadi, the founder of the local NGO explains. "This enables the school to save money on the electricity bills as well as the school canteen bills. Moreover, it can sell the energy and agricultural surplus."

With the energy and food income, extracurricular clubs have been launched: robotics, entrepreneurship, foreign languages and civilizations, media, singing, and e-learning. "The experience I gained allowed me to have more confidence in myself," said 14-year-old Chahed Salhi. "It taught me a lot of things, including entrepreneurship," said the girl who dreams of setting up a tourist business.

Nowadays 100,000 young people drop out of school every year in Tunisia. In a country where a majority of young people plan to emigrate, according to numerous studies, “Wallah We Can” would like children "to become reconciled with their country and discover the opportunities it can offer them."

The Mokthar boarding school has become popular in the region thanks to its privileged learning environment. "Everyone wants to study here; we've heard about lots [of students] who came; everyone around wants to learn in this boarding school," Taher Meterfi reveals.

The director added: "We have discipline, with the intervention of the NGO "Wallah We Can," the conditions are very favorable and good, and we have had 80 requests [for students wishing to study there]."

The NGO “Wallah We Can” rents eight hectares of land cultivated by an agricultural cooperative which employs parents of pupils, formerly unemployed, and an agronomist.

The next step for the NGO is a 40-hectare "agro-energy farm" to provide food and electricity for the 23 schools in Makthar. WI

caribbean now

Jamaican Prime Minister Holness Says System of National Service Needed

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness believes a system of compulsory national service is needed to promote active participation by citizens in the development agenda. He said that such a program would positively engage unattached youth and steer them away from crime. “I think we need a system of compulsory national service. When I see our youngsters being dragged off into gangs and being recruited for nefarious activities when there is so much that they could do in the national interest, in their own interest that could transform our culture, I think that is something we should really be considering.”

“It is something that I am considering, but the question is, is the society ready,” Holness said.

He was addressing the Edward Phillip George Seaga Inaugural Human Development Lecture held recently at the University of Technology (UTech) campus, St. Andrew.

Prime Minister Holness said that a system of apprenticeship is also needed to build the country’s human capital.

“If there is one thing that I would like to see in legislation is the full introduction of a system of apprenticeship. I think that is absolutely important if we are going to leapfrog in where we are in terms of skills,” he noted.

“I think it is critically important that we now move to the next step of ensuring that we have a well-articulated and implemented system of apprenticeship, and as the society progresses, we can establish a system of national service,” the Prime Minister added. WI

How to Navigate the Housing Market During Uncertainty

By Angela Swinson Lee Special to The Washington Informer

When Sean McClendon, 50, was asked to move to a more expensive renovated apartment in his complex, he knew it was time to consider buying a home.

The first thing he needed to do to quality for a home loan was to get his credit in order. “That’s how the world works. You have to have credit,” said McClendon, who had been accustomed to making cash purchases for items and hadn’t built much of a credit history.

With the uncertainty in the housing market these days, Justin Cotton, Senior Home Lending Advisor with JPMorgan Chase, said homebuyers should stick with the basics, just as McClendon did to find his way to homeownership.

“For people who are looking to purchase a home, I would say you want to make the time to do your due diligence. Take a look at your financial situation and understand what you can and can’t afford,” Cotton said. “The Chase Home Buyer Advantage Program is a great tool where we sit down and go through your full financial profile. That way, when you are making these decisions, you can feel comfortable and confident in the timing for your home purchase, whether that be in the next few months or the next few years. As a philosopher once said, if you stay ready you won’t have to get ready.”

When McClendon, of Upper Marlboro, realized it was the right time for him to home purchase he got down to business.

He paid off bills that were delinquent and put future payments on automatic withdrawals to ensure timely payments.

He got a credit card with a $300 limit to build up his credit.

That was two years ago.

Earlier this year, he closed on his first home, and his credit card limit has since increased to $8,000.

It was McClendon’s realtor who introduced him to JPMorgan Chase. McClendon, a veteran, was interested in a VA Loan for which Chase has a lot of experience in and he was given several credits which cut down on his closing costs.

Cotton said Chase works with several nonprofit organizations to assist homeowners in the process such as Home Free USA.

They also have internal programs, • A $5,000 home buyer grant to be applied toward two of the biggest barriers to homeownership—the upfront cash needed for a down payment and closing costs. This grant is for anyone who purchases a home in a community identified by the U.S. Census as majority Black. • For veterans the bank just launched a $2,000 closing cost benefit. • A $500 Homebuyer Education Benefit for homeowners purchasing a home with a DreaMaker mortgage.

When navigating the home buying process, buyers can be bombarded with information, but Cotton said there is no one size fits all. The best thing is to speak with a lending agent.

Cotton said potential homebuyers should keep four things in mind with attempting to purchase a home. • You have to get the ball rolling. You have to get started and know where you are and what your goals are. • Find a realtor that you trust, someone you have a good relationship with. The Chase Agent express program will pay you an additional $1,000 to use toward closing costs if you use one of the bank’s recommended realtors. • You want to make the uncertain certain. Once you have a house in mind, locking in your mortgage rate, and how much money you’ll be able to comfortably spend. • Take advantage of as many financial resources that you can. To learn more about the homebuying process, available resources and programs and to connect with a home lending professional, visit Chase.com/Home.

BRANDED CONTENT SPONSORED BY JPMorgan Chase