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Our annual retreat will take place the first weekend in May in the beautiful North Georgia mountains! The retreat is a wonderful way to spend intentional time with friends or to make some new friends regardless your stage of life.
LOCATION | SharpTop Cove in Jasper, GA
DATES | Friday, 5/3 – Sunday, 5/5
SPEAKER | Ashley Mathews
MORE INFO | Email Addie Jones.
What to expect during the weekend:
- Teaching and worship
- Connecting groups
- Free time to relax outside or inside – SharpTop offers plenty of activities, as well as space to be with others
- Delicious food and comfortable lodging


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SASSA progress report, with Minister
Social Development
06 September 2017
Chairperson: Ms R Capa (ANC)
Meeting Summary
The Minister of Social Development complained about the route for reporting on work done by SASSA. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) was expecting SASSA to report to them and SASSA scarcely had time to meet with the Portfolio Committee. The Minister had already written to the Speaker about this concern.
The Portfolio Committee Chairperson replied that due to recess and its oversight visits, the Portfolio Committee had not met with SASSA for a progress report for eleven weeks since 21 June. She agreed that it was an overreach of SCOPA's mandate. The Chairperson decided to consult the legal unit at Parliament about this.
The Minister said that the SASSA Executive had adopted the report of the ministerial workstreams – which workstreams had been cancelled after queries about their contract. The Minister expressed delight in that because she had always felt that the members of the workstreams had had expertise that the officials at SASSA did not have. She reminded the Committee that it was the previous Minister who had set up the advisory committee which later became the workstreams. The Minister noted that SASSA had signed an agreement with SAPO to deliver grant payments but she did not want to go into posible disadvantages of that. She was clear that the involvement of SAPO had been proposed by the ruling party some years previously at a conference and that she agreed with the Post Office working with SASSA but due diligence was required as SAPO was not a messiah.
The Chairperson explained that there could be differences of opinion as to who was in charge of the 10-member panel of experts appointed to monitor the phasing out of the Cash Paymaster Services contract. She referred to a letter written to her by the Auditor-General which explained that the panel had to assess only in respect of the Constitutional Court order and would report directly to the Court together with the Auditor-General. The first evaluation report was due in September 2017 and its contents could not be shared with the Portfolio Committee. In response, the Minister said they would brief the Committee on the evaluation report on 14 September, a day after briefing the Inter-Ministerial Committee, before submitting it to the Constitutional Court.
SASSA noted that a hybrid model would be in place to manage beneficiary payments between April 2018 and March 2021. The hybrid model was intended for SASSA to build capacity for 2021 when it would take over payment. Once the SAPO due diligence was completed, they would know how much of the work could be done by SAPO and SASSA would contract with other agencies, if it were necessary. However, SASSA would take care of some aspects of the grant payment system itself. The new card roll-out was scheduled for January 2018. A new card would be issued from which it would not be possible to deduct amounts for items such as funeral policies. Such deductions would be handled directly by SASSA. A contract had already been awarded for managing biometric data and they had consulted with the Reserve Bank about the new cards to be issued to beneficiaries. The system to replace Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) would first be tested on 27 October 2017 and all tests would be complete by end of January 2018. SASSA believed it was on track despite the delay in order to conduct due diligence on SAPO.
Members requested the report of the workstreams and asked who had already been awarded the contract for the biometric system and when had it been awarded; why the beneficiary data which CPS had in its possession had not yet been given to SASSA and what follow-up measures had been taken to obtain the data; why the biometric system was not in use; how was SASSA going to get the EasyPay Everywhere green cards out of the system; asked for a legal opinion on the Auditor-General's letter so that they could understand how to take its oversight role forward; what the process for issuing the new cards would be and that Committee should be alerted when there was a major announcement to be made to beneficiaries;
if SASSA had done a scope of work, timelines and a plan of action for the panel of experts; about the experts demand to be paid R2 700 per hour as a "reasonable" fee instead of the R1 500 per hour suggested by SASSA. The Committee complained that it did not know what the experts were doing and they did not know what the workstreams had done. There was repeated concern about the biometrics and beneficiary data. It was observed that the Court had talked of CPS as being part of the Department in performing its function so the database was an asset of DSD.
The Chairperson suggested that questions about the panel of experts, such as payment, scope of work hours worked, could be held over until the meeting with the Auditor-General. The Chairperson also expressed concern that the Deputy Minister never appeared before the Committee, although she had been seen doing other events.
Meeting report
Opening remarks
The Chairperson was concerned that the Deputy Minister never appeared before the Committee. She might be ill but the Committee was concerned that it had gone on too long and she had been seen doing other things. She might be doing the work of the Department but she never bothered to appear before the Committee to account. The Chairperson wanted an explanation on the matter. On its last oversight visit, the Committee had needed her assistance but she was not there. The Deputy Minister always sent an official from her office but they did not need an official, they needed the Deputy Minister. The Committee was also concerned that she had duties allocated to her as a Deputy Minister which the Committee believed that she was neglecting. Why was it necessary for the official from her office to attend meetings and oversight visits as the official did not contribute anything, which then also became a question of budget? The Chairperson had not seen evidence of that official liaising with the Minister in order for the Deputy Minister's work to be presented to the Committee.
The Chairperson noted the very important presentation of the South African Social Security Agency. SASSA was for development and empowerment of the people. SASSA was led by the Department of Social Development (DSD) which would be able to respond when the Committee asked questions of SASSA, as it was expected that DSD was involved with SASSA in a hands-on way. If SASSA did not do well, the accountability ultimately lay with DSD. She asked the Minister to make a few introductory remarks as it was some time since the Minister, Department and the Committee had met.
Minister's introductory remarks
Minister Bathabile Dlamini introduced Ms Pearl Benghu who was the Acting CEO of SASSA. Ms Benghu had reported to the Minister on the progress made so far by SASSA.
The Minister had raised her concerns with the Speaker of the National Assembly about the correct route for reporting on the work done by SASSA and was awaiting a response from the Speaker. She was concerned about not reporting to the Portfolio Committee as it was the role of the Portfolio Committee to do oversight work. They had reported twice to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and then she had remembered that they had to squeeze in the report to the Portfolio Committee before they reported to the Court as the Portfolio Committee knew the matters and could contribute. SASSA could then present a properly discussed report to the Court. SASSA would report on what had happened to the Portfolio Committee but it took them back as they already were preparing for the next report to the Constitutional Court.
They had had meetings with the panel of experts appointed by ConCourt to look into the work that SASSA was doing. SASSA had also been trying to sort out issues with National Treasury. The reports of the workstreams had been presented to the Inter-Ministerial Committee. The SASSA Executive had adopted the reports, which was very important, as the work done by the workstreams could not have been done by the officials at SASSA. The panel of experts, appointed by ConCourt, was worried about the implementation of some of the work that SASSA was doing because it required experts and SASSA did not have the right expertise. The Minister wanted to remind the Committee that when the Minister joined DSD, work had already been done by specialists for Minister Molewa. Minister Dlamini had not personally just come up with the advisory committee. A process had been followed. They also had information from those experts about the South African Post Office (SAPO). The Minister noted that the ruling party had determined that SASSA had to work with SAPO. A month ago, SASSA had signed some agreement with SAPO and they were going to pay R60 million for them to deliver. She did not want to go into the disadvantages of that. She would go into that issue on another day. When it came to a Request for Proposals (RFP), SASSA had thought that SAPO could get priority and SAPO had responded that it could do the work. However, after that SAPO response, SASSA had had to undertake due diligence of SAPO. Many companies had tendered to do the due diligence but SASSA thought that a government institution would be cheaper so the CSIR had been given the tender. The CSIR had started with the due diligence.
Although the Committee had been told that SASSA had already done due diligence on SAPO, it had not. The Inter-Ministerial Committee informing SASSA to do an external due diligence was not about IMC's reluctance to work with SAPO, but it was because the IMC understood the nature of the work that SASSA was doing and it had to know that SAPO really had what was required to do the grant payments. It had nothing to do with them not wanting to work with the Post Office. The Post Office was not a messiah that could just come in. There were processes that had to be followed. After the due diligence report, the Committee should call SAPO in to report and to respond to the points raised from the due diligence. It would be unfair for SASSA or DSD to have to report to the Committee on SAPO. Committees should not be asking SASSA about SAPO – they should address those questions to SAPO itself. She felt that SASSA was being unfairly treated in that regard. They had tried to clean their house. She was doing her best and was not confused. And she wanted to tell whoever that the grant payments were important. People should work with them but should not cause confusion with the officials. She could see that they were gravitating towards that. In its meetings with the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), SASSA was compromised in that SASSA officials were asked to disclose very confidential things, which was unfair and was compromising. So, she was raising the matter in the Committee so that they could all be in the same space.
As it had been political input, the Chairperson thought that she ought to take discussion on the issues raised. The Chairperson welcomed Ms Abrahams back from her injury and Ms Sonti from her lengthy illness.
Ms B Masango (DA) welcomed the Acting CEO and thanked the Minister for her input as she had touched on matters that had concerned the Committee. The then CEO, Mr Magwaza, had promised the Committee the first bite at the report before it went to the Constitutional Court but the Committee had not seen the report before it was presented to Court and that process was taking the Committee backwards. Instead of meeting with the Portfolio Committee, officials had attended a meeting with the panel of experts. Only one official had met with the Portfolio Committee and had presented a one page report. She wanted to know why that had been allowed to happen. She was pleased that the workstreams report had been adopted by the Executive of SASSA. She had asked that it be tabled in the Committee but it was not available at the time and the Minister had undertaken to come back to the Committee to report. The Committee had never seen workstreams report. She asked if it was a close-out report as the work had ended and those experts were no longer working with SASSA. She would therefore like clarity on the workstreams and the report which was partly a report and partly a close-out report.
Ms Masango noted that the Minister was saying that there was always a desire to work with SAPO. The Committee had not met with SASSA as frequently as it would have liked, especially at the time when SASSA was reporting to ConCourt in June to ensure all systems are go for the institutionalisation of the grant payments on 31 March 2018. When they had last met in March, SASSA was going to have a workshop with SAPO the following day to get a sense of what SAPO could or could not do. SASSA was then going to go on an open tender for the work that SAPO could not do. She asked for a progress report to ensure that everything was ready when it came to the time to part ways with CPS.
The Chairperson agreed that the Committee and SASSA had not met as often as they should as a result of the parliamentary work that they had had to do. There had been oversight visits and the long recess which had created a gap in the information. Ms Masango's request for a progress report went to the detail that was actually in the SASSA presentation. The Chairperson said that everyone in the Committee was concerned about what had been happening in the interim so she was going to ask SASSA to focus on the present and the way forward. The Minister would respond to any points that she thought belonged to her.
Ms B Abrahams (ANC) thanked the Minister for reporting on the adoption of the workstream report by the Executive. She looked forward to the reports by the workstreams as the Minister had done very well in that regard. It was necessary to understand that there was a lot of work to be done in Parliament and she appreciated that the Minister was part of the programme. She congratulated the Minister and expressed appreciation for her attendance at the Committee meeting.
The Chairperson told Ms Masango that the Minister had done well but would take up the matter concerning the over-reach by SCOPA into the Social Development Portfolio Committee space. The Committee had approached the legal unit of Parliament to brief the Committee on the role of SCOPA versus the role of the Committee. SCOPA should only come in when findings had been made by the Auditor-General. It was disappointing. It was a political management situation that she as the leader had to take up. The Committee had wanted to meet with SASSA officials when the Portfolio Committee had been on the KwaZulu-Natal oversight visit and had invited SCOPA to join them on the oversight visit but SCOPA had not wanted to meet there. The Portfolio Committee had allowed the officials to go to SCOPA. The Chairperson was not happy as the schedule for SCOPA could not be prioritised over the Committee matters. The political organisations expected reports from the Members deployed to this Committee, but the SASSA officials had not been able to say to SCOPA that they could not attend the meeting that day. SASSA went to the expense of flying two new bosses despite the fact that the Portfolio Committee had set a day aside to meet with them.
The Chairperson had written a letter to the Auditor-General enquiring about the work that the Auditor-General and the panel of experts were doing as the Committee wanted a meeting and a report on the matter. The Auditor-General had said that they could not meet with the Committee because the report had to go to ConCourt before the Committee could be informed of its contents. She informed Members that they would pick up on remuneration in the SASSA report. The ConCourt had stated that the remuneration of the experts had to be reasonable. What was reasonable? What was it compared to and what work were they doing? She had met with the Auditor-General but it was not a successful meeting. The Chairperson believed that the Auditor-General had to come to the legally constituted platform of the Portfolio Committee and explain what was in the letter. She had also contacted the legal unit of Parliament to be part of that meeting. SASSA could not determine "reasonability". Also the Auditor-General and the panel of experts were monitoring and reporting to ConCourt only. The panel of experts was not reporting to the Committee but to the Auditor-General. The law had to come in and resolve the confusion. The Concourt judgement had ruled that the Auditor-General was going to do the work but after the ruling it was discovered that they needed experts to actually manage the work. The Office of the Auditor-General only knows about finance and yet it was supposed to monitor programmes. Now there was a question of how much the experts should be paid. The Chairperson had informed the Committee about this confusion. She noted that she had always taken the Committee Members into her confidence and had shared with them what she as the Chairperson was doing.
The Chairperson appreciated that the Minister saw that she had to intervene as the officials were expected to report to two Committees. Which Committee had to be marginalised and which should be prioritised?
The Minister commented that statements made by some of the Members were pre-empting the report. If they wanted a report from the workstreams, they should be called to the Inter-Ministerial Committee (MinMEC) to get a report. Terminating the work of the workstreams was throwing away government money. Two critical workstreams had not yet started their work: Human Resources had to show what SASSA needed in order to do their work. Communications was another workstream that was needed so that South Africans could be taken through the process and would not have to listen to assumptions made by people who were not in the administration. They needed really strong communication about the whole matter.
South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Progress Report
Ms Pearl Benghu, Acting SASSA CEO, pointed out that the South African Social Security Agency Act (2004) mandated SASSA to be the sole agent to manage, administer and pay social assistance. SASSA was currently outsourcing all components of the payment process. SASSA would move into a transition phase from April 2018 to March 2021 during which they would take a hybrid approach with a mixture of insourced and outsourced services. The plan was that from April 2021, there would be in-house processing of payments by SASSA.
In respect of the Constitutional Court Order, a panel of 10 experts had been appointed to work with the Auditor-General who had been ordered to ensure implementation of the Court Order. SASSA had reported to ConCourt in June and had to file a further report on 15 September, a deadline which they were sure that they would meet. SASSA would be meeting with the Inter-Ministerial Committee and with SCOPA before that. The panel had requested payment of R2 700 per hour instead of their offer of R1 500 per hour. The panel was highly active. SASSA was monitoring the current service provider, CPS, to ensure payment to beneficiaries was taking place and that beneficiary information was not compromised, as per the court order
SASSA had decided on a hybrid payment model in which they would take responsibility for those functions that they could manage. They were engaging in open contracts for the other processes. She pointed out that they needed a good change management process. Direct transfers would be made to beneficiaries from a SASSA social grants bank account to manage interest and to track how much was paid out each month. The biometric identification would apply to both officials and beneficiaries. SAPO had confirmed its readiness and capabilities to offer the full payment value chain. SASSA supported possible collaboration with SAPO, subject to compliance with procurement policies and the due diligence being conducted. If there were no problems, approval would take place on 13 September 2017. A new card would be issued from which it would not be possible to deduct amounts for items such as funeral policies. The new card roll-out was scheduled for January 2018. The hybrid model was intended for SASSA to build capacity for the future when it would take over payment schedules.
SASSA would be working in collaboration with a number of government departments, especially the Department of Home Affairs in respect of confirmation of identity, biometric data and a card bureau for SASSA payment cards. SASSA would need more funding to manage the process from April 2018 but they could not provide figures until the procurement process had been completed.
SASSA had determined the risks in the process and had determined mitigation action to manage those risks.
The Chairperson noted that the report had been very detailed. She suggested that questions be asked in sequence.
Ms E Wilson (DA) said that the contract had already been awarded for the biometric system. She asked who had been awarded the contract, when had it been awarded and for how long. She queried the issue of deductions from 2017 and whether that process was still under negotiation. She asked about the beneficiary data which CPS had in its possession and asked why it had not yet been availed to SASSA and what follow-up measures had been taken to obtain the data. The biometric system was not in use. Why not?
Ms Abrahams asked what SCOPA sought to achieve by meeting on the day before SASSA had to file its report to ConCourt. She congratulated SASSA on taking full responsibility for deductions and for the intention to build capacity internally to take over responsibilities for payment over time. She complimented SASSA on taking full responsibility for funeral deductions. How was SASSA going to get the EasyPay Everywhere green cards out of the system as they were being used for loans? Beneficiaries were happy to receive the loan but when you spoke to them they felt they had been cheated and were very unhappy. She wanted to receive communication when the cards were phased out and when beneficiaries would receive new cards. Members needed to know when notifications applicable to beneficiaries went out.
Ms C Dudley (ACDP) asked when SASSA estimated that they would be handing out the new cards so that the Committee's constituents could be informed. She asked that the Committee be alerted when there was a major announcement.
Dr C Madlopha (ANC) thanked the Minister for her opening remarks and welcomed the new CEO, complimenting her on her presentation and the fact that SASSA would handle the deductions. She referred to the need for experts to monitor on behalf of ConCourt. What was the final resolution about the payment of the experts as there had originally been no budget at all for experts. She asked if the amount requested was in line with the revised budget. She asked if SASSA was not going to be paying more for the experts when they had already paid the workstreams to do the work. She referred to the letter from the Auditor-General which raised great concerns as the panel of experts would report not to the Committee but directly to ConCourt and it looked like the Committee's powers were rigged. In order to get clarity on the matter, she suggested getting the Auditor-General, National Treasury and SCOPA to discuss the situation with the Committee. There was no difference between the work of the panel of experts and that of the workstreams. They could not reverse the work that had been done by the workstreams as they had been paid by government; and so the Auditor-General, Treasury and SCOPA could assist them in the comparison of the financials. She requested the report presented by the workstreams. She asked for a legal opinion on the Auditor-General's letter so that they could understand how to take the work forward. Had SASSA or DSD had done a scope of work, timelines and a plan of action for the panel of experts? The panel was already in the field, so what agreement were they working on? The PFMA could not pay them if there was no agreement, as that was contrary to the law.
Dr Madlopha wanted to check on the new cards. SASSA had said that they were working with the Reserve Bank. She also suggested that the Committee met with SAPO to ensure it had the necessary capacity. The Committee was saying that CPS had to be phased out and that government had to be used but it needed to check that SAPO had capacity to do the work. She was pleased to hear from the Minister herself that SASSA actually did want to work with SAPO, despite all the talk that the Minister had not wanted to work with SAPO. She asked about the availability of the biometric data. Why was there a delay in transferring the data? Was it a question of disagreeing about the structure and ownership? When would they get clarity on the ownership of the data?
The Chairperson reminded the Committee that it had wanted to call SAPO to a meeting but once SAPO had applied for the contract, the Committee had postponed the meeting as they did not want to show preference for one bidder. Now that matters were resolved, the Committee would call SAPO. SCOPA had asked questions about SAPO in its meeting with SASSA so there would be no crime in the Committee inviting SAPO. The Committee also wanted to know what capacity the Reserve Bank could provide to SAPO. She had been informed that the Reserve Bank had made a presentation in her absence.
The Chairperson noted that there seemed to be differences of opinion as to who was in charge of the monitoring. Who had given the directions that there had to be monitors and experts? The ConCourt judgement had given the scope of work. SASSA could not be in charge of the experts as they were monitoring SASSA. She referred to a letter written by the Auditor-General. The Court had appointed the Auditor-General and ten independent legal and technical experts to monitor and evaluate SASSA's compliance with the Court Order, including steps for competitive bidding and a determination of the steps taken by SASSA to appoint a new contractor. Quarterly reports from the Auditor-General and panel of experts had to be sent directly to ConCourt. SASSA had to pay the fee responsible to the panel of experts. The reports by the Auditor-General and the panel of experts did not constitute an audit and should not adhere to institutionalised frameworks. The Committee had to remember that the reports to ConCourt were not according to any existing framework within which the Committee worked as the format was imposed by ConCourt. The panel of experts had to assess only in respect of the ConCourt order and would report directly to the court together with the Auditor-General. The first evaluation report was due in September 2017 and the content thereof could not be shared but the Auditor-General would be willing to brief the Committee on the work of the panel as well as the financial implications. Alternatively, he would be pleased to send the information in writing. The briefing had been set for 27 August 2017 but the Chairperson had cancelled the meeting with the Auditor-General as she had wanted to check with the Committee about whether she should call the Auditor-General. She had had a telephone conversation because her concern was that although the Portfolio Committee was responsible for SASSA, the report was not going to them but to Court and they did not know whether SASSA was complying and preparing for the changeover.
The Chairperson was worried, however, that SCOPA was in violation of the court order. SCOPA wanted to meet with the panel the day before they reported to ConCourt and SCOPA was open to the public. She failed to see the legality of the meeting with SCOPA. She was also worried that the experts who were demanding to be paid R2 700 per hour, might be doing the work that had already be done by the workstreams. The Committee did not know what the experts were doing and they did not know what the workstreams had done. There was no history for this and so she was sure that people would be misinterpreting the work of SASSA. She was also concerned that instead of teaching people to fish, they were simply paying out money which would have to be increased as the population grew. She thought that they should review the current SASSA Act and try and amend it but not to write a new Act. The job of the Committee was to support SASSA and the Department of Social Development.
The Minister informed the Committee that on the 13 September 2017 they were going to brief the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the September ConCourt report. They would like to give a briefing on the ConCourt report to the Portfolio Committee on the morning of 14 September. Anyone who wanted to know anything about it, should attend that Portfolio Committee meeting. She said that there was nothing that said she could not report to the Committee as it was the Committee that would have to get the money to pay the experts. The big issue was that DSD was viewed as a structure that simply had to distribute money. People entered Social Development through welfare services but sometimes they needed social security and the grant, but there were also other services that grounded them in the community. Social Development was not there only to pay out money so people could make some purchases and next month get more money to make more purchases. DSD had to do work that strengthened families, so even the grant found expression within the communities and was used to strengthen families. Other government services provided to families should be strengthened by DSD. They would look at that in the posts for the Department of Social Development.
The Chairperson asked Ms Wilson to repeat her questions about biometrics and beneficiary data.
The Minister explained that biometric data could be divided into two. CSIR had done some work on biometric data that the Department wanted to use in order to enrol and identify beneficiaries. The second matter was the beneficiary data which they had been transferring to Home Affairs. The CEO or CFO could explain the challenge that DSD was having in transferring money from one bank to another in the light of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA). SASSA had written to Grindrod to stop issuing the green card as there had never been no agreement for it to issue the green card. Beneficiaries who used the green card had to withdraw funds from specific ATMs that deducted money to pay loans. SASSA had said that they had no knowledge of the green cards. However, SASSA had learnt a lesson about not owning its own data and about re-visiting the contract to address this.
SASSA CFO, Mr Tsakeriwa Chauke, explained that SASSA had awarded the biometric data contract to Prosense Technology (Pty) Ltd in the amount of R99 million for a period of three years. As per FICA, one could not move money from one bank account into another account without producing biometric data. This meant that it was not so simple to transfer beneficiary information from bank to another.
SASSA Chief Information Officer, Mr Abraham Mahlangu, explained that the data was broken into different sectors. One was the pure query data that came through the call centre, the function of which had been outsourced together with the function of the payment of grants. As far as the queries handled by CPS were concerned, SASSA had only needed, and had got, statistical data, i.e. the number of queries made and the number of queries resolved. The details had gone to the grant administration which was the function that had been outsourced. That particular customer interaction would be in-sourced and therefore the historical data would be transferred back to SASSA. Part of that data was being contested because when a beneficiary became a private client of a bank, SASSA was not entitled to access that data. However, it became quite important to banks to quantify the customers and to create specific banking products. Following the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act, there should be more control of personal biometric data and the intention was that it should belong to the owner, i.e. the individual person and to no one else. At the back of the SASSA card was a call centre number for CPS. The new cards would not have that number and so beneficiaries would not phone CPS. Consequently, CPS would not get data from beneficiaries. Over time SASSA would not need the historical data because it would have been updated with new data.
SASSA Acting CEO, Ms Benghu, said that SASSA was still in negotiations about Regulation 26(a) which dealt with direct deductions from grants. They had already asked Treasury to get into the transversal contract which was used for all departments and entities. Treasury had wanted more information from SASSA. SASSA was hoping to test the system on 27 October 2017. She noted that SCOPA wanted to visit the SASSA offices in Pretoria on 14 September. She admitted that SASSA definitely needed change management. As regards social media, the Communications Unit had been asked to deal with the messages about the green cards and the beneficiary cards and they would forward any future announcements to the Chairperson.
As far as replacing beneficiary cards was concerned, SASSA had previous experience and knew that it could take a lengthy period as they were talking about 10 million cards. When they had done re-registration in 2013, it had taken far longer than had been anticipated. So SASSA had talked to the Reserve Bank about it in order to mitigate the risk. It would take at least three months or over three months to issue the cards, depending on the efficiency of the service provider.
She explained to Dr Madlopha that the difference in the experts consultancy fee of R1 500 and R2 700 per hour meant that SASSA could not afford it on its budget of R1.3 million. However, Treasury had budgeted R5.3 million for SASSA, which would fully cover the expenses of the panel of experts. Workstream reports would be packaged and distributed to everyone. SASSA had a contract with SAPO that was worth R60 million, as had already been mentioned by the Minister.
The Minister explained that in the hybrid model they had believed that the banks would issue the cards but they had since found out that all commercial banks had issued only 2.1 million cards in a year and they needed to issue ten million cards in three months, so they had gone to Reserve Bank to fast track the process. That was why it had been identified as a risk.
Ms Wilson asked who was on the Inter-Ministerial Committee. The cost of the experts was a concern as the Minister had budgeted R1.3 million but it was going to cost R3.5 million. The word "reasonable" made it difficult to determine exactly how much to pay the experts. Defining "reasonable fee" was not easy. The Committee did not know what they were comparing the experts to because the Committee did not know what work they were doing. However, the Minister could not just take the experts at their word and believe that they were worth what they had told her. Ms Wilson's concern was that the panel had already had three meetings. About the green cards, complaints had been received from Aliwal North beneficiaries who had green cards and had said that their grants had been stopped because they were using green cards. The complaint came from a whole community. What should they be told? What was the situation?
Ms Masango followed up on the Workstream Report adopted by the Executive. The Minister had said SASSA had to have workstreams. Did it mean that the same workstreams that had been cancelled had been re-instated or were they were working outside of contract? What was their status? Referring to the Court Order that an independent verification of CPS was to be done at the end of the contract, she did not understand the point and why it was not cost effective to do it at the moment.
Ms van der Merwe wanted to know what the process would be for issuing cards.
Ms H Malgas (ANC), noting that the agreement had not yet been signed, asked how many hours the panel had already worked. On the beneficiary database, she observed that the Court had talked of CPS as being part of the Department. That database was an asset of DSD and SASSA and there had been talk of the CPS selling the data so it was important to hear about the changes. She wanted to hear from the horse's mouth what was happening.
Ms Sonti suggested that DSD should make other plans for the beneficiaries to get their benefits. Could they not extend the days on which beneficiaries had to collect grants? On the first and second of the month, the queues were too long and people were getting robbed. Could they not have extra days?
The Chairperson suggested that questions about the panel of experts, such as payment, scope of work hours worked, could be held over until the meeting with the Auditor-General. The green card belonged to Net1 which had offices next to SASSA offices. The cards were loaded with a R1000 loan but the beneficiaries who chose to get the green card did not understand that the R1,000 was a loan. The Net1 ATM deducted everything that was owed to Net 1. The beneficiaries had to be educated.
The CEO gave the names of the members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee. Its chairperson was the President and Departments represented by their Ministers were DSD, Health, Transport, Telecoms and Postal Services, Communications, Small Business, Labour, Home Affairs, Monitoring and Evaluation, Finance and Science and Technology.
The Minister pointed out that questions had been raised about remuneration not about the credentials of the panel of experts as the experts were well known. She was not casting doubt on the Members' concern.
The Chairperson said that the judge had determined the names from a master list.
The Minister told the Committee that the beneficiaries had to go to the pension centres. Beneficiaries themselves left their cards with the loan sharks. An old person was paid in the first month after his or her death but the family could not get the money as the loan shark had the card. The last day for collecting payments every month was the 16th. KwaZulu-Natal had stretched the days as the number of beneficiaries was enormous. It was a provincial decision until which date they paid out. SASSA was not a bank but it was about social rights.
Ms Sonti agreed that beneficiaries all pushed to go at the same time so she wondered whether they knew that they had sixteen days. People who slept outside the pay-out centres the night before were quite happy to sleep there all night.
The Chairperson stated that the Committee had planned to have a presentation on the SASSA and DSD Human Capital Report and the Committee needed to decide whether to postpone it to the following week.
Ms V Mogotsi (ANC) proposed that the Human Capital Report be held over until the next meeting.
Committee business
The Committee adopted the minutes of its meetings from 19 October 2016 to 19 May 2017.
Ms Tsoleli asked if the Committee could get the minutes for each meeting at the following meeting.
The Chairperson stated that it was an anomaly to defer so many minutes. He asked Members to be very careful not to include someone as attending a meeting who had not attended.
The Committee Reports on its Oversight Visits to Free State and KwaZulu-Natal were deferred as there were no "hot" items in the reports.
Meeting was adjourned.
Capa, Ms RN
Abrahams, Ms BL
Dlamini, Ms BO
Dudley, Ms C
Jooste, Ms K
Madlopha, Ms CQ
Malgas, Ms HH
Masango, Ms B
Mogotsi, Ms VP
Sonti, Ms NP
Tsoleli, Ms SP
Wilson, Ms ER
van der Merwe, Ms LL

subset: commoncrawl


text: Hey all! I was just wondering if there is anyway to boost or amplify optimus' wifi reception. Right now i'm connected to a wifi network but the reception is very poor(1 out of 3 lines) so i'd like to know if there's an app or a fix to make the reception better. Thanks!


text: Monica Borca is considered, with reason, the best Italian potter for the forms in raku ceramic. Her research continues in time to improve the clay and to be able to obtain more and more difficult forms, to achieve tall and thin figures that are, for this type of technique and clay, a bet against the laws of ceramics. The attention that Monica Borca also sets to the subjects is very important to understand that, further than being a prepared potter she is also a person endowed with great interior richness and particular poetic ability. In her formal research, she has assembled her refinement on shapes of synthesis, like: "Tao", "Cori", "Contatto", but surely in her sculptures "Darwishi", "Donne Elemento" and "Busti di Donna", Monica Borca reveals all of her greatness and completeness as an artist.


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text:
I spent the best part of the weekend (i.e the sunny Sunday part) under a pile of files and brochures and links looking for the perfect bed for my upcoming photoshoot.
It turns out that no matter how hard I try I have really expensive taste! There really is just no compromise on excellent design and you can spot it a mile off! I am currently lusting over this delicious Throne Bed from Autoban. Really, this is my idea of the perfect bed.
Autoban is an Istanbul Design studio that develops architecture and design projects. It was established in 2003 and has grown to a team of 35 that have already delivered over 300 projects- pretty impressive growth I say. Autoban's Suite Bed was recently awarded Best Bed in the Wallpaper 2012 Design Awards- check it out here.
In fact the whole site is worth spending at least half your Monday procrastinating! If you get sprung for doing no work today just blame Autoban. Meanwhile, I'm off to Luke Furniture in Melbourne to demand that I can hire this for the photoshoot! If you're in Sydney and keen to see the range you can pop into Spence and Lyda


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Tourists enjoy strolling through the cherry trees of Guian Cherry Garden. [Photo/gz.xinhuanet.com]
Located in the heart of Guizhou province, Guian Cherry Garden is the largest cherry plantation base worldwide. The garden features two kilometers of centurial camphor trees, which take three or four persons to encircle. National protected species, including the Golden Pheasant, Lady Amherst's Pheasant and Reeve's Pheasant also wander the cherry garden.
Two million tourists have come to visit the cherry garden each year since 2005, with 1.3 million visting during flower season. As cherry blossom season ends in late March, tourists pour into Guian Cherry Garden to stroll beneath the fabulously fragrant canopy.
Miao and Bouyei villages also neighbor Guian Cherry Garden. Ethnic festivals, unique songs and dances and traditional handcrafts can all be found nearby.
Visitors to the garden may also wish to visit nearby attractions such as Wanhua Temple, the Yunmanhu International Leisure Resort, Yuelianghu Wetland Park and the Chetian Cultural Center in Chetian village.
|Guian Cherry Garden, Guizhou province. [Photo/gz.xinhuanet.com]
Visitors hold a themed photo shoots in Guian Cherry Garden. [Photo/gz.xinhuanet.com]
Edtied by Zachary Dye


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Everyone has a moment. The moment when music, in all of its richness, makes your life better.
JAZZ.FM91 and Alzheimer Society of Toronto have partnered to bring awareness of the importance and impact that music has on those suffering with dementia. Every Tuesday morning, Garvia Bailey presents the popular feature "Music Memory" on Good Morning Toronto. Garvia asks a listener, musician or a member of the JAZZ.FM91 staff to describe a music memory.
The Power of Music
Music can allow a person living with dementia to rediscover pleasure in the world. Alzheimer Society Music Project was created in response to overwhelming evidence showing the beneficial effects of music and stimulation on people living with dementia.
Through the Alzheimer Society Music Project, personalized playlists are provided to support a person living with dementia and improve their quality of life.
The Alzheimer Society Music Project is available to families at no cost upon approval.
Personalized music has the power to:
• Act as a conduit of memory.
• Improve cognition and communication.
• Improve mood.
• Produce other desirable forms of interaction.
Although each individual's response to personalized music is unique, chances are that he or she will benefit from an increased quality of life, and that you and the person with dementia will gain a peaceful, relaxing way to renew your relationship. Click here for more information.


text:
German Constitutional Court ruling vetoes further EU Bailouts!
The following is a brief quote of the unsavory reality for the centralizing federalists now planning to impose economic governance, and therefore zero or negative growth, across the EU portion of the European continent. Wealth creation and economic growth cannot be best attained by totalitarianism:
Only temporary bailouts will be viewed as constitutional in Germany and only then as approved by the parliament. The presently negotiated, but as yet unratified ESM seems therefore unconstitutional!
Labels: ESM, Professor Markus Kerber


text:
Windows everywhere died after the iPhone launched, but Microsoft isn't done with getting Microsofties or Redmondians onto every platform. Tom Warren:
Microsoft's new Your Phone app isn't ready for Windows 10 users to even try fully yet, as the company is still building the app, but it's clear this will be the central way to connect phones to PCs.
Tentacles, anyone?
Work with Apple has not started, and Microsoft has not yet approached the company to see if it's willing to work with Microsoft. It seems very unlikely that it will be able to convince Apple to partner on such a project, so Your Phone will likely ship with better features on Android.
I don't see integration with Messages and anything Microsoft coming too soon.


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Network mobility gives users the ability to move freely and fluidly around their spaces, whether at the office or working remotely. To prepare your organization and stay one step ahead, you need network and wireless solutions ready to adapt and empower your teams to work from anywhere and on any device.
Activo's solutions are designed to help organizations and businesses across Canada plan, design, and implement a mobility roadmap that improves productivity, enables new methods of collaboration, reduces cost, and mitigates risk. We work with industry-leading manufacturers like Cisco and Meraki to provide on-premise, BYOD, and customer-facing experiences. We can map out a journey that gets you there in one move or pace it out to meet your needs.
We build your network, putting the necessary hardware, software, network, and controls in place to make systems work harmoniously together.
The Age of the Information Society is turning disparate platforms into interconnected, interoperable, and smart networks. We work with you to ensure you are able to take full advantage of emerging trends.
Our highly trained and certified technicians monitor, maintain, and enhance your networking infrastructures throughout their lifecycles—saving you time and money while minimizing risk.


text:
|Ons assortiment
|Lichtsystemen / Lampen
|Ventilatiesystemen / Hulpstukken
|Meet / Regelapparatuur
|Groei Media
|Bio Bestrijding
|Plastic Folies / Tape
And he said patients who may pose a risk to the public would be controlled through constant and high level care and supervision. The hospital will also have 16 beds for people who Air Max Thea Green
do not need to be in a secure setting but instead need help recovering from mental illness for an extended period of time, often about 18 months. Local residents and councillors were angered last year after city council planners failed to properly consult them before giving the hospital the go ahead. SIOUX FALLS, SD Mental illnesses are something many people don talk about, but now one group is changing that.
of people who have been placed outside the Nike Thea Dark Storm
county have been there for a while and we don't want to disrupt their care by bringing them back to Derbyshire, but we will be using the Cygnet hospital for new patients. "Of the 127 people sent out of the county, 37 need to be in a secure hospital like City Gate, which has three metre high walls and air locking doors. At present, the county has only 12 secure beds, at Kingsway Hospital, but City Gate will provide another 30. As reported in the Derby Telegraph in January, patients will include people sent from prison and the courts. Mr Gardner said security was important to stop patients getting access to drugs.
According to NAMI, mental illness impacts at least Nike Thea Green
one in four adults and one in 10 children. One woman who has struggled with mental illness credits the support system from NAMI for saving her life. "I know it scary asking for help, I don like asking for help most of the time either, but I had to reach out, if I was going to live and survive I needed to ask someone for help and NAMI is a great place and people to ask for help," Hall said. "We offer education, support, and advocacy for people who are living with mental illness and their family members and friends," Executive Director NAMI South Dakota Wendy Giebink said.
Giebink says it volunteers Nike Air Max Thea Mens Blue like Hall and activities like the NAMI walk that bring awareness to mental illness, what once may have had a negative stig.
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text:
World Design Consortium portfolio of NV/18498856. If you wish to commission or consult NV/18498856 for your next project, contact WDC Secretariat. See example works by NV/18498856 below:
NV/18498856 has award winning projects in categories such as: Advertising, Marketing and Communication Design, Website and Web Design, Futuristic Design and Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design. For more information regarding works of NV/18498856 and for future colloboration, consultancy or commissioning inquiries, please contact us.


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The 33rd death anniversary of late celebrated revolutionary leader Phani Bhushan Majumder passed on 31 October like unsung hero. His life was a saga of sacrifices for the nation with the idealism of 'Simple living and high thinking'. He was a challenging personality as a revolutionary in the early 1920s, an organizer of Bangladesh's War of Liberation, a politician and minister in Bangabandhu's cabinet (1972-75).
Phani Bhushan Majumder was born in 1901 at Sendia in Madaripur under greater Faridpur district; he had his early education at Madaripur High School and graduated from Vidyasaagar College, Calcutta. He also studied law at Ripon College, Calcutta. He joined the revolutionary party in 1919. He was arrested in 1930 for his political activities and was kept confined till 1938. He was again arrested in 1940 for participating in the movement for removal of Halwell Monument under the leadership of Netaji Subhas Bose and released in 1946. He was a nephew of Roy Bahadur Ambika Charan Majumder, the founder of Faridpur Rajendra College, who was the President of All India National Congress in 1923. Mahatma MK Gandhi, Deshbandhu CR Das visited Faridpur. Deshbandhu promulgated the Hindu-Muslim Pact which raised a fierce controversy but dispassionate minds will concede that it was inspired by the highest statesmanship. He was a friend and advocate of the rights of the minorities, and an apostle of Hindu-Muslim Unity, and, therefore, he could not but be the champion of the Hindu-Muslim Pact. In June 1925 Deshbandhu was unanimously elected President of the Faridpur Session of the Bengal Provincial Conference. Deshbandhu had been in an indifferent state of health for more than six months, and the heavy burden of Council and Corporation work told greatly upon his health. He went to Darjeeling to recoup his health, and death overtook him there. On the June 16, 1925, at 5 pm, after a brief illness, Bengal's beloved idol passed away, at a most critical juncture of the nation.
Mr Majumder, a bachelor, disciple of Deshbandhu and a devoted patriot, was imprisoned in 1950 with Bangabandhu and was released after one year from Faridpur Jail. He was elected to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1954. He was arrested under 92A. During the period of the Ayub regime, he was arrested twice in 1958 and released in 1962 and again arrested in 1965 and released in 1969. He had to spend a long time of 32 years of life in jail.
He was a charming, loveable and amiable personality and a steel-nerved leader. He was very close to Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the War of Liberation. Mr Phani Majumder was elected to the Provincial Assembly (MPA) in 1954 on a United Front ticket and 1970 on Awami League ticket. In April 1971 he joined his party colleagues at Mujibnagar. He was the Chairman of Jessore-Faridpur Mukta Administrative Zone. He was a member of the delegation which lobbied for the Bangladesh cause in the UN in September 1971. In 1972, he took charge as minister for food in the first cabinet of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
I am fortunate that I had the privilege of witnessing the swearing-in ceremony of the First Revolutionary Government of Bangladesh and distribute the Bengali version in stencilled copies of the Proclamation of Independence among the members of the press at Mujibnagar on April 17, 1971. Abdur Rab Serniabat, MNA, and Phani Majumder, MPA, were present on the occasion.
On 10 April 1971, at Faridpur, we had a closed door meeting at district dakbunglow where among others all Members of the National and Provincial Assemblies elected in December 1970 including Advocate Yousuf Humayun (Bhola) and Asmat Ali Khan (Madaripur) were present. After the closed door sitting with the district AL leaders of Faridpur, as per decision I along with Sri Phani Majumder, MPA, Abdur Rab Serniabat and Advocate Yousuf Humayun left for Mujibnagar to talk to Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed to get his guidance for the next course of operations.
That journey to cross the border and entry to India was full of events; we had to pass a dark rainy night at Magura Primary School. We could not contact Asaduzzaman MPA and Sohrab Hossain MNA but SA Siddique (Baby Bhai) helped us a lot. He arranged our passage; we had to travel a long way from Jhenaidah to Chuadanga by rickshaw, keeping these two elderly prominent leaders in hiding. Exchange of fire was heard between Bangladesh AL workers, police, and students, Ansar, defected-from EPR and the Pakistan army stationed in Jessore cantonment near Barobazar. JK Abdul Aziz, MPA (PE-80, Jessore -III, Jhenaidah), and ABM Golam Majid, MPA, (PE-79, Jessore -II, Jhenaidah) helped us.
On the way to Haldanibazar, I found my brother-in-law Debaprasad Roy alias Lalbabu (Palton), an Awami League activist, and told him not to disclose our identity to anybody till we reached Mujibnagar. He managed to come down to West Bengal along with his wife Arati and a year old baby son Bappi the following week in April 1971. We rushed towards Chuadanga where Major Jalil was not to be found. We were told he would not be there for a week. Capt Haidar (who was killed on 7 Nov 1975) asked me to leave the place immediately as Pakistan army convoys were approaching that way.
On 31 Chaitra, 1377 BS --- Chaitra Sankranti --- the last day of the Bengali year, 14 April 1971, we crossed the border to Krishnanagar. But there was an emotional incident. There is a small canal between the borders. While crossing the canal, the 70-year old revolutionary leader Phani Majumder, who had spent 32 years in British and Pakistani prisons, touched the soil of Bangladesh side and, weeping like a baby, applied the soil to his forehead, saying, "Since my arrest in connection with the Chittagong armoury case in 1937, I did not visit Calcutta, I did not leave you 'my motherland!' If I cannot come back, O my mother', as Maharaj Trailaksha Chakraborty could not, this will be my last blessing sign on my forehead on the last journey." We were all sobbing and I was humming Tagore's song: "O, soil of my motherland, I bow at thy feet."
It may be recalled that on 14 April 1941, the Bengali New Year, Rabindranath Tagore's final testament was read out at Shantiniketan in his presence. Rabindranath was too weak to read it himself. Its title was "Shabhyatar Shankat" (Crisis in Civilization). Tagore concluded the address: "Perhaps the dawn will come from this horizon, from the East where the sun rises. A day will come when unvanquished Man will retrace his path of conquest, despite all barriers, to win back his lost human heritage."
Bangladesh is the dawn of the horizon of Tagore, where the sun is the symbol of life on the national flag, as the 'Gayetry mantra' in the Vedas --- the source of life and knowledge --- notes, "Who does not know that Bengal's sky is softer, the groves and meadows greener, the sun more golden, the moonlit night more silvery, the south-wind more wistful and the waters in the rivers sweeter, because of the presentation by this great wizard with his magic spell over them?"
We could not return. Later, I joined the government in April. Home Minister AHM Kamaruzaman asked me to work with him. The ten million Bengali refugees were stranded in inhuman, pitiable conditions in 825 Indian camps across the border in West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It may be recalled that a joint command of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini was secretly formed in October 1971.
Phani Bhushan Majumder was the chairman of the regional council for south-western region-2 (Jessore-Faridpur) during the Liberation War in 1971. He visited different regions of India to create public opinion in favour of independent Bangladesh, and had an occasion to speak in the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha).
Phani Bhushan Majumder was inducted in the cabinet of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972. He was elected a member of the Jatiya Sangsad in 1973 as a candidate of the Awami League and once again was included in the cabinet as Food Minister. Later, he was given charge of the Ministry of Land Administration and Land Reforms.
The assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975 came as a severe blow to the Awami League, which had led the country's Liberation War in 1971.
Following the cataclysmic event, many top and mid-level AL leaders either fled the country or went into hiding. Some were detained and tortured or forced to back the new regime installed by the killers of Bangabandhu and his family members.
Majumder was compelled to be minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives in the cabinet of Khondakar Mostaq Ahmad. He was arrested under the martial law regime of Ziaur Rahman in 1977. Majumder was elected a member of the Jatiya Sangsad in 1979 as a candidate of the Awami League. He was a member of the presidium of the Awami League. He died on 31 October 1981.
, a freedom fighter, is a former public relations officer and founder member of Bangladesh Secretariat in Mujibnagar in April 1971. He has been Press Secretary to the President of Bangladesh (1999-2001); and Addl Press Secretary to the Prime Minister (1997-1999). E-mail: [email protected]mail.com


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Benhamou Global Ventures, a Palo Alto, CA- and Tel Aviv, Israel-based early-stage venture capital firm, closed its third fund, at $80m.
BGV III's limited partners include several unnamed American, European and Chinese investors.
The fund focuses on making investment in enterprise IT including cyber security, cloud-based infrastructure services and applications, web scale infrastructure, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence as well as industrial Internet of Things (IOT) companies.
The firm will continue its cross-border investment strategy, identifying and investing in promising companies originated in Israel, Europe and Asia and helping them build a presence in Silicon Valley.
So far, BGV III has made investments in:
– Secret Double Octopus (SDO), an Israeli cyber security company whose technology enables a password-free environment with trust channels established via a mobile phone app. That investment was completed in April 2017 and was syndicated with JVP, Iris Capital, and Liberty Media Ventures.
– Sherpa Digital Media, an Augmented Reality platform for the enterprise to securely manage, measure and automate video content and reach customers, prospects and employees across all devices and locations.
– 6d bytes, an emerging leader in robotics, machine vision and AI to transform the way the food and beverage industry approaches the preparation and serving of healthy foods.
– Drishti, a computer vision spin-off of SRI (Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park) which provides an innovative solution to improve the efficiency of human operators in manufacturing assembly lines.
The partners of BGV III are Eric Benhamou, Anik Bose, Eric Buatois, Yashwanth Hemaraj, Marina Levinson, Amir Nayyerhabibi, Janice Roberts based in BGV's Palo Alto office, and Barak Ben Avinoam (based in BGV's Tel Aviv office in Israel).


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Toulouse is the land where a new voice began to announce the Gospel. Today, 800 years later, this same land has received more than 130 young Dominicans from Asia, Africa, America and Europe, to celebrate the Dominican Jubilee together, in the eighth centenary after the canonical approval of the Order of Preachers, founded by Saint Dominic of Guzmán in this region.
"Here we were born and our vocation takes here a special sense" with these words, fr Rui Lopes promoter of the Dominican Laity, received participants of the XII Meeting of the International Dominican Youth Movement (IDYM).
"Young Dominicans sent to preach the Gospel" was the motto that accompanied the IDYM meeting from July 16 to 21. Fr Rui remembered in the welcoming Eucharist that preaching is not giving speeches or lectures, but preaching is to love and to lead others to happiness, it is to love the world and its people, and that Dominican preaching is born primarily from contemplation.
During the meeting, young people visited Fanjeaux and Prouilhe, the cradle of the Holy Preaching, it was an opportunity to be in the foundations of St. Dominic, they prayed there and shared with the Dominican nuns, listening to their experiences of living in the place where it all began. From Fanjeaux, they made pilgrimage to Montreal, and passing through Carcassonne, they returned to Toulouse.
On the study day, the Master of the Order, fr Bruno Cadoré, greeted the participants via Skype from the General Chapter of Bologna (Italy), he reminded them, that young people are not only passive agents, but protagonists in the mission of preaching.
In Valencia (Spain), an evening event was held on Friday, June 10, in order to sensitize on the situation that Syrian refugees are living. It was a remarkable initiative promoted by Dalit, a group from the MJD of Valencia, joined by the group Endavant, the Royal Convent of Preachers from Valencia and the Diocesan Secretariat for immigrants and refugees of the Archbishopric.
As Marita (on behalf of IDYM) and Olbier (from the Archbishopric) exposed at the beginning of the evening, the main idea was to raise awareness about the difficult circumstances that the refugees are suffering and it invited the participants to stand in solidarity with them. It was simply about creating an environment to empathize with them, �open our doors� to them and help them in what we can.
In order to live the ideals of Preaching, Compassion, and Common Life that define our Dominican Identity, we, members of the Movement of Young Dominicans of Haiti organize a mission every year at the end of Lent or during the holy week .
This mission is prepared by a committee of three or four members of the Movement who have volunteered under the supervision of the committee. The place is usually proposed by the attendant. This is a remote area, almost isolated, with a chapel or parish, where people live in poverty. The Commission contacted the priest who lives in the region to express our desire to achieve the mission in the community and ask them housing opportunities. A fee that will be used to pay for transportation is asked to young people wishing to participate in the mission. Then, a grant application is sent to friends of the group, individuals, leaders of religious communities (Dominican Sisters, the Dominican brothers etc.). The sum or food and other items collected will be used to restore youth and preparing food kits that will be available to some families.
Rejoice with me my sisters and brothers for thirty new college preachers were added to the family! During the week of May 24th, thirty students from Dominican Universities/Colleges or colleges with a Dominican presence gathered at Siena Heights University, in Adrian, MI for the 14th National �Preaching in Action� Conference. The participating universities/colleges included Albertus Magnus College, CT; Barry University, FL; Caldwell University, NJ; Dominican College, NY; Dominican University, CA; Dominican University, IL; Edgewood College, WI; Molloy College, NY; Ohio Dominican University; OH, Siena Heights University, MI; St. Catherine College, KY; and Yale University, CT.
These young people came together to learn about the Dominican charism of preaching and how that charism can be incorporated into their own lives and passed on to others. They were given the opportunity to experience themselves as preachers using the mediums of art, dance, drama, and music.
The long-awaited Papal visit to Kenya was worth the preparation and the wait as thousands thronged to listen and some at least to see the Holy Father.
Thousands travelled from vast parts of the country to the capital city, Nairobi where the Pope was expected to give his speeches. All went well and not even the rain could disrupt these events. This had been a third time that Kenyans welcomed a Pope with first being St. John Paul II in 1985, and a second time in 1995.
A renewal of Christian vigor
The Papal visit couldn't be timelier, at a time when the Christian and especially the catholic faith has been under criticism from the government and other denominations on its stand on health and spiritual issues. The visit by the Holy Father strengthen the vigor of many catholic faithful and clergy as well.
Guatemala�s Dominican Youth Movement has completed the first part of the project in which they take part along with the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin.
This project consists of helping the children from the Francisco Coll School, located in the outskirts of the zone 3 dump in their town. This area is quite dangerous and that was what led them to help the School, as they want a better country and the best way to make it develop is helping the new Guatemalan generations.
Given the place where the School is located, the first phase involved fencing the playground and the School with electric wire, in order to give them more security.
Receive a warm greeting on behalf of the IDYM International Commission and all those who with great effort are preparing the International Meeting and the Assembly of Representatives of Toulouse 2016.
Soon we will start our international meeting with 800 years of reasons to celebrate. This will be a very special moment for the Dominican Youth Movement which was inspired by the footsteps of our father Saint Dominic. We will celebrate our history that looks to the future of our evangelizing mission.
We know you have many questions about the meeting. For this reason, we want to reiterate the necessary information previously disseminated.
Program activities Of the International Meeting and Assembly per day
Participation is open to all members of the Dominican Youth Movement of 18 years or above. Youth Groups or Movements of Dominican Charism or near to it are also invited. Two representatives per country, province or movement (depending on each case) that is part of IDYM are officially invited in the Assembly. Representatives of countries that are not IDYM members can also apply for participation in the Assembly as observers.
An important clarification is in relation to health insurance. The Organization IDYM Toulouse International Meeting 2016 has not considered the cost of health insurance enrollment but takes into consideration the provision of first aid in case of emergency. It is true that no documents and registation were required for such insurance since it is not deemed mandatory for the trip; however, we believe and we recommend for you to avail of a travel insurance to cover your stay in France to avoid any inconvenience in your travel. Otherwise, you must pay personally for all the costs of any unforeseen and unfavorable incidents that you could encounter.
Below is the link to the final registration form. It should be filled an application entry per person with all the required data. Registration is open until June 12 or until slots remain available.


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Heavy gunfire and a series of explosions were heard in central Kabul late on Tuesday as Taliban fighters attacked a guesthouse popular with foreigners.
After a long gun battle, the four militants were killed by police. No other casualties were reported.
Teams of Afghan security forces were deployed at about 11pm local time to the Wazir Akbar Khan area, an upscale part of the capital where many embassies and government buildings are located.
More than a dozen explosions were heard in the first hour.
Most of the blasts sounded like rockets, but several more powerful detonations could have been suicide bombers, one Afghan security source said.
"We have surrounded the area and cornered them," Kabul police spokesman Ebadullah Karimi told AFP during the fight.
"The attackers wanted to get into Heetal Hotel but failed. They have now taken position among the trees behind the hotel and are firing at security forces."
The manager of the Heetal Hotel, owned by the family of Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and known for housing foreigners, said all guests were in safe rooms and no one was hurt.
"Heetal is very well fortified. After one or two initial explosions, our guards started firing on attackers who were unable to get inside," manager Beizhan told AFP by telephone from inside the guesthouse.
"Gunshots and blasts can still be heard from a distance," he added, without specifying if there were any foreign guests inside.
The guest house was damaged in 2009 when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the gate, killing eight people and wounding another 40.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
One witness said the attack began when a single shot rang out over the neighbourhood and didn't end until dawn.
The Telegraph's Afghan Franz J. Marty lives across the road from the compound that was attacked.
"[My landlord] saw a pick-up parked diagonally across the street with at least four attackers (16 to 17 years old only), wearing traditional Afghan clothes (no headscarfs or hats or anything), suicide vests and armed with AK 47s. They unloaded RPG rounds and IEDs."
Mr Marty, who took shelter in the basement of his building, counted at least 15 explosions.
The government later said the battle between police and the attackers ended with four militants killed.


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This delicious recipe for Cauliflower Ground Beef Curry makes an easy and delicious comfort food meal. Saucy, hearty, with a unique mix of aromatic spices (that aren't hot), this is a beloved dinner recipe for the entire family.
First of all, I am soo sorry guys, to everyone who tried to access my blog yesterday! There was a major outage with my hosting company, causing all of our (mine and Konrad's and many other customer's) sites to be down for over 12 hours.
Super frustrating for everyone involved, but all seems to be fixed now. Alright, let's have food then. After all, it's the best cure for everything, right?
Filled with Vegetables, Adjust Spice to Your Preference
Especially when it is hearty comfort food like this Cauliflower Ground Beef Curry over steaming white rice. There also are potatoes, carrots, and saucy tomatoes in here, all rounded up with an aromatic curry spice mixture.
The recipe as written out below does not make a spicy-hot curry. As is, it is a great starting point for all preference levels of spicy-ness. If you like a curry that makes you sweat, then simply increase the amount of red chili flakes and/or add cayenne pepper to the mix.
This delicious curry is so chock-full of veggies and bursting with flavor that I can't help but feel good about eating it. And all the yummy-ness puts me in such a good mood that all *cough* hosting *cough* frustrations (and others) just fade away. At any rate, enjoy the recipe!
Cauliflower Curry with Ground Beef
This delicious recipe for Cauliflower Ground Beef Curry makes an easy and delicious comfort food meal. Saucy, hearty, with a unique mix of aromatic spices (that aren't hot), this is a beloved dinner recipe for the entire family.
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 medium carrot thinly sliced
- 2 medium potatoes or 10 mini potatoes, diced
- 1/2 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
- In a large skillet heat the oil on medium-high heat and add chopped onions. While stirring cook onions until soft, then add chopped garlic until both are lightly browned.
- Add ground beef and all spices. Stir often and cook the meat well until nicely browned.
- Stir in carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes and water and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer covered for about 25 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
- Taste and add more salt, pepper or chili if desired. Spices as listed make for a non-spicy curry. Add some cayenne pepper and/or more chili if you would like to spice this up.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
Check out these similar recipes!


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M. Night Shyamalan Explains How He Navigated Glass' Complex Backstory
Somewhat unique in that it's a simultaneous sequel to two standalone films (Unbreakable, Split), Glass presented writer-director M. Night Shyamalan with some unique challenges. Having already detailed his characters' backstories, he wasn't sure how much detail was necessary in the new film, so he erred on the side of excess. "The script was really long," he told Digital Spy. "It was almost 150 pages and the first cut of the movie was three hours and 20 minutes. It was really long—then it started tightening [and] tightening until we got to the 2:08 that you can see."
Rather than worry about setting everything up and explaining it all over again, Shyamalan decided to treat Glass like another standalone film, recalling a conversation he had early in the process with his studio partners: "I said to Disney and Universal, 'Pretend there's no previous movies and I came to you and I said that I want to make a movie about a hospital that treats people who believe they're superheroes and three of their patients escape. I want to make you that movie. Will you make that movie? Oh, and by the way, it stars Bruce Willis, Sam Jackson, James McAvoy, and Sarah Paulson. Will you make that movie? Yes, you'll make that movie. Person XYZ who hasn't seen the other two will come to see that.'"
Glass arrives in theatres on January 18, 2019. Check out the new trailer below.


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Areas of Concentration
Research Track
Basic Biomedical Research Training Program
The goal of the biomedical research track of the Fellowship Program is to provide an exciting and productive training experience for those individuals interested in developing careers as independent physician-scientists. This requires at least a three year commitment. Fellows will meet with principal investigators to discuss specific projects and plans for career development. A research training program will be tailored to each candidate's interests, abilities, and goals, and will be conducted with the close mentoring of established investigators in rheumatology or immunology areas. Fellows electing this research area will complete a third year of fellowship training.
Clinical Research Training Program
The goal of the Clinical Research Training Program is to provide fellows with the skills needed to become independent clinical investigators. These goals are optimally met in a three-year program. The first year focuses on clinical training in the diagnosis and management of patients with rheumatic diseases. In years two and three, fellows are encouraged to participate in the graduate training program in Epidemiology at the Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh. Course work includes introduction to study design, methodology and biostatistics and an opportunity to obtain a Masters in Public Health Degree (MPH) or a Masters of Clinical Research.
Additional educational and research opportunities for second and third year fellows are available through the Center for Research on Health Care at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. This nationally recognized program provides expertise in conducting health services and outcomes research. Activities of the Center include research seminar and lecture series and collaborative endeavors on outcomes research and may result in certification in clinical research.
All clinical research fellows are required to formulate and conduct a research project during the fellowship under the supervision of one or more full-time faculty members. Fellows will initiate a literature review, design a protocol, conduct their research, analyze and summarize their results, prepare them for presentation at regional or national meetings and submit a manuscript for publication. In addition, fellows are encouraged to write up interesting or unusual cases as brief reports.
At the completion of this three-year program, fellows will be prepared to apply for early career stage grant funding to support next stage of their academic career.
Clinician-Educator Track
Individuals choosing a career in medical education will receive the same basic clinical education as those in the clinician tract, with medical education emphasized in the second year. These individuals participate in formal medical education programs provided by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine through the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Institute for Clinical Research Education. This program prepares fellows to be leaders in rheumatology education at academic centers.
Clinician Track
Clinical Training Program
All rheumatology fellows, regardless of chosen track, complete the same basic clinical training program. This program combines a comprehensive didactic curriculum with extensive practical/clinical experience under close supervision of the academic faculty. Due to our extensive referral network, fellows directly care for patients with all common rheumatic diseases and a broad array of rare multisystem autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders. The fellow is an active member of a health care team that is responsible for longitudinal patient management of patients with rheumatic diseases, with primary decision-making responsibilities under faculty supervision. While on the inpatient consultative service, the fellow works closely with faculty to provide care for patients and to teach medical students, residents and other trainees across our academic tertiary care, Veteran's Administration, and community hospital settings.
The University of Pittsburgh Rheumatology Fellowship Program has six clinical fellows, with three in the first and three in the second year. Additionally, fellows often elect to pursue a third year of fellowship for advanced research training that is supported by a NIH T32 Training Grant or other mechanism.
Outpatient Experience
Each fellow attends three to six outpatient rheumatology sessions per week. Fellows perform complete initial evaluations, correspond with the patient's referring physician, and function as the patient's primary rheumatologist for longitudinal care under the supervision of a faculty member. The outpatient rheumatology experience involves participation in disease-specific sessions (one to four times monthly) staffed by faculty with clinical expertise and research interest in these diseases, as well as general rheumatology sessions. These disease-specific sessions include:
- Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatic Disease
- Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
- Systemic Sclerosis
The general rheumatology sessions take place at the UPMC Arthritis Center, the Oakland Veterans Administration Medical Center, and satellite locations in the Arthritis Center Network. Each fellow sees one or two new patients and four to six follow-up patients per session. In addition, there are scheduled outpatient sessions with orthopedic surgeons to provide experience with the diagnosis and management of regional joint problems and sports injuries.
Inpatient Experience
The fellow spends approximately nine months on inpatient consultation service over the course of the two-year fellowship. This service provides inpatient consults for the hospitals that comprise the UPMC Oakland campus and include Presbyterian University Hospital, the Eye and Ear Hospital of Pittsburgh, Children's Hospital, Magee-Women's Hospital, UPMC-Southside Hospital, and the VA Medical Center-Oakland. The fellow is a member of a team responsible for initial evaluation and follow-up of inpatient consults as well as inpatients under the primary care of the rheumatology faculty.
Contact Us
Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Offices
S700 Biomedical Science Tower
3500 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
412-383-8000 | Email Us


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I'll say it….out loud and with no shame. Sometimes marriage sucks!
Growing up I think we all have this idea of what marriage will be like. We will fall in love with this person, want to spend every moment with them, laugh and never have a cross word. It takes about two weeks after the wedding to enter the real world of marriage.
My marriage is a little unique as my husband is a soldier in the US Army. This means he works odd hours and is away from home for extended periods of time. It also makes it difficult to make long term plans as the Army comes first and 9 times out of 10 he will have to work at those exact times and plans will have to be changed.
We are also in the process of adopting a thirteen year old from the foster care system. Just by nature of coming from the foster care system, she is special needs. This of course is above and beyond the other special needs she has and that we all deal with on a daily basis.
So communication is extremely important. Every day, my husband and I try to set aside a few minutes to talk about anything that happened in the day so that we are both aware of everything and no one feels left out. We have discovered that feeling left out often leads to hurt feelings or anger.
He and I also know that we have different strengths in this marriage. It took some time for us to settle into our roles and during that adjustment time there were many fights and disagreements. Things run so smooth now though, now that we realize that our individual weaknesses do not make us less than….they actually add strength to our relationship.
When it comes to child-related issues, my husband and I try to work as a team. This doesn't always work but we try our best. Baby Girl doesn't always like this as she thinks that she and I should be allowed to keep secrets from Hubs. Now some things do stay between us. He does not want to know or does not need to know about some of those girl/hormone/puberty topics. But she lives with the fear that no matter the topic he will be angry with her. Sometimes he is. But she needs to understand that although the topic may be tough, sometimes you have to face things and then move to the other side. And that even if someone is upset with you, that's OK. Talk it through and bad feelings subside pretty quick if you let them.
Please don't take this as a blue print to a happy marriage. Every relationship is different. Every person is different. Every household is different. These things work for us and have gotten us to almost nine years of marriage. Sit down and take a look at YOUR relationship, see what has worked and what has not. Marriage takes work and should not be entered into lightly. On the flip side, marriage takes work and should not be thrown away easily.
I love my husband and I cannot imagine my life without him. I hope each and every one of you find that same relationship.


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Introducing the 2010 Givology Video / Essay Challenge
"What does giving mean to you?"
"Why is education important?"
"Why does Givology mean to you?"
View the challenge video and get involved today!
Visit our contest webpage to participate in our mini-campaign and submit your videos and essays! As we're approaching our second anniversary, we want to hear your opinions and thoughts about the meaning of giving.


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Topic Page: Rodin, Auguste, 1840-1917
French sculptor, one of the greatest European artists of his time. Rodin's first major work, The Age of Bronze (1878), caused a scandal because the naked figure was so naturalistic. His next great project was The Gates of Hell, unfinished studies for a bronze door for the Musée des arts décoratifs. It provided him with the subjects for further great sculptures, including The Thinker (1880), The Kiss (1886), and Fugit Amor (1897). Perhaps his most extraordinary work is the full-length bronze of Balzac, completed in 1897.
French sculptor. He is considered by many the greatest of his day. Rodin freed sculpture from the idealizing conventions of the time by his realistic treatment of the human form and his emphasis on style and expression over subject. Many of his figures are characterized by an unfinished look, emerging from a block of marble. His works show extraordinary technical ability and a deep understanding of human anatomy. Examples are Le Penseur/The Thinker (1904; Musée Rodin, Paris), Le Baiser/The Kiss (1886; marble version in the Louvre, Paris), and The Burghers of Calais (1884–86; copy in Embankment Gardens, Westminster, London).
Rodin failed the entrance examination for the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and so was largely self-taught. He started as a mason, began to study in museums, and in 1875 visited Italy, where he was inspired by the work of Michelangelo. Rodin was initially criticized for breaking the classic romantic tradition of human sculpture; his early statue The Age of Bronze (1877; Musée Rodin, Paris) was criticized for its total naturalism and accuracy. Although his representations of the human figure were realistic, he focused on expression and emotion rather than literal interpretations of the subject. In 1880 he began the monumental bronze Gates of Hell for the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (inspired by Ghiberti's bronze doors in Florence), a project that occupied him for many years and was unfinished at his death. Many of the figures designed for the gate became independent sculptures. During the 1890s he received two notable commissions, for statues of the writers Balzac (1893–97) and Victor Hugo (1886–90), both now in the Musée Rodin, Paris. He also produced many drawings.
Rodin was born in Paris, and entered a free school for artisans at the age of 13. Later he worked with the sculptor Carrier-Belleuse chiselling stone decorations, most notably for public monuments in Brussels. When L'Age d'Airain/The Age of Bronze, his first original work, was exhibited in Paris, France, it appeared so realistic that he was accused of using a live person as a mould for the sculpture. However his prestige grew, and in the 1880s he was granted a studio in Paris by the French government; public recognition became world-wide after an exhibition of his work in 1900.
Public Art, Monuments, and Murals
Rodin, Auguste The Thinker
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The SandPuppy Fitbelt is a portable back pain relief device. Through variable heat, it soothes aching muscles and opens up your day to more possibilities. If your back has ever stopped you from getting out of the house; if that back spasm made it impossible to get anything done, the SandPuppy Fitbelt, with its safe and wireless heating will allow you to make the most of your day. Don't let back pain get in the way of your peace of mind! The SandPuppy Fitbelt provides 3 levels of heat, using a single switch. The maximum temperature on full charge goes up to 68 degrees Celsius. Its sleek and lightweight design means you can fold it and carry it around. Since the Fitbelt is wireless you can wear it on the go. #Fitbeltiton and forget about it. It is adjustable to different levels for your body and can be wrapped around the lower back, upper back and shoulder. The Fitbelt is not designed for lumbar support. The SandPuppy Fitbelt is ideal for people who want fatigue relief without the hassles of wires. #wevegotyourback
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Now that the Morganza Spillway will be opened up over the next few days (intention is diversion of a portion of the raging Mississippi River from the Main STEM channel) eyes will be turning from that structure about 140 river miles north from NOLA/Baton Rouge to the Old River Control Structure less than 40 miles North of NOLA/Baton Rouge. Also the New Yorker has resurrected from its archives the wonderful article by John McPhee on the ORCS!
Old River Control Structure
The Old River Control Structure complex. View is to the east-southeast, looking downriver on the Mississippi, with the three dams across channels of the Atchafalaya River to the right of the Mississippi. Concordia Parish, Louisiana is in the foreground, on the right, and Wilkinson County, Mississippi, is in the background, across the Mississippi on the left.
The Old River Control Structure (ORCS) is a floodgate system located in a branch of the Mississippi River in northern Louisiana. Completed in 1963, the complex was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a side channel of the Mississippi known as "Old River."[1][2][3][4][5]
The Old River Control Structure is necessary to prevent the main flow of the Mississippi River from finding an easier way to the Gulf of Mexico through the natural geologic process of "avulsion," also known as "delta switching."[3][6] Downstream of the facility, the Old River channel eventually merges with the Atchafalaya River which in turn enters the Gulf of Mexico at Morgan City, Louisiana. This alternative path to the gulf is much shorter and steeper. The increased drop allows for greater erosion of the river bottom, while the decreased flow in the main channel allows for more sediments to build up. Left unchecked, more and more water would take the steeper and shorter path to the Gulf of Mexico until eventually this would become the new main channel of the Mississippi. Historically, this natural process has occurred about every 1000 years, and is overdue. Accordingly, between 1900 and 1975 more and more water from the main channel was taking the Atchafalaya River path to the sea. In 1975, artificial control took effect.[3] Some researchers believe that the likelihood of this event increases each year, despite artificial control efforts.[7]
If the Mississippi diverts its main channel to the Atchafalaya Basin and the Atchafalaya River, it would develop a new delta south of Morgan City in southern Louisiana, greatly reducing water flow to its present channel through Baton Rouge and New Orleans.[4]
The existing channel, probable new channel, and Morganza floodway levees. Screenshot is from interactive and zoomable map and air photos.[4]
This file is a candidate for speedy deletion. It may be deleted after Sunday, 15 May 2011.
The original 1963 floodgates of the Old River Control complex are the Low Sill Structure, which regulates flow in the waterway, and the Overbank Control Structure, for when the Mississippi exceeds its banks. The Auxiliary Structure was added to reduce pressure on the other floodgates after extensive damage caused by the flood of 1973. The Sidney A. Murray, Jr. Hydroelectric Station, completed in 1990, and a navigation lock are also at the site.[3]
The main waterway draining the Mississippi into the Atchafalaya-Red River system was first dug in 1841. It parallels Old River, a naturally occurring waterway at the same site.[3] [5]


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The FormFit Full Figure T Shirt Bra features moulded cups with confidence boosting padding and a supportive underwire. Straps are adjustable and have powermesh detailing, this also features at the centre bridge. Feminine bow detail at the centre.
Sizes 10C and above have two hook and eye fasteners.
Sizes 18D and above have three hook and eye fasteners.
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