By Chares Pensulo LIWONDE, Machinga, Malawi — Annie Shaibu lives a five-minute walk from southern Malawi’s Liwonde National Park, which teems with wildlife. Her family and others in the community depend on […]
The central African nation of Cameroon, like other countries south of the Sahara, is witnessing a steady upsurge in the number of young people in conflict with the law. Some are recruited by criminal gangs or violent extremist groups.
From childhood until a few years ago, John Yegon believe that digging a hole in the ground, be it for a latrine or a grave, was taboo. Last year, Yegon learned from a public health officer that most diseases are caused by poor hygiene and sanitation practices and mainly by open defecation. He then embarked on a mission to construct pit latrines from metal sheets and wood for his neighbors at no cost.
A women’s organization in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, called Women Development Centre (WODEC) decided last year to start making reusable sanitary towels from locally available materials. WODEC is one of several non-profit groups that are responding to an issue that marginalizes many women and girls.
By Barbara Borst — Ulyankulu, Tanzania – Freedom. Happiness. Gratitude. These are words that people here use over and over to describe how they feel about becoming Tanzanian citizens after more than […]
By Barbara Borst — Traffic jams in the capital. Construction projects at every turn. Cell phones in constant use. Just a few signs that Ghana’s economy is one of the hottest in […]
By Barbara Borst — Sudden oil wealth sounds like a winning lottery ticket, but too often, it breeds corruption, economic dislocation and conflict. In Ghana, citizen groups began pushing for accountability soon […]
By Barbara Borst — Nigeria lies less than 200 miles from Ghana along the western bulge of Africa – close enough to show Ghanaians how dangerous oil wealth can be for a […]
CIVIC IDEAS 