Nigerians in Borno State who escaped Boko Haram’s bloodbath are forced to return to hopeless villages
Borno State alone has nearly 900,000 internally displaced people in displacement camps, with many others absorbed in local communities. So far this year, at least 1,600 civilians have been killed in militant attacks in Borno State, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a US-based nonprofit.
How tamperproof blockchain technology is positioning crowdfunding to upstage traditional lenders in money market
Until 2016 when crowdfunding was deemed an online-based networking for social initiatives such building schools, churches, resource centres or roads, this method of fund-raising lacked legal basis to commute it to a source of investment capital for startups. Today, crowdfunding has kick-started a shift from traditional lenders and donors and pooling resources for economic investment for marginalised societies, non-governmental organisations and institutions devoid of political, cultural, religious or social rigidities that occasion a high a failure rate for even worthy causes.
How farmers in Burundi banded, transformed avocado cultivation into ‘green gold’ for export
he participation of the cooperatives is an important step toward regulating the country’s avocado exports, said Ferdinand Habimana, vice president of Green Gold Burundi’s administrative board. Although the government is promoting avocado farming to diversify exports, avocados grown in Burundi are yet to be trademarked as coming from there, he said.
Toxic plastics exposure: Why semen quality is declining and modern men are less fertile than their grandfathers
Avoid plastic packaging – opt for products packaged in glass, metal or paper instead of plastic. This can significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste that potentially breaks down into microplastics. At home, use wax paper, parchment paper or paper bags to store foods rather than plastic wrap.
Going back to the roots: Senegalese ditching French for Wolof as ‘language nationalism’ sweep west Africa
There are 25 languages in Senegal. Six of them have the status of national languages, but Wolof is largely dominant. Out of the population of 17 million people, over 12 million speak Wolof, compared to around 4 million French speakers.
Ethiopia’s search for outlet to Indian Ocean via Somaliland meets with stiff resistance from Somalia, Egypt
Somali military officers march in a parade in Mogadishu.
How US agrochemical lobby forces Kenyans to consume pesticides that cause cancers, birth defects and disrupt nervous systems
Pesticide companies claim their products are safe if properly handled, but the reality at the field level is that farmers are extremely vulnerable. They often don’t have basic protective gear like masks and gloves, are unlikely to have had proper training on applying the chemicals, and the printed instructions on the products are rarely in a language commonly spoken in the area.
UN ‘sex mission’ in eastern Congo leaving behind a MONUSCO ‘clan’ of children without fathers
Dalmas Nzingene, a youth leader from Mbau who lost several relatives in ADF attacks, said peacekeepers don’t follow the recommendations given to them by local communities. Nzingene said he participated in regular community meetings with peacekeepers but felt they were more interested in excusing their failures than taking on advice and seeking to improve.
Unwanted Monusco: In Congo’s Beni region, departing UN peacekeepers branded ‘mission to watch civilians killed’
Known by its acronym MONUSCO, the peacekeeping mission in DRC is supposed to complete a withdrawal from the country in the coming months, yanking out thousands of troops after a 25-year deployment that is the longest and costliest in UN history.
Raging mpox denies sex workers in Congo of income as government insists it’s their duty to protect themselves
Kamituga Mayor Alexandre Bundya M’pila says the government is creating awareness campaigns but lacks money to reach everyone. He also said sex workers should look for other jobs, without providing examples of what might be available.
