Stories about Development from March, 2020
Market mayhem in Uganda as COVID-19 measures upend women’s lives
In Uganda, sudden COVID-19 restrictions have led to increased violence against women in the informal sector, who continue to work as vendors to feed their families.
Musicians in East Africa rush to produce ‘corona’ songs — even as the industry falters
As COVID-19 sweeps through Africa, musicians have taken a hit with canceled concerts, festivals, tours and interrupted studio time. Yet, they have risen to the challenge by composing catchy tunes.
As Ebola outbreak ends, coronavirus begins in DR Congo
While DR Congo has proclaimed the end of Ebola, it now faces its first cases of COVID-19. Will lessons learned from Ebola help combat the novel coronavirus?
Quarantine woes in Bangladesh amid coronavirus fears
The government has ordered Bangladeshis who are returning from affected COVID-19 countries to home-quarantine. But a lack of monitoring has led to concerns that the disease may spread rapidly.
Refugees in Ethiopia's camps raise privacy and exclusion concerns over UNHCR’s new digital registration
Biometric registration enables refugees to secure a digital ID that gives them access to aid. Their use has raised serious concerns about privacy and exclusion among refugees in Ethiopia.
‘Protecting forests is crucial to cure pandemics,’ indigenous leaders say
"If the forests are cut down, where are we going to get medicine?"
COVID-19 in Africa: ‘Unprecedented levels of mobilization’ as nations brace for pandemic
With at least 19 African countries facing COVID-19, several African governments have taken critical steps toward managing the outbreak, including travel restrictions, health screenings, rapid testing and social distancing measures.
This chief hopes Yorùbá speakers adopt his newly invented ‘talking alphabet’
Writing Yorùbá in Latin script may soon become a thing of the past as one Yorùbá man, Chief Tolúlàṣẹ Ògúntósìn, has invented a writing system to encode the Yorùbá language.
A ‘sweet’ deal: Sugar war ends between Tanzania and Uganda after years-long embargo
After a years-long ban on sugar imports from Uganda, Tanzania announced that it would open up trade on a government-to-government basis, strengthening ties within the East African Community.
Lost in translation: Why Google Translate often gets Yorùbá — and other languages — wrong
As more tech companies attempt to provide translation and access to multiple languages online, controversies and challenges arise — especially when it comes to accuracy and cultural nuance.
Internet shutdowns in 2019: India continued to top list of worst offenders
In 2019, access to the internet was disrupted 121 times in India alone, says Access Now in a new report.
