Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from November, 2008
Waxal: First African Blog Award for Journalists
The first Waxal Blogging Africa Awards have been just launched. All African bloggers who work as journalists can register. The deadline is the 7th of December 2008. The individual winners - one for an English blog, one for a French blog - and one for a blogging organization, will be rewarded with a cash prize, and all best blogs will be promoted by the organizers through various channels.
World AIDS Day: Blogging Positively
This year marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, which takes place every year on December 1. Though the impact of HIV and AIDS is felt by millions of people globally every day, this particular day can help bring much-needed attention to the disease. The theme for this year's...
Blogging Positively: Live Chat about HIV/AIDS on December 3
Rising Voices and Global Voices are holding a live online chat for bloggers and activists on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 (3pm Nairobi time) on how to use citizen media to help improve awareness and information about the AIDS epidemic. The chat will be facilitated by Kenyan bloggers Serina Kalande and...
Nigeria: Hundreds of deaths in post-election riots
Hundreds of people were reportedly killed in the violence that erupted in Jos, Plateau State, Central Nigeria on Friday after a disputed local election. Nigerian bloggers respond.
Mozambique: Different views of condom use in Africa
In a country which struggles to combat AIDS, twenty million condoms are distributed every year. Considering that at least 4 million Mozambican men are sexually active from a population of 17.4 million inhabitants, this makes a personal allowance of five condoms for the whole year. Surprisingly, kids are the most faithful users of them.
Madagascar: Designer is one of the victims of the Mumbai Attacks
Gaelle Mann writes that Malagasy-born designer Loumia Hiridjee and her husband Mourad Amrasy were among the casualties of the attacks at the Oberoi Restaurant in Mumbai (fr). Loumia Hiridjee, 47, had a dual Indian/ French citizenship and created with her sister Shama the successful lingerie brand princesse tam-tam (fr). The...
Mauritania and Tunisia Hack Dissident Sites
Hack in the Box reports that Mauritania and Tunisia have mastered a new way of muzzling the online media – hacking dissident news sites.
Impressions of an Egyptian Blogger in Cape Town
Egyptian blogger Mostafa Hussein visits Cape Town, South Africa, and pens this eye-opening article on Muslims and race.
Sudan: Darfur and the Orphans of Mygoma
Sudanese bloggers on illegitimate children, Obama's victory, and the Muslim and Arab hypocrisy in regards to the Darfur conflict.
AIDS awareness through video
HIV/AIDS is a World-Wide pandemic which has been decimating the lives of men, women and children for more than 20 years. Today we bring you videos that discuss HIV/AIDS in its different aspects: how to live with it, protect yourself from it and how to raise awareness to the cause. From Cameroun, an award winning song about AIDS, from Argentina, a campaign that is not afraid to tell youth what a condom is and how to use it, and from Beijing, a video on discrimination, living with it AIDS and the strength to make the condition public.
Angola: Children as young as 6 face accusations of witchcraft
Children as young as six years old have been accused of witchcraft and abandoned, mistreated, tortured and even killed in Angola, where such accusations are deemed valid. Clara Onofre investigates this practice advised by members of illegal churches and seemingly not related to local peoples' historical traditions.
Madagascar: Land deal with Daewoo finally rejected by authority
Mahefa Rakotomalala writes at L'express de Madagascar that the alleged land deal with South Korean company Daewoo has been officially rejected by the Malagasy government. The minister of land reform explained in a press release to local newspapers that anyone can request to lease an unlimited amount of land but...
Senegal: Billionaire hopes auto rickshaws can create thousands of jobs
A plan to create 60,000 new jobs by importing tens of thousands of auto rickshaws to Senegal has sparked an impassioned online debate.
Burkina Faso: Fertility and Underdevelopment
According to new official statistics, Burkina Faso's population is growing [Fr] at an annual rate of 3.1%. Quophybloguer writes [Fr]: “Will the government have the courage to officially limit births in this country, where wrongly or rightly it is believed that children are also a ‘wealth'?”
DRC: Didace Namujimbo Radio Okapi Journalist Murdered
Cedric Kalonji writes about the tragic shooting death of Didace Namujimbo [Fr], the second Radio Okapi journalist to be murdered in Bukavu: “After learning this news, I was torn between pain, sadness and anger. I asked myself how a democracy can last in a country so visibly allergic to independent, professional journalists....
The Yellow Humvee Saga – A conclusion.
Nick Wadhams was able to categorically identify the owner of the yellow hummer mentioned by GV in the post on yellow humvees and the UN procurement scandal. He posts a conclusion to the BYH saga on his blog.
Kenya: Save The Mau Forest!
Kenya's Mau Forest is one of the largest indigenous forests in East Africa, and it is under threat from slashing, burning (for charcoal) and illegal settlement. Some background on the issues at play is available on this link from Africa Science News. Bloggers are making note of the deteriorating situation...
Environment: SA Bloggers sound off on GMO foods.
Genetically Modified foods have been a concern for many environment bloggers in South Africa and other parts of Africa too. On this post we check in a handful of bloggers who've recently written about genetically modified (GMO) foods and seed. Picture by Vagawi on flickr UrbanSprout points to a report...
Madagascar: South Korean Land Deal Sparks Controversy
South Korea has just leased half of all the arable land in Madagascar according to the Financial Times. This has stirred quite a debate in the Malagasy blogosphere about land sovereignty and economic development. It is still unclear whether the land deal has actually been signed by both parties. Meanwhile, bloggers are arguing whether this sort of deal should be considered “neo-colonialism”.
MENA: How to deal with Somali piracy?
Last week a Saudi supertanker was hijacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Kenya, making it the largest ship ever to have been seized in this way. The problem of Somali piracy is growing; in this post we hear bloggers' reactions from around the Middle East.
Environment: Leeks, eggs, fluoride and renewable energy
Can eating leeks help your singing voice? Intrigued? well The Ethical co-op blog ponders this, the need to flouridate water, eggs and a new net-metering law in South Africa.
About our Sub-Saharan Africa coverage
