Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from September, 2011
Madagascar: The Lemur King Swan Song
Erik Patel's documentary of the Sifaka in the rain forest of Madagascar describes how this particular species of lemurs is now on the brink of extinction. Patel explains that the Sifaka's habitat has been destroyed by illegal logging of rosewood trees in the Marojejy Park.
Kenya: “One of Africa's Biggest Slums is My Home”
On the ActionAid blog Bollocks to Poverty, citizen journalist and Activista blogger Collins Odhiambo explains what it's like to come from one of Africa's largest slums, Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. “Just because I’m from Kibera doesn’t mean I’m lesser,” he writes.
Africans in Guangzhou: Opportunities & Discrimination
Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a local news feature about the life of Africans in Guangzhou. There are about 200,000 Africans living in the Southern China city.
Cote d'Ivoire: Ending the Culture of Corruption
Y. Doumbia writes about the measures taken by the Ouattara Administration to halt corruption [fr] : ” Under Ouattara today, the situation has radically changed. The state budget is managed with greater parsimony. Additionally, Ouattara also did away with the BNETD (the National Bureau for Technical Research and Development). The...
Tanzania: Passenger Ferry Capsizes in Zanzibar
At least 198 people died and 590 people were rescued after a ferry, MV Spice, sailing from Zanzibar to Pemba capsized. Twitter users including those on the ground in Zanzibar have been sharing information about the disaster using the hashtag #ZanzibarBoatAccident. Meanwhile, two netizens have set up a Ushahidi-based platform to track information about the accident in real-time.
Zambia: Political Parties Campaign Online For September 20 Polls
Less than two weeks before Zambia goes to the polls on September 20, 2011, political parties have taken their campaigns beyond the traditional methods of using posters, TV adverts and radio jingles to a totally new platform—the worldwide web.
Tanzania: Real-time Information on Zanzibar Boat Accident
You can follow real-time information on the Zanzibar boat accident 10th Sep 2011 or send report by sending a tweet with the hashtag/s #ZanzibarBoatAccident or #Zanzibar or #Pemba.
Cameroon: Hackers Worthy of the Name
Ntrjack writes [fr] in his blog: “So the youth of Cameroon have discovered the gold mine of the free Internet and everyone now wants to go online using multimedia telephones, which are getting more and more common. This in theory is not possible, because the operators restrict access, but crafty...
Rwanda: Bloggers’ Reaction to Victoire Ingabire’s Trial
The trial of Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire resumed this week. Victoire, an outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame’s leadership, is accused of collaborating with terrorist organizations and forming an armed group with the aim of destabilizing the country.
Ghana: Entrepreneurs to Make Ghana a Tech Startup Hub
African entrepreneurs are making Ghana into a tech startup hub, Zak reports: “The nonprofit World Wide Web Foundation is working with local developers through a training program called Mobile Web Ghana to give participants the business and technology skills they need to leverage ideas into successful mobile web companies.”
Zimbabwe: Deluge of Online Reactions to Latest WikiLeaks
Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks cables are raising an online storm among Zimbabwe’s netizens. The latest release, among other things, quotes the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor saying Mugabe will die of prostate cancer before 2013.
Burundi: The Challenges of Making a Living from Farming
Lwesso writes [fr] :” It is difficult nowadays to find people who can make a living from farming in Burundi. Farmers often lack the necessary capital to run their businesses and end up putting their lands up for lease.”
Madagascar: Singles, Beware of Bloggers !
Andriamihaja, a young blogger from Toliara (a city in southern Madagascar) lists ten reasons not to date a blogger. [fr] One of the reasons is: “the rare times they will ask you for advice, it is probably to get materials for their blogs.”
Africa, Latin America: A Portfolio on Black Minorities in South America
Afrique In Visu interviews French photographer Philippe Guionie about his latest photo essay “Les Afros oubliés de la Cordillière” [fr] (The forgotten Africans of the Andes). Guionie traveled to Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile to portray black minorities in South America.
Guinea: Nadine Bari's Fight to Reduce Poverty in Guinea
Nadine Bari is a French citizen who has created one of the oldest humanitarian organizations in Guinea, Guinée-Solidarité. With donations from Europe they have helped supply schools, hospitals, and helped homeless, orphaned and disabled children to receive an education.
Burkina Faso and Niger: Haven for Gaddafi ?
René Dassié reports that Gaddafi and a heavily armed convoy might be headed to Burkina Faso via Niger [fr]. Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaoré has yet to confirm that he offered refuge to the deposed Libyan leader.
Guinea-Bissau: Unique Footage from 1969-74
Pierre Fargeas, a former aircraft technician from France, shared a unique film footage of daily life in Guinea Bissau from 1969-74 on Youtube.
Swaziland: King Mswati Must Go
Richard Rooney posts a press release from the Botswana National Front in support of progressive forces in Swaziland: “The Botswana National Front (BNF) joins the rest of the progressive forces who are currently in solidarity with the people of Swaziland during the Global Week of Action against Swaziland (5th-11th September)...
Angola: “The General's Advice” on Facebook
An Angolan general who who feels the “need to moralize society, [as the] the ordinary citizen feels betrayed by politicians”, has created a profile and a page on Facebook called “The General's Advice”. In one of his most recent notes, he offers advice to political power while addressing current affairs...
Zambia: Netizens Worried About Poll Violence Rhetoric
Zambia goes to the polls on September 20 to elect a new president, members of parliament and local government representatives. The opportunity to discuss this important national event is not lost on netizens as they use the Internet to talk about the threat of violence, bribery and even just plain support of their political parties and candidates.
Angola: Videos from Repressed Youth Protest in Luanda
On Saturday, September 3, 2011 a group of around 200 young people assembled in Luanda, Angola to protest lack of freedom and the 32-year reign of President José Eduardo dos Santos. According to witnesses, the protest ended with police beating a number of protesters.
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