My area of interest is centered on francophone Africa, the status of minorities and immigrants in Europe & media biases. Raised in Madagascar, I hold a Master of Public Policy from Princeton University at the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs with a focus on international development & international relations and PhD in Medical Sciences from Purdue University. I can be found on twitter at twitter.com/lrakoto.
Latest posts by Lova Rakotomalala from September, 2011
Protecting African Forests: Wangari Maathai's Legacy
Wangari Maathai, a prominent Kenyan environmental and political activist and 2004 Nobel prize winner passed away on September 25. She was the first African woman to be awarded the prize and is recognized worldwide in the fight to protect the environment on the African continent.
Comoros: Blog monitors Fuel Shortage in Anjouan
In his blog, Dafinemkomori documents fuel and power shortage [fr] in the Comoros. He explains that fuel shortage has greatly impacted greatly many other aspects of the economy on the island of Anjouan (rise of the price of tuna and power shortage).
Mali : ATT Tending to his Legacy
Diawara at Sur les traces de l'empire du Mali [fr] describes the upcoming tight schedule of Malian president Ahmadou Toumani Touré (aka A.T.T) : “A.T.T is seemingly keen on leaving a good lasting impression as he prepares to depart his (presidential) office. Indeed, his upcoming agenda is heavy on inauguration ceremonies of newly built...
Mozambique: Sant'Egidio Community Fights Back Against HIV/AIDS
Lack of access to care for HIV positive people has been well documented on the African continent. Many initiatives strive to show that things could improve with collective effort, and among them is the Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition (DREAM) program.
Madagascar: Reactions to the Road Map Agreement to End the Crisis
The road map to end the Madagascar crisis has been signed by nearly all parties on September 16. Malagasy bloggers followed the event in real time and reacted to the implications [fr] of the agreement for the elections and the potential candidates.
Comoros: Reactions of the Comoran Community to Minister's Accusation
After the French Interior Ministry stated that Comorian Community is to blame for some of the violence in Marseille[fr], the governing body of the Comoros Union is denouncing such stigmatization of their community[fr], it encourages Comoran to stay calm and fight back violence only via legal means.
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.
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...
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.”
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.
African Women Striving to be Heads of State
Since Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became President of Liberia in 2006, several other African women have decided to run for the continent's top level political jobs. The increase of female candidates is undoubtedly a step in the right direction; Lova Rakotomalala introduces some of the rising stars.
Madagascar: Wikileaks Cables Reveal Foreign Diplomatic Divergence after Coup
Sam Ganegie analyzes the dozens of newly published wikileaks cables related to Madagascar. He notes that the former mediator of the Madagascar crisis Mr Chissano believed that France unilateral support for the Rajoelina-led government [fr] after the military takeover prevented an exit to the crisis.
