Kenya Food Prices

By Paul Ndiho

May 22, 2012

Kenya has shifted from a drought that threatened millions people without food in 2011, to floods that are sweeping through fields and compromising harvests.  Food prices remain high and consumers in east Africa’s biggest economy are hurting. 

At one of Nairobi’s biggest open air food markets, the colors of ripe fruit and vegetables displayed in heaps around muddy stalls, brighten up a dull rainy day.

The kangemi market, which lies strategically along the highway that links the fertile right valley region to the Kenyan capital to the west, has always been cheaper than what you would find deeper within the city.  But in the last five years buyers say the cost of food, like in every other part of the county has continued to rise.

"We have not seen the food prices drop anywhere because even when we go to the wholesale market we find that the prices are high and when we try and sell it to our buyers it is impossible."

Record high food prices last year helped to fuel the demonstrations in east Africa. Domestic food prices remain high due to a combination of large quantities of food imports and factors such as regional trade restrictions, hoarding, civil unrest, poor governance and climate change.

A United Nations report released in April showed that world food prices eased after rising during the first quarter of this year.

Economic analyst James Shikwati says supermarkets were keeping prices high for consumers willing to pay more for convenience, forcing wholesale markets like Kangemi to follow in order to stay relevant.

"the causes of food prices going up in Kenya is the disruption of transportation system caused by the heavy rains that's one of them the of course the other cause is the competition between what i will call the super market surge visa - visa the open air markets where now everybody is trying to position to be able to be meaningful to the market."

In another part of Kenya, the Maasai people of Namelok in Amboseli region are trying to adapt to changing weather patterns by coming up with new farming methods aimed at improving their food security. They are traditionally livestock keepers, but successive droughts have decimated many of their animals, so they broke with tradition and now cultivate tomatoes, maize and beans.

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark recently visited the area ahead of the launch of the Africa human development report. Helen noted that across Africa a big answer to fighting hunger and food shortages is empowering women farmers.

"this cooperative of women working with a local non-governmental organization has found a way to move forward, so this story needs to be told many times to inspire other communities to think that it is possible to be able to have a livelihood as things around you are changing, as the climate is changing, and things can't be done the way they used to be."

Some women in this region earned a living by trading goats at the local market after their husbands left them with children to feed-- but the income is unreliable.  Now, the women's group has leased two acres of land with the help of a small local charity, and they've already had one successful harvest.

"We would like to farm more arable land and do this on a bigger scale, and we want to learn better agricultural practices, so that we can become a society that can sustain itself."

Analysts say tourism is a major earner of foreign exchange for Kenya-- and the community has recognized that conservation can also bring economic benefits.

Some critics say the government has failed to harness the water available for storage and farming in areas that require irrigation-- and to serve populations without access to drinking water and electricity.

Shikwati says Kenya needs to prioritize food security as much as it does other sectors of the economy.

"If Kenya continues to rely on other countries to govern its food security policies, they can never be food secure because it's the same comparison with national security they try as much as possible to have an internal mechanism to ensure the country is secure so i think the same needs to be applied to food,"

After decades of neglect, critics are urging African governments to pay more attention to the importance of investing in agriculture -- if not for food security-- then for political stability, as a way to avoid the riots over high food prices that affected several countries in 2008. 

Congo Aviation Safety

 By Paul Ndiho

May 15, 2012

The Democratic Republic of Congo has few passable roads traversing the country, forcing much of the population to rely on ill-maintained planes. But the central African country has one of the worst air safety records in the world, with notoriously lax safety regulations. In order to restore the confidence of its passengers and investors, the airline Fly Congo has introduced a new fleet of airliners and promised to tighten safety procedures.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) says that the Democratic Republic of Congo has one of the world’s worst records for aviation accidents. The country rates poorly in overall aviation safety.

But earlier this month, an airline whose license had been revoked in the wake of a July 2011 crash that killed 74 people, resumed operations. Fly Congo, known previously as Hewa Bora, opened a new Kinshasa-Kisangani-Goma route as part of its effort to revamp and rebrand the airline.

Passengers on board one of the relaunched airline's first flights are hopeful safety problems are a thing of the past.

 

 

"Sometimes it's a purely technical problem. I cannot confirm , but I am pretty certain that following past incidents of plane crashes, I think that company bosses will now try to improve the airlines quality, because having planes crashes all the time does not help anyone.”

DRC is Africa's second-largest country, and one of the most inaccessible countries on the continent. Its dense forests, rivers and mountainous terrain make ground transport problematic, leaving aviation as the only option for fast and efficient travel. Experts say aviation oversight, in spite of the periodic government statements following such disasters, has remained patchy at best. They say none of the promised fundamental overhauls has taken place, leaving in operation "flying coffins," as the Soviet-era planes are often dubbed in Congo and other countries in Africa. Both airline and ground infrastructure leave much to be desired in terms of international safety standards.

"I think that the current infrastructures at many of the country’s airport’s control towers are inadequate, but they are working on it. We are closely following that in the news. They (the authorities) are working towards improving the infrastructure, so that we can have more reliable communication in

United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) classifies Congo as non-compliant with standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

As a result, Congolese airlines are banned from flying within the European Union airspace. Since records began in 1950s, there have been 65 fatal accidents in DRC, with 878 fatalities. Seven of the incidents took place in the last two years.

Goma, where another Hewa Bora crash killed 40 in 2008, was chosen as a site for the launch event, which gathered local politicians and airline officials.

Gedeon Mangolopa, Goma's airport director, says he hopes customer confidence will return once the international standards of the airline and the airport are confirmed.

"We estimate that the plan that we are going to put forward will lead to the airport of Goma being able to once again operate to international standards. We ask the people to respect the rules, and to not believe that we are trying to push or manhandle them, but rather that we are trying to implement international regulations, so that we can attract other airline companies,"

To restore confidence and increase the safety of the airline, Fly Congo undertook to destroy six of Hewa Bora's airplanes and replace them with newer fleet. The aircrafts are being scrapped for parts.

"At the moment, these are planes that can no longer be used for public transport, so we have to turn to planes that are more economical and which are newer."

The airline is planning to open a new international route between Kinshasa and Johannesburg, South Africa later in the year.

Press Freedom Attacks in Africa

By Paul Ndiho

May 3, 2012

The 2012 freedom of the press report released today says that out 197 countries assessed during 2011, a total of 66 countries were rated free, 72 were rated partly free and 59 countries were rated not free at all.

The state of press freedoms in Africa continued to be a hot topic in 2011.  More than 13 African countries introduced new legislation last year that restricted press freedoms and allowed regimes to control domestic media. The report released by freedom house, a media watch dog based in Washington, DC says 10 percent of counties in sub-Saharan Africa were rated free, 47 percent partly free-- and 43% not free.   The horn of Africa was cited for the worst in attacks against the press on the continent, with Eritrea jailing 28 journalists - the most in Africa.  Ethiopia ranked among the top 10 oppressors of internet journalists and some are currently on trial on terrorism charges.   Somalia is Horn of Africa’s deadliest nation for the media; at least five journalists have been assassinated. 

 Angolan government introduced a bill that would criminalize the use of social media, electronic dissemination of "recordings, pictures, and video" of any individual without the subject's consent.

In Cameroon, the government detains journalists for investigating official misconduct, demonizes social media users and criminalizes certain online speech.

The democratic republic of the Congo – DRC made the list too and attacks on the press hit a five-year, all-time high in November 2011.  Attacks on the press were concentrated in the capital, Kinshasa, and surrounding areas.

Equatorial Guinea, did not pretend either the authorities imposed a news blackout on coverage of Arab uprisings and the use of Social Media 

In Gambia, a radio station is forced to eliminate news, leaving no independent broadcasters and the whereabouts of reporter detained by the government remain a mystery

Ivory Coast, did not fare well either because of partisan media outlets, journalists were attacked in presidential power struggle.  Ouattara pledged reconciliation, but his government retaliated against Pro-Gbagbo media.

Rwanda was cited as one of the worst place for independent journalists. Two independent journalists received lengthy prison sentences and journalists working for independence continue to flee the country.

In South Africa the anti-press rhetoric by the African National Congress - ANC, several assaults on journalists were reported and, ruling party pushed through a secrecy bill

Nationwide Uganda protests over "walk to work" demonstrations led to anti-press attacks and censorship, two journalists shot, dozens assaulted. The government security forces continue to assault opposition leaders and innocent civilians.

In Zimbabwe official media harassment is down slightly, but restrictive laws and regulations against journalists remain. Government raised accreditation fees, but moves slowly on issuing private broadcast licenses

Burundi’s Street Children Struggling to Survive

In Burundi, Hundreds of children leave their rural homes to the capital Bujumbura in search of a better life.  But end up living in Squalor on the streets. Now human rights groups are urging authorities to find new solutions to the growing problem.

On any given day, the streets of Bujumbura are teeming with thousands of children and adults who try to squeeze out a living begging from strangers. As nightfall’s, homeless children seek refuge in the city's sewage tunnels, one of the only places kids feel safe to fall asleep.

At 14, Felix Ndayengurukiye is already a veteran of the streets of Bujumbura. He left his village in Ngozi, in north-central of Burundi several years ago, fleeing an abusive family and poverty in search of a better life. But disappointment swiftly followed, as Ndayengurukiye ended up living on the streets and sleeping in sewage tunnels.

"What led me to sleep in this tunnel is because when you sleep on other people's verandas, you are often caught by police, who then take you to jail because they accuse us of stealing from people, even when we are innocent. That's why I prefer sleeping here in the tunnel," he said as he struggled to settle into position to sleep in the cramped tunnel.

Thousands of street children in Burundi's urban centers are compelled to fend for themselves and struggling to survive. Some lack proper shelter and often face abuse from adults and police alike, who routinely round them up and put them in prison without any charges.

Humanitarian agencies say poverty is one of the key factors leading children into the streets. And that Rural to urban migration is another major cause of children ending up homeless.

Deo Ndikumana, member of the national commission of human rights in Burundi, says the attitude is symptomatic of a wider lack of political will to tackle the street children issue.

"There may have been overlaps and a lack of clear politics, but otherwise, I know that we have the capabilities to reintegrate these children into society. Foreign donors as well as local authorities should organize themselves in order to include it in the national budget. This situation is unacceptable and inhumane," Ndikumana said.

Former Street child Jerome Irankunda counts himself among the lucky few who have been given a second chance. Irankunda grew up on the streets but a local organization that helps street children took him and provided him with vocational training. Irankunda now makes small wooden toys that he sells to expatriates. He says he dreams of having a normal life and a family of his own.

"I want to have a wife who can help me with paying the bills, so that in ca se I am not around, the family can survive. As for children, I don't want to have too many children that I cannot take care of. I want to have few children, who can also say our father tries his best to look after his family.”

For years, several organizations have been working to reduce the number of children living on the streets, with little success.  Local children activists many organizations are struggling to make significant changes because of a lack legal knowledge or jurisdiction to force the authorities to act.

US Lawmakers Hear From Joseph Kony - LRA Victims

April 26, 2012

Former victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army are demanding an end to bloodshed and human rights violations in Central Africa, and that outlaw L.R.A. leader Joseph Kony be brought to justice. VOA Senate correspondent Michael Bowman reports, U.S. lawmakers heard from a Ugandan man made famous by the KONY 2012 viral video seen by tens of millions of people worldwide on YouTube.]]

Abducted by the L.R.A. at age 12, Jacob Acaye put a human face on the misery and suffering perpetrated by Joseph Kony.

 “We worry. The rebels, when they arrest us again, they will kill us. My brother tried to escape. Then they killed him using a panga [machete]. They cut his neck. Featured in the YouTube video, Acaye’s story touched millions and focused global attention on atrocities committed by the L.R.A.  At age 21, Acaye’s work continues. Tuesday, he testified before the U.S. Senate.

 “I am calling upon the world to come and join the youth who are advocating for the end of this war.”

Now a law student, Acaye remains haunted by the pain of his past.

 “When you wake up in the morning and you hear that people are still being abducted in Congo, it takes my mind back to the situation where I was abducted. And if someone’s brother is being killed in Congo, it takes my mind back when I saw my brother being slaughtered.”

Over the last 25 years, the L.R.A. is believed to have recruited tens of thousands of child soldiers and displaced as many as two million people across Central Africa. No longer based in Uganda, the L.R.A. remains active in neighboring countries, says Senator Chris Coons.

 “In the past four months alone, the L.R.A. has committed 132 attacks in three countries: the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan -- despite an increased U.S. presence and regional efforts to counter them.”

The United States maintains 100 military advisors in the region to aid international efforts to capture Joseph Kony and disband the L.R.A. This is no easy task, says Donald Yamamoto, deputy assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

 “Ending the L.R.A. threat is not an easy mission. The L.R.A. operates in very small groups across vast territories roughly the size of California, and very heavily-forested.”

Joseph Kony has been a fugitive from the International Criminal Court since 2005. His capture and conviction for crimes against humanity would be a blessing for Africa and the world, says former L.R.A victim and children’s advocate Jolly Okot.

 “Bringing Kony to justice will show the world that impunity is not a way forward -- to let human souls suffer. And I think bringing him to justice will, in the long run, stop people around the world who are so brutal, and who think that playing around with the lives of human beings is the way forward.”

Jacob Acaye can envision a better future.

 “I do not want children to think that they will have to pick up a gun to get money, or pick up a gun to get food.”

Connecting Africa's Rural Farmers Through The Internet

Africa Rural Connect (ARC), it is a program of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), That aims to improve food security and agribusiness in Africa. The ARC’s  web based program is enabling those who have lived or worked in Africa to share their farming knowledge. VOA’s Paul Ndiho recently spoke with Molly Mattessich, the coordinator Africa Rural Connect.

The Diaspora Angel Investor Network (DAIN) facilitates the engagement of African Diaspora to invest both time and resources in their native countries. DAIN focuses on tapping into the Diaspora to provide a wide variety of advice and assistance. Paul Ndiho recently spoke to Nii Simmonds - Program Director and Co-Founder of DAIN.

Paul Ndiho's Perspective on Bosco Ntaganda, Appointment of New World Bank President and Colonialism

Paul Ndiho Speaks Out Against Bosco Ntaganda

What’s happening on the continent?

What political concerns do you have today? Is it what appears to be a recent coup in Guinea Bissau, new developments at the International Criminal Court, or a lack of good governance in your region? On the next edition of Straight Talk Africa, we will discuss the news that is dominating the headlines and your conversations.

Join us for this live one-hour television and radio call-in simulcast when guest host Shaka Ssali opens the telephone lines to the audience. You can help set the agenda and discuss any question that may be on your mind.

Guests:

Frank Onya
Minister of Gospel
Via remote: London

Gnaka Lagoke
Revival of Pan-Africanism Forum

Paul Ndiho
Television Reporter/Producer
Voice of America

A 26 YEAR OLD CONGOLESE INVENTOR MAKES AFRICA’S FIRST COMPUTER

By Paul Ndiho
April 17, 2012

In an age of technological marvels, it may not be a surprise that a young Congolese inventor is behind Africa's first homegrown tablet computer that is selling for 300 dollars. It’s the first of its kind, invented in Africa by 26 years old student, Verone Mankou; it's called the Way-C, meaning 'starlight' in a dialect of Northern Congo.
It’s part the technological revolution that is sweeping across the continent – where almost every free hand; and nearly every face pinched in concentration, focused on a hand held device like a tablet computer, ipad’s or smartphone.
In other parts of the world the Apple iPad is often the innovation of choice, but in Africa, it’s an innovation of necessity – And in Brazzaville, Congo, it’s the Way-C, Africa's very own tablet computer is designed to bring cheap technology and internet connectivity to the masses.

"This is primarily a Congolese product. I had to buy it because it was made by a Congolese, and after I wanted to see and I had some doubt like everyone thought, if this product would last? But I was proved wrong and I am pleased I bought it."
The Way-C's designer and engineer, Verona Mankou, says his goal was to create affordable computers and to bring internet access to millions of Africans. The device is designed in Congo, the Way-C is assembled in China, to keep the price low and because the Central African Nation lacks facilities to manufacture in the tablet.
"At the beginning, the idea was to come up with a computer tablet that wasn't expensive, to allow as many people to have access to internet. Over the years, the computer has evolved and is no longer just accessible in the office. So our project also changed in 2007, and we moved towards making a computer tablet. After years of research and technology, as well as financing for the project, we managed to finish the product in 2011, we then presented it, and it has been on the market since January 2012."
The Way-C was created by Mankou's company, VMK and went on sale for the first time this year in Congo at 300 US dollars. VMK forecasts its domestic sales to reach over 100 thousand tablets in one year within one year, before it launches to neighboring countries in West Africa.
It is a little smaller than Apple's iPad, with a 7-inch screen and weighing in at 380 grams. It runs on an Android operating system, with 4GB internal memory and 512MB of RAM compared to iPad's 1GB but Mankou says its technical features put it on the same page as other tablets in the market.
"It's also an electronic book because with it has a memory of 4 gigabytes, which for some may appear too little, but it can contain up to 3000 ebooks. Basically it is an ideal companion that you can use anywhere. You can surf the internet and be in touch with relatives via applications like facebook, share information on application as twitter, basically it is a computer, which can be used on the move."
The Way-C is retailed in Congo by Indian based mobile phone company Bharti Airtel and has sold over 2000 units in Brazzaville alone with more orders streaming in.
"From the customers' experience, meaning those who have bought the product and those who have used it, they have seen its efficiency, speed and capacity, and the customers have also quickly realized that the product is on par with those on the international market, which is why we have seen the product quickly selling off the shelves,"
Africa is the fastest growing mobile market in the world and will be home to 738 million handsets by the end of this year, according to a survey by GSMA, which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. The survey says the rise of smartphones has also given millions of African internet access for the first time.
Mankou says that with a product like the Way-C the opportunities to get people connected are high, because it is a reliable and reasonably priced device.
"For many people, it was a surprise because they did not expect to see a product with such quality and reliability. I personally think that the product is reliable because if the product was not reliable, we would not put have put it on the market if it was not reliable, a great partner like Airtel would not have wanted to attach its name on something that is not legit”.
Technology experts are dubbing Verona Mankou as the next “Steve Jobs of Africa” and that he’s among a growing class of technology developers. The popularity of his locally engineered product is even more enticing for the tech-savvy youth than internationally known brands as Africa increasingly relies on homegrown innovations.
"Even iPad and the other products were made with good quality, but they were not made in seconds. Those behind the Congolese computer tablet started it bit by bit, so yes I still think that it's a solid product. Over time, there will be more expertise and progress, and the product will have better quality,"
At 26 year old, Verona Mankou, is wasting little time creating his next product. His company already is working on a Congolese smartphone that he expects will launch later this year.
Electronic giants like Samsung are already aggressively courting African consumers with "Built for Africa" smartphones that feature energy-saving electrical appliances purpose built to withstand high temperatures and erratic power supply.

A UGANDAN OPPOSITION LAWMAKER ACCUSES THE GOVERNMENT FOR NEGLECTING FAMILIES COPING WITH THE NODDING DISEASE

By Paul Ndiho

April 10, 2012

A Ugandan Opposition politician is accusing the government for not declaring parts of Northern Uganda affected by the Nodding Disease as disaster areas. Several thousand Children in the North Uganda are afflicted by nodding syndrome, which affects the neurological system and has no known cure.
The World Health Organization says the mysterious Nodding disease in Uganda is afflicting over 4,000 children and has caused the death of more than 200 Children since it was first reported by the country's ministry health in 2009. Victims tend to have seizure-like episodes and constant head nodding. Nancy Lamwaka is twelve years old, and suffers from a mysterious disease known as nodding syndrome.
Her father ties her to a tree outside their grass hut in Northern Uganda for her own protection.
The disease gives Nancy seizures and has diminished her mental capacity - She has lost the ability to talk and often wanders away. Nancy once went missing in the bush for three days.
"It hurts me so much. In our tradition it is a taboo, it is not something heard of that you would tie someone to a tree but because I want to save her life, I don't want her to go to the bush and get burnt, I don't want her to go and drown in the river nearby and I don't want her to fall in fire. As you have seen, the wounds on her fingers are from falling in fire."
Beatrice Atim, an opposition Member of Parliament (FDC – Party), from Kitgum, District in Northern Uganda accuses the government neglecting families coping with the disease and calls on the government to declare the affected area a disaster zone.



“If there's a problem, a sickness of that magnitude, the government should be free to let it be examined and tested for a result. But you find children who are being brought from the villages to a National referral Hospital, being arrested, and the issue was that they are going to shame the government. We have asked the President to declare a disaster area. The government has refused. The suspicion you have among the communities is that during the war, probably the missiles which were used, and the war machinery which were used, could have been poisonous. Or even the same food items which were distributed could have had some chemicals or poison in it. And of course empirical evidence, the burden is upon the government to come out and prove that what the people are suspecting is not true.”
The Ugandan Government has dispatched a team of experts from nation’s ministry of health to the region, along with officials from World Health Organization W.H.O and the U.S Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C) to focus on finding a treatment for the disease. The group plans to conduct trials on several different types of seizure medication as well as supplements of vitamin B6.
A doctor at the regional World Health Organisation (W.H.O) says children are finding it difficult to eat because of the seizures, which are often triggered by food. Many children who have nodding syndrome become affected in many different ways.
"The issue is that there is a general effect in their neurological system to the extent that some can be impaired in vision, in eating even mere recognition of their immediate environment, so that is why we are calling it a syndrome, because not all are really manifesting in the same way, some may have just a few of these features."
Researchers and experts from C-D-C have been examining and searching for the origins of the disease. They say there is a possible link between the Black-Fly borne parasite that causes River Blindness, and Nodding syndrome.
"We have done extensive laboratory investigations trying to find the cause for nodding syndrome, in fact we have ruled out three dozen different possible causes for nodding syndrome, including some of the most recent results looking for 18 different viral families encompassing literally hundreds of individual viruses all negative for nodding syndrome."
While the effects of the disease - first documented in Tanzania in the 60's - are well known, researchers are still confounded by nodding syndrome, and the search both for its origins and a cure continues.

Young African Artists Use Their Work To Address Social Issues

By Paul Ndiho
April 5, 2012
The second annual international festival of drawing known as "pencil lead" brings together artists and cartoonists from Benin, France, Ivory Coast and Togo. The workshop aims to promote various forms of drawing and encourages young artists to use their work to help address social issues.
Emmanuelle Gabled, is working on her latest drawing at the French institute in Lome Togo. The 35-year-old is a cartoonist and designer who works for the country's weekly 'Pipo magazine', and likes to use subjects around her to bring out ideas in her drawings and caricatures.

Emmanuelle says she would like to see more upcoming artists joining the field because, compared to other professions, it is not getting enough attention.
"I think it's great, it's good for all young people and for those who think that women can't draw or those who think they are useless at drawing; they should know it's for everyone."
The festival brought together artists from West Africa and Europe to share ideas, and showcase some of their best work. The event attracted both amateur and professional artists; art work exhibited included graffiti, music, comics and paintings. Washington-based artist Kristopher Mosby says that artists from this region of West Africa need to keep studying, drawing and sketching to perfect their skills.
"It takes certain energy and dedication that the youth have and i remember being young and having that kind of drive, that kind passion and it's good to see it amongst them because they are only going to get better at their craft. Even the ones that are very good right now would be even better three, four, five, six years from now and that great. It’s really wonderful to see that."
Many participants were particularly taken by classes in caricature drawing and spent time exploring techniques.
Donald Aklassou an editorial cartoonist says cartoons appeal more to readers in Togo because they summarize ideas well.
"Editorial cartoons can easily express what we mean, given that many readers are lazy, they do not read, cartoons are short, they can have what they have on one or two pages in a drawing. i think in fact that the newspaper cartoon has its place in the world press."
Organizers also want to bring about 30-thousand students across the country to their workshops to help nurture talent and hold courses on artistic entrepreneurship.
"I really think Togolese artists are very talented but that talent must be accompanied and promoted in order for them to make a living. So what they have here is fabulous, it's very interesting."
Kristopher Mosby also stresses the need for African artists to do more to promote their work abroad, take advantage of internet and eliminate the middle-men because they don't need big companies to sell their art work.
"Well, just get your name out there, it's a competitive field like anything else and to make money from it that's a challenge. A lot of people nowadays go independently, which is a little bit of an advantage. Twenty, thirty years ago, you really had to be with some type of a company. Maybe a big company or a small company because it was very difficult financially to go at it alone whereas nowadays with the internet you can do web publishing, or you can do print on demand and you can literary just sell it yourself."
The workshop organizers emphasized that cartoonists should be respected, because they play a key role in forming public opinion, bringing about desired change and promoting peace.

Managing Africa's Electronic Waste

By Paul Ndiho
March 29, 2012
Hungry for information technology, but with a limited capacity to manufacture it, Africa has increasingly become the world's latest destination for obsolete electronic equipment. Several African nations and a bevy of groups have agreed on a set of actions to better manage the electronic waste.
Old mobile phones, televisions, computers and refrigerators are among the most common kinds of e-waste worldwide-- and in Africa the waste is piling up fast. Thousands of vendors are crowding into bustling markets across the continent where imported used electronics like computers, fax machines, cell phones are repaired and sold. But beyond the thriving storefronts and the mounds of refurbished wares, a darker picture is emerging. Up to 75 percent of the old electronics shipped to Africa are beyond repair.
Nigerian environmentalist Miranda Amachree says, Africans are increasingly responsible for a large amount of this waste, which can release harmful substances such as mercury and lead into the environment that damage human health.
"Electronic-waste is one of the highest volumes of waste streams we have in Nigeria because of the high use of telephone handsets, so many people have more than one handset."


Many African countries also import e-waste. Together with rising domestic demand this means that the continent could generate more e-waste than Europe by 2017.
"Nigeria allows importation of used electrical and electronic equipment. Some of them they come and they are almost at the end of their life, so it becomes a problem for us in the country."
To address the problems of e-waste, many experts and nations are focusing on the economic potential of e-waste to the African economy. Katharina Kummer Peiry, executive secretary of the Basel convention, UNEP observes that old electronics contain precious materials such as gold, silver and other rare earth metals.
"One tone of mobile phones, obsolete mobile phones that tone of mobile phones contains roughly 350 grams of gold… "If you consider the value of these materials, there you have the economic opportunities."
During the first-ever pan-African forum on e-waste, held in Nairobi, Kenya last week, a call for action on Electronic-waste was issued underlining the possible economic benefits of e-waste.
"We at UNEP would like to see in this partnership that has been involving with more and more representatives from governments, but also from the private sector, from the manufacturers but also those who perhaps can be pioneers in bringing new technologies to processing that waste - really being a partnership that speaks to this notion of green economy where you turn a problem into an opportunity."
The agreement also prioritized need to improve the collection, transport and storage of e-waste in Africa, since most it currently takes place informally at dumpsites or landfills.
A move towards a formalized sector, using international standards would limit risks to the environment and the health of people working at the dumpsites.
"Let's start to see e-waste move away from informal recycling practices and to proper remanufacturing and to proper methodologies for recycling with the right kind of standards which is obviously protecting health and protecting the environment."
Representatives from 18 African states, and multiple stakeholders issued a "call to action" that outlines 8 priority areas to improve the environmentally-sound management of this waste stream in Africa. They recognized that safe and sustainable recycling of e-waste provides an opportunity for green jobs and poverty reduction. Forum participants also noted the importance of having awareness-raising activities on environmental and health hazards linked to the unsound management of Electronic-waste.

Boko Haram A Threat To U.S National Security

By Paul Ndiho

March 19, 2012

Insecurity in Nigeria’s Oil-producing Niger Delta region has long dominated American concerns about the stability of the West African nation. Now, the emergence of the Al-Qaeda linked Islamic militant group Boko Haram, in the predominantly Muslim North, is sparking even more concern in Washington.
Since 2009, the Islamist sect known as Boko Haram has escalated its attacks across Nigeria, targeting the country's security forces, politicians and civilians - both Muslims and Christians.
Initially, Boko Haram was not taken seriously by some in the international community even though U.S intelligence and the United Nations confirmed their links to Al-Qaeda. When Boko Haram bombed the United Nations headquarters in Abuja last august, Washington began to pay more attention to this emerging threat to U.S. national security. In November 2011, the sub-committee on counterterrorism and intelligence of the house homeland security committee, chaired by Congressman Patrick Meehan, released a report on Boko Haram's threat to America.


"Boko Haram's repeated displays of brutality, their intent to committee terror attacks against lists of targets and their expanding relationships with Al-Qaeda affiliates in the country are of strategic significance to the United States and are an enormous counter terrorism and intelligence challenge."
Meehan says Boko Haram has evolved from a locally focused group with machetes-- to a transitional and trans-national organization capable of conducting coordinated truck bombings against western targets.
"Their ambition, body counts, and targets continue to expand and I’m deeply concerned that Boko Haram maybe targeting American interests in Nigeria at some time in the near future."
Over the last three years, areas in northern Nigeria have endured sustained attacks by Boko Haram-- prompting the government to deploy its military-- and institute curfews. Both critics and sympathizers have accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to halt the violence and initiate a development strategy for the region. Ricardo Rene larémont, professor of political science and sociology, at the state university of new York-Binghamton, believes that the government needs to do more for the people in the north.

"The problem is that the north does not have any development whatsoever. Either educationally, or because of the luck of an electrical greed you know… when i was spending time in Kano, there was no power. You have the national power company called northern electric power administration (NEPA) - or locally known as (no electric power anytime). In the north everyone is off the electrical power greed. But there are parts of Nigeria that have particularly made considerable progress over the last ten years but the north has not been part of that."
Some analysts say the bombing campaign has raised fears that Boko haram is trying to ignite a sectarian conflict in Nigeria-- which is evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. Elders from Nigeria’s north met in Abuja earlier this month, to discuss the regional insecurity that has claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed property worth millions of dollars.

Paul Ndiho Speaks Out Against The "Kony 2012" Youtube Video

An international aid group called "Invisible Children" is defending a video it produced that vividly documents the crimes of Ugandan fugitive warlord Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army, responsible for decades of atrocities and the use of child soldiers. Will the "Kony 2012" campaign help or hurt efforts to improve life in Northern Uganda?
Paul Ndiho, VOA 's TV to Africa and Catherine Bond, a Nairobi based Journalist; Writing a book on the origins of the Lord's Resistance Army analyze the plusses and minuses of "Kony 2012" style activism.

Lubanga Found Guilty Of Use Of Child Soldiers In The D.R.Congo

By Paul Ndiho
March 15, 2012
The international war crimes court found former Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo guilty on Wednesday of recruiting and deploying child soldiers during the War in Eastern Congo. More than a decade ago, I was a reporter embedded with rebel groups supported by Uganda-- and I witnessed the recruitment of child soldiers and killings that took place in some parts of Eastern Congo. Here is my account of events that happened.
A Three judge panel of the International Criminal Court found that Thomas Lubanga was the president of the militia group known as the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo during an armed conflict that has lasted for over a decade.




"The Chamber spent a considerable amount of time, investigating the circumstances of a substantial number of individuals, whose evidence was at least in part, inaccurate or dishonest. Prosecution's negligence in failing to verify and scrutinize this material sufficiently, before it was introduced, led to significant expenditure on the part of the court."
The judge said that Lubanga was essential to a plan to conscript young girls and boys below the age of 15. Lubanga, 51, was detained six years ago and faced three counts of war crimes. He could face up to life imprisonment, although a sentence will not be passed immediately. An appeal can be filed within 30 days.
Two other Congolese warlords are on trial at the International Criminal Court on charges they instructed their subordinates to attack civilians, rape women and enlist child soldiers in what has been called "the greatest armed conflict" since World War II. Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo are charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes.
From 1999 - 2001, I was embedded with rebel factions in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. But nothing prepared me for the violence I witnessed there in 2001
One morning I was caught in the middle of the Lendu militia attacks against the Hema in Bogoro a village near Bunia. In this and other villages, scores of people were killed and thousands were driven from their homes.
What started as a land dispute between two normally peaceful groups grew into a larger clash when Ugandan forces entered the region? The Ugandan forces sided with
The Hema and this favoritism caused a backlash from the Lendu, leading to the widespread killing.
According to eyewitness accounts, the Lendu attacked the Hema in Nyekunde at dawn, killing everyone they encountered, including women and children. A cloud of heavy smoke covered the village. The stench from the burning bodies was unbearable. That same night, the Lendu militia also invaded Nyekunde hospital, where hundreds of people were hiding and cut them into pieces. Scores of other nearby villages were burned to the ground. I saw several mass graves where a hundreds of people were being buried, and the Hema was armed with bow and arrows, ready to defend their village.
It was this kind of carnage, recruiting and deploying child soldiers that I witnessed in 2000 for which Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was found guilty of during the War in Eastern Congo.

Press Freedom in Africa

By Paul Ndiho
March 12, 2012
A study by nonprofit organization, the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ says that in 2011 the Horn of Africa was one of the world’s worst places for the press. VOA's Paul Ndiho recently asked Mohamed Keita, an advocacy coordinator for CPJ’s Africa program about press freedoms in Africa.

Sierra Leone's Opposition is making preparations for the country’s presidential election slated for November

By Paul Ndiho
March 6, 2011
The National Secretary-General of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) says his party is making preparations for the country’s presidential election slated for November this year.
However, Mr. Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie is concerned that the ruling party, All People’s Congress (APC) is bringing in people from outside the country into opposition strongholds. VOA’S Paul Ndiho recently talked to Mr. Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie about the upcoming elections and here is more.

Child Trafficking in Benin

By Paul Ndiho
March 6, 2012

In Benin, child trafficking is a crime that is strongly punished, but child trafficking still is at all-time high. Young children are being sold into domestic servitude or the commercial sex trade in Cotonou.
Dossou concentrates hard on geometry exercise. He is only 12. But he knows what it's like not be able to go to school. After his parents split up, his father sold him. He spent three months alone and scared in Nigeria.
“One day my daddy said to me come, we're going somewhere. And we went to Nigeria. The place he took me to, there was a lady there. She was selling maize. He told me to stay with the lady. When he left I cried. The lady told me to be quiet and I was quiet.”
Dossou’s story is not unique in Benin, a small country with porous borders where thousands of children are trafficked every year. There are also about 600-child laborers in Benin. Boys are forced to work on farms, in construction, produce handicrafts, or hawk items on the street.


"Child trafficking is big issues in Benin so UNICEF is supporting the government to fight against this phenomenon to be able to save these children, recuperate them and get them back into their childhood and to train them."
UNICEF supports organizations such as Don Bosco and the Salesiane Sisters, which help children from the streets and victims of child trafficking like Dossou.
“With this type of child the first thing to do is reassure them, because he's a child who has been sold by his own father. So the first thing to do was to reassure him, to guarantee his protection and to tell him that in this place he will feel safe. That's the first thing. Then we had to motivate him so he would rediscover the joy of living, of going back to school.”
The Don Bosco Centre in Porto Novo touches the lives of vulnerable children in various ways. Some of them, like Dossou, live here. Others do fast-track schooling or learn a trade.
Three outreach centers have been opened in marketplaces for vulnerable children.
14 year-old bread seller Honorine started coming to this shelter in Cotonou’s market two years ago.
She didn't know how to tell her mother she was taking time off from work. So she gave her a necklace she had made at the outreach center.
“I have noticed that my daughter has changed since coming here. There have been great improvements in her upbringing. I have definitely noticed changes in Honorine’s behavior.”
“The barraques that you see behind me were put in place by NGOS and they are very important step for children in life because they give them a second chance to return to childhood and begin their livelihood like a child and to start on a new path on their lives.”

Ethiopia’s Opposition faces a lot Of Challenges

By Paul Ndiho
February 24 ,2012

Ethiopia is often lauded for its economic development and for its role in the fight against Al Shabaab militants in Somalia. Yet, like many countries with a strong ruling party and ethnic factions, multi-party democracy in Ethiopia has stalled.
In 2005, hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians protested the disputed elections that resulted in the street violence that killed more than 200 civilians. The government's repression of the protests, along with internal party leadership disputes, fragmented Ethiopia’s political opposition and left it unable to deliver democratic reforms.
But Birtukan Midekssa, a Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, says the time to engage Ethiopia's government is now.
“I think democratization is the only way we are left with and if Ethiopia is to democratize obviously opposition political parties would have an indispensable role to play.”


Birtukan Midekssa is a former federal judge and leader of the pro-democracy opposition in Ethiopia. Often hailed as the Aung San Suu Kyi of her country, she was among those sentenced to life in prison in 2005 after her party, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, won an unprecedented number of seats in parliamentary elections.
After eighteen months in prison, she was pardoned in 2007, but rearrested in 2008. Midekssa says that she’s still committed to fighting for democracy. She also notes that Ethiopians in the Diaspora need to keep pushing for major reforms in the horn of African nation.
“The Diaspora has been playing a very significant role. But those efforts and activities have been very episodic for example in 2005 the Ethiopian Diaspora even managed to get a bill introduction in the congress of United States to support democracy in Ethiopia. But currently we may not see that kind of enthusiasm and influence but we should try to maximize that kind of influence from the diaspora because the local population is very constrained.
Ethiopia's opposition parties have routinely accused the government of harassment since the violent post-election protests of 2005. Adrienne LeBas, a professor at American University, says that Ethiopia is yet another African country dealing with a protracted democratic transition.
“I think what Ethiopia really highlights are the challenges of organizing opposition actually building opposition parties are much more severe in these kinds of closed political systems. Democratization is going to take a lot longer, it’s going to take a lot more protests and confrontation and it’s just going to be a protracted process.”
Analysts say that over the past ten years, Ethiopia's opposition has focused on building institutions from the top down. But the opposition has been weakened by the imprisonment of many its top figures. In 2010, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling party won landslide victories which extend his term in office to nearly 25 years. Opposition parties cried foul and observers say the elections did not meet international standards.

Rice Farming In Ivory Coast

By Paul Ndiho
February 14, 2012

A new rice variety is transforming agriculture in Ivory Coast, benefiting hundreds of farmers - mostly women. Its harvest time in Ivory Coast, but this rice is not destined for the dinner table. It's a new, more hardy breed of rice, and this woman’s cooperative is producing high quality seeds for sale to a seed bank. In a country reeling from civil war, these farmers are helping to reduce poverty, according to Gnandia Fofana, president of Boundiali’s Women's Cooperative.
“Before it was only suffering, suffering, suffering we couldn’t find any food to eat. But now selling these rice seeds we can buy food and we are doing well.”


Some 800 farmers in Ivory Coast have been trained to grow a more productive and pest resilient breed of rice, and with it have almost doubled their yield and profits. Gnandia is a widow with three children, and her group is growing Wita 9 rice. She says the new rice has meant more earnings and independence in a country where women grow over half the food but rely on men for access to land.
“Thanks to this rice I can build a house, rent a tractor and can do what men can do. Now we are the same as men.”
To ensure the seeds are of high quality, Gnandia needs a government certificate and must adhere to strict regulations, from the choice of terrain to the correct way of drying the seeds.
At least 30 rice producers attended an intensive training course and had the opportunity to share experiences with fellow rice growers. All seeds are sent to a government warehouse. Here, machines separate the good grains from the bad.
After a final quality check they are stored until next planting season, when they will be distributed to thousands of farmers.
“For almost 10 years now bad quality seeds have been used. This training has enabled farmers to get good quality seeds and has meant that their yield has increased greatly.”
It is not only rice; maize, yams and cassava cultivations are all being improved through this project financed by the European Union and managed by the UN's agency dedicated to rural development.
Analysts say that for Ivorian rice farmers to reach their full potential political stability must continue in the country and the government should continue to invest in agriculture research.