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Black Girls Rising is a program in South Africa that provides mentorship for girls aged 12 to 18, enabling them to lead climate change efforts in their communities through both theoretical and practical training. Kate Okorie, bird story agency On Mother's Day, Xoli Fuyani's smartphone was flooded with messages from the young girls in her non-profit organisation, Black Girls Rising. Founded in 2021, the organisation trains girls between 12 and 18 to lead climate action within their communities. Fuyani has been pleasantly surprised to find that her role as an environmental educator and mentor has taken on a parental quality for the girls she is guiding. Yola Mgogwana was among those who sent her messages. "I always send her Mother's Day, New Year, and birthday messages," Mgogwana said, highlighting a mentoring relationship that stretches back more than four years. Under Fuyani's tutelage, a then-11-year-old Mgogwana delivered her first public speech in 2019. Fuyani had helped to organise South Africa's first climate march and Mgogwana, who was then a member of Fuyani's now-defunct Eco-Club, volunteered as a speaker. She spoke in front of 2000 fellow young people gathered for Cape Town's first-ever climate march, with viral images and videos instantly making her a recognisable face of South Africa's climate movement. She is now one of its most influential voices. Mgogwana's success is a mix of courage and preparation. Growing up in an informal settlement in Cape Town's Khayelitsha, she shared one communal tap with 55 other families, and when the taps ran dry during Cape Town's infamous (and narrowly avoided) "Day Zero" water crisis in 2018, her family struggled because they could not afford the water sold in shops. For Mgogwaana, it was a wake-up call to speak up for her community. But she lacked the training to do so. "I remember when I started working with Yola Mgogwana, the teachers told me that she was not going to make it because of her background and grades. But I wanted to prove them wrong," Fuyani said. After her speech, Mgogwana became the subject of media attention and received invitations to conferences. "She became an overnight 'South African Greta'," Fuyani said. Since then, neither has looked back. "I found myself shifting from just being an environmental educator to preparing Yola to be in these spaces," Fuyani said. Inspired by their success, two years later Fuyani established Black Girls Rising to extend this training to other girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. "Currently, there are 30 girls in our Rising in Leadership Fellowship, and some, like Yola, are already leaving," she said. The fellowship is the arm of the organisation focused on equipping the girls with practical skills to lead climate action in their communities. Fuyani decided the organisation would focus on girls because she saw how climate change impacted girls and women differently. The 2023 Afrobarometer survey on climate change awareness in South Africa shows that most South Africans who are educated about climate change believe it is making life worse in the country. However, the impact of climate change is disproportionately felt by vulnerable groups like women, who are also the country's least informed about climate change. Less than half of women in South Africa are aware of climate change, compared to 53% of men. The survey suggests that empowering these vulnerable groups could contribute to developing a more inclusive and resilient foundation for addressing climate change. Using her extensive environmental education experience, Fuyani developed a five-part training model for the organisation's Rising in Leadership Fellowship.. Black Girls Rising fresh intakes are usually between 12 and 13, and everyone must go through the first level which focuses on self-development. "We value our process," Fuyani said. "At this level, we teach them how to self-regulate, deal with trauma, and they also get to learn about their communities." The training gets more intense as the girls move up the levels. At the second level, they are equipped with leadership and advocacy skills. "Because now they have a sense of who they are and know how to set boundaries," Fuyani added. Levels three and four are practical. The girls are given the autonomy to lead campaigns based on their interests. Not all are directly linked to climate. They can choose from four possible campaigns. "Their campaigns could be about clean air, water systems, period poverty or food security," she explained. The girls are allowed to recruit younger girls to support their campaigns. "It is like starting a club, but within a campaign," she said. The lead girls for each campaign are paired with top organisations in their areas of interest. The girls who choose the clean air campaign go to playgrounds to measure air quality. "The girls will help raise awareness on areas where the playgrounds don't have clean air and highlight the privilege of breathing clean air," Fuyani explained. "With what they have learned thus far about clean air, they are very keen to partake in activities that help to clean up the air," wrote Lihle Sabisa, a mentor for the clean air campaign and a Run Leader for Cityzens 4 Clean Air Campaign, an initiative with Urban Better developing interventions to support clean air in African cities. Some of the girls have also taken on a food security campaign, leading by example and growing vegetables. "We work with two local organisations that have community gardens. The idea is that the organisations will give them starter kits for their home garden," Fuyani explained. "The campaigns are fun and not just about theory," she said. The fellowship is a hybrid programme. Fuyani meets with the girls three times a month, once in person in Cape Town and twice online. All of their meetings begin with a movement-based practice. It could be dancing, singing, drawing, craft making, yoga or mindfulness exercises. "We believe in the power of arts as a tool and medium to transform and heal. Hence, whatever we do, has an art element," Fuyani explained. She added, "A lot of the things we do in-person, we are able to translate online." "The experience we have are very exciting and out of the box," said 16-year-old Lithalomso Chulayo, who joined the program early in 2023. "It's very relaxing and just gives you a chance to dive deep into your inner self and soul," she continued. "We are training them to be young changemakers, but we also want to create a space where they could be themselves and be kids. It's as if the world expects them to be adults, and I don't want that for these girls," Fuyani explained. This year, the organisation had to accommodate highly motivated older girls like Chulayo, who is now taking lessons from levels one and two simultaneously. While "everything is tailor-made according to a girl's needs after we have accessed their maturity and leadership potential," accommodating girls of above 12 is not usual. "The age group is specific because of the programme's design, and we have seen that in the climate space, there are not many of these opportunities for the younger girls," Fuyani argued. Chulayo is appreciative of the opportunity, however. "The experience has benefited me to believe that I can take all the information that I have learnt and use it in the outside world to give back to my community and inspire other young people," Chulayo said. Project Drawdown, a globally recognised extensive database of climate solutions, ranks female education sixth among 100 sustainable solutions to tackle climate change. At the final level of the fellowship, the girls are matched with organisations to expand their advocacy beyond the grassroots level. One of the girls at this level has been selected for the Ashoka Young Changemaker programme. At the same time, Mgogwana, now fifteen, is a young advisor with Child Rights International Network (CRIN), which aligns with her dream of becoming an environmental lawyer. bird story agency

Joan Wandegi Nthiga is one of many Kenyan farmers turning to regenerative farming to counteract the harmful effects of climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss in her area She has planted over 100 endangered native tree seedlings among her food crops and is now looking to do more to return the region to the wetter, more stable climate she experienced as a child. Okwi Okoh, bird story agency At Joan Wandegi Nthiga's family farm in Embu, a county in eastern Kenya, she and a small group of friends have gathered to discuss the weather, a common topic of conversation these days, and its impact on their area. "The geography has changed dramatically since we started cultivating here over 40 years ago," Nthiga said. Like many other parts of the country and region, Embu is now locked in the extreme weather pattern of successive droughts and floods. "It was a whole forest before. We cut down the trees in order to make room to grow food and fruits. But as the years went by, the soil was depleted just because of the products that we were using and the climate changed drastically. So the amount of rain we were getting 20 years ago is significantly different from the amount of rain we've gotten five years ago for example and that means that it has affected the amount of food we can grow," said Nthiga. Nthiga and her friends believe that reviving age-old farming practices could help them move their operational setting from survival to thrive. Regenerative agriculture is a new global trend, blending modern sustainable techniques and traditional methods to improve soil fertility, boost harvests and ensure food quality even in volatile conditions. Proponents like Nthiga claim that African farmers traditionally worked with the land instead of against it, by planting mutually symbiotic crops, integrating livestock, and practising indigenous agroforestry. Nthiga is determined to propagate many of the 1,100 native species that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorises as once having been prevalent in Kenya. "We need to improve the whole ecosystem of the farm and I believe that indigenous trees can do that for every single smallholder farmer. So even if a smallholder farmer plants ten trees, for example, we want to demonstrate that those ten trees can drastically improve the soil, the biodiversity and the nutrients of the whole farm in general so that they can grow more food and get more money for the household," Nthiga explained. Endemic Kenyan varieties have largely been abandoned for fast-growing and commercially attractive trees like the Australian blue gum and grevillea. They were introduced with other exotic species in colonial times for their timber and as shade for coffee and tea plantations. But studies show that some of these exotics consume a relatively high volume of water and are detrimental to certain forms of life in the ecosystems they cohabit. A 2018 report cosponsored by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stated that Kenya lost about 12,000 hectares of forest yearly due to logging, conversion to farmland, infrastructure expansion, and increasing demand for wood products and firewood. The Kenyan government recently launched a campaign to plant 15 billion indigenous trees by 2032, restoring the nation's forest cover to about 30 per cent. Previous drives saw forest cover rise from 6.9% in 2013 to 12.1% last year. Farmers like Nthiga are determined to do their bit, but given the difficulty most encounter when accessing information, she sought out 70-year-old Charles Kamuri, who has specialised in native trees since 1986. Kamuri urges that environmental studies be made mandatory in Kenyan schools and for a return to post-colonial initiatives that espoused regenerative agricultural practices that are now being touted worldwide. "There are even those people who we are called extension officers, agriculture extension officers. They set aside few days when they could meet the farmers and I tell you, by then everything was going very well because they could show farmers how you can operate a small nursery in your home and even how to prune your tree," Kamuri said. Nthiga has planted over 100 different kinds of seedlings that Kamuri helped her identify and source. They were put into the ground in Embu just as the long-awaited rainy season began across much of the region. Simon Macharia owns a poultry farm nearby. He has also suffered the effects of the recurring droughts from 2008 - 2011 that cost Kenya about 12 billion US dollars. Macharia believes Nthiga's adoption of agroforestry and regenerative agriculture, in general, is something other farmers should emulate. "It's good to have that mix of indigenous trees and a lot of them are also species that we might be losing. And you find some of these trees are medicinal. Some of them have root systems that are really good at breaking down this murram into fertile soil. So it's an awesome idea, and I'm hoping the rest of my neighbours will also follow suit," Macharia said. Nthiga's interest in Kenyan tree species has branched into an early-stage large-scale nursery and a social media platform called "I Grew A Forest", where those interested in regenerative agriculture can access local tips, anecdotes, inspiration, and a community of like-minded people. "In ten years, I want this to be a full mature indigenous forest that is rich in biodiversity, that the greenhouses will all have been renovated, and that they will be full of viable seedlings that can then be grown on other farms, that can then enjoy the fruits of what indigenous forest can bring to a landscape." bird story agency

After observing the challenges journalists and editors encountered while covering and editing climate articles, Tendai Guvavombe decided to offer training for media professionals, an initiative that is quickly spreading across southern African countries. By Alois Vinga, bird story agency After graduating as a journalist in 2012, Tendai Guvamombe's desire to engage with climate-sensitive citizens led him to pursue environmental reporting. Unable to land a job in the media industry in Zimbabwe, he began working as a freelance journalist. "Only a strong passion for climate change kept me going. I didn't even mind that after putting so much effort into producing my pieces, several publishers I sent out my work to could not pay me. Occasionally, one or two would offer payment, but the amounts were small. Despite this, I continued to persevere," he said. In the process, Guvamombe discovered that many journalists in his country, even the most experienced editors, struggled to understand basic climate change terminology. As a result, they frequently made errors while editing his articles. "What broke my heart one day was when a much-respected editor at (name withheld) informed me that he could not publish the article because it was unimportant for the local readers. He said climate change content is meant for upmarket readers hence the story had to be spiked. It was unfortunate to come face to face with such levels of ignorance. That day I vowed to create an organisation that explicitly educates media practitioners on climate change," Guvamombe said. So, after six months of research, he established a Non-Governmental Organisation called Early Day in 2018, registered as a Youth Media Association under the Zimbabwe Youth Council. Early Day now works to impart environmental reporting skills to media practitioners to improve the quality of climate change reportage in Zimbabwe and beyond. The organisation also provides a mentorship program for young environment and climate change reporters. "It was imperative to focus on young journalists and inspire them to develop an interest in climate change reporting early in their career as this would maximise the impartation of knowledge and coverage of climate-related stories. The idea of targeting young journalists was also inspired by the realisation that the country has several youths who are not employed, so using journalists of their age range will encourage them to contribute towards climate change and possibly see green job creation opportunities," said Guvamombe. According to Early Day's information department, the NGO has trained almost 600 journalists directly and indirectly impacted nearly 5,000 college students. They have also trained another 150 mid and senior career journalists through the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists. The organisation has managed to solicit expert knowledge in rolling out several projects working in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the government of Zimbabwe agencies like the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), and the Climate Change Management Department. Tafadzwa Muranganwa, a journalist who participated in the Early Day organised training and tree planting exercise held last year in Harare Gardens, commended the programs for leaving lasting impressions on his career. "I have benefited from the NGO's training programs, and I also participated in a tree-planting event. After noticing that the event involved the youth and persons with disabilities, I became aware of climate change's impact on vulnerable groups of society. "I am now sensitive on the need to cautiously select and identify the rightful sources who are hardest affected by climate change as opposed to the past when I used to reach out to prominent sources," he said. Tinashe Mangosho, country director at Sustainable Climate Action Trust (SCAT), acknowledged Guvamombe's unique approach. "As an environmentalist, I rate this as an excellent initiative. It has managed to impart knowledge and raise awareness amongst the community and media by sharing solutions that build sustainable development. Early Day has managed to capacitate the media fraternity to unpack the technical aspects of climate change and the environment for robust information dissemination to society. It uses a whole inclusive approach by bringing together various organisations and leaving no one behind in line with the SDGs," he said. He added that the organisation has created a platform for technocrats in the environment to transfer knowledge to journalists, who then simplify it to their readers for widespread national impact. Early Day has also begun to spread into other regional countries in Southern Africa, with work already in progress to set up a similar movement in Botswana, South Africa and Malawi after successfully launching in Lesotho. Liapeng Raliengoane, a journalist serving as the Early Day executive director in Lesotho, said he found Guvamombe's work in Zimbabwe exciting and decided to join the movement by bringing the concept to her country. "Looking at his work through Early Day, I was inspired to bring it to Lesotho for the same impact. "So far we have managed to bring media practitioners together to empower them in areas of environment and climate change. We are also writing about climate-related issues in different social media platforms," she said. Raliengoane said that going forward, the Lesotho chapter aims to hold events and public gatherings to scale up youth media empowerment in sustainable development, environment and climate change across communities in the country. "We also aim for our journalists to attend COP and other global climate-related conferences," she added. Guvamombe's work has also attracted recognition from climate change activists beyond Africa. "Last year, after coming across my works in climate change, United States lawmaker Lisa Cutter conferred me with the opportunity to lead Eco-Ethics in Zimbabwe," he said. Eco Ethics is a global climate change movement founded by 11-year-old climate activist Madhvi Chittoor, with backing from American senators and legislators. "My appointment to lead Eco Ethics in Zimbabwe was announced during a Climate Change Media Summit held virtually," said Guvamombe. Guvamombe is looking to ensure that Eco Ethics combines forces with Early Day across the region. bird story agency

To make his school more accessible - and help clean up his local community - 38-year-old Patrick Mbamarah accepts plastic bottles collected from the street instead of tuition fees. Banners at the Morit International School gate. (Photo Courtesy : Morit International School) By Gabriella Opara, bird story agency When a neighbour recommended Morit International School to Ijeoma Obiora three years ago and told her the tuition was paid not in cash but through plastic bottles, she found it hard to believe. She had never heard of such a thing. Today, her 13-year-old daughter has comfortably settled into the school. “Academically, the school is very good for my daughter, who’s now in JSS 1. Financially, it removes my worries about having to provide education for her on a stringent budget. These days, the first thing I do when I see a plastic bottle that has been thrown away, is pick it up. I don’t even think twice, the only thing on my mind is collecting waste to take to school,” said Obiora. At Morit International School, one plastic bottle equals one naira, so parents bring a lot of plastic bottles to be weighed and sold, paying their children’s school fees in this unorthodox way. Although it is the sole responsibility of the parents to gather the bottles for school fees payment, each student is encouraged to bring five bottles a day to teach them to be “environmentally responsible children for the future.” This school is a solution to the two major problems Patrick Mbamarah noticed in his community, Ajegunle, an impoverished area in Lagos, in 2013: The growing number of out-of-school children, and too many plastic bottles on the roads. A certified lesson teacher, he decided to solve the school problem first. In 2015, he founded the Morit International School - also known as Green Minds Academy - and set the tuition fees as low as possible, to make it accessible. “I grew up here. This is my way of giving back to my community. Nigeria has an excessive number of out-of-school children. That bothered me, therefore I decided to provide affordable education, no matter what, and that means pushing through any difficulties. I’m passionate about what I’m doing.” said Mbamarah. However, he soon ran into an unexpected obstacle. “The tuition was 10,200 naira ($22.6) for preschool and 11,200 naira ($24.33) for primary school. But, to my surprise, many parents were still having financial difficulties and couldn’t pay the fees,” said Mbamarah. Instead of giving up on his dream of providing affordable education to children in his community, Mbamarah began researching other avenues to raise funds. This brought him to the second problem his community faced. “I thought, ‘why not create one solution for both problems?’. I have an upbringing in recycling; my mother reused plastic bottles and nylons. So I knew there was a solution there, I just had to find it,” he explained. He soon conceptualised what is now known in his school and community as the Recycles Pay Educational Project. In 2019, Morit International School collaborated with two recycling businesses, the African Cleanup Initiative and Wecyclers. The two-year partnership helped parents lift the burden of fee payment because pupils’ school fees could now be paid through plastic bottles. Patrick Mbamarah, Proprietor of Morit International School. (Photo Courtesy: Patrick Mbamarah) By 2021, more recycling businesses and individuals were reaching out to be part of the Recycles Pay Educational Project. Dolapo Olusanmokan, CEO of recycling outfit Alon Green, was one. “When I saw what he was doing, I knew I needed to be part of it. He already had an agreement with some estates to give him access to a collection point, so what we do is pick up the recyclables in the Island area of Lagos at designated times. We weigh them and give cash in return for the PET bottles,” said Olusanmokan. Olusanmokan is now in talks with Mbamarah to enhance the structure of the school to create better accommodations. “Beyond what we’ve been doing so far, Mbamarah and I have had several discussions on how we can improve the state of the school for kids. Right now, it’s just benches and tables in a small space. We’re trying to do more for the kids, and he has put in a lot over the years. His dedication is commendable,” said Olusanmokan. Mbamarah, however, still feels like he’s in the bootstrapping phase of his business. “Donations have been very helpful when they come in because we use the bulk of the money to pay off debts and settle bills to keep the school going. “Presently, we have a preschool, primary and secondary school. Collectively, we are 115. Whenever there are external exams like the West Africa Certificate Examination (WAEC), we merge our students with other certified schools, so they can write the exams in a state-recognised school. One of the reasons we’re yet to be a certified school is that we need structure and certain facilities. That’s what I’m working on right now,” Mbamarah explained. Flourish Jimmy, a part-time mathematics and English teacher at Morit, said that despite the low wages which mean he has to run a side hustle as a private teacher, he is keyed into Mbamarah’s vision, and there’s no turning back for him. “Honestly, we’re barely keeping everything together financially wise, but I saw what he was doing, and I wanted to be a part of it too. Teaching my Basic Two students is fulfilling because I know I’m adding value to their lives,” Jimmy said. Today, people in the neighbourhood voluntarily gather discarded plastic bottles from the streets and keep their recyclables to give to the school. Mbamarah’s next project is to gather one million plastic bottles to keep 1000 children in school in the Ajegunle area. bird story agency

It's easy to lose sight of what we are doing at bird: changing the narrative on and in, Africa. Through all the stories we do, over time, we're building a body of work that creates a new record of who and what we are, as Africans. But what does that mean for the story I want to write, now? Well, it means that first off, my story needs to resonate with and connect with, other Africans wherever they may be. Second, it needs in some way to inspire positivity and pride. It doesn't have to be a positive story, per se. It doesn't have to offer the perfect solution to a challenge. But it does need to help us build a new narrative, with the (please don't use this expression in your headlines, its already a cliché) "one story at a time" approach. What are your thoughts on this. What do you, as a contributing writer at bird, believe we should be doing? How should we be writing? We're keen to hear your thoughts so please leave comments here (with your name, or without if you'd rather not use that) and we can build an interesting conversation, or even debate over how we do this. There is no perfect answer so let's do this together. You don't need to be signed up as a bird author, either... we'd still like to hear your thoughts. Just respond right here.

Southern African Development Community member states are promoting their very successful model of conserving shared wildlife resources through trans-frontier conservation areas. Trans-frontier conservation continues to grow in Southern Africa [Graphic: Hope Mukami] Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Zambia and Zimbabwe recently signed a memorandum of understanding to create a trans-frontier conservation area to utilise their shared natural resources. The agreement focuses on the lower Zambezi and Mana Pools National Park areas. The two nations, who jointly share a vast area of more than 18,000 km2, pledged to improve ecological conservation in the area. Governments, local communities, and stakeholders from the two countries will all have a chance to implement sustainable development programs thanks to the collaborative approach. Trans-frontier conservation areas (TFCA) are ecologically-rich regions that border multiple countries and host diverse plant and animal species. The conservation framework based on TFCAs, implemented across the SADC region, is now not only seen as successful but is also further promoting collaboration in wildlife and tourism management among member states, leading to sustainable improvements in the livelihoods of local communities and better protection of the region's biological diversity. According to Zimbabwe's minister of tourism and environment, the new collaboration "constitutes the opening of new opportunities for our two governments, local communities, and stakeholders to build tempo on Sustainable Development Programmes." "It will also ensure that all the participating players and stakeholders are strategically positioned for equitable sharing of tangible benefits," he said during the formalisation event. With the region home to over 800 animal species, Zimbabwe will initially assume the primary conservation position for two years before handing it over to Zambia. This joint agreement comes at a critical time when the Mana Pools region, encompassing a wildlife conservation area and a national park spanning over 219,600 hectares, faces the threat of oil exploration. Such activities pose a risk to the diverse species and biodiversity of the area. The Conservation Protocol of 1999, initiated by the Southern African Development Community, or SADC, marked the beginning of this transformative process that has gained immense popularity over the years, with the Zambia-Zimbabwe agreement the ninth trans-frontier conservation agreement to be signed in the region. From Angola to South Africa, Zimbabwe to Eswatini, 16 countries of the region have an area of more than a million square kilometres that require conservation efforts from more than one country. According to the SADC TFCA Network, "the pioneers that first believed in the goals of TFCAs and subsequently the reason they invested in them was to eliminate country borders and protected area boundaries; an obstacle for wildlife to move." Experts highlight that this conservation framework has significantly harmonised natural and cultural resources while promoting local communities' socio-economic development. Maseko Chana, a TFCA coordinator at the MAZA TFCA, explained that the benefits of shared efforts, strategies, and plans in conservation can be immense. "Wildlife moves freely… they do not understand the regional boundaries that humans create," he said. Established in 2013, SADC's Trans-frontier Conservation Network outlined four primary goals: exchanging information, joint learning and knowledge management, resource mobilisation, and general collaboration. To mobilise resources effectively, the bloc has brought together more than 500 members, including countries, the private sector, conservation groups, and global conservation partners. An exemplary initiative within this framework is the SADC TFCA Financing Facility (TFCA FF), established in 2020 to provide sustainable funding for conservation and management actions in the region's transfrontier conservation areas. Since its launch, the equivalent of some US$27 million has been actively committed to 23 conservation projects, with projections showing the fund will raise US$108 million by 2026 in the current initial phase. Recently, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) allocated over US$3.2 million to the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust in Zimbabwe, a part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park & Conservation Area. Such investments, according to Simon Capon, Business Director of Gonarezhou National Park, are made possible because of the structuring provided for by the TFCA Framework. "It's a game changer that will help us sustain the park for future generations," he said. Beyond financial resources, TFCAs have played a crucial role in advancing real conservation achievements, including leading to a resurgence in species populations that were once on the brink of extinction. Botswana has, for instance, shown exceptional management of its elephant population by implementing the Monitoring Illegal Killing of Elephant (MIKE) program - a tool used to monitor the illegal killing of elephants and also assist in clarifying the source of ivory. Such strides benefit more than one country, considering Botswana is already collaborating with other countries in the region under the Kavango-Zambezi TFCA and the Kgalagadi TFCA park. There are more collaborative deals to come. With seven more TFCAs in the conceptual stage, five memoranda of understanding already signed and eight treaties penned, it is evident that the countries involved are in the advanced stages of signing more working agreements.

Locally known as 'Hambas', solar-powered three-wheelers, whose batteries last up to 100 kilometres on a single charge, are saving rural Zimbabwe dwellers hours of walking and chores. Matius Khumbula on his e-tricycle. ( Photo Courtesy: Matius Khumbula) Irene Kalulu, bird story agency Small-scale dairy farmer Matius Khumbula has a new joy in his daily routine. The 70-year-old who hails from Domboshava, a rural community located 30 kilometres from Harare, previously had to physically carry 60 litres of milk daily over 5km from his homestead to a collection point where he sells milk to the biggest dairy farm in Zimbabwe. Now he and his wife are spared the heavy physical labour, thanks to a solar-powered tricycle. "Before, my wife and I had to make numerous trips carrying buckets of milk on our heads. It was time-consuming and tiring. With the e-tricycle, my work is so much easier, and I have time to do other things around the house," said Khumbula. According to the latest Zimbabwean census, 67 per cent of the population is rural-based. Road networks are poor, making it difficult for the rural population to access essential services like clinics and business centres and for those in the agricultural sector to deliver their goods and services on time. Now, a company that has started building electronic tricycles is offering to alter this narrative. The off-road three-wheelers are being offered by Mobility for Africa (MFA), a company registered in Mauritius and operating in Zimbabwe. It provides environmentally sustainable mobility services to rural communities, particularly women. The e-tricycle is a custom-built electric tricycle powered by swappable solar-charged battery packs, as a fleet system with a central charging station. The tough, sturdy renewable energy-charged tricycles allow marginalised and low-income families to overcome distances to services and contribute to dynamic local economies. MFA imports the semi-knocked-down kits from China and assembles them in Harare, Zimbabwe. The company was formed in 2018 and launched its product in Wedza in February 2019. It has since increased operations to include rural Domboshava and Chiredzi. "E-tricycles are and will provide the incentive for increased economic opportunities, creating new local markets, tackling gender inequality and enhancing rural livelihoods," said Shantha Bloemen, the Managing Director for MFA. She added that many women living in rural areas carry the burden of providing for their families; the e-tricycles will also help them ease the burden. Cleopatra Magada is one of the women who has rented the e-tricycles from MFA. "I used to buy and sell fish before I started this taxi business using e-tricycles. Fish are highly perishable so I had to make sure I would walk around, going door to door to cover as many residential areas as possible in an effort to sell out the fish. It was very painful, but my life has been made easier because of my new business," she said. While some of the three-wheelers, nicknamed "Hamba" in the local language, are rented out to users for a monthly fee that can be shared between two to three people, users also have the option of lease-to-purchase, upfront payment, or drivers can use the tricycles to provide transportation and logistics services on a commission basis. MFA assembles four e-tricycles daily, sturdy enough to transport anything from building materials and agricultural produce to the market to carrying school children who no longer have to walk kilometres to attend classes—a battery last around 100 kilometres on a single charge. The company has so far distributed over 150 electric three-wheelers in Zimbabwe. "Our project was quickly accepted in the communities as rural farmers are often far away from main roads and suffer huge costs in both time and finances to get their goods to market, which hinders the development of small-scale agriculture," said Fadzai Mavhuna, MFA Donor Relations and Investment Consultant. Fadzai added that MFA has an opportunity to be part of pioneering productive use of energy directly linked to improving agricultural productivity and stimulating local economies. "We have an opportunity to be part of creating shared mobility solutions that provide first-mile and last-mile solutions to rural communities. An opportunity to bring the green mobility revolution to millions of rural African communities and reducing reliance on fossil fuels and leapfrogging the transition to electric transport in the continent." MFA has encountered difficulties due to strict policies regarding electric vehicles and currency fluctuations when importing their semi-knocked-down kits. They lost months of income as the batteries they previously received were off the shelf, no longer usable and were breaking down. This led them to partner with a battery manufacturing company that makes bespoke batteries for their product. In December 2022, the company raised a US$2 million investment from InfraCo Africa to scale the offering of Mobility for Africa's affordable cargo-carrying e-tricycles and solar-powered battery charging solutions for marginalised communities in rural Zimbabwe. By the end of 2023, the company hopes to scale to 400 e-tricycles and build eight charging stations. They are also looking to expand into neighbouring countries. bird story agency

When Casa Teranga opened its doors on one of Dakar's most popular restaurant strips, it raised eyebrows. Getting people to change to eco-friendly habits in a country where fish and meat-based dishes are the norm, would be a challenge. But for the proprietors, who cut their teeth in Italy and Berlin, it's a challenge that is proving entirely worthwhile. The interior of Casa Teranga, a fully vegan restaurant in Dakar Senegal. (Photo : Maria Knodt, bird story agency) Maria Knodt, bird story agency Freshly painted on the front of a bright, yellow-and-green building nestled between several restaurants on Pointe des Almadies, the westernmost point of the African continent, is the slogan 'The Future is Green', The sign is large enough to be read from far down the Pointe - which offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean - ensuring patrons can easily find their way to Senegal's first and only fully vegan restaurant, Casa Teranga. Staff at the restaurant serve customers five to six vegan dishes, daily. These include local specialities like Mafe and Yassa. But instead of the traditional ingredients of beef, chicken or fish, Casa Teranga offers chickpeas, black-eyed peas, cassava and an array of vegetables. The colourful plates also contain plantain, salad, beetroot, rice, beans, mangos, moringa, and peanuts. Local juices, such as bissap, a Senegalese hibiscus juice, are made with little to no sugar. "I'm on a mission to show people how delicious a natural and plant-based diet can be," said Elisabetta Niang, the restaurant's co-owner. But in a country where dietary habits centre around red meat, poultry and fish, Niang's mission was always going to be challenging. With its long Atlantic coastline, Senegal has one of the largest fishing industries in West Africa ad fish regularly finds its way onto the plates of most of the Senegalese population. Unsurprisingly, fish is the key ingredient in the national dish, Thiéboudienne (comprising fish, rice, tomato sauce and various vegetables). Casa Teranga offers a different - and according to the owners, more sustainable - take on Senegalese traditions. When the restaurant opened its doors in December 2022. it was a natural progression for owners, Elisabetta Niang, a vegan Italian chef for 25 years, and her husband Bashir Niang, a Dakar native. Formerly the proprietors of one of Berlin's top vegan restaurants, their move to Dakar was precipitated by COVID-19. "I've always wanted to bring the concept to my husband's country of origin. Since COVID-19 and soaring electricity prices made running a restaurant in Berlin difficult, we decided to move to Dakar and realise what we had long planned," Elisabetta Niang explained. The food served at Casa Teranga, a fully vegan restaurant in Dakar, Senegal. (Photo : Maria Knodt, bird story agency) The couple was surprised by the positive reception their restaurant received, right from the start. "Unlike when we opened our restaurants in Berlin and Italy, here in Dakar we always had customers from the very beginning," Niang recounted. The freshness of the ingredients has been an essential component for the customers. "Actually, we are not vegetarian, but we love the concept here. It's healthier and fresher than what most restaurants in Dakar offer and the plates are beautifully arranged consisting of many different components", said Dieynaba Ndiaye and Berta Gielge, patrons of the restaurant. But there are plenty of Senegalese who look askance at the new venue's ambitions - hardly surprising in a country that consumes up to 35 kilograms of fish and meat per person per year (in order of consumption: fish, poultry, beef and mutton). "I love meat and fish, as I was born in a country where we have a lot of it, and most people eat it. I am not sure why people wouldn't eat meat or fish. I find it a bit weird to be honest, as I think it is natural to eat it," admits Cheikh Gueye, who works as a waiter in non-vegan restaurants in Dakar. Anna Touré during a training session with ten restaurant chefs in Dakar on how to make their menus plant-based.( Photo Courtesy : Anna Touré) Religious and cultural celebrations without a piece of meat or fish are unthinkable and another popular meal is Yassa, which can be either chicken or fish marinated with onions and lemon, simmered and served over rice, and Mafe, a stew typically made with beef or lamb in a peanut sauce. However, for Ndiaye, choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet is often influenced by income and education. "Many Senegalese cannot afford to eat in restaurants like Casa Teranga. And they might not be aware of the benefits of eating more vegetables and fruits. Among younger Senegalese who can afford it or have been living abroad, this is slowly changing, though," she added. Anna Touré, the co-founder of GLOBISIS, an organisation trying to fight climate change through a green and plant-based transition in West Africa, points to the large intake of fish and red meat as the result of growing wealth - and the perceived notion that meat or fish with every meal is "normal" in affluent societies. "Veganism is not a Western concept, many Africans used to be and are still vegan or vegetarian because animal products are too expensive – we need to reconnect to this tradition," she said. With her company, she conducts awareness-raising, training, and capacity-building activities for restaurants, schools, universities, private companies, and public institutions in Senegal, Gambia, and Mali. For Touré, the choice of a vegan diet was not only to reduce animal suffering but also to reduce her carbon footprint. According to an Oxford University study, going Vegan could reduce an individual's carbon footprint from food by up to 73 per cent. This is due to the volumes of food which must be fed to livestock before it goes through the energy-intensive process of being killed, processed, transported and stored. All of these create greenhouse gases. Touré also went Vegan to feel healthier and more energetic. "Digesting meat requires a lot of energy and makes the body more prone to cardiovascular diseases; consuming fish exposes the body to microplastics. And contrary to the common belief, it is possible to have a balanced diet without eating animal products," she said. The view from Casa Teranga, a fully vegan restaurant in Dakar, Senegal. ( Photo : Maria Knodt, bird story agency) According to her, cowpeas are much cheaper than meat and provide a rich source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. "High amounts of vitamins can be found in leaf vegetables, proteins in cashew nuts and whole grain, and calcium in baobab fruits and moringa," she added. Touré is the Senegal coordinator for the first Africa Vegan Restaurant Week, which took place from 23 to 29 January 2023. Over 50 restaurants from 20 different countries across the continent took part. While most participating restaurants were based in East and Southern Africa, only Nigeria, Cameroon, and Senegal were represented from West Africa – the latter country with 15 restaurants, of which Casa Teranga was one. The restaurant's proprietors saw the event as an opportunity to increase awareness of the potential for vegan restaurants in Africa - and to show that it is possible to run a restaurant with zero waste - and a no-plastics policy. Niang explained that Casa Teranga pays for the beach in front of the row of restaurants to be cleaned weekly to raise awareness of plastic waste. They also recently started the first eco-friendly takeaway service in the Almadies neighborhood, with customers receiving food in returnable steel containers, "For us, it's not just about business, it is mostly about a vision and creating a positive impact", she concluded. bird story agency

For over two decades, Tchounga has been on a quest to power West Africa through solar energy, and despite the many challenges, he remains steadfast in his pursuit to see every African house and industry light up with clean energy. Tchuilieu Tchouanga standing next to water tanks . (Photo Courtesy : Tchuilieu Tchouanga) Patrick Nelle, bird story agency In the commune of Djoum, in Cameroon's South Region, almost 4,000 families living near the forest have recently found something to smile about. A regular supply of electricity is now available thanks to photovoltaic systems installed by Tchuilieu Tchouanga. The photovoltaic energy provided by the Cameroonian engineer is a clean, renewable energy source that uses solar radiation to produce electricity. "4,000 families now have access to energy, internet connection, and we also installed street lights over a distance of 2,000 kilometres. Now there is a nightlife in those remote settlements," explained Tchouanga. The grandson of coffee growers, Tchounga has been advancing and pioneering solar energy use across Africa for over the last 25 years. His pursuit of a regular and reliable source of power has an unhappy beginning. When coffee prices dropped in the 1980s, Tchounga's well-to-do family spiralled into extreme poverty. Water tanks being delivered and installed. (Photo Courtesy : Tchuilieu Tchouanga) This situation was exacerbated by middlemen who devised ways to take advantage of already suffering farmers. "The middlemen would insert a probe thermometer into the coffee bags and declare that the coffee was not dry enough. They did this to offer the lowest possible price to desperate farmers," he said. "Seeing all this motivated me to build a coffee dryer machine for my grandfather so that he could sell our coffee at the best price. But the dryers needed an energy source, which we did not have. That is how I developed a passion for creating energy," he explained. After graduating from high school, Tchouanga went to Belgium, studied thermodynamics at the university of Lièges, and later entered the Solar Institut Jülich in Germany's FH Aachen University, where he was trained in the production of solar energy. After developing his solar driers in Belgium, he co-founded All Thermic Solution company, which produced drying machines for the food industry and the installation of solar water heaters. While this was all impactful, it did not bring Tchouanga fulfilment. "I just realized at some point that it was better to work locally than to be based in Europe," he said. With that in mind, he packed his bags and came back home. But he would soon find out that, as the saying goes, 'a prophet has no honour in his hometown'. "I came to Cameroon in 1999 to promote the invention. Unfortunately, I received no orders at all. None. Eventually, I had to close the company", he said. He had more luck in Senegal, where he decided to relocate. There, he developed solar-powered sets for households, hospitals, and schools. His newly formed company, Ecosun, scaled quickly, with clients coming to him from across West Africa. Installation of photovoltaic systems. (Photo Courtesy : Tchuilieu Tchouanga) Shortly after, he received a massive order from Togo, but after completing and delivering the order, his clients did not settle their bill. His dreams of powering West Africa died for the second time as he had to close down his business, again. With nowhere else to turn but home to turn to, he returned to Cameroon in 2010. On his third try, he got lucky. His company Ecosun (2.0), received enough orders for him to grow the business. Recently, he's been pushing for solar adoption in marginalized communities, most notably in the Djoum area. "We started this project in October 2021 and completed it in October 2022", Tchouanga explained. The project was initiated by the mayor of the town and funded by the municipality's forestry development budget. "Africa has an affordable solution to its energy crisis, the sun. In the Djoum project, we powered 4,000 people with about 80,000 (US) dollars. And now they have energy for the rest of their life. We could equip every household with a solar system and hydroelectricity to power factories", he said. Tchouanga has also trained some teens in the Joum village to install solar-powered electric circuits. Tchouanga's solar energy journey is far from over. Not one to give up, he's still traversing West Africa to promote the adoption of clean power. He is currently working on solar water heaters for hotels, solar pumps for crop irrigation, and sun-powered call centre systems. bird story agency

Located in southwest Mauritius, Chamarel, with a population of 1,000, has preserved its heritage and environment and offers unique delicacies, attractions, music, crafts - and stories. A building along the road in Chamarel village located in southwest of Mauritius. ( Photo : Jacques Achilles, bird story agency) Jacques Achilles for bird story agency When we hear Mauritius, we imagine clear warm coloured blue turquoise waters and endless white beaches—a true picture, of course, but an incomplete one. The country has much more to offer. The true Mauritian experience possibly lies on the road to Chamarel. Located halfway between the upper lands and the coastal region and surrounded by rivers, mountains, forests, sugar cane and pineapple fields is Chamarel- a village in the southwestern part of Mauritius. Unlike many Mauritian villages, which sacrificed their cultures and structures at the altar of 'responding to tourists' needs,' Chamarel refused to compromise. They refused to allow developers to build big hotels, tourist shops and other attractions that could modify the village scenery. The people of Chamarel stood for nature, and in turn, nature rewarded the village bountifully. Today, authenticity is the village's main attraction. With a population of 1,000, Chamarel offers a unique experience through cuisine, music, stories, craftsmanship and legends. This village is also renowned for its seven-colour earth, where the sand spread out in different layers of colours; red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow and every imaginable shade in between - but the different coloured grains of sand never mix. But maybe the secret to the tastes of Chamarel doesn't lie in the sand, but in Marie-Ange's kitchen. In her old cast-iron pot, happily humming on a very low fire. Lifting the lid, the owner of Barbizon restaurant releases savoury steam from her famous wild boar civet. In another pot, a spicy chicken curry bathes in a beautiful saffron-coloured sauce. To accompany that, there's smoked white rice, manioc fries, a pickle of pumpkin, peanuts in tomato sauce, jackfruit curry with potatoes and red beans mixed with spinach. Almost all the food and ingredients have been sourced within the village. It's a matter of pride for this cook, who specialises in local cuisine and who believes that visitors should eat food only grown in the village. With its rustic decor, the Barbizon restaurant has resorted to authenticity to see off competition that has become stiffer with every passing year. To keep the restaurant's reputation, Marie-Ange and her husband, Ricaud L'Intelligent, innovate with what the village offers them. The restaurant offers, for example, a pickle of Vacoas, fruit native to the island, when available. "Our culture, our traditions, our know-how, are assets which are now being added to the tourist attractions sites which already existed and which are being established," said Ricaud L'Intelligent, who is also the village councillor. L'Intelligent is particularly proud of the coffee they offer to customers. The beans that produce the aromatic beverage are grilled in a stone oven from trees that grow wild on the island. Nadine Ramsamy Appadoo, a resident of Chamarel village holding a tray of packaged honey. Photo : Jacques Achilles, bird story agency But what if the secret to the taste of Chamarel was not inside Marie-Ange's kitchen but actually in another kitchen - one at the end of a small road opposite her restaurant? Here, the bees from Nadine Ramsamy Appadoo's hives buzz around the flowers and forests that surround the village. The bees produce a unique honey scent, giving Appadoo's pastries their famous taste. She also makes rillettes and sausages—of pork, venison, and chicken — with local spices such as curry leaves and rougaille (tomato) paste: an extraordinary combination of Fromage de tête (a type of cheese), roasted pork, samosas, chilli paste and jam. "Chamarel has a lot to offer visitors in terms of encounters, discoveries and experiences because the village itself is unique", Appadoo explained. She extends her range of products with preparations made from hares, ducks and rabbits, which farmers and hunters in the village provide. In this village, where red pineapples and wild berries grow naturally, fruit trees are numerous in the courtyards and the forest. Breadfruit, papaya, mango, lychee, passion fruit, Chinese guava, and citrus are eaten plain or in different sauces. "Our product range evolves according to what we find in the region," explains Appadoo. These traditional recipes of Chamarel flatter the land and visitors now seek out this experience when they come from other regions of Mauritius and abroad. Through the years, an increasing number of local inhabitants have developed restaurants and table d'hôte (a table set aside for guesthouse residents, who sit at the same table as their host) in their yards where guests can enjoy a unique culinary experience. "People come here to enjoy the unique ambience and atmosphere of the village. These are our main strengths. We are in favour of a development that preserves the soul of Chamarel," said Nadine and her husband, Pierre-Alain Appadoo. Away from the food, one would wager that the true taste of Chamarel is its music. Chamarel is home to the Rastafarian movement in Mauritius. The Natir musical group live deep in the valley and away from the village's main road. Under the shade of a breadfruit tree, they form a circle around a cauldron placed on a wood fire. This recreated scene gave birth to Seggae music- a mix of Mauritian sega and reggae, in the late 80s. The Natir combines Mauritian traditional sega music with Jamaican reggae, a unique genre that has since gained popularity in Mauritius, Rodrigues, Reunion, Madagascar and Seychelles. "Our space, Baz Natir, is always open to visitors. We welcome people from different regions and from around the world. The main thing is that visitors come with a positive spirit. We share with them what we have and our music", says Néville Célérine, bassist of Natir. While lunch simmers in the shared courtyard, Néville Célérine and Lom Dick, the musical group's leaders, retell their music's history. As teenagers, they inherited music from their grandfathers and fathers. In the 80s, they chose the path of Rastafarianism influenced by the Mauritian musician Ras Rodoman. Rodoman exiled himself from the city to the woods of Chamarel on his return from Jamaica, where he had rubbed shoulders with Bob Marley. This is how Natir, the first Rasta community in Mauritius, was formed. In 1987, the musical band made an ode to their village in the first Mauritian reggae album. It included what has become the anthem of the Chamarelois: Samarel kuler Natirel. Singers like Kaya, Ras Natty Baby and others came here to learn seggae before releasing their albums which changed the musical scene. Natir's bandstand stands exactly where the late Kaya found inspiration to compose his debut Roots of Seggae album in the eighties. Like Ras Natty, the singer had settled in Chamarel to understand the genre and became its first ambassador. Next to the bandstand, a cabin made of logs and rusty iron sheets serves as a rehearsal studio for the Maroon Brothers. The members of this group are the children of Natir musicians, their heirs. "We are in a new generation of musicians. Music is part of our culture and we are always happy to share and pass it on", explained Lom Dick. Néville Célérine and Lom Dick also believe the taste of Charamel is its originality. "As early as the 1980s we sang 'Pity for Chamarel, Pity for Nature' to plead for the preservation of the village. Certainly, things must move forward, but we must not change Chamarel." For the religious, the taste of Charamel probably lies behind the village church, along the path that leads to the river. Covered with a vault of mango tree branches, the trail leads to a cave carved into the earth where a giant statue of the Virgin Mary has been placed. "We call her the Virgin of Chamarel. Those who know her come from afar to pray and light candles. It's one of the places we encourage tourists to go to when we see them walking through the streets," says a ploughman sitting beside the road. A little further along, Pascal Laridain is taking his lunch break under a large tree. After lunch, he will continue mowing the large lawn in front of the former convent of the Sisters. Abandoned for several years, this old building comes from an ancient period with vestige remnants. Among them is a Creole hut which served as a work room and whose wood is protected with beautiful blue paint. "There are a lot of things to see here if you take the time to stroll through the streets and talk to the locals," he says. One of the examples is the Community Garden that he points to in the dirt alley next to the St. Jacques Primary School. His mother, Marlène Laridain, who takes care of the maintenance of the old convent, recalls a time when the villagers gathered there for various activities. Having lived in Chamarel for 52 years, she knows almost everything about the village. "Back in the days, there were only straw huts and there was no running water. We did laundry in the river. The arrival of tourists has allowed things to change. But not at the expense of our culture and our quality of life," she says. Art and craftsmanship are also very much present in Chamarel. The people here are inspired by nature and fresh air. The artisans still make fatak brooms according to traditional methods, while the sculptors carve the shapes they discover in the wood given to them by the forest. The rich and dynamic culture of Chamarel could well be because of its history. Houses in Chamarel village located in southwest of Mauritius. (Photo : Jacques Achilles, bird story agency) In 1785, while Mauritius was still a French colony, Charles-Antoine de Chazal de Chamarel inherited these lands in the mountains of the then-called Ile de France from his father-in-law, the notary Jean Louis Lousteau. De Chazal De Chamarel settled there around 1793 and named the village after himself. He exploited the forests to provide wood to the colony, and his workforce constituted enslaved people from Madagascar, Mozambique and other African countries. He also cultivated coffee, indigo, cotton and sugar cane. Later, wood exploitation was abandoned as runaway slaves came to live there. In Chamarel, stories and legends of the escaped slaves still circulate today. "Our grandparents always told us the stories of the enslaved people and masters who lived here. In some places in the forest, you can find traces of the escapee's passage, such as stone walls and a few objects," explained Patrick Désiré, born in the village 60 years ago. Walking between the trees and the tall grass, Désiré points out an abandoned cemetery in the middle of a wood on the outskirts of the village. The oldest tombs date from the 1800s and the most recent are from the early 1900s. There is, among other things, a pyramidal monument with a copper plaque. Dated 1877, it is dedicated to the elder Charles Pitot de la Beaujardière, his family and his friends. "I sometimes accompany visitors here. Even if they have been forgotten, these tombs bear witness to our history and several of our ancestors rest here," explained Désiré. A resident of Chamarel village posing for a picture. (Photo : Jacques Achilles, bird story agency) The candles, coins and other objects found on the old carved stone tombs and around a large, abandoned cross show that people still come here for rituals. "These people come to pray or do witchcraft. In the past, Chamarel was famous for these rites. There were powerful wizards here. Legends remain present with some inhabitants. They believe that spirits from the past are still circulating in our streets," explained one of Désiré's neighbours. Néville Célérine and Lom Dick of Natir also speak of a spirit living in the village. They feel it by their side and say they live thanks to its benevolence. Committed to keeping it alive in their texts and music, like the others, they sing the glory of what they call Lespri Samarel: The Spirit of Chamarel. While there may be many spirits in Chamarel, there is no doubt that this village is full of colours, flavours, and inspiration, with a door readily open for anyone who wants to discover it. As Ricaud L'Intelligent says, "The Chamarelois are naturally open and welcoming people. Just approach us, and we will open our doors to you." bird story agency

After scouring garages in Goma for materials, Joseph Sabato gathered enough to build a hydroelectric power turbine. Today he supplies electricity to six villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rose Ngoy Mumbi, bird story agency Gemmy Musati is trimming a client's beard at his barbershop in Mushaki village, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) province of North Kivu, Two customers sit on a bench, awaiting their turn on the barber's chair. Above the hum of electric clippers, Musati explains how his business and his life have changed since a regular power supply became available in the village, thanks to the efforts of a socially-minded local mechanic. "I started working in this barbershop with a generator, and it was so difficult because fuel was costly, and sometimes it would break down, and I'd spend days to repair it, meaning no customers coming during that time. But ever since this person by the name of Joseph Sabato came to install electricity, things are good, I can realise my daily income, and I can pay rent and have my own salary," Musati says. Next to the barbershop, Amani Safari lives in a four-roomed wooden house. The 57-year-old man is sitting in a reclining chair in his living room with a content smile on his face. "I grew up in this village, and it's only in 2017 that we saw electricity in our homes. Before, we were using kerosene, candles, and solar panels for light. We could not charge our phones properly and would go to those with generators to charge them. It was not easy," narrated Safari. Since 2017, he has stopped going to those with generators to 'beg' for power to charge his phone. "Now, as you can see, I am charging my phone in my own house. Can you believe it? This makes me very happy. With only ten thousand francs (US$5), everyone now has power in this village, and it's very reliable," Safari shared. The DRC has tremendous renewable energy potential, yet it has some of the world's lowest levels of electrification and energy consumption. According to World Bank data, only 19 per cent of the DRC's population had access to electricity in 2019. La Societe Nationale d'Electricite is the existing power distribution system in the country. However, it has been unable to supply electricity adequately due to capacity, mismanagement and financial problems, making energy poverty a widespread issue, especially in rural areas. Growing up in Masisi village, Sabato Ndiku Joseph experienced these challenges daily. The community depended entirely on kerosene lamps and candles for its lighting in the evenings. This experience influenced his tertiary education and he graduated from Institut Superieur de Techniques Apliquees with an electromechanics major in 2011. But even though he now had the required knowledge, his dream of lighting up his community required money, which he didn't have. So he found a job as a teacher. With enough money saved, he quit his teaching job six years later. "My passion has always been the production of hydroelectricity in my country," he said. But though he now had the funds he still need the materials required to actually make his dream a reality. So he started hunting for them, in the scrap yards and garages of the area. "The materials for constructing micro-power plants are found locally in our city of Goma. I got materials from scrap metal, which people throw as waste materials. The only thing I bought was pipes. But 80% of the material used, including the turbine and the materials needed for the turbine I picked up in garages around Goma," said Sabato. Having found a site for his hydroelectric facility, Sabato manufactured the needed parts and thanks to him, Mushaki and the surrounding villages now have electricity. "Currently, I can produce up to 100 kilowatts of electricity due to the materials available here and the amount of water available in our territory of Masisi. The total cost of this project is US$8,225. My electricity supplies the villages of Rubare, Mushaki, Matanda, Kinigi, Numbi and Minembwe," he said. To access power, community members apply for membership from Sabato, who then provides them with electricity, which they pay for at the end of every month. Besides small business owners and families, even school children have felt the impact of Sabato's electricity. "When we come back from school, we can now help our parents with the chores without complaining because we know that even after it gets dark we can do our homework because there is light to see what we are doing. This is unlike before when we had to use candles, and candles can be dangerous in the house if we are not careful", said a student in Mushaki. The project has also led to job creation in the community. "I hire people from here to come and work with me most of the time. We install very long, well-insulated wooden poles to single-phase cables. We then attached cables from the river to the places where people have built houses and shops in the villages," explained Sabato, who believes there is far greater potential for micro hydropower solutions across the country. The DRC has the largest hydropower potential in Africa and one of the largest worldwide, with a technically feasible potential of some 100,000 MW - 13% of the global hydropower potential, according to the African Development Bank Group. bird story agency

STORY NAME: This Rwandan man has powered his entire community with clean hydroelectric energy LOCATION: KIREHE & KIGALI, RWANDA DATE SHOT: 20/01/23 SOUND: KINYARWANDA WITH ENGLISH SPEECH DURATION: 03:25 SOURCE: BIRD STORY AGENCY RESTRICTIONS: NONE ASPECT RATIO: 16.9 ORIGINAL FRAME RATE: 24 fps (progressive). INTRO: For this small carpentry shop in Kirehe, on the Rwanda-Tanzanian border, business would be impossible without electricity. This is a region that, for decades, has gone without a connection to the grid. But life in the village has changed, thanks to the work and vision of a local entrepreneur... Israel Habimana. ********** SHOT LIST 1. JEAN PIERRE SINDIKUBWABO'S, CARPENTER, WORKING IN THE SAWMILL 2. SOUNDBITE, (KINYARWANDA), JEN PIERRE SINDIKUBWABO / OWNER OF SAWMILL WORKSHOP, SAYING: "My business has changed a lot, before the arrival of electricity I could not finish one door a day, which caused backlogs and delays, and now I finish more than ten doors or windows a day. Israel's infrastructure has been the key to opening up many activities." 3. VARIOUS OF NYAGAKOMA HYDROELECTRIC PLANT BUILT BY ISRAEL HABIMANA. 4. ISRAEL HABIMANA AND THE TECHNICIAN TAKING THE METER READINGS 5. SOUNDBITE, (KINYARWANDA), ISRAEL HABIMANA / OWNER OF NYAGAKOMA HYDROELECTRIC PLANT, SAYING:” In this region, we all lived without electricity, I myself have been living in a house without electricity for a few years. The idea of building this infrastructure came to me when I went to Kigali and saw a hydroelectric power station lighting up one of the religious villages. 6. VARIOUS OF ISRAEL AND TECHNICIANS DOING MECHANICAL MAINTENANCE AT THE PLANT 7. SOUNDBITE, (KINYARWANDA), ISRAEL HABIMANA / OWNER OF NYAGAKOMA HYDROELECTRIC PLANT, SAYING:” At the beginning, I intended the project to help our region to come out of the darkness, and to promote commercial activities. I always feel proud when I see people doing different activities because of my project. I haven't even started to make a profit yet. 8. VARIOUS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN NYAWERA VILLAGE 9. RWANDA ENERGY GROUP HEADQUARTERS 10. VARIOUS OF RON WEISS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF RWANDA ENERGY GROUP (REG) WORKING IN HIS OFFICE 11. SOUNDBITE, (ENGLISH), RON WEISS / CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF RWANDA ENERGY GROUP (REG), SAYING: "We have some areas where we have less connections, and we are working there to boost or to bring all Rwandans on the same level of connections. We have major target to complete to connect all people in Rwanda by 2024." 12. ISRAEL HABIMANA AND THE TECHNICIAN INSPECTING THE POWER METERS AND TAKING READINGS 13. SOUNDBITE, (KINYARWANDA), ISRAEL HABIMANA / OWNER OF NYAGAKOMA HYDROELECTRIC PLANT, SAYING: "My dream is to be able to provide electricity to many families and businesses as per our government's policy for all Rwandans. At that time, my contribution will make me proud and I will leave a legacy." 14. POWER GRID LINES IN KIGALI, RWANDA ************ Fed up with the perennial darkness in his village, Israel Habimana sold his house and piece of land and used the proceeds to build a mini-hydroelectric power station. Today the Kirehe region enjoys unlimited electricity access. by Hakizimana Themistocle/bird story agency For the first 13 years of Israel Habimana's life, he had neither heard of nor known about electricity. Many in his community of Kirehe, a border region between Rwanda and Tanzania, had also lived and died without access to electricity. But in 1981, he visited the capital Kigali and was intrigued by how well-lit it was. The allure of the lights never faded, and he vowed to find a way to bring electricity to his village. "In this region, we lived all without electricity, I myself have been living in a house without electricity for many years. The idea of building this infrastructure came to me when I saw the lighting in Kigali," he said. Years later, Habimana saw a mini hydroelectric power station while visiting Mwendo Catholic Missionary Centre in western Rwanda. Without consulting anyone, he started building a replica of what he had seen. "In 2012, I sold my house and land for $17,000 and used the proceeds to buy used engines and water pipes in Kigali, which I assembled to make a hydroelectric plant," he explained. With this initial success, he was able to power over 50 families in his community. However, after four months, he stopped the project. "The first families who had electricity in their homes were celebrating. Most of them saw the light of electricity for the first time. It was the end of using traditional lamps, and above all, we thought of the new business that were to come," he said. "I lighted this community for four months. But due to failure to regulate electricity, it burned people's electronics and I decided to stop it," Habimana added. After this incident, Habimana approached the then Rwanda Energy Group (REG) for advice and training and continued his pursuit in October 2017. The institution linked Habimana with Energy4Impact, a Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, to upgrade the 24Kw Nyankorogoma hydropower plant initiated by Habimana. Today, Habimana's power plant supplies 221 households and 25 businesses in five villages. And at least 300 homes and businesses are waiting to receive electricity from the plant. Each family pays at least a $45 start-up fee to access electricity from the plant and then a flat rate of $1 for monthly consumption for a household and 5$ for any business activity. Since the arrival of electricity in the area, new businesses have sprung up, changing many people's lives. Jan Pierre Sindikubwabo is one of Habimana's clients. His carpentry workshop, which he started in 2018, had been operating without electricity until May 2022, when he connected to the plant. "Before the arrival of electricity, I could not finish one door a day, which caused backlogs and delays, and now I finish more than ten doors or windows a day. Israel's infrastructure has been the key to opening up many activities," said Sindikubwabo. Ron Weiss, the chief executive officer of Rwanda Energy Group, agrees with Sindikubwabo. "First of all, we are very happy with these kinds of people that are taking initiatives, finding financing and overcoming difficulties. In this specific area of Kirehe, when he (Habimana) started about three or four years ago, this was much needed." And although Habimana has brought electricity to Kirehe, some villages in the area still lack electricity. His power plant's capacity is much lower than the demand, and pricing is also a limitation for some. Despite the challenges, Habimana is proud of how far he has come. The hydroelectric plant employs about 15 people, and the economic activities in Kirehe have diversified. The village now has sewing, carpentry, and welding workshops, among many others. "I designed and made this project without having been to school. But I know that if I had gone to school, I would have done miracles, and I wouldn't have lost a lot of money, but I'm happy with what I was able to achieve," he concluded.