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##Born into a family of weavers, Adejoke Lasisi established a textile business. But what began as a passion for reinventing aso-oke fabric led to a fashionable way to rid her community of waste. By Gabriella Opara At only nine years old, Adejoke Lasisi began learning to weave aso-oke under the watchful eyes of her mother. It would take her another 15 years to master this traditional handwoven fabric of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. But as the young entrepreneur explains it, by the time she left university she had a useful source of income - and a great way to make new friends. "I began weaving aso-oke textiles professionally while serving as a corps member in the NYSC (Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps). My clients were mostly couples preparing for their traditional wedding ceremonies. I later approached the NYSC empowerment programme with an offer to provide hand-weaving skills training for corps members at a discount," she said. Training several fellow corps members in camp during her year of national service (obligatory for all Nigerians), Lasisi launched herself into commerce with an aso-oke weaving centre and training school. Her Jokelinks Weaving School opened its doors in 2013. That was only a first step, however. Lasisi quickly realised there was a much wider opportunity to sell her products, but that required innovation and new techniques. "I was speaking with potential clients about the appeal of the fabric and discovered that many people stopped wearing aso-oke because it was hard and unstylish. I, therefore, created a loom that makes the aso-oke lighter while creating attractive designs. For me, Jokelinks is all about promoting culture, creating social impact, and job opportunities," said the designer. However, her burning desire to be a changemaker led her down an unplanned path. Years of seeing communities with poor waste disposal systems nagged at her until she felt the need to do something about it. "I kept noticing the issue of indiscriminate waste disposal and thought about what I could do for the community. Most people in the rural community live in tenements. None can afford to pay waste disposal companies or think of the best way to discard waste without causing environmental hazards. "But the truth is, you can't tell people to stop doing things if you don't give them solutions to the problem. I can't ask them to stop throwing waste or to pay waste management companies to dispose of their dirt when they haven't fed themselves," said Lasisi. So in 2019, Lasisi registered another textile company, Planet 3R. The 3R represents the company's goals: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Despite its registration, Lasisi was hesitant about commencing operations. "I'd been weaving only aso-oke for the past twenty-seven years and was very reluctant to start Planet 3R because I kept thinking to myself, 'Will I stop the aso-oke business that's bringing in money to do something uncertain?' Questions like 'Who will buy waste?' 'How will I do it?' kept running through my mind," she said. Ultimately, the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 became a blessing in disguise for Lasisi. When her aso-oke business ground to a halt due to a lack of patronage, she decided to focus on Planet 3R. Together with her staff, she began making prototypes of plastic-textile products. "We pick discarded pure water sachets from the roads and sort them into different colours. Then we wash them with disinfectant and let them air dry outside for three days and shred them into bits. The cutting department shreds about four hundred nylons in a day," Lasisi shared. A piece of pure water sachet becomes sixty to seventy inches long after going through the shredding process. It is then turned into a roll of plastic yarn and weaved on a loom with a bit of cotton thread. This makes Planet 3R's plastic-textile 90% plastic and 10% cotton. "A dress I made recently comprised twelve yards of fabric. We used over five thousand pure water sachets to create the plastic textile that was sewn into a gown that I wore," said Lasisi. Planet 3R creates fashion items, including slippers, bags, table mats, backpacks, laptop bags, and shopping bags, which are their fastest-selling products. "Our backpack is 15,000 naira (US$32). The laptop bag costs 10,000 (US$22), while the shopping bag sells for 4,000 (US$8). Our baseline for shopping bags is 300 thousand naira monthly(US$650). But, I prefer bulk sales to one-offs because it's stress-free. In September 2022, we made 230 pieces of bags for a Google event. It was easy to move those in bulk. We're also on eCommerce companies like Jumia and Etsy, which makes shipping easier and logistics cheaper for our customers," Lasisi explained. Over 70 thousand kilograms of plastic waste have been transformed into textiles by Lasisi with the aid of her team. With over twenty employees and a budget of $19,800, Planet 3R plans to expand its current production to help more young people launch sustainable textile businesses. "Going forward, we plan to turn this plastic into a damp-proof membrane. During one of our prototyping stages, we realised that water doesn't penetrate through the fabric once we've done heat transfer on it. I realised that if we decide to make a damp-proof membrane, it will be a cheaper and more lasting solution for many that cannot afford to buy damp-proof membranes for their buildings. It will prevent houses from dampening," said Lasisi. In 2022, Planet 3R was nominated as one of the six global participants in the British Council's Global Making Matter Challenge. Olumide Idowu, a climate activist and media consultant for the African Development Bank Group, is a great supporter of Lasisi’s initiative. "She didn't begin her journey thinking of climate change; she just saw something wrong and decided to fix it. By adding value to the environment, she subconsciously contributed to climate action. That is the aspect of her business that caught my attention. Climate change is about practical solutions that people can see, feel, and touch," he said. "If you want to support climate action by turning waste into wealth, adapting, mitigating, and creating job opportunities are some of the key factors. She is putting all of these into action, representing some of the most significant climate change answers. We need more young people to do that," he concluded. bird story agency

Editors note: Legend has it that Isaac Newton 'discovered' Gravity after watching an apple fall from a tree. Well, our bird story of the week comes off the same page, only it's about coffee, not Gravity, and it's definitely not a legend. bird takes you to the Kingdom of Eswatini, where we meet Smamile Ngubeni, whose decision to start a keto diet led her to 'discover' single-origin coffee. Want to add zest to your day? Dive into this story. ... Smamile Ngubeni decided to get healthy. Now she is a purveyor of the finest African coffee. By Nokukhanya Musi–Aimienoho, bird story agency When Smamile Ngubeni decided to take charge of her health and incorporate a low-carb, high-fat diet in 2020, she never imagined it would lead her to start a coffee business. "As part of the diet, I had to have a "bullet-proof coffee", which is a very high-fat drink and intended to replace a carb-heavy breakfast," she explained. However, the available coffee in Eswatini had high-level caffeine. In a quest to find low-caffeine organic coffee, the young accountant started researching different coffee beans, variants, blends and where she could source the best coffee. "It was the whole research process that inspired me to open a coffee bar in the country," she said. Smamile Ngubeni holding a packet of Satis Coffee. Photo Courtesy : Smamile Ngubeni But while working on the concept of a coffee bar, she decided to go bigger. Ngubeni embarked on an entrepreneurial journey, literally travelling to Rwanda to learn about coffee cultivation and production processes and meeting contacts from Burundi and Ethiopia. Upon her return to the country, the Satis Coffee brand was born. The brand is currently the Kingdom of Eswatini's leading premium speciality (single origin) coffee brand. Satis Coffee in its new packaging. Photo Courtesy : Smamile Ngubeni While the coffee is available at select upmarket establishments, Ngubeni also takes advantage of local events and festivals to market the product while engaging with coffee lovers and potential clients. "The day I took part in my first official coffee cupping (the professional method of tasting and observing the aromas and flavors of brewed coffee) and my brand was also present and passed the score, that was one of the highlights of this journey," she said. And while she has seen considerable success in under three years, it hasn't been smooth sailing for Ngubeni. "It's a challenging playing field. Entrepreneurs like myself face major difficulties in getting financial support from financial institutions in Eswatini. It's all the more difficult when you are young and a woman," she said. She speaks of experiencing outright rejection when approaching potential financiers. "I was ready with my business plan in hand and was straight up told that they could not assist me in any way unless I had already traded for at least 12 months. That's enough to deter anyone from pursuing their dreams," she said. According to Ngubeni, the challenge is exacerbated, as she's in an industry where most people don't appreciate her product. "The food and beverage industry is tricky because Eswatini culture doesn't embrace coffee that much. Statistically, it has been found that only 3 out of 10 Swazis are likely to drink coffee. So building a clientele is not an overnight process which is probably why financial institutions are a bit reluctant to invest in it," she explained. Coffee lovers savouring the taste at a recent event. Photo Courtesy : Smamile Ngubeni Nevertheless, she is still upbeat about the future of her business venture. "I've met people who have been willing to help me. I hadn't expected there would be so many technical difficulties along the way. Ensuring your product is outstanding takes a lot of work," she said. Although Satis Coffee is relatively new in the market, the young entrepreneur already has plans to scale the brand. "Over time, the plan is to have a central place where people can come and enjoy the coffee because what we do now is mainly distribute to vendors, albeit on a small scale," she explained. Coffee Cupping during an event. Photo Courtesy : Smamile Ngubeni By mid-year, she wants to have a few major stores supplying Satis Coffee to increase her visibility and availability. She also plans to go back to her original plan of opening a coffee bar. "I am looking at setting up an exclusive Satis Coffee Bar. It will be a space where business executives and professionals can come and work peacefully. A place for teams to gather and have brainstorming sessions, or close deals with clients in a quiet, relaxed environment as they savour the aromas and flavours of our brewed coffee," she explained. In the meantime, her focus is on quality. Prepping a cup of coffee during a recent event. Photo Courtesy : Smamile Ngubeni "I fully believe in the quality of the product. This is the sustainability factor of the brand," she concluded. As for the diet: having achieved her goals, she's still generally following it, but "less religiously." bird story agency

Editor's note: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Our bird story of the week (which has over 1 million reads and counting ) gives you a front-row seat in the silent tug-of-war happening in East Africa's mobile money market. Find out how Kenya's traditional banks are slicing off a share of the mobile money market dominated by Safaricom’s M-Pesa service. ... Kenyan banks, increasingly embattled by mobile money providers, are looking to wrestle control from industry leader, M-PESA, in a battle that could catalyse further innovation and financial inclusion in the region. Seth Onyango, bird story agency "If you can't beat them, join them" is the approach traditional banks in Kenya are adopting as they seek a greater slice of the mobile money market dominated by Safaricom's M-PESA service. Because of its widespread adoption by small businesses and individuals in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, DR Congo, Lesotho, Ghana and Egypt, M-PESA is a dominant player in the African mobile money market. However, traditional banks in Kenya are now looking to take on the market leader by growing their own mobile money offerings - either by building their own platforms or by building on the back of existing platforms, including M-PESA itself. This comes as a market report shows that the COVID-19 pandemic had a marked impact on non-cash payments to banks, with many banks quickly improving their digital offerings to remain competitive. "A massive 49% of African banks said that they had greatly increased the speed of implementation because of Covid-19," the Backbase report reads in part. "Some banks were already trying to transition from the traditional model before the pandemic, due to the emergence of new competition on the part of African fintech and pure digital players." Kenyan banks are now looking to leverage the hard yards put in by the fintech innovators to quickly and easily tap the mobile money market, offering their customers the convenience of conducting their regular financial transactions as well as those usually reserved for M-Pesa and other mobile money apps, through their mobile banking apps. The apps offer both a broader range of financial services and more control over mobile money operations. For example, Equity mobile, which replaces the bank's EazzyBanking app, uses a common merchant Till Number (a payment channel), to let subscribers choose to pay a vendor from either their Equity accounts or from Pesalink, M-PESA or Airtel Money. Settlements for transactions are real-time and merchants can access these funds immediately, offering improved convenience. According to the bank, merchants are not charged a commission when they have the One Equity Till Number. KCB, one of Kenya's top-tier banks, now offers a suite of mobile money services, allowing clients to pay for utilities, get loans, buy airtime, send and receive money, and pay school fees. Co-operative Bank has also introduced mobile money services by partnering with existing mobile money providers to remain competitive. But despite these efforts, many banks are still struggling to keep up with the popularity and convenience of mobile money behemoth M-PESA in its current architecture. Digital shake-up: Kenyan banks take on an African mobile money behemoth [Graphics: Hope Mukami] As a result, Kenya's banks are this year looking to boost the appeal of PesaLink, launched in 2017 as an alternative to M-PESA, to provide a fast, secure, and convenient way for customers to make interbank transactions. Unlike M-PESA, which has a transaction limit of roughly Ksh300,000 (US$2,400), customers can move up to Ksh 999,000 ($7200) between banks through PesaLink, making it convenient for bulk cash transfers. The squeeze on traditional banks, meanwhile, continues. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) on December 31, 2022 reinstated charges on mobile money transactions, with commercial banks swiftly announcing to their customers that mobile money transactions would cost more. The CBK had waived charges on March 16, 2020, to protect consumers from the economic fallout of COVID-19. To cushion the blow, some banks, such as Equity Bank, KCB Stanchart, Coop Bank, and Family Bank, have reduced transaction fees for traditional transactions or are promoting the use of their bank cards through advertising campaigns on YouTube and SMS platforms. Coop and Family banks, for instance, have eliminated card charges to encourage customers to use their debit cards more and benefit from future innovations. With banks across Africa looking to offer similar services, many will be watching the Kenyan mobile money wars, closely. Whichever way this goes, however, the final beneficiary is likely to be the long-suffering African consumer. bird story agency

Editor's note: "What's in Dakar? A lot, obviously. Our bird story of the week unpacked the city's cultural aspects: Fashion, music, sports, carnivals, tourism, and art exhibitions. And the result? Almost all the world came knocking at this story's door. Here at Bird, we welcome you to take these journeys with us- as we continually discover phenomenal people and places in Africa. So come on in, and find out what's in Dakar." ... Flush with success from investing in sports and the arts, Senegal's cultural capital seems to know no bounds. Dakar now boasts an array of fashion, culture and heritage platforms that are drawing global interest. by bird story agency On December 6th 2022, Chanel, one of the world's leading luxury brands, organised a three-day cultural program in Senegal, the Chanel Métiers d'Art show. This was the inaugural runway show for the haute couture brand on African soil. While the show has previously been held in New York, Paris, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Rome, Chanel chose Dakar for its African debut. "By choosing Dakar, the house wishes to make the savoir-faire of its métiers d'art resonate with the artistic and cultural energy of the city," the brand said in a statement. Of the 62 models in the show, 19 were African, with 12 being Senegalese models. The Métiers d'Art show attracted over 800 guests, including Pharrell Williams, Naomi Campbell, Nile Rodgers and Princess Caroline of Monaco. "I am not surprised that Chanel came to Dakar. Other big names with reputable creative facilities are already established here," said Oumy Régina Sambou, president of the Senegalese Association of Cultural Press Publishers and director of the Africultural agency. The country's domestic fashion industry has produced world-renowned labels like Tongoro, Selly Raby Kane, Diarrablu, and Adama Paris and attracted foreign brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss and Levis, which have their stores in the capital. Chanel's Métiers d'Art followed on the heels of Dakar fashion week, Africa's longest-running fashion event, which took place between the 2nd to 4th of December at the historic island of Gorée. The 20th-anniversary edition presented the collections of 20 designers from around Africa, including widely accoladed names like Mantsho (South Africa), Oumou Sy (Senegal), Karim Tassi (Morocco), Awa Meite (Mali), Tina Lobondi (Congo), and Emmy Kasbit (Nigeria). Barely a week before the event, the third edition of the Dakar carnival took place between the 25th to 27th of November at the Blaise Senghor Cultural Centre. The event, which aims to rival the great carnival of Rio, Brazil, was organised in partnership with the Senegalese Ministry of culture and the city of Dakar. Hundreds of artists paraded through the streets to showcase and promote cultural diversity. The presence of African nationals from Cape Verde, Nigeria, Gambia, and Côte d'Ivoire, among others, at the carnival cemented the city's identity as a melting pot of peoples. "During events like Dakar Carnival, foreigners are welcomed with open arms and are given support and facilities to participate in the program. On the political level, different mechanisms are put in place to encourage local artists and event promoters," said Sambou. The Ministry of Culture and Heritage rewarded at least ten creative contributors at the Dakar carnival with 10,000,000 CFA Francs ($16,000) for their contribution to developing Senegalese culture. Public investment into local human capital, including in the arts and in sport (the city is host to brand new basketball facilities, some of the best on the continent, and a state-of-the-art 50,000-seat football stadium) has been a critical pillar for successive post-colonial governments. "There was an excellent cultural policy developed by President Leopold Senghor. Troops and artistic companies accompanied him on almost all his economic tours. This is how Senegal, especially its capital, established its reputation as a cultural hub," explained Sambou. However, Dakar's roots as a cultural capital go deeper. The city is one of 22 cities on five continents recognised as UNESCO Creative Cities of Media Arts. Skyline of Dakar, Senegal. [Image source: Initsogan CC] "Dakar has always been a place of culture, even way before independence. This is why it has many cultural infrastructures and has hosted major events such as the first World Festival of Black Arts in 1966," Sambou said. Big names such as Michael Jackson with the Jackson Five, the jazz pianist Randy Weston, and Danny Glover, among others, have made their way here to experience the city. Great artistic houses such as the Dapper museum have also set up projects in Dakar," she added. Apart from fashion and culture, art has also added to the city's vibrancy. In June 2022, the 14th edition of the Biennale of Contemporary African Art, dubbed Dak'Art, the continent's largest contemporary art event, returned to the city following a Covid-induced hiatus. Funded principally by Senegal's government, the official program featured 59 artists from 28 countries – 16 African nations and 12 from the diaspora. However, hundreds of artists from around the world showcased their works in over 400 other spaces (including hotels and restaurant walls) around Dakar and throughout Senegal. "Kehinde Wiley, the Nigerian-American visual artist and Obama's portraitist, funded the refurbishment of a cultural centre in the Medina neighbourhood. Here, he held an exhibition of 40 artists who had made an artistic retreat at Black Rock, the residency he founded in 2019," said Sambou. Dak'Art has played a huge role in increasing the visibility of African artists since they display their work to an unprecedented number of audiences. Artists like Nnenna Okore (Nigeria), Abdoulaye Konaté (Mali) and Aïda Muluneh (Ethiopia) are among the hundreds who have gotten massive exposures from the event and gone on to major acclaim. Abdou Diouf, the technical director of Dakar Biennale, told africanews the Biennale had received between 450 and 460 thousand visitors, with over 180 thousand visitors at the main expo site. At the same time, the New York Times gushed that the city itself was the Biennale's "most colorful canvas". Dakar is also a growing tourist attraction, with a booming beach resort scene. In November, Europe's holiday company Tui launched the first direct flights from the UK to Dakar in more than ten years. In addition to Tui, the Spanish hotel chain Riu also dipped a toe into Senegal with its recently opened five-star Riu Baobab. The European river cruise company Nicko also launched the first African expedition ship, sailing from Tenerife in April 2023 to Cape Verde and Dakar. According to Sambou, "all these initiatives contribute to the influence of Dakar as a major hub" however, she's quick to add that it's not all smooth sailing for the country: "Senegal is struggling to develop cultural projects from the North to the South, you find that almost all events are concentrated within the capital." Despite this hurdle, she acknowledges that they've made strides as a country: "our artists are now highly coveted internationally." This January, Chanel will return to Dakar for a 19M program (19M is the official name for the headquarters of the speciality ateliers) and will focus on collaborations with local artisans. Additionally, the highly anticipated 8th edition of the All-Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, will take place at the Grand Theatre in Dakar from January 12th to 15, 2023. YouTube has announced a partnership in the 'Teranga Edition' to provide artist-focused educational sessions and live streaming to music lovers and stakeholders in over 84 countries across the globe. With all these initiatives and continued investment in the arts and culture, Dakar will undoubtedly continue to rise as Africa's creative and cultural capital. "Senegalese media has also played a huge role. Dynamic journalists and bloggers report on this dynamism, and their productions are seen worldwide," said Sambou. Moreover, agencies like Niyel, one of Africa's leading advocacy, campaigns, and public affairs firm, is headquartered in Dakar and help organisations and countries amplify their impactful work across media channels. "Thanks to social networks, Senegalese creativity is even more magnified," concluded Sambou. bird story agency

Despite individual African governments having an essential role in tourism management, private wildlife reserves are proving to be the sector's driving force. But are conservancies the way to go? Bonface Orucho, bird story agency This week, over 190 countries attending a UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada committed to protecting 30% of Earth’s lands, oceans, coastal areas and inland waters in an attempt to conserve global biodiversity. Africa is seen as a key pillar in these efforts. And yet, a conservation revolution may already be underway on the continent. The Great Green Wall for Restoration and Peace is a grand initiative facilitated by the African Union to restore savannas, grasslands and farmlands across Africa - some 100 million hectares worth - and create 10 million jobs. This poster child for African conservation has been touted as transformative - but dig deeper and a more localised transformation is already underway, driven by local, private and community-funded, conservation. In 2023, 3000 delegates drawn from close to 100 countries will descend on Kigali for the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit, one of the world's most influential travel and tourism events. This is the first time the summit will be held in Africa. Many of those who will be in attendance are African tourism and wildlife industry leaders as well as key government representatives. The event is recognition of the enormous effort that Rwanda has put into building its tourism sector, which was almost nonexistent just twenty years ago. "Rwanda is building its reputation as a must-see destination," said Julia Simpson, President of WTTC. Famous for its robust tourism and wildlife approach, Rwanda is the only African country with an extensive gorilla conservation programme, the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, and has made this unique species the centrepiece of its tourism offering, in much the same way that China has done with its pandas. While the country's major successes in the tourism sector are government-led, the underlying privately-managed game parks and animal sanctuaries are a booming subsector. They have significantly complemented government efforts to upscale the industry. This is not unique to Rwanda, as Africa's extensive wildlife diversity remains largely untapped. Private conservancies have surged across Africa in recent years, run and managed by private entities - whether individuals or community-wide initiatives. The World Wild Fund estimates that Africa - a continent that is home to close to 30% of the world’s wildlife population - has lost nearly 70% of its wildlife population in about 50 years. According to the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association, KWCA, 65% of Kenya's wildlife now lives on community and private lands. "In the Maasai Mara, for example, 15 conservancies protect over 450,000 acres of critical habitat for the great Serengeti-Mara wildebeest migration. This has seen the lion population double over the last decade and 3000 households earn more than $4 million annually from tourism," KWCA outlines. African Nature Based Tourism Platform, a platform connecting funders to communities and SMEs in wildlife and tourism, in a series of country reports released in January 2022, demonstrates the value of the subsector in economic development. In Kenya, private and community-owned conservancies contributed 8.1% of the country's GDP, supporting more than 1.5 million jobs. The survey report lists 93 privately-owned wildlife conservancies, 68 of which are community owned. Comparative figures are listed for South Africa, where individuals privately own 71 conservancies, with 21 community owned. These contributed to 6.7% of South Africa's economy, channelling more than 22 billion US dollars besides supporting 1.5 million jobs. Similar trends could be observed in the case of Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania in 2019, before the pandemic. According to Carel Verhoef, a Tanzania-based conservation enthusiast and wildlife film technical director, private wildlife conservancies take different models across Africa. Kenya's model is of shared land, Tanzania has converted former hunting blocks to safari areas, and Botswana employs community-based conservation areas. "The Kenyan conservancy model is such that an agreement is struck between land owners, the Maasai, and the private sector on land management and land use, sharing," Verhoef explained. However, these models are not perfect. "The model is good for expanding a small protected area…But it is dependent on the tourism sector's success. That means it is vulnerable to bad business management and global pandemics," Verhoef added. Exploitive capitalist attributes could also threaten the approach since the land under conservation is offered to the highest bidder. Verhoef believes that for conservation and sustainable tourism to be realised in Africa, the conservation obligation should not be wholly left in the hands of the private sector, where financial success is prioritised over the actual need to conserve. Still, human development and herding in conserved areas, among other human activities, continue to limit wildlife conservation, especially on private lands. Richard Obanda, senior manager at Buteyo Miti Park, a privately (Kenyan)-owned conservancy in western Kenya, says community involvement is crucial. "The park today has no funder supporting its operations, we depend on entry fees which can barely support 50% of our operational needs. The alternative is to ensure there is as much value addition as possible so that the space can serve both the community and us," he explained. For him, the debate on the place of private conservancies in sustaining the sector cannot be understated. "Communities are offered an opportunity to have direct control of the natural resources besides minimising human-wildlife conflicts since such issues are solved more amicably," he said. This week's historic agreement envisages US$200 billion provided to support biodiversity by 2030, with another $500 billion possible. Low-income countries are to receive far more than is currently provided for efforts to protect nature. That funding is likely to go some way to fuelling Africa's fast-growing, localised - and locally-owned - conservation economy. bird story agency

Editor's note: "Every now and then, a story appeals to a much broader audience, and we’re happy to watch its wide appeal. Our most-read story came recently and has been hitting all over the map- from Kampala to Cape Town, everyone has been reading about the newly commissioned rail system in Lagos. This is just a small sample of the work Bird puts out, and we look forward to bringing you more stories that keep you up to date." ... The first phase of Lagos' new elevated rail system has been commissioned and testing will now begin ahead of operations that should see as many as 250,000 people transported daily. by bird story agency The first phase of a light rail system that is set to transform commuting in Nigeria's economic capital, has been commissioned. The Blue Line project in Lagos is a 27-kilometre rail system that upon completion is expected to carry more than 500,000 passengers. An aerial view of the Lagos' new elevated rail system. The first phase traverses five stations covering a distance of 13 kilometres and has the capacity to move 250,000 passengers daily. The state government said that it had taken delivery of three sets of wagons that will be used for passenger operations. “Over the last two decades, that masterplan has been faithfully implemented by successive administrations. Today, we are making history with the completion of the historic rail line, which is the first phase of the Blue Line,” Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu told media representatives during the test ride aboard the electric-powered rail infrastructure earlier in December. Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa and the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat during the test ride of the First Phase of the Lagos Blue Line Rail. The governor revived the project as part of the state’s development agenda. The Blue Line is one of six rail lines and one monorail, 14 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors, over 20 water routes, and a number of major new roads that are part of a Strategic Transport Master Plan developed by the Bola Tinubu administration in 2005. Construction work for the Blue Line rail project began in 2010. However, funding issues and neglect by successive administrations stalled the delivery of the project, which is now being financed solely by the state. According to the governor, passenger operations will commence once the line has been fully tested. The interior of one of the wagons to be used for operations on the Blue Line Rail. Photo Courtesy : Lagos State Government The construction of an Independent Power Project (IPP) is already underway to ensure that the rail system runs on its own power grid. The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) was charged with overseeing the construction. “Passengers will use the state’s unified electronic payment system known as Cowry Card, currently being used for BRT and regulated ferry services,” said Abimbola Akinajo, Managing Director of LAMATA, as regards train fares. Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu with other government officials, media, and members of the public at the National Theatre Station, Iganmu. Photo Courtesy : Lagos State Government She described the completion of the rail infrastructure as “fantastic,” adding that the development marked a new chapter for Lagos. The state government said construction of the second phase of the Blue Line rail project, running from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko — both on the Lagos Mainland — will commence in the first quarter of 2023 after official approval of the first phase for passenger operations in January. The construction of the light rail projects has been split into phases to ease implementation. bird story agency

It's a demanding, highly-competitive industry with long days, short nights, and high capital requirements to provide top-end product. However, if the zest of a new generation like Zandi Mubi is anything to go by, black women are re-writing many of the rules of the food business. **By Tatenda Kanengoni, bird story agency** It is lunch hour in Harare, and the dining room of a popular establishment in the city is filled with restaurateurs invited to an industry event. Among these is 34-year-old Zandile Mubi, the owner, director, and head chef of Chez Zandi @Lanark. She looks around the room and is met with familiar faces, mostly white and older; nothing much has changed since the last one; she is usually the only woman of colour in her age bracket. “When I go to these restaurateur lunches, do I see black women who own restaurants? I don’t think so, no,” Mubi says. “There are a lot of chefs, black women chefs, and many offering event catering services but not at a restaurant [owner level],” she adds. Growing up with a mother and father in the hospitality industry has inspired Mubi to be where she is today. Her parents run a sports bar called Londoners in Harare and a family restaurant in Bulawayo called 3 Daughters. Mubi’s childhood memories consist of hearty moments in the kitchen with her mother. However, her interest in pursuing a career in the food industry was piqued during high school's Food and Nutrition class. Chef Zandile Mubi in her restaurant space Chez Zandi at Lanark in Belgravia in Harare, Zimbabwe. Photo : Tatenda Kanengoni I used to cook with my mom, but I didn’t know I would take it up as a career. It was late in high school when I decided I wanted to be a chef; I was good at it and creative in the kitchen,” Mubi recalls. After high school, Mubi enrolled in a 4-year degree program in Commercial Cookery and Hospitality management in Melbourne, Australia. After graduation, she planned to stay "Down Under" to gain work experience in the industry while deciding where to make a permanent base but fate intervened and led her back home to Zimbabwe, in 2013. “Something happened with my visa application, so I was like ‘it’s not meant to be,’ and I decided to return home,” Mubi explains. She tested the waters back home by throwing herself into the family business and looking for gaps in the market to position herself. The dots started to connect, but not before she got a taste of some of the experiences women encountered in trying to set up in the restaurant space. “I tried to look for a job, and I was told that a kitchen is a hard place for a woman,” she recalls, in what came as a shock - with a hearty dose of irony. Without letting the snide remarks deter her, Mubi worked in the kitchen at the family-owned bar, Londoners, while running a catering business called Zandi Loves Food. Then she heard of a restaurant space opening at the French language and culture center, Alliance Française. Chef Zandile Mubi in her restaurant space Chez Zandi at Lanark in Belgravia in Harare, Zimbabwe. Photo : Tatenda Kanengoni “I applied for a space at the Herbert Chitepo branch, I got shortlisted, got down to the top two, but I didn’t get it; they gave it to someone else. And then, a year later, I applied again, and then I got it,” Mubi says. “I don’t take no for an answer. If someone says no to me, it pushes me to work harder because I want to prove a point,” she continues. In 2015, at the age of 27, she finally opened her restaurant, the Chez Zandi Bistro and Wine bar. “Chez Zandi means house of Zandi; The management at Alliance Francaise was looking for something French to complement the French culture- so that’s how the name came up,” Mubi explains. Today, Mubi works as the head chef in charge of curating the menu and hiring and training the chefs. The eclectic menu incorporates traditional Zimbabwean dishes, French cuisine and other Western and vegetarian dishes, and beverages. The average cost for a meal at the restaurant is 12 US dollars. “We have six chefs, so there’s 3 in the kitchen at a time during the week and on the busy days we have 4 in the kitchen,” Mubi says. Chef Zandile Mubi (middle) and two of her staff members in her restaurant space Chez Zandi at Lanark in Belgravia in Harare, Zimbabwe. Photo : Tatenda Kanengoni To ensure that things are running smoothly in her establishment, Mubi takes on a hands-on approach to her business. “I think I’m too hands-on; I guess it also motivates my staff because I’m not just sitting there saying do this, do that,” the restaurant owner explains. “Most of the time, I’m in the kitchen, but my friends say to me, ‘you need to give them space’,” She chuckles. Because of this and other lessons she has learned from school and her experience in the family business, Chez Zandi began attracting many customers. Business was booming and everything was on the right track - until the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the Zimbabian government announced a complete shutdown of the hospitality industry for three weeks to manage the spread of the virus that was ravaging many countries, especially in Europe. Mubi had to rethink her business model to accommodate lockdown measures and restrictions. She came up with a contingency plan. “[During] the first lockdown, I started cooking from home- I just moved everything from the restaurant, all my foodstuff; I would take orders until 11:30 am because I was cooking by myself and then doing the deliveries as well; It was hectic,” she says. As lockdown restrictions relaxed, Mubi slowly returned to the swing of things. Having built a loyal client base, she sought a new home for her restaurant in a bigger space along Lanark road in Belgravia, Harare where she is now based. The new establishment was rebranded Chez Zandi at Lanark, which continues to appeal to both the local and international market, attracting a “mature crowd.” Chef Zandile Mubi's restaurant space Chez Zandi at Lanark in Belgravia in Harare, Zimbabwe. Photo : Tatenda Kanengoni In her seven-year restaurant business run, Mubi has realized that the restaurant business is not always smooth sailing. It is often a lonely journey for a black female restaurant owner, with only a small community of fellow black female restaurant owners to lean on. Break it down by age, and the community becomes even smaller. Mubi draws inspiration from her mother, who has walked a similar path. As a black woman who runs an establishment - a sports bar that typically attracts and caters to a male audience - Mubi’s mother has come face to face with unique challenges that she continues to overcome daily. Given the round-the-clock demands, including shopping for supplies, managing the restaurant, and preparing meals, Mubi’s breaks are few and far between; a holiday is a luxury. “I do take holidays sometimes; I just hope that the place doesn’t fall apart while I’m gone,” she chuckles. In 2016, during the season 2 local Battle of the Chefs competition, Mubi made it to the fourth round. Recently, she has been featured in the Go Getter movement’s Founding 100 book profiling 100 female trailblazers in Zimbabwe. Mubi does not want to go it alone; she is determined to bring along a generation of female business owners on her journey. Since opening her restaurant, she has seen a slow but sure increase in the number of female black-owned restaurants opening in Harare. She is excited about this growing change in the industry and hopes that she will soon be seeing more young black female restaurants owners at the industry luncheons in the future. “I think it’s important for young females to know that it’s possible to run your own [restaurant] business in Zimbabwe, and it doesn’t matter what age you are; there’ll always be obstacles, but you just have to be a go-getter and fight for what you want,” she says firmly. **bird story agency**

Celebrating 20 years since its first cohort, this university has graduated over 8000 women, among them top government officials, politicians and entrepreneurs across Africa. By Alois Vinga, bird Story Agency At 81, when many, if not all, are past their prime, Dr Fay Chung is still going strong. Her determination to provide women with tertiary education is her driving force. When we meet her at the Great Wall Restaurant in Belgravia, Harare, her excitement is contagious, and we can't start the interview fast enough. She immediately starts talking about the university she co-founded with professor Hope Sazda. "I served as the country's education minister from 1980 to 1988, and I knew where the gap existed. One of my main goals was to ensure access to education for all… I mean all, including the young girls who were from disadvantaged backgrounds," she says. Professor Hope Sadza (left) and Dr Fay Chung (right), co-founders of the Women’s University of Africa, Zimbabwe. Photo Courtesy : Women's University of Africa When she got together with Prof Sazda to start an exclusive women's institution of higher learning, there was only one women's university in Africa, in Sudan. "We started Women's University In Africa (WUA) after realising that women were missing out on opportunities in both government and private sector for lack of higher education and other skills compared to their male counterparts," Professor Hope Sadza, co-founder of the Women’s University of Africa, Zimbabwe. Photo Courtesy : Women's University of Africa But the government opposed the idea of a premier institution of higher learning for women because it would be discriminatory toward men. Although the WUA admitted its first all-female students in 2002 with a cohort of 146 students, granting it a full charter was only completed in 2004. "After being debated in parliament, the university was granted a charter to admit 85 per cent women and 15 per cent men. Although this was not our dream, we were happy to work with the ratio which still favoured women," she adds. Chung says the experience she gained while working in government and later at UNICEF as chief of education was vital in conceptualising and getting WUA off the ground to what it is today; a reputable institution that has produced high-profile leaders and scholars. Dr Fay Chung, co-founder of the Women’s University of Africa, Zimbabwe. Photo Courtesy : Women's University of Africa Among its alumna are Zimbabwe's former first vice president, Joice Mujuru, a former member of parliament, Biata Beatrice Nyamupinga, and former Lands and Agriculture Minister Perrance Shiri, who also served as the commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe. Among the 2022 graduates will also be the award-winning Zimbabwean entrepreneur Tawanda Mutyebere. Although the WUA is a private university, Chung tells us its tuition fees are at par with other public universities' charges. They also have tailor-made scholarships and financial assistance for students and run unique programmes to assist students who need maternity and midwifery services. Dr Fay Chung, co-founder of the Women’s University of Africa, Zimbabwe. Photo Courtesy : Women's University of Africa To encourage more mothers to study, the university plans to build a primary and secondary school at its main campus to enable those with kids to bring them to school during their time of study to limit family care distractions. Currently, the university has a student population of 5,900 students. Since its first graduation in 2005, they have churned out over 12,043 graduates, with 8,902 females. Besides the main campus in Marondera, 80 km South East of Harare, the university has four other campuses in Zimbabwe– Harare Campus, Bulawayo Campus, the Kadoma Campus, and the Mutare campus. It also has branches in Zambia and Malawi. Part of the WUA's current strategic plan is establishing campuses in five African countries. Needs assessments are still being undertaken to see where these will be located. bird AE

A Kenyan entrepreneur whose desperate measures to keep going during COVID-19 lockdowns included a mobile, high-end barber service, is now the proud owner of a thriving business venture. By Nasibo Kabale, bird story agency On a Monday afternoon, a shiny black van branded pulls up at one of the busiest coffee houses in the upmarket suburb of Kilimani, Nairobi. The driver stops briefly to consult his mobile phone before driving slowly to the basement where an associate in the passenger seat jumps out and slides open the side door to reveal a well-lit, wooden-floored interior with a barber’s chair in the middle, a big TV screen on a wall, and a sink at the back. A mirror runs the length of the inside roof. Just to ensure there is no mistaking this for anything else, a large white sign displays a straight razor and the words "Barber Mobile" are writ big on the side of the van. The van comes with free Wi-fi and a CCTV camera for security. It even has seats for queuing clients. “Welcome, my name is Nicholas Katiza, your barber,” the man says to his client, who thanks Nicholas as he gets comfortable in the exquisitely-crafted, luxury salon chair, ready for his 3,000 Kenya shillings (US$25) haircut - and/ or shave. Katiza, aka the Kenyan Barber, drapes a barber's cape over his client and gets down to work. An hour later, the client, Ahmed Abdikadir, is back in the coffee house chatting away with friends and the van is driving off to the next appointment. One can easily get a haircut in Nairobi for just Sh200 (US$ 1.6) at a walk-in salon. But for Addikadir the 3,000 shillings was well worth it. “I love it because I can enjoy my coffee here with a friend and then take a few minutes to have a haircut as they wait for me in the coffee house,” he said. The idea behind Barber Mobile belongs to Kenyan entrepreneur Abdi Ali. Dial-a-barber proof that COVID business strategies can work long-term too When the COVID-19 pandemic protocols and then, lockdown were imposed, Ali's world of quick deals as a local entrepreneur came to a near standstill. Always one to come up with an idea, he took the biggest gamble of his career and entered the personal care and beauty market just as, according to strategic market research, Euromonitor International, the global market declined 3.3 percent. Lacking experience as a barber, he teamed up with a friend and came up with the Barber Mobile business, which travels as far as Thika - about 40 kilometres from Nairobi's Central Business District. “It was a fun project. As the van came empty as it was initially a cargo van, all I needed was to team up with the right carpenter, electrician and plumber and the end result is what you see today,” he said. While the right partner was easy to find, the rest did not just fall into place and a few blunders cost him much more than he had budgeted for. “Since it was my first time doing such a project there was a lot of trial and error and a couple of times I partnered with the wrong parties so I did go slightly above my budget which was 1.6 million shillings (US$13,000). But if I am to make another one it will cost me less,” he explained. The end product is a spectacular piece of work. The van is divided into three parts, with the front being the driver section, the middle which is the mobile barber shop and then a storage section at the back houses the water tank and inverter batteries that supply power. There are solar panels on the roof of the van. While 3,000 (US$25) for a haircut may seem steep for some, there are plenty who are willing to pay and for whom a call-out service is a huge convenience. It is not unusual for the van to have several customers from one call-out. For example, the client in Thika who paid for a haircut for himself and two of his sons. With extra personal care services the bill was 15,000 shillings (US$ 123). The Barber Mobile has an average of three clients a day, with most being from middle and high-income brackets. Their willingness to spend on self-care is something that corroborates what the Euromonitor report indicates - that young adults - both men and women - in the millennial demographic are major purchasers of beauty and cosmetic products. With COVID very much in the rear mirror, Ali is now looking to set up his second van. bird story agency

You could consider Abel Mutua part stand-up comedian, part hype man, part voice actor (in the great Kenyan tradition of Maina and King'ang'i); or you could look at him as someone offering a new take on traditional African storytelling to deliver a disruptive voice in African entertainment. Either way, there is no getting away from his influence; he is a top Kenyan Youtuber and the top Kenyan storyteller on the platform. And he brings a unique - and curiously addictive - delivery to factual storytelling. By Anne Ndung’u, bird story agency After debuting on local TV in a popular drama series called Tahidi High, back in 2007, Abel Mutua's acting career had developed to the point where he'd become one of the "kings" of regional soap opera. His was a recognisable face in homes across East Africa and he'd also branched out into movies. Then, "Covid". “When COVID-19 set in, my colleagues and I could not continue shooting movies because the exercise involved physically socialising with people, which was unacceptable at the time. "I was idle at home for almost three weeks. I spent the time telling stories about my eventful life to my wife and daughter. And they found the stories very interesting. Then one day, my wife innocently asked me why I was being selfish; “go share the stories with the world as well,' she implored," he explained from his production company's offices on the outskirts of Nairobi. Now, in addition to his other ventures, Mutua is a storyteller. And one of Kenya's rising Youtube stars. Mutua manages to tell gripping, factual stories, in fantastic detail, using visual and audio aids in the process. He regularly revisits historical events that occurred long before his audience was born and that are considered milestones in the country's history. For example, one story fixated on an attempted coup in Kenya, in 1982. ”He brings out the story to almost actual visuals… he makes the character look good at what he does…one of the best storytellers,” said one fan, Karen Koech, explaining the attraction. In 2020, Mutua won the coveted Silver Plaque YouTube Award, just months after embracing the platform. The award is handed to individuals who draw in 100,000 subscribers on a personal channel. The following year he was named Kenya’s top YouTube influencer. He has produced several successful shows through his channel, including Celebrity First Encounters, Stories of My Life, Young and Stupid, and Headline Hitters. Today, the 34-year-old commands a youthful audience of loyal listeners and viewers who connect with him primarily through live storytelling sessions held at the Kenya Cinema and through his videos posted on YouTube. In all his YouTube episodes, Mutua is unafraid to show the world that he’s human, delivering in a "warts and all" style and in so doing appears to have remained true to himself. He's modest about the space he has carved out for himself. “I am just doing what God intended for me to do in the land of the living. I am proving that if you set your mind to doing something that you are passionate about and you do it exceedingly well, the hand of God will direct you to places you have never thought of,” he said, during an interview at the offices of his production company, While Mutua is a household name across East Africa, it began with small steps “In 2005. I was a student at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC). Two years later, I got an internship at Citizen TV. At the time, Tahidi High was airing. I ended up joining the production team in 2009,” explained the entertainer, who specialised in film production while at KIMC. Abel Mutua, the master storyteller in his production company office in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo In mid-2021, as the restrictions imposed by the COVID- 19 pandemic eased, Mutua took his shows live. There, he engaged his young and active audience through narration and sound effects. Interestingly, Mutua has found that his Gen Z and Millennial audience continue to prefer stories about past events of historical significance - particularly events that shaped the country’s socio-political history. However, some of his narratives go well beyond East Africa's shores; one tells the story of a Mexican househelp, Miriam Rodriquez, who took on one of the country's famous cartels, another the story of Holocaust survivor, Tova Friedman. His first live performance at the newly renovated Kenya National Theater was a sellout, with many of those who were unable to attend requesting a larger venue for the next performance. This compelled him to conduct the subsequent story session in the larger Kenya Cinema Theatre. “That background is awesome; we as wakurugenzi (Swahili word for directors) want a live show,” said Daniel Maina, another fan, in response to one of the Youtube shows. "I don't like how I'm becoming addicted to Headline-hitters," said another follower, Vinnie Macelo. Teachers now request that Mutua visit schools to narrate historical events to young students, as narratives are memorable and easily retained by the students. Those requests might find favour, given Mutua's own background as a child. Growing up in one of Nairobi's Eastlands estates under the care of a single mother, Mutua said he ended up in his current line of work through curiosity. One day, after seeing a Mercedes Benz pull up in the estate in which they lived - a rare occurrence - he was tip-toeing to see what was inside when a former head of Kenya's Presidential Press Unit tapped him on the back. “When he alighted and entered one of the houses, I quickly ran to see how the car looked on the inside. I was impressed, and I got deeply engrossed in admiring it. I did not notice the owner coming back until he tapped my shoulder, warning me that it was bad manners to peep into other people’s cars,” Mutua recalled. “After noticing my fright, he asked me if I would love a ride in the car, and you guessed it, I quickly said yes!” When Mutua learned that the man was a journalist, he decided to pursue a field in communications so that he, too, could enjoy such niceties. Today, the actor, screenwriter, content creator, comedian, storyteller, and co-owner of the Nairobi-based Phil-it Productions Ltd looks well able to enjoy some of the finer things in life, too. Abel Mutua 3 medium.jpg A visit to the production house, located in Kahawa Sukari, some 20 km northwest of Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), where Mutua works with three co-founders of the company, revealed a beautiful bungalow that houses the production house seated on a well-manicured lawn on a half an acre of land. It’s a tranquil environment with a driveway paved with pavers leading to the building. One, two, three, four, and five shiny high-end cars were parked strategically in the compound. Later it emerged that two belonged to the top managers at the firm, while the other three belonged to business acquaintances paying a visit. “Mutua is a natural TV scriptwriter. Whatever he works on resonates with a large proportion of Kenya’s population. It might sound cliché, but the truth is that his scripts, regardless of the platform of choice, encapsulate the daily struggles, victories, and hopes of that anonymous person found in a generic Kenyan locale," said Philip Maudu Kioko, a senior lecturer at the local Kenyatta University's Department of Communication Media, Film and Theatre Studies. His portraits of real people may power his performances but what is also clearly a hallmark is his ability to market his product brazenly while having fun. The Grand Little Lie is testimony to that. A day before the film premiered, the world watched in awe as Mutua, together with two of his colleagues, walked unabashedly on a busy Nairobi road in the early hours of the morning with placards announcing the arrival of the movie and encouraging people to purchase tickets. “Please, buy our film… Inaongeza urembo na nguvu za kiume (it will increase beauty and a man's virility),” the placards read, echoing those offering questionable remedies, often seen on Nairobi sidewalks. The tongue-in-cheek ads got noticed by local and regional media. In October 2021 the film grossed KSh4 million (over US$34,000) in ticket sales within five days. “He’s the epitome influencer of content that runs in Kenya’s Television ecosystem today. His stature answers to being Kenya’s poster boy for acting, directing, and producing blockbuster TV soap operas, including being the local bellwether Youtuber,” says David Mbugua, formerly a cameraman with the Cable News Network (CNN) based here in Nairobi and currently a budding film-maker. Mutua’s artistic output reads like a litany of local content routinely streamed online and in local television. It has included award-winning TV drama series including Tahidi High, The Real Househelps of Kawangaware, Mother-in-Law, Crime and Justice, Hullabaloo Estate, Hapa Kule News, Sue Na Jonnie, and MaEmpress, among others. In his YouTube channels, Mutua styles himself as “Mkurugenzi’, Kiswahili for "director" - a word he uses as his moniker, while his fans are known as “Wakuregenzi, “ or "directors". Recently, he transitioned his broadcast presence from being shown on free-to-air TV, to pay-TV in collaboration with Maisha Magic East. Channel 158 is DSTV's flagship local channel and is a 24-hour entertainment channel targeting the mass market. Asked if Kenyan-owned production houses could make money, Mutua answered in the affirmative, but said the elephant in the room remains distribution. “There are many Kenyans both here and in the diaspora looking for quality local content. And with video-on-demand and online access, distribution is improving, but we as a country have a long way to go,” says Mutua. Abel Mutua, the master storyteller in his production company office in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo The East African nation is currently engaged in a heated discussion over whether to increase the percentage of local content shown on local television. In 2014, the Kenyan government passed a broadcasting regulation requiring broadcasting stations to ensure that 40 percent of content broadcast on TV and radio was locally produced. It has not been lost on key TV pundits that Mutua’s scripts are delivered in fluent and easily understood Swahili, devoid of the dense Sheng lingo associated with Kenya’s urban street smarts. Sheng is popularly defined as an acronym for ‘Kiswahili-English slang.’ It originated in the early 1950s in Nairobi’s Eastlands area. It is mainly used by the youth and is part of popular culture in Kenya. A consequence is that his work has found traction with a wide variety of viewers, across the Swahili-speaking region, and beyond. If nothing else, Mutua has proved that social media, if used creatively, can transform one's personal income. In this frontier economy, the platform has turned into "that-thing-that-everybody-wants-to-be-part-of". In his stories, the Kenyan 2018 Entertainment Industry Award talks candidly of his personal experiences, including how he proposed to Nyawira, his wife. He talks of the hiccups he has encountered in his line of work, for example, how they played gullibly with his co-director, Philip Karanja, and lost millions of shillings to scoundrels in a business deal. “To be honest, during the initial stages, I just set out to have fun. I didn’t think that I would end up moving the proverbial needle in the industry. But over time, I’ve realized that the market, in this ecosystem, responds positively to work that is educative, entertaining, and inspirational,” Mutua explained. “For us, it's often said, if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” he said. bird story agency

Kenyans are known for their dominance in middle and long-distance races around the world. Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon have not disappointed in the marathon, but Ferdinand Omanyala, the recently-crowned Commonwealth 100 metres champ, has re-opened the country's sprints chapter with refreshing vigour. By Thuku Kariuki, bird story agency August 19, 2022, was a special day for Kenya's - and Africa’s - new kid on the block, sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala. On this day, on the podium at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham in the United Kingdom the 1.75 metre-tall sprinter Omanyala couldn’t hide his excitement after being crowned the 2022 Commonwealth Games 100 metres champion, This was his golden moment and an intense moment of pride for Team Kenya and Africa, as he and others joined in singing the Kenyan National anthem and the Kenyan national flag made its way up the flagstaff. “When dreams become reality! This history is made for Kenya. Thank you to everyone for your support along the way. I am most grateful to God for all He has provided for me. Don't let any obstacles stop you from achieving your dream!” Omanyala said shortly after dismounting the podium and kissing the shiny medal hanging on his neck. These were the best of moments for both Omanyala and Kenyans at large. Not even the immediate retired Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta could conceal his joy. “The win is a groundbreaking achievement not just for Ferdinand, but for the whole of Kenya's athletics because he has excelled in a domain that's not traditionally ours," he said in his congratulatory message. The special bond between the two was signified in the latter’s recent remarks on social media. "Your Excellency, I wish you well in your retirement. Don’t fail to be coming to my races.” Like every moment of victory on the tracks, this was a time when the patriotic fervour ran deep, uniting all Kenyans and Omanyala's victory was celebrated across the country. “Thank you so much for lifting our Kenyan flag high. Continue breaking the world records. We will continue cheering you up. I believe your achievements will inspire a new generation of sprinters in this country" wrote Dennis Kahiga in a post on social media. “Congratulations!!! Our hearts swell with pride just hearing our beautiful national anthem being played in an international arena. Thank you for affording us the honor. God bless you and upwards to many more” wrote another jubilant Kenyan, Wangechi Kariuki, on Twitter. Perhaps more importantly, the 26-year-old has opened a new chapter for sports in Kenya, sprinting his way to three international gold medals in 2022 and a number of coveted positions during a continental tour. His biggest win so far this year was the Commonwealth gold. Ferdinand Omanyala after winning a gold medal in Birmingham. Photo Credits : Kelly Ayodi In the world of athletics, Kenyans are known for their exploits in the long and middle-distance races. Their dominance is so pronounced that for the uninitiated, it might appear that Kenyan has never had top sprinters. However, in the 1960 Olympics, Seraphino Antao, a Kenyan of Goan descent made the 100 metres semi-finals and shocked the sprint kings of the time in the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games by emphatically winning gold. Antao’s name is imprinted in the annals of Kenyan history as the country‘s pioneer Spring King – hallowed ground that Omanyala has now entered. Other sprinters who have brought glory to the country include the quartet of Daniel Rudisha, Matesi Nyamao, Naftali Temu and Charles Asati who dazzled in the 4x400 metres relay in the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Others are Julius Sang, Robert Ouko, Charles Koskei and Munyoro Nyamau. They all excelled in the 1960s and 1970s, before the long and middle-distance runners emerged in the 1980s and remained ascendant to date. Further sprints competition seemed beyond Kenya's reach - until Omanyala burst onto the scene, crossing lanes in 2015 from the world of rugby. At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Omanyala clocked 10.02 seconds. He also holds the African record (his personal best time) at 9.77. With three recent gold medals, one from the Commonwealth games and two from the Africa Championships, Omanyala is looking to rule the world’s 100 meters tracks. Nobody, he says, is going to stand in his way, not even the ever-present American star sprinters. “The Americans are like any other competitor so I mean there is competition across the globe and it’s not like only the Americans are the ones who have been sprinting,” said Omanyala. His next big target is to win the world championships in 2023 and later the Olympics in 2024. “The only goal I have next year is to win the World Championships and am going to work hard for that. I know am going to win that one and then that will add to the Olympic gold in 2024.” On his bucket list is the prestigious Diamond League which he is planning to participate in, and hopefully, win in 2023. Kenya's Sprint King has also made sure he inspires a new generation. “I think we are having very many sprinters coming up and they are coming in so fast and so quick. One thing I want to tell them is that it’s not something that comes in a day. I mean, they are expecting so much within a very short period of time. So what I want to tell them is that you can’t achieve everything in one month. You have to be patient, you have to be disciplined and you have to work hard," he told August 2022 was another good month for the Kenyan star after he was awarded Sports Personality of the Month by the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya. bird story agency

Construction of Africa's largest science experiment, known as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) - a telescope, which comprises two giant telescopes made up of over 130,000 antennas and 200 satellite dishes at observatories in Australia and South Africa - is officially underway 6 December, 2022 (bird story agency) Construction of the world’s largest telescopes has officially begun in South Africa and Australia, with 2028 as the completion date. The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project will see an area of about 33 000 square meters share data from space that the gigantic complex telescopes will collect. Over 130,000 antennas and 200 satellite dishes will make up the SKA, according to the project's website. The networked telescopes will enable astronomers to study space better and faster and to detect signals from objects in the universe's farthest reaches. According to the project’s scientists, the SKA-Mid in South Africa will operate with four times the resolution and five times the sensitivity and will be able to survey the sky 60 times faster than existing telescopes. SKA-MPI, the Max Planck Society funded prototype dish, being assembled at the South African site.[ Image source: Nasief Manie/SARAO] Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony in the Karoo desert in South Africa, Catherine Cesarsky, the chair of the SKA Observatory council, said: "Today, we gather here to mark another important chapter in this 30-year journey that we’ve been on together. A journey to deliver the world’s largest scientific instrument. After 18 months of intense activities around the world, we are starting construction of the SKA telescopes." The SKA will solve the most challenging issues in astrophysics, such as the precision of information shared in space and prompt detection of space-based changes, the viability of life in space, and the history of the universe, among others. The SKA-Mid array in Karoo in the Northern Cape region of South Africa will have nearly 200 dishes, each 50 feet (15 meters) in diameter. A composite image of the future SKA-Mid telescope, blending the existing precursor MeerKAT telescope dishes already on site[ Image source: SKAO] SKA Observatory public website states that Karoo “provides the perfect radio quiet backdrop for the mid-frequency array that will form a critical part of the SKA’s ground-breaking continent-wide telescope.” Beyond the project's overall benefits, South African companies are set to reap bounties from the project. The lead infrastructure contractor is required to spend a proportionate amount locally by providing a range of sub-contract opportunities to local SMMEs, on employing, training and transferring skills locally and on other community development initiatives. Blade Nzimade, South Africa’s minister of science and innovation, announced deals amounting to more than 200 million USD that will see companies in South Africa contracted to develop and deliver key equipment and materials for the project. “The South African government welcomes the opportunities that will flow into the country due to the construction activities,” he said. “Local companies will benefit from construction contracts and local people will find jobs. The financial resources flowing into the country will also uplift the economy of South Africa,” he added. With key obligations to lead contractors to set aside and allocate R100 million ($5.8 million) of the total amount to local firms, the project will create regional jobs. The benefits began flowing after Power Adenco Joint Venture was selected as the successful bidder for a tender to build power and fibre roads in Karoo, a project valued at close to R1 billion ($57 million). Other benefiting South African companies include VIVO, Zutari, EMCOM and SARAO, which will undertake software development. Beyond the internal economic wins for South Africa, the structural developments and technical maintenance needs bound to emerge for the next 50 years will drive substantive foreign investment flows to the region, especially in communication and astronomy, according to the SKA Observatory. The SKA-MPI dish prototype in South Africa. [ Image source: SKAO] While South Africa is the official location for the project in Africa, eight countries in Africa will also host components of the telescope, making them part of the project. Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia will also house radio telescopes that will contribute to the parent advanced radio space array. South Africa has been hosting the precursors to the now-launched project since 2012 - first as the Karoo Array Telescope and then the MeerKAT telescope since 2018, projects that have already proved immensely successful in fast-tracking accuracy in astrophysics. bird story agency