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18-year-old artificial intelligence whizz Mercy Sampson's robotics prototypes have wowed Nigeria. Now she wants Africa to focus on artificial intelligence and the opportunities provided by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). But she also has a personal point to prove. She's a deaf person living in a country where that is a problem. By Dorcas Bello As a young deaf girl living in a country that provides very little support for those with disabilities, Mercy Sampson seemed likely to grow up destitute. Now 18, the teen, who lost her auditory ability at 3, is having none of that. “When people see the things I create they do not believe I am deaf. My name is Mercy but I love it when my friends call me 'mama robotics',” she said with a smile. Changing stereotypes about people living with disability in Africa and about who can and cannot pursue their dreams, hi-tech or not, is very much a part of Sampson's daily life. She gained national recognition when she invented a robot that dispenses hand sanitiser, then developed a prototype for a fire-fighting robot. She also made waves by taking a team of deaf students to a robotics challenge. Born in the city of Jos, Nigeria, the high school student’s life took a dramatic turn when at the age of three, she was diagnosed with hearing loss. Her parents tried in vain to seek medical intervention but were eventually resigned to enrolling her into a school for the deaf. They vowed, however, that physical constraints would not define the future for their daughter. This unconditional love seems to have ignited an optimism in Mercy, who, fascinated by robotics and artificial intelligence, chose to pursue a technology-oriented education. Mercy Sampson The software development and rollout of artificial intelligence (AI) is often touted as a precondition for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and tech hubs across Nigeria are host to scores of startups with AI ambitions. Mercy has been vocal about the need for more AI as countries like Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco and Ethiopia begin building out 4IR infrastructure. According to a Brookings study, artificial intelligence for Africa presents an opportunity that could put the continent at the forefront of the 4IR. “The future is intelligent: By 2030, artificial intelligence will add US$15.7 trillion to the global GDP, with US$6.6 trillion projected to be from increased productivity and US$9.1 trillion from consumption effects,” reads the report. Africa wants a slice of that future. Rapidly evolving AI technology is expected to solve some of Africa’s most pressing challenges, driving agriculture, healthcare and public and financial services. There are a number of barriers that could keep Africa, however. The most important are the lack of supportive infrastructure, lack of required skills, and the quality and availability of data, to fuel AI. Sampson, however, exudes confidence in the future of the continent. She believes there is nothing she cannot create with her robots. The 18-year-old deaf girl says that for her, artificial intelligence is like playing computer games. Sampson's teacher, Wuni Bitrus, recounts how Mercy was the first to figure out how to operate a robot while everyone else struggled, the night before a competition that launched Sampson on the nation - the MakeX robotics regional competition in Abuja. Mary wowed the country by leading an all-deaf team to the event. “Mary shocked us the night before the competition. All the teams were struggling to understand the robots she had collected from one of the instructors and in less than two minutes, figured it out. She’s a very smart girl, I remember after that competition she told me she will never sleep again. She will work hard and be the world’s best,” Bitrus said. Bitrus is the co-founder of the African Technology Foundation and started the initiative out of concerns that the tech industry was booming and that the deaf were being left behind. “There are indeed numerous interventions for tech skills acquisition across Africa but sadly not just geared towards building the deaf community for careers in technology,” he said. According to Bitrus, Sampson has proven exceptional at working with AI and displays superb critical thinking. She is now set to sit her A-levels exams next year, hopes she will pass and enrol for a degree in robotics engineering. “I’ll study very hard to pass my West African Examination Council that way no one will remember I am deaf,” she said. Sampson has been exceptionally lucky in linking up with Bitrus. One of the hurdles for deaf Nigerians is that they are only allowed to study arts-related courses. “Very few schools offer science. No tertiary institution allows deaf students to study outside special education,” she explained. However, she exudes confidence that her success will trail-blaze, not just for the deaf but all persons living with a disability on the continent. Her favourite invention? The robotic dispenser, which dispenses sanitiser when it senses a hand. “It’s my favourite work because it’s the first time I’m using robotic skills to solve an immediate problem. Seeing people use my robot made me feel so fulfilled, now I want to do more,” she said. bird/ Editing by Nest, bird's virtual newsroom. This work was made possible through the support of #AfricaNoFilter, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Disseminating vital information to vulnerable communities in informal settlements during a raging pandemic can be a daunting task. With the hearing-impaired locked out of much of the life-saving messaging on COVID-19, one ingenious artist took to her regular canvas - of walls or anything she could paint on - to make sure that everyone got the message. Now she and her team are providing not only social messaging but even commercial advertising on walls across Kenya. By Henry Owino, bird On the exterior of an iron-sheet kiosk in Kibera - the sprawling informal settlement that is home to thousands of low-income residents in the Kenyan capital - a mural of a woman wearing a mask screams; "COVID is real". It is a "loud" and imposing reminder to the residents and visitors who meander and mingle as they go about their daily chores in narrow alleys lined by iron sheet houses in the densely populated area - an arresting yet eerily inviting message - to mask up and sanitise in an effort to keep COVID-19 at bay. This and many of the other murals, drawings and paintings that adorn walls across an informal settlement squashed between some of Nairobi’s more affluent neighbourhoods, is the handiwork of Faith Atieno. She, too, is a child of this 'hood - born and bred in Kibera. Murals on the need to wear mask, wash hands and keep physical distance [big]. Photo : Henry Owino Atieno decided, in the midst of the unprecedented period of social turmoil to turn her Kibera village into a huge, open, gallery. Kibera — or, Kibra to the pioneer Nubian settlers from Sudan who founded the area — rubs shoulders with elite and formerly elite estates, such as Karen, Woodley and Ngumo and comprises 11 villages; Kianda, Soweto East, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga, Makina, Salama, Ayany and Mashimoni. Although melting into a larger “informal settlement”, each of these villages has a distinct origin and heritage - and to some extent its own quasi-rural, ethnic identity. The original Nubian community, most of whom are Muslims, came to Kenya with their families after being recruited to serve in the East African Rifles, a regiment of the British colonial army. They were settled here - and in other urban centres across the country - in little Nubian villages, in the early 1890s. Kibera is today a melting pot of diverse cultures with an almost paradoxical sense of existence, thanks to the close proximity of rich and poor neighbourhoods and is also a hotbed of political activism - so street art is nothing new. A mural on enforcing mask wearing sanitizing passengers in public transport [big]. Photo :Henry Owino Nevertheless, with the pandemic disproportionately affecting people in this neighbourhood, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions, the creative artist and founder of Art 360 Kibera knew she had to do something. The urgency of her drive was spurred on by the realisation that the coronavirus messages were not reaching people with hearing and speech impairment, explained Atieno, 32. “I have always aspired to be an artist and serve the community where I live with impactful and deliberate information, artwork without discrimination… I understand the problems we face here," Atieno said in a conversation with bird, at her Art 360 Kibera gallery. She had the passion and a little saving of her own to start with but she knew she could not do it alone. She needed more hands— and ownership of the initiative - from residents. Mobilising an army of young, talented and upcoming painters bubbling with eagerness to make a social impact, she kicked off with a campaign to complete one street painting. Word quickly spread through the villages and before she knew it she had scores of volunteers. Art 360 Kibera team drawing on a school wall [big]. Photo :Henry Owino Atieno had quit her job at a five-star hotel in Nairobi to start the new venture. Reaching out to and communicating with neglected groups of people through her artwork - and potentially changing their lives - was a reward that she felt was worth the initial sacrifice. However, she faced almost instant challenges. She had no painting materials, or mentor, making it difficult to learn the ropes. Nonetheless, she forged on, teaching herself all she needed to know to create artistic works. Atieno then decided to create Art 360 Kibera, an art gallery located in the heart of Kibera, where she could meet with talented artists. Her gallery features young, independent artists born and raised in Kibera. As COVID-19 turned life on its head and threw her community into socio-economic limbo, she and her fellow artists built campaigns using their street art to address elements of the pandemic containment measures. She used everything in her stable, including graffiti, to convey the messages. “Initially I had no money to buy paints, brush and other materials... However, my parents and a few friends whom I explained the idea to supported me overwhelmingly,” said Atieno. But the question of "where?" still lingered—and needed to be resolved. “Surprisingly, I took a step to communicate directly with people by painting over neglected iron sheet walls and using them to communicate different issues, such as the measures to take to combat the pandemic," she explained. Admittedly, Atieno said the first murals were not very good, but they communicated the envisioned message. Faith Atieno with her colleagues preparing paints to draw artwork on surfaces [big]. Photo : Henry Owino Throughout the following months, the feedback from residents encouraged her and she realised that the creative paintings were not just informative but also a source of inspiration to many, especially the youth. Malasen Hamida, a resident of Kibera, was one early fan. “The message so clearly illustrated that even those who cannot read and write can tell what is expected of them and also reminds residents to adhere to the protocols,” she said. “The painted walls or surfaces also look clean and appealing to eyes hence everyone gets attracted to read or observe and thus (the) intended message is conveyed," she explained. Area chief, Nehemiah Amwocha, said the local city authorities fully supported the artwork initiative, adding that mural massaging has made it easy for local administration to implement the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 protocols in the slum. “I am personally grateful for the painting work of the Art 360 Kibera which have complemented our role,” he said. Faith Atieno , having a hearty laughter with her colleagues [big]. Photo : Henry Owino Atieno's murals have been a constant reminder to residents to adhere to social distancing measures in all sections of Kibera. Atieno’s murals, with messages such as "Covid is real and it kills!", "Avoid shaking hands," "Avoid hugging," "Wash hands using running water or Use hand sanitisers", "Keep social distance", "Wear a mask and when feeling unwell", "Cough, cold or fever call toll-free number 917 for rapid response" reverberate throughout Kibera. Atieno's protégés have also begun using art as a tool to address and create a sense of urgency around socio-economic issues that affect residents of Kibera. “I realised apart from targeting persons with a disability using graffiti, illiterate people and even children understand the murals. One could tell from the sudden increase of washing hands, sanitizing, wearing a mask though physical distance not so much,” she said, adding; “my aim was to create awareness on COVID-19 protocols for all residents regardless of their social or economic status or health conditions”. The creative artist explains that the message one intends to convey, may also dictate the colour to use in passing such information. For example, HIV/AIDS information will go with pink colour while tuberculosis (TB) may take yellow and environmental conservation could be green, brown depending on the situation. Atieno’s creative artwork has since been adopted elsewhere in the country, especially by youth who have taken it a notch higher as an occupation. It has also become an advertising strategy replacing billboards and banners for a certain target group of people. According to Atieno, she has mentored about 50 people, most of whom are either in upper primary or lower secondary schools. The students train on weekends and during school holidays, for free. The skills complement the country’s new education curriculum emphasizing practical work as well as theoretical and Art 360 Kibera is today an educational institution in its own right. The gallery also offers free space to artists undertaking different projects and showcasing different artistic skills. Residents of Kibera have also seen the creative artwork itself as a solution to some of the problems they face as a community. Currently, Art 360 Kibera provides artists with the opportunity to build careers by selling their artwork to corporations and private collectors. Artists are compensated fairly for their work, thus creating meaningful employment. Atieno’s colleagues are optimistic that the future is bright, as learning institutions and the hospitality industry usually contract them for graffiti artwork. They have become famous in Kibera and their artwork has started popping up in towns and cities well beyond Nairobi. bird

A woman who surmounted early childhood challenges and used an extraordinary opportunity for the wider good returns to the country of her birth, Rwanda, and becomes a beacon of hope for the visually impaired. By DUSABEMUNGU Ange de la Victoire, bird news agency Losing sight in both eyes at five, plucked from the place she called home and spirited to a unique school thousands of kilometres away, Dr Donatilla Kanimba would have good reason to have embraced a new life and the many successes she has experienced along the way to enrich herself. Instead, she has found her way "home". For the 62-year-old, the journey started in the "land of a thousand hills". The fifth child in a family of eight, Kanimba was born in Gisangara District in the Southern Province of Rwanda, but the family had to flee to Burundi when she was two, to escape the 1959 Rwanda civil war. "I was born in Rwanda. When I was about two or three years old, my parents moved to Burundi as refugees,” Kanimba recalled in a recent interview. Dr. Donatila Kanimba, Founder and Exucutive director of the Rwanda Union of the Blind. Photo : Ange de la Victoire When she lost her sight while in a refugee camp in Burundi, a benevolent couple working as Salvation Army Church missionaries among the refugees arranged for Kanimba to be sent to Kenya to attain an education. Kanimba refers to the couple as the “two soldiers who fought for my education.” She is forever grateful to them, saying they gave her a chance in life. In Kenya - where there are facilities for those with visual impairments - she was able to attend primary and secondary school and go to university. She graduated with degrees in Sociology and Governance graduate from the University of Nairobi. But while she realised she was lucky to have had the opportunity to study, she kept worrying about the plight of those back "home", who had nobody and no structures to support them. So she decided to take matters into her own hands, and change that. When Kanimba finally returned to Rwanda, it was with a white cane in one hand and some assistants working with her. She may not have known it but she was embarking on a life-long journey to make life better for the visually impaired. The journey would not have been easy even for an able-bodied person - and Kanimba had little idea of what lay in store for her. While at the university, she started engaging two Rwandan classmates with the idea of forming an organisation to help those with visual impairments. At first, they wanted to set up in Burundi—the country that had sheltered them as refugees. "Well, as we grew older, we realised that this was not very feasible. First of all, maybe we're not so very welcome in Burundi. And then it would be a very costly thing to start a school," she explained. "But we began thinking about having an organisation for blind people similar to what we had seen in Kenya; The Kenya Union of the Blind. Luckily, our dream became a reality when we met a former Rwanda Patriotic Front Army soldier who had lost sight and was keen to help other blind people in Rwanda." Dr. Donatila Kanimba, (on the left) with goverment officials Nyagatare District, Rwanda. Photo : Ange de la Victoire After graduating from the university in 1980, she started working with the Kenya Union for the Blind as the women's programmes coordinator. Here she built skills that would become crucial later on. During this period, together with her former classmates, and with assistance from the former soldier, they got to work on starting an organisation that would work with the government to help the visually impaired people in Rwanda. That vehicle would be the Rwanda Union of the Blind, or RUB. "We came up with this idea, specifically so that the Rwanda Union of the Blind would be the voice of blind people to influence government policies and programmes to ensure that blind people also receive all of their rights and services, the same as other citizens' she said. In 1995 Kanimba got to do what she had long dreamed of. She managed to found the Rwanda Union of the Blind and two years later, completed a circle in her life, moving back to the land of her birth, to run it. "It is some years after graduating at the Nairobi University, I managed to return to Rwanda to run the Rwanda Union of the Blind, which we had established some two years before I came," she said. "The first thing I did after we formed Rwanda Union for the Blind was to look around for blind people in their local communities, to see how they live…we went around the countryside asking them to for our first meeting." Dr. Donatila Kanimba, handing a white cane to a visually impaired person in Nyagatare District, Rwanda. Photo : Ange de la Victoire From 1995 to date, the Union has been able to bring together about 3,000 visually impaired members and extended support to over 10,000 others across the country. A survey by the union shows that there are an estimated 57,000 persons with visual impairment in Rwanda, an indication of the need for more support. Kanimba argued that since its inception, RUB has been a catalyst for public awareness and the empowerment of people living with disabilities, especially those with visual impairment. One area of improvement has been education - the springboard without which she herself would never have been able to provide assistance to others with impairments. "There are many things that I can say I am very proud of, especially as the founder of the Rwanda Union of the Blind and as the one who has been running this organisation for nearly the last 25 years. First of all, now, it is the usual thing, all learners with visual impairment who have been in school now sit all the national exams to proceed to the next level like others," she said. "When I started, that was not the case. The belief was that there was no need to give an exam to learners with visual impairment before the end of primary school because they would not manage to go to secondary education. But now, they sit exams and progress into secondary school up to university." And looking back at the 25 years since setting foot in the land of her ancestors she hardly knew, she is happy that her mission to empower the visually impaired people has been such a phenomenal success. Kanimba said her accomplishments were in large part due to her early learning. She used her sociology and governance skills to grow the institution she founded and modelled it along the lines of the Kenya Union of the Blind - ensuring it became a beacon of hope for the visually impaired. Her empathy, she said, was not because she was similarly visually impaired but because, unlike her, those her organisation assisted had little or no opportunities in life, due to the lack of support structures. Empowerment of the visually impaired, Kanimba explained, enabled them to not only compete for employment opportunities like everybody else but also to overcome stigma, neglect, and other forms of trauma. Some even no longer rely on support. "We have many who are employed because they have the required qualifications to be in the employment, we have some even who have obtained the master's degree. We now have several blind people who are in (a) social stratum that means that they are not at that level where they must be supported by the government." "That is because we have trained them to be independent and resilient. They are engaged in economic work at the local level, most of them engaged in farming, and some of them doing other work outside of farming. We have introduced vocational training, and we have some self-employed people who are also employing other people who have no disabilities." Ntawiha Marie Chantal, a graduate working at RUB, credits the union's support and public awareness initiatives for her successes. "Before the establishment of RUB, visually impaired persons could not even reach the secondary school level. Most of them were only supposed to finish their studies at the primary level," she said, pointing out that advocacy for inclusive education was a crucial first goal of the organisation. "At the time, we were not less capable academically, we had skills, but the main obstacle was the society's mindset on visually impaired persons," Chantal says. Sévérin Ingabire, a graduate of the former Kigali Institute of Education, concurs with those sentiments. "After the 1994 Genocide, there were advocacy efforts to allow visually impaired persons to do the National examinations," adds Ingabire. "Many people could not understand our ability to do the exams, it was in December 1995 that through RUB's advocacy that persons with visual impairment were allowed to sit for the national school primary leaving exam," said Ingabire, who works with the National Union of Disability Organisations of Rwanda (NUDOR) and also serves as an adviser of the Board of the Rwanda Union of the Blind. Ingabire noted that while empowerment of the visually impaired has not been an easy journey, the government has since done a lot to create space for visually impaired persons to exercise their rights. Kanimba is herself proof that the future for the visually impaired in the region looks promising. From 2018 to 2021, she served as the president of the World Blind Union, and during those years, used her position to further the plight of visually impaired people across the region as well as globally. "When we have reached a point where the boss is the blind person, I feel very proud,” she said. “We have gone beyond the situation of being maskini ya mungu (helpless people)." “I was given a chance in life, and I too will try to give others with visual impairment a chance in life… that is my mission,” she concluded. bird story agency

"Nigeria's Stevie Wonder" is what many call him; however apt the description, one thing is sure: the story of this talented young musician and his adoring mother is changing attitudes to physical disability across the region. Please note the correction to Tinafi Jonathan's mother's name - this version uses her preferred name, Elizabeth Akawu. by Dorcas Bello The singing from inside the house could be from a sound system. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday," the last word strung out as Stevie Wonder does it, in his 1980's hit by the same name. However, inside this home in Plateau State is not a sound system but rather a young boy, belting out the theme and playing the song accompaniment on a keyboard. The house in Gada Biyu settlement in Jos is the home of Tinafi Jonathan. At 11, he has become a must-have at music concerts across the region. This would not be entirely unusual for Jos, Nigeria's "cultural capital" - and a city that seems to pump out musical talent in an almost factory-like fashion. Except that Tinafi - as everyone knows him - is visually impaired. He cannot see, never mind read, music. Yet he has been musically gifted for most of his young life. "He was humming melodies at 32 weeks," explained Tanafi's mother, Elizabeth Akawu. Tinafi Jonathan playing the keyboard. Photo : Dorcas Bello. She only discovered he was blind a few weeks after he was born. "When I was two months pregnant, I fell ill with typhoid and malaria. The doctor gave me some drugs that eventually affected the baby," she said. Initially, she refused to accept her infant son's fate, moving from city to city in the hope of finding medical help. Already, however, Tinafi's indomitable character was beginning to shine through. So did his musical talent. He could sing before he could properly talk. Tinafi Jonathan. Photo : Dorcas Bello "I kept crying for almost two years until one day my father told me. 'whatever this boy will be, this eye cannot stop him'," she said. He was right. While Tinafi's mother struggled to accept his fate, Tinafi himself gave hope by aspiring to become "just like Stevie Wonder". “When I was four years old in 2014, I told my mother, 'I want to speak like an American'. I listened to news channels like Aljazeera, CNN. I am the only one in my house that speaks this way,” chipped in Tinafi. Highly eloquent, he continues to "speak like an American." "I wish all parents of special children can embrace these children; there is always a uniqueness deposited in them,” said Tinafi's mother, almost in tears. Mary Jonathan watching over Tinafi Jonathan playing the keyboard. Photo : Dorcas Bello. It is not only Tinafi's family who appreciates his talents. Posters of him adorn the city. His popularity has given him a huge following and his talent has brought prosperity to the family. He is a regular at church concerts in Jos and plays in front of large audiences. "He is on scholarship; it is because of him that we got this house, too," his mother explained. Tinafi is also determined to attend regular school, learning his lessons by memory, after pulling out of his special school. “Two years ago, an optician discovered a little sight in the left side of his left eyes, so, he advised me to withdraw him from school of the blind children and encourage him to practice focus by using the very little sight he has,” his mother explained. Despite his celebrity status, however, Tinafi is still impacted by the stigma associated with people with disabilities. “Sometimes when I go out, people call me 'the blind boy' and it makes me really sad. But now it does not make me so sad because my mother told me it’s their perception and it won't stop me from being a great person.” For his family, however, he already is great. He has not only been a godsend for his family but is also raising the status - and challenging the stigmas associated with - people with disabilities across the region. Tinafi Jonathan. Photo ; Dorcas Bello. News sites have latched on to Tinafi's growing fame and have also pointed out that this is in spite of his disability, something rare in Nigeria, where disabilities are both a stigma and a social and financial disaster for both individual and family. News sites and social media commentators have pointed out that Tinafi's story is "changing the narrative" on disability. Tinafi's mother welcomes that change - and the opportunity to speak out on disability. “I wish I can speak to mothers across the world about taking care of children with special needs, especially in Africa. It is important that we accept them and help them discover the uniqueness in them,” she said. "Tinafi has been nothing but a source of happiness." bird/ Editing by Nest, bird's virtual newsroom. This work was made possible through the support of #AfricaNoFilter, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Cameroonian motor mechanic Akah George Kum started growing flowers in the shadow of Mount Cameroon. The venture has bloomed - and the Dibanda region with it. By Njodzeka Danhatu, bird story agency On the highway between Dibanda and Douala in southwest Cameroon, a large expanse of colourful flowers stretches along both sides. These flowers are part of George Natural Decor, the business belonging to Akah George Kum. The flower "garden shop" that Kum has painstakingly built over the past 18 years has helped transform the Dibanda region, the country's horticulture capital, where most residents grow flowers for a living. "Dibanda is one of the biggest places for horticulture in Cameroon because of our good climate. It does well for the plants-neither too much heat nor too much cold. Our climate is very balanced," said Kum He added that the region is the country's leading supplier of flowers, which are exported across Africa and outside the continent. "When you buy a flower from here and compare it with the ones from Douala and Yaounde, you notice a big difference because of the climate. That is why most people take our soil when they come here " said Kum. Akah George Kum in his garden shop in Buea, Cameroon.Photo : Njodzeka Danhatu Kum also grows medicinal plants, particularly artemisia, whose extract is commonly used for typhoid and malaria treatment. "I grow different species of plants, and it is difficult to master their names, but the most popular of the medicinal plants are artemisia," he said. The 42-year-old trained vehicle mechanic who veered off his career path to grow flowers is also the President of the Dibanda Horticultural Farmers. He says flower growing is well-paying and urges more Cameroonians to take it up, especially with the growing demand for flower plants. Trees, shrubs and flowering plants in Akah George Kum's garden shop in Buea, Cameroon.Photo : Njodzeka Danhatu "The income generation of this business is one 100 per cent. If you check your labour and everything, you will know that for any product you are selling out, you have at least 100 per cent profit. I own a house, some few landed properties from the proceeds of horticulture. I do landscaping and designing for nature flowers also," he said. The domestic Cameroonian market is crucial for the industry. During the COVID-19 pandemic, sales of Cameroonian cut flowers sank dramatically. A simmering civil conflict also negatively impacted exports. In that environment, domestic sales were a lifeline for farmers like Kum, allowing him to continue to make a living. He encourages major investment into this sector that he believes can still see significant growth - with a knock-on effect for local communities. Flowering plants in Akah George Kum's garden shop in Buea, Cameroon. Photo : Njodzeka Danhatu "Despite the conflict, the business is still the residents' lifeline. For instance, I am personally able to save at least FCFA 300,000 (US$465) from the business, monthly," he said. Kum's plea to the government is for more support because the flower industry can grow the country's economy and act as a buffer against the impact of climate change. According to Archimede Mbogning, a researcher from the Cameroon University of Dschang, the government needs to invest more in the fledgling horticulture sector because it has a huge economic potential. "The government should plough more resources into the development of the horticulture sector despite its one per cent contribution to the GDP. It may be low now, but it's growing and promising to be stable as more local people begin to appreciate flowers and the high demand in the international market, especially in Europe," he added. Trees, shrubs and flowering plants in Akah George Kum's garden shop in Buea, Cameroon. Photo : Njodzeka Danhatu For Kum, there is no question; the government must support the emerging sector. "It's the goose that lays golden eggs that has been ignored by Cameroonians," Kum said. While the government has historically paid more attention to cash crops, including bananas and cocoa, which account for 23 per cent of the country's GDP, the focus is beginning to shift. In 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development initiated a programme to help boost horticulture farming in the country. For his part, Kum plans to put his money where his mouth is. To expand the business, he plans to buy more land and go into large-scale horticulture. bird story agency

Several high-carbon emitting countries in Africa are developing just energy transition plans while still focusing on exploiting their fossil-fuel reserves. **By Conrad Onyango, bird Story Agency** Africa's carbon-intensive economies are racing to develop just energy transition plans as more green funding commitments begin to flow in. However, these oil and gas-dependent states are not yet ready to sacrifice their vast fossil fuel reserves, with many making a solid case for transiting to clean energy in the longer term and at their own pace. Barely a week after curtains fell on 'Africa's COP,' Angola is set to aggressively market its oil and gas sector to African and global leaders, policymakers and investors. Organisers of a three-day Angola Oil and Gas conference and Exhibition 2022, scheduled to begin November 29th, have described this as the most significant event for the country and Africa's biggest energy conference post-COP27. "The event is set to lay the foundation for robust discussions, lucrative deals and new capital commitments that will transform Angola's energy landscape for the better," Africa Energy Chamber said in a statement. The chamber said the event would build on a 'strong argument' placed by African leaders during the global climate summit to develop the oil and gas sector for the good of Africa. A key priority is to leverage high oil and gas reserves to end energy poverty and bolster the development of these economies. In October 2021, during a Financial Times Africa Summit, Angolan President João Lourenço hinted it had begun working on a clean energy transition plan but indicated it would take time before its hydrocarbon sector shuts down. In early November, Ghana's president, Nana Akufo-Addo, expressed his country's total commitment to increasing its share of renewable energy in the energy mix in guiding the government to 'responsibly' implement 'Just Energy Transition.' "We will continue to increase the share of renewable energy in our electricity generation mix, as well as explore the options of hydrogen gas and other clean energy sources to meet our energy needs," said Akufo-Addo, at a High-Level Event on Sustainable Energy for All. The West African leader said its government had developed an Energy Transition Framework to guide the country in implementing the transition to clean energy at 'its own pace.' The US$561.8 billion framework structured to 'minimise possible stranded assets and job losses in the oil and gas sector will see Ghana achieve net zero emissions by 2070. Ghana is the fourth country to have a clear Just Energy Transition Plan after South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. Transition Funding commitments have, however, been recorded in South Africa and Egypt. South Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnership- a venture between the governments of South Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom (UK), France, Germany, and the European Union (EU) is Africa's first transition model project. Fossil fuels and the energy transition- Africa's dilemma [Graphics: Hope Mukami] The venture is mobilising an initial US $ 8.5 billion to help the country's efforts in coal plant de-commissioning, funding alternative employment in coal mining areas and deployment of clean energy and investments in new sectors of the green economy. The world Bank, in the lead up to COP27 in Egypt, approved an additional US $497 million of financing in support of South Africa's Just Energy Transition. Egypt, which plans to quadruple its installed renewable capacity share to 42 per cent by 2030, has committed to developing an ambitious and longer-term strategy to reach net zero emissions by 2050 by exploring green hydrogen, among other green alternatives. A Just Energy Transition in Egypt's Climate Action Profile by the country's Ministry of Environment shows that Egypt is ready to go all out in the transition process by pushing for a robust and diverse energy mix. The plan includes, among others deployment of energy storage technologies, the Inclusion of new alternative energy sources such as green and blue hydrogen, Phasing out coal and switching to low carbon fuels, stimulating the increased production and use of biofuels, Expansion of electrified mass transit systems, and transformation to non-motorised transportation. In August, Nigeria launched its Energy Transition Plan (ETP) strategy to achieve its 2060 net zero emission target. Since then, it has been in the market looking to secure at least US $10 billion in financing commitment to kickstart the plan's implementation. Nigeria's plan to use gas as 'transitionary fuel', ending energy poverty and supporting industrialisation in what it hopes will promote fair, inclusive and equitable energy in Africa. by 2060, the country estimates 100 million Nigerians will have been lifted out of poverty through the transition. According to a report by Oxford Economics, African countries differ in their structural economic configurations and extensive development needs, along with the relative size, composition, and carbon intensity of their energy systems. Therefore, their transition scope, speed and complexities vary. "Arguments for and against energy transitions in Africa should carefully balance net zero ambitions with development goals, along with the basic necessity to ensure ubiquitous energy security, access, reliability, and affordability," said researchers at Oxford Economics. **

The Kirisia community from Samburu in Northern Kenya is rewriting its negative historical narrative and putting Samburu on the global map through its forest conservation programme. By Jackson Okata, bird Story Agency As the world celebrated World Food Day on October 14 2022, a small Kenyan village was making headlines on the sidelines of the event in Rome, Italy. The Kirisia community from Samburu county, 400 kilometres north of Nairobi, received a global award for its sustainable efforts in restoring a critical forest and water tower on its deathbed due to human settlement. Through the Kirisia Community Forest Association(CFA), the community received the achievement award from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The award was launched in 2020 to recognise individuals, communities and institutions with outstanding performance in the efficient execution of programmes related to FAO's work. It focuses on fisheries, forestry, climate, land and water, and animal and plant health sectors. "I cannot express my excitement and that of our members for this outstanding achievement. As the Samburu indigenous community, Kirisia forest is a critical ecosystem that has supported the livelihoods and cultural heritage of the Samburu indigenous community for generations," said Kirisia CFA chairman Douglas Leboiyare. Leiboiyare says the award is a statement to the world that "good things can also come out of Samburu." "For decades we have been known for all the bad things like cattle rustling and fighting but we want the whole world to know that the pastoralist communities are embracing change," he said. The Kirisia Community Forest Association took the lead in restoring the forest with the support of FAO, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Kenya Forestry Service, the County Government of Samburu, and the Green Belt Movement. Leboiyare says excessive and uncoordinated livestock grazing, charcoal burning and logging had for decades threatened the existence of the forest, which supports over 10,000 households. "We destroyed the forest ecosystem out of ignorance as a community and we bore the brunt of it for so long," Leboiyare explained. In 2019, 10,000 illegal settlers who had occupied the forest for more than three decades started leaving voluntarily. And on December 30, 2019, the community kicked off the Kirisia forest restoration project by planting the first 11,000 seedlings. The Chief Conservator of Forests says that 30,000ha of Kirisia Forest had already been destroyed when the restoration began. Between 1973 and 2015, the forest lost 20 per cent of its tree cover. Members o f the Kirisia community prepare a section of the Kirisia forest for tree planting. Photo Credits : FAO,Kenya The Kirisia Community has restored 11,000 out of the 30,000 hectares of the destroyed forest, with 80,000 tree seedlings planted since 2019. Kenya water towers head of communication Hillary Sang attributes the project's success to community sensitisation on the importance of conserving the forest for their benefit. "Nobody was evicted from the forest by force, the process was voluntary and peaceful. Pressure for dwellers to leave the forest came from the residents themselves", said Sang. Joceline Thembu, an environmental expert involved in the project, says keeping politics out of the project was critical to its success. Samburu county forest Conservator Charles Ochieng says community scouts have been key to the initiative's success through regular patrols within the forest. "We have plans of scaling up tree planting to realise our target of 450,000 new tree seedlings," said Ochieng. At the start of the project, the Kenya Water Towers had pledged 50,000 seedlings, Kenya Forest Service 300,000 seedlings and Kenya Forestry Research 100,000 seedlings towards the project. Through the forest restoration project, the community has been allowed to sustainably maintain the right to use the forest. The community members are now allowed to practice agroforestry, beekeeping and even grazing within the forest. At least 1300 community members are engaged in controlled beekeeping inside the forest under the Samburu Beekeepers Cooperative Society. John Lelesit, chairman of the Samburu bee keepers' society, says the community, with their over 400 hives in the forest, can generate income from selling honey, something he admits has changed the economic fortunes of those involved. Lelesit adds that honey production, forest farming, regeneration of water springs, enhanced livestock fodder and fruit farming has enhanced the community's food and nutrition security. "Our young warriors are busy inside the forest keeping bees and farming. They have no time for war or cattle rustling and this has put an end to communal conflicts which caused many deaths and destruction of property," he said. Mariana Kelporen, a mother of six, says the forest restoration has given them peace as women and helped keep their husbands at home. "We not only have food for our children but we also have our husbands at home. Initially, they would go for days looking for cattle to steal or following stolen cattle and some would never return," she said.

STORY NAME: COP 27 SCENES FROM SHARM EL SHEIKH LOCATION: SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT DATE SHOT: 05/11/22 SOUND: NATURAL SOUND WITH ENGLISH SPEECH DURATION: 1:54 SOURCE: BIRD STORY AGENCY RESTRICTIONS: NONE ASPECT RATIO: 16.9 ORIGINAL FRAME RATE: 24 fps (progressive). INTRO: Scenes from Sharm El Sheikh as visitors and delegates descend on COP 27, “Africa's Cop”. SHOTLIST 1. VISITORS AND DELEGATES DESCEND TO COP 27 AT SHARM EL SHEIKH 2. VARIOUS OF COP 27 SIGNAGE 3. DELEGATES AND VISITORS ARRIVING 4. VISITORS GETTING TO THE CONFERENCE HALLS 5. VISITORS WALKING ALONG THE SHARM EL SHEIKH STREETS 6. VISITORS LONG THE SHARM EL SHEIKH HALLWAYS 7. MORE DELEGATES RESTING OUTDOORS 8. VARIOUS OF DELEGATES ADDRESSING THE CONFERENCE 9. DELEGATES AND VISITORS FOLLOWING THE PROCEEDINGS 10. MORE OF DELEGATES ADDRESSING THE COP 27 CONFERENCE 11. VISITORS FOLLOWING ALONG THE COP 27 PROCEEDINGS 12.. MEDIA REPORTER DURING PRACTICE 13. VISITORS WALKING DOWN THE STREETS OF SHARM EL SHEIKH

President's arrival at "Africa's cop" as António Guterres - Secretary General of the UN address the summit. STORY NAME: COP 27 PRESIDENTS ARRIVAL FROM SHARM EL SHEIKH LOCATION: SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT DATE SHOT: 07/11/22 SOUND: NATURAL SOUND WITH ENGLISH SPEECH DURATION: 3:19 SOURCE: BIRD STORY AGENCY RESTRICTIONS: NONE ASPECT RATIO: 16.9 ORIGINAL FRAME RATE: 24 fps (progressive). INTRO: President's arrival at "Africa's cop" as António Guterres - Secretary General of the UN, Climate activist, Leah Namugerwa address the summit. SHOTLIST 1. VARIOUS OF FLAGS FLYING 2. VISITORS AND DELEGATES ARRIVING AT SHARM EL SHEIKH FOR “AFRICA’S COP” 3. VISITORS WALKING ALONG THE SHARM EL SHEIKH STREETS 4. DELEGATES & VISITORS GETTING TO THE CONFERENCE HALLS 5. MOTORCADE OF EGYPTS PRESIDENT – ABDEL FATTAH EL SISI ARRIVING 6. VARIOUS OF FLAGS FLYING 7. UN SECRETARY – GENERAL, ANTÓNIO GUTERRES ARRIVAL 8. MORE UN LEADERS ARRIVING 9. UK PRIME MINISTER, RISHI SUNAK ARRIVAL 10. VISITORS GETTING INTO THE CONFERENCE HALL 11. YOUNG CLIMATE ACTIVIST, LEAH NAMUGERWA WALKING TO THE PODIUM 12. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): LEAH NAMUGERWA, YOUNG CLIMATE ACTIVIST, SAYING: “It is the rule of nature living for others, because plants do not eat their own food and rivers do not drink their own water. I don’t believe it is justice to the young generation when our rivers and lakes are polluted. Let the African Cop listen to the biggest stakeholders, let the African cop be an action cop”. 13. VARIOUS OF HEADS OF STATES AND AUDIENCE 14. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, SECRETARY – GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS, SAYING: “The deadly impacts of climate change are here and now; loss and damage can no longer be swept under the rag. It is a moral imperative; it is a fundamental question of international solidarity and climate justice. Those who contributed least to the climate crisis are reaping the ill wills of others. On addressing loss and damage, this cop must agree on a clear time bound road map reflective of the scale and urgency of the challenge, and this roadmap must deliver effective institutional arrangements for financing getting concrete results on loss and damage is the litmus test of the commitment of the governments to the success of cop 27”. 15.HEADS OF STATES, UN LEADERS & AUDIENCE APPLAUDING 16. UN, HEADS OF STATES ASSEMBLE FOR A PHOTO

Vanessa Nakate with team demonstration STORY NAME: YOUTH-LED DEMONSTRATION DEMANDING FOR LOSS AND DAMAGE FINANCE AT COP 27 LOCATION: SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT DATE SHOT: 10/11/22 SOUND: NATURAL SOUND WITH ENGLISH SPEECH DURATION: 1:37 SOURCE: BIRD STORY AGENCY RESTRICTIONS: NONE ASPECT RATIO: 16.9 ORIGINAL FRAME RATE: 24 fps (progressive). INTRO: Young climate activists leading peaceful demonstrations demanding loss and damage financing SHOTLIST 1. VARIOUS OF VANESSA NAKATE, CLIMATE ACTIVIST LEADING OTHER ACTIVISTS IN PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION 2. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): VANESSA NAKATE, UGANDAN CLIMATE ACTIVIST, SAYING: “Gas is a destruction for Africa, Gas is a destruction for our planet. What the Africa Continent needs is investments in renewable energy because many times the profits from fossil fuels investments end up in the pockets of already rich people in the global north”. 3. VANESSA NAKATE AND OTHER ACTIVISTS DEMONSTRATING 4. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): ISAAC SSENTUMBWE, UGANDAN CLIMATE ACTIVIST, SAYING: “We must understand that these two things are different. The climate finance and the loss and damage facility. This are facilities that should be provided in different streams. And it should be mobilized in a way where there is a plan. 5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): VANESSA NAKATE, UGANDAN CLIMATE ACTIVIST, SAYING: “We do have the resources, what we don’t have is political will. Once we have the political will for investment in renewable energy for protecting our people and planet, we will realize that we already have the resources, we already have the finances available in the world and we already have the experts needed in this transition”. 6. VISITORS AND DELEGATES WALKING ALONG THE STREETS OF SHARM EL SHEIKH

US President Joe Biden at COP. STORY NAME: PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SPECIAL ADDRESS AT COP 27 LOCATION: SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT DATE SHOT: 11/11/22 SOUND: NATURAL SOUND WITH ENGLISH SPEECH DURATION: 3:19 SOURCE: BIRD STORY AGENCY RESTRICTIONS: NONE ASPECT RATIO: 16.9 ORIGINAL FRAME RATE: 24 fps (progressive). INTRO: Special address at “Africa’s cop” from Joe Biden as he commits to climate targets during a special speech address at cop27 in Egypt. SHOTLIST 1. COP SIGNAGE AT SHARM EL SHEIKH 2. VARIOUS OF FLAGS FLYING 3. SCENES OF VARIOUS DELEGATES AND VISITORS’ ARRIVAL AT SHARM EL SHEIKH 4. VISITORS GOING THROUGH SECURITY SCREENING 5. US PRESIDENT, JOE BIDEN ARRIVAL 6. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SAYING: “The climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, NASA’s security and the very life of the planet. Here at COP27 we are co-cheering force and climate partnership to leave real rapid strides to healthy force stations. The best part is we don’t have to develop any new technologies, we just have to make clear, fast and more valuable when they’re preserved than when they’re destroyed, it’s that basic. At this gathering we must renew and raise our climate ambitions. United States is acting, everyone has to act. It is a duty responsibility of global leadership. Countries that are in a position to help should be supporting developing countries so they can make decisive climate decisions. Facilitating their energy transitions, building a path to prosperity and compatible where climate imperative. If countries can finance COP in developing countries, there’s no reason why we can’t finance clean energy in developing countries. 7. DELEGATES AND VISITORS APPLAUDING 8. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SAYING: “Let’s reach out, take the future in our hands and make the world we wish to see, that we know we need, a planet preserved for generations to come, an economy powered by clean diversified secure energy sources, opportunism unlocked through innovation and cooperation to deliver equitable, more prosperous, more stable and more just world for our children. That’s why we are here, that’s what we’re working towards and we can do it together confidently. Thank you and may God bless you all” 9. DELEGATES AND VISITORS APPLAUDING 10. US PRESIDENT, JOE BIDEN BIDS GOODBYE TO THE AUDIENCE 11. US PRESIDENT, JOE BIDEN LEAVING THE AUDITORIUM.

STORY NAME: YOUNG AFRICAN ACTIVISTS AT COP 27 LOCATION: SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT DATE SHOT: 10/11/22 SOUND: NATURAL SOUND WITH ENGLISH SPEECH DURATION: 3:10 SOURCE: BIRD STORY AGENCY RESTRICTIONS: NONE ASPECT RATIO: 16.9 ORIGINAL FRAME RATE: 24 fps (progressive). INTRO: Young climate activists at “Africa’s cop” in discussion on loss and damage financing SHOTLIST 1. VARIOUS OF YOUNG ACTIVIST SHARON RINGO MOWO AND HIS FATHER RINGO MOWO LEAVING THEIR HOTEL 2. SHARON RINGO MOWO AND HIS FATHER BOARDING THE BUS 3. VARIOUS OF SHARON RINGO MOWO AND HIS FATHER ARRIVING AT “AFRICA’S COP” 4. SHARON RINGO PERUSING THROUGH HER PUBLISHED BOOK 5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): SHARON RINGO MOWO, YOUNG TANZANIAN CLIMATE ACTIVIST, SAYING: “I was inspired to see so many people were interested in the big five when I went to Serengeti national park. And when we saw the animals, so many people were there in safari cars. So, it interested me to write a book so that a lot more people around the world would know about the big five”. 6. SHARON RINGO MOWO PERUSING THROUGH HER PUBLISHED BOOK 7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): SHARON RINGO MOWO, YOUNG TANZANIAN CLIMATE ACTIVIST SAYING: “I’m telling people and leaders that are here in cop27 to start keeping our environment safe and stop being greedy to us because we are the future generation. So, we should be safe and protected with a good environment and a good climate”. 8. SHARON RINGO MOWO, VANESSA NAKATE AND OTHER CLIMATE ACTIVISTS POSING FOR A PHOTO. 9. DIXON BAHANDAGIRA, CLIMATE ACTIVIST HAVING A CHAT. 15. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): DIXON BAHANDAGIRA, UGANDAN CLIMATE ACTIVIST, SAYING: “We want actions. If there is action and compensation, we want leaders to show us the money. The 100 billion they talked about. Because we are tired of the words, the promises and everything. Adaptation on loss and damage might be possible for them but we don’t see that on the ground”. 10. COP 27 VISITORS MOVING AROUND 11. OLUWATOBILOBA AJAYI, NIGERIAN ACTIVIST AT HER STATION WITH TEAM 12. VARIOUS OF OLUWATOBILOBA AJAYI, NIGERIAN ACTIVIST, WORKING ON HER LAPTOP 13. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): OLUWATOBILOBA AJAYI, NIGERIAN ADVOCATE FOR CLEAN AIR, SAYING: “The reason i came here is to advocate for clean air and air pollution because I have been into the projects even before coming to cop. What I hope to achieve is that we want the government, we want delegates to understand that we need clean air in our environment and air pollution is killing the youths and the old. 14. VARIOUS OF COP27 ATTENDEES MOVING AROUND 15. VARIOUS OF SAMUEL OKORIE ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION WITH OTHER COP27 ATTENDEES 16. SAMUEL OKORIE, NIGERIAN ACTIVIST IN A DISCUSSION WITH OTHER ACTIVISTS 17. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) SAMUEL OKORIE, NIGERIAN ACTIVIST AND YOUNGO CONTACT POINT ON LOSS AND DAMAGE, SAYING: “We’ve had deliberate engagement on loss and damage. We’ve had deliberate engagement on finance. We’ve even had demonstrations on loss and damage demanding for loss and damage finance now and also demanding for climate justice for the global south in solidarity with the global north. 18. SAMUEL OKORIE, NIGERIAN ACTIVIST PARTICIPATING IN LOSS AND DAMAGE FINANCE PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION