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With the film industry worldwide roiled by revelations of exclusion, neglect or abuse of women, African women filmmakers like Amanda Marufu, are turning to film festivals as a safe space for growth and learning. Takunda Aaron Chimutashu, bird story agency For award-winning Zimbabwean film producer, feminist activist, author and film festival organiser, Amanda Marufu, also known as Amanda Tayte-Tait, media revelations regarding the abuse of women in the industry come as no surprise. “People make snide comments almost implying you can't be good enough, you know, and then there's the whole boys club aspect where you meet a co-worker and suddenly they're hitting on you. You also get excluded from opportunities. There's one man who literally told me I can’t have a job if I have a baby, which led me to wonder if he would say anything of that sort to a man,” Marufu said. Marufu got her start in the creative industry through fellowships such as the Better Tomorrow Movement in 2019. She educated herself on how to create films and utilized creative residencies and programs such as the Digital Spaces Lab to enhance her knowledge. Her first experience in the industry came in the form of mini-documentaries on the Eat Out movement, a movement dedicated to improving the livelihoods of the homeless. Marufu has since produced a TV show called #NoFilter featuring a panel of Zimbabwean celebrities including Chido Musasiwa, Patience Musa and Zandile Zaza Ndlovu discussing issues that are often labelled taboo or unspeakable in Zimbabwe. She facilitated the Let Them Festival in 2020, featuring over 25 films in different genres. Her most recent accolade is the documentary “CreateZim” which won best documentary at the European Film Festival Zimbabwe (EuroFilmFestZW). According to veteran filmmaker and co-organiser of the European Film Festival, Mercy Mangwana, gender-based discrimination is an issue faced by women at all levels of the industry, worldwide. “Some things that affect women the most are the sexist environment, the gender imbalance as well as sexual harassment. And these are things that have been there since time immemorial. These issues have been persistent and despite recent progress such as the MeToo movement, institutional barriers to gender equality and empowerment remain,” Mangwana stated. Marufu pointed out the statistical disparity between men and women involved in the media industry in Zimbabwe reflects a worldwide trend. “The Global Media Monitoring Project investigated how many women are covered by the media as a whole and found that only 18% of all people covered by media are women; this is across print, radio and TV. Just 18 percent of women are present. That means roughly 82 percent of the time we're getting one viewpoint, a very male-centred viewpoint, and that's especially harmful for younger girls because they won't know what's possible,” Marufu shared. Needing a place that provided a safe environment in which she could learn and grow, Marufu turned to film festivals. "Film festivals that have a fellowship aspect to them break down barriers because they create a safe environment for women to learn. I think the whole ecosystem helps because you get access to the resources and mentors, and you have a place to start, instead of just starting from zero," she shared. After submitting work to the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA), Zimbabwe Annual Film and Television Awards (ZAFTA) and the European Film Festival, Marufu was nominated for the ZAFTAs. She credits that success, along with her EuroFilmFestZW win, to her participation in film festivals as a contributor and organiser. “Women’s participation in film festivals goes beyond career building as it allows women to finally tell stories from their own perspective. It's no secret that most films are created from the male point of view and thus fall prey to pitfalls like playing to the male gaze and the portrayal of women as simple plot devices or objects of sexual fantasy. Women’s involvement in the film industry is a massive asset in the struggle to depict stories and social issues from a fresh and varied angle,” she explained. Film festivals such as the International Images Film Festival For Women (IIFF) are working to amplify the voices of women and showcase the depiction of women in more varied and nuanced media. Instituting festival rules such as gender quotas and requiring the presence of women in at least one leading role in a film has also been an effective tool used to promote women’s participation in projects such as the Accountability Lab Zimbabwe (ALZ) Film Fellowship, according to many in the industry. Dexter Fundire, the Project Officer for the ALZ Film Fellowship and the organiser of the Bokola Film Festival pointed out the importance of actively promoting women’s participation in training programs such as the one he runs. “Within the (ALZ) Film Fellowship, we have a 60-40 split, with 60% being women and 40% being men. Competitions within the festival arena that are just for women or that have a 60-40 split ensure that there is equality and equity. Yes, some people might argue that it's not fair on the men who get the 40 percent split, but the reason why we do that is because historically, more men have had an opportunity than women," Fundire said. Silicon Valley African Film Festival best documentary winner and film industry legend, Tsitsi Madoda, said that though there is light at the end of the tunnel, further effort is required to address disparities. “It's so easy to give up, especially when you are in place or in an environment that has quite a number of challenges. But we all have a unique story to tell. I do feel that the African narrative, or the unique female, women perspective on things has not yet been fully tapped into. If we really came together and held each other's hands and said we will push and drive towards this, I think our children and grandchildren will thank us for it,” Madoda said. bird story agency Useful links: https://www.thebettertomorrowmovement.com/ https://whomakesthenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Zimbabwe-Report-GMMP.pdf https://www.icapatrust.org/iiff_harare/

When Brenda Comfort Mhlanga’s face was plastered across the media when she was hired as a police officer in 2022, her appointment was met with accusations of preferential treatment. Just a year on the job and this woman living with albinism dreams of one day becoming the Inspector of Police. Edwin Nyirongo, bird story agency For many Malawians, the very idea that a person living with albinism, which has made many into targets for body parts traders, could be recruited to protect ordinary Malawians, was almost ludicrous. That was until the Malawi Police Service (MPS) recruited two people with albinism into its services. “I do not believe this. You see, we are appealing to police to protect our brothers and sisters with albinism from some misguided people who believe there is richness in their body parts. Now to suggest that the very people that need protection are protecting us is unimaginable.” said Dalington Gondwe, who lives less than a kilometre from a police training school in Limbe, Blantyre, in southern Malawi. But for Brenda Comfort Mhlanga, aged 21, who recently graduated from the training school, there is nothing to worry about. Mhlanga was born with the rare genetic pigment disorder and was hired by the police service, together with a male colleague who has the same condition, in August 2022. “Since I went to police training school, I was doing everything that everyone was supposed to do. I could run and carry out security exercises and I tell you that I can run faster than those with dark skin,” Mhlanga said. Mhlanga was born into a family of four children in Mzimba district in northern Malawi. While neither parent has albinism, both she and her older brother were born with the condition. Fulfilling a childhood dream After completing her primary schooling, Mhlanga was selected to attend a secondary school close to Lake Malawi but the area was too hot, making it unsuitable for her condition so school authorities moved her to Mzimba Secondary School, nearer to her home. Mhlanga’s ambition was to become either a police officer or a lawyer. “While at school, I admired police officers. I would ask them about their work and they encouraged me. With the grades I got, I knew that my dreams of becoming a lawyer are gone, so my focus was on the police,” she said. After completing her secondary education, Mhlanga was patient as she waited for the police service to issue a recruitment advert. This came in 2021 and when she applied, she was called for an interview. Her interview was successful and was followed by full police training. Mhlanga denied allegations that officials may have been lenient because of her condition. “There are three types of interviews at the police — physical, written and oral. I passed all of them. In fact, it was at the police training school that I realised that it was just a skin different from others, otherwise, we all did the same things,” she disclosed. Getting on with work After completing her police training in August 2022, Mhlanga was posted to Kasungu Police Station, about 440 kilometres away from Blantyre. Kasungu Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Francis Titani Chisoti described the young woman as a hard worker, dedicated to her job. “She is just doing fine. There is nothing like special treatment when it comes to assignments. We share work here and she is doing what has been assigned to her which she does well,” he said. National police spokesperson Peter Kalaya disclosed that Mhlanga and her colleague, Hamid Vasco, were equally qualified. “From their academic qualifications to their physical abilities, the two satisfied our recruitment team that they could make it in MPS. They underwent the same scrutiny during interviews like any other person. Again, they underwent the same training like any other during their nine months of basic police training course…” Kalaya said. Kalaya added that with cases of attacks and killings of people with albinism being registered each year, the recruitment of the two new officers was a chance for the police to send a serious message to perpetrators of attacks on people with albanism that they also have officers with the condition. The Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (APAM) said the recruitment of people with albinism into the police service fulfilled what the organisation has been fighting for. “We looked at it as a breakthrough because communities will say ‘if people with albinism can be police officers, then they are as normal as everyone'. Police training is hard and for them to finish, it shows how strong they can be," said APAM national coordinator, Maynard Zachariah, Zachariah said the organisation had been pushing for the police service to hire people living with albinism. "We wanted visibility. Police officers in uniform can easily be noticed. Hamid Vasco is a police traffic officer, seen stopping and checking vehicles on the road... We also wanted to change some people’s perceptions who believe that people with albinism cannot do work that requires energy.” Renowned Malawian human rights activist Michael Kaiyatsa from the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) hailed the recruitment of people with albinism into the police service. The activist, however, asked the government to address the root cause of the dangers persons with albinism face. “Why are authorities failing to discover the market of body parts of people with albinism? We fail to understand this by looking at how they are able to dig into other issues. This is creating suspicion among people who suspect that politicians could be involved,” Kaiyatsa said. Considering the threat people with albinism face in Malawi, and also that she could be a target, Mhlanga sees no threat. “I don’t even think about it because it will waste my time. I just go about doing my work, including carrying out patrols at night. I believe that if I am attacked, with the police training I got, I can defend myself,” she said. Mhlanga said she now dreams of becoming the police Inspector General, the highest-ranked police officer in Malawi. bird story agency

When Dominic Orina was transferred to teach in another part of Kenya, he struggled with the local diet. So he planted vegetables. That started a journey that was recently recognised by UNESCO. Florence Muendo, bird story agency Most weekdays, Dominic Orina starts the day early, checking on his chickens before taking a look at his garden. Then he heads to school. His day job is teaching at Kugerwet Primary School in the Rift Valley Region in Kenya. But as soon as school is out, Orina is back in his garden, concentrating on teaching a completely different school: his 280K+ Facebook followers, who are all keen on learning how to start and maintain a kitchen garden like Orina's. Away from his social media, the teacher visits his learners to offer guidance to members of his community who are willing to learn how to garden a variety of vegetables. Where it all started It was not always like this. In 2017, Orina was among the first batch of teachers who were moved from their teaching positions to entirely new schools in different parts of Kenya, as part of a "delocalisation" program. Hailing from Nyamira County, in southwestern Kenya, Orina was accustomed to eating a variety of vegetables and potatoes. When he got to Bomet County, in the Rift Valley, Orina struggled to keep up with a diet without the vegetables he was used to eating. Bomet is largely known for tea farming and dairy production. Farmers who do not engage in dairy farming grow maize - one of the staple foods in the region. “In Nyamira, almost every household has a kitchen garden where one can get a variety of vegetables such as kale, spinach, pigweed, amaranthus and cabbage. In Bomet, the people plant tea or maize everywhere, leaving little or no space for gardening. The vegetables I enjoyed eating in Nyamira have all of a sudden become a scarcity,” Orina explained. In an effort to diversify his diet, Orina decided to purchase eggs. To his shock, the eggs were unaffordable and he soon realized the only way to get a steady and affordable supply of eggs was to rear his own chickens. “I approached my landlord, Mr Stephen Sitonik, and requested to use the compound to rear some chicken. Being a retired teacher himself, he had a soft spot for me. He not only allowed me to use the space but also gave me some iron sheets to construct a chicken coop. I went back home to Nyamira to source chicks. That is how I started rearing chicken,” Orina shared. In 2018 and 2019, Orina concentrated on rearing chickens. During this time, he supplied eggs to his neighbours and earned a reputation for their quality. While Orina had now solved his egg supply problem, he still craved the vegetables he had loved in his menu back home. He started to solve his problem the only way he knew – by building out a vegetable garden, himself. “I went back to my landlord and requested to start gardening at the unused space in the compound. Since he had seen the work I was doing in rearing chickens, he gave me the go-ahead.” He had one problem, however. Orina knew that once he planted vegetables, the chickens would eat everything. He had to find an alternative. So he started growing vegetables in sacks and containers, placing them on the roof where the chickens could not access them. “I took one sack and I remember vividly it was a 5kg sack that used to contain chicken feed. I put some soil in the sack, planted a kale seedling and placed it on the roof of the chicken coop. I used chicken poop as manure. In less than two months, the kales were not only mature but also bigger than average.” At the time, gardening was just a hobby as Orina was yet to envision his small project evolving into something bigger than his backyard. In 2020, at the height of COVID-19, with schools closed, Orina had a lot of free time and decided to get serious about gardening. “I now started planting a variety of vegetables such as kales, spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, beetroot and onions. When they matured, I shared photos on social media on a group called ‘Lets cook Kenyan meals’. Although I received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, some people said that I had downloaded the pictures because it was not possible to have such a beautiful garden in Kenya. I went a step further to post a video of myself at the garden, harvesting the vegetables to prove that it was my work. It was at this point that people started flooding my Facebook Messenger to ask for tips,” he said. Realising he could not reply to all the messages, he started a Facebook page solely dedicated to sharing gardening tips which he named ‘SACKS AND CONTAINER GARDENING TIPS’. The group has amassed over 280,000 followers, who also share their journeys. “I still receive messages from people from as far as Nigeria who want to start gardening and seek my guidance. I always reply wholeheartedly because I always feel happy when I see people taking the initiative to grow their own food.” Taking agriculture to school When schools reopened in January 2021, Orina went back to teach his Grade 3 learners who would soon advance to the next grade. When his learners reached Grade 4, he realized that the syllabus included teaching innovative agriculture, an area he had immense experience in. “The Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) re-introduced agriculture in primary school and it started in Grade 4. I talked to the headteacher who gave me a small space in the school where we would conduct practical agricultural lessons. I would take the pupils through an oral classroom lesson, then proceed to our garden where we would put the knowledge to practice,” Orina said. Under his tutelage, the Grade 4 pupils transformed their small piece of land into a garden filled with all types of vegetables such as kale, spinach, capsicum, spring onions, celery, beetroot, broccoli, sweet potatoes and cabbage. Later, the club started rearing rabbits. “I taught the children to tap the rabbit’s urine, which we use as foliar fertilizer and pesticides to keep aphids and pests away.” All along, Orina kept updating his progress with the school kitchen garden on Facebook and YouTube. After their first harvest, the teacher decided to treat his pupils to an end-of-term party, using the vegetables they had grown, and he bought meat, rice and potatoes to make a meal. When he shared the photos on Facebook, some of his followers noticed that a number of pupils were wearing torn school uniforms and shoes. This led to a charity drive called the “Dress Me Up Initiative” providing Orina’s pupils with new school uniforms, shoes and other school supplies. “I blur the pictures of my learners whenever I post pictures of them working in the garden on social media. On this particular day, however, one lady noticed that some of my pupils wore torn shoes and sweaters. She approached me and requested to buy the pupils new uniforms. After consulting the parents of the pupils as well as the headteacher, I connected the lady to the families of the needy pupils and they got school supplies. That act of kindness sparked a chain reaction where people from all over now started offering to dress my pupils. Soon enough my learners started receiving uniforms, shoes and other school supplies. Recently, we received sanitary towels for the girls and underwear for both girls and boys. All these are donations from people I have never met,” Orina disclosed. The bountiful harvest from the school garden also goes back to the pupils who work so hard to keep the garden going. “I share the harvest amongst the pupils or share with those in need right here in Konoin and sometimes we sell the vegetables to the teachers and neighbours. We use the money to maintain our garden and fund the end-of-term party for the learners.” Matthew Sigilai is one of Orina’s colleagues. “I can now get fresh vegetables at an affordable price from my pupils right at the comfort of the school. I am in the process of setting up my own garden so that I can start growing a variety of vegetables too,” Sigilai shared. Gardening in the community Initially, Orina restricted his agriculture lessons to the school and his social media pages. However, after getting overwhelming feedback from the parents of his pupils, he decided to pass on his knowledge to his community. “At first, I was reluctant to teach adults. You see, the people here cultivate tea and I was not sure they would be willing to dedicate a portion of their land to grow vegetables. However, I would receive feedback from parents whenever pupils took home a variety of vegetables which they had planted themselves in school. They were willing to start similar projects at home.” Orina has been recognized by the Kenyan Ministry of Education for being the most innovative teacher in CBC in his zone. He has also received a UNESCO award for his outstanding community service. When schools closed for the end-of-year period, in October, Orina knew that this was the perfect opportunity to engage the pupils in home projects before they opened again in January 2024. “Because all the learners I work with reside from around the community, we formed 10 groups of 5 learners each, considering those who live close to each other within the same neighbourhood. The 5 kids in each group work with their parents to set up kitchen garden projects in their homes. I provided each group with two packets of different varieties of vegetables like amaranthus, cabbage spinach or sukuma wiki (collard greens). Each group chose one home to establish a common vegetable nursery bed and then later when the seedlings were ready for transplanting, they shared them to plant in their individual homes. Once in a while, I visit them to check on their progress and support them in one way or the other.” Other schools also organise field trips to see what Orina has accomplished. “I am happy with my learners and the effort they put in(to) agriculture. When schools open, you find the students bringing their harvest to school to show me how well their gardens performed. I always smile when I realise I never gave them the fish but taught them how to fish,” Orina concluded. bird story agency

Egypt is emerging as a frontrunner in the race to establish Africa’s green hydrogen economy after securing a deal with Norway to build a 100MW plant at Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea –– setting the stage for the widespread rollout of clean hydrogen across the continent. Seth Onyango, bird story agency Green hydrogen is now central in Africa’s energy architecture as multilateral backing for the zero-carbon energy carrier intensifies to help turbocharge the continent’s power transition. Although various green hydrogen projects are underway in Africa, Egypt and Norway’s corporation is seen as a vote of confidence for the industry, which has struggled to attract sufficient funding. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre launched the project’s first phase on the sidelines of the COP27’s World Leaders Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh. El- Sisi was upbeat about the project, which will be built in partnership with the Norwegian energy behemoth Scatec, expected to drive sustainable growth in Egypt. He termed it “a practical model of investment partnership that stimulates sustainable economic development with a focus on the role of the national and foreign private sector besides the government’s role, working side by side in this fruitful sector.” Scatec has been a significant developer at Egypt’s massive Benban solar park in Upper Egypt’s Aswan, one of the largest solar farms worldwide with an installed capacity of 1.8GW. As efficient technology drives down the cost of producing green hydrogen, the North African state is working on a strategy to become a net export of clean fuel at the lowest price worldwide. The strategy, implemented in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Arab Union for Sustainable Development and Environment, seeks to help Egypt contribute eight per cent of the global hydrogen market. “Green hydrogen has become one of the most important solutions on the way toward a green economy during the coming years. It is an example where developing countries, including Egypt, are taking great steps. However, we still have to face challenges resulting from the tendency of some countries to back local green hydrogen in a way that decreases their production cost,” El-Sisi said. “This causes an imbalance in the global hydrogen market and contributes to undermining the competitiveness of the green hydrogen produced in developing countries compared to the developed countries.” Other African states are also slowly gravitating towards leveraging their rich renewable energy base to build green supply chains. Namibia plans to shell out US$9 billion to build a 5GW green hydrogen project at Tsau/Khaeb National Park and is set to make its maiden hydrogen production in 2026. The first phase will generate 2GW worth of renewable electricity, which will be upscaled to 5GW. The country is also said to have enormous potential for scaling up a green hydrogen industry, particularly vast unused spaces. High wind speeds in Namibia mean that wind power generation is profitable. South Africa, on the other hand, boasts 80 per cent of the global platinum group metals (PGMs) reserves that are used for green hydrogen production, giving it leverage.PGMs are used in the electrolysers needed to produce green hydrogen as a fuel, giving the nation an advantage in developing the green hydrogen value chain and being a key supplier in the global hydrogen market. Meanwhile, talks about the transport of green hydrogen are also taking shape, with states working on shared infrastructure to lower costs. According to NS Energy, collaboration on shared infrastructure is essential, especially concerning transboundary pipeline transport. Transporting hydrogen transport by pipeline is more cost-effective (roughly by a factor of ten) than electricity transport by cable. Typically, pipeline capacities (15-20 GW) are much larger than electricity cable capacities (1-4 GW). “So instead of transporting bulk electricity, it would be more cost-efficient to transport hydrogen. In addition, hydrogen, like natural gas, can be stored over seasons and can hence serve as a dispatchable source of bulk energy, a distinctive advantage over electricity,” according to NS Energy. “A trans-national hydrogen gas pipeline system is therefore required, enabling transport of hydrogen from the hydrogen production locations (with good renewable resources) to the demand sites.” bird story agency

A modest popsicle-making business in Umoja, Kenya is transforming options for women working in the neighbourhood. Stacey Kakea, bird story agency The rains may have started but residents of Umoja in Nairobi County are still able to enjoy a frozen treat from Azin Pops - and while they're at it, also support a group of small-scale businesswomen. Azin Pops' owner Derrick Ochieng, a budding entrepreneur who puts a fresh spin on traditional Kenyan popsicles by blending them with modern-day flavouring formulations, is hoping that the treats he remembers from his childhood will continue to build demand and make him and his community of clients rich. "When I was a kid, I used to see so many vendors come to our school and sell popsicles. We'd call them "Ice" back then. The most amazing aspect was how many kids would rush to them and buy. We'd fight merely to get the popsicles. I thought they made way too much money,” Ochieng said. His idea to build his business into an offering that gives women an opportunity to start their own businesses came from his first foray into selling popsicles. “My wife is my role model, being my biggest support system, she helped me budget my finances, and eventually she took over every financial decision while I ran the operation itself. I was the one working on the “ground.” When the savings eventually summed up to a good amount, I purchased a three-mold machine,” Ochieng shared. To make his Azin Pops, Ochieng not only experiments with various flavours but also listens to feedback from his clients. The three-mould machine, sourced in Nairobi, cost 105,000 shillings (about US$697 at current rates) - a big investment but one which has paid for itself many times over. The machine includes a tank that provides a steady flow of near-frozen fluid.  After filling stainless steel moulds with the popsicle mixture, sticks are put inside the moulds and submerged in a tank that creates the popsicles. To ensure optimum freshness for the trademark, his popsicles are delivered on the day they are ordered. Ochieng has also reduced the use of plastic by installing innovative storage freezers that can keep hundreds of popsicles frozen for up to eight hours. “I use cooler boxes, which can hold a maximum of 500 ice popsicles, to deliver to the respective clients. This is our way of getting rid of plastic packaging and the need for freezers while also creating something sustainable and biodegradable,” Ochieng shared. It took a while to get used to producing the popsicles with the machine - and early mistakes were costly. "Our first week of production was a challenge, but our resilient nature did not allow us to give up. We had to give it another try. Every time I was ready to give up, my wife would push me to give it another chance,” Ochieng said. A work day begins early for Ochieng in order to be ready for his resellers, who usually arrive by 9;30 a.m. "In Umoja, we have quite a number of popsicle vendors. However, the early bird catches the worm," Ochieng remarked. 90% of his clients are women. "The women that I work with, we all empower each other. We're attempting to construct this together — to be on the same page. Nobody is wiser than the other, and we can all work together to solve this problem since many brains are better than one." Mary Achieng is one of the women who has worked with Ochieng since the inception of his business. She previously relied on other suppliers but his willingness to adapt to her needs won her over. "I have been in the business for almost 30 years now, with my main supplier being Derrick. This business has seen me through a very dark stage in my life where I had nothing and a family to fend for. I have been able to educate my kids for all these years through this business. I hope I am able to progress and get a physical shop instead of having to walk around in order to make sales," Achieng shared. Ochieng believes that through the small businesses they each run, his woman clients have learned to be independent financial operators - and managers. "I am simply a huge dreamer, but my dream business is one where women assist each other, encourage each other, and are compensated equally," Ochieng said. Maureen Awino is another one of Ochieng's clients who has managed to grow financially over the years. She doubted her ability to venture into the business industry, but with steady guidance, Awino found her way through. "I did not think I would live to see the day when I would get a promising reward, but contrary to my thinking, I have actually managed to buy land and build my mom a house. I would rank that as one of my biggest accomplishments in life," Awino said. Many of the approximately 30 women he works with have gone on to start their own businesses, while others have boosted their clientele through him. The wholesale price of the popsicles is 3 shillings (about 2 US cents). In a good month, Ochieng earns up to 100,000 shillings (about US$664). His clients go on to sell popsicles at 10-15 shillings (between 6 and 10 US cents) with some employing their own distributors. His income is directly related to the number of clients he has and the amount of popsicles they require. 'It's a seasonal business, and like all seasonal businesses, there are bound to be peak periods and fall periods too. One has to learn the pattern if maximum sales are to be realised,” he said. Dorcas Hera, a larger popsicle business owner who supplies major Kenyan supermarkets, believes that if young people start out with modest enterprises and expand them, they can become highly profitable over time. "The nice thing about this business is that you can start small and still produce safe, consistent, and delicious treats, which will help with profitability in the long run,” Hera said. She believes that the COVID-19 pandemic provided opportunities for many Kenyans. Despite the issues many suffered, Kenyans proceeded to start their own businesses, with selling popsicles being one of the most successful. “Making popsicles with a machine that can produce more than 300 popsicles every 30 minutes is a profitable business. A successful popsicle business can make you thousands of shillings and some bring even more in a month." Hera stated. Selling popsicles these days is not without its challenges, however. Increasingly strict health regulations and city by-laws mean more checks on vendors plying their trade. "Over the last 3 years, the number of resident officials, police and municipality employees questioning people like me has only gone up. I have had a number of encounters with the police. The first time, I panicked. I was unaware that I could apply for a food license rather than paying fines to the cops," Ochieng shared. Consistency and being ready to listen are what Ochieng credits for the milestones he has reached. But he wants a lot more for his popsicle concern. "I aspire for my business to have a breakthrough and its name to gain popularity, just like the famous Lyons Maid,” he said. bird story agency

Driven by a passion for humanitarian causes, runway model Sharon Okubo is championing a campaign that uses fashion to fight gender-based violence in Kenya. Atieno Odera, bird story agency Entering Watamu town in Kilifi County, north of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean, it is immediately apparent that an awareness of gender-based violence is widespread. The ‘RED CARD CAMPAIGN FASHION SHOW’ advertised loudly on a billboard at the town's entrance displays an image of international runway model Sharon Okubo. The RED CARD campaign is a symbolic call-out to get the wider society to get involved in penalising gender-based discrimination and violence. Started by the non-profit African Renaissance and Diaspora Networks (ARDN), Okubo is an ambassador for the campaign, working closely with models and designers who are survivors of gender-based violence. She advocates and campaigns with organisations and platforms to amplify the message, but keeps a clear focus on the sector she is familiar with: fashion. “I can’t help but acknowledge the profound evolution it has undergone. In the past, the industry grappled with issues of abuse and discrimination, however, over time, significant strides have been made to address these concerns. The fashion world has progressively become more inclusive and diverse, marking a positive shift in the industry’s landscape,” Okubo shared. Okubo's personal experience includes the loss of 3 model friends who took their own lives, allegedly due to discrimination and abuse. “It happens a lot to models who are trying to start off in the fashion industry. While so much change is happening, so much needs to be done. I am determined to be part of the much-needed societal shift of ending gender-based violence against women and girls, through fashion," she shared. The campaign is hoping to take the fashion show event advertised on the billboard country-wide in the coming year, with the next area of focus being Nairobi. “The fashion industry is a powerful creative platform to influence and reinforce change when it comes to human rights. Over the years, things have changed with fashion being used as a powerful medium to raise awareness and advocate for human rights. In different issues, (with) clothing and design, models use their voices to bring about change. The industry has the capacity to change societal perception and push for positive change,” Okubi stated. In October 2023, Okubo graced Brooklyn Fashion Week, strutting the runway in multi-awarded fashion designer John Guarnes' latest fashion wear. The black and white Mikado Silk garments featured a tribute to the diverse faces of women - a theme very much aligned with her advocacy for women and girls in her home country. Okubo has been in the fashion industry for over 3 decades and is determined to use her experience and expertise as a tool in influencing social change by giving survivors of GBV an opportunity and platform to showcase their talent, build a market for their products and create awareness around abuse. Born to a Kenyan father and mother from Trinidad and Tobago, Okubo spent the early years of her childhood in Kenya before moving to America. The first 3 years were a nightmare for the model. She struggled to deal with the culture shock which led to depression. "I wasn’t prepared for the culture shock. But we found our way, made the US our home, and started our life there,” Okubo said. Settling in America, Okubo immersed herself in American culture while cherishing her diverse family heritage. Following her high school graduation, she pursued her higher education at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. At the age of 17, she took her first steps on the local modelling scene, setting the stage for a remarkable career. “My modelling career rapidly catapulted me to international runways in iconic fashion capitals such as New York City, Milan, and Paris," she narrated. While working with designers like Lariza Glazirani, Paul Mitchell and Donna Karan, she also pursued an education which recently culminated in a doctorate in organisational development and leadership. "This academic milestone reflects my commitment to also my personal growth and knowledge,” she narrated. Another model involved in the Red Card campaign is gender-based violence survivor, Perez Wamaitha. Wamaitha was married at the age of 19, seeking marriage as a way out of a difficult home environment. "I grew up in a very toxic environment as a child, with parents who were also very violent, which led me into an early marriage. At around 19 years I moved in with my then-boyfriend. Unfortunately, he also turned violent and would beat me at any provocation. I stayed, always hoping things would get better. I was in this marriage for two years and my breaking point was when he beat me while I was pregnant to the point that I lost the pregnancy. I ran away to Kilifi town to save myself, I needed a fresh start," she shared. For Wamaitha, participating in the RED CARD fashion show is an opportunity to both showcase her talent, earn an income and interact with other survivors who have shared their experiences as a path to healing their trauma. “I would be glad if it is a continuous platform, because it will be a platform to get more exposure and opportunities,” Perez said. According to statistics provided by the Population Council in Kenya, 43% of 15-49-year-old women reported having experienced some form of gender-based violence in their lifetime, with 29% reporting an experience in the previous year; 16% of women reported having ever been sexually abused, and for 13%, this had happened in the last year. In Kilifi County, about 6 cases of gender-based violence are brought before the courts every day. Make-up artist, costume designer and owner of Dena Fashions, Joy Dena, shared that as glamorous as the industry often seems, she has not only faced but witnessed abuse and discrimination against women as well. “Before people understand and embrace you, they will not pay as you deserve. And it takes time. But as a woman in the fashion industry, there is still a lot of discrimination and abusive trends especially towards models because they are seen as weaker. A lot of the management are interested in their personal gains while lying to the models that they are giving them exposure,” Dena shared. Aside from her role as a RED CARD campaign ambassador, Okubo has also founded Andaa Vijana Initiative, an NGO primarily focused on empowering youths living with disabilities. The initiative provides youth with the support and resources they need, including social skills, community outreach, internships, school supplies and sanitary pads for girls. bird story agency

The L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Young Talents Sub-Saharan Africa Awards shines a spotlight on African women scientists working to resolve problems in their countries. Meet 3 of the 30 women who were honoured at the 2023 ceremony in Botswana. Clemence Manyukwe, bird story agency At primary school, Nthabeleng Hlapisi was curious about unexplained mysteries, including black holes, shaped by unseen forces in the universe. The promising young scientist from Lesotho credits that curiosity for the later developments that landed her one of Africa's top science awards. Hlapisi was among the 30 winners of the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Young Talents Sub-Saharan Africa Awards at a ceremony held in Botswana early in November. She also made history as the first national of Lesotho to win the annual award, which is now in its 14th year. According to a L’Oréal-UNESCO statement, the awards enable its laureates to benefit from financial support to help them conduct their research projects with grants of €10,000 for each of the 25 PhD candidates and €15,000 for each of the five post-doctoral researchers who were honoured. Hlapisi - a fourth-year PhD student pursuing Medicinal Chemistry at South Africa's University of KwaZulu-Natal - was recognised for her research, which is aimed at delivering effective, less invasive cancer treatment solutions. “My research is based on using two modalities. That is, the Photo Thermal and the Photo Dynamic therapy where these two methods are non-invasive methods that are used to treat cancer. Photo Dynamic therapy is a modality that you use a dye, and in the presence of oxygen, this dye will produce toxic oxygen. In the presence of oxygen and light, this dye will produce toxic oxygen and kill cancer cells," Hlapisi said. “In Photo Thermal therapy, we use nanoparticles. All these methods are very non-invasive and they are also very specific. By this, I mean that they only kill the cancer cells and not the normal cells. This can be very helpful because the already existing methods to kill cancer are very invasive in that they also kill normal cells hence in chemotherapy people lose their hair and in surgery people lose parts of the body,” she explained. Hlapisi’s insatiable curiosity and hunger to solve mysteries saw her reading physics and chemistry books when she was just 12 years old. Her first research project - on the Bermuda Triangle - while in primary school was a turning point, she said. “I was very fascinated by what this Bermuda Triangle was and I read every physics book to understand why this ship disappeared. That is one of the turning points of how I loved science - because I wanted to read more. I wanted to know why the ship disappeared. What is the physics behind it? The force of gravity and all of that. By reading about the Bermuda Triangle, it made me know what the forces are, Newton's First Law and also I got to learn about other discoveries," she said. Her fascination with science deepened in high school when a friend's mother succumbed to HIV and she felt it was possible for her to work to find a cure. She was the president of her science club in high school from Grades 9-12. Hlapisi said the biggest hurdle she faced was a lack of finances as she came from a low-income family and lost her father at a very young age, which made life very difficult. “Being the first from Lesotho to win the L’Oréal-UNESCO Award has come with a huge responsibility to ensure that I am not the last recipient,” Hlapisi added. This has seen her join many women in science societies to mentor others. “Being the first means I have to carry other people through because I believe in an idiom in the African language that says it takes a village and also that when you educate a woman you educate the whole community. When you educate a man, you just educate the man. Being the first person means I have to bring other people along for them to also win this award," Hlapisi said. Another recipient of the award is Namibia's Maria Nelago Kanyama. Kanyama grew up in a village that was plagued by water shortages, which fuelled her determination to solve water-related issues in communities like her own. Today, Kanyama is pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, specialising in Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). Kanyama is harnessing machine learning to bring water solutions to communities like Oshaakondwa village in Namibia's Oshikoto region where she grew up. The objective of her research is to create a system capable of identifying anomalies such as leakages, meter malfunctions, instances of water theft and tampering within water utilities. She said the initiative is especially crucial considering the projected water stress in Sub-Saharan Africa due to the effects of climate change. In Namibia, the detection of these anomalies currently relies on human observation, but Kanyama’s focus is on developing innovative solutions that leverage disruptive technologies Kanyama overcame personal loss and gender bias to find her way to the top of scientific endeavours in Africa. “The loss of my mother during my final high school exams could have been a major setback, but her resilience and hard work instilled in me a drive to succeed. I was fortunate to secure a place in university along with a bursary, driven by my determination not to disappoint her legacy,” she said. “Initially aspiring to become a pilot, I found my path leading to electronics engineering, landing me a job as an Air Traffic Electronic Engineer. This trajectory allowed me to merge my passion for aviation with Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), creating a unique and fulfilling blend of interest. However, the workplace presented challenges in the form of gender bias and discrimination. Being a female engineer in a male-dominated field, I encountered prejudices that questioned my capabilities and marginalised me, hindering my integration and confidence." She said that throughout these struggles, maintaining focus on her science dream required intentional effort. “I've learned that preserving one's dreams demands resilience and a constant reminder of the bigger picture. Keeping my purpose in sight, I strived to overcome hurdles, holding onto my aspirations despite adversities. It's essential not to let detractors dictate the trajectory of one's dreams," she said. Kenyan, Mwende Mbilo was also honoured at the awards. Mbilo is pursuing a PhD degree in physics at the University of Nairobi and is working on lighting up more homes with solar energy. She credits her parents, who were science teachers at primary school level, for her passion for science. She is currently a visiting researcher at the Korea Research Institute in South Korea and is set to return to her university in early 2024. “I am carrying out research on improving renewable energy in the field of organic solar cells. Organic solar cell light absorbers have the potential of harnessing more sunlight compared to the traditional inorganic solar cell light absorbers due to their higher bandgap," she said. “One challenge that I have encountered during my career journey is a lack of funding support to advance my science career. Kenyan government invests less in research; therefore, it has been difficult to get financial support for my studies in Kenya. Luckily, my university lecturers and mentors were exposed to external funding opportunities that they would share and encourage me to apply. This way, I was able to get scholarships to pursue my science dream,” she shared. bird story agency Useful links: https://www.fondationloreal.com/sites/default/files/2023-11/press_release_young_talents_africa_2023_vdef_2.pdf

Missla Libsekal has been promoting African art for over 13 years. Organisers of Art X Lagos, one of the continent's premier art events, enlisted her expertise and insight for the 2023 showcase. Libsekal is passionate about using her platform to give African artists a voice in the global creative economy. Esther Musembi and Fiske Nyirongo, bird story agency Dressed in two shades of black and flipping through Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina’s How To Write About Africa; Ethiopian writer, curator, researcher and activist Missla Libsekal was in her element as she took a break from her work on Art X Lagos, one of the continent's premier art events. "These kinds of events offer Africans on the continent and in the diaspora to be in dialogue with each other. ART X really does provide a space for that to actually happen, for somebody like myself to be invited and participate in the conversation," Libsekal shared. Libeskal has been working to draw attention to Africa's artistic and cultural landscape for over 13 years. She was born in Ethiopia, grew up in Eswatini and Canada, and has lived in Japan and the USA. This eclectic upbringing has aided her passion for contemporary African art. Libsekal started Another Africa in 2010. This digital platform helps artists, collectors, and enthusiasts connect with each other and learn more about the latest trends in the African art sector. "One of the things that we certainly have across our continent is so many young and senior artists, so when you are thinking about a program such as what we do in ART X, it’s thinking about what is the most important conversation to be having. And from a curatorial point of view, how do we gather artists around that to make it a dynamic conversation," she said. As people slowly moved from one art piece to the next around her, Libsekal mulled on the significance of ART X. "I think for Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora, they are deeply interested in being in dialogue with each other, and what ART X really provides is space for that to actually happen. For somebody like myself, that space is provided to participate in the conversation," she added. Libsekal's personal experiences with diverse cultures and social fabrics means she pays close attention to inclusion and collaboration in her projects. "Thinking about visibility of women in the art sector is an important conversation, it never really actually goes away, but one of the things that I think is good is that at the upcoming Venice Pavilion, we have two very important Nigerian women artists that are going to be presenting, Fatima Tuggar and Ndidi Dike. So I think when we have these positions and opportunities and we put forward women artists on equal standing as men, we are moving the register forward," she said. Libsekal curated the installation for this year's Art X headliner, Bruce Onobrakpeya. The Nigerian sculptor, painter and printmaker's is celebrated internationally for his drive to give African contemporary art significance and viability in the global creative economy. Onobrakpeya pioneered innovative techniques such as bronzed lino relief and metal foil deep etching. He has used these methods to explore themes from Nigerian folklore and socio-political events and collaborated with the likes of Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka. “The art which was in fact not even anything important, has become very, very great in our developmental process. We are talking about education, we are talking about the economy, and we are talking about developing the personalities here in Nigeria and abroad, and my work has made it possible for us as a people to have a voice in the global mix…the world is a global village now, but the art I produced is helping us to have a voice in that global village,” the 91-year-old artist said. Libsekal says Onobrakpeya's presence at Art X this year was linked to its theme - 'The Dialogue' - which emphasises the power of storytelling to encourage individuals to perceive themselves from a fresh perspective, and invites them to reflect on the world and their role in it in the present moment. Libsekal reflected on Onobrakpeya’s art and what it represents especially with his connection to the Zaria Art Society. “Someone like Bruce is connected to a very important period in time in contemporary African and modern artistic space,” she said. She added that Onobrakpeya was part of a group of artists that were very important to what has become to be known as contemporary art in Nigeria. “I’m a curator, so for me one of the most important things is the relationship with the artists. One of the things that felt so successful is bringing Bruce to the fair and having him sit here, and seeing his universe and seeing how we were able to animate it with ART X, and seeing the general joy, that that produced for him and also seeing other people coming to the fair seeing this quality of work, that has not been shown in quite some time and for them to enjoy and turn to that universe,” she added. Since its debut in 2016, Art X's organisers say they have welcomed over 30,000 international and local visitors to see the works of 300 of Africa’s leading and emerging artists, and that enlisting the support of insiders of Libsekal's calibre is key. In support of women artists, ART X also paid tribute to Olabisi Silva posthumously, a Nigerian curator who initiated a library project in Yaba, Lagos, providing artists, researchers, and art historians with essential resources to enrich their projects and critical perspectives. Toyin Peterside is the founder of the Art X Collective company. She also handles strategic and creative direction for the annual event. "When I invite and select curators to work with us, I do this on the basis of not just their track record or their interest, but individuals who passionately believe about the message that we wish to send in that particular year. This year we have a group of exceptional curators, Missla Libsekal, she is not Nigerian, she is Ethiopian by origin, but look at what she has done with professor Bruce Onobrakpeya’s work, a Nigerian icon," Peterside said. Libsekal, curated a second exhibition titled ‘Graphic Stories’, which offered a retrospective look at illustrations in mass media from their earliest appearance in Nigeria during the 1940s and spanning to the 1980s. The exhibition aimed to reveal the ingenuity and approaches used by cartoonists to produce social commentary and critique on everyday life in Nigeria. With Art X Lagos 2023 under their belt, Libsekal and Peterside are now looking to spotlight some of the pieces and artists that will represent Africa at the Venice Biennale – an international art exhibition that takes place every two years in Venice, Italy - in 2024. bird story agency

Africa is making significant strides towards closing gender gaps across key areas: economic participation, education, health, and political empowerment, according to the World Economic Forum. Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Namibia is among a select group of nine nations globally that have successfully closed over 80% of their gender gap, marking a significant stride towards equality. According to a 2023 report from the World Economic Forum, Namibia has achieved an impressive 80.2% closure, securing the rank of 8th worldwide in bridging this gap. Leaders include Iceland (91.2%), Norway (87.9%), Finland (86.3%), New Zealand (85.2%), Sweden (81.5%), Germany (81.5%), and Nicaragua (81.1%), with Namibia next, at 80.2%. “Sub-Saharan Africa’s parity score is the sixth highest among the eight regions at 68.2%, ranking above Southern Asia, the Middle East and North Africa,” the report finds. Alongside Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, and 13 other nations in the region have effectively closed more than 70% of their gender gaps. However, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and Chad lag behind with scores below 62%. The Global Gender Gap Report 2023 evaluates economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health, survival, and political empowerment indicators. Notably, excluding North Africa, Africa has made strides in closing its gender gap by over 5% since the inaugural report in 2006. While progress is described as "uneven" across the continent, specific metrics indicate significant advancements in certain countries. Liberia, Eswatini and Burundi top the ranking table in the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex. The report highlights encouraging rises in women's representation in key positions across countries like the DRC, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Josephine Dawuni, a consultant at the Institute for African Women in Law, explained how bridging the gender gap is playing out on the continent, citing developments in the leadership of constitutional courts and the judicial system. “Several countries across the continent have almost equal numbers of women and men at the bar,” she said in a June article published in The Conversation. “Some countries, such as Cape Verde, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia and Sierra Leone, have had women as presidents of the bar association or law society,” she adds. Despite remarkable progress, the report emphasizes the need for further work, particularly in narrowing educational gaps. Excluding North Africa, the continent ranks lowest in closing the educational attainment gap. However, in Botswana, Lesotho, and Namibia, the educational gender gap is fully closed, with all three achieving a 100% ranking. The report highlights disparities in enrollment in primary, secondary, and tertiary education. “Apart from Mali, Guinea and Chad, all countries have more than 90% parity in enrollment in primary education, and 16 have reached full parity. Ten countries have less than 90% parity in secondary education and 21 countries have less than 90% parity in tertiary education,” the report highlights. Despite low scores in the African Mediterranean region, there is notable progress based on key signals in some countries, suggesting educational attainment is gaining ground. Egypt, for instance, has registered an increase in both the share of women in senior officer positions and women in technical positions. Earlier in the year, Nemat Shafik, an Egyptian-born woman economist, was unveiled as the first female to head Columbia University in New York. The New Arab, an Egypt-based news platform, reported in January that the university’s board of trustees described Shafik as a “brilliant and able global leader, a community builder and a preeminent economist who understands the academy and the world beyond it.” The Health and Survival subindex ranks Africa third highest at 97.2%, trailing behind Latin America and the Caribbean. However, countries to the north display a substantial gap with an average score of 62.5%. The political empowerment subindex displays the largest gender gap of all the metrics. Mozambique and Rwanda are the top performers in bridging the gender gap in politics, with scores of just 54.2% and 54.1%, respectively. Based on the number of seats in parliament, Rwanda is the most gender-equal country on the continent. Alongside Mexico, Nicaragua, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand, Rwanda has attained full parity by this benchmark, meaning that half or more positions in its parliament are held by women. On the other side of the continent, another small country, Benin, demonstrates rapid growth in this sub-index, improving by 23.2 percentage points. The Beninese general elections held earlier this year saw a record number of women elected into the national assembly with 28 out of 109 parliamentary seats now held by women. Nevertheless, Dawuni stresses that beyond numerical representation, the primary challenge lies in shifting the focus towards broader gender representation in leadership roles. “There is no shortage of qualified women... What is needed is a shift in systems, institutional practices, norms and perceptions to accommodate more women in leadership positions,” she added. bird story agency Useful links: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2023.pdf https://theconversation.com/african-women-lawyers-numbers-are-up-but-report-sheds-light-on-obstacles-to-leadership-in-the-profession-208131 https://www.newarab.com/news/columbia-names-egyptian-first-woman-head-university

A recent Afrobarometer survey shows shifting attitudes among Africans regarding gender-based violence. Experts suggest a more comprehensive approach could help shift the dial further. Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Public perceptions towards gender-based violence are shifting in Africa, according to a survey by Afrobarometer, a pan-African attitudes research company. The survey covering 39 countries in Africa, published on November 22, shows that “gender-based violence (GBV) is viewed by the majority of Africans as the most important women's rights-related issue that their government and society need to address.” The report underscores that 31% of respondents prioritize addressing GBV, placing it ahead of concerns like the scarcity of women in powerful positions (20%), inequalities in education (17%), and workplace disparities (16%). This shift in prioritization reflects a substantial change in societal perspectives on the continent. Additionally, more than 69% of respondents believe it is never justified for a man to use physical force to discipline his wife. This evolving perspective marks a crucial moment in the fight against the vice that was once prevalent throughout Africa. Africa has been making notable progress in countering gender-based violence. UNICEF data shows the prevalence of some forms of GBV, such as female genital mutilation, has declined in the past decade, from as high as 33% in 2000 to 19% today, a 14-percentage-point drop. This is despite other forms of violence, such as intimate partner violence (IPV), remaining relatively high over the years. The survey by Afrobarometer confirms the diminishing frequency of gender-based violence. The majority of respondents (34%) indicated GBV is “not very common" in their communities. This is against the 14% that indicated the frequency to be “very common." Samuel Abbrey, a Ghanaian youth leader and gender equality expert, explains why GBV has been significantly prevalent in Africa. “Many cultures in the region condone violence.” He also believes power inequalities across genders have been a contributing factor. According to Chimwemwe Kayange, a Malawian gender and human rights activist, GBV has been destructive not only at the individual level but also in the way it undermines progress and the collective journey to prosperity and equality in a broader society. “GBV exerts a profound impact on economic development. Women, girls and even men experiencing violence find their participation in the workforce constrained,” she shares. While strides have been made in changing attitudes, there's a pressing need for further action, particularly in the implementation of legal measures. The survey found that only half of those who said men are never justified in disciplining their wives believe GBV should be treated as a criminal matter. The remaining half consider it a private matter to be resolved within the family. “Africans’ perceptions of GBV vary widely by country and demographic group, suggesting that a woman's fundamental right to safety depends at least in part on her location and circumstances,” the researchers explain. Perceptions of GBV as the top priority range from just 5% in Mauritania to 69% in Cabo Verde. Already, an assessment of the legal reforms on GBV shows heightened intentionality among countries on the continent that have enacted laws criminalizing GBV. However, even though the African Union reports that 44 countries have ratified the Maputo Protocol, committing to combat violence against women, stigmatization among victims remains a major problem. “More than half (52%) of respondents say it is “somewhat likely” or “very likely” that victims of GBV will be criticized, harassed, or shamed by others in the community if they report to the police,” the report reads in part. Reporting GBV is key. The survey found that most citizens (81%) consider it “somewhat likely” or “very likely” that the police will take cases of GBV seriously. According to Kayange, stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations and individuals, should push for change through education, legal reforms and awareness campaigns to ensure a lasting societal impact. “The time to dismantle the barriers of gender-based violence is now, and it is everyone’s responsibility to respond to the call and act accordingly,” she said. bird story agency Useful link: https://www.afrobarometer.org/articles/combating-gender-based-violence-tops-africas-agenda-for-womens-rights-new-afrobarometer-pan-africa-profile-shows/

To commemorate this year's World AIDS Day, bird story agency spoke with human rights lawyer and acclaimed Zambian writer Mubanga Kalimamukwento, about her work around HIV/AIDS and how it relates to the current fight against it. by Esther Musembi, bird story agency Mubanga Kalimamukwento is a Zambian human rights lawyer and award-winning writer who has written extensively about the intimate lives of characters facing unimaginable challenges during the AIDS epidemic in Zambia. Her latest but unfinished novel earned her a place as a 2023 Miles Morland Scholar, a scholarship scheme which aims to give African writers of both fiction and non-fiction the financial freedom to complete an English-language book. The following is an extract of a longer conversation. In your first novel, the Mourning Bird, you choose to write from the perspective of a child; why did you choose to do this? You'll notice for most of my writing, if you read some of my other work, that I'm very interested in the perspective of children; how children experience everything in the world. A lot of the time my stories are based in the mid to late 90s, which is when I was a child, at least before my teenage years. As far as HIV is concerned in particular, I have a very personal relationship with it. Firstly, I want to say part of the reason why I'm interested in writing stories from the point of view of children and this specific story from the point of view of the child was, there's a veil between children and everything that's going on in the world. In the sort of way that they are excluded, partly to protect them. But I'm always curious about how they experience those moments. In part, because there's so many things that you can't explain to them, the vocabulary doesn't allow, but they still experience the loss. So if a parent or a sibling dies, as it happened in the case of Chimuka, the child still experiences the loss but isn't included in gaining an understanding of how that came to be or why. So that can lead to a lot of confusion. But I think it can also lead to repetition. It's been a while since those years and I feel like there's probably a generation of children that doesn't remember. I don't know how much you remember. But I remember the way funerals are done in Zambia, they typically put up a tent outside the home of the person who died to mark that a death has occurred. So everybody in the neighbourhood knows that there's a funeral here… I remember coming home from school and it was almost like today you’d have a tent here, tomorrow it would be at another house, the other day another house. That rapidness of death… because adults have their spaces where they can express their memories. They can write their stories, but I was mostly interested in how children navigated that space. That is a whole other topic about talking to kids, but I think we are doing better now with information being broken down. I remember we weren't getting any sex education for sure. But there was a very big emphasis on abstinence. And you've been a teenager, we've been teenagers… It's more about giving them the tools to be able to navigate what is already in existence in the world. And that's why I made the comparison of COVID. Because I would imagine I didn't have teenagers, but I did have a very extroverted 6-year-old at the beginning and it was hard for him, the transition into learning everything online. He wanted to interact with his friends. So when they did go back into the school system, when it opened back up, we couldn't realistically say, "don't play with anyone or talk to anyone." It's a different comparison altogether, but the best way we could protect him was to say, "make sure you keep your mask on when you're in class, or only take it off when you're eating or when you go outside" or "if you start to feel sick, if you start to feel X,Y,Z, tell us right away, so that we pull you out of the class." But because HIV was transmitted through sex, there was also the shame factor. So I think that's where some of the discomfort came from. I think maybe parents might have felt like if they tell their kids that they need to use protection, it was almost like telling them they need to have sex or like they should have sex. And it's an overarching thing all over. Teenagers, rather, young people who are engaging in sex, especially ladies, can't just go to the clinic and say they need contraception... There’ll be questions, like: 'Why are you even having sex?' So, most of them just suffer in silence resulting in unwanted pregnancies and even HIV/AIDS. What do you make of this? There's the shame factor again. Because what a lot of my work is interested in is like investigating those silences. Like why are we silent? What's the cost of this silence also? Because I think there's a lot of ways that silence can be interpreted. There's a lot of arguments we can make; this thing is sacred; these things should only be spoken about within these spaces. But you have to set the silence aside if it's at the cost of human life. I think a lot about euphemisms and how people are very uncomfortable saying HIV and saying AIDS especially in relation to themselves. I think a lot of people have gotten past that initial… I don't know what you would call it, but like people were not even able to talk about other people having HIV or other people having AIDS, even if those people themselves use the word. I was reading an essay you wrote, 'Pretend'. It’s so personal, and secondly, I could read undertones of survivor’s guilt. Was it a reflection of personal experiences? It’s very much a reflection of personal experience. I was just going back to a specific moment, in 1996. I think that the essay covers probably just 2 days. So it’s about the last time that I saw my sister... She was born with HIV so she died when she was 6 and I was 8. So that's what I was sort of travelling back to. …I wrote it as a letter to my sister, my sister didn't get to grow up. She didn't get to live the way I lived. Of course you feel guilty, you are 8 years old and your little sister dies. You're trying to compute, why? My first thought was that we used to fight, but the way siblings do and I was like, did I hurt her? And also another thing, I wanted to trade the time. And the difficulty that I experienced was that most of the people in that story have died; my mom has died, my dad has died, the uncle that's in the living room with me when my dad walks in, he has died... So all the people who shared that experience with me are not here to confer with me because your memory can deceive you… It was very reassuring because I was writing such a personal story, but it didn't just belong to me alone. My sister is in that story. My mom is in that story… So I wanted to make sure it's different from fiction because in fiction I could go wherever I wanted because it's made up. But with the essay, I wanted to make sure that I was getting the dates right and things like that. It was actually very reassuring. Grief is a recurring theme in most of your stories. In ‘my mother's silence’, especially the presence of family bonds or lack thereof. When it comes to talking about HIV and in connection to that grief, is this intentional that these themes keep on repeating themselves in your work and what you hope to achieve with this? I don't think it's intentional. I think every writer has an obsession. And I think there's multiple ways to talk about the same thing within different genres. So with the Mourning Bird, I think my starting point was, I was thinking about street children. Zambia has a very high population of street children. To the extent that the extended family, as we know it, changed. Because in a lot of African cultures, the extended family takes an active role in raising children; it's not just mother, father, children. But AIDS took so much of that because so many families were dying. And so there was only so much that the extended family could do, right? Especially if the extended family is also contending with this one issue. I was thinking about those children of the 90s specifically, I was curious. And obviously, this is a work of fiction. So there's a lot of theorizing going on. But I was curious about how those children ended up on the street. I was thinking about how fortunate I am. My parents died when I was 10 and 11 and my sister died when I was 8. So basically my entire immediate family died within a period of 3 years and because I was a child, nobody really explained what happened. People would just say they got sick and then they died. But think of yourself as an 11-year-old, that doesn't make sense, especially if you are also experiencing your friends who have got their parents and their siblings. You are a trained human rights lawyer. How does it influence your writing? It does drop in my writing in surprising ways. I would say I practised different areas of law for different periods of my life. So at the beginning of my career, I worked in private practice for a short while, and then I worked for a non-governmental organisation called Women and Law in Southern Africa. I think a bigger piece of what shows up in my writing is actually the courtroom, thinking about the courtroom as a place to attain justice. But how it's almost like when I was talking about this veil between children and the world, the way the world treats children and the way the world talks to children. I think courtrooms can be similar in that there is a language in the courtroom that people who are not trained in the law don't understand and aren't privy to. This year's World AIDS Day theme is Let Communities Lead, what do you think "Let Communities Lead" can achieve for HIV/AIDS in the coming years? I think Let Communities Lead is about bringing up conversations that encourage people from within the community to speak for themselves. So instead of people in power positioning themselves as being a voice for the voiceless, passing the mic and allowing people to speak using their own voice. I think “own stories” are really powerful as far as changing narratives for HIV but also in other aspects of life. So that's a very powerful theme that we have this year. bird story agency

Normally, seeing Ina-Marie Shikongo's works in Dubai would seem incongruous; she is an activist whose layered textile designs convey powerful messages about climate action and the African continent. Dubai on the other hand, is a bastion of international capitalism whose appetite for fossil fuels seems to know no end. Shikongo believes that reaching unusual audiences is central to her activism - and she's using that power to protect the Okavango Delta. Kate Okorie, bird story agency "This piece is for Ken Saro-Wiwa," said Ina-Marie Shikongo, pointing to a textile collage shaped like an inverted dome hanging above the grey sofa where she was seated, surrounded by other artwork referencing the earth's warming climate. In a world often muted by diplomacy, Shikongo stands out as a defiant burst of unapologetic activism. Since 2020, the Namibian climate activist has used her art to fight a looming environmental threat to the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta. Shikongo and other activists have made their presence felt at COP28, hosted by the United Arab Emirates' most populous city, and her work is a clarion call in a city not known for its activism. Before facing capital punishment, Nigerian environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa led a non-violent campaign calling out foreign oil companies, particularly Royal Dutch Shell, for degrading lands in the Niger Delta region through their oil drilling activities. Despite calls for clemency from Nelson Mandela and other world leaders of the time, Nigeria's military leader Sani Abacha had Saro-Wiwa put to death. Shikongo references the Niger Delta in her calls to prevent environmental disaster in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin, an extension of UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Okavango Delta. In December 2020, Canadian firm, Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica), announced that it had begun exploring for oil in the Basin. In a similar fashion to the actions of Saro-Wiwa, Shikongo, together with Fridays for Future (FFF) activists, took to the streets to protest. The activists say the exploration in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin has dire consequences for interconnected water bodies, including the Okavango River and Botswana's Okavango Delta, a vast inland area which houses diverse plant and animal species and significantly contributes to Botswana's economy. "Without the Okavango River in Namibia feeding the Okavango Delta, it would cease to exist," said Shikongo. Shikongo contended that the ReconAfrica project mirrored Shell's early activities in the Niger Delta and was driven by a colonial-style agenda with no benefit for residents who may be forcibly displaced. On January 11, 2021, less than a month after its announcement, ReconAfrica initiated its first oil drilling test in the area. "The local community told me that the water's taste has changed, but proving it has been challenging because they lack funds to take the water samples to the laboratory," said Shikongo. But Shikongo is not giving up. Earlier this year, ReconAfrica paused its mining activity in the Okavango River amidst reports of inadequate funding. "When I am defending the Okavango Delta, I am reminded of what Ken Saro Wiwa did and today, we can see the extent of the environmental pollution in the Niger Delta region, due to oil exploration. This is why we have to protect the Okavango Delta because we don't want another Niger Delta in Africa," Shikongo said. She said she believed that the protests against the oil company might have deterred potential funders. "No matter what people say, there is power in our work because our campaigns are creating change." Shikongo further highlighted concerns over the ReconAfrica project that reach beyond the company's recent oil exploration, pointing out the company's failure to adhere to due process. "The laws they broke in the Namibian constitution were land grabbing; they didn't have permits when they started, and there was no community engagement." She still hopes the Namibian government will impose appropriate sanctions on the oil explorer. Already, the company is facing two lawsuits, one in the United States and one in their home country, Canada. "I've heard they plan to resume drilling in January 2024, but I'll be ready for them." Concluding with determination, she said she would continue using her art to raise the alarm. "Art for me is an extension of my voice because talking is one thing but art helps me reach a different audience that I cannot always reach," she said. bird story agency