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LWML: Mission Grants for the Children of Kenya

Mission Grants for the Children of Kenya Children in Kenya are struggling. In places like Kisumu, many are living on the streets, “begging and stealing to survive.” They sleep in unsafe and unsanitary places such as parks or the sewer. There is a lack of clean drinking water for those who attend school, especially in rural areas where children must walk long distances to retrieve water that may not even be safe for them to drink. Water-borne illness is a common cause of low school attendance and children falling behind in schoolwork. Fortunately, these problems have caught the attention of an organization that now provides mission grants for the children of Kenya. These organizations take action to improve the conditions for Kenyan children with the financial help of missionaries and auxiliaries.

Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML)

Founded in 1942, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) is an official auxiliary of the Lutheran Church. Its purpose is to encourage and equip Christian women to live in active ministry and support global missions. Each year, the members of LWML vote on a list of missions to support and establish a financial goal to reach for them. A few missions working on improving the lives of Kenyan children have made the list. Here are two of LWML’s mission grants for the children of Kenya.

Water and the Word for Rural Schools in Kenya

This is one of the mission grants for the children of Kenya that started in 2008 when a man from Nebraska was traveling around East Africa and saw the need for clean drinking water in rural areas and took action. Through help from social workers and educators in Nakuru, he developed a system of water harvesting equipment. The team installed water storage, filters, hand-washing systems, rain gutters and tanks in schools across Kenya.

In 2016, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod took over the project. It became an organization that continues to bring clean water resources and religious teachings to schools in Kenya. In 2019, LWLM members approved the mission grant to continue supporting this project.

Capstone Ministries

Capstone Ministries is another project on the list of mission grants for the children of Kenya that LWML supports. Founded in 2005, the organization focuses on bringing street children in Kenya, especially the areas in and around Kisumu, back to their families. There are many challenges that this process includes such as children who feel shame, hopelessness or poverty burden and do not want to go back home. By 2016, Capstone Ministries reconciled 678 children with their families, according to its website. The project’s members frequently visit these children and their families to ensure all is going well.

In Kenya, high school education is not free. The average yearly price is $650 and many cannot afford it. Capstone Ministries started a scholarship fund to provide affordable opportunities for kids to continue school. In 2016, the organization sponsored 42 boys in secondary school, according to its website.

LWML Involvement

In addition to providing mission grants for the children of Kenya, members of LWML become personally involved with the missions themselves. Shurie Scheel was one of these hands-on people in 2022 when she visited Kenya to see the progress of the Water and the Word project. Scheel is the grant administrator for Water and the Word and is an active member of LWML at her local Lutheran church in Wyoming.

While visiting the schools, Scheel and her group brought the children soccer balls, books, school supplies, as well as sanitary supplies for the schoolgirls to keep them going to school. Representing the LWML, she established groundwork and connections with the people working on the mission. She was able to bring back information and visual evidence that the money LWML was giving to the project was having a positive impact on the lives of the schoolchildren therefore encouraging more donations.

Missionary groups like the LWML are helping to provide financial support for projects like Water and the Word and Capstone Ministries. This process relieves the time-consuming fundraising efforts so the missions can work on important things like improving the lives of impoverished children.

– Heather Gisi
Photo: Unsplash

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A Progress Report on HIV/AIDS in Benin 

HIV/AIDS in Benin According to the CIA World Fact Book, the Republic of Benin is a small, low-income, multi-ethnic country in West Africa. Benin borders Nigeria to the east, Niger and Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Benin was a French colony until it gained independence in 1960. The Kingdom of Dahomey occupied present-day Benin before colonization. Benin has been on the front lines of the HIV/AIDS epidemic since the 1980s.

Significant Progress Has Been Made on HIV/AIDS in Benin

UNAIDS data shows the total number of Beninese people living with HIV/AIDS was 72,000 in 2022, down from a high of 77,000 in 2014. The World Bank put these numbers into percentages. In 2021, 0.8% of Benin’s population was living with HIV/AIDS, a 0.7% decline from the 1.5% peak in 2001. 

UNAIDS announced that half of adults with HIV/AIDS in Benin were on antiretroviral treatments in 2017. That percentage increased to 81% in 2022. New annual HIV infections in Benin plummeted from 8,600 in 1996 to 1,800 in 2022. Similarly, AIDS-related deaths fell sharply, from 6,100 in 2007 to 1,900 in 2022. UNAIDS will continue to implement community-focused approaches to improve access to care, reduce transmission and end discrimination against Beninese people infected with HIV. 

Fighting HIV/AIDS Reduces Poverty

A 2005 report from the International Labour Office and UNAIDS explains the link between HIV/AIDS and poverty. HIV/AIDS infections have an outsized impact on household, local and national economies. HIV infections can make people too ill to work. Families often have to drain their savings to pay for medical care and fill in for missing income. Children may need to take time off school to care for an infected parent or work. Missing school has a significant impact on long-term economic livelihood. Data indicate that high rates of HIV/AIDS infections slow economic growth and reduce the size of the labor force. The report argues that countries that are an exception to this trend may have implemented a more organized response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Interventions for Sex Workers

Research published in 2012 by S. Baral and others in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases found female sex workers (FSW) and their clients to be focal points of HIV/AIDS in Benin. In a 2013 study by L. Béhanzin and others published in the National Library of Medicine, researchers focused their FSW-targeted interventions on three fundamental areas:

  • Community: Improving HIV/STI knowledge, condom education and negotiating skills to promote condom use with clients
  • Clinical: Monthly check-ups and free STI testing for FSW
  • Structural: Working with the police and FSW managers to reduce harassment and violence directed at FSW

The HIV/AIDS rate among FSWs in Benin who received the interventions declined from 53.3% in 1993 to 30.4% in 2008. According to UNAIDS, the infection rate among sex workers was 7.2% in 2022, and condom use was at 90.4%. Researchers also speculate that these interventions may have reduced the spread of HIV/AIDS in Benin outside the FSW and client populations.

Planning for the Future

HIV/AIDS in Benin is a significant and continuing public health and economic issue for the country. More work is necessary to reduce the total number of people living with HIV/AIDS. However, targeted and effective interventions have reduced the spread of HIV/AIDS in Benin over the last several decades, especially among vulnerable populations. Fewer people living with HIV/AIDS means more labor force participation, household savings, economic development and kids in school. Overall, HIV/AIDS programs in Benin have a positive economic impact and reduce poverty in the country.

– Joey T. McFadden
Photo: Unsplash

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Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone

Child Soldiers in Sierra LeoneIt is upsetting when children witness violence outside their homes. There is a sense of fear about what will happen to their family and homes. As a result, it is easy to kidnap or coerce children into becoming soldiers for the sake of their country. Children experience many different forms of violence. According to UNICEF, “they may be required to participate in harrowing training or initiation ceremonies, to undergo hazardous labor or engage in combat–with a great risk of death, chronic injury and disability.”

Between 1991 and 2002 civil war took place in Sierra Leone in which the country “recruited” children as young as 7 years old as soldiers. These child soldiers were “actual” children with families and lived at home but were abducted under the promise of protection and a sense of community as the war was raging, according to UNICEF.

Stigmatization, Poverty and Vengeance

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), children are more likely to become soldiers when they do not have access to education and live in poverty. Armed groups often make children kill their own families or neighbors to ensure stigmatization, making a child “unable to return to his or her community.”

Sierra Leone has a long history of struggling with poverty and unemployment. According to HRW, “many children join armed groups because of economic and social pressure, or because children believe that the group will offer food or security.”

Ishmael Beah was only 13 years old when the government’s army unit recruited him to fight against Rebel forces, after losing his parents and two brothers. Becoming a soldier out of vengeance for the loss of his family led him to take part in numerous battles. “When you have lost your family and everything, you quickly learn to belong in this group—but to belong to this new group requires violence. Violence becomes the way of showing loyalty,” Beah told UNICEF. Around two years later, when he was 15, UNICEF rescued him and placed him in a rehabilitation home in Freetown.

Ishmael Beah is now a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and pledges to help children who suffer from trauma due to violence. There have now been many rehabilitation centers for child soldiers and UNICEF reports the release and reintegration of more than 100,000 children in more than 15 countries struggling with armed conflict since 1998.

Helping Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone

Save the Children began its work in Sierra Leone in 1999 in response to the civil war. After the war, Save the Children’s initial focus was on child reunification in which the organization helped children find their parents or family members and helped those children who had participated in the war as child soldiers. The organization has now implemented its 2022-24 Global Strategy to fulfill the rights of all children, including child protection, education, health and child rights governance.

On February 12, 2002, the U.N. established the Red Hand Day, the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers. Red Hand Day became an actual campaign that strives to end the use of child soldiers and to care for and protect former child soldiers, including those who were child soldiers in Sierra Leone.

Save the Children and Red Hand Day offer a glimmer of hope toward peace education, ensuring that no child under the age of 18 will end up in the army, potentially losing their own lives. Ishmael Beah’s experience is among many stories of child soldiers in Sierra Leone that bring to life how wars affect children. Hopefully, others will continue to voice their experience too, helping to end the use of child soldiers and helping provide children with the love and care that they deserve.

– Nevin Guler
Photo: Flickr

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Preventing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Nigeria

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary DiseaseChronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, ranks as the third leading cause of death worldwide, trailing only behind heart disease and strokes. The condition impedes breathing by damaging the airways and/or lungs. It may cause chronic coughing, mucus and wheezing and permanently disable the affected individual. In affluent countries, one can easily avoid it by self-care, especially by avoiding smoking.

On the other hand, in developing countries, air pollution and the living environment are much more significant factors. Interestingly, estimates suggest that 50% of COPD cases in Sub-Saharan Africa occur in individuals who have never smoked and it often remains undiagnosed. It is a silent killer of so much of the population simply because they are impoverished.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Nigeria

The lifestyle of the people in Nigeria likely causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the country. Whether or not people smoke tobacco, most African kitchens suffer from poor ventilation due to biomass smoke. Biomass fuel includes anything from a living thing, mostly wood or animal waste. Fires, often fueled by more biomass or kerosene, are also constant for heating or light. Although women are less likely to smoke than men, they have the same amount of COPD cases because they spend far more time inside the house.

COPD prevalence in Nigeria is attributable to factors beyond solely toxic air. Malnourishment at birth is a high-risk factor, potentially leading to weaker or misshapen lungs. Unborn and newborn infants, sharing environmental exposures with their mothers, may also encounter lung defects. Moreover, in economically disadvantaged African communities, high rates of HIV and tuberculosis persist. These diseases, if causing lung damage, contribute to the risk factors for COPD.

Prevention

COPD remains incurable, with survival strategies centered around removing oneself from potential dangers, such as tobacco use, engaging in regular exercise and maintaining optimal lung health. Ideally, addressing this concealed epidemic involves preventive measures to stop it before it begins.

However, the World Health Organization has implemented multiple steps to protect Africans from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The first is the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, approved by 180 countries, including Nigeria, which aims to help protect people from tobacco smoke. The second is the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD), a network aimed solely at eliminating respiratory illnesses like COPD and asthma in low- and medium-income countries.

Various other proposals have been suggested to prevent illnesses caused by indoor air pollution. One approach involves the construction of homes equipped with chimneys or flues, allowing smoke to exit the living spaces efficiently. Creating infrastructure to provide homes with electricity or gas for cooking could eliminate the use of biomass fuel and its associated smoke.

Enhancing housing conditions goes beyond improving living standards; it has the potential to not only create better living environments but also to save lives.

– Varsha Pai
Photo: Pixabay

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Organizations Fighting for Mental Health in Liberia

Mental Health in LiberiaThe world’s outlook on mental health is gradually improving, but there are still many parts of global society that turn a blind eye to disorders of the mind. Liberian institutions often ignore mental health in Liberia. Times change, however and if Liberia is indicative of the rest of the world, mental health is getting the attention it desperately needs.

In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that one out of five of Liberia’s population experienced a mental disorder. Subsequent research by WHO indicates an improvement in Liberia’s mental health, with a notable increase in the mental health workforce. Initially, only one psychiatrist served the country, but as of 2020, Liberia has more than 450 mental health professionals, including four psychiatrists, two psychologists and more than 400 mental health nurses. That said, here are some organizations fighting mental health in Liberia.

LiCORMH

The Liberia Center for Outcome Research on Mental Health’s (LiCORMH) health initiatives target unique, often ignored, areas of mental health in Liberia. For instance, LiCORMH now situates sexual abuse under a “fallout of war,” raising attention to the issue as connected to disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many of the citizens reaching adulthood today are survivors of a civil war in the country that began when they were children. A study showed that 50% of Liberians are coping with PTSD. The country’s growing dedication to mental health helps these survivors deal with their PTSD.

The Carter Center

The Carter Center, as indicated by its motto prominently displayed on the front page of its website — “Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope” — grapples with the challenge of realizing this mission in Liberia’s fight against mental afflictions. The organization has trained an army of public health workers in mental health care, ranging everywhere from crisis intervention to diagnoses of mental health afflictions. Additionally, The Carter Center has played a crucial role in community education on mental health, empowering individuals with tools for self-help. Furthermore, the organization focuses on training health workers in self-care.

John F. Kennedy Medical Health Center

Located in the capital city, Monrovia, boasting 50 years of experience, 1000 employees and 57,000 patients a year, the JFK Medical Health Center is Liberia’s “largest referral hospital.” The E.S Grant Mental Health Hospital, a part of the JFK Medical Health Center, is the only hospital combatting mental health in Liberia. It has enough room to care for 80 patients and the workforce to offer outpatient advice to those suffering from mental health concerns.

Child Resource Institute

Tackling mental health is a lofty goal and its aims and strategies must have broad reach and circumspect plans. The Child Resource Institute connects women and children to programs that enable them to become self-sufficient and proactive members of their societies. Despite its economic goals, the institute’s actions affect mental health, too. It builds pathways for Liberian citizens toward brighter futures.

Final Remark

The struggle is far from over, but support for mental health in Liberia will guarantee that the country continues to move in the right direction and that every citizen receives the care they deserve.

– Antonio Muhs
Photo: Flickr

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Renewable Energy in Kenya

Renewable Energy in KenyaThe great rift valley running through the heart of Kenya spans 6,400 kilometers from Jordan to Mozambique. Below its surface, water effortlessly seeps through, encountering heated rocks situated 1-3 kilometers beneath the earth’s crust. This interaction yields a combination of superheated water and steam, constituting 75% and 25%, respectively, with temperatures averaging 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressures reaching 1,000 PSI. Remarkably, these conditions prove optimal for harnessing geothermal energy.

In the 21st century, particularly in the past few years, Kenya has begun to harness this geological advantage to become a global powerhouse in clean energy. With a total geothermal power capacity of 988.7MW, of which 799MW stems from the Great Rift Valley, Kenya is the 6th largest producer of geothermal energy worldwide. According to KenGen, there is potential for this capacity to rise to 10,000MW, with a view to Kenya being powered entirely by renewable energy by 2030.

What Does This Mean for the World?

In a declaration by Kenyan President William Ruto, who is leading the campaign for the country’s shift from fossil fuel reliance, he claimed that: “Despite Africa having an estimated 40% of the world’s renewable energy resources, only $60bn or 2% of $3tn renewable energy investments in the last decade have come to Africa.”

Increases in foreign aid investments could be mutually beneficial for both Kenya and Western nations. If foreign aid budgets increased in focus on expanding upon Africa’s renewable energy infrastructure, for example, by helping to expand operations in Kenya, this could potentially provide a solution to the West’s continued reliance on fossil fuels and give a boost to the West’s efforts in fighting the climate crisis through trade alliances with African nations.

What Does This Mean for Kenya and Africa as a Whole?

A substantial economic boost could be anticipated with increased foreign aid investment into renewable energy infrastructure projects in Africa. Infrastructure projects will likely require a significant uptake in local workers to assist with building power plants and wellheads, providing local people with new employment opportunities and the prospect of newfound wealth in the region.

The potential transformation of Africa’s power grid through these investments also cannot be understated: “According to the U.N., more than half of the sub-Saharan population does not have access to power, making it the lowest region due to the lack of a grid that distributes power to consumers. Large African economies like Nigeria and South Africa rely heavily on fossil fuels to supply their booming population.”

For decades, Africa’s troubles with poor power grid infrastructure have constrained the continent’s capacity for economic growth. Manufacturing, infrastructure and retail sites cannot operate without a sufficient and reliable power supply. Therefore, the economic boost these developments could provide is unequivocally huge, as well as the employment opportunities that are so desperately needed.

Kenya’s geothermal operations already provide enough to power approximately 3,800,000 homes through state and private commercial projects. It is, therefore, relatively simple to imagine the extraordinary impact further investment from Western states could have on alleviating millions of Kenyans and Africans across the continent out of poverty.

– Ethan Leyden
Photo: Flickr

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Combating HIV/AIDS in Togo

HIV/AIDS in TogoTogo is a densely populated West African nation situated on the Gulf of Guinea, home to approximately 8.5 million people. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), an estimated 110,000 adults and children throughout the country are living with HIV/AIDS. This is a number that reflects a steady decline in infection rate. However, it also demonstrates the persistence of these sexually transmitted diseases within sub-Saharan Africa. Today, international aid and government initiatives are crucial. This work ensures that the citizens receive the treatment and education necessary to combat HIV/AIDS in Togo.

Attitudes Surrounding HIV/AIDS in Togo

There are a multitude of sociocultural barriers that stigmatize and discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS in Togo. Between 2015 and 2020 the prevalence of discriminatory attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS was reported as the highest in West Africa out of all of the sub-Saharan African regions. Although the law in Togo currently prohibits discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS and mandates the National Council for the Fight against AIDS (CNLS) to use active measures to prevent discrimination, affected individuals are still often subject to prejudice and mistreatment by their peers.

Reported cases of family abandonment can be attributed to the widespread perception that HIV/AIDS is a religious punishment for homosexuality. This perspective leads to the worry of severely tarnishing a family’s image in society. Humiliation and fear that come with discrimination play large roles in deterring affected individuals from tests and treatment.  

Seeking Solutions: American Assistance and Aid

The United States established diplomatic relations with Togo in 1960 and has been active in maintaining good relations since then. Although the U.S. has been involved in efforts to combat HIV/AIDS since the mid-1980s, it has spent close to $50 million in to fight and treat HIV/AIDs in Togo. This has led to a significant increase in testing and greater accessibility to antiretroviral treatments.

Additionally, as a collaborative effort with domestic groups, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) hopes to end AIDS by the target year of 2030. They intend to fund and provide resources to the Ending AIDS project. This project aims to enhance HIV prevention, care and treatment services by engaging existing networks with local partners. Adding associates such as ministries of health and faith-based organizations can build upon trust and ensure lasting change.

The work of the U.S. as a whole continues to be vital in relieving the pressure on Togo. Work is ongoing to help solve the persistent worldwide public health issue in HIV/AIDS.

International Intervention: The Global Fund

In the fight for health, there is an international private-public partnership designed to accelerate the defeat of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria throughout the world. The Global Fund historically allocates funding to eligible countries every three years. Notably, it has allocated a total of $44.52 million toward ending HIV/AIDs in Togo for the years 2023-2025.

The Global Fund has been providing funding to Togo since 2014 and has been responsible for yielding positive results. For example, 1,828 infants have been tested for HIV. Additionally, 680,173 young people aged 10-24 had access to comprehensive sexuality education and/or life skills-based education in or out of schools in 2022. 

Continued Progress

Although HIV/AIDS in Togo remains one of the leading health threats throughout the nation, the last 10 years has seen a steady decrease in cases. There is evidence of a decline with a drop of 2.5% to 1.9% with respect to the Togolese population aged between 15-49 with HIV from 2015 to 2021.  

Global funding and government initiatives have been largely successful in increasing accessibility to HIV tests. According to The Global Fund, as of 2022, 33,000 HIV tests were taken by priority and key Togolese populations. Additionally, 720,000 people were reached with HIV prevention services. Additionally, 85% of the people living with HIV/AIDs in Togo knew their status – a 25% increase from 60% in 2015. Furthermore, of the estimated 69% of people in Togo who knew their HIV status in 2019, 96% of them were on antiretroviral therapy.  

Such progress can be accredited to factors like global and local efforts taking place to overcome discrimination and decrease the rate of HIV/AIDS in Togo. If efforts continue, they will contribute vastly to defeating the persistence of the disease. 

– Arabella Wood-Collins 
Photo: Pixabay

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Renewable Energy in Angola

Renewable Energy in AngolaAngola is a small country in South-West Africa. The country currently has an energy production capacity of around 5 GW. Based on past governmental promises, Angola’s capacity is expected to be  6 GWs. However, with these goals not being achieved, the country has only a 43% electrification rate.

While incredibly low, this is nothing compared to rural areas’ 10% electrification rate. This inequality is further widened due to rural areas’ lack of other options. With 54% of the nation concentrated in rural areas, these regions have nowhere else to turn. With the government planning to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies causing energy prices to rise, the government has begun to push for renewable energy in Angola.

Angola’s Renewable Energy Revolution

Angola is in an optimal geographical position for renewable energy production. Studies conducted by the Ministry of Energy and Water found that the nation has the potential to generate 16 GW in solar power, 4 GW in wind power and 18 GW in hydropower. Using this to its advantage, the government of Angola has created the Angola 2025 Plan, which aims to utilize renewable energy to boost its energy production.

In this plan, the nation’s electrification rate would jump to 60%, with 70% coming from renewable sources. Part of this increase will be due to the three massive solar projects that the Government of Angola recently approved. One of these projects will be a partnership between the United Arab Emirates and Angola, resulting in a 150 MW solar farm.

Transforming Lives and Igniting Economic Opportunities

The benefit is threefold. First, this shift to renewable energy can massively benefit the electrification rates and provide electricity to underserved areas. For example, projects like the Masdar solar plant can bring electricity to 90,000 homes.

Second, renewable energy in Angola opens up many job opportunities by utilizing new technologies and creating an entirely new industry. Additionally, this massive boost in the energy sector is more significant for foreign investors and creates even more job opportunities.

This double-win for the job market will help drastically reduce poverty levels and close the inequality gap. Because many of these solar projects have taken place in rural areas like the Masdar solar plant, it directly gives these opportunities to the concentrated areas of low-income households.

Conclusion

While renewable energy in Angola is still an emerging market, its potential to completely shift the country’s economy and bring electricity to millions of people highlights its importance. By harnessing its abundant solar, wind and hydroelectricity resources, Angola can meet its energy needs and emerge as a regional leader in clean energy innovation.

– Aman Chaudhary
Photo: Flickr

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Improving Africa’s Infrastructure: Top 5 Projects

Africa's InfrastructureThe continent of Africa is widely believed to be the cradle of civilization. Every historic country within its boundaries has cultural riches and natural resources. Even the untrained eye can find beauty in Africa’s scenery. That same untrained eye would recognize this beautiful and historic continent also lacks access to many of its inner countries. Lack of access makes it difficult for these countries to trade and grow with the outward countries and the rest of the world. Despite this, Africa is growing, though at times, an arduous process. The past few years have been full of positive change with the completion or expansion of new projects in the region. Here are the top five projects improving Africa’s infrastructure.

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Ethiopia)

Under its original name, Project X, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam began construction in April 2011. Its construction immediately brought jobs into the region and, upon completion, would create a bridge allowing safe passage over the Blue Nile River. The project would be instrumental in improving Africa’s infrastructure by distributing water to Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. The dam would also handle significant floods in the area and help irrigation by watering 500,000 hectares of land (1 million acres).

Lekki Deep Water Port (Nigeria)

This aquatic marvel was started in 2003 to allow for more efficient trading and storage for the West African region. The Lekki Deep Water Port construction was granted non-recourse project financing, meaning the loan is paid back with profits from the finished project. With a capacity to hold 15,000 containers and handle 2.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) annually, the port has been critical in improving Africa’s infrastructure. The port has increased import and export turnaround times and reduced the delays of supplies and materials to the region.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery (Nigeria)

In addition to the country’s water port is the Dangote Petroleum Oil Refinery. Nigeria is the second biggest oil-rich country in Africa, but the country is reliant on imported petroleum products. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery broke ground in July 2017 with the expectations of meeting 100% of Nigeria’s gasoline needs and doubling the country’s refining capacity. With a capacity to produce 650,000 barrels of oil daily, the refinery is undoubtedly Africa’s most significant.

Siemens Mobility High-Speed Rail Lines (Egypt)

Egypt and Siemens are working on a project to lay 2,500km (1400 miles) of high-speed tracks through 60 cities in the coming years. The project began in September 2021 and is scheduled to conclude in 2027. The trains will significantly improve Africa’s infrastructure by linking cities and trade routes along the Red and Mediterranean Seas. This project is full of promises and will contribute substantially to the region’s growth.

Google Equiano High-Speed Internet

Google and its reach knows no ends and the Equiano High-Speed Internet project is just another example. This 12,000km subsea internet cable was dropped in April 2022 and operational by December 2022. The cable runs from Lisbon, Portugal, down the west coast of Africa to Cape Town, South Africa. The cable provides high-speed internet access and a digital connection to the outside world for many African countries.

This cable passes through several countries, vastly improving Africa’s infrastructure and creating substantial job markets in each area. Namibia is projected to add 21,000 jobs and South Africa is looking to add around 180,000 jobs, all thanks to Google Equiano. Additionally, Nigeria will see the greatest influx in job opportunities as the country is projected to add 1.6 million jobs. Fittingly, the high-speed cable was named after Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano.

Looking Forward

Africa is preparing for and entering into the next incarnation of its development. Projects like those mentioned above are scattered across the continent and help assist with the transitions and new additions to the region. These projects help connect Africa to its neighbors near and far.

– Ryan Johnson
Photo: Pixabay

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Witchcraft in the Central African Republic

Witchcraft in the Central African RepublicIn the Central African Republic (CAR), up to 50% of prosecutions are for allegations of witchcraft, based on a law which, of course, can not be proven and therefore not challenged. This law targets the most vulnerable of the population- impoverished women, children and the elderly. With an ongoing civil war, the legislation’s role in shaping society and power is instrumental in identifying how culture, tradition, government and conflict work to create an impoverished society.

However, with greater international awareness being brought to the issue in recent years, many organizations are doing their part to help. Here is everything you need to know about witchcraft in the Central African Republic.

The CAR Is in the Midst of a Brutal Civil War

Since its inception in 1960, the CAR has suffered from decades of instability and violence. In 2020, the Patriots for Change (CPC) was formed to disrupt the 2020-2021 CAR election. Most recently, the CPC renewed its attacks on the government in early 2023, equipped with better weaponry. As the CAR delves deeper into intraregional conflict, the humanitarian crisis worsens, contributing to poverty and poor living conditions.

Witchcraft and Vulnerable Groups

In the CAR, the law specifies that suspected witchcraft in and of itself is not a crime but rather its “harmful use.” This applies explicitly to accusations of witchcraft, which refer to intentions to do harm to people, damage property and disrupt the public.

Accusations of witchcraft are intrinsically tied to social marginalization and contribute to the filtering out of unwanted people, most especially elderly women. Most of the people who are accused of witchcraft are around the age of 55, with an increased emphasis on isolated women who may be divorced, widowed, childless or otherwise alone. From January 2020 to June 2021, almost 60% of the defendants held in the women’s remand prison in Bangui could be classified into one of these categories.

The CAR’s Rule of Law Is Difficult To Enforce

Prosecutions are almost entirely sourced from the confessions of the accused. Accused people who refuse to confess face an increased risk of vigilante justice and mob violence. At the same time, within the judicial system, refusing to confess may be the only way to avoid conviction. Cases of witchcraft are considered carefully due to their sensitive nature, which causes judges to search for a conviction by whatever means necessary. Accusations of witchcraft are significantly more common in rural areas where law enforcement and the judicial system have limited power.

Communities Rely on Support From Local NGOs

Caritas CAR is one such NGO providing services since CAR’s inception in 1960. Among its primary goals of alleviating the pressures of poverty in the CAR, Caritas CAR also focuses on building a stronger society. Most accusations of witchcraft come from somebody the accused knows and by providing social resources, Centralis CAR targets this problem at its root.

The CAR still has a long way to go with some of the highest rates of remand detention in the world, unparalleled conflict and levels of poverty and a targeted system of persecution of the most vulnerable people in society. However, the CAR and its people continue to work toward a better, more connected society through NGOs like Caritas CAR.

– Anjum Alam
Photo: Flickr