VOA: Helping Bring Literacy to Tanzanian Children – The Red Sweater Project aims to create educational opportunities for children in rural Tanzania by helping communities to build schools, train teachers and develop curricula. Unlike primary schooling in Tanzania, secondary education requires substantial tuition fees. There is also a shortage of teachers and schools may be too far apart to be accessibly by many students. The project strives to lower fees and recruit competent teachers. (Sophia Gebrehiwot)
Africa Review: Cholera outbreak in Zambia – A fresh cholera outbreak in northern Zambia has left three people dead, health officials report. At least 67 cases of the water borne disease have been recorded since Monday. Cholera has become a problem for the southern African nation during the rainy season. (Michael Chawe)
Guardian: Concern grows at lack of humanitarian access in Central Africa Republic – Humanitarian organizations have expresses alarm at the lack of access to more than 300,000 civilians caught in the fighting the Central African Republic. Rebel fighters have seized regional capitals and mining areas in the north east and an additional 700,000 people in Bangui are at risk if the fighting escalates. Internally displaced people, especially women and children, are in need of health services. There is also concern over the disruption to the planting season, which could lead to a ruined harvest in 2013. (Mark Tran)
Devex: US aid policy under John Kerry: Expect few changes – A U.S. State Department run by John Kerry will likely continue to focus on foreign aid and “advance the administration’s agenda on global health and food security.” Kerry can be expected to rely on “smart power,” a combination of diplomacy and development cooperation with a focus on health, food security and governance.” (Rolf Rosenkranz)
