This story was originally reported by Emmanuelle Landais and edited by Jumana Farouky and Sebastien Malo for the Thomson Reuters Foundation.     For centuries, women in West Africa’s cereal belt have relied on fonio, a small, nutty grain, to feed their families. Now, Adja Aissata Aya Ndiaye, a farmer in Kedougou in southeastern Senegal, thinks fonio could become a staple across the continent, and eventually around the world. “We want to take over the global market,” said Ndiaye, 62. Over in New York,...
This story was originally reported by Alina Paul-Bossuet for the Thomson Reuters Foundation and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). The United Nations’ scientific panel on climate change report (October 2018) highlights worsening food shortages as one of the key impacts of global warming. Tackling the monumental challenges set out in the report may seem like a mountain to climb, given the policy changes and rapid government action required. Yet, on her 4-acre farm on the foothills of Mount Kenya in Embu county,...
This story was originally reported by Kagondu Njagi. Editing by Zoe Tabary and Robert Carmichaelfor the Thomson Reuters Foundation.  When two university students knocked on the door of Lillian Kanari’s organic food shop in Nairobi, Kenya five years ago seeking work, she realised their web design skills could help her business solve one of its most intractable problems: food waste. Until then, most orders were placed over the phone – and that resulted in some customers complaining that what had been...
This story was originally reported by Caroline Wambui and edited by Laurie Goering for the Thomson Reuters Foundation.  In this arid stretch of Kajiado County, Kenya where worsening heat and drought have been tough on livestock farmers, Arnold Ole Kapurua is experimenting with a hot new crop: chillies. Ole Kapurua, 29, a farmer and agronomist, now grows two acres of the fiery pods – and is training other farmers to do the same – as a way to protect their incomes in...
Right now, a seismic shift is happening when it comes to addressing gender inequality. Women around the world are speaking up and stepping forward in their millions, calling out the injustice they experience every day. These movements are changing conversations, changing culture, and changing laws. And it’s critical that the girls and women hit hardest by gender inequality – those living in extreme poverty – are not left behind. If you want to live in a world where there is...
The evidence that educating girls creates healthier, wealthier, fairer, and more stable communities is overwhelming—so why isn’t every girl getting a quality education? The barriers, particularly for girls in the poorest countries, are wide-ranging and complex but these are some of the most challenging: Cost The cost of supplies can limit girls access to education. Even in areas where school fees are non-existent, there’s still a price to pay. Students are often required to buy uniforms, transportation, and supplies, like textbooks, pens,...