Everyone who works in the advocacy world knows just how important the coveted letter to the editor (LTE) can be. As an organization that asks for your voice, not your money, a published LTE in your local paper is one of our most effective tools. Not only do LTEs raise awareness of global poverty and disease issues within your community and with reporters, these letters can get the attention of the elected officials who can choose whether or not...
As schooling typically takes place during the day, we often forget the importance of lighting as a constraint to education in the developing world. We focus largely on pedagogy and little on access to energy.
A recent documentary by award-winning filmmaker Eva Weber entitled “Black Out” (which you can watch in the player bel0w) captures the importance of energy to education. In its opening scene, hundreds of children in Guinea’s capital Conakry are too busy studying under the international airport’s parking lot lights to notice the sound of planes landing. The learners, none of whom have electricity at home, gather in publicly lit areas every night just to revise their school work.
Ricky Lee Gordon hard at work on a new mural. Photo credit: oxeloskateboards.com.
Ricky Lee Gordon is on a quest to prove that art can make a difference. His artwork has been exhibited all over the world from the Gambia to New York, and featured on the BBC and National Geographic alongside world-famous graffiti artist Banksy.
Inspired by his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, his creative alter ego Freddy Sam is a forever-young, fearless romantic who still believes in Peter Pan....
Energy supplied by micro hydro enables Ester from Kenya to earn a steady living as a hairdresser. Photo credit: Practical Action
Our 3-part blog series on energy poverty examines the connections between energy, health, education and the economy. In this piece, we focus on the importance of energy access in the economy, business and employment.
With almost 200 million people ages 15 to 24, Africa has the youngest and most rapidly growing population globally. By 2045, its youth population is expected...
Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting some of the interactive ways you can take part in our protest song project, agit8. In this post, we highlight our protest song playlist, which includes covers and original versions of the world’s most iconic songs.
Protest songs are classic for a reason – but do you know why? Here are a few surprising facts on why these songs were written:
Get up, Stand up by Bob Marley, from the album Burnin
Bob Marley wrote...
Evans Wadongo, founder and executive director of Sustainable Development for All Kenya and one of CNN’s top 10 heroes of 2010, explains why electricity is so important to African development. Like 68 percent of the population of sub-Saharan Africa, Evans grew up without a dependable source of power. Check out how his personal experience growing up in rural Kenya inspired him to make a change.
Energy poverty is a time bomb, an issue that receives little attention but is contributing so...
It’s undeniable. China has a huge presence in Africa. Many Africans can point out Chinese-funded buildings, roads and mines, and it’s not uncommon to see more than a few Chinese faces around construction projects and efforts across the development sector. As the country moves toward the up and up both economically and as a world superpower, so will its aid to the continent.
Senegalese and Chinese workers at a construction site in Dakar. Photo credit: Seyllou/AFP/Getty Images
At this critical juncture,...
Is South Africa closer to the dream of becoming a Rainbow Nation 18 years post apartheid?
“The Day of Reconciliation” is a public holiday in South Africa held annually on December 16. The holiday came into effect in 1994 after the end of apartheid, with the intention of fostering reconciliation and national unity.
It is important to note that this day has historically been recognized by two opposing sides. On one hand, South Africans of Dutch descent use this day to...
Now that the holidays are in full swing, we thought we’d take a look at how different countries in Africa celebrate Christmas. Christianity has been on the continent since the middle of the first century, and approximately 350 million Africans are Christian. Over the years, unique holiday traditions like masquerade parties and dining al fresco have development. Here’s a roundup of the most interesting ones that we’ve found:
Ethiopia
Ethiopian depiction of the birth of Christ
If you’re spending Christmas in Ethiopia,...
ONE Mom Karen Walrond traveled with ONE to Ethiopia this October as the official photographer. This piece, originally published on Chookooloonks, is part of our ongoing coverage of the trip.
While much of our trip was spent in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital of about 4 million people, we also spent a lot of our time in rural areas, visiting farms and other aspects of the countryside. And the countryside is truly where Ethiopia comes into its own: while Addis is...