Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from September, 2014
Surviving Sierra Leone's Three-Day Ebola Lockdown
Some point out that cultural practices in parts of Sierra Leone aggravate risks, such as bathing in water used to wash Ebola victims, believing it will bring good luck.
The First Edition of the Africa Web Festival Will Kick Off in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
The first Africa Web Festival will take place in Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire (November 24-26). The festival will give the opportunity to any designers in Africa to participate in a contest (registrations are open until October 12) Vous êtes journalistes, développeurs, producteurs de web tv, de web radio ; vous êtes créateurs et...
How a ‘Small Dream to Be the Change’ Grew Into a Charity With the Best Social Media Campaign in Uganda
Tumusiime Patrick interviews 40 Days Over 40 Smiles founder Esther Kalenzi about the charity, which helps vulnerable children and communities to access education and training.
Questioning Weekend's Media Silence About Ebola
“When will Ebola news go 24/7?,” asks a US/Canadian professor Crawford Kilian: I have long been used to outbreak news dropping off on weekends. The media, government agencies, and NGOs all knock off on Friday afternoon and show up again Monday morning. But after the last few weeks of Ebola,...
8 Things You Wanted to Know About Madagascar but Were Afraid to Ask
If you ever wonder about visiting Madagascar or simply want to know more about the island, here are a few facts to consider.
Are Madagascar's Health Care Facilities Ready for Possible Ebola Outbreak?
Fifteen African countries including Madagascar are potentially at risk since they have the same environmental characteristics as affected countries. The prime minister says Madagascar is prepared, but others are doubtful.
Threats to Press Freedom in the Fight Against Ebola in Liberia
The Press Union of Liberia is concerned about the threat to freedom of information as a result of the actions taken by the government to limit the expansion of the Ebola virus. The union wrote a letter to the Minister of Justice to draw his attention to the challenges media...
Ebola Hasn't Reached the Gambia, and People Are Working to Keep It That Way
The deadliest Ebola outbreak in history has killed nearly 1,900 people so far. In the Gambia, a social media campaign and a specially composed song are trying to raise awareness.
Togolese Bloggers Poke Fun at President for Over the Top BillBoard
Someone sure wanted people to know that he was thankful for Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé generosity. This week, a giant billboard was raised in Lomé, Togo that praised the president's action in favor of providing lunch for school children. The billboard seen below reads in french :” Thanks Daddy Faure for...
Oscar Pistorius’ Verdict Ends the Biggest Social Media Event in South African History
According to Data Drive Insights, the trial is the biggest social media event in South Africa's history, producing an estimated 3.5 million tweets since Reeva Steenkamp's murder in February 2013.
Building Sustainable Peace in The Central African Republic
As the UN launchs its peace keeping mission with the arrival of 1,500 troops in the Central African Republic (CAR), a few observers were wondering why it took so long given the extent of the casualties. Les Cercles nationaux de Réflexion sur la Jeunesse (CNRJ) is an NGO in Bangui, CAR that...
Less Than 10% of Rural Sub-Saharan Africans Have Access to Electricity. What's Being Done to Change That?
Fifteen percent of the world's population lives in Africa, yet they represent only 3 percent of global electricity consumption. Organizations are carrying out various electrification projects to wire the continent.
Conversations and Images From Highway Africa 2014
Highway Africa 2014 took place on 7-8 September, 2014 at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. The theme of the conference was Social Media – from the margins to the mainstream. Find images and conversations about the conference here.
What If 75% of All Cities Were Deprived of Electricity by Design?
There are about 105 cities listed in all of Madagascar. The Minister of Energy Fienena Richard recently announced that 80 cities of Madagascar are curently deprived of electricity because JIRAMA, the public company in charge of providing electricity across the territory is running short on fuel. As a result, JIRAMA...
As Ebola Strikes, a Guinean Blogger Laments the Country's Lack of Online Community
"What happened to the Guinean blogosphere? Does Guinea even have a blogosphere to speak of? [...] Aren't we just too often the self-centered, passive spectators of the the world's convulsions?"
Activists and Bloggers Worldwide Ponder Lessons Learned From the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
There is no denying that more people are now more aware of ALS than ever before, but critics have accused the campaign of focusing on self-congratulating deeds.
These 8 Ice Bucket Spinoffs Challenge Hunger, War and Politics
From the “Lather Against Ebola” campaign against Ebola in Côte d'Ivoire to the Rubble Bucket Challenge for children in Gaza, people are repurposing the viral phenomenon.
Lesotho Political Crisis Updates on Twitter
Follow @nthakoana (Nthakoana Ngatane) for updates on the political crisis in Lesotho. Nthakoana Ngatane is a writer, speaker, singer, actor and South Africa Broadcasting Corporation correspondent in Lesotho. On 30th August 2014, Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane claimed there was a coup attempt against him. He later flew to South...
The Ebola Truth
The Ebola Truth is a Facebook page that aims to document the situation with the Ebola virus on the African continent.
Was There a Coup in Lesotho?
Listen to a podcast explaining what is really happening in Lesotho following allegations of a military coup: The prime minister has fled to South Africa and says it’s a coup. The Lesotho military says it isn’t. The politics are a bit confusing. African Defence Review talks to SADC Wrap’s KRISTEN...
How Bloggers Ended Up in Prison for Writing About Human Rights in Ethiopia
Melody Sundberg analyses freedom of expression in Ethiopia after detained Ethiopian bloggers spent 100 days in prison: Ethiopia is with its almost 94 million population the second most populated country in Africa. Nevertheless, it does not according to an interview with Endalkhachew Chala by Global Voices, have an independent daily...