ICTs in Education in Africa – A Case Study of Malawi
19Apr
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20Dec
Small-Holder Farmers to Revitalise Agriculture in Africa
President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, was chosen as the World Food Laureate by the World Food Prize board in June 2017. On October 16, as part of the World Food Prize events, he delivered a boldly-titled lecture “Betting on Africa To Feed The World”. With an estimated 33 million small-holder farmers, Africa has in recent times been dubbed the “breadbasket of the world”. The 33 million small-holder farmers represent a great business opportunity to be tapped...
22Nov
Making Money While Doing Good: A Closer Look at Zoona, Malawi
The financial services industry in Africa is ever expanding with fintech startups finding particularly innovative ways to service the 80% unbanked adults in Africa. Harvard University professors, Michael Porter and Mark Kramer opine that businesses can re-evaluate their operations to “bring business and society together” by yielding financial returns in ways that also address the challenges societies face, a business concept they termed “creating shared value”. Disrupt Africa, a portal with information relating to Africa’s startup scene, released a report...
10Nov
Intergenerational Mobility: A Conversation with a Local Chief in Malawi
The World Bank will be issuing a study on the implications of one’s familial socio-economic background on their ability to progress beyond that of their lineage. The introduction to the World Bank’s preview, to the upcoming report, states that in order for inclusive growth to be a reality, public policy ought to give due regard and consideration to the hopes of people to progress beyond that of their background. In economic literature this phenomenon is known as Intergenerational Mobility...
22Oct
Leading Women Trailblazing Small-Scale Farming – An Untapped Resource
In a world that produces enough food to feed everyone, one in nine people go to bed hungry everyday, that is an approximate number of 815 million people. Food security remains a global challenge. Sub-Saharan Africa has an estimated 233 million people who are hungry. In 2015, the international community incorporated Sustainable Development Goal 2, which aims to “end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”. With these statistics, small-holder farmers work on 80% of farmland...
18Oct
Diamonds In The Rough: Making Quality Education A Reality
On Wednesday, 18 October 2017, The Global Communiqué’s 5th segment of Grassroots Reporting journeyed to Chiwenga Primary School in Likuni – a village centrally located in Malawi – situated in the outskirts of the capital, Lilongwe. Two interviews were conducted at the school: one with the Head Teacher, Mr. Fanuel Dzinziye and the second interview with a Standard 7 Teacher at the primary school, Ms. Grace Mkute. Below are excerpts from the two respective interviews, mildly edited for brevity. Interview...
16Oct
A Collective Journey Towards Agenda 2030 – Grassroots Conversations in Malawi’s Senti Market
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development envisages to ensure that "no one is left behind". The achievement of all of the 17 global goals, is said to be a "collective journey" - not just the journey for the educated, the elite, the politicians or the diplomats to take; but a "collective journey" for the uneducated, the micro business owners, the poor, and those at the grassroots. The preamble to the SDGs, which can be found on the Sustainable Development...
26Sep
Harnessing Tech Innovation for the SDGs – Leaving No-One Behind
The 72nd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) runs until Monday 25 September. Speeches from different heads of state commenced on 19 September. The much-anticipated debut of President Donald Trump on the world stage took place on Tuesday. He applauded the African Union and United in his debut speech for “[leading] peacekeeping missions [and] to have invaluable contributions in stabilizing conflicts in Africa”. Among African heads of state, President Alpha Condé of Guinea was the first African to take the international stage....
19Sep
Grassroots Reporting on Youth Issues on the Eve of the 72nd UNGA
The 72nd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will be kicking off today at the UN Headquarters in New York City. There are a lot of world and international issues that are on the table for debate, discussion and clarification. The leader of the free world, President Donald Trump, is set to take the world stage on Tuesday, September 19th – and the international community awaits to hear the clarification over some of the rhetoric he conveyed, both pre-and post...
12Aug
Youth Involvement & Participation in Providing Scalable Solutions to the SDGs
Africa and Its Youth Population Africa is considered the youngest continent. In 2016, the World Economic Forum indicated that the “world’s 10 youngest populations are all in Africa”. This youth bulge on the African continent should be harnessed positively to avoid a Malthusian disaster, given that food and agricultural production on the African continent is yet to be maximized. According to the World Bank the youthfulness of the African continent could potentially yield a 11 – 15 percent of...