Region: East Africa
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World Environment Day: The fable of the boiling frog
On June 5, 2020, the world celebrates World Environment Day. It is an acclaimed United Nations Day to raise awareness and encourage action to protect our environment. This year, the day is being recognised as the world copes with the COVID-19 pandemic especially at a dire time when we have been called to reflect on…
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There’s R.O.O.M. to be free at Hivos
Why art is important to Hivos Freedom of expression is the hallmark of democracy. It is a sign of societies where citizens are free to openly debate and contribute to a myriad of issues affecting their day-to-day lives. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights lists it as a fundamental human right.
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Queer expression through podcasts
Alternative spaces for free expression are on the rise in Africa. As voices of freedom, they’re quickly taking up their place as avenues where sexual and gender minorities can freely express themselves in audiovisual spaces such as podcasts. Selly Thiam is a journalist, filmmaker, radio producer, writer and the executive producer and host of AfroQueer. AfroQueer is…
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Our solutions are in nature
2020 marks the culmination of the 2011 – 2020 Strategic Plan for Biological Diversity and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. This strategic plan was adopted in 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan. It contributes to a shared vision of living in harmony with nature…
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Protecting indigenous foods, preserving biodiversity – the solutions are in nature
On this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity, Natalie Lartey and Immaculate Yossa Daisy discuss how advocacy to protect Uganda’s indigenous food is simultaneously preserving the nation’s biodiversity. Biodiversity underpins the earth’s life support system. It balances a finely-tuned ecosystem that helps deliver basic human needs, including food. Biodiversity keeps water fresh and air clean;…
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“Without nature, there is no food.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that the world’s biodiversity can be a forge in fighting diseases, which is critical for the burgeoning global population. According to the Alliance of Biodiversity International, a staggering 800 million (with the numbers expected to rise) are already affected by hunger- an aftershock- that will be experienced during and after…
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Importance of biodiversity for food production and nutrition
Agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy. According to Economic Survey 2020, the overall growth for agriculture was 3.6 percent. The sector accounts for 80 percent of national employment mainly in rural areas. Agriculture contributes foreign exchange earnings while providing for most of the food requirements. However, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and…
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Five major ways we can improve nutrition
Agriculture plays critical roles in providing both nutritious food and addressing the underlying causes of malnutrition. The potential impacts of agricultural activities on health and nutrition extend across a number of channels. One area of impact is household ability to produce, purchase and consume more, better and cheaper food. In recent years, there has been…
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Working from home – Investing in power backups to cope with frequent blackouts
Wilkista Akinyi- Junior Programme Officer, Green Energy Power blackout during a pandemic where many of us are working from home with no stand-by generators as usually provided by most offices can be very frustrating. From a workforce that is used to minimal interruption – to one that must now operate at the mercy of the…
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A sector worth billions whose employees now lack food and jobs
High food prices and loss of income have emerged as the major concerns for women working on flower farms in Kenya. A rapid assessment of the effects of COVID-19 by Hivos East Africa Women@Work indicates that food security is a major concern mainly due to job losses and increasing food prices.
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The resounding silence to be broken
The theme of this year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) is: “Breaking the Silence” Ever since the first case of COVID-19 in Kenya on March 13 2020, we have been bombarded with information about the virus. As the government took certain measures to keep Kenyans safe, vulnerable populations were left perplexed on…
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IDAHOT 2020: discrimination is on the rise during the corona crisis
In the run-up to IDAHOT on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, we’re sharing stories from the countries where Hivos is committed to the LGBT community. In more than 25 countries, we work with LGBT organizations and activists. That collaboration often goes back decades. Slowly but surely, we are working on…
