Region: East Africa
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Workplace diversity and inclusion in the 21st Century
What is workplace diversity? This is the question we sought to answer on 5 July 2017 when we congregated in Nairobi with various stakeholders across sectors during the launch of the colorful workplaces programme. I must say I was quite nervous when we were putting this event together. I wondered how it would be received…
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Hivos condemns arrests of human rights defenders in Istanbul
On 6 July in the middle of the night, we received the news that all the participants of a digital security training organised by Hivos in Turkey had been arrested and placed in incommunicado detention. The arrestees include a trainer from Germany, a trainer from Sweden, the director of Amnesty International in Turkey, and individual…
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First Sustainable Food Systems conference held in Pretoria
From 21 to 23 June, over 150 representatives from governments, private sector and civil society gathered in Pretoria, South Africa, for the first global conference of the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Food Systems (SFS). Hivos, together with the other co-leads of the programme (WWF, and the governments of Switzerland and South Africa),…
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Stop Child Labour signs gold chain agreement with government, companies and CSOs
Edward Huizing, executive director of Hivos, which coordinates the Stop Child Labour coalition, signed the International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) Agreement for a responsible gold value chain on June 19, together with Philips, Fairphone, IUCN NL, FNV and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By signing the agreement, facilitated by the Social and Economic Council of…
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Open Source Seed Systems improve farmers’ access to diverse seeds
Agriculture forms the backbone of Tanzania’s economy, providing employment to about 80 percent of the population and contributing to 24.5 percent of the country’s GDP. Despite its contribution to food security and livelihoods, the sector faces a number of challenges related to productivity, among them farmers’ access to seeds. This is one of the reasons…
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Ethiopia projected as the fastest growing economy in Africa but lacks a minimum wage
The World Bank on June 7, 2017 projected Ethiopia as the fastest growing economy in Africa. In a report, Global Economic Prospects: Sub-Saharan Africa, the bank predicted Ethiopia to be at 8.3 per cent followed by Ghana and Tanzania at 7.2 and 7.8 respectively. Does this forecasted growth, however, mean better living standards for its…
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SDGs promise a lot for women; but what have we achieved?
In September 2015, Governments adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (commonly referred as the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs) as a response to eradicate poverty. Each year, countries are encouraged to review their progress in implementation of the SDGs. This year, Kenya is among the 44 countries (of which seven are African states) that…
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Hivos East Africa and partners host a Family Reception for Kenya’s LGBTI Community
Marked on 17 May every year, the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) raises awareness on hate crimes, acts of persecution and hatred faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people worldwide. On the eve of IDAHOT, 16 May 2017, Hivos East Africa together with the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK),…
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When did we start hating?
As we commemorate this year’s International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), I am reminded of the daily struggles and realities that sexual and gender minorities have to deal with. While East Africa nations enjoy their status as progressive nations in the 21st century and have included sustainable development goals in their national agendas,…
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Show your solidarity with LGBTI people worldwide on IDAHOT!
The International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) is observed every year on May 17. It aims to stimulate international events that raise awareness of the human rights violations suffered by of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. For IDAHOT 2017, Hivos wants to draw global attention to the difficult situation lesbians, gay…
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Bio-slurry transforming the coffee sector
Philip Mutahi Ngunjiri is a commercial coffee and dairy farmer in Nyeri County. He learned about biogas through the Kenya Biogas Program’s (KBP) Biogas Extension Service Providers based in the region and immediately got interested in installing one. “It cost me a total of Ksh 66,000 (equivalent to 571 USD) to install this 6-cubic-meter digester…
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With biogas, I can focus on other money-making activities
Grace Nyambura Gachuki, a dairy farmer in Kiambu County, used to refill the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tank every three weeks. This was in addition to using charcoal and firewood to take care of all the household’s fuel needs. She had seen biogas digesters on TV, but got a better idea when her neighbour installed…
