The World Bank in 2015 confirmed Kenya as a lower middle income country, a leap from the least developed countries cluster. This follows largely the changes in the size of the economy notably a 25 per cent domestic growth and the rise in the country’s Gross National Income per capita. While income based measures like […]
In Kenya, there is still a long way to go when it comes to gay acceptance and equal rights. Filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu made a special film about two girls who fall in love with each other: Rafiki. The film, which is banned in the country, won the Hivos Free to be me Award last week. […]
Tanzania is amongst the world’s top coffee producers. At 30,000-40,000 metric tonnes annually, the country is making its mark in brewing the world’s most favorite beverage. However the taste, flavor and aroma of this popular beverage is filled with twists and turns of inequality. For an avid coffee consumer, the thoughts around the true cost […]
Basically everyone agrees that climate change is the biggest challenge of the coming decades. It is also widely recognized that vulnerable people in low- and middle-income countries will be hit hardest by its impact. The consequences have already affected their lives severely. Urgent action is therefore required. As I already laid out in this interview, […]
The cultural and creative sector in East Africa is a sleeping giant. Experts argue that the sector can thrive when given a little push in the right direction. Hivos East Africa’s interest in this sector emerges from the right to free expression. While the sector has the power to stimulate economic growth and social justice, […]
By Immaculate Yossa and Nout van der Vaart Nout van der Vaart and Immaculate Yossa report back from the Fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly There is an inextricable link between food production and consumption, and the health of our environment. While this two-way relationship has long gone largely unseen, the awareness of how […]
By John Kiwagalo For generations, indigenous fruits such as avocado, mango and passion fruit, have been widely praised for their significant role in ensuring biodiversity conservation and for their nutritional value for the Ugandan population. However, these and other indigenous fruits are being increasingly replaced with foreign fruits and manufactured juices. This has affected the […]
This year marks 25 years since the creation of the Hivos-Triodos Fund (HTF). In 1994, the joint initiative of Hivos and Triodos Bank started as one of the first movers worldwide in financial inclusion investments. From its early beginnings, HTF invested in microfinance institutions, making small loans available to entrepreneurs in disadvantaged markets in developing […]
By Joyce Chimbi Giving birth to a new life is supposed to bring joy and happiness to the mother and family. But for women working in the horticulture industry, particularly flower farms, such an act is often a source of pain and sorry. Women workers often have to make painful choices of getting pregnant or […]
By AWC Feature Service The violations and abuse of human rights of women workers in flower farms in Kenya and other African countries took center stage at the ongoing Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. Participants and women workers shared stories of having to work overtime without pay, especially during peak season that happens […]
By Caroline Wahome Kenya’s population is estimated at 50 million of whom 73% have access to electricity via either grid or off-grid electricity solutions. While the government is committed to providing electricity for all by 2022, grid extension can be slow and expensive. Hivos believes that decentralized renewable energy options such as solar mini-grids provide […]
By Levis Maina On 28 February 2019, I was invited to speak at the Human Resource professionals Open Forum organised by the Institute of Human Resources Management (IHRM) in collaboration with Hivos East Africa. Every time I think of ‘Human Resources’ (HR), my mind conjures up a bunch of job rejection letters I received, and […]