Eissa Muhamad, from Niger, has been stranded at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for two months now. Photo by Eissa Muhamad, used with permission.
Eissa Muhamad, from Niger, has been stranded at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for two months now. Photo by Eissa Muhamad, used with permission.
Eissa Muhamad, from Niger, says he has been stranded in the transit section of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for more than two months, starting on November 6, 2018. Muhamad, 24, was deported from Israel where he lived for eight years as a migrant.
I met Muhamad on December 12, 2018, at Bole International Airport while in transit in Addis Ababa.
Muhamad tells me he has been deported twice from Israel in 2018. When he returned to Niger the first time, Muhamad's Israeli travel documents were still valid, so he turned around and booked another flight back to Israel. When he arrived in Israel, authorities confiscated his travel documents and deported him again back to Niger. When Muhamad returned to Niger the second time, authorities requested proof of citizenship but he failed to produce valid documents, either Israeli or Nigerien, to support his citizenship.
Muhamad remained in Nigerien custody for eight days before being deported back to Israel via Ethiopia on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. When he arrived at Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, Ethiopian authorities, in collaboration with the Israeli government, prevented him from boarding his connecting flight to Israel. They informed him that Israel was not willing to accept him, and since then, he has been stranded inside the airport, stuck between Niger and Israel.
I slept on the chairs, sometimes I slept in the mosque, I didn’t take [a] shower for two months because [the] airport [has] no place for a shower, I only wash my face, my hands and my legs, that’s all.
Muhamad has attempted to contact the Niger embassy in Addis Ababa, but because he was not able to provide valid documents to prove his Niger citizenship, Muhamad says they were unable to assist him.
As of 2018, Israel currently has 34,000 African migrants who undertook perilous journeys to Israel in search of a better life. But Israel claims many are economic migrants who have put a strain on the economy. Opting to stay meant jail time and significantly fewer resettlement options.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the right-wing Likud party remain focused on targeting those deemed “infiltrators.” Israel Democracy Institute study says 66 percent of Israelis support government policies to deport African immigrants.
Muhamad claims that he was legally living in Israel and worked in a factory, and told me the government took away his residency status and threw him out of the country.
Ethiopian authorities have not arrested Muhamad and have provided meals for him while staying at the airport. Technically, Ethiopia is a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol as well as the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, and nearly all refugees entering Ethiopia are granted asylum on a prima facie basis, but Muhamad told me he is not willing to apply for asylum in Ethiopia.
In this video interview, Muhamad explains to me what it has been like to stay trapped at the airport in Addis Ababa without a clear idea of the future:
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:95:"https://globalvoices.org/2019/01/17/nigerien-man-stranded-at-ethiopian-airport-for-months/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:146:""I slept on the chairs, sometimes I slept in the mosque, I didn’t take shower for two months because [the] airport [has] no place for a shower."";s:12:"atom_content";s:6979:"Eissa Muhamad, from Niger, has been stranded at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for two months now. Photo by Eissa Muhamad, used with permission.
Eissa Muhamad, from Niger, says he has been stranded in the transit section of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for more than two months, starting on November 6, 2018. Muhamad, 24, was deported from Israel where he lived for eight years as a migrant.
I met Muhamad on December 12, 2018, at Bole International Airport while in transit in Addis Ababa.
Muhamad tells me he has been deported twice from Israel in 2018. When he returned to Niger the first time, Muhamad's Israeli travel documents were still valid, so he turned around and booked another flight back to Israel. When he arrived in Israel, authorities confiscated his travel documents and deported him again back to Niger. When Muhamad returned to Niger the second time, authorities requested proof of citizenship but he failed to produce valid documents, either Israeli or Nigerien, to support his citizenship.
Muhamad remained in Nigerien custody for eight days before being deported back to Israel via Ethiopia on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. When he arrived at Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, Ethiopian authorities, in collaboration with the Israeli government, prevented him from boarding his connecting flight to Israel. They informed him that Israel was not willing to accept him, and since then, he has been stranded inside the airport, stuck between Niger and Israel.
I slept on the chairs, sometimes I slept in the mosque, I didn’t take [a] shower for two months because [the] airport [has] no place for a shower, I only wash my face, my hands and my legs, that’s all.
Muhamad has attempted to contact the Niger embassy in Addis Ababa, but because he was not able to provide valid documents to prove his Niger citizenship, Muhamad says they were unable to assist him.
As of 2018, Israel currently has 34,000 African migrants who undertook perilous journeys to Israel in search of a better life. But Israel claims many are economic migrants who have put a strain on the economy. Opting to stay meant jail time and significantly fewer resettlement options.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the right-wing Likud party remain focused on targeting those deemed “infiltrators.” Israel Democracy Institute study says 66 percent of Israelis support government policies to deport African immigrants.
Muhamad claims that he was legally living in Israel and worked in a factory, and told me the government took away his residency status and threw him out of the country.
Ethiopian authorities have not arrested Muhamad and have provided meals for him while staying at the airport. Technically, Ethiopia is a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol as well as the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, and nearly all refugees entering Ethiopia are granted asylum on a prima facie basis, but Muhamad told me he is not willing to apply for asylum in Ethiopia.
In this video interview, Muhamad explains to me what it has been like to stay trapped at the airport in Addis Ababa without a clear idea of the future:
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1547731270;}i:1;a:14:{s:5:"title";s:94:"As Italy and Egypt Strengthen Diplomatic Ties, Will Giulio Regeni’s Murder Case See Justice?";s:4:"link";s:126:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/09/23/as-italy-and-egypt-strengthen-diplomatic-ties-will-guilio-regenis-murder-case-see-justice/";s:8:"comments";s:134:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/09/23/as-italy-and-egypt-strengthen-diplomatic-ties-will-guilio-regenis-murder-case-see-justice/#respond";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sat, 23 Sep 2017 10:52:42 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Salma Essam";}s:8:"category";s:139:"EgyptEnglishHuman RightsInternational RelationsItalyLibyaMiddle East & North AfricaMigration & ImmigrationNigerPoliticsWeblogWestern Europe";s:4:"guid";s:34:"https://globalvoices.org/?p=630233";s:11:"description";s:111:"Did Italy give up on the quest for Giulio Regeni's killers so Egypt would help Italy block migration to Europe?";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:14022:"
Amnesty International campaign which reads ‘Truth for Giuliu Regeni.’ Used with permission.
On September 5, Egypt and Italy officially resumed diplomatic relations after a year and a half, installing Italian Ambassador Giampaolo Gantini to his Cairo office soon after on September 14.
Bilateral relations between Rome and Cairo deteriorated when the tortured body of Italian Cambridge Scholar Giulio Regeni was found in Egypt, a murder widely believed to have been committed by state security forces. In response, Italy recalled then Ambassador Maurizio Massari and appointed Gantini as a non-resident in May 2016.
Regeni had been researching trade unions in Egypt when he was kidnapped, tortured and ultimately killed. It was revealed that Egyptian police had detained Regeni and then transferred him to a compound run by Egypt's homeland security the day he was kidnapped, a fact previously disputed by Egyptian security services.
Despite the lack of progress on Regeni's case, Rome officials have cited ‘progress in cooperation in the investigation.’
Meanwhile, Egypt's security forces have reportedly targeted the Regeni family's legal team, arresting Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy, the family's Egyptian lawyer, on his way to a United Nations meeting on enforced disappearances.
Hegazy was charged with “managing an illegal group, spreading false news … [and] cooperating with foreign organizations” and faces up to five years in prison.
The arrest led to suspicions that Rome may have ulterior motives in downplaying Regeni's case. Critics have argued that Italy's lenience toward the Egyptian government's handling of the case is a sign of their growing interest in Egypt's influence over North Africa and its role in migration control.
Screenshot showing Italy (Top Left), Libya (Center) and Egypt (Center Right). Source: Google Earth
Why would Italy want to silence the murder of one of its citizens in Egypt? The links are complex.
Like the rest of the EU, the topic of migration in Italy remains a sensitive topic. A steady influx of migrants to Italy comes predominantly from Niger and Libya due to proximity. Italy recently proposed the Migration Compact to improve cooperation with African countries through a plethora of schemes in an effort to strengthen border control and reduce migrant flow.
Italy must maintain strong diplomatic ties with Egypt in order to negotiate migration flow with Libya through the Libyan coastguard. This involves a complex process under the authority of Libya's Government of the National Accord (GNA) which receives Italian ships and EU training.
Khalifa Haftar, head of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), is known to be one of Egypt's strongest allies. Haftar and the LNA currently exercise full control over the Eastern part of Libya that stretches from Benghazi to the Egyptian border.
If Italy wants to block or curb migration from Libya, it will need to secure friendly relations with Haftar and his Eastern government in order to establish diplomacy with the Italian-patrolled Western zone.
Therefore, Italy aims to capitalize on Egypt’s alliance with Haftar without risking an explicit intervention that could trigger discontent from Libya’s Western GNA.
Rome officials acknowledge Egypt as “an unavoidable partner” with whom it is “impossible not to have high-level political and diplomatic relations,” explained Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, according to Human Rights Watch.
Normalizing ties between the two countries along with Alfano's statements led to questions about Italy's complicity in silencing Regeni's murder investigation.
Human Rights Watch Director Kenneth Roth argued:
Did Italy give up on the quest for Giulio Regeni's killers so Egypt would help stop migrants to Europe? https://t.co/wabZHKNF01 pic.twitter.com/arFexQ9JoS
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) September 21, 2017
Similarly, journalist Edward Cousin questions Italy's motives:
#Egypt is migration wise simply too important for #Italy to let #Regeni‘s murder continue to dominate relation
— Eduard Cousin (@EduardCousin) September 14, 2017
Regarding Regeni's murder, the Egyptian government strongly denies any culpability from its security forces and has accused other parties of the crime.
In March 2016, five Egyptian men were shot dead after being convicted of kidnapping and murdering Regeni, only to be later found innocent.
Given Egypt's stifling approach to the investigation and Italy's motives for maintaining diplomatic ties with Egypt in favor of an effective migration policy, supporters of Regeni worry that these formalities will frustrate justice and the case will be eventually disregarded.
Regeni's parents condemned Italy's move to reestablish relations with Egypt and described it as a “dressed-up surrender” while activists such as Saverio Giagregorio demanded justice for Regeni on social media:
605 giorni senza Giulio.
La verità alla famiglia #Regeni gli è dovuta.
Non ci sono interessi che tengano.#veritapergiulioregeni #Metwaly pic.twitter.com/0IS5C8xGld— saverio giangregorio (@saveriolakadima) September 22, 2017
‘Truth for Giulio,’ an Italian account, called out a meeting between Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi, situating Regeni's murder among many crimes against humanity in Egypt:
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:131:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/09/23/as-italy-and-egypt-strengthen-diplomatic-ties-will-guilio-regenis-murder-case-see-justice/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:111:"Did Italy give up on the quest for Giulio Regeni's killers so Egypt would help Italy block migration to Europe?";s:12:"atom_content";s:14022:"Mr. @eucopresident meets @AlsisiOfficial. UE can't forget the crimes against humanity and #Regeni and thousand Giulio in Egypt. #UNGA pic.twitter.com/qCPc2KsFsr
— Verità Per Giulio (@GiulioSiamoNoi) September 19, 2017
Amnesty International campaign which reads ‘Truth for Giuliu Regeni.’ Used with permission.
On September 5, Egypt and Italy officially resumed diplomatic relations after a year and a half, installing Italian Ambassador Giampaolo Gantini to his Cairo office soon after on September 14.
Bilateral relations between Rome and Cairo deteriorated when the tortured body of Italian Cambridge Scholar Giulio Regeni was found in Egypt, a murder widely believed to have been committed by state security forces. In response, Italy recalled then Ambassador Maurizio Massari and appointed Gantini as a non-resident in May 2016.
Regeni had been researching trade unions in Egypt when he was kidnapped, tortured and ultimately killed. It was revealed that Egyptian police had detained Regeni and then transferred him to a compound run by Egypt's homeland security the day he was kidnapped, a fact previously disputed by Egyptian security services.
Despite the lack of progress on Regeni's case, Rome officials have cited ‘progress in cooperation in the investigation.’
Meanwhile, Egypt's security forces have reportedly targeted the Regeni family's legal team, arresting Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy, the family's Egyptian lawyer, on his way to a United Nations meeting on enforced disappearances.
Hegazy was charged with “managing an illegal group, spreading false news … [and] cooperating with foreign organizations” and faces up to five years in prison.
The arrest led to suspicions that Rome may have ulterior motives in downplaying Regeni's case. Critics have argued that Italy's lenience toward the Egyptian government's handling of the case is a sign of their growing interest in Egypt's influence over North Africa and its role in migration control.
Screenshot showing Italy (Top Left), Libya (Center) and Egypt (Center Right). Source: Google Earth
Why would Italy want to silence the murder of one of its citizens in Egypt? The links are complex.
Like the rest of the EU, the topic of migration in Italy remains a sensitive topic. A steady influx of migrants to Italy comes predominantly from Niger and Libya due to proximity. Italy recently proposed the Migration Compact to improve cooperation with African countries through a plethora of schemes in an effort to strengthen border control and reduce migrant flow.
Italy must maintain strong diplomatic ties with Egypt in order to negotiate migration flow with Libya through the Libyan coastguard. This involves a complex process under the authority of Libya's Government of the National Accord (GNA) which receives Italian ships and EU training.
Khalifa Haftar, head of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), is known to be one of Egypt's strongest allies. Haftar and the LNA currently exercise full control over the Eastern part of Libya that stretches from Benghazi to the Egyptian border.
If Italy wants to block or curb migration from Libya, it will need to secure friendly relations with Haftar and his Eastern government in order to establish diplomacy with the Italian-patrolled Western zone.
Therefore, Italy aims to capitalize on Egypt’s alliance with Haftar without risking an explicit intervention that could trigger discontent from Libya’s Western GNA.
Rome officials acknowledge Egypt as “an unavoidable partner” with whom it is “impossible not to have high-level political and diplomatic relations,” explained Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, according to Human Rights Watch.
Normalizing ties between the two countries along with Alfano's statements led to questions about Italy's complicity in silencing Regeni's murder investigation.
Human Rights Watch Director Kenneth Roth argued:
Did Italy give up on the quest for Giulio Regeni's killers so Egypt would help stop migrants to Europe? https://t.co/wabZHKNF01 pic.twitter.com/arFexQ9JoS
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) September 21, 2017
Similarly, journalist Edward Cousin questions Italy's motives:
#Egypt is migration wise simply too important for #Italy to let #Regeni‘s murder continue to dominate relation
— Eduard Cousin (@EduardCousin) September 14, 2017
Regarding Regeni's murder, the Egyptian government strongly denies any culpability from its security forces and has accused other parties of the crime.
In March 2016, five Egyptian men were shot dead after being convicted of kidnapping and murdering Regeni, only to be later found innocent.
Given Egypt's stifling approach to the investigation and Italy's motives for maintaining diplomatic ties with Egypt in favor of an effective migration policy, supporters of Regeni worry that these formalities will frustrate justice and the case will be eventually disregarded.
Regeni's parents condemned Italy's move to reestablish relations with Egypt and described it as a “dressed-up surrender” while activists such as Saverio Giagregorio demanded justice for Regeni on social media:
605 giorni senza Giulio.
La verità alla famiglia #Regeni gli è dovuta.
Non ci sono interessi che tengano.#veritapergiulioregeni #Metwaly pic.twitter.com/0IS5C8xGld— saverio giangregorio (@saveriolakadima) September 22, 2017
‘Truth for Giulio,’ an Italian account, called out a meeting between Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi, situating Regeni's murder among many crimes against humanity in Egypt:
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1506163962;}i:2;a:15:{s:5:"title";s:84:"A Young Engineer From Niger Is Taking on Industrial Air Pollution With His Invention";s:4:"link";s:121:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/08/11/a-young-engineer-from-niger-is-taking-on-industrial-air-pollution-with-his-invention/";s:8:"comments";s:129:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/08/11/a-young-engineer-from-niger-is-taking-on-industrial-air-pollution-with-his-invention/#respond";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Fri, 11 Aug 2017 16:23:25 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Lova Rakotomalala";}s:8:"category";s:95:"DevelopmentEconomics & BusinessEnglishFrenchIdeasNigerScienceSub-Saharan AfricaVideoWeblogYouth";s:4:"guid";s:34:"https://globalvoices.org/?p=625422";s:11:"description";s:142:"The T-shaped device captures the CO2-containing heavy substances from the fumes via an affinity-based chemical assay that binds CO2 particles.";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:11068:"Mr. @eucopresident meets @AlsisiOfficial. UE can't forget the crimes against humanity and #Regeni and thousand Giulio in Egypt. #UNGA pic.twitter.com/qCPc2KsFsr
— Verità Per Giulio (@GiulioSiamoNoi) September 19, 2017
Screen capture of documentary by SciDev Afrique on the anti-pollution invention from Niger.
You might have heard of Boyan Slat, a young Dutch inventor and entrepreneur who created a system using the circulating ocean currents to clean the ocean of trash and other pollutants. His project, The Ocean Cleanup, received a lot of attention after Slat gave a TEDx Talk in 2012 about it, attracting more than $31.5 million in donations from sponsors including Salesforce.com and philanthropist Peter Thiel.
The next young inventor seeking to help the environment just might come from Niger. Meet Abdou Barmini, 22, who invented an anti-pollution device that cleans the air from industrial fumes. Barmini says the device, called the APFI Barelec, will clean 80% of the air impurities coming from factory chimneys. If his claim is correct, his invention could prove to be particularly beneficial for low-income countries.
Here is how it works as explained by the Barmini himself in the following video (in French) produced by SciDev Afrique, the african portal of the news site on science and technology for global development:
In the video, Barmini details the process of his invention:
The prototype is to be installed at the base of the chimney of factories expelling the fumes. The T-shaped device captures the CO2-containing heavy substances from the fumes via an affinity-based chemical assay that binds CO2 particles. The purified fumes are expelled via the other branch of the T-shaped structure.
Screen capture of Barmini standing next to his prototype via Africa 24
He adds that it is still at the prototype level, so a lot can be done to optimize the device. His colleague Garba Boubacar, a researcher in physics and environmental studies at the University of Niamey, Niger, suggests that:
les particules en suspension dans l'air ne sont pas constituées que de gaz carbonique ; il y en a d'autres que son invention devra fixer, pour atteindre un taux de purification à 100%
The heavy particles found in the fumes are composed of more than carbon dioxide; there are others particles that his invention will have to fix, in order to achieve a purification rate closer to 100%.
Barmini says he worked tirelessly for two years, funding his research with his own income to achieve the prototype. His motivation for developing it was to find a solution to his growing concerns about air quality and climate change in his country of Niger.
The World Health Organization reports that ambient (outdoor) air pollution in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 3 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012 and that 88% of those premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases.
Niger is a landlocked country in Western Africa that is consistently one of the lowest-ranked in the United Nations‘ Human Development Index. Furthermore, the West Africa region has been drastically affected by climate change in the recent years. Niger's economy relies heavily on mining of which uranium and coal are the largest exports.
Open pit uranium mine near Arlit, Niger by David Francois – CC-BY-NC-2.0
Therefore, air quality is an urgent and immediate issue for the nation that is already suffering from an extremely hot and dry climate, severe drought and recurrent famine.
You might ask, how is Barmini's invention different from other air purifiers? Here is his explanation when probed by the Organisation de la Propriété Intellectuelle (African Intellectual Property Organization):
Par ailleurs, en faisant l'état de la technique dans ce domaine, M. Abdou Barmini a souligné que les purificateurs ambiants existants sont des appareils électroniques qui sont utilisés pour nettoyer l'air. Ils le font en réduisant ou en éliminant complètement le nombre de particules nocives dans l'air (mais ils ne se focalisent pas à la source de l'émission).[..] Les purificateurs domestiques se font souvent via un filtre. Essentiellement, cela rend l'air sortant de la machine plus propre et plus sain. Mais cette technique présente des insuffisances. Elle provoque l'obstruction des mailles et ne peut faire l'objet d'une utilisation sur les cheminées industrielles.
When he presented the state-of-the-art in the air purifier industry, Mr. Abdou Barmini stressed that 1) the existing ambient (or outdoor) purifiers are usually electronic devices that are used to clean the ambient air surrounding a factory. They do this by reducing or eliminating completely the number of harmful particles in the air in the vicinity of the emitting source (but they do not target the source of the emission itself). […] 2) Domestic (or indoor) purifiers are often performed via a filter. This technique efficiently cleans the air coming out of the machine. But this technique has also its shortcomings. It can cause blockage of the filter's mesh and cannot be efficiently used for industrial chimneys.
Barmini's APFI Barelec does not use a filter. The prototype was built with local materials that Barmini recycled, adapted and assembled to his needs. Barmini hopes that his invention will be noticed by climate change organizations that will help him finalize his project.
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:126:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/08/11/a-young-engineer-from-niger-is-taking-on-industrial-air-pollution-with-his-invention/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"0";}s:6:"georss";a:1:{s:5:"point";s:20:"13.5115967 2.1253853";}s:7:"summary";s:142:"The T-shaped device captures the CO2-containing heavy substances from the fumes via an affinity-based chemical assay that binds CO2 particles.";s:12:"atom_content";s:11068:"Screen capture of documentary by SciDev Afrique on the anti-pollution invention from Niger.
You might have heard of Boyan Slat, a young Dutch inventor and entrepreneur who created a system using the circulating ocean currents to clean the ocean of trash and other pollutants. His project, The Ocean Cleanup, received a lot of attention after Slat gave a TEDx Talk in 2012 about it, attracting more than $31.5 million in donations from sponsors including Salesforce.com and philanthropist Peter Thiel.
The next young inventor seeking to help the environment just might come from Niger. Meet Abdou Barmini, 22, who invented an anti-pollution device that cleans the air from industrial fumes. Barmini says the device, called the APFI Barelec, will clean 80% of the air impurities coming from factory chimneys. If his claim is correct, his invention could prove to be particularly beneficial for low-income countries.
Here is how it works as explained by the Barmini himself in the following video (in French) produced by SciDev Afrique, the african portal of the news site on science and technology for global development:
In the video, Barmini details the process of his invention:
The prototype is to be installed at the base of the chimney of factories expelling the fumes. The T-shaped device captures the CO2-containing heavy substances from the fumes via an affinity-based chemical assay that binds CO2 particles. The purified fumes are expelled via the other branch of the T-shaped structure.
Screen capture of Barmini standing next to his prototype via Africa 24
He adds that it is still at the prototype level, so a lot can be done to optimize the device. His colleague Garba Boubacar, a researcher in physics and environmental studies at the University of Niamey, Niger, suggests that:
les particules en suspension dans l'air ne sont pas constituées que de gaz carbonique ; il y en a d'autres que son invention devra fixer, pour atteindre un taux de purification à 100%
The heavy particles found in the fumes are composed of more than carbon dioxide; there are others particles that his invention will have to fix, in order to achieve a purification rate closer to 100%.
Barmini says he worked tirelessly for two years, funding his research with his own income to achieve the prototype. His motivation for developing it was to find a solution to his growing concerns about air quality and climate change in his country of Niger.
The World Health Organization reports that ambient (outdoor) air pollution in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 3 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012 and that 88% of those premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases.
Niger is a landlocked country in Western Africa that is consistently one of the lowest-ranked in the United Nations‘ Human Development Index. Furthermore, the West Africa region has been drastically affected by climate change in the recent years. Niger's economy relies heavily on mining of which uranium and coal are the largest exports.
Open pit uranium mine near Arlit, Niger by David Francois – CC-BY-NC-2.0
Therefore, air quality is an urgent and immediate issue for the nation that is already suffering from an extremely hot and dry climate, severe drought and recurrent famine.
You might ask, how is Barmini's invention different from other air purifiers? Here is his explanation when probed by the Organisation de la Propriété Intellectuelle (African Intellectual Property Organization):
Par ailleurs, en faisant l'état de la technique dans ce domaine, M. Abdou Barmini a souligné que les purificateurs ambiants existants sont des appareils électroniques qui sont utilisés pour nettoyer l'air. Ils le font en réduisant ou en éliminant complètement le nombre de particules nocives dans l'air (mais ils ne se focalisent pas à la source de l'émission).[..] Les purificateurs domestiques se font souvent via un filtre. Essentiellement, cela rend l'air sortant de la machine plus propre et plus sain. Mais cette technique présente des insuffisances. Elle provoque l'obstruction des mailles et ne peut faire l'objet d'une utilisation sur les cheminées industrielles.
When he presented the state-of-the-art in the air purifier industry, Mr. Abdou Barmini stressed that 1) the existing ambient (or outdoor) purifiers are usually electronic devices that are used to clean the ambient air surrounding a factory. They do this by reducing or eliminating completely the number of harmful particles in the air in the vicinity of the emitting source (but they do not target the source of the emission itself). […] 2) Domestic (or indoor) purifiers are often performed via a filter. This technique efficiently cleans the air coming out of the machine. But this technique has also its shortcomings. It can cause blockage of the filter's mesh and cannot be efficiently used for industrial chimneys.
Barmini's APFI Barelec does not use a filter. The prototype was built with local materials that Barmini recycled, adapted and assembled to his needs. Barmini hopes that his invention will be noticed by climate change organizations that will help him finalize his project.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1502468605;}i:3;a:14:{s:5:"title";s:83:"The African Community Reacts to Emmanuel Macron's Comments on Birth Rates in Africa";s:4:"link";s:119:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/07/29/the-african-community-reacts-to-emmanuel-macrons-comments-on-birth-rates-in-africa/";s:8:"comments";s:127:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/07/29/the-african-community-reacts-to-emmanuel-macrons-comments-on-birth-rates-in-africa/#respond";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sat, 29 Jul 2017 15:23:40 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:15:"Alyssa Ollivier";}s:8:"category";s:121:"Burkina FasoCitizen MediaDevelopmentEducationFranceFrenchGovernanceGuineaNigerSub-Saharan AfricaWeblogWomen & GenderYouth";s:4:"guid";s:34:"https://globalvoices.org/?p=623624";s:11:"description";s:130:""Here is the question that we must ask: is it up to a non-African president to tell our women how many children they should have?"";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:16350:"
E. Macron visiting Mali – Screenshot via YouTube
July 11, 1987 marks the Day of 5 Billion, or the approximate date when the world reached a population of five billion. As a result, beginning in 1989 the United Nations Development Program created World Population Day, an event celebrated on July 11 each year in the hopes of attracting the world’s attention to the urgency and importance of population issues.
With resolution 45/216 passed in December of 1990, the UN General Assembly decided to keep World Population Day in order to promote awareness and, above all, to promote the links between population issues, the environment, and development. By 1990, many countries began following the UNDP’s lead and started celebrating the day in their own countries.
Each year a theme is chosen, with this year's being: “Family Planning: Giving people the ability to act, contributing to the development of countries“. As fate would have it, this year the date coincided with remarks from French president Emmanuel Macron about the exploding demography of Africa. His comments sparked a lively debate on social media and came in response to questions from an African journalist during a press conference at the G20 summit. The site koaci.com took stock:
Le Président français Emmanuel Macron a crée la polémique en liant le sous développement de l’Afrique à sa démographie lors d’une conférence de presse au G20 à Hambourg (Allemagne).
Au G20, le nouveau chef de l’ Etat français a crée la polémique en s’en prenant à la fécondité des femmes africaines.
Interrogé sur le développement de l'Afrique, Emmanuel Macron a pointé sur les «7 à 8 enfants» des femmes africaines comme un problème «civilisationnel »
“Le défi de l'Afrique”, “il est civilisationnel”, a déclaré M. Emmanuel Macron, avant de demander : “Quels sont les problèmes de l'Afrique ?” Il cite alors “les Etats faillis, les transitions démocratiques complexes, la transition démographique qui est (…) l'un des défis essentiels de l'Afrique”. “Quand des pays ont encore sept à huit enfants par femme, vous pouvez décider d'y dépenser des milliards d'euros, vous ne stabiliserez rien”, poursuit-il.
French president Emmanuel Macron created a polemic by linking the underdevelopment of Africa to its demography during a press conference at the G20 in Hamburg, Germany. At the G20, the new French head of state created the polemic by attacking African women's fertility. When asked about African development, Emmanuel Macron pointed to the ‘7 to 8 children’ from African women as a ‘societal’ problem. ‘Africa's challenge’, ‘It's societal’, stated Mr. Emmanuel Macron: ‘What are Africa's problems?’ He then cites ‘failed states, complex democratic transitions, a demographic change which is (…) one of the defining challenges for Africa’. ‘When countries still have 7 to 8 children per woman, you can decide whether to spend billions of euros, you stabilize nothing’, he followed.
Here is a video of the speech (click on image to play video):
screen capture of video of E. Macron from Indy100
While waiting for African heads of state to react to these remarks, members of the site visionguinee.info were astonished:
Pas une déclaration, aucune réaction. Les chapelles présidentielles n’ont pas tinté les cloches de l’indignation. Dans un silence coupable, à la limite approbateur, les chefs d’Etat africains, les organisations régionales ou sous-régionales n’ont signé aucun communiqué regrettant ou recadrant les propos condescendants d’Emmanuel Macron sur la démographie galopante qui freinerait le développement de l’Afrique…
Le tollé médiatique des propos d’Emmanuel Macron est à la hauteur des réactions d’indignation et de condamnation sur les réseaux sociaux. Répondant aux questions d’un journaliste ivoirien lors du sommet du G20 en Allemagne, Emmanuel Macron avait fait le lien entre le sous-développement de l’Afrique et l’explosion démographique sur le continent dans des propos qui rappellent le discours de Dakar de Nicolas Sarkozy.
No statement, no reaction from any African presidents. The presidential chapels did not toll with bells of indignation. With a guilty silence, lasting just the right amount of time, African heads of state, regional organization or sub-regional, did not release any statements lamenting or framing Macron's condescending comments on the exploding demography which is curbing Africa's development… The media outcry concerning Macron's comments matches the reactions of indignation and condemnation on social media. Responding to an Ivorian reporter's questions at the G20 summit in Germany, Macron made the link between the underdevelopment of Africa and the demographic explosion on the continent in remarks which resembled Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 Dakar speech.
Facebook user Bouba Camara, in response to a comment by Mohamed Camara, president of the Association for the Promotion of Democracy and Good Governance, supported the French president's remarks but also added his own criticism, writing:
My dear president the fact that we have a growing demographic is a fact which no one can deny, but the question that we must ask: is this up to a non-African president to tell our women how many children they should have? I say no because French Colonial Africa is behind us. I believe rather it is for our respective African governments to fight against this trend, and only if it is truly a liability. Doing this by opting for good birth and infant mortality policies, but also implementing a family planning system as all other concerned governments do for their populations; without omitting that what he shames us for is also an advantage in another sense, because African populations are largely young and active, thus guaranteeing retirement for our predecessors. While in the West, the population is aging, inactive, and so inactive so their retirement is in danger, this is a fact.
Charles Ldv Sanches from Senegal wrote:
I believe Macron has felt the full extent of our anger. From now on he and others will take a moment before broaching with glibness the difficult realities of Africa. What was the shocking for me is the twisting of reality. Beyond the impression of a lecturing teacher, overall, his comments are false. From the Marshall Plan, to public development aid via the demographic issue in order to finish on the diagnoses of problems which plague the continent. A damaging, simplistic generalization and lack of accountability for his own country and continent on the situation Africa is in. To the Africans who say that the best way to respond to Macron is to ignore him, I want to know why you are opening your mouths? Shut it, and let us answer. We're not responding out of emotion, we're responding in order to establish the truth!
Noel Gnimassou, living in Fria, a city in the interior of Guinea, observed:
Here is what irritates me about Africans: they assume the right to criticize the West, to mock them, even insult them. Sarkozy this, Trump that, Macron's a racist, etc. We publish jokes, photos, and caricatures of them. We dissect and condemn their statements often by questioning their ability to handle the affairs of their own country and of the world. But we Africans barely tolerate the least bit of criticism towards us, be it objective or constructive.
This observation generated a number of reactions, not always in agreement. Clairefall Fatou, a stylist who is based in Dakar, wrote:
Why not have 7 or 8 children when one can support them? It's a joy living in a big family! We have to be proud of our culture, it's beautiful and what works for others does not necessarily work for us Africans. Stop underestimating us! We have potential, and I believe everyone must set to work for the future of Africa.
The debate was not limited to social media users. In fact, even the president of the African Union, Alpha Condé, head of state of Guinea, entered the debate. While Guinea is the country which sends the third most migrants to Europe across the Mediterranean, he was indignant, outspoken, and declared:
When you speak of the explosive demographic, this is Malthusian, this is against Africa. Today, the other continents envy our demography, because they are an aging population. Our youth is our advantage. Therefore, we must adapt our language for what we want for Africa.
There is good reason to wonder if “His Excellency the Professor Alpha Condé President of Guinea”, as the media officials call him, spoke on behalf of all his peers. In fact, World Population Day, with its theme of Family Planning, was celebrated in nearly all of Africa. For example in Niger, the minister of population, Dr. Kaffa Rakiatou Christelle Jackou, and in Burkina Faso, Ms. Rosine Coulibaly, minister in charge of development, minister of economy, of finance and of development, emphasized the importance of controlling the growing demographic, as well as the need to improve access to family planning methods for women's empowerment and reduce the challenges that the exploding demography poses to weak African economies.
Even in Guinea itself there seemed to be mixed reactions, with the national director of population and development (DNPD), Mohamed Sano, emphasizing that Guinea would also be celebrating World Population Day under the theme of Family Planning, like its international peers.
E. Macron visiting Mali – Screenshot via YouTube
July 11, 1987 marks the Day of 5 Billion, or the approximate date when the world reached a population of five billion. As a result, beginning in 1989 the United Nations Development Program created World Population Day, an event celebrated on July 11 each year in the hopes of attracting the world’s attention to the urgency and importance of population issues.
With resolution 45/216 passed in December of 1990, the UN General Assembly decided to keep World Population Day in order to promote awareness and, above all, to promote the links between population issues, the environment, and development. By 1990, many countries began following the UNDP’s lead and started celebrating the day in their own countries.
Each year a theme is chosen, with this year's being: “Family Planning: Giving people the ability to act, contributing to the development of countries“. As fate would have it, this year the date coincided with remarks from French president Emmanuel Macron about the exploding demography of Africa. His comments sparked a lively debate on social media and came in response to questions from an African journalist during a press conference at the G20 summit. The site koaci.com took stock:
Le Président français Emmanuel Macron a crée la polémique en liant le sous développement de l’Afrique à sa démographie lors d’une conférence de presse au G20 à Hambourg (Allemagne).
Au G20, le nouveau chef de l’ Etat français a crée la polémique en s’en prenant à la fécondité des femmes africaines.
Interrogé sur le développement de l'Afrique, Emmanuel Macron a pointé sur les «7 à 8 enfants» des femmes africaines comme un problème «civilisationnel »
“Le défi de l'Afrique”, “il est civilisationnel”, a déclaré M. Emmanuel Macron, avant de demander : “Quels sont les problèmes de l'Afrique ?” Il cite alors “les Etats faillis, les transitions démocratiques complexes, la transition démographique qui est (…) l'un des défis essentiels de l'Afrique”. “Quand des pays ont encore sept à huit enfants par femme, vous pouvez décider d'y dépenser des milliards d'euros, vous ne stabiliserez rien”, poursuit-il.
French president Emmanuel Macron created a polemic by linking the underdevelopment of Africa to its demography during a press conference at the G20 in Hamburg, Germany. At the G20, the new French head of state created the polemic by attacking African women's fertility. When asked about African development, Emmanuel Macron pointed to the ‘7 to 8 children’ from African women as a ‘societal’ problem. ‘Africa's challenge’, ‘It's societal’, stated Mr. Emmanuel Macron: ‘What are Africa's problems?’ He then cites ‘failed states, complex democratic transitions, a demographic change which is (…) one of the defining challenges for Africa’. ‘When countries still have 7 to 8 children per woman, you can decide whether to spend billions of euros, you stabilize nothing’, he followed.
Here is a video of the speech (click on image to play video):
screen capture of video of E. Macron from Indy100
While waiting for African heads of state to react to these remarks, members of the site visionguinee.info were astonished:
Pas une déclaration, aucune réaction. Les chapelles présidentielles n’ont pas tinté les cloches de l’indignation. Dans un silence coupable, à la limite approbateur, les chefs d’Etat africains, les organisations régionales ou sous-régionales n’ont signé aucun communiqué regrettant ou recadrant les propos condescendants d’Emmanuel Macron sur la démographie galopante qui freinerait le développement de l’Afrique…
Le tollé médiatique des propos d’Emmanuel Macron est à la hauteur des réactions d’indignation et de condamnation sur les réseaux sociaux. Répondant aux questions d’un journaliste ivoirien lors du sommet du G20 en Allemagne, Emmanuel Macron avait fait le lien entre le sous-développement de l’Afrique et l’explosion démographique sur le continent dans des propos qui rappellent le discours de Dakar de Nicolas Sarkozy.
No statement, no reaction from any African presidents. The presidential chapels did not toll with bells of indignation. With a guilty silence, lasting just the right amount of time, African heads of state, regional organization or sub-regional, did not release any statements lamenting or framing Macron's condescending comments on the exploding demography which is curbing Africa's development… The media outcry concerning Macron's comments matches the reactions of indignation and condemnation on social media. Responding to an Ivorian reporter's questions at the G20 summit in Germany, Macron made the link between the underdevelopment of Africa and the demographic explosion on the continent in remarks which resembled Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 Dakar speech.
Facebook user Bouba Camara, in response to a comment by Mohamed Camara, president of the Association for the Promotion of Democracy and Good Governance, supported the French president's remarks but also added his own criticism, writing:
My dear president the fact that we have a growing demographic is a fact which no one can deny, but the question that we must ask: is this up to a non-African president to tell our women how many children they should have? I say no because French Colonial Africa is behind us. I believe rather it is for our respective African governments to fight against this trend, and only if it is truly a liability. Doing this by opting for good birth and infant mortality policies, but also implementing a family planning system as all other concerned governments do for their populations; without omitting that what he shames us for is also an advantage in another sense, because African populations are largely young and active, thus guaranteeing retirement for our predecessors. While in the West, the population is aging, inactive, and so inactive so their retirement is in danger, this is a fact.
Charles Ldv Sanches from Senegal wrote:
I believe Macron has felt the full extent of our anger. From now on he and others will take a moment before broaching with glibness the difficult realities of Africa. What was the shocking for me is the twisting of reality. Beyond the impression of a lecturing teacher, overall, his comments are false. From the Marshall Plan, to public development aid via the demographic issue in order to finish on the diagnoses of problems which plague the continent. A damaging, simplistic generalization and lack of accountability for his own country and continent on the situation Africa is in. To the Africans who say that the best way to respond to Macron is to ignore him, I want to know why you are opening your mouths? Shut it, and let us answer. We're not responding out of emotion, we're responding in order to establish the truth!
Noel Gnimassou, living in Fria, a city in the interior of Guinea, observed:
Here is what irritates me about Africans: they assume the right to criticize the West, to mock them, even insult them. Sarkozy this, Trump that, Macron's a racist, etc. We publish jokes, photos, and caricatures of them. We dissect and condemn their statements often by questioning their ability to handle the affairs of their own country and of the world. But we Africans barely tolerate the least bit of criticism towards us, be it objective or constructive.
This observation generated a number of reactions, not always in agreement. Clairefall Fatou, a stylist who is based in Dakar, wrote:
Why not have 7 or 8 children when one can support them? It's a joy living in a big family! We have to be proud of our culture, it's beautiful and what works for others does not necessarily work for us Africans. Stop underestimating us! We have potential, and I believe everyone must set to work for the future of Africa.
The debate was not limited to social media users. In fact, even the president of the African Union, Alpha Condé, head of state of Guinea, entered the debate. While Guinea is the country which sends the third most migrants to Europe across the Mediterranean, he was indignant, outspoken, and declared:
When you speak of the explosive demographic, this is Malthusian, this is against Africa. Today, the other continents envy our demography, because they are an aging population. Our youth is our advantage. Therefore, we must adapt our language for what we want for Africa.
There is good reason to wonder if “His Excellency the Professor Alpha Condé President of Guinea”, as the media officials call him, spoke on behalf of all his peers. In fact, World Population Day, with its theme of Family Planning, was celebrated in nearly all of Africa. For example in Niger, the minister of population, Dr. Kaffa Rakiatou Christelle Jackou, and in Burkina Faso, Ms. Rosine Coulibaly, minister in charge of development, minister of economy, of finance and of development, emphasized the importance of controlling the growing demographic, as well as the need to improve access to family planning methods for women's empowerment and reduce the challenges that the exploding demography poses to weak African economies.
Even in Guinea itself there seemed to be mixed reactions, with the national director of population and development (DNPD), Mohamed Sano, emphasizing that Guinea would also be celebrating World Population Day under the theme of Family Planning, like its international peers.
Chicken Yassa, by Karimovitch. Republished with his permission.
The African community has a healthy presence in Paris, and you needn't look any further for proof than the city's wide array of gourmet restaurants serving African cuisine. In the coming months, Global Voices will be bringing you reviews of the best African restaurants in the Paris region, tried and tested by natives, as well as those discovering African food for the first time.
We'll start off with the city's most popular restaurants and their signature dishes. Without further ado, here's a list of the best spots in the Paris region to experience authentic African cuisine:
The Waly-Fay is the epitome of the cuisine in Senegal — a country famous for its teranga (hospitality). In this cozy atmosphere, you'll find a range of traditional West African dishes: accra, maafe, thiep, yassa, n'dole, and so on.
Blogger Dje S, from Senegal, writes:
Installés rapidement, on découvre le cadre très agréable, ambiance tamisée, un bar central , des miroirs en pied, pas de déco tape à l'oeil. Ça commence bien!
J'ai craqué pour un soya en entrée (3 brochettes de boeuf mariné et chapelure de semoule de manioc) c'était délicieux avec sa sauce moutarde à côté, j'ai pu aussi goûter les pastels poissons ainsi que l'alloco , bien mûres et sucrées.
You settle in quickly and notice the very pleasant, soft lighting, a central bar, full length mirrors, and no flashy decor. A great start! I fell in love with a soya starter (3 marinated beef skewers and cassava semolina breadcrumbs) it was delicious with its side of mustard sauce, I also tasted the fish pastels as well as the alloco which was very ripe and sweet.
Ndole with beef, very bitter spinach variety with fresh peanuts – via riodos.fr
The restaurant Rio dos Camaraos was created 15 years ago by Alexandre and Vicky Bella Ola to celebrate the traditional recipes of black Africa. Alexandre explains:
la Cuisine d’Afrique Noire est absente du paysage culinaire mondial. Nous sommes encore nombreux et cela quelque soit la couleur de notre peau, à croire que le meilleur et authentique mafé ne se mange qu’au Mali…Pour moi, la cuisine est comme la musique : une partition musicale peut s’interpréter par n’importe quel musicien de mille et une façons.
Black African cuisine is absent from the global culinary landscape. There are still many of us, regardless of skin color, who believe that the best and most authentic maafe can only be found in Mali … For me, cooking is like music: a musical score can be interpreted by any musician in a thousand and one ways.
The Ndolé is the Cameroonian dish at the Rios. Mi Cbou from Yaoundé explains why she particularly loved this place:
J'ai retrouvé les goûts typiques de la cuisine africaine déjà dégustée en Cote d'Ivoire et au Sénégal, avec la même variété de plats.En plus, accueil très chaleureux de la propriétaire des lieux. Le Ndolé, servi avec des plantains frits, est excellent.
I rediscovered all the classic tastes of African cuisine I had already tried in the Ivory Coast and Senegal, with the same range of dishes. What's more, I received a very warm welcome from the owner of the place. The Ndole, served with fried plantains, is excellent.
A Franco-Nigerian lounge restaurant located in the heart of Paris, African Kitchen Paris was created on February 1, 2012. Nigerian cuisine rarely receives praise abroad, but this restaurant wants to right that wrong. Sylvie D wasn't familiar with Nigerian gastronomy, but she discovered it with great pleasure:
C'est vraiment dépaysant. Des plats classés par sauce, avec le choix des viandes: poulet, boeuf, mais aussi tripes, pied de boeuf et chèvre.
J'ai testé une sauce à base d'épinards et crevettes, avec de la chèvre: un régal.
It is truly exotic. Dishes categorized by sauce, with a choice of meat: chicken, beef, but also tripe, ox, and goat feet. I tried a sauce made with spinach and shrimp paired with goat — a real treat.
Unlike the other places featured, the Snack Bamako is not a restaurant but a fast food outlet where Mama Bintou welcomes you with a smile. Traditional dishes from Mali and all over West Africa are served at affordable prices: Maafe, Tieb, Yassa, brique, grilled chicken, and Alloco.
A five-minute walk from the Porte d'Orléans, this little restaurant has been paying homage to the little Lemur for many years, but also to the cuisine of this island, which is not well represented in Paris.
Peggy D was a fan:
Le poisson au Coco était bon juste épicé comme il faut. La tarte coco qui est plutôt un financier coco avec une boule de glace coco pas mal du tout. Accueil sympathique. J'y retournerais pour goûter un rougail saucisses.
The coconut fish was good with just the right amount of spice. The coconut pie, which is rather like a coconut financier with a coco ice ball, was not bad at all. Friendly welcome. Would go back for a sausage rougail.
Les odeurs, des sons malgaches, des éléments de décors captivants. Pour une soirée en amoureux ou avec des amis. Le lieu se prête à sortir d'un cadre “usine” où tout le monde court et où vous n'êtes qu'un “client”. On en oublie le temps qui passe. Points positifs : Nourriture excellente, les vrais saveurs authentiques des plats malgaches.
Smells and sounds of Madagascar. Captivating decorations. For a romantic meal or an evening with friends. The place lends itself to a “factory” setting where everyone is equal and where you aren't just another “customer.” You can easily lose track of time here. Pros: excellent food and real authentic flavors of Malagasy dishes.
In the next installment of this series, we'll include a more detailed review of each of these restaurants by members of the African diaspora.
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:120:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/05/10/where-to-find-the-best-african-food-in-paris-according-to-the-african-diaspora/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"1";}s:6:"georss";a:1:{s:5:"point";s:20:"48.8566132 2.3522220";}s:7:"summary";s:165:"Global Voices reviews of the best African restaurants in the Paris region, tried and tested by natives, as well as those discovering African food for the first time.";s:12:"atom_content";s:12323:"Chicken Yassa, by Karimovitch. Republished with his permission.
The African community has a healthy presence in Paris, and you needn't look any further for proof than the city's wide array of gourmet restaurants serving African cuisine. In the coming months, Global Voices will be bringing you reviews of the best African restaurants in the Paris region, tried and tested by natives, as well as those discovering African food for the first time.
We'll start off with the city's most popular restaurants and their signature dishes. Without further ado, here's a list of the best spots in the Paris region to experience authentic African cuisine:
The Waly-Fay is the epitome of the cuisine in Senegal — a country famous for its teranga (hospitality). In this cozy atmosphere, you'll find a range of traditional West African dishes: accra, maafe, thiep, yassa, n'dole, and so on.
Blogger Dje S, from Senegal, writes:
Installés rapidement, on découvre le cadre très agréable, ambiance tamisée, un bar central , des miroirs en pied, pas de déco tape à l'oeil. Ça commence bien!
J'ai craqué pour un soya en entrée (3 brochettes de boeuf mariné et chapelure de semoule de manioc) c'était délicieux avec sa sauce moutarde à côté, j'ai pu aussi goûter les pastels poissons ainsi que l'alloco , bien mûres et sucrées.
You settle in quickly and notice the very pleasant, soft lighting, a central bar, full length mirrors, and no flashy decor. A great start! I fell in love with a soya starter (3 marinated beef skewers and cassava semolina breadcrumbs) it was delicious with its side of mustard sauce, I also tasted the fish pastels as well as the alloco which was very ripe and sweet.
Ndole with beef, very bitter spinach variety with fresh peanuts – via riodos.fr
The restaurant Rio dos Camaraos was created 15 years ago by Alexandre and Vicky Bella Ola to celebrate the traditional recipes of black Africa. Alexandre explains:
la Cuisine d’Afrique Noire est absente du paysage culinaire mondial. Nous sommes encore nombreux et cela quelque soit la couleur de notre peau, à croire que le meilleur et authentique mafé ne se mange qu’au Mali…Pour moi, la cuisine est comme la musique : une partition musicale peut s’interpréter par n’importe quel musicien de mille et une façons.
Black African cuisine is absent from the global culinary landscape. There are still many of us, regardless of skin color, who believe that the best and most authentic maafe can only be found in Mali … For me, cooking is like music: a musical score can be interpreted by any musician in a thousand and one ways.
The Ndolé is the Cameroonian dish at the Rios. Mi Cbou from Yaoundé explains why she particularly loved this place:
J'ai retrouvé les goûts typiques de la cuisine africaine déjà dégustée en Cote d'Ivoire et au Sénégal, avec la même variété de plats.En plus, accueil très chaleureux de la propriétaire des lieux. Le Ndolé, servi avec des plantains frits, est excellent.
I rediscovered all the classic tastes of African cuisine I had already tried in the Ivory Coast and Senegal, with the same range of dishes. What's more, I received a very warm welcome from the owner of the place. The Ndole, served with fried plantains, is excellent.
A Franco-Nigerian lounge restaurant located in the heart of Paris, African Kitchen Paris was created on February 1, 2012. Nigerian cuisine rarely receives praise abroad, but this restaurant wants to right that wrong. Sylvie D wasn't familiar with Nigerian gastronomy, but she discovered it with great pleasure:
C'est vraiment dépaysant. Des plats classés par sauce, avec le choix des viandes: poulet, boeuf, mais aussi tripes, pied de boeuf et chèvre.
J'ai testé une sauce à base d'épinards et crevettes, avec de la chèvre: un régal.
It is truly exotic. Dishes categorized by sauce, with a choice of meat: chicken, beef, but also tripe, ox, and goat feet. I tried a sauce made with spinach and shrimp paired with goat — a real treat.
Unlike the other places featured, the Snack Bamako is not a restaurant but a fast food outlet where Mama Bintou welcomes you with a smile. Traditional dishes from Mali and all over West Africa are served at affordable prices: Maafe, Tieb, Yassa, brique, grilled chicken, and Alloco.
A five-minute walk from the Porte d'Orléans, this little restaurant has been paying homage to the little Lemur for many years, but also to the cuisine of this island, which is not well represented in Paris.
Peggy D was a fan:
Le poisson au Coco était bon juste épicé comme il faut. La tarte coco qui est plutôt un financier coco avec une boule de glace coco pas mal du tout. Accueil sympathique. J'y retournerais pour goûter un rougail saucisses.
The coconut fish was good with just the right amount of spice. The coconut pie, which is rather like a coconut financier with a coco ice ball, was not bad at all. Friendly welcome. Would go back for a sausage rougail.
Les odeurs, des sons malgaches, des éléments de décors captivants. Pour une soirée en amoureux ou avec des amis. Le lieu se prête à sortir d'un cadre “usine” où tout le monde court et où vous n'êtes qu'un “client”. On en oublie le temps qui passe. Points positifs : Nourriture excellente, les vrais saveurs authentiques des plats malgaches.
Smells and sounds of Madagascar. Captivating decorations. For a romantic meal or an evening with friends. The place lends itself to a “factory” setting where everyone is equal and where you aren't just another “customer.” You can easily lose track of time here. Pros: excellent food and real authentic flavors of Malagasy dishes.
In the next installment of this series, we'll include a more detailed review of each of these restaurants by members of the African diaspora.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1494402927;}i:5;a:15:{s:5:"title";s:82:"Do You Know Kilishi? Feast Your Eyes on this Sahelian Culinary Delight from Niger!";s:4:"link";s:117:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/01/14/do-you-know-kilishi-feast-your-eyes-on-this-sahelian-culinary-delight-from-niger/";s:8:"comments";s:126:"https://globalvoices.org/2017/01/14/do-you-know-kilishi-feast-your-eyes-on-this-sahelian-culinary-delight-from-niger/#comments";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sat, 14 Jan 2017 13:09:50 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:12:"Graham Perra";}s:8:"category";s:74:"Arts & CultureCitizen MediaFrenchNigerPhotosSub-Saharan AfricaTravelWeblog";s:4:"guid";s:34:"https://globalvoices.org/?p=599818";s:11:"description";s:71:"Discover an underrated but extremely tasty traditional dish from Niger.";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:6500:"
Nigerien kilishi courtesy of Ali Mahaman. (Top left-hand caption: kilishi coated with peanut paste and spiced) (Bottom right-hand caption: “Rumuzu”: a type of kilishi)
When talking about Niger, one often brings up its majestic Sahelian landscapes, its fight against extremist violence and its uranium resources. Yet rarely does one speak of its distinctive cuisine, which is as rich in variety as the national population is culturally diverse. Ali Douka Mahaman, blogger for the website Mapping for Niger and a resident of the eastern Nigerien city of Madaouda, presents a dish little known outside his home country.
Kilishi is a dish of Nigerien origin. Its name comes from the Hausa language and means “fine slice of meat (beef or boneless mutton), dried and spiced.” The final product is a thin slice of sundried meat whose time-consuming preparation entails:
– selecting cuts of meat;
– tanning the slices, or Lay-laya in Hausa;
– laying the meat out in the sun to dry;
– covering the slices in red-coloured peanut paste;
– grilling the meat over a fire and finally, seasoning it with spice and peanut oil.
Seasoned kilishi (with author's permission)
In Niger, centres for kilishi production are mostly located in the southern strip of the country, primarily in the cities of Madaoua, Guidan-Roumdji and even in the capital, Niamey. The main players in the production of this dish are the bangarou, or butchers, who have cultivated a justified reputation as masters of meat.
There are the two main types of kilishi:
– ja: kilishi covered in peanut paste and red colouring.
– rumuzu: plain kilishi with peanut oil.
Kilishi production remains a labour-intensive process that is very much the preserve of Niger's vast informal economy.
Here is a video showing how it is produced:
Moreover, given that Niger is facing massive emigration due to a depressed economic climate, kilishi is increasingly moving across the border, to coastal neighbours like Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Nigeria and Gabon.
A study conducted by the Niamey municipality estimated that bbetween 700 and 1000 kilograms of kilishi is produced every year in the city . This product can be enjoyed with onion slices and spices, and makes for a delicious and comforting desert.
Nigerien kilishi courtesy of Ali Mahaman. (Top left-hand caption: kilishi coated with peanut paste and spiced) (Bottom right-hand caption: “Rumuzu”: a type of kilishi)
When talking about Niger, one often brings up its majestic Sahelian landscapes, its fight against extremist violence and its uranium resources. Yet rarely does one speak of its distinctive cuisine, which is as rich in variety as the national population is culturally diverse. Ali Douka Mahaman, blogger for the website Mapping for Niger and a resident of the eastern Nigerien city of Madaouda, presents a dish little known outside his home country.
Kilishi is a dish of Nigerien origin. Its name comes from the Hausa language and means “fine slice of meat (beef or boneless mutton), dried and spiced.” The final product is a thin slice of sundried meat whose time-consuming preparation entails:
– selecting cuts of meat;
– tanning the slices, or Lay-laya in Hausa;
– laying the meat out in the sun to dry;
– covering the slices in red-coloured peanut paste;
– grilling the meat over a fire and finally, seasoning it with spice and peanut oil.
Seasoned kilishi (with author's permission)
In Niger, centres for kilishi production are mostly located in the southern strip of the country, primarily in the cities of Madaoua, Guidan-Roumdji and even in the capital, Niamey. The main players in the production of this dish are the bangarou, or butchers, who have cultivated a justified reputation as masters of meat.
There are the two main types of kilishi:
– ja: kilishi covered in peanut paste and red colouring.
– rumuzu: plain kilishi with peanut oil.
Kilishi production remains a labour-intensive process that is very much the preserve of Niger's vast informal economy.
Here is a video showing how it is produced:
Moreover, given that Niger is facing massive emigration due to a depressed economic climate, kilishi is increasingly moving across the border, to coastal neighbours like Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Nigeria and Gabon.
A study conducted by the Niamey municipality estimated that bbetween 700 and 1000 kilograms of kilishi is produced every year in the city . This product can be enjoyed with onion slices and spices, and makes for a delicious and comforting desert.
Professeur Jean-Marie Servant, photo courtesy of Adel Laoufi via Facebook.
Professor Jean-Marie Servant, a specialist in reconstructive plastic surgery, lost his long fight against leukemia on Dec. 29, 2016. Servant was regarded worldwide as an expert in his field, however his humanitarian work in Africa in collaboration with Doctors of the World was just as important, if less well known. A celebration of his life and commemoration of his work was held on Jan. 5 in Père-Lachaise's dome hall crematorium.
Reconstructive surgery makes up a large part of public health in Niger, where children often fall victim to complications caused by poor sanitary conditions and unsafe surroundings, sometimes requiring quite drastic plastic surgery:
Les enfants gravement brûlés sont malheureusement nombreux. Les «cuisines» des familles se composent généralement d’un simple feu de bois, où est posé le chaudron qui va servir de récipient pour préparer le repas familial. Souvent les enfants jouent autour du feu sans surveillance. Un coup de vent, un enfant trop près du feu, le pagne qui s'enflamme
The number of children who are seriously burned is unfortunately high. Family “kitchens” generally consist of a stack of firewood with a pot on top that is used to prepare and serve family meals. Children are often left near the fire unattended, meaning the slightest incident, a slight gust of wind for instance, can lead to the child's clothes catching on fire.
Servant came to the Niamey National Hospital not only to provide care to children suffering from serious burns, but also to train resident medical students in reconstructive surgery techniques. And his humanitarian work didn't stop there.
Servant with a patient in Niger. Photo courtesy of Issa Hamady via Facebook.
In an interview with the magazine Pharmaceutiques, a French language pharmaceuticals magazine, Servant explained his work in Niger in detail:
Nous essayons d’opérer essentiellement des enfants souffrant de malformations faciales (le Noma, notamment) pouvant être congénitales (bec de lièvre…) et laissant des séquelles esthétiques et fonctionnelles majeures. Les patients sont triés sur place, soit par des chirurgiens de Niamey. En général, nous recevons les photos via Internet, en France, une semaine avant le début de la mission. Si 80 % de nos interventions concernent des malformations faciales, nous opérons aussi les brûlés et les personnes atteintes de tumeurs. Par ailleurs, nous formons aussi des chirurgiens africains afin qu’ils puissent prendre le relais. Médecins du monde mène des actions au Niger, à Madagascar et au Vietnam. C’est elle qui finance, grâce aux donc, toutes les missions humanitaires de chirurgie réparatrice. Nous nous rendons à l’hôpital national de Niamey de deux à quatre fois par an. Un chirurgien bien entraîné peut opérer une trentaine de personnes. Lorsque nous sommes deux sur place, nous pouvons en opérer une cinquantaine.
We essentially try to operate on children suffering from facial malformations (Noma gangrene, in particular) and congenital conditions, such as cleft palate. Our aim is to reconstruct the affected area and to reintroduce the mouth's major functions. The patients are usually diagnosed and categorised on location, normally by the surgeons at Niamey. We generally receive photos of the patients in France one week before we are scheduled to start work in Africa. While roughly 80 percent of our cases, we do also treat burn patients and patients with tumors. We also train the local surgeons, so that they are able to treat patients in these cases independently. Doctors of the World works in Niger, Madagascar, and Vietnam. It is thanks to funding from the organization that all of this humanitarian work is possible. We work at Niamey National Hospital between two and four times per year. A well trained surgeon can treat roughly 30 patients. Since there are always two of us on site, we can treat roughly fifty.
Servant took on a number of students as part of his work, one of whom was Nigerien surgeon Issa Hamady, who learned how to treat Noma gangrene effectively by working at Servant's side. Hamady recently reflected on what the late professor and his work means to him:
Un grand maître, un père aimant et attentionné pour moi, un homme au cœur énorme nous a quitté.
On ne pourra jamais dire assez les mérites, les prouesses de ce monsieur, son amour pour le travail bien fait.
Les centaines de patients atteints de Noma notamment, dont la vie a radicalement changé grâce à lui, tous ceux à qui il a transmis la fibre de la chirurgie réparatrice n'oublierons jamais.
Que son âme repose en paix
A great mentor, a loving and attentive father figure, and a man with an enormous heart has left us.
Enough could never be said about this great man's achievements, prowess, and passion for his work.
Neither his hundreds of Noma patients, whose lives have changed dramatically thanks to him, nor those he taught the essence and complexities of reconstructive surgery, will ever forget him.
May his soul Rest in Peace.
Colleagues and close friends from around the world remember an exceptional surgeon and a brilliant man with integrity, whose generosity and kindness were unparalleled. Born in 1947, Jean-Marie Servant became the head of reconstructive plastic surgery at Saint Louis hospital in Paris in November 1995, where he worked for 15 years. In the early years of his career, he completed his internship at various hospitals around Paris, and then began his residency in Showa hospital in Tokyo, where he later became clinic director.
Dr. Adel Laoufi worked with Servant as clinic director during Servant's time at Saint Louis hospital. This is Laoufi's written homage to the late professor:
2016 a emporté beaucoup d'étoiles . Mais c'est ce 29 décembre que j'apprends ce qui est pour moi la plus triste disparition. Difficile de décrire en quelques lignes ces heures passées ensemble au bloc opératoire. Je garde l'image de cette patiente de 80 ans , “inopérable” que nous avions opérés ensemble, en urgence , à cette même période de l'année , entre Noël et le jour de l'An d'une tumeur complexe et étendue de la face , avec reconstruction complète de la paupière . Des heures de travail complexe et minutieux où il m'a guidé et qui ont permis à cette patiente de profiter des années de plus de ses enfants et petits enfants. Jean Marie avait cette attitude paternelle qui faisait de lui un homme touchant et attachant , en même temps qu'il inspirait un immense respect par son génie chirurgical. J'ai eu la chance de le revoir il y a quelques mois avec mes amis et collègues Gregory Staub et Christelle Santini , autour d'un café , où il nous évoquait sa passion pour l'Art Africain.
2016 has taken many stars from us. However, for me Dec. 29 marks the saddest of these losses. It's difficult to describe in so few lines all those hours we spent together in the operating room. I will always remember the image of the supposedly “inoperable” 80-year-old patient, on whom we operated together for countless hours between Christmas and the New Year to remove a complex facial tumor, and subsequently to reconstruct the patient's entire eyelid. The hours and hours of complex and meticulous work were what allowed the patient to spend a few more years with their children and grandchildren. Jean Marie had a very nurturing personality, which made him a personable and caring man. You also had to respect his surgical genius immensely. I was lucky enough to be able to see him again a few months ago with my friends and colleagues Gregory Staub and Christelle Santini in a café, where he told us of his passion for African art.
Dr. Bachir Athmani also shared his thoughts and feelings:
Jean Marie
tu étais un homme de bien
• Un homme droit et juste, mais non raide et inflexible ; tu savais te plier mais pas te courber.
• Tu aimais les hommes et tu savais les connaître.
• grâce à la mémoire de tes élèves tu es rentré dans la longévité
Jean Marie You were a good man;
• An honorable and fair man, but not inflexible. You knew how to bend but not break;
• You loved people;
• and you will always be remembered by your loving students.
In an open letter, Malagasy doctor M. Rakotomalala offered a final farewell to his old friend:
Je pense que tu n'aurais pas aimé ce que je m'apprête à faire. Parler de toi, te rendre hommage, dire que je suis déraisonnablement triste, après l'annonce de ta mort que tu m'avais pourtant maintes fois prédite.
Mais je vais le faire quand même parce que tout au long de nos 20 d'amitié, je n'ai pas toujours fait selon tes indications.
Comme ce jour où après m'avoir ôté une tumeur qui s'annonçait maligne, tu me vois quitter ton service pour un voyage outre atlantique pour assister à la remise de diplômes de mes enfants.Le projet était fou, mais j'étais libre, de prendre ce risque inconsidéré , libre de vivre, libre de mourir. “Tu fais comme tu veux” m'avais-tu dit. Il n'y avait déjà plus de colère dans ta voix.
En fait, tu respectais dans mon geste, ce qui a dirigé ta vie: le libre arbitre, l'oubli de soi, la passion des autres. Et la force monstrueuse d'en supporter les conséquences.
Les longues missions de chirurgie réparatrice au Niger après avoir survécu à un pontage coronarien. Participer au baptême de ma petite fille aidé d'une cane, fragilisé par une convalescence incertaine, dans le vacarme et l'euphorie de nos reunions familiales. Venir nous rendre visite après son accident une semaine après, alors que tu pouvais à peine parler ni marcher.
Il y avait aussi ce coq au vin du bistrot Mazarine, après l'annonce de ta leucémie. Ces cigarettes fumées et ces cafés très serrés, contre toute indication. Je te disais d'arrêter et tu me répondais avec un petit sourire, qui en disait long sur le souci que tu te faisais de ta propre personne.
Lorsque nous nous sommes rencontrés au Niger en 91, tu te disais sursitaire depuis 6 ans. Et d'accident grave en opération miraculeuse, tu nous as donné 20 ans d'une amitié solide comme un roc, réparé avec tes mains d'orfèvre nos corps accidentées et baladé ton cœur immense dans nos vies piteuses et héroïques.
Surdoué, désintéressé, libre. Un géant.
Adieu, mon ami.
Au revoir, Jean-Marie.
I know you wouldn't have wanted me to write this letter: to speak of you, to pay you homage, to say that I am inconsolably sad after the announcement of your death that you predicted countless times. But I'm going to do so anyway because, throughout our 20 years of friendship, I haven't always done what you told me to.
Just like the day when, right after you'd removed my malign tumor, you watched me travel across the Atlantic to attend my students’ graduation ceremony. The idea was crazy, but I was free. Free to take such an inconsiderate risk, free of life, free of death. “Do what you want.” These were the words you said to me, but there was no hint of anger in your voice. In fact, you actually respected my choice.
This was the driving force of your life: not to judge others, forgetting your own wants and needs, and the passion of others. More importantly, you always knew that it was important to accept the consequences of your actions. The long reconstructive surgery missions in Niger after you'd undergone a coronary bypass. Attending my daughter's baptism, supported only by a cane and facing an uncertain recovery, amidst the row and euphoria of our family gathering. Coming to visit us after her accident a week later, even though you could hardly walk or speak.
There was also Bistrot Mazarine's coq au vin, after you'd just found out that you had leukaemia. All those cigarettes and coffees your drank, against all advice. I told you to stop and you replied with a little smile, which told of how little consideration you had for your own well being.
When we first met in Niger in 1991, you'd already been working there for six years. And by either accident or a miracle, you gave us 20 years of beautiful friendship, fixed our broken bodies with your hands of a master craftsman, and brought your immense heart into our pitiable and heroic lives.
Gifted, selfless, free. You were a giant among men. Farewell, my friend. Goodbye, Jean-Marie.
Writing on Facebook in fewer but no less poignant words, Borhane Belkhiria summarized the memory that will remain with Jean-Marie Servant's family and loved ones: “Geniuses are comets, destined to burn in order to make our generation a little brighter.”
Professeur Jean-Marie Servant, photo courtesy of Adel Laoufi via Facebook.
Professor Jean-Marie Servant, a specialist in reconstructive plastic surgery, lost his long fight against leukemia on Dec. 29, 2016. Servant was regarded worldwide as an expert in his field, however his humanitarian work in Africa in collaboration with Doctors of the World was just as important, if less well known. A celebration of his life and commemoration of his work was held on Jan. 5 in Père-Lachaise's dome hall crematorium.
Reconstructive surgery makes up a large part of public health in Niger, where children often fall victim to complications caused by poor sanitary conditions and unsafe surroundings, sometimes requiring quite drastic plastic surgery:
Les enfants gravement brûlés sont malheureusement nombreux. Les «cuisines» des familles se composent généralement d’un simple feu de bois, où est posé le chaudron qui va servir de récipient pour préparer le repas familial. Souvent les enfants jouent autour du feu sans surveillance. Un coup de vent, un enfant trop près du feu, le pagne qui s'enflamme
The number of children who are seriously burned is unfortunately high. Family “kitchens” generally consist of a stack of firewood with a pot on top that is used to prepare and serve family meals. Children are often left near the fire unattended, meaning the slightest incident, a slight gust of wind for instance, can lead to the child's clothes catching on fire.
Servant came to the Niamey National Hospital not only to provide care to children suffering from serious burns, but also to train resident medical students in reconstructive surgery techniques. And his humanitarian work didn't stop there.
Servant with a patient in Niger. Photo courtesy of Issa Hamady via Facebook.
In an interview with the magazine Pharmaceutiques, a French language pharmaceuticals magazine, Servant explained his work in Niger in detail:
Nous essayons d’opérer essentiellement des enfants souffrant de malformations faciales (le Noma, notamment) pouvant être congénitales (bec de lièvre…) et laissant des séquelles esthétiques et fonctionnelles majeures. Les patients sont triés sur place, soit par des chirurgiens de Niamey. En général, nous recevons les photos via Internet, en France, une semaine avant le début de la mission. Si 80 % de nos interventions concernent des malformations faciales, nous opérons aussi les brûlés et les personnes atteintes de tumeurs. Par ailleurs, nous formons aussi des chirurgiens africains afin qu’ils puissent prendre le relais. Médecins du monde mène des actions au Niger, à Madagascar et au Vietnam. C’est elle qui finance, grâce aux donc, toutes les missions humanitaires de chirurgie réparatrice. Nous nous rendons à l’hôpital national de Niamey de deux à quatre fois par an. Un chirurgien bien entraîné peut opérer une trentaine de personnes. Lorsque nous sommes deux sur place, nous pouvons en opérer une cinquantaine.
We essentially try to operate on children suffering from facial malformations (Noma gangrene, in particular) and congenital conditions, such as cleft palate. Our aim is to reconstruct the affected area and to reintroduce the mouth's major functions. The patients are usually diagnosed and categorised on location, normally by the surgeons at Niamey. We generally receive photos of the patients in France one week before we are scheduled to start work in Africa. While roughly 80 percent of our cases, we do also treat burn patients and patients with tumors. We also train the local surgeons, so that they are able to treat patients in these cases independently. Doctors of the World works in Niger, Madagascar, and Vietnam. It is thanks to funding from the organization that all of this humanitarian work is possible. We work at Niamey National Hospital between two and four times per year. A well trained surgeon can treat roughly 30 patients. Since there are always two of us on site, we can treat roughly fifty.
Servant took on a number of students as part of his work, one of whom was Nigerien surgeon Issa Hamady, who learned how to treat Noma gangrene effectively by working at Servant's side. Hamady recently reflected on what the late professor and his work means to him:
Un grand maître, un père aimant et attentionné pour moi, un homme au cœur énorme nous a quitté.
On ne pourra jamais dire assez les mérites, les prouesses de ce monsieur, son amour pour le travail bien fait.
Les centaines de patients atteints de Noma notamment, dont la vie a radicalement changé grâce à lui, tous ceux à qui il a transmis la fibre de la chirurgie réparatrice n'oublierons jamais.
Que son âme repose en paix
A great mentor, a loving and attentive father figure, and a man with an enormous heart has left us.
Enough could never be said about this great man's achievements, prowess, and passion for his work.
Neither his hundreds of Noma patients, whose lives have changed dramatically thanks to him, nor those he taught the essence and complexities of reconstructive surgery, will ever forget him.
May his soul Rest in Peace.
Colleagues and close friends from around the world remember an exceptional surgeon and a brilliant man with integrity, whose generosity and kindness were unparalleled. Born in 1947, Jean-Marie Servant became the head of reconstructive plastic surgery at Saint Louis hospital in Paris in November 1995, where he worked for 15 years. In the early years of his career, he completed his internship at various hospitals around Paris, and then began his residency in Showa hospital in Tokyo, where he later became clinic director.
Dr. Adel Laoufi worked with Servant as clinic director during Servant's time at Saint Louis hospital. This is Laoufi's written homage to the late professor:
2016 a emporté beaucoup d'étoiles . Mais c'est ce 29 décembre que j'apprends ce qui est pour moi la plus triste disparition. Difficile de décrire en quelques lignes ces heures passées ensemble au bloc opératoire. Je garde l'image de cette patiente de 80 ans , “inopérable” que nous avions opérés ensemble, en urgence , à cette même période de l'année , entre Noël et le jour de l'An d'une tumeur complexe et étendue de la face , avec reconstruction complète de la paupière . Des heures de travail complexe et minutieux où il m'a guidé et qui ont permis à cette patiente de profiter des années de plus de ses enfants et petits enfants. Jean Marie avait cette attitude paternelle qui faisait de lui un homme touchant et attachant , en même temps qu'il inspirait un immense respect par son génie chirurgical. J'ai eu la chance de le revoir il y a quelques mois avec mes amis et collègues Gregory Staub et Christelle Santini , autour d'un café , où il nous évoquait sa passion pour l'Art Africain.
2016 has taken many stars from us. However, for me Dec. 29 marks the saddest of these losses. It's difficult to describe in so few lines all those hours we spent together in the operating room. I will always remember the image of the supposedly “inoperable” 80-year-old patient, on whom we operated together for countless hours between Christmas and the New Year to remove a complex facial tumor, and subsequently to reconstruct the patient's entire eyelid. The hours and hours of complex and meticulous work were what allowed the patient to spend a few more years with their children and grandchildren. Jean Marie had a very nurturing personality, which made him a personable and caring man. You also had to respect his surgical genius immensely. I was lucky enough to be able to see him again a few months ago with my friends and colleagues Gregory Staub and Christelle Santini in a café, where he told us of his passion for African art.
Dr. Bachir Athmani also shared his thoughts and feelings:
Jean Marie
tu étais un homme de bien
• Un homme droit et juste, mais non raide et inflexible ; tu savais te plier mais pas te courber.
• Tu aimais les hommes et tu savais les connaître.
• grâce à la mémoire de tes élèves tu es rentré dans la longévité
Jean Marie You were a good man;
• An honorable and fair man, but not inflexible. You knew how to bend but not break;
• You loved people;
• and you will always be remembered by your loving students.
In an open letter, Malagasy doctor M. Rakotomalala offered a final farewell to his old friend:
Je pense que tu n'aurais pas aimé ce que je m'apprête à faire. Parler de toi, te rendre hommage, dire que je suis déraisonnablement triste, après l'annonce de ta mort que tu m'avais pourtant maintes fois prédite.
Mais je vais le faire quand même parce que tout au long de nos 20 d'amitié, je n'ai pas toujours fait selon tes indications.
Comme ce jour où après m'avoir ôté une tumeur qui s'annonçait maligne, tu me vois quitter ton service pour un voyage outre atlantique pour assister à la remise de diplômes de mes enfants.Le projet était fou, mais j'étais libre, de prendre ce risque inconsidéré , libre de vivre, libre de mourir. “Tu fais comme tu veux” m'avais-tu dit. Il n'y avait déjà plus de colère dans ta voix.
En fait, tu respectais dans mon geste, ce qui a dirigé ta vie: le libre arbitre, l'oubli de soi, la passion des autres. Et la force monstrueuse d'en supporter les conséquences.
Les longues missions de chirurgie réparatrice au Niger après avoir survécu à un pontage coronarien. Participer au baptême de ma petite fille aidé d'une cane, fragilisé par une convalescence incertaine, dans le vacarme et l'euphorie de nos reunions familiales. Venir nous rendre visite après son accident une semaine après, alors que tu pouvais à peine parler ni marcher.
Il y avait aussi ce coq au vin du bistrot Mazarine, après l'annonce de ta leucémie. Ces cigarettes fumées et ces cafés très serrés, contre toute indication. Je te disais d'arrêter et tu me répondais avec un petit sourire, qui en disait long sur le souci que tu te faisais de ta propre personne.
Lorsque nous nous sommes rencontrés au Niger en 91, tu te disais sursitaire depuis 6 ans. Et d'accident grave en opération miraculeuse, tu nous as donné 20 ans d'une amitié solide comme un roc, réparé avec tes mains d'orfèvre nos corps accidentées et baladé ton cœur immense dans nos vies piteuses et héroïques.
Surdoué, désintéressé, libre. Un géant.
Adieu, mon ami.
Au revoir, Jean-Marie.
I know you wouldn't have wanted me to write this letter: to speak of you, to pay you homage, to say that I am inconsolably sad after the announcement of your death that you predicted countless times. But I'm going to do so anyway because, throughout our 20 years of friendship, I haven't always done what you told me to.
Just like the day when, right after you'd removed my malign tumor, you watched me travel across the Atlantic to attend my students’ graduation ceremony. The idea was crazy, but I was free. Free to take such an inconsiderate risk, free of life, free of death. “Do what you want.” These were the words you said to me, but there was no hint of anger in your voice. In fact, you actually respected my choice.
This was the driving force of your life: not to judge others, forgetting your own wants and needs, and the passion of others. More importantly, you always knew that it was important to accept the consequences of your actions. The long reconstructive surgery missions in Niger after you'd undergone a coronary bypass. Attending my daughter's baptism, supported only by a cane and facing an uncertain recovery, amidst the row and euphoria of our family gathering. Coming to visit us after her accident a week later, even though you could hardly walk or speak.
There was also Bistrot Mazarine's coq au vin, after you'd just found out that you had leukaemia. All those cigarettes and coffees your drank, against all advice. I told you to stop and you replied with a little smile, which told of how little consideration you had for your own well being.
When we first met in Niger in 1991, you'd already been working there for six years. And by either accident or a miracle, you gave us 20 years of beautiful friendship, fixed our broken bodies with your hands of a master craftsman, and brought your immense heart into our pitiable and heroic lives.
Gifted, selfless, free. You were a giant among men. Farewell, my friend. Goodbye, Jean-Marie.
Writing on Facebook in fewer but no less poignant words, Borhane Belkhiria summarized the memory that will remain with Jean-Marie Servant's family and loved ones: “Geniuses are comets, destined to burn in order to make our generation a little brighter.”
A post of all top-tier candidates in Niger – by the author
The first round of the Nigerien 2016 general elections took place Sunday, February 21, 2016. The second round will take place on March 20, 2016 to elect the president and national assembly members.
In Niger, the electoral system consists of two rounds of first-past-the-post voting. A candidate is elected if he or she receives more than 50% of the vote. If not, the two candidates having received the most votes compete in the second round, which takes place three weeks later. The winner of the second round becomes president.
The outgoing president, 63 year-old Issoufou Mahamadou, is seeking a second-five year term. According to results published this Friday, February 26th by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), he is credited with nearly 48.41%, forcing him to confront his main opponent in the second round- Hama Amadou, who has received on his part 17.41% of the vote. The opposition has already accused authorities of fraud and announced they would not recognize the results. But the opposition is not the only one making accusations : a number of observers are questioning the CENI's operations. Even in the front-runner's camp, some find polling carried out in haste, with polling station members named and trained at the last minute.
It's as if the operation was too heavy for the officials’ shoulders
confided a member of the government. The second round is gearing up between Amadou and Issoufou, which opens Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at midnight, and will close Friday, March 18, 2016 at midnight.
Mapping of the first-round of elections in Niger via G. Luton
The use of social media by Nigerien youth during these elections is very promising. Between various discussions on the electoral process, young people and supporters of the different candidates and political parties are expressing themselves in order to give their views on the elections via Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp; easily conveying information from around the country. We are are also expecting to monitor the vote live in different corners of the country, and the subsequent announcement of the results via social media. The youth are no longer interested in radio or TV, because a smartphone is more than enough to follow events live. Therefore, the result of everything that is happening in the country is posted on Twitter with the hashtags : #présidentielles #team223 #jevote #jevote #pourlastabilité #Takara2016 #NigerVote #niger.
For the first time in the democratic history of the country, social media has played an important role in the campaigns of the different candidates and parties. For journalists and media figures, the various publications have been a truth wealth of information. These new means of communication have allowed high-level dialogue; on the one hand to be debated and documented between Nigeriens of diverse backgrounds, and on the other between political adversaries. As well they've allowed our leaders an insight into what the international press in particular think of our elections. Moreover, we can see that social media allows our policy makers, who are becoming more and more present on social media, to listen to the concerns of a conscious generation and possibly address those concerns once in power.
Finally, it's important to note that the most important problems in Niger which are election fraud, civil disorder, corruption, misappropriation of funds, unemployment, and the looming threat of the armed group Boko Haram, have been discussed extensively on social media.
A post of all top-tier candidates in Niger – by the author
The first round of the Nigerien 2016 general elections took place Sunday, February 21, 2016. The second round will take place on March 20, 2016 to elect the president and national assembly members.
In Niger, the electoral system consists of two rounds of first-past-the-post voting. A candidate is elected if he or she receives more than 50% of the vote. If not, the two candidates having received the most votes compete in the second round, which takes place three weeks later. The winner of the second round becomes president.
The outgoing president, 63 year-old Issoufou Mahamadou, is seeking a second-five year term. According to results published this Friday, February 26th by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), he is credited with nearly 48.41%, forcing him to confront his main opponent in the second round- Hama Amadou, who has received on his part 17.41% of the vote. The opposition has already accused authorities of fraud and announced they would not recognize the results. But the opposition is not the only one making accusations : a number of observers are questioning the CENI's operations. Even in the front-runner's camp, some find polling carried out in haste, with polling station members named and trained at the last minute.
It's as if the operation was too heavy for the officials’ shoulders
confided a member of the government. The second round is gearing up between Amadou and Issoufou, which opens Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at midnight, and will close Friday, March 18, 2016 at midnight.
Mapping of the first-round of elections in Niger via G. Luton
The use of social media by Nigerien youth during these elections is very promising. Between various discussions on the electoral process, young people and supporters of the different candidates and political parties are expressing themselves in order to give their views on the elections via Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp; easily conveying information from around the country. We are are also expecting to monitor the vote live in different corners of the country, and the subsequent announcement of the results via social media. The youth are no longer interested in radio or TV, because a smartphone is more than enough to follow events live. Therefore, the result of everything that is happening in the country is posted on Twitter with the hashtags : #présidentielles #team223 #jevote #jevote #pourlastabilité #Takara2016 #NigerVote #niger.
For the first time in the democratic history of the country, social media has played an important role in the campaigns of the different candidates and parties. For journalists and media figures, the various publications have been a truth wealth of information. These new means of communication have allowed high-level dialogue; on the one hand to be debated and documented between Nigeriens of diverse backgrounds, and on the other between political adversaries. As well they've allowed our leaders an insight into what the international press in particular think of our elections. Moreover, we can see that social media allows our policy makers, who are becoming more and more present on social media, to listen to the concerns of a conscious generation and possibly address those concerns once in power.
Finally, it's important to note that the most important problems in Niger which are election fraud, civil disorder, corruption, misappropriation of funds, unemployment, and the looming threat of the armed group Boko Haram, have been discussed extensively on social media.
The OpenStreetMap Niger team. Photo by Fatiman Alher with her permission
Niger, like its neighboring countries, struggles against the harmful impact of militant group Boko Haram in the region. However, its youth want to show that they can rise to power despite the circumstances — in this particular case, the Nigerien OpenStreetMap community.
The Mapping for Niger Project is a Rising Voices project set up jointly with the OpenStreetMap Community. Much of rural Niger is not well-represented online, but thanks to this collaborative open-source humanitarian mapping project, these communities are now part of the digital landscape.
Below is a report from one of its members, Fatiman Alher, a geography student who recently shared her experience mapping the vast territory of Niger.
Since its first appearance, the OpenStreetMap Niger community has conducted activities promoting the project with NGOs, international organizations, local authorities, academia, and at conferences. The community organizes “cartoparties,” open training courses, and completes the OpenStreetMap database through volunteer projects (for example, mapping the cities of Dosso, Zinder, Agadez and Niamey as well as its university) paired with remote data production using satellite imagery and field data collection. Mapathons (mass date creation workshops on areas of interest) are also organized in close relationship with the OpenStreetMap West Africa and World communities.
The project is faced with limited logistical, financial, and human resources as well as a political situation occasionally under pressure (especially on the Malian border) and a general ignorance of Open Data, making each activity realized a feat of volunteer passion and activism.
Since mid-2014, the initiative Espace OSM Francophone has supported the development of OpenStreetMap in Niger. This translates into members of the OSM_NE community participating in capacity-building ( training newcomers the basics of mapping) missions organized in the sub-region by Espace OSM Francophone. In this way, members of the OSM_NE community participated in five-capacity building missions: in Burkina Faso and Togo in 2014; and in Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast, and Togo in 2015. The missions, in which OSM countries gather together, last for three weeks and take place in a mapping community host country, including France and communities in Francophone Africa (Benin, Burkina-Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast).
Cartography training workshop. Photo by F Alher with her permission
The objectives of EOF courses are mainly aimed at training the OSM_NE community about the organizational structure and technical skills required for mapping. These training courses are organized at the University of Niamey (UAM) and at Search for Common Ground (SFCG).
Open Street Map Niger – National Youth Conference on Climate Change 19 November 2015
Cartoparties are regularly organized by the OSM_NE community. Generally, the participants remotely map from 8 am-12 pm. Then, they carry out a field survey and edit collection data in the evening.
Mapathons (mass data creation workshops on areas of interest) are regularly organized in relationship with West African and World OSM communities; particularly in response to humanitarian crises: Ebola, Boko Haram, or even the earthquake in Nepal.
The city of Niamey is the OSM_NE community nerve center. An ongoing mapping mission has taken place there since the beginning of the OpenStreetMap project in Niger. Members take advantage of their travels and free time by charting the country's capital, remotely or in the field. The mappers focus on the road network, buildings, and points of interest (such as health, education, public buildings, stores, health facilities, etc.). However, other localities are also targeted.
During school vacation from June to September 2013, the OSM_NE community focused on the Madaoua area, specifically in the Tahoua and Zinder regions. Every weekend for one month, the members gathered together to remotely map these localities.
It took one week of mapping to put all of the information into the database. Now you can see the work that was carried out by three youths with limited means by viewing the OpenStreetMap Dosso map.
West Africa OSM Community – Photo by F. Alher with her permission
In a network with other West Africa OSM communities, through missions with Espace OSM Francophone and various events in the sub-region such as annual Innov'Africe forums, the OSM_NE community works especially with communities from Benin, Burkina-Faso, the Ivory Coast, Niger, Mali, Senegal, and Togo.
The interactions include joint mapping efforts as well as the proactive sharing and exchange of certain aspects of technical and organizational communication. These collaborations were especially strong during the organization and facilitation of the State of the Map (SOTM, or Etat de la Carte) conferences such as the one that was held in Burkina Faso (2015) or the current one in Togo. These two SOTMs were organized during actions taken by the Espace OSM Francophone. The community's mapping efforts contributed to the Map4Ebola initiative that enabled a better fight against the epidemic.
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:101:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/12/17/mapping-for-niger-as-told-by-one-of-the-projects-volunteers/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"2";}s:6:"georss";a:1:{s:5:"point";s:20:"17.6077881 8.0816660";}s:7:"summary";s:185:"The project faces limited logistical, financial, and human resources as well as a general ignorance of Open Data, making each activity realized a feat of volunteer passion and activism.";s:12:"atom_content";s:9375:"The OpenStreetMap Niger team. Photo by Fatiman Alher with her permission
Niger, like its neighboring countries, struggles against the harmful impact of militant group Boko Haram in the region. However, its youth want to show that they can rise to power despite the circumstances — in this particular case, the Nigerien OpenStreetMap community.
The Mapping for Niger Project is a Rising Voices project set up jointly with the OpenStreetMap Community. Much of rural Niger is not well-represented online, but thanks to this collaborative open-source humanitarian mapping project, these communities are now part of the digital landscape.
Below is a report from one of its members, Fatiman Alher, a geography student who recently shared her experience mapping the vast territory of Niger.
Since its first appearance, the OpenStreetMap Niger community has conducted activities promoting the project with NGOs, international organizations, local authorities, academia, and at conferences. The community organizes “cartoparties,” open training courses, and completes the OpenStreetMap database through volunteer projects (for example, mapping the cities of Dosso, Zinder, Agadez and Niamey as well as its university) paired with remote data production using satellite imagery and field data collection. Mapathons (mass date creation workshops on areas of interest) are also organized in close relationship with the OpenStreetMap West Africa and World communities.
The project is faced with limited logistical, financial, and human resources as well as a political situation occasionally under pressure (especially on the Malian border) and a general ignorance of Open Data, making each activity realized a feat of volunteer passion and activism.
Since mid-2014, the initiative Espace OSM Francophone has supported the development of OpenStreetMap in Niger. This translates into members of the OSM_NE community participating in capacity-building ( training newcomers the basics of mapping) missions organized in the sub-region by Espace OSM Francophone. In this way, members of the OSM_NE community participated in five-capacity building missions: in Burkina Faso and Togo in 2014; and in Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast, and Togo in 2015. The missions, in which OSM countries gather together, last for three weeks and take place in a mapping community host country, including France and communities in Francophone Africa (Benin, Burkina-Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast).
Cartography training workshop. Photo by F Alher with her permission
The objectives of EOF courses are mainly aimed at training the OSM_NE community about the organizational structure and technical skills required for mapping. These training courses are organized at the University of Niamey (UAM) and at Search for Common Ground (SFCG).
Open Street Map Niger – National Youth Conference on Climate Change 19 November 2015
Cartoparties are regularly organized by the OSM_NE community. Generally, the participants remotely map from 8 am-12 pm. Then, they carry out a field survey and edit collection data in the evening.
Mapathons (mass data creation workshops on areas of interest) are regularly organized in relationship with West African and World OSM communities; particularly in response to humanitarian crises: Ebola, Boko Haram, or even the earthquake in Nepal.
The city of Niamey is the OSM_NE community nerve center. An ongoing mapping mission has taken place there since the beginning of the OpenStreetMap project in Niger. Members take advantage of their travels and free time by charting the country's capital, remotely or in the field. The mappers focus on the road network, buildings, and points of interest (such as health, education, public buildings, stores, health facilities, etc.). However, other localities are also targeted.
During school vacation from June to September 2013, the OSM_NE community focused on the Madaoua area, specifically in the Tahoua and Zinder regions. Every weekend for one month, the members gathered together to remotely map these localities.
It took one week of mapping to put all of the information into the database. Now you can see the work that was carried out by three youths with limited means by viewing the OpenStreetMap Dosso map.
West Africa OSM Community – Photo by F. Alher with her permission
In a network with other West Africa OSM communities, through missions with Espace OSM Francophone and various events in the sub-region such as annual Innov'Africe forums, the OSM_NE community works especially with communities from Benin, Burkina-Faso, the Ivory Coast, Niger, Mali, Senegal, and Togo.
The interactions include joint mapping efforts as well as the proactive sharing and exchange of certain aspects of technical and organizational communication. These collaborations were especially strong during the organization and facilitation of the State of the Map (SOTM, or Etat de la Carte) conferences such as the one that was held in Burkina Faso (2015) or the current one in Togo. These two SOTMs were organized during actions taken by the Espace OSM Francophone. The community's mapping efforts contributed to the Map4Ebola initiative that enabled a better fight against the epidemic.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1450347122;}i:9;a:15:{s:5:"title";s:80:"Female Entrepreneurs Give a Major Boost to the Development of Francophone Africa";s:4:"link";s:117:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/10/16/female-entrepreneurs-give-a-major-boost-to-the-development-of-francophone-africa/";s:8:"comments";s:125:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/10/16/female-entrepreneurs-give-a-major-boost-to-the-development-of-francophone-africa/#respond";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Fri, 16 Oct 2015 07:05:37 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:9:"Dieyna Ba";}s:8:"category";s:151:"CameroonCitizen MediaCote d'IvoireDigital ActivismEconomics & BusinessEnglishFeatureFrenchMedia & JournalismNigerSub-Saharan AfricaWeblogWomen & Gender";s:4:"guid";s:34:"https://globalvoices.org/?p=543504";s:11:"description";s:162:"Increasingly, civil society—and especially women—are keen to partake in the boom by starting businesses and joining Africa's new entrepreneurial mobilisation.";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:10071:"
Photo by Jran Maaswinkel (@JeeeM). Used with his permission.
Marked by strong growth rates and an ever-expanding economy, the African continent is bidding to attract investors and capital from abroad. Increasingly, civil society—and especially women—are keen to partake in the boom by starting businesses and joining Africa's new entrepreneurial mobilisation. Examples of individual and collective successes abound. Francophone Africa used to lag behind the rest of the continent in terms of entrepreneurship, but that is not the case anymore.
A few months ago, the think-tank Terangaweb, an independent body marketing itself as the “Africa of Ideas”, published a ranking of 30 young African entrepreneurs to follow. Entrepreneurial in nature and lead by a willingness to take concrete action, these young business people build innovative projects, often designed to meet the immediate needs and aspirations of Africans. There are several women in this group, including Nigerian Ola Orekunrin, a physician and the founder of the first air ambulance company in West Africa. In South Africa, Rapelang Rabana founded Yeigo Communications, a young company developing text and instant messaging services. There is a progressive trend of female entrepreneurship in many African countries—often with the full support of the state.
In Côte d'Ivoire, First Lady Dominique Ouattara launched a support fund for Ivorian business women (FAFCI). This initiative aims to promote entrepreneurship among women with low-interests loans, endorsing women to gather capital and engage in a professional activity. Dominique Ouattara stated in a Facebook post on the foundation's annual review:
Le FAFCI a permis à 100 000 femmes de devenir autonome.
FAFCI has assisted 100,000 women to become independent.
The World Bank advocates support for African women entrepreneurs by developing a generalised credit system and establishing technical support. Among its recommendations, the World Bank encourages the development of primary, secondary, and higher education for African girls and easing women's access to more careers, as well as offering better legal protections and regular ongoing support.
Rebecca Enonchong, founder of the Africa Technology Forum. CC 2.0.
Civil society has an increasingly important role to play in Africa's development. In particular, associations like “Oser l'Afrique” organize conferences and seminars about women entrepreneurship in order to encourage women to get involved in each others’ ideas and invest capital. The group facilitates successful careers and detailed roadmaps to success for women starting businesses and organizations. Such was the case for Rebecca Enonchong, who was honored by both Forbes and The World Economic Forum. She is the creator of “Africa Technology Forum”, a non-profit promoting entrepreneurship, with a specific focus on new technologies and the development of African start-ups specialised in IT (Information and Communication Technologies). On its blog, “Oser l'Afrique” explains the importance of encouraging more diversity in Africa:
Les diverses activités proposées sur le forum, telles que les tables rondes, les témoignages, les échanges d’expériences ainsi que le networking ont mis en lumière les actions menées par de nombreuses associations accompagnant les femmes entrepreneurs. Parmi les associations présentes sur le forum, étaient présentes l’ OFAD (Organisation of Africane female entrepreneurs in the Diaspora), le CLAEE (Club des Africaines Entrepreneurs d’Europe), Action’elles (réseau de performance de l’entrepreneuriat féminin), l’APCE (Agence pour la Création d’Entreprise), SpotCréa, ellesentreprennent.fr et aussi le Réseau Entreprendre. Ce premier forum économique des femmes africaines de la diaspora a été une véritable réussite. Cela reflète le dynamisme d’acteurs qui souhaitent apporter des solutions concrètes et accompagner dans la réalisation de projets entrepreneuriaux sur le continent africain.
Various activities advanced at the forum, such as round tables, outreach testimonies, experience exchanges and networking opportunities have highlighted the actions taken by numerous associations supporting women entrepreneurs. Among such organisations present at the forum were OFAD, CLAEE (Club of African Entrepreneurs in Europe), “Action'elles” (a “performance network” for female entrepreneurship), APCE (Agency for Enterprise Creation), SpotCrea, ellesentreprennent.fr, and The Entrepreneurs Network. This first ever Economic Forum of African females in the Diaspora was a genuine success. This reflects the vitality of the actors’ desire to provide practical solutions and support in implementing business projects in Africa.
Céline Victoria Fotso promotes “Je Wanda Magazine”, which caters to Africa's younger generation, addressing the continent's ambitious and talented individuals, rather than its wars, poverty, and instability.
As entrepreneurship grows, women's new role as business owners and civil society leaders isn't limited to new technologies or the hyper-educated upper classes. The role of state support, so far, has been an important part of the rise of African entrepreneurialism.
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:122:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/10/16/female-entrepreneurs-give-a-major-boost-to-the-development-of-francophone-africa/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"0";}s:6:"georss";a:1:{s:5:"point";s:20:"5.3599515 -4.0082564";}s:7:"summary";s:162:"Increasingly, civil society—and especially women—are keen to partake in the boom by starting businesses and joining Africa's new entrepreneurial mobilisation.";s:12:"atom_content";s:10071:"Photo by Jran Maaswinkel (@JeeeM). Used with his permission.
Marked by strong growth rates and an ever-expanding economy, the African continent is bidding to attract investors and capital from abroad. Increasingly, civil society—and especially women—are keen to partake in the boom by starting businesses and joining Africa's new entrepreneurial mobilisation. Examples of individual and collective successes abound. Francophone Africa used to lag behind the rest of the continent in terms of entrepreneurship, but that is not the case anymore.
A few months ago, the think-tank Terangaweb, an independent body marketing itself as the “Africa of Ideas”, published a ranking of 30 young African entrepreneurs to follow. Entrepreneurial in nature and lead by a willingness to take concrete action, these young business people build innovative projects, often designed to meet the immediate needs and aspirations of Africans. There are several women in this group, including Nigerian Ola Orekunrin, a physician and the founder of the first air ambulance company in West Africa. In South Africa, Rapelang Rabana founded Yeigo Communications, a young company developing text and instant messaging services. There is a progressive trend of female entrepreneurship in many African countries—often with the full support of the state.
In Côte d'Ivoire, First Lady Dominique Ouattara launched a support fund for Ivorian business women (FAFCI). This initiative aims to promote entrepreneurship among women with low-interests loans, endorsing women to gather capital and engage in a professional activity. Dominique Ouattara stated in a Facebook post on the foundation's annual review:
Le FAFCI a permis à 100 000 femmes de devenir autonome.
FAFCI has assisted 100,000 women to become independent.
The World Bank advocates support for African women entrepreneurs by developing a generalised credit system and establishing technical support. Among its recommendations, the World Bank encourages the development of primary, secondary, and higher education for African girls and easing women's access to more careers, as well as offering better legal protections and regular ongoing support.
Rebecca Enonchong, founder of the Africa Technology Forum. CC 2.0.
Civil society has an increasingly important role to play in Africa's development. In particular, associations like “Oser l'Afrique” organize conferences and seminars about women entrepreneurship in order to encourage women to get involved in each others’ ideas and invest capital. The group facilitates successful careers and detailed roadmaps to success for women starting businesses and organizations. Such was the case for Rebecca Enonchong, who was honored by both Forbes and The World Economic Forum. She is the creator of “Africa Technology Forum”, a non-profit promoting entrepreneurship, with a specific focus on new technologies and the development of African start-ups specialised in IT (Information and Communication Technologies). On its blog, “Oser l'Afrique” explains the importance of encouraging more diversity in Africa:
Les diverses activités proposées sur le forum, telles que les tables rondes, les témoignages, les échanges d’expériences ainsi que le networking ont mis en lumière les actions menées par de nombreuses associations accompagnant les femmes entrepreneurs. Parmi les associations présentes sur le forum, étaient présentes l’ OFAD (Organisation of Africane female entrepreneurs in the Diaspora), le CLAEE (Club des Africaines Entrepreneurs d’Europe), Action’elles (réseau de performance de l’entrepreneuriat féminin), l’APCE (Agence pour la Création d’Entreprise), SpotCréa, ellesentreprennent.fr et aussi le Réseau Entreprendre. Ce premier forum économique des femmes africaines de la diaspora a été une véritable réussite. Cela reflète le dynamisme d’acteurs qui souhaitent apporter des solutions concrètes et accompagner dans la réalisation de projets entrepreneuriaux sur le continent africain.
Various activities advanced at the forum, such as round tables, outreach testimonies, experience exchanges and networking opportunities have highlighted the actions taken by numerous associations supporting women entrepreneurs. Among such organisations present at the forum were OFAD, CLAEE (Club of African Entrepreneurs in Europe), “Action'elles” (a “performance network” for female entrepreneurship), APCE (Agency for Enterprise Creation), SpotCrea, ellesentreprennent.fr, and The Entrepreneurs Network. This first ever Economic Forum of African females in the Diaspora was a genuine success. This reflects the vitality of the actors’ desire to provide practical solutions and support in implementing business projects in Africa.
Céline Victoria Fotso promotes “Je Wanda Magazine”, which caters to Africa's younger generation, addressing the continent's ambitious and talented individuals, rather than its wars, poverty, and instability.
As entrepreneurship grows, women's new role as business owners and civil society leaders isn't limited to new technologies or the hyper-educated upper classes. The role of state support, so far, has been an important part of the rise of African entrepreneurialism.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1444979137;}i:10;a:15:{s:5:"title";s:79:"How Boko Haram Is Changing International Politics in Western and Central Africa";s:4:"link";s:104:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/07/23/how-boko-haram-is-changing-international-politics-in-central-africa/";s:8:"comments";s:113:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/07/23/how-boko-haram-is-changing-international-politics-in-central-africa/#comments";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Thu, 23 Jul 2015 09:10:19 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Lova Rakotomalala";}s:8:"category";s:150:"CameroonChadCitizen MediaDisasterEnglishEthnicity & RaceFeatureFrenchGovernanceNigerNigeriaPhotosPoliticsProtestSub-Saharan AfricaWar & ConflictWeblog";s:4:"guid";s:39:"http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=531166";s:11:"description";s:156:"Boko Haram has revved up its attacks against many African nations in the past several weeks. Here is a recap of the conflict in the region so far this year.";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:11548:"
Abuja, Nigeria. April 30, 2014. Protesters took to the streets around the three arms zones of Abuja to demand urgent action from the government in finding the 200 school girls kidnapped in Chibok. By Ayemoba Godswill. Copyright Demotix.
Two suicide attacks on June 22 in Maroua, northern Cameroon, left several people dead and many others wounded. Ten days earlier, 15 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at a crowded market in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad. The attack came exactly three weeks after a similar bombing claimed the lives of 27 people in the same town.
Boko Haram, a Sahel-based jihadist group that recently pledged allegiance to ISIS, claims responsibility for the attacks. The group struck again a few weeks after the June attacks, this time in Jos, Nigeria, killing at least 44 people. Boko Haram has repeatedly staged deadly attacks in the Sahel region for the past several years. In response, a coalition of West African countries came together to launch a military counterstrike in the hope of curbing the group's influence.
Below is a partial timeline of Boko Haram's offensive in 2015, which spread to Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.
After months of captivity by suspected Boko Haram militants, ex-hostages arrive at Cameroon's Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Since January 1, 2015, Boko Haram has carried out at least 28 major attacks on Cameroonian soil —most of them in the far north region. According to the local authorities in Maroua, the July 22 suicide bombings were carried out by two young girls who were seen begging in the streets in previous days. The explosion killed at least a dozen of people at the central market, but the exact number is still uncertain. A security source confirmed that residents heard a double explosion.
Despite these tragedies, the Cameroonian military has enjoyed some success against Boko Haram, though the country has also had to deal with the massive afflux of migrants fleeing the conflict.
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Chad Air Force Sukhoi Su-25 at N'djamena Airport CC-BY-4.0 license. Wikimedia commons.
The man who triggered a bomb on July 11 was disguised as a veiled woman to conceal the explosives. In light of this information, the government of Chad has decided to ban the veil to prevent similar attacks. The consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency have massively strained the region's stability, especially in Chad, whose military power was the foundation of peacekeeping in Sahel. In recent months, Chad has already been rocked by student protests and the June 20 start of the trial of former leader Hissen Habre.
“Landscape Diffa region Niger” by Roland Hunziker. CC 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
The Boko Haram insurgency has forced tens of thousands across the border into Niger's arid southeastern region of Diffa, aggravating an already dire humanitarian crisis. The flood of refugees comes as Niger declares a state of emergency to tackle an insurgency that has brought Diffa's economy to a standstill and left much of the population vulnerable.
Prior to the March 2015 elections, the Nigerian Army had considerable gains in repelling Boko Haram. However, a renewed offensive by Boko Haram appears to be underway, ahead of the inauguration of President Buhari's new government. This is despite the fact that one of Buhari's first actions was to move the nation's command headquarters of the military from the capital Abuja to Maiduguri, in Borno State—a hotpot of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Reported explosion in #Gombe, northeast #Nigeria. No further details.
— Fidelis Mbah (@fidelisMbah) July 22, 2015
Nonetheless, the new government has pushed a great deal for international counterterrorist assistance, as evidenced by President Buhari's recent meetings with the presidents of Chad, Cameroon, and Niger. Buhari has sought and received assurances of assistance from the G7 and the United States, where he is currently on a state visit. Buhari promised to negotiate with the insurgents, if that would lead to the release of the 200 abducted Chibok girls, kidnapped more than a year ago:
If we are convinced that we can have the girls, why not, we can negotiate. Our goal is to have the girls. We will ask them what they want and we can free the girls; return them to their school; unite them with their parents and rehabilitate them, so, they can live a normal life.
Abuja, Nigeria. April 30, 2014. Protesters took to the streets around the three arms zones of Abuja to demand urgent action from the government in finding the 200 school girls kidnapped in Chibok. By Ayemoba Godswill. Copyright Demotix.
Two suicide attacks on June 22 in Maroua, northern Cameroon, left several people dead and many others wounded. Ten days earlier, 15 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at a crowded market in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad. The attack came exactly three weeks after a similar bombing claimed the lives of 27 people in the same town.
Boko Haram, a Sahel-based jihadist group that recently pledged allegiance to ISIS, claims responsibility for the attacks. The group struck again a few weeks after the June attacks, this time in Jos, Nigeria, killing at least 44 people. Boko Haram has repeatedly staged deadly attacks in the Sahel region for the past several years. In response, a coalition of West African countries came together to launch a military counterstrike in the hope of curbing the group's influence.
Below is a partial timeline of Boko Haram's offensive in 2015, which spread to Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.
After months of captivity by suspected Boko Haram militants, ex-hostages arrive at Cameroon's Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Since January 1, 2015, Boko Haram has carried out at least 28 major attacks on Cameroonian soil —most of them in the far north region. According to the local authorities in Maroua, the July 22 suicide bombings were carried out by two young girls who were seen begging in the streets in previous days. The explosion killed at least a dozen of people at the central market, but the exact number is still uncertain. A security source confirmed that residents heard a double explosion.
Despite these tragedies, the Cameroonian military has enjoyed some success against Boko Haram, though the country has also had to deal with the massive afflux of migrants fleeing the conflict.
Chad Air Force Sukhoi Su-25 at N'djamena Airport CC-BY-4.0 license. Wikimedia commons.
The man who triggered a bomb on July 11 was disguised as a veiled woman to conceal the explosives. In light of this information, the government of Chad has decided to ban the veil to prevent similar attacks. The consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency have massively strained the region's stability, especially in Chad, whose military power was the foundation of peacekeeping in Sahel. In recent months, Chad has already been rocked by student protests and the June 20 start of the trial of former leader Hissen Habre.
“Landscape Diffa region Niger” by Roland Hunziker. CC 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
The Boko Haram insurgency has forced tens of thousands across the border into Niger's arid southeastern region of Diffa, aggravating an already dire humanitarian crisis. The flood of refugees comes as Niger declares a state of emergency to tackle an insurgency that has brought Diffa's economy to a standstill and left much of the population vulnerable.
Prior to the March 2015 elections, the Nigerian Army had considerable gains in repelling Boko Haram. However, a renewed offensive by Boko Haram appears to be underway, ahead of the inauguration of President Buhari's new government. This is despite the fact that one of Buhari's first actions was to move the nation's command headquarters of the military from the capital Abuja to Maiduguri, in Borno State—a hotpot of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Reported explosion in #Gombe, northeast #Nigeria. No further details.
— Fidelis Mbah (@fidelisMbah) July 22, 2015
Nonetheless, the new government has pushed a great deal for international counterterrorist assistance, as evidenced by President Buhari's recent meetings with the presidents of Chad, Cameroon, and Niger. Buhari has sought and received assurances of assistance from the G7 and the United States, where he is currently on a state visit. Buhari promised to negotiate with the insurgents, if that would lead to the release of the 200 abducted Chibok girls, kidnapped more than a year ago:
If we are convinced that we can have the girls, why not, we can negotiate. Our goal is to have the girls. We will ask them what they want and we can free the girls; return them to their school; unite them with their parents and rehabilitate them, so, they can live a normal life.
Protests in Niamey, Niger via Abdoulaye Hamidou on twitter (with his permission)
20,000 Nigeriens took to the streets in Niamey, Niger on June, 6. There are multiple causes for the protests: endemic poverty, mediocre governance and restricted free speech are among the main grievances from Nigerien civil society. These protests come on the hill of similar uprisings in Burkina Faso, Burundi and Togo. The government resigned in Burkina Faso while elections are postponed in Burundi. In May, citizens in Lome protested presidential election results that saw Togolese president Faure Gnassingbe won a third term.
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:116:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/06/07/after-citizen-uprising-in-burkina-faso-and-burundi-are-niger-and-togo-next/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"1";}s:7:"summary";s:317:"20,000 Nigeriens took to the streets in Niamey, Niger on June, 6. There are multiple causes for the protests: endemic poverty, mediocre governance and restricted free speech are among the main grievances from Nigerien civil society. These protests come on the hill of similar uprisings in Burkina Faso, Burundi... ";s:12:"atom_content";s:3641:"Protests in Niamey, Niger via Abdoulaye Hamidou on twitter (with his permission)
20,000 Nigeriens took to the streets in Niamey, Niger on June, 6. There are multiple causes for the protests: endemic poverty, mediocre governance and restricted free speech are among the main grievances from Nigerien civil society. These protests come on the hill of similar uprisings in Burkina Faso, Burundi and Togo. The government resigned in Burkina Faso while elections are postponed in Burundi. In May, citizens in Lome protested presidential election results that saw Togolese president Faure Gnassingbe won a third term.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1433680143;}i:12;a:14:{s:5:"title";s:70:"Looking Beyond Boko Haram: Rediscovering the Ténéré Desert in Niger";s:4:"link";s:103:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/03/18/looking-beyond-boko-haram-rediscovering-the-tenere-desert-in-niger/";s:8:"comments";s:112:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/03/18/looking-beyond-boko-haram-rediscovering-the-tenere-desert-in-niger/#comments";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 18 Mar 2015 08:13:38 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Elizabeth Tamblin";}s:8:"category";s:185:"Arts & CultureChadCitizen MediaDevelopmentDigital ActivismDisasterEnglishFoodFrenchInternational RelationsNigerPhotographyPhotosRising VoicesSub-Saharan AfricaTravelWar & ConflictWeblog";s:4:"guid";s:39:"http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=513263";s:11:"description";s:148:"Niger is at war with Boko Haram. Let's not forget, though, that Niger is also home to many projects and is a land full of natural beauty and poetry.";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:10556:"
Tree of Ténéré in 1961. CC-BY-SA 2.0.
The conflict with Boko Haram in southwest Niger currently monopolizes the country's news. On March 3, Boko Haram killed 19 civilians in an attack on two villages, Kiu Keleha and Toubu Buka, situated on the Nigerien banks of Lake Chad. In response, Nigerien armed forces have joined neighboring military groups to collaborate a counterattack on Boko Haram.
Despite these efforts, however, Niger's southwest remains isolated and vulnerable. A new initiative by Nigerien bloggers, Mapping for Niger, is helping to increase national awareness by mapping the country’s towns, revealing a side of Niger that many living there didn't know existed.
Just like the Tree of Ténéré (which was for a long time the most isolated tree in the world, until it was destroyed by a negligent driver), east Niger is partially isolated from the rest of the country. This isolation makes it more difficult to coordinate efforts to combat Boko Haram, exposing it to assaults by the rebels.
The history of the region, and more specifically the Tree of Ténéré, however, is quite unique.
The legendary Tree of Ténéré was an acacia, isolated in the middle of the desert, the only tree for 400 kilometers (250 miles) around. It was the only tree in the world to be so isolated, serving as a landmark for the caravan routes crossing the Sahel, but also inspired many poets, who fell in love with the desert, as shown in these videos by A. Décotte:
and B. Hofmans:
On Google Maps and Google Earth, the location of the Tree of Ténéré is marked by a stunning photo of the tree overlaid with a phrase from “The Little Prince” (shared by Pierre Destruel):
“The Little Prince is Back: What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.” Photo composition by Pierre Destruel.
P. Destruel has added the following caption to explain the image he has made between the tree and The Little Prince, quoting a passage from the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
Look at it carefully so that you will be sure to recognise it in case you travel some day to the African desert. And, if you should come upon this spot, please do not hurry on. Wait for a time, exactly under the star. Then, if a little man appears who laughs, who has golden hair and who refuses to answer questions, you will know who he is. If this should happen, please comfort me. Send me word that he has come back.
The Mapping for Niger project, helped by a grant from Rising Voices, aims to enrich the country’s maps with information that will enable the identification of various establishments and main roads throughout the country. This project is being run collectively by the geography department of the Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey, its students, Open Street Map, and Rising Voices. The project trains students and the rest of the team in the skills they need to participate in a collaborative open-source mapping project.
Armed with these news skills in mapping and citizen journalism, participants have been going out into the surrounding rural villages to map key sites, such as schools, roads, and hospitals. They have also used their skills to link the maps created directly with the needs of the local communities. On International Women’s Day, for example, the contribution of female participants was recognised and celebrated at a training workshop with the organisations ITECH CENTER, Fada Tech, and Femmes & Tic Niger (an association created by Fatima Alher, a member of the Mapping for Niger project):
OpenStreetMap Mapping workshop with Femmes & TIC Niger (created by Fatima Alher), via Mapping for Niger on Facebook.
So far, the project has helped improve and enrich maps of Madaoua, Niamey, Dosso, Zinder, Kolmane, and Guidan Toudo. The project will also expand gradually to other regions of Niger. Other organisations, such as Search for Common Ground, will collaborate with these initiatives to strengthen the communities in vulnerable areas. Although this is still an informal collaboration, Search for Common Ground is involved in several other important projects, including efforts to strengthen social cohesion and advance the peace process, particularly among young people of Zinder:
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:108:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/03/18/looking-beyond-boko-haram-rediscovering-the-tenere-desert-in-niger/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"2";}s:7:"summary";s:148:"Niger is at war with Boko Haram. Let's not forget, though, that Niger is also home to many projects and is a land full of natural beauty and poetry.";s:12:"atom_content";s:10556:"We succeeded in training 172 youth, including more than 40 young women. Participants came from various socioeconomic backgrounds, ranging from university students to illiterate gang members, and were of different ethnicities, ages, and institutional affiliations. Another 806 young people, 10% of them women, shared their thoughts on new concepts and discovered how to apply them in their own context. After our training, a reformed gang leader requested an extra restitution session for the students of a vocational school in Zinder.
Tree of Ténéré in 1961. CC-BY-SA 2.0.
The conflict with Boko Haram in southwest Niger currently monopolizes the country's news. On March 3, Boko Haram killed 19 civilians in an attack on two villages, Kiu Keleha and Toubu Buka, situated on the Nigerien banks of Lake Chad. In response, Nigerien armed forces have joined neighboring military groups to collaborate a counterattack on Boko Haram.
Despite these efforts, however, Niger's southwest remains isolated and vulnerable. A new initiative by Nigerien bloggers, Mapping for Niger, is helping to increase national awareness by mapping the country’s towns, revealing a side of Niger that many living there didn't know existed.
Just like the Tree of Ténéré (which was for a long time the most isolated tree in the world, until it was destroyed by a negligent driver), east Niger is partially isolated from the rest of the country. This isolation makes it more difficult to coordinate efforts to combat Boko Haram, exposing it to assaults by the rebels.
The history of the region, and more specifically the Tree of Ténéré, however, is quite unique.
The legendary Tree of Ténéré was an acacia, isolated in the middle of the desert, the only tree for 400 kilometers (250 miles) around. It was the only tree in the world to be so isolated, serving as a landmark for the caravan routes crossing the Sahel, but also inspired many poets, who fell in love with the desert, as shown in these videos by A. Décotte:
and B. Hofmans:
On Google Maps and Google Earth, the location of the Tree of Ténéré is marked by a stunning photo of the tree overlaid with a phrase from “The Little Prince” (shared by Pierre Destruel):
“The Little Prince is Back: What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.” Photo composition by Pierre Destruel.
P. Destruel has added the following caption to explain the image he has made between the tree and The Little Prince, quoting a passage from the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
Look at it carefully so that you will be sure to recognise it in case you travel some day to the African desert. And, if you should come upon this spot, please do not hurry on. Wait for a time, exactly under the star. Then, if a little man appears who laughs, who has golden hair and who refuses to answer questions, you will know who he is. If this should happen, please comfort me. Send me word that he has come back.
The Mapping for Niger project, helped by a grant from Rising Voices, aims to enrich the country’s maps with information that will enable the identification of various establishments and main roads throughout the country. This project is being run collectively by the geography department of the Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey, its students, Open Street Map, and Rising Voices. The project trains students and the rest of the team in the skills they need to participate in a collaborative open-source mapping project.
Armed with these news skills in mapping and citizen journalism, participants have been going out into the surrounding rural villages to map key sites, such as schools, roads, and hospitals. They have also used their skills to link the maps created directly with the needs of the local communities. On International Women’s Day, for example, the contribution of female participants was recognised and celebrated at a training workshop with the organisations ITECH CENTER, Fada Tech, and Femmes & Tic Niger (an association created by Fatima Alher, a member of the Mapping for Niger project):
OpenStreetMap Mapping workshop with Femmes & TIC Niger (created by Fatima Alher), via Mapping for Niger on Facebook.
So far, the project has helped improve and enrich maps of Madaoua, Niamey, Dosso, Zinder, Kolmane, and Guidan Toudo. The project will also expand gradually to other regions of Niger. Other organisations, such as Search for Common Ground, will collaborate with these initiatives to strengthen the communities in vulnerable areas. Although this is still an informal collaboration, Search for Common Ground is involved in several other important projects, including efforts to strengthen social cohesion and advance the peace process, particularly among young people of Zinder:
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1426666418;}i:13;a:14:{s:5:"title";s:77:"Niger Youth Defiant Following Boko Haram Attack in Bosso and Bombing in Diffa";s:4:"link";s:114:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/02/08/niger-youth-defiant-following-boko-haram-attack-in-bosso-and-bombing-in-diffa/";s:8:"comments";s:123:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/02/08/niger-youth-defiant-following-boko-haram-attack-in-bosso-and-bombing-in-diffa/#comments";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sun, 08 Feb 2015 17:21:04 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Lova Rakotomalala";}s:8:"category";s:135:"Breaking NewsChadCitizen MediaDisasterEnglishFrenchInternational RelationsNigerNigeriaPhotosQuick ReadsSub-Saharan AfricaWar & Conflict";s:4:"guid";s:39:"http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=507814";s:11:"description";s:286:"For the first time, Boko Haram conducted an assault on Niger's territory and the youth of Niger will not stand for it. Boko Haram assaulted Bosso and Diffa, two towns in southeast Niger at the border with Nigeria but was repelled by Niger and Chad's army. Boko Haram lost an... ";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:4337:"We succeeded in training 172 youth, including more than 40 young women. Participants came from various socioeconomic backgrounds, ranging from university students to illiterate gang members, and were of different ethnicities, ages, and institutional affiliations. Another 806 young people, 10% of them women, shared their thoughts on new concepts and discovered how to apply them in their own context. After our training, a reformed gang leader requested an extra restitution session for the students of a vocational school in Zinder.
Young men in Niger – CC-BY-2.0
For the first time, Boko Haram conducted an assault on Niger's territory and the youth of Niger will not stand for it.
Boko Haram assaulted Bosso and Diffa, two towns in southeast Niger at the border with Nigeria but was repelled by Niger and Chad's army. Boko Haram lost an estimated 100 combatants in the clash but a suicide bomber detonated explosives in the city a few hours later, killing 5 civilians. The youth of Niger was prompt to react to the attacks. Niamey (Niger's capital) High school students got together to condemn the attacks on their country and express in Hausa their support to their troops fighting at the border:
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:119:"https://globalvoices.org/2015/02/08/niger-youth-defiant-following-boko-haram-attack-in-bosso-and-bombing-in-diffa/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"1";}s:7:"summary";s:286:"For the first time, Boko Haram conducted an assault on Niger's territory and the youth of Niger will not stand for it. Boko Haram assaulted Bosso and Diffa, two towns in southeast Niger at the border with Nigeria but was repelled by Niger and Chad's army. Boko Haram lost an... ";s:12:"atom_content";s:4337:"
Young men in Niger – CC-BY-2.0
For the first time, Boko Haram conducted an assault on Niger's territory and the youth of Niger will not stand for it.
Boko Haram assaulted Bosso and Diffa, two towns in southeast Niger at the border with Nigeria but was repelled by Niger and Chad's army. Boko Haram lost an estimated 100 combatants in the clash but a suicide bomber detonated explosives in the city a few hours later, killing 5 civilians. The youth of Niger was prompt to react to the attacks. Niamey (Niger's capital) High school students got together to condemn the attacks on their country and express in Hausa their support to their troops fighting at the border:
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1423416064;}i:14;a:14:{s:5:"title";s:66:"Another Celebrity Wants to Help Africa, And He's No ‘Band Aid’";s:4:"link";s:95:"https://globalvoices.org/2014/11/24/another-celebrity-wants-to-help-africa-and-hes-no-band-aid/";s:8:"comments";s:103:"https://globalvoices.org/2014/11/24/another-celebrity-wants-to-help-africa-and-hes-no-band-aid/#respond";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Mon, 24 Nov 2014 23:13:00 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Lova Rakotomalala";}s:8:"category";s:266:"BeninBreaking NewsBurkina FasoCitizen MediaCote d'IvoireDevelopmentEconomics & BusinessEnglishFeatureFrenchGood NewsGovernanceGuineaHumanitarian ResponseInternational RelationsMaliMedia & JournalismNigerPhotosRepublic of CongoSenegalSub-Saharan AfricaTogoVideoWeblog";s:4:"guid";s:39:"http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=497000";s:11:"description";s:106:"When it comes to helping Africa, there is Bob Geldof's approach with "Band Aid," and then there is Akon's.";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:9942:"
Akon in West Africa for his electrify project with permission
Since the Live Aid Event organized by Bob Geldof and a bunch of his famous friends in the mid-1980s, Africa has known many world-famous celebrities who show a willingness to help the continent. Most of these initiatives, however, have fallen well short of their stated objectives.
For many in Africa, the Ebola epidemic has made clear the gap between celebrities’ awareness-raising campaigns and realities on the ground, where “parachuted initiatives” by Western stars collapse after brief runs in the global news. By now, the limits of humanitarian work by such celebrities—indeed Western humanitarian work generally—are well documented.
“Band Aid 30″‘s remake of “Do They Know It's Christmas,” for example, does little to expand—let alone acknowledge—Africans’ agency in the fight against Ebola.
Contrasted with the song “Africa, Stop Ebola,” created by African artists including Tiken Jah Fakoly, Amadou, and Mariam and Salif Keita, it's hard to deny the difference in tone.
Despite Band Aid 30's good intentions, Africans have long been offended by the patronizing tone of the “Do They Know It's Christmas” song's adapted lyrics. (The updated song includes lines like, “Where a kiss of love can kill you and there's death in every tear,” “Well tonight we're reaching out and touching you,” and so on.) On the other hand, the lyrics of the Africa Stop Ebola song emphasizes what citizens in the affected region can do to help stop the spread of Ebola. The song is performed in French and vernacular languages (Haoussa, Fula etc.) widely spoken across the region to ensure that the message is understood by the majority of the population in the affected region.
Amidst Band Aid 30's campaign and the backlash in Africa, a far lesser known initiative is getting underway: a project by American singer Akon, who has family ties to Senegal, to help electrify West Africa.
Akon, whose full name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, spent much of his childhood in Senegal and was ranked Africa's fifth most powerful celebrity in 2011 (on a list that included 40 names). In a video on Vimeo, Akon explains his electrification project:
He adds:
The lack of electricity is currently a major problem in Africa. A significant number of households in rural areas and even urban cities do not have access to electricity. This is a real obstacle to Africa’s Sustainable Development.
In that perspective and within the framework of a Public-Private partnership, an alliance was signed between the private entities and the governments of different African nations to support the initiative. The project will consist of the installation of solar equipment in households and promote their energy sufficiency that also will allow millions of children to have access to electricity and improve their education through extended study hours.
Akon's project is planned to be long-term, separating it from the one-off efforts often carried out in Africa that typically require large advertising campaigns. Akon's work is not directed at a Western audience, and it isn't an awareness-raising campaign. He is currently on an extended trip through West Africa, where he's meeting local entrepreneurs and political decisionmakers. He will visit nine different countries: Senegal, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo and Côte d'Ivoire.
In Guinea, Akon met with students at the Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry and said:
I'm also a businessman, but I want to do business that benefits Africa [..] all the resources needed to develop Africa are at the disposal of the continent, and that all Africans needed to do is to take the driving seat.
In Cotonou, Benin, Arnaud Dounhmanmoun writes:
Au Bénin, une phase expérimentale a déjà eu lieu et c’est le village Avlo à Grand Popo qui a été retenu.L’artiste procèdera à la réception des matériels, Il s’agit des kits solaires pour les ménages ainsi que les lampadaires solaires pour l’éclairage public.
In Benin, an experimental phase [of the project] is already underway—implemented in the village of Avlo in the Grand Popo region. The artist [Akon] will be there to collect materials: solar kits for households, and solar lamps for street lighting.
In Mali, Modibo Fofana on Journal du Mali says Akon is also helping change the image of Africa with investors, despite the Ebola crisis:
Après une visite en Guinée, Akon est arrivé au moment où le Mali a connu le premier cas. Selon Akon, la médiatisation à outrance de cette maladie en Afrique contribue à ternir son image. “C’est à nous de changer l’image de l’Afrique. Quand les gens voient que je suis au Mali malgré l’annonce d’Ebola, cela va rassurer les autres.”
After a visit to Guinea, Akon arrived in Mali as it reported its first case [of Ebola]. According Akon, media coverage of the disease in Africa unfairly tarnishes the continent's public image. “It's up to us to change Africa's image. When people see that I'm in Mali, despite the announcement of Ebola, this will reassure others.”
While it is too early to tell whether Akon's approach will bear more fruitful results than the overhyped Band Aid initiative, at least, Akon has focused on the potential for Africa to self-sustain its development rather than wait for the ever-elusive western saviors.
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:100:"https://globalvoices.org/2014/11/24/another-celebrity-wants-to-help-africa-and-hes-no-band-aid/feed/";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:106:"When it comes to helping Africa, there is Bob Geldof's approach with "Band Aid," and then there is Akon's.";s:12:"atom_content";s:9942:"Akon in West Africa for his electrify project with permission
Since the Live Aid Event organized by Bob Geldof and a bunch of his famous friends in the mid-1980s, Africa has known many world-famous celebrities who show a willingness to help the continent. Most of these initiatives, however, have fallen well short of their stated objectives.
For many in Africa, the Ebola epidemic has made clear the gap between celebrities’ awareness-raising campaigns and realities on the ground, where “parachuted initiatives” by Western stars collapse after brief runs in the global news. By now, the limits of humanitarian work by such celebrities—indeed Western humanitarian work generally—are well documented.
“Band Aid 30″‘s remake of “Do They Know It's Christmas,” for example, does little to expand—let alone acknowledge—Africans’ agency in the fight against Ebola.
Contrasted with the song “Africa, Stop Ebola,” created by African artists including Tiken Jah Fakoly, Amadou, and Mariam and Salif Keita, it's hard to deny the difference in tone.
Despite Band Aid 30's good intentions, Africans have long been offended by the patronizing tone of the “Do They Know It's Christmas” song's adapted lyrics. (The updated song includes lines like, “Where a kiss of love can kill you and there's death in every tear,” “Well tonight we're reaching out and touching you,” and so on.) On the other hand, the lyrics of the Africa Stop Ebola song emphasizes what citizens in the affected region can do to help stop the spread of Ebola. The song is performed in French and vernacular languages (Haoussa, Fula etc.) widely spoken across the region to ensure that the message is understood by the majority of the population in the affected region.
Amidst Band Aid 30's campaign and the backlash in Africa, a far lesser known initiative is getting underway: a project by American singer Akon, who has family ties to Senegal, to help electrify West Africa.
Akon, whose full name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, spent much of his childhood in Senegal and was ranked Africa's fifth most powerful celebrity in 2011 (on a list that included 40 names). In a video on Vimeo, Akon explains his electrification project:
He adds:
The lack of electricity is currently a major problem in Africa. A significant number of households in rural areas and even urban cities do not have access to electricity. This is a real obstacle to Africa’s Sustainable Development.
In that perspective and within the framework of a Public-Private partnership, an alliance was signed between the private entities and the governments of different African nations to support the initiative. The project will consist of the installation of solar equipment in households and promote their energy sufficiency that also will allow millions of children to have access to electricity and improve their education through extended study hours.
Akon's project is planned to be long-term, separating it from the one-off efforts often carried out in Africa that typically require large advertising campaigns. Akon's work is not directed at a Western audience, and it isn't an awareness-raising campaign. He is currently on an extended trip through West Africa, where he's meeting local entrepreneurs and political decisionmakers. He will visit nine different countries: Senegal, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo and Côte d'Ivoire.
In Guinea, Akon met with students at the Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry and said:
I'm also a businessman, but I want to do business that benefits Africa [..] all the resources needed to develop Africa are at the disposal of the continent, and that all Africans needed to do is to take the driving seat.
In Cotonou, Benin, Arnaud Dounhmanmoun writes:
Au Bénin, une phase expérimentale a déjà eu lieu et c’est le village Avlo à Grand Popo qui a été retenu.L’artiste procèdera à la réception des matériels, Il s’agit des kits solaires pour les ménages ainsi que les lampadaires solaires pour l’éclairage public.
In Benin, an experimental phase [of the project] is already underway—implemented in the village of Avlo in the Grand Popo region. The artist [Akon] will be there to collect materials: solar kits for households, and solar lamps for street lighting.
In Mali, Modibo Fofana on Journal du Mali says Akon is also helping change the image of Africa with investors, despite the Ebola crisis:
Après une visite en Guinée, Akon est arrivé au moment où le Mali a connu le premier cas. Selon Akon, la médiatisation à outrance de cette maladie en Afrique contribue à ternir son image. “C’est à nous de changer l’image de l’Afrique. Quand les gens voient que je suis au Mali malgré l’annonce d’Ebola, cela va rassurer les autres.”
After a visit to Guinea, Akon arrived in Mali as it reported its first case [of Ebola]. According Akon, media coverage of the disease in Africa unfairly tarnishes the continent's public image. “It's up to us to change Africa's image. When people see that I'm in Mali, despite the announcement of Ebola, this will reassure others.”
While it is too early to tell whether Akon's approach will bear more fruitful results than the overhyped Band Aid initiative, at least, Akon has focused on the potential for Africa to self-sustain its development rather than wait for the ever-elusive western saviors.
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