News — africa

Meet 51-year old Lashawn Flowers and her 35-year old daughter, Shanita Vickers, the new owners of the only Black-owned gas station in Hollywood, Florida, and possibly the only Black-owned gas station in all of South Florida. As Shell franchisees, they are making history as women entrepreneurs and causing quite a stir on social media.

Lashawn and her daughter, who both grew up in Deerfield Beach, Florida, began their roots in entrepreneurship as the owners of a local hair and nail salon called Girlz Collectionz and later a local bar and nightclub called Groove City Bar & Lounge, which is currently closed because of the pandemic. Having to pivot sparked the idea of purchasing a gas station.

“We actually purchased two Shell gas stations,” says Lashawn. “We were able to negotiate a two-for-one deal.”

She says the process of purchasing two franchises was not hard, but it was a fairly tedious process. After completing a credit application, she had to prove that financially she really did have the capital to complete the purchase. The whole process, however, took just three weeks.

Keeping it in the family

Lashawn says that she and her daughter are partners in this business, and are partners in their other businesses as well.

“I really value having a family-owned business because family is who you can trust,” she says. “My daughter, Shanita, is a wonderful mom of two beautiful children and also a phenomenal entrepreneur who is awesome to work with. We work well together because we understand each other.”

Nigerian author, Irenosen Okojie, has won the AKO Caine prize for African writing.

The Caine Prize is an annual literary award for the best original short story by an African writer, whether in Africa or elsewhere, but published in the English language.

Ms Okojie was announced the winner of £10,000 (approximately N4.8 million) award prize on Monday afternoon at a virtual unveiling on YouTube, for her short story "Grace Jones."

Earlier in May, a five-writer shortlist was released for the 20th edition that featured stories that "speak eloquently to the human condition through a diverse array of themes and genres". It was virtually graded by the judging panel.

The shortlisted authors for this year's prize are from Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda and Tanzania. Three out of the five writers are Nigerians. One has dual citizenship (Namibia, Rwanda).

Ms Okojie was among the three shortlisted Nigerian writers. Others are Chikodili Emelumadu for his short story, 'What to do when your child brings home a Mami Wata' and Jowhor Ile for 'Fisherman's Stew.'

Organisers of AKO Caine Prize postponed this year's award ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic, citing safety of authors, staff, guests and partners as their topmost priority.

But on Monday afternoon during the virtual award ceremony, Ms Okojie's "Grace Jones" was pronounced the winning short story of the year for its "radicality of logic, time and place" and praised as "risky, dazzling, imaginative and bold."

"Grace Jones" was published last year in Ms Okojie's book, "Nudibranch," her second short story collection and her third book, following her debut novel "Butterfly Fish" and her first collection "Speak Gigantular."

It tells the story of a Grace Jones impersonator and deals with questions of trauma and identity as well as pleasure and escape.

The story chronicles the psychological and behavioural changes of the main character, Sidra, a young woman who becomes a celebrity impersonator who is wracked with guilt after her whole family dies in a fire that destroys their London flat.

The chair of the judging panel and director of The Africa Centre, Kenneth Tharp, described the journey of Ms Okojie's main protagonist Sidra, a young woman who has moved to London from Martinique as an "exquisite and seamless movement between the exploration of the universal experiences of unspeakable suffering, pleasure and escape, and the particular experience of being black and African in a global city such as London."

"It is intense and full of stunning prose; it's also a story that reflects African consciousness in the way it so seamlessly shifts dimensions, and it's a story that demonstrates extraordinary imagination. Most of all, it is world-class fiction from an African writer," Mr Tharp said.

As the Black Lives Matter protests continue, he added that the story "offers a salient exploration of what it can mean to embody and perform blackness in the world."

Elated

Reacting to why she chose the story's subject matter, the Nigerian writer said it was important for her to write experimental fiction that centres on a black woman.

"I write weird experimental fiction. And I think it's really important to centre experimental fiction by a black woman like myself, because for a long time, I felt like I was operating on the fringes. People were often quite surprised by my writing, just in terms of subject matter and style," she said.

"I'm really passionate about centring the stories of black women and people of colour. It's important to show their lived experiences," she said. "But I like to do it couched within these darkly fantastical worlds, pushing the boundaries of form, ideas and language, so the reader has a different experience."

Ms Okojie also said she had always found the actual Grace Jones "hugely inspiring", and wanted to explore "this idea of trying to subvert the pain of the past by hiding under a different character".

The Nigerian author said the award has given her confidence as a black and female experimental writer.

She is currently writing a second novel, but she said she finds the process of short story writing "feverish", and filled with a "sense of urgency."

Other notable Nigerian writers who have previously won the AKO Caine prize for African writing include Lesley Arimah (2019) for "Skinned"; Tope Folarin (2013) for "Miracle" ; Rotimi Babatunde (2012) for "Bombay's Republic"; Segun Afolabi (2003)for "Monday Morning" and Helon Habila (2001) for "Love poems".

Mutare, Zimbabwe — Women's rights campaigners say new law will help ensure girls have equal rights to an education

Zimbabwe has made it illegal for schools to expel pupils who get pregnant, a measure women's rights campaigners said would help tackle gender inequality in the classroom and stop many girls from dropping out of school.

A legal amendment announced last week seeks to reinforce a 1999 guideline that was patchily implemented, and comes as school closures due to coronavirus raise fears of a rise in sexual abuse and unwanted pregnancies.

Many parents of pregnant girls, or the girls themselves, decide to quit schooling due to the pregnancy, and schools do not always do enough to encourage them to stay, officials say.

"I'm expecting every parent and guardian and everyone else to understand that every child must be assisted by all of us to go to school," Cain Mathema, the education minister in charge of schools, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Monday.

"Every child whether boy or girl... has a right to go to school in Zimbabwe," he said.

In 2018, 12.5% of the country's roughly 57,500 school dropouts stopped attending classes due to pregnancy or marriage reasons - almost all of them girls, according to Education Ministry statistics.

Priscilla Misihairwabwi-Mushonga, an opposition lawmaker who chairs a parliamentary education committee, said making the previous guidelines into a law with possible sanctions would make the rules more effective and address gender disparities.

"In circumstances where the pregnancy was a result of kids of the same age, the boy would not be necessarily expelled from school," she said.

"It was also a double tragedy for the girl... as in most circumstances, it was not a consensual sex but some sort of abuse by some predator older than her. So, she has been traumatised and raped then she is further traumatised by being kicked out of school."

Nyaradzo Mashayamombe, founding director of advocacy group Tag a Life International and leader of a consortium of organizations that pushed for the law, said she feared lockdown measures may have caused a spike in unwanted teen pregnancies.

"We are in a dangerous time where children have been out of school for a long time. Most of them are not even attending radio and television lessons," she said, calling for the government to ensure the new law is enforced.

Pregnancy is just one of the reasons that girls in Zimbabwe could fail to return to classes after coronavirus restrictions are lifted, said Sibusisiwe Ndlovu, communications specialist at Plan International Zimbabwe.

Poverty and early marriage will also stop some from resuming their studies, she said, welcoming the new legislation as a step in the right direction.

"This amendment is crucial in fulfilling the access to education right for all children - especially girls," Ndlovu said.

However, campaigners in the southern African country say girls will still need extra support to continue with their studies even if they keep attending classes while pregnant.

"Social support and financial resources are required for girls to fully utilise this window of opportunity," said Faith Nkala, national director of education nonprofit CAMFED Zimbabwe.

"Especially girls from marginalised families, who will need the additional support to remain in school, and to come back after giving birth."

Thirteen teams of a total of 25 emerging African social entrepreneurs have been selected as winners of the 2020 Resolution Social Venture Challenge. Thirty-eight teams of Mastercard Foundation Scholars gathered virtually to compete in the multi-step competition that identifies promising young leaders with bold ideas for change. Winners of the Resolution Social Venture Challenge are provided seed funding, mentorship, and access to a network of global change-makers. Now in its fifth year, this collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and The Resolution Project provides a pathway to action for socially responsible young leaders who want to make a difference  in their communities.

“Africa’s young leaders are brimming with talent, energy, and a deep desire to solve local challenges that will have a positive impact on their communities. Yet few young people receive the support and tools they need to undertake a project in their community,” explains Ashley Collier, Lead of North American Partner Network with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. “The Social Venture Challenge equips young leaders with the skills and capital they need to ensure their venture is successful, and to maximize their impact.”

In the five years that The Resolution Project has partnered with the Mastercard Foundation, over 100 Mastercard Foundation Scholars have become Resolution Fellows, unlocking $250,000 in micro-grants for social enterprises. These Fellows have implemented social ventures which have positively impacted 17,208 people, including 2,361 women and girls impacted by empowerment initiatives and 770 people benefitting from skills-based training. Additionally, Fellows have hired 132 paid employees and supported 390 people to generate a sustainable income through self-employment.

Winning projects address a wide range of issues Scholars have observed first-hand in their communities and come from across the continent, including Somalia, Ghana, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

What the Winners of the 2020 Social Venture Challenge said:

“Winning the 2020 Resolution Social Venture Challenge (SVC) means resilience to us because we never gave up when our team did not win in 2019,” says Maame Efua Essel, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Cape Coast and a co-founder of Impart Reading. It means hope for the basic school students in the rural areas of Ghana who do not have library facilities

and provides employment to the unemployed. It means one child will get a quality education to become a changemaker one day.  Thanks to the SVC for giving Impart Reading the financial, mentorship, and technical support. Today, Impart Reading is one step towards reducing school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, social vices as well as improving education and youth development in Ghana as a whole."

“Winning the 2020 Resolution Social Venture Challenge means a lot to my team because it’s a validation of our idea and pushes us closer to accomplishing our dream of impacting the lives of refugees,” said Safali Libia, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at Makerere University and a founding member of the A Hand for a Refuge Project. “By becoming a Resolution Fellow, my team will have the opportunity to be funded, mentored, and given access to a network of likeminded people who are passionate about creating change in Africa. Together with The Resolution Project, A Hand for a Refugee will accomplish its vision of creating a brighter future with equal opportunities for our refugee communities.”

“The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program continues to spotlight young African talent and leadership that is ready to ignite the continent with innovation and positive change,” said George M. Tsiatis, CEO & Co-Founder of The Resolution Project.  We are grateful to work with such inspiring individuals and have them as part of Resolution’s community, and we are grateful to the Foundation for its continued support of this collaboration!”

Congratulations to the 2020 Social Venture Challenge Winners:

A Hand for a Refugee: Safali Libia, Kataike Viola, and Kevin Wanai at Makerere University in Uganda

A Hand For a Refugee aims to raise refugee welfare and ensure sustainable support for education among refugee teenagers in the Kyangwali refugee community by providing training for passionfruit farming, a market for the fruit they grow, and financial literacy training along with savings and credit support. 

“The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program continues to spotlight young African talent and leadership that is ready to ignite the continent with innovation and positive change,” said George M. Tsiatis, CEO & Co-Founder of The Resolution Project.  We are grateful to work with such inspiring individuals and have them as part of Resolution’s community, and we are grateful to the Foundation for its continued support of this collaboration!”

Congratulations to the 2020 Social Venture Challenge Winners:

A Hand for a Refugee: Safali Libia, Kataike Viola, and Kevin Wanai at Makerere University in Uganda

A Hand For a Refugee aims to raise refugee welfare and ensure sustainable support for education among refugee teenagers in the Kyangwali refugee community by providing training for passionfruit farming, a market for the fruit they grow, and financial literacy training along with savings and credit support. 

Fona Health Initiative: Samson Idabu at the University of Cape Town in South Africa

Fona Health Initiative is a community education project based in Tanzania that trains vulnerable youth and rural communities about nutritional education and nutritional supplements. It also provides them with the tools and knowledge to produce a pumpkin seed and chickpea supplement.

Holistic Organization: Annelle Kayisire, Crepin Kayisire, and Kevin Kayisire at Wellesley College in the US and the African Leadership University in Mauritius

Holistic Organization is providing out-of-school teen mothers and children from Nyamata in Rwanda’s Eastern province with the intensive vocational, psychological, and social tools they need to be successful.

Impart Reading: Maame Essel and Dorcas Kwofie at University of Cape Coast in Ghana

Impart Reading will provide access to books, both through mobile and brick and mortar libraries, to encourage reading, English comprehension, and to improve literacy in Cape Coast, Ghana.

ISOKOFARM: Kevin Gansa and Lawali Ghislain at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon

Operating out of Kigali, Rwanda, ISOKOFARM is a mobile app startup that allows the exchange of relevant information between farmers and marketers. This platform aims to address the shortcomings of inefficient and unreliable physical markets.

Kibera Canaan Library and Youth Empowerment Centre: Grace Bako and Doris Mwangi at the University of Cape Town in South Africa

Kibera-Caanan Library and Youth Empowerment Centre aims to provide free access to books, mentorship, and technical skills training for youth in Kibera, Kenya to improve literacy and create job opportunities.

Kwabeng Robotics and Mentorship Hub: Ofori Richard and Yamoah Veronica at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana

The Kwabeng Robotics and Mentorship Hub seeks to ignite the desire of students to pursue STEM majors at the tertiary level, slow school dropout rates and improve academic performance.

Laboratory Rats: Miracle Ainembabazi and Ashaba Annah at Makerere University in Uganda

The venture aims to train women in Kamuganguzi sub-county, Kabale district, South Western Uganda to rear laboratory rats, sell them, and earn income. The initiative also seeks to improve the quality of scientific research results.

Project Ignite Her: Lauryn Mwale at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland

Project Ignite Her is a social enterprise designed to close the gender STEM gap. It will be a curated online platform and a community fostering the holistic development of young women on their journey to success. The team will provide advice, support, and mentorship to allow young women to thrive academically and professionally in the field in which black women are deeply underrepresented. 

Small Holder Farmer Innovations: Kondwani Kamsikiri and Godwelll Manda at EARTH University in Costa Rica

Small Holder Farmer Innovations is dedicated to increasing agricultural production amongst the smallholder farmers of Malawi. The venture seeks to introduce, produce, and distribute leading carbon-based organo-mineral fertilizers to minimize production costs and improve soil health.

ABOUT THE MASTERCARD FOUNDATION

The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.  It is one of the largest, private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. The Foundation was created by Mastercard in 2006 as an independent organization with its own Board of Directors and management. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org. Follow the Foundation @MastercardFdn on Twitter (#MCFScholars).

ABOUT THE RESOLUTION PROJECT

The Resolution Project is a unique pathway to action for aspiring young leaders committed to changing the world. Founded in 2007, Resolution identifies, equips, and empowers promising young leaders with the support, skills, and funding they need to make a positive impact today. Resolution discovers young social entrepreneurs through Social Venture Challenges held at undergraduate youth conferences around the world, such as the Youth Assembly at the United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative University, and others. Resolution enables the winners of its competitions to make a positive impact through Resolution Fellowships, which include dynamic, hands-on support, mentorship, and grants to implement their social ventures. Over 520 Resolution Fellows, in 80 countries on all six inhabited continents (including all across the United States) are working on over 320 social ventures in high-impact fields such as water, food, sustainable development, education, energy and the environment, equality and empowerment, health and wellness, and humanitarian relief. Their efforts have benefitted 2.7 million people and counting. Supporting our Fellows are over 500 volunteers, a dedicated staff, and dozens of partners from the public and private sectors. Together, we are building a generation of leaders with a commitment to social responsibility www.resolutionproject.org.

City of Cape Town told to return confiscated materials

The City of Cape Town's Anti-Land Invasion Unit (ALIU) will not be allowed to evict people or demolish their structures, whether occupied or unoccupied, without a court order while the country remains in a state of national disaster.

Judges Shehnaz Meer and Rosheni Allie in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday afternoon granted an interim relief stating that the City must have a court order to evict anyone or demolish a home.

The case was brought by the SA Human Rights Commission following a string of demolitions and evictions by the City of Cape Town in recently-occupied informal settlements. The removal of Bulelani Qolani from his shack by City officers while naked was widely covered in the media. Other respondents listed in the case included the Ministers of Human Settlements, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Police, and SAPS national commissioner.

Judges Meer and Allie also ordered that in cases where a court order is obtained for an eviction or demolition, the City must execute the order in a lawful and respectful manner that "upholds the dignity of the evicted persons". They said the City is "expressly prohibited from using excessive force" and may not destroy or confiscate material belonging to those evicted.

The court has given the City a week to return "all building material and personal possessions" taken by the ALIU since 1 May and ordered that it pay R2,000 to the parties cited by the Economic Freedom Fighters in its submissions to the court.

The City was further interdicted from "considering, adjudicating and awarding" bids and tenders related to demolition services for the ALIU.

The court also instructed SAPS members present at a court-sanctioned demolition or eviction to ensure that the actions are being lawfully executed and to "protect the dignity of the persons evicted".

Costs of the application will be shouldered by the City of Cape Town, except for the costs of the hearing of 25 July.

The City is yet to respond to our request for comment on the ruling today.

In October, hearings will be held to determine whether or not the municipality has the authority to execute demolitions or evictions without a court order after the end of the state of national disaster.

Very few academics or policy makers are talking about the impact of climate change on heritage. Yet heritage is essential for social wellbeing, for identity creation, for safeguarding traditional knowledge and livelihoods and for sustainable development.

The conversations taking place are mainly on the effects of climate change in wealthier countries. One recent study estimates that only 1% of research on the impacts of climate change on heritage is related to Africa. Yet climate change has already resulted in loss and damage to African heritage.

Three of us are contributing authors to the Africa chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change's sixth assessment report. Our research for the report has drawn our attention to the total lack of quantifiable data on the impacts of climate change on heritage in sub-Saharan Africa. So we teamed up with a climate scientist with years of experience working on the continent and set about highlighting the threat of different kinds of climate change and climate variability to heritage in Africa.

Our research is conclusive. Without significant intervention some of Africa's most important heritage will be lost as a result of the direct and indirect impacts of climate change over the coming decades. There is a need for research into the impacts of climate change on different forms of cultural heritage in Africa, and to highlight the possible harmful effects these losses will have on society more generally.

The next ten years will be a critical period in which research agendas can be developed that will have a practical application for the management of African heritage in the face of climate change.

The bad news

Coastal erosion and sea-level rise have damaged African World Heritage Sites. The Roman city of Sabratha on the Libyan coast and the colonial forts along the coastline of Ghana are slipping into the sea. Natural sites are also under threat. Relict Guinean coastal forests have largely disappeared, partly through coastal erosion.

By 2050, Guinea, The Gambia, Nigeria, Togo, Bénin, Congo, Tunisia, Tanzania (including Zanzibar) and the Comoros will all be at significant risk from coastal erosion and sea-level rise.

Villages and towns associated with the historic Swahili Indian Ocean trading networks are all forecast to suffer significant loss from sea-level rise and coastal erosion in the coming decades. These are almost all located on the coasts of Mozambique, mainland Tanzania, Kenya, the Comoro Islands, Zanzibar and Madagascar.

A host of unique heritage locations are built on coral, sand or mud - all at elevations less than 10 metres above sea level. These include Ibo Island in the Quirimbas Archipelago in northern Mozambique, Shanga and Pate islands in Kenya, Pemba and the ruins of Kaole in Tanzania, Mahilaka in Madagascar and Suakin in Sudan. A combination of underlying geology and low elevation make these sites extremely vulnerable to coastal erosion.

In addition, low-lying World Heritage Sites that are densely populated, such as Lamu Old Town and the Stone Town of Zanzibar, are located in regions of Africa predicted to be most severely impacted by shoreline retreat.

Inland of the coast, the World Heritage mud-built town of Djenné, on the Inland Niger Delta, is suffering multiple threats, exacerbated by climate change. Rock art sites in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa are experiencing biodeterioration due to microbial activity arising from increased humidity.

But African heritage is predominantly lived heritage, which presents unique opportunities for heritage conservation.

Why a site like Djenné matters

Take Djenné in Mali, a town composed almost entirely of earthen buildings. Because of its unique vernacular architecture and its iconic mosque, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988. There has been a conspicuous degradation of its mud architecture. The reasons are complex but climate change has definitely worsened the process of loss.

The lowering of the high water stand of the Inland Niger Delta has meant high quality mud has become scarcer. Mud bricks must be sourced further afield at greater cost, which locals simply can't afford. The result is buildings being repaired in cheaper materials such as concrete and fired clay bricks.

Traditional building methods are often perceived as being at odds with modernity and globalisation. But earthen buildings such as those at Djenné emit fewer greenhouse gases, consume less energy and maintain a high level of internal thermal comfort. They are more sustainable against climate change than brick and breeze block construction.

Some hope

Heritage has unseen potential. Traditional custodianship and community engagement will be at the forefront of a sustainable future.

The good news is that five years ago the World Heritage Convention adopted Unesco's World Heritage and Sustainable Development Policy. The policy is built on the principles of human rights, equality and long-term sustainability. It's potentially groundbreaking for African heritage, which has been beset by a colonial legacy of centralised heritage management.

It represents an opportunity for the restoration of traditional custodianship and local community engagement in heritage management. As heritage is reinserted into local lifeways, communities are able to reengage with traditional ways of doing things, which are often much more in tune with the environment. In this, African countries have the opportunity to be at the forefront of sustainable development.

And in our intergovernmental climate report, the Africa chapter has for the first time included heritage in its assessment. It identifies heritage as critical for a sustainable future.

Resetting the research agenda towards a sustainable heritage in the face of climate change will not only enable reengagement with the past, but will help mitigate the impacts of climate change beyond heritage.

Joanne Clarke, Senior lecturer, University of East Anglia; Elizabeth Edna Wangui, Associate professor, Ohio University; Grace W. Ngaruiya, Lecturer, Kenyatta University, and Nick Brooks, Research fellow, University of East Anglia

More and more consumers are turning to organic and plant-based products in the beauty and wellness industry. One Brooklyn-based entrepreneur found a way to use turmeric and other healthy superfoods to make unique latte powders that promise to give consumers beautiful glowing skin. Meet Trinity Mouzon Wofford, the co-founder and CEO of Golde, a wellness company that creates different health and beauty products using turmeric.

“Turmeric is a really fascinating one because the benefits are from head to toe,” said Wofford in an interview with Inscape. “Because it’s so anti-inflammatory, it will target any areas of imbalance. Inflammation isn’t just about joint pain — it has a huge impact on your skin, your digestion, your immunity, and even mental health!”

Wofford uses the superfood to make items ranging from face masks, detox powders, and healthy latte powders. She also offers DIY recipes to help empower consumers to take charge of their self-care regimen, believing the holistic remedies she learned growing up to be vital in her daily health regimen.

“I’ve always been big on wellness and holistic health. I grew up in a crunchy town upstate not far from Vermont,” she said. “I was also raised by a single parent who was dealing with an autoimmune disease: Rheumatoid Arthritis. At one point, my mom switched over to seeing a holistic physician and saw a huge improvement in her symptoms.”

She added, “Making wellness more accessible means tuning into how to make the experience feel good from start to finish — a good price point, great branding, and a delicious product don’t need to be optional just because it’s healthy.”

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Iced turmeric latte at home 💛 Mix 2 tsp Original Turmeric latte blend with 1 oz hot water. Add honey if you like! Pour over ice and top with your fav milk 🥛 @thatcurlytop

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