Roads Are Essential to Rural Agriculture

Last month, I visited a privately-owned farm estate in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The drive time from where I set out to the farm estate should have been around 20 minutes. Unfortunately, it took 45 minutes to get there, thanks to flooded roads and numerous potholes, which covered three-quarters of the trip. The condition of the …

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When Food Is Medicine

The first time I met Josiane at Kigali’s largest public hospital, she burst into tears. A young, skinny orphan with a heart complaint, she had been in and out of hospital for over four years. During that time, she had received no visitors. Looking at her thin frame, I asked if she had eaten that …

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What Should the New Water Ministry Do?

By 2020, 21 Indian cities are expected to reach groundwater levels of zero, which will affect water access for 100 million people. Nearly half of India is already under drought during the summertime, and the current water crisis in Chennai is the latest example of what could soon happen to the country. The new government …

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Cyclone Idai Rages for Women

HARARE, Jun 13 2019 (IPS) – In late March Cyclone Idai carved a path of devastation across Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Malawi.  It was the deadliest cyclone to hit the region in more than a century, others have even referred to it as “Africa’s Hurricane Katrina.” More than 1,000 people were killed. Many more saw their homes, …

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