Development and humanitarian organisations need to better understand the cultural beliefs that damage maternal and child health "A pregnant woman should not eat cow. The child will be fat," said one respondent during research carried out on nutritional taboos among the Fulla people in the Upper River region of the Gambia. In comparison to the rest of western Africa, WHO classifies the Gambia's...
$50m grants scheme will support delivery of reproductive health services in Uganda, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Nicaragua Grassroots organisations are to share in a multi-million dollar project to improve family planning and reproductive health services for women and girls in Africa and Latin America. Groups in Uganda, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Nicaragua will be able to apply for advocacy grants as part...
Raelian cult announces opening of clitoral repair hospital in Burkina Faso, but critics question group's motives and effects of surgery On a blisteringly hot afternoon this month, an unusual gathering took place in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso in the west African country of Burkina Faso. Shaded by red and green striped canopies, a couple of hundred people stood in reverential silence around a laptop....
French troops have been welcomed in Bamako and beyond but should not under-estimate the sophistication of the Islamists Phew, Mali. French air raids against Islamist positions began on Thursday night, and the dust hasn't settled yet. The news is changing fast, but, three things emerge from the haze. First, fierce fighting in the north and the east, with French forces in the lead, will open up a whole...
Rebels' clampdown on live performances, from Amadou and Mariam to Tinariwen, is driving music underground Nowhere does music have a greater social and political importance than in the vast desert state of Mali. It is shocking, therefore, that it has been banned across much of the two-thirds of Mali currently controlled by Islamic rebel groups. As "Manny" Ansar, the director of the country's...
Relief agencies fear conflict between French troops and Islamist militants could halt aid to displaced Malians in dangerous areas Relief agencies are bracing themselves for an influx of refugees to neighbouring countries as the conflict in Mali escalates following the arrival of French troops . ...
s performance. And like the World Bank , the UN is worried about the risks associated with a possible bumpy exit from quantitative easing programmes by the US Federal Reserve that have pumped money into the global economy. "Our forecast is made in the context of many uncertainties and risks coming from possible missteps as well as non-economic factors that could stymie growth," Shamshad Akhtar, UN...
When are we going home?'," recalls her father, Abdoulaye Nombo, who first arrived in Italy 11 years ago. "They meant 'to Treviso'." Yasmina, though, travelled to Africa under a Burkinabe passport and is not, despite her birthplace and the stable situation of her parents, eligible for Italian citizenship. What's more, under the strict laws currently in place, she will not be until she is 18. "On the...
s style, she announced the appointment herself . A new prime minister forms a new cabinet. It was thought that Touré would have the cabinet by the end of the week. She had it by Monday evening . That's how Mimi Touré, as she is called, works. Touré is known as the Iron Lady . Every woman who rises to a certain level of government becomes an Iron Lady in the press. The men are, well, just guys. Whichever...
s not that simple Improving girls' access to education has been on the mainstream development agenda for some time, largely because of the poverty reduction potential that education offers through increasing access to economic opportunity. The long-term positive effects of education for the individual, family and wider society have also been recognised. As a study by the International Center for Research...
Trish Lorenz visits textile designers at work in Burkina Faso ...
s monochrome palette. These elegant, geometric fabrics will be turned into cushions and sold through Habitat in the UK this September. Prints from, and inspired by, Africa are big design news. Having appeared on catwalks for a few seasons, courtesy of the likes of Kenzo and Matthew Williamson , they are now in evidence in our homes: shots of colour and pattern that lift plain sofas, armchairs and beds....
Afrique est bien partie) makes clear; an emphasis on the rise of the "African middle class", portrayed as the cornerstone of the "African economic revolution", whose origins are to be found in "diversifying and emancipating economies", enabling "endogenous growth" that is free of the "dependency on raw materials exports" because it is "driven by consumption". Such a nice Cinderella story! Who would...
s good harvest in Sahel not enough to alleviate deep-rooted poverty, as millions more face hunger this year Aid agencies are gearing up for a second year of emergency response in the Sahel where an estimated 10.3 million people could be affected by food shortages, according to the UN (pdf). Despite rains in 2012 leading to a good harvest in October-November, deficits incurred during last year's food...
s two main exports are natural resources and weapons. Africa has plenty of former and plenty of demand for latter At the start of April, the UN general assembly overwhelmingly approved a new arms trade treaty . The treaty had been nearly 20 years in the making and seeks to regulate the $70bn international trade in conventional arms. Despite the recalcitrance of North Korea, Iran and Syria – the only...
t even say hello, they don't ask but they just take things," said Hamidou Tamboura from Djibo, near the site of the refugees. "They are hot blooded, and when their animals come on your land you cannot chase them away, as they receive protection from international organisations. We share the same vegetation and the water resources, but they get extra support." Nomadic tribes have crossed the porous...
s cinemas are packed as 20 of over 100 films being screened compete for the Etalon d'Or • Watch clips from our pick of the films below Ouagadougou isn't the first place that comes to mind when one considers the glitzy world of movies, yet Burkina Faso's capital has hosted the pan-African film festival Fespaco for more than 40 years and showcases some of the best talent on the continent. Every two years,...
Nic Bothma, who has worked in more than 60 countries in the past 15 years, is EPA's chief photographer for west Africa. Here, he covers the Pan-African film and television festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso ...
m running on less than two hours of sleep, and for good reason. Scratch that, FOR GREAT REASON. Thirteen years of sorrow, hurt and pain were wiped out in an instant a few hours ago as I watched Joseph Yobo lift that golden goblet over his head to proclaim Nigeria the number one football side on the African continent. UP EAGLES!!! Okay, let's get serious. I don't know what to write. Should this be a...
s time again in Soweto today? We leave the serious predictions to the professionals. Check out the latest from BBC reporter Peter Okwoche (we love him) who staged a pre-final prediction match between a bunch of kids. The video is cute, but we're suspicious that Team Nigeria seemed to get all the bigger kids. Where was the Sowetan Burkinabés version of Dagano? Anyway, the game ends with an assured 3-1...