Many people picture Africa as desert, safaris and trash-filled cities. Of 54 nations and vibrant urban scenes? Not so much. Why do we think we know places we’ve never visited? Left to right: A Tunisian oasis (Kaji from Kajicom); A camel in the Sahara (Nato...
What makes normalisation powerful is its invisibility. When something is everywhere, it stops feeling like a choice and starts feeling like a cultural norm. A young man holds up his hand to say no. (Photo by Monstera Production/Pexels) This article was produced out of...
South Sudan is rich in oil and poor in everything else. Still waiting for the country to fulfill its promise of independence, its people find creative ways to cope. Women sell their goods at an open market in Nzara, South Sudan on 15 February 2025. (AP Photo/Brian...
When war broke out in Sudan, schools and universities across the country shut down causing an educational crisis that affected some 19 million children. Sudanese students, who mostly came to Egypt after the war in Sudan, line up to sing the national anthem in front of...
We absorb ideas the way we absorb language, not through argument but through immersion, until the position becomes indistinguishable from thought itself. A woman holds an Ethiopian flag at a ceremony to remember soldiers who died. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 3 November...
Parents love it when a kid reads books. Playing video games, not so much. What if the latter could be a career? Would the approval flip? A teen playing video games. (Photo by Kevin Malik/Pexels) This article, by student, Shadrach Massaquoi, was produced out of News...
Society places value on being social. When we choose to bow out, people wonder what’s wrong. But sometimes healthy “me time” means: Just me. Two teens make fun of one who sits alone. (Illustration by News Decoder) This article, by student, Mahara...
Society often puts people into one of two categories: Intelligent and worthy of attention, or stupid and ignored. But who sets the standards we must live up to? A teen works out a mathematical formula. (Illustration by News Decoder) This article, by student,...
Children are often told: pipe down, keep quiet, shhh! But just maybe they have things to say that are worth hearing. A young man puts his finger to his lips. (Photo by Konstantin Postumitenko, Prostock-studio) This article, by student Ngesihle Dlamini, was produced...
We are faced with a world full of disaster and suffering but feel powerless. The result? We stop caring. Hands grasped in empathy. (Photo by Prostock-studio) This article by student Hamza Mohamed Ramadan Zahran was produced out of News Decoder’s school partnership...