I recently returned to Kenya to see China’s hand in Africa’s economic development. But does China have the continent’s best interests at heart? A brand-new Chinese-backed cargo train heads from Mombasa to Nairobi, Kenya, 30 May 2017 (AP Photo/Khalil...
After genocide, Rwanda needed a judicial system that fit the violence committed. I discovered a unique court system fostered reconciliation. This is the mother of Olive, one of the Komera scholars now about to finish university. I took this photo during a visit to her...
Female genital mutilation persists in many countries. While efforts to curb the rite are progressing worldwide, the practice has gained ground in the U.S. A six-year-old girl screams in pain while being cut in Somalia, 17 June 1996 (AP Photo/Jean-Marc Bouju) The...
By Ben Barber Algeria is boiling over as millions march to end six decades of military and strongman rule. But how will it end? The protests ousted longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, but street protests continue, ignited by opposition to the military naming...
Mother Africa, tell me, why so much suffering? Dry your tears, for your children will assert themselves and affirm your diversity. South Africans listen to President Cyril Ramaphosa during an election rally in Johannesburg, South Africa, 11 April 2019 (EPA-EFE/Kim...
The African man is in an impossible situation. He is neither the man before colonialism nor a true Westerner. He is lost in a chasm between two worlds. Hawkers sell patriotic merchandise ahead of Ghana’s 50th anniversary of independence, 2 March 2007. Ghana was the...
The EU is partnering with African countries like Niger to stop migration flows. One unintended consequence? Wiping out local livelihoods. Migrants sit on top of a truck about to leave Agadez, Niger, 27 April 2015 (Ali Abdou/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images) Every...
By Simon Meretab Ethiopia and its neighbor Eritrea share an ancient history and a very young population. The median age is 18 years old in each country, compared with 36 in the United States and 42 in the European Union. The youthful faces are the first things that...
By Adnan Shafi Last October, I had the privilege of interviewing Nigerian entrepreneur Sim Shagaya, who according to Forbes magazine is one of the most influential men in Africa. Shagaya is the founder and former chief executive officer of one of West Africa’s...
My family’s helper told me “being single” is her greatest challenge. She showed me an incredible Kenyan welfare group that supports single women. When I asked Dorine, the helper who lives with my family, about her greatest challenges, she quickly...