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Tunisian Women Become Active in Political Life

This snapshot of female power politics may be rare elsewhere Arab world, but not in post-revolution Tunisia. Sunday’s vote will be a key test of whether women can consolidate these advances. Several factors however, including less stringent parity rules for the legislature and potentially low female turnout, make this election more challenging. Women clinched nearly half the local council seats in last year’s municipal vote. Even without the equal ranking rule, they make up one-third of Tunisia’s current parliament, compared to just 20 percent in the United States and well above their North African counterparts, according to World Bank statistics.

SOURCE: VOA

The Odds are Against Kenya's Betting Industry

Over 2,500 people who depend directly on Kenya’s betting industry will be jobless in the coming days after two of the most prominent sports betting firms in the country have announced their exit. The firms – SportPesa and Betin – have halted their operations in the eastern African nation after a longstanding tax dispute with the government. Both companies are said to control more than 60 percent of the market share in Kenya. The betting companies blamed their exit on the government’s decision to impose heavy taxes on the industry which, according to them, made the business no longer viable. Recent reports show that the Kenyan legislature recently imposed a 20 percent excise tax on all betting stakes, much to the displeasure of SportPesa.

SOURCE: VENTURES AFRICA

Dangote and Gates' Friendship over the Years

Bill Gates describes the scenario when he met Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote at an event in New York. "As soon as we shook hands, it was clear we had a tonne in common. We were both super interested in global health. So we made sure to sit next to each other at dinner," Bill Gates wrote on his social media pages. That first meeting sparked the beginning of a fruitful friendship that led them to start a business in the 1970s. "We chose to start foundations aimed at improving health and education. We formed the Dangote Foundation," Bill Gates said. Gates in 2000 founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. He said they both love to geek out over things that make some people’s eyes glaze over, like cement, fertilizer, and iodized salt. In 2016, their foundations announced a joint, five-year $100 million commitment to reducing malnutrition in Nigeria.

SOURCE: THE STAR

An 18th Century Ethiopian Crown will Finally be Returned Home

The relic was hidden in a Dutch flat for 21 years until Ethiopian Sirak Asfaw, who fled to the Netherlands in the late 1970s, discovered the crown in the suitcase of a visitor and realised it was stolen. The management consultant has protected it until he felt safe to send it back. "Finally it is the right time to bring back the crown to its owners - and the owners of the crown are all Ethiopians," he told the BBC. The crown is thought to be one of just 20 in existence. It has depictions of Jesus Christ, God and the Holy Spirit, as well as Jesus' disciples, and was likely gifted to a church by the powerful warlord Welde Sellase hundreds of years ago. It is currently being stored at a high security facility until it can be safely returned.

SOURCE: BBC

The Sussexes Draw Inspiration from Africans’ Generosity and Resilience

Prince Harry said that Africa’s embrace had helped him cope with the death of his mother, Princess Diana, as he and his wife Meghan championed job creation and entrepreneurship on the continent on the final day of their 10-day tour. “Ever since I came to this continent as a young boy, trying to cope with something I can never possibly describe, Africa has held me in an embrace that I will never forget, and I feel incredibly fortunate for that... I always feel - wherever I am on this continent - that the community around me provides a life that is enriching, and is rooted in the simplest things - connection, connections with others and the natural environment."
 
SOURCE: REUTERS AFRICA

Can Africa's Largest Fund Save Face?

The image of Africa’s biggest fund manager has been damaged by allegations of misconduct and breaches of corporate governance and the institution must now strive to preserve what’s left of its reputation, its interim chairman Reuel Khoza said. The Public Investment Corporation, which oversees $139 billion of mainly South African government worker pensions, has been the subject of a commission of inquiry. That’s involved months of public testimony into allegations of political interference and questionable investment decisions. The board is an interim one as the commission is scheduled to make recommendations on how the money manager is run by the end of this month.

SOURCE: BLOOMBERG

A Kenyan Village Terrorised by Snakes

In the village of Simotwo, everyone knows someone who's been bitten by a snake. The semi-arid environment of Simotwo and most parts of Baringo County are favourable habitats for a number of snake species. Despite the local government's efforts, barriers to solving the snakebite problem include poor road networks, the lack of public health education and absence of anti-venom in rural health facilities.  Kabartonjo sub-district hospital is rated level four by Kenya's Ministry of Health, meaning it is better equipped than the pharmacies in and near Simotwo. Despite promises from local officials, Simotwo residents said they had not yet received training in how to deal with the snakes.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

10 Reasons Why Africa is a Source for Top Tech Talent

Technology is fast growing in Africa and so is tech talent. The continent is experiencing transformative impact as a result of technology. From rural Ghana where low income earners are able to buy insurance policies through their mobile phones to the streets of Nairobi, Kenya, where residents are able to send and receive money through their mobile phones, technology has become the order of the day in the continent. Whenever a list of successful tech startups in the world is mentioned, you never miss two or three that have their roots in Africa.  The continent prides itself in having numerous successful tech startups that have endured the test of time. Today, some have been in operation for more than 10 years, providing solutions to some of our most pressing socio-economic and communications problems. They also thrive by having a pan-African scope in service delivery. These startups include Ushahidi founded in Kenya, Instabug in Egypt, RoamSmart in Tunisia, Skyrove in South Africa, Njorku in Cameroon, Bonglive in Tanzania, among many others.

SOURCE: AFRICA.COM

Nigeria's Geeks Stand Up to the Police

The tech community in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is fighting back against what its leaders say is alleged police harassment and extortion of tech workers. The campaign, titled #StopRobbingUs, was launched in September after Akinmolayan Oluwatoni, a software developer tweeted about being harassed by officers of the state's Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Lagos, the country's commercial hub. Tech company founders in Nigeria have used crowdfunding to raise up to $38,300 to finance lawsuits as well as support existing initiatives fighting police brutality. 

SOURCE: CNN

Young Tanzanians Tackle Stereotypes

Used to fear, abandonment, even attack, a group of young people in a remote rural community are learning that photography can tell their stories and give them a place in society. The Umoja Photographers are a group of young Tanzanians, with and without albinism, who have become passionate photographers. For the past three years, they’ve been taking part in a summer workshop run by Standing Voice facilitator Yohana Tumaini and a London-based photographer, Brian Benson. Here, Hajira Sadru (left, with Tumaini at this summer’s workshop), a 28-year-old mother, focuses on framing. Like many with albinism, she grew up being taunted as “ zeru, zeru” – “ghost” – and told she was incapable of achieving anything.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN