Nairobi In a homestead in Shamiloli village, Shinyalu Constituency in Kakamega County of Kenya, I am warmly welcomed by a middle-aged woman who is inspecting some beehives. From her smile, it was evident she was anticipating our interaction. She left her working station to welcome me into her homestead. Mrs Agnes Milimu is one of…
Taking matters into their own hands. Women in Rushinga are involved in water harvesting. Photo/ Mary Mundeya/ African Women in Media (AWiM) Harare Rushinga is one of the many areas in Zimbabwe that have for years been experiencing the wrath of climate change. Water is a scarce commodity here, women in most villages travel…
Egyptian women have embarked on urban agriculture. Photo/ Dina El Maraghy/AWiM Cairo In a changing world ravaged by climate change, providing food remains the largest burden for governments across the world. This difficult equation is further complicated by the emergence of other developments, perhaps the most prominent of which is the outbreak of the Covid-19…
Women bear the brunt of plastic pollution in rivers Nairobi Where do you take your plastic water bottle after drinking the water? Do you keep it in your bag or do you toss it by the roadside? In the wake of climate change, Kenya has been getting flash floods during the rains and when…
Halinishi Yusuf rescues thirsty households in Kenya’s Makueni County. Photo/Susan Mwenesi/AWiM Nairobi When Jonah Kyalo looks at what used to be River Kwekuyu, a sad feeling engulfs him, as it’s a far cry from what used to be a flourishing and bubbling river snaking its way through Makueni County. The river has since turned into…
Flood victims in Chikwawa District pondering their next move. PHOTO/ BRITTA MPATA/AWiM Lilongwe The months of November and December mark the beginning of the rainy season in Malawi, when people venture into farming activities, considering the fact that three-quarters of the population survives on subsistence farming. This year, the country is fraught with worry and…
Beth Waithira (2nd left with a head turban) who has embarked on planting bamboo along drying rivers. Photo/ Milliam MurigiNairobi Growing up, Beth Waithira Mburu Kibinda, 41, used to watch her grandmother get water from a natural spring a few metres away from their homestead. Unfortunately, because of people cutting down trees without replanting, the…
Harare Hop step and wade in foot deep in the slimy liquid is the norm for Mai Tineyi and fellow residents. Raw sewage that ironically used to be a common sight on the streets has made itself a permanent resident in the homes of this satellite town. The slow dripping sound of the precious liquid…
Harare Shupikai Chitauro from Guruve South Ward 10 smiles as she looks at a year old 4,500 gum tree plantation she and her Focus 2 Group planted, but sadness suddenly takes over as she recalls what they have been through as she implores gender equality to land access. Ms Chitauro laments how the group struggled…
Lilongwe Amid beliefs that the tree is spiritual, and cannot be replanted by humans, women of Malawi’s two districts are courageous to restore the Mulanje Cedar tree which is found only in this country and on this mountain It is the rainy season in Malawi. Most women are busy plucking abundant local leafy vegetables to…
The shift to cleaner cooking fuel The Covid-19 pandemic presented a lot of challenges to Kenyans from all walks of life. The lockdowns and the movement restrictions saw incomes dip in many families, forcing many women to turn away from cleaner cooking energy like LPG Gas to environmentally unfriendly fuels like wood, charcoal, and kerosene….
Blantyre The voices of minibus conductors rent the air as they rhythmically shout out the prices and destinations to townships surrounding Limbe Market. While some run towards the men and women laden with plastic bags others simply call out to their prospective customers to jump on a bus promising them a ride that will…
