The shores of Lake Victoria, where fishermen once docked after a smooth sail in the deep waters, are no longer accessible. Water hyacinth, a fast-spreading invasive plant, floats on the water’s surface, trapping unhygienically dumped plastic waste. Fishermen are spending…
At barely 12 years old, Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki began experiencing breathing difficulties and was later diagnosed with bronchitis, an inflammation of the airways (bronchial tubes) that causes mucus buildup, wheezing, and a persistent cough. According to doctors, Kariuki’s illness was…
In Kapkok, deep in Embobut forest, which forms part of the Cherangani Hills Forest Reserves, is the home of the Sengwer community, also known as the Cherangany, an indigenous community in Kenya. Apart from the Elgeyo Marakwet County, the Sengwer…
Kibera, Kenya – In the busy streets of Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi, lies a gigantic structure, “Hawkers market”. Inside, a small action-packed shop dealing with animal bones is noticeable. Daniel Owino, a local resident, has been in this…
There is a constant production of waste in cities, just as our lungs produce breath. In places like Ho, Ghana’s Volta Regional capital, where urbanization is rapidly expanding, the critical question is not whether waste exists, but what can be…
Waste management in Kibera, Nairobi’s largest informal settlement, has been a concern. Poor infrastructure and high population density form part of the hindrances to ending the waste menace. Research estimates that Kibera generates approximately 205 metric tonnes of waste daily,…
For generations, water scarcity shaped the history of a Kenyan community residing in South Sakwa, Awendo, Migori County. It dates back to the pre-colonial period when the Luo community, alongside the Oyani Maasai, were involved in a scramble for water…
The Nairobi River originates from a wetland complex, specifically the Ondiri Swamp, which historically served as a vital, clean-water lifeline (“Enkare Nairobi” or “place of cool waters”) for the Maasai and Kikuyu communities. Its basin consists of several main…
For a long time, limited furniture supply has negated learning in Ghana. Learners in countless public schools sit on bare floors, kneel on concrete, or lean over broken desks to write. It is a dire situation that was confirmed by…
On a regular Saturday morning at Lapaz, a small community in Accra, Ghana’s capital, an elderly man stood among a group of other middle-aged men over a gutter, filled with plastic waste and mud. He worked passionately, taking his time…