M-Kopa Brings Solar-Powered TVs to Rural Kenya Several thousand rural Kenyans living off the grid are now welcoming solar-powered televisions into their homes. And if M-Kopa founder and CEO Jesse Moore’s vision of the future comes to pass, several million more people living in rural parts of Africa will be doing the same thing. As…
Nigeria’s powerful soccer team is on the road to Olympic gold as it prepares for a quarterfinal match against Denmark on Saturday afternoon. However, the world-class players may boycott the game to protest their treatment by Nigerian government officials, including not receiving their full allowances for the Olympics Games. Their quest for gold began several…
Refugees have and continue to overcome difficulties that much of the world could not imagine. However, some joy has come to those displaced by tragedy after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) selected ten athletes to comprise the first Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In fact, the Olympics are being broadcast to a refugee…
Pokémon Go is a gaming sensation unlike any other that mobile platforms have experienced in their short history. A few highly popular games come to mind when thinking about this type of pop-culture pastime, such as Clash of Clans and Candy Crush. While these games were completely blown away by Pokémon Go in just the…
When one thinks of an Olympic athlete, it’s common to imagine a tall, slim, and smooth swimmer; a hefty, strong, and muscular boxer; or a flexible, elegant and toned ice skater. That’s why Robel Kiros Habte felt the pressure when Twitter blew up with numerous tweets fat-shaming him for his “dad body” at the Rio…
The Brand New Superfood Sometimes it can take a while to come around to new health trends, especially those labeled as “superfoods.” Many people today are still on the fence about kale, or even cold-pressed juices. However, a possible new trend that comes recommended by scientists makes a kale and wheatgrass smoothie sound like…
Ugandan mothers lag behind other mothers in breastfeeding their children, and UNICEF took note during World Breastfeeding Week 2016. Dr. Jasent Asiimwe, the Health Ministry’s Head of Nutrition, cited statistics that Ugandan newborns benefited from nursing within the first hour after birth only 53 percent of the time–considerably lower than the global target of 80…
Donald Trump continues to defy the very foundation of American politics. First he solicited the country’s biggest adversary, Russia, to hack Clinton’s campaign; then, more recently, he made a backhanded remark implying that “Second Amendment” Americans could take things into their own hands if Hillary were to be elected. At what point do the American…
The U.S. gymnastics team took the spotlight this year as Simone Biles led the group to the gold. Oddsmakers ranked team USA as having a 94% chance to win the gold before they even took to the mats, mostly due to the star of the team, Simone. Nastia Liukin, the 2008 Olympic champion, anticipated the…
The Internet: a New Battleground Against Terrorism Since the Islamic State’s (ISIS) dramatic rise to power in 2014, one of the group’s more disquieting successes has been its ability to use social media as a means of creating and disseminating propaganda, recruiting followers, and inspiring terrorist attacks. Now, more than ever, this is an…
Anti-censorship advocates have begun paying close attention to recent developments in Kenya as the country’s government mulls passing new laws dictating social media use. At first glance, the proposed law sounds quite innocuous as it simply states that people would be banned from using fake names on Facebook and other social media accounts. However, not…
André Alexis, one of Canada’s premier playwrights and novelists, is now recognized for the scope of his bibliography as the winner of the 2017 Windham-Campbell Prize. This coveted American literary prize, known for awarding one of the richest literary prize amounts in the world, recognizes Alexis’ entire body of diverse creative works. Alexis was born in…
It’s not the first time NBA star LeBron James has spoken out about racism. He’s used his platform to talk about the deaths of young black men like Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, voiced respect for Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protests, and commented on racist statements made within the NBA. Now, he’s speaking up…
English artist Damien Hirst is in hot water for cultural appropriation at this year’s Venice Biennale. His exhibit includes a golden head that mimics the work of artists from Ile-Ife, Nigeria. This is particularly remarkable given that this is a hugely important year for Nigeria, with artists representing their country at a national pavilion for the…
