Since 1998, the World Bank and its World Economic Forum have been publishing the “Africa Competitiveness Report,” which is released every two years after members of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund meet to issue forecasts for global economic growth. In 2017, the report presents a positive outlook for the Continent, and this…
Representation and inclusivity matter. Playing with dolls, particularly Barbie, is a large part of childhood for many, but the doll and its clothing haven’t been very representative of all people. Barbie has made some strides recently by introducing dolls with different body shapes, different skin tones, and even dolls with disabilities. One Muslim woman from…
Even though Major League Baseball dates back to 1869, the history of this professional sports association continues to be written in 2017. First of all, the Chicago Cubs of the National League are the defending champions after decades of languishing as perennial underdogs; second, in the same National League, a player born in Africa took…
Although most people outside of the country are unaware, South Africa has a long history of receiving populations from China. In fact, the very first groups, comprised of laborers and slaves, were brought over from China to the newly-founded Dutch colony in South Africa during the late 17th century. However, it wasn’t until the 1870s that…
Donald Trump’s campaign for the US presidency contained few specific foreign policy suggestions; Africa was hardly mentioned at all. Since taking office in January, Trump has been heavily embroiled in political scandal, and has had difficulty achieving his major goals as rapidly as he had hoped. Africa has been mentioned very little in these first…
The Community Health Worker (CHW) in South Africa is considered a valuable part of the nation’s healthcare system. They have been employed as a connection to health facilities, the government, non-government organizations (NGOs) and also the homes of citizens, particularly in rural locations. Many citizens of South Africa do not have access to medical care. In…
There have long been warnings that the world may eventually experience a chocolate shortage due to the growing demand in rising economies like China and India. One place where there has long been a shortage of chocolate is in countries where the majority of the cocoa is grown to meet the world’s growing chocolate demands.…
Lucy Gichuhi has recently become the first African elected to the Australian Parliament. Born in Hiriga village in Nyeri County, Kenya, she eventually moved to Nairobi and studied at the University of Nairobi. After working at various accounting firms for a few years, she moved to Australia with her three children and her husband William.…
Lade Araba was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She has lived and studied abroad, doing her undergraduate studies at the Sorbonne, eventually earning an MBA and working for the FAO and UNECA, promoting intra-African trade in the agribusiness sector. But her passion has always been to support African women. Receiving the Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship, among other…
Many fans wait with anticipation and excitement for months before hearing their favorite artist perform. For fans of Ariana Grande in England on Monday evening, that excitement quickly turned to horror. At the end of Grande’s Manchester Arena performance, an explosion caused by a suicide bomber left 22 dead and more than 50 others injured;…
For those who work in the digital realm, Kigali, Rwanda is the place to be next February. The city will be hosting the 2018 Africa Tech Summit Kigali, bringing together leaders in the tech industry for networking and business collaboration opportunities. Over fifty speakers are expected to present at the summit, tackling topics such as digital…
Jennifer Lopez has been unlucky in love…but has she finally found ‘the one’? Many think that current bae, former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez, might be the one she has been waiting for all these years. One piece of evidence that their fairytale romance might be meant to be? They each have one of the…
In the wake of the Halloween terror attack in New York City, the President of the United States has publicly expressed that he would like to terminate the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. His rationale is that Sayfullo Saipov, the prime suspect in the attack, entered the country through a visa granted by the program. As…
If there is a celebrity who is equally inspirational as he is controversial, it’s Akon. Aliaume Damala Badara Akon Thiam, famously known as Akon, was born in 1973 to Senegalese immigrants Kine Thiam and Mor Thiam in St. Louis, Missouri. After his birth, his family relocated to Senegal where they lived until he was seven.…
