We take you to the pearl of East Africa to discover an artistic explosion. Follow us to Kigali, where contemporary painting, driven by passionate artists like Pacifique Niyonsenga, transcends borders.
In the Republic of Congo where access to drinking water remains a challenge for the majority. Daily expeditions of residents equipped with cans, basins and buckets often occur, both in villages and in certain large towns. Faced with this reality, two Congolese engineers, Yannick Mboumba and Landry Ndinga, designed a water generator which transforms ambient air into drinking water.
A young and determined, who has been passionate about culture and art since her childhood in Congo. A multidisciplinary artist, who has been dancing, singing, acting, one performance leading to another, she is also drawing, painting and creating designs. A member of the contemporary art centre Ateliers Sahm in Brazzaville.
🇲🇬 In central Madagascar, in the Itasy region, the tapia trees of the highlands are being felled on a massive scale for firewood and charcoal production. This deforestation is harmful to these thick-barked trees, which are found only in Madagascar and provide a habitat for the landibe, a wild silkworm. If well preserved, the Tapia forest can benefit the local economy. Working with local associations, NGOs are trying to encourage better management to preserve this natural habitat. This participative approach, in coordination with the local community, is leading not only to the conservation of biodiversity but also to an improvement in the quality of life of local residents through the revival of the silk industry.
Cultivated for a long time in the West, strawberries are attracting more and more economic interest from young agricultural entrepreneurs in Africa. Since 2019, Fraisen, a Senegalese start-up, has set itself the mission of creating and supporting an African network of strawberry producers. In Cameroon for example, the production of this red fruit in soilless cultivation is growing, as our journalist Maxime Farrel Bounya found out.
This year, we will see the official establishment of the new African Energy Bank. Its mission: to help the continent take advantage of its rich reserves of 125 billion barrels of oil and more than 60,000 billion cubic feet of gas as Western investments turn away from fossil fuels. Afreximbank, with other financial institutions, will contribute to the seed capital of the new institution which should bring together producing countries, national companies and investors from the continent, as well as international funds.
Augustin Tamba is among those who want to change African cities. A specialist in the strategic management of decentralised local authorities, he has developed coaching, lobbying, business engineering and economic intelligence activities. And after that decided to take the plunge into public life by becoming mayor of Yaoundé 7 in 2013. He has since been appointed head of the Cameroon Association of United Towns and Cities. He is our guest this week.
The continent's demographic expansion is bringing its own share of often dramatic incidents to African cities. Floods and landslides that sweep away homes have become more frequent. Experts believe that the issue of safe and sustainable housing for the continent's cities has become urgent. A recent international conference was held in Cameroon on this subject, a few days after a tragedy in Yaoundé. This is the report from our correspondent Aboubakar Mounchili.
When it comes to energy transition, what will be best for Africa? This is the question that arises in the aftermath of COP 28 in Dubai. Several regions on the continent have already stepped into the era of renewable energies. This is the case of Senegal, one of the countries that would like to become a leader in green energy in sub-Saharan Africa. This ambition involves the extension of solar capacity. Several projects supported by partners such as IFAD have already been carried out for the benefit of rural populations to help them cope with water shortages. Example of the benefits of the solar pump in the south-east of the country with this report.
