African beauty queens make children with cleft smile

African beauty queens make children with cleft smile

The stigma around cleft lip and palate in East Africa is insane. Some people truly believe that children affected by this congenital deformity are “things” and not human beings. They are disgraced, isolated and in extreme cases even killed. In fact, people don’t even realise that cleft happens naturally and is not an issue of

Military coup in Burkina Faso overthrows the president

Military coup in Burkina Faso overthrows the president

The military in Burkina Faso, which yesterday arrested President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Isaac Zida, has announced the government destitution. The news has been released by the Lieutenant-Colonel Mamadou Bamba who appeared on the national television to declared that a new “National Democratic Council” had put an end “to the deviant regime of transition”. Moreover,

Vayando: ditch the guidebook, leave the beaten path and do as the locals do

Vayando: ditch the guidebook, leave the beaten path and do as the locals do

Travelling isn’t always about following classic guidebook itineraries. It’s also about passing through other people’s realities, discovering new cultures and ways of life, cuisines, fascinating traditions and languages. In the words of Henry Miller:   “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things”. Bringing tourists and locals together The travel

Ethiopia, learning English with Pearl Jam’s songs

Ethiopia, learning English with Pearl Jam’s songs

Music gives hope, music as a universal language. Music has the power of bringing very different cultures together and, in some cases, could be a learning tool. That’s what Matt Westerberg msh have thought. He is a volunteer of the Peace Corps organisation who teaches English in a small village of Tigrai, in Northern Ethiopia through Perl

Safaris support Rwandan communities under the king of the savannah’s watch

Safaris support Rwandan communities under the king of the savannah’s watch

The lions are back in Akagera National Park, a stunning 112,000 hectare park in the East of Rwanda. It is only a matter of time before the number of tourists visiting the reserve increases drastically: to the delight of community freelance guides. Realising that park guides were few in number, Akagera’s management team launched a

The queen of reggae Rita Marley: a living legend

The queen of reggae Rita Marley: a living legend

Alpharita Costancia Anderson – or simply Rita Marley – widow of the reggae prophet Bob Marley, will be assigned the Living Legends Award and African Women of Excellence Awards (AWEA). During a ceremony that will take place in New York on 12 September, the reggae queen will receive this very important award from the United Nations’ Women