Thursday, January 29, 2015
Turning the World Downside Up
Zambia
SMS for Healthy, AIDS-Free Babies
In rural Zambia and Malawi, new mums face long delays finding out if they have passed HIV on to their babies.
OPINION: People with Disabilities Must Be Counted in the Fight Against HIV
Jane is a young Zambian mother with a physical disability in Lusaka, who uses a wheelchair to get around. She does not let clinics without ramps or without wheelchair accessible toilets and equipment stop her from claiming her right to health care, including HIV prevention services.
Rare Zambian Tree Faces Exploitation Because of Legal Loophole
Steven Nyambose used to sell charcoal for a living until he discovered that the trees could be more lucrative in another way - through cutting them down and selling the logs to international buyers.
Zambia’s Cash Transfer Schemes Cushion Needy Against Climate Shocks
“Last season, I lost an entire hectare of groundnuts because of a prolonged drought. Groundnuts are my hope for income,” says Josephine Chaaba, 60, from Pemba district in southern Zambia.
One More Pill to Take: Pregnancy, Malaria and HIV
Zambian Martha Nalishupe is torn between taking one more pill with her daily regimen of antiretrovirals, or run the risk of a miscarriage.
Defying Elders and Changing Zambian Tradition
David Mubita has long been known in the family as a fool for starting trouble. The latest was getting circumcised secretly and nearly cast out by Grandfather Ndumwa. But Mubita may turn out to be the wisest in the family.
Conflict on DRC, Zambia Border Threatens Regional Trade
Truck driver Alfred Ndlovu transports cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) mineral rich Katanga Province to South Africa twice a month. He has been doing this for the last five years but now he is considering giving it up because he fears for his life every time he crosses the border.
The Virtual Doctor Will See You Now
There are thousands of miles between Chanyanya Rural Health Clinic, a basic medical centre in Zambia's rural Kafue District with no resident doctors despite being the main centre for nearly 12,000 people, and the New York University (NYU) Teaching Hospital, one of the world's most prestigious medical schools.Waiting for the Rains, Zambia Grapples With Climate Change
It is seven in the morning and Georgina Musende, 56, of Kamanga Township, which just lies east of the Zambian capital Lusaka, is already sweating as she digs into the dry earth. Every time the hoe hits the ground, the dust engulfs her.
Food Security Can Come in Tiny, Wiggly Packages
It is known as the land of copper to the outside world, but there’s another c-word that does a roaring trade in Zambia, albeit locally - caterpillars.
Throwing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway a Lifeline
Some say it's the journey, not the destination that matters. Hop aboard the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) line at Tanzania's Dar es Salaam port and begin the 1,860-kilometre journey to Kapiri Mposhi, a small town in Zambia's Central Province, and you may find yourself pondering this adage.
Zambezi River Authority Working to Avoid Kariba Mistakes at Batoka
Tens of thousands of people were forcibly moved from their homes to make way for the Kariba Dam almost 60 years ago. A new Hydroelectric Scheme is being proposed at Batoka upstream from Kariba and the Zambezi River Authority is working to ensure that the lives of those in the vicinity are not overly disrupted.
Electricity for All but Those the Kariba Dam Displaced
Indigenous people who were displaced from the Zambezi Valley almost six decades ago for the construction of the Kariba Dam say they have not benefited from the development they made way for.
Opening of Kariba Dam Floodgates Not Welcomed by All
Almost every rainy season the floodgates of Kariba Dam have to be opened to relieve pressure on the dam wall. But despite warnings not to live or farm on the river banks of the Zambezi River downstream of the dam, some people do so anyway and end up losing their crops.
Constant Checks Necessary to Maintain Integrity of Kariba Dam Wall
Lake Kariba is one of the world largest artificial lakes. The wall that holds the water in the resevoir was built between 1955 and 1959. Since then it has remained a work in progress. Each working day a team of experts checks the integrity of the dam wall to ensure it does not collapse under the weight of the water it holds back.Next Page »
