World’s first 3D-printed school planned for Madagascar
The school is a pilot project and, looking to the future, Thinking Huts hopes to expand the idea to provide more schools elsewhere in Madagascar, and even throughout in the world.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa spans dozens of countries south of the Sahara, each with distinct challenges and achievements. This archive collects milestones in health, education, conservation, and economic opportunity from across the region — reported with context and care.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala makes history as first woman and first African to lead the WTO
Okonjo-Iweala said she was “honoured” to be selected to lead the organization, and vowed to take on global economic and health challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Zero rhinos poached in Kenya in 2020
2020 was remarkable year for rhino protection in Kenya where not one single rhino lost its horn or lost its life last year—a feat not achieved since 1999.
Dutch court orders Shell Oil to pay for harm done to Nigerian farmers
Royal Dutch Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary must pay punitive restitution to Nigerian villages for oil spill contamination that brought death, illness, and destruction to Nigerian farmers and communities.
Africa’s Great Green Wall effort gets $14 billion cash injection
The Great Green Wall project seeks to restore a massive strip of desert stretching 5,000 miles from the Atlantic to the Red Sea by planting trees and grasslands.
Subscriptions to satellite alerts linked to decreased deforestation in Africa
Deforestation dropped 18% in two years in African countries where organizations subscribed to receive warnings from a new satellite service.
Algorithm helps find world’s poorest people to send them cash directly
GiveDirectly and UC Berkeley designed an algorithm that uses AI to identify the poorest individuals in the poorest areas in order to provide them with cash relief.
Tristan da Cunha establishes a massive marine protected area
The government of Tristan da Cunha, a four-island archipelago of about 250 people, has announced that it will be protecting approximately 700,000 square kilometers of its waters, creating the world’s fourth-largest Marine Protected Area.
Zimbabwe bans coal mining in all national parks
The new policy reverses an earlier decision to allow two firms to drill and survey for coal in the world-renowned Hwange National Park, home to more than 40,000 elephants and a population of endangered black rhino, as well as leopard and painted dog conservation programs.
Sudan ends 30 years of Islamic law by separating religion and state
“For Sudan to become a democratic country where the rights of all citizens are enshrined, the constitution should be based on the principle of ‘separation of religion and state,’ in the absence of which the right to self-determination must be respected,” the document states.