Episodes
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Akili travel is travel agency based in Comoros with a pan-African out look. The agency is leveraging on technology and it's extensive knowledge in hospitality and marketing to come up with a website that enables hoteliers to list their facilities and for customers to easily book a hotel of their choice before visiting a destination.
COVID-19 Pandemic made Akili travel founders to think of how they will work as a team by harnessing their vast experiences in marketing, hospitality and Information technology. The online product they have developed has made it easier for customers to book a hotel of their choice and hoteliers have a chance of listing their facilities on the Akili travel website.
Akili travel supports community based initiatives with part of the proceeds they receive in order to ensure their is inclusive growth of the host community and the hotels they are working with
Africa needs home grown solutions to address it's challenges and Akili travel is leading the way.
For more information:
visit : www.akilitravel.com
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +26933688553 -
VIFA QUEENS is a duo of Faith and Victoria from Dandora phase two. The two young ladies with the help of their mum who is an environmental activist are actively involved in advocating for decommissioning of Dandora dumpsite and construction of drainage channels in informal sectors.
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Mazingira Yetu (Our environment) song by Larry and Shamir is highlights how pollution is killing Rivers and the aquatic life inside them. The song warns that if we do nothing then we shall have alot of explaining to the future generations of inaction to protect our Rivers, Lakes and Oceans.
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Usikate miti (Do nut cut trees) song by Brenda and Sharon highlights the value of trees like their ecological value of providing oxygen, improving air quality, control climate by moderating the effects of the sun, rain and wind and supporting wildlife. Trees also provide us medicine like the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) leaves are used to treat malaria.
Kenya's current tree cover is 7.6% against the recommended 10%. Indiscriminate cutting of trees and lack of a tree planting culture is hampering Kenya's quest of attaining 10% cover as envisioned. It's advisable for two trees to be planted for each cut down, the youth should embrace tree growing as a way of life and counties should take a lead role in ensuring that their counties attain a 10% forest cover to complement the National government's efforts.
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Ndovu (Elephant) song by Samchizi looks at how Elephants share so much with humans. Example are the strong maternal instincts, complex societies, mourning their dead, display of empathy, long memories, playful nature and self awareness. Such behaviors should draw us humans close to them and oppose any activities that would result to their killing for sport or for their tusks.
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Kifaru twakupenda (we love our Rhinos) by Sam chizi is a song that appreciates the social-ecological value of rhinos and the dangers it faces inform of poaching. The Black and White Rhinos are the two species found in Africa. Most of the continents Rhino species are found in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Rhinos are important grazers which help shape the African landscape and they do attract tourists. Poaching remains the greatest threat facing Rhinos due to an insatiable demand for their horns in Asia.
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Binwei ,wuzhong is Mandarin for endangered heritage. The song was by Judy, Samchizi and Stitches in Mandarin, Kiswahili and English. Wildlife species such as Rhinos, Hirola and Elephants are endangered due to an increased level of poaching for their horns, tusks and meat. The same is with plant species such as Sandal wood that are being lost as a result of illegal logging. The world needs to work together in ensuring that we don't loose our precious flora and fauna out of greed for money but be mindful of the future generation who will want to live with this animal and plants
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Mazingira na afya (Health and Environment) is a song done by Samchizi and Shaffie. The song describes how a clean environment translates to good health. According to UNICEF, Kenya has the third largest number of people in Africa who drink directly from contaminated surface water surfaces and an estimated 5 million Kenyans practice open defecation. The situation is worse in urban slums where the number of toilets are countable forcing people to openly defecate or use rivers as their toilets
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Planet earth is song done by Lukwago from Uganda, Vincent Shema from Rwanda, Samchizi, Brenda and Stitches from Kenya. The song celebrates the cultural diversity of East Africa as a unifying factor.
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Simba mjasiri or Brave Lion Song by Samchizi and Stitches brings out an element about Lions that's rarely communicated out there. Lions are Brave, loving and caring to their cubs and members of their pride. The New Lion Economy, unlocking the value of lions and their landscapes, Equilibrium Research report indicates that landscapes supporting lions, ''Lionscapes'', provide more ecosystem services, the benefits that humans receive from healthy ecosystems than the average in Africa.
Lions in Africa are facing a myriad of challenges like decline in their habitat range due to urbanization and agriculture, human wildlife conflict resulting to poisoning and a reduction in the number of prey.
Protection of Lion rangers from rapid urbanization and agriculture is important in safe guarding their existence, tourism should benefit the communities living with Lions to reduce the hostility around them and education to the younger generation should be emphasized to help them understand the social-cultural value of Lions to their communities.
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Ndege (Birds) song by Waridi and Brenda.
Africa has recorded 2,355 species of birds of birds making it a bird watching paradise to the bird watching enthusiasts and tourists. The birds in Africa occur everywhere from Lake Assal which is 156M below sea level to mt Kilimanjaro at 5,900M above sea level. Birds in Africa play an important social-cultural role through proverbs, riddles, stories and songs. Birds like the Blue swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea) have been used by communities in western Kenya to predict the weather. Ecologically, birds play an important role as an indicator of the health of the environment because of their responsive to environmental changes
In spite of the value they have to Africa and it's people, birds continue to face a number of threats namely:
-Hunting and trapping
-Habitat destruction
-Poisoning
-Climate change and severe weather
-Illegal birds trade
The onus is on each one of us to ensure birds habitats are protected, develop an interest in bird watching and lobby our respective national and local Governments do develop and enforce policies geared towards protecting birds habitats also encourage young people to develop interest in birding as a career either in tourism, sciences or the arts like Brenda and Waridi
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Water is life song was done by Eglah and Stitches. 40% of Kenya's population have no access to clean drinking water and that's translates to 20 million people out of a total population of 50 million people. Without clean drinking water then cases of water borne diseases like typhoid and dysentery will continue to rise due to consuming of contaminated water. This calls for the National and County Governments to invest more resources to ensure there's easy access to clean and affordable drinking water both in the urban and rural areas.
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Spirit of a hero song was sung by Ranger Matep, Brenda and Samchizi. The song appreciates the the sacrifices that wildlife rangers and other individuals go through in order to safe guard our fragile ecosystem from destruction as a result of many factors like poaching, illegal cutting of trees, ignorance on the value of the ecosystem and disasters like fires. Each one of us can become a hero or heroine if we are a ready to go the extra mile in championing our cause for the sake of humanity, flora and fauna.
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This song was done by an artist called Stitches and it was inspired by siafu which is swahili for ants. Ants are very industrious, organized and they teach us team work. In a journal of Biomechanics, researchers reported that the neck joint of a common American field ant can with stand pressures upto 5,000 times the ant's weight. This and many other attributes should give us a reason to protect their habitats from being destroyed.
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Gerima Mustafa walked for 644KM from Kampala to Nairobi in 19 days to raise awareness of the challenges facing the Shea nut tree (Butryospemum parkii) in Northern Uganda. The trees are currently being sold for only 1 USD to be burnt into charcoal hence driving the tree into an eminent extinction in spite of its many benefits.
Shea nut tree nuts when added value can produce vegetable oil, the high allantoic content in the butter makes a useful base for pharmaceutical prepaeations, the butter is used to make soap, lotions, sunscreen among many other products.
Gerima has shown the world that trees too need a voice and each one of us can do something to address the various environmental challenges facing the world today.
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Small Axe Environmental Youth Group along Gatharaini River in Githurai in Kiambu County is engaged in cleaning and restoring River Gatharaini through River Gatharaini Water users association and in the process they have been able to create a beautiful garden along River Gatharaini next to the Thika Super highway. The Green garden that Small Axe Environmental Youth group have created is the only green space in Githurai Estate.
This efforts needs to be supported along the whole River Basin by ensuring the riparian zone are restored, pollution is addressed and everyone is involved towards in clean up and restoration in a quest of supporting Small Axe Environmental Youth Group
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Mr. Patrick kibe aka Mr. Dudu is a self taught artist who is using recyclable waste like used plastic and glass bottles yo make beautiful art forms. Tucked on the edge of Nairobi National park in Tuala trading centre (Kajiado East) mr dudu's workshop is full of use glass bottles and various artistic pieces that would make one not want to leave the workshop.
Mr Dudu works with a team of two and creates beautiful and functional art pieces like wind chimes, bird feeders, drinking glasses and model insects. Mr. Dudu's initiative has been able to rid Tuala trading centre all the used glass and plastic bottles and has created a green job that has actualized circular economy fundamentals of REUSE, RESTORE AND RECYCLE.
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Mr Patrick Kibe aka Mr. Dudu is a young man from Tuala in Kajiado East who is using recyclable waste like discarded glass bottles and cans to make beautiful art pieces like wind chimes, bird feeders, insects etc. His initiative has been able to clear all used glass bottles in Tuala and he has been able to create his own green job with a team of two other partners.
Mr. Kibe initiative is teaching us that we do not have waste but recyclable materials that can be used to create art and in the long run help address pollution and create jobs.
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Nairobi City County generates approximately 3000 tonnes of solid waste a day and only half of it is collected for disposal. A novel initiative has been started in Dandora phase 4 by Dandora Hiphop city called TAKA BANK. Taka bank involves people returning recyclable waste at designate locations and earn points and in return that can be redeemed to get house hold electronics and food. DANDORA WALCY from Dandora Phase 4 are the pioneer beneficiaries who are spear heading TAKA BANK collection initiative.
Dandora WALCY have popularized the initiative that it is very difficult to get recyclable waste products being carelessly disposed in Dandora phase 4 since it's all brought to TAKA BANK for proper disposal
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Food insecurity in the urban areas is becoming serious and requires urgent intervention. Urban areas, especially the slums have high populations. In Nairobi alone, over 60% of the city’s population (5% of Kenya’s total population) lives in the slums - About 2 million people. Most of these people rely on low-wage casual labour to survive, and as such they rely on food bought from markets to feed their families.
Mwengenye Lifestyle CBO in Njiiru was formed in 2018. The organization is composed of young men and women who are changing the food insecurity narrative in an urban set up through developing an innovative urban garden that can be adopted at house hold level. The custom made gardens can support a family with fresh vegetables and spices hence ensuring a reliable and healthy food.
Mwengenye Lifestyle CBO can be reached via twitter @MLCBO1
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