Some surprising facts about FGM, in new UNICEF study
UNICEF today released a thorough report on female genital mutilation/cutting, which includes deep dives into data sets, methodology and social theory — there’s a…
Read MoreAfrican Great Lakes
From the first days back in Rwanda
For you image-lovers, here’s a few photographs from my first few days back in the Great Lakes… One of the reasons I went…
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Boss me around in Africa!
I’ve just landed back in Rwanda, which loyal readers who’ve forgiven years of mostly silence on this blog will recall as my favorite place…
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No Small Mercy
Together, a survivor and the man who cut off her hand tell the story of Rwanda’s genocide. (2009) Read the PDF (clicking will initiate…
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Happy International Women’s Day!
I wish I was in Bukavu today, where I’ve met so many strong, amazing women fighting against not only the horrors (rape) we often…
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A preliminary PEPFAR roundup (and come add your ideas)
On Wednesday, the Congressionally-mandated evaluation of PEPFAR — the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief — was released. It’s nearly 700 pages long, and I haven’t but skimmed its…
Read MoreARVs made easy in Uganda?
Here’s something that piqued my interest: Yesterday, Ugandan drug manufacturer Quality Chemicals announced that it’s going to manufacture a single pill to replace the…
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Gauging Poverty From Africa to Appalachia
New York — When New Yorkers find out I grew up in West Virginia, they often ask if I’ve read “The Glass Castle.” Jeannette…
Read MoreGood News from Africa
Not that kind. Not the Gospel, and not heartwarming features about an NGO or a noble American doing good and fixing Africa. I mean…
Read MoreRegarding more than the pain of others
I have a new essay with the Boston Review, about suffering, compassion and foreign journalism (and other narratives) of Africa. I hope you’ll read…
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