Africa Calling

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you stories from the African continent, including a report from Anglophone Cameroon as some students return to classrooms after four years. We speak to a Zimbabwean investigative journalist on the sidelines of the Africa-France summit on how gold could pay for healthcare, and the state of corruption in the health sector. And in Ghana, one female agripreneur provides home-grown fruit and vegetables and provides Ghanaian farmers a living wage.

For this week’s podcast, Cameroon correspondent Batata Boris Karloff speaks with Hanna Entonde Mbua, South West region educational delegate, Eposi Mbua, a student who dropped out of school, and Tilarius Atiah, political analyst at the University of Buea.

We speak to investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker Hopewell Chin'ono on the sidelines of the Africa-France Summit in Montpellier to find out the latest on the state of healthcare in Zimbabwe.

Ghana correspondent Pearl Akanya Ofori speaks to Catherine Krobo Edusei, CEO and founder of Eden Tree, one of the country's biggest fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers; Samuel Annor, a farmer in Asutsuare, and Akosua Konadu Yiadom, a certified nutritionist.

Music in this episode is "The Sahel Song", a one-of-a-kind collaboration of Vieux Farka Touré (Mali), Amadou and Mariam (Mali), Oumy Gueye (Senegal), Tal National (Niger), Songhoy Blues (Mali) and Bassekou Kouyate (Mali). The song, written by the artists, brings attention to the crisis in the Sahel, while highlighting the region’s rich musical heritage, as selected by music maven Alison Hird.

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Africa Calling is produced by Radio France Internationale. Editor and host, Laura-Angela Bagnetto, sound editing by Cecile Pompeani.

Follow us on Twitter: @Africa__Calling

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you stories from the African continent, including a report from Cameroon and Collywood, its up-and-coming film industry. We take a closer look at Kalemie, a fishing town on Lake Tanganyika in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and the challenges the fishing industry there faces. And in Kenya, our correspondent goes to the border of Uganda to find out about how one small change in newborn care can make a big difference in lowering infant mortality.

For this week’s podcast, Cameroon correspondent Cynthia Ngwemoh speaks with Agbor Gilbert Ebot,a renowned Cameroonian film producer; actor Epule Jeffrey, one of Anglophone Cameroon’s leading men, and Pierre Junior Ebollo, manager of Eden Cinema in Douala.

Along the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Kalemie, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, we spoke with fishermen Shaggy, Simon and Jean-Michel, as well as Emmanuel Mwenziro, president of COPEMU, a fishing cooperative, and Simon Gatchi, president of fishing cooperative COPAKAMO. Guy Boungubetshi, fisheries expert and consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization spoke to us about the challenges for the people of Kalemie, while we spoke to Merveille Fataki, a fish seller at the port.

Kenya correspondent Victor Moturi went to Busia and spoke to mothers Beatrice Akuku, Jackline Cherotich and Judith Amoit, regarding umbilical cord care. He also interviewed Magrate Nabwire Makokha, one few remaining midwives in this village of Bulandi, and Roselyne Anyango Makokha, nursing officer at Teso North Sub county Hospital. Tezra Okal, a community health volunteer in the larger Bunandi village, spoke about the newborn care situation in western Kenya, as well as David Githinji, medical project officer at Save the Children charity.

Music in this episode is the quitely powerful "Bakunda Ulu" from Congolese artists Jupiter and Okwess, as selected by music maven Alison Hird.

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn or your favourite podcast app.

Africa Calling is produced by Radio France Internationale. Editor and host, Laura-Angela Bagnetto, sound editing by Nicolas Doreau and Erwan Rome.

Follow us on Twitter: @Africa__Calling

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you stories from our correspondents on the African continent this week, including a report from the Gambia after a political announcement sent shockwaves through ordinary Gambians who lived under dictatorship. There is also a look at how a group of former miners in Malawi is still fighting to get their wages from work they did in South Africa - more than 30 years ago.

For this week’s podcast, Gambia correspondent Sally Jeng speaks with Baba Hydara, whose veteran journalist father Deyda Hydara was assassinated in 2004 by members of ex-president Yahya Jammeh’s hit squad The Jungulars, as well as Sait Matty Jaw, pundit and political science lecturer at the University of The Gambia. She also interviews Gambia's Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) spokesman Essa Jallow.

Elsewhere, Malawi correspondent Benson Kunchezera speaks to John Mizati, chairman of the Chisomo former mine workers, George Phiri, a political science lecturer at the University of Livingstonia in Ekwendeni, Malawi's Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), vice chairperson Hendreson Mhango, and Odeta Donasiyano, widow of an ex-miner.

Music in this episode is the melodic "Nyalezela" from South African singer-songwriter Zahara's new album Nqaba Yam.

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn or your favourite podcast app.

Africa Calling is produced by Radio France Internationale. Editor and host, Laura-Angela Bagnetto, sound editing by Nicolas Doreau.

Follow us on Twitter: @Africa__Calling

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you feature reports from our correspondents on the African continent. From atop Mt. Mulanje, Malawi, a group led by a jazz musician is calling on Malawians to protect the mountain's flora and fauna. Kenya's pastoralists are being encouraged to sign up for national healthcare by exchanging a goat for medical care. In Cameroon, we take a look at the water crisis in Buea, the anglophone South-West region.

This week’s podcast went to the top of Mount Mulanje in Malawi, as correspondent Charles Pensulo speaks to people trekking to the top to call attention to deforestation, including Afro Jazz musician Lawi, and Kondwani Chamwala, communications officer for Mulanje Conservation Trust (MMCT). 

He also speaks to hike participants Michael Usi, minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture, as well as Wasili Chibalaka and Zipporah Kaunda.

Roving Kenya correspondent Victor Moturi speaks to pastoralists in Kajiado county, including Simon Saidemo,Thomas Kapei, and Namunyaka Noladi. He also chats with village elder in Ngong sub-county Alamin Kayeiya Tianda, as well as Samson Saigilu, the county director of health services.

Batata Boris Karloff, correspondent in Cameroon's South-West region, gets the details on how the water crisis in Buea is affecting university student Josiene Konyuy, Frankline, a water seller, and hairdresser Emerencia Fosuh.  He also speaks to MP Malomba Esembe, representing Buea urban constituency in Cameroon's parliament.

Music in this episode is lovely Kenyan songstress Nadia Mukami, singing 'Kolo' and featuring rapper Otile Brown.

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn or your favourite podcast app.

Africa Calling is produced by Radio France Internationale. Editor and host, Laura-Angela Bagnetto, sound editing by Erwan Rome and Nicolas Doreau.

Follow us on Twitter: @Africa__Calling

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you our African Olympians special from our correspondents on the African continent. From Gambia, we hear about top sprinter Gina Bass and her struggle to get to this year's Tokyo Olympic Games. In Malawi, we take a look at judoka Harriet Boniface and her quest for a medal; and from Benin, Olympic rower Privel Hinkati speaks about the upward battle to make it to the Games and have Beninese recognize rowing as a sport.

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you feature reports from our correspondents on the African continent. From Cameroon, we hear how government demolitions near Douala's airport have left residents homeless. In Uganda, we take a look at how the country is trying to juggle the third wave of Covid-19, as healthcare professionals struggle to help the afflicted.

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you feature reports from our correspondents on the African continent. From South Sudan, we take a look at frustrated farmers returning to Yei, who are still having a hard time trying to farm due to insecurity. In Ghana, one entrepreneur has found a novel way to combat plastic waste. And we speak to the head judge of Africa’s most prestigious literary award—the AKO Caine Prize.

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you feature reports from our correspondents on the African continent. This week, we take a look at Malawian inventors and innovators, and in rural western Kenya, tea farmers are finally benefiting from a new government initiative with higher pay.

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you feature reports from our correspondents on the African continent. From Kenya, we take a look at how new fathers are battling tradition to help their wives care for premature babies. In Malawi, artisans are frustrated with the Buy Malawi scheme to help boost sales. And in one rural forest community in Liberia, people are finally getting modern homes-- while others suspect a hidden motive.

This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you feature reports from our correspondents on the African continent. From Kenya, we take a look at how young people in Nairobi are coping with  treatments for sickle cell anemia during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Gambia,  a majority Muslim country just celebrated Eid, but the government put out a message during Ramadan that has angered some women. And one robot startup in the Democratic Republic of Congo is bringing digital skills to children in Lubumbashi.