tagged w/ Malawi
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William Kamkwamba, a Malawian high school student and inventor, talks to Jon Stewart about how he built a windmill by looking at pictures in a book.William Kamkwamba, a Malawian high school student and inventor, talks to Jon Stewart... more
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(CNN) -- William Kamkwamba dreamed of powering his village with the only resource that was freely available to him.
His native Malawi had gone through one of its worst droughts seven years ago, killing thousands. His family and others were surviving on one meal a day. The red soil in his Masitala hometown was parched, leaving his father, a farmer, without any income.
But amid all the shortages, one thing was still abundant. Wind.
"I wanted to do something to help and change things," he said. "Then I said to myself, 'If they can make electricity out of wind, I can try, too.'"
Kamkwamba was kicked out of school when he couldn't pay $80 in school fees, and he spent his days at the library, where a book with photographs of windmills caught his eye.
Armed with the book, the then-14-year-old taught himself to build windmills. He scoured through junkyards for items, including bicycle parts, plastic pipes, tractor fans and car batteries. For the tower, he collected wood from blue-gum trees.
That was 2002. Now, he has five windmills, the tallest at 37 feet. He built one at an area school that he used to teach classes on windmill-building.
The windmills generate electricity and pump water in his hometown, north of the capital, Lilongwe. Neighbors regularly trek across the dusty footpaths to his house to charge their cellphones. Others stop by to listen to Malawian reggae music blaring from a radio.
Kamkwamba, now 22, is a student at the African Leadership Academy, an elite South African school for young leaders. Donors pay for his education.
Former Associated Press correspondent Bryan Mealer, who covered Africa, wrote a book, "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," after hearing Kamkwamba's story. The book was released in the United States last week.
Kamkwamba is part of a generation of Africans who are not waiting for their governments or aid groups to come to their rescue, according to the author.(CNN) -- William Kamkwamba dreamed of powering his village with the only resource that... more
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The end result of Radioclit & Esau Mwamwaya's collaboration, including the BEST MIA - Paper Planes remix I have heard. Even with a language barrier, this album is full of great songs and is well worth listening to.The end result of Radioclit & Esau Mwamwaya's collaboration, including the... more
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In the film, the gay fashionista adopts a black baby from Africa – a clear reference to Madge’s adoption of Malawaian David Banda – to use as a fashion accessory.
Has Baron Cohen gone too far, or do you support Madonna in her adoption of baby David?In the film, the gay fashionista adopts a black baby from Africa – a clear... more
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3 years ago
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Madonna has kicked and screamed and stamped her feet enough to convince three judges in Malawi that allowing her to adopt Mercy James would be the best course of action. For the child, of course, not for them to get some peace and quiet. While nothing is official yet, the signs are looking good and confirmation is imminent.Madonna has kicked and screamed and stamped her feet enough to convince three judges... more
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LILONGWE, Malawi - A judge has rejected Madonna's request to adopt a second child from Malawi because of a requirement that prospective parents live in the southern African nation for at least 18 months, a judge and a lawyer said Friday.
The judge who confirmed the decision did not make the ruling, but saw it. The lawyer was present when the ruling was made. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.
The 50-year-old pop superstar can appeal the ruling to Malawi's Supreme Court.
The residency rule was waived in 2006, when Madonna was allowed to take her adopted son, David, to London before his adoption was finalized in 2008.
It was not clear why Judge Esme Chombo ruled differently Friday. Another judge had handled Madonna's previous adoption case. Madonna was not in court on Friday.
Madonna's efforts to adopt 3-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James had drawn criticism from some activists who said the little girl would be best off with relatives. In court papers made public Friday, Madonna said Chifundo's grandmother was unable to care for her.
Madonna had promised to make Mercy a permanent part of her family and spare her the "hardship and emotional trauma" of life as an orphan.
The girl's mother, according to the affidavit, died at age 14 just days after her baby was born Jan. 22, 2006. There was no mention of the father in the affidavit. The mother's brother is listed as having consented to the adoption.LILONGWE, Malawi - A judge has rejected Madonna's request to adopt a second child... more
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A judge has rejected Madonna's request to adopt a second child from Malawi because of a requirement that prospective parents live in the southern African nation for at least 18 months, a judge and a lawyer said Friday.A judge has rejected Madonna's request to adopt a second child from Malawi... more
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Malawi's government supports U.S. pop singer Madonna's bid to adopt a second child from the southern African country, the information minister said on Thursday, a position likely to anger rights groups.
Malawi's High Court is expected to rule on Friday whether she should be granted an interim adoption of a four-year-old girl, Mercy James.Malawi's government supports U.S. pop singer Madonna's bid to adopt a second... more
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Abidjan, Ivory Coast — At least 22 people died and another 132 injured before the start of the “Ivory Coast’s African Nations World Cup qualifier with Malawi” football match after part of a wall in the stadium hosting 50,000 fans fall down generating panic.Abidjan, Ivory Coast — At least 22 people died and another 132 injured before... more
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Chinkhota, Malawi — US singer Madonna, 50, went to the impoverished African country to take his second adopted child, 4-year-old Mercy James.Chinkhota, Malawi — US singer Madonna, 50, went to the impoverished African... more
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Madonna with children Lourdes, Rocco and David Banda
Madonna also has two biological children, Lourdes and Rocco
Pop star Madonna has been urged by Save the Children to reconsider her apparent plans to adopt another Malawian child.
Malawian officials have indicated she will arrive in the African country this weekend in an attempt to adopt an orphan called Mercy James.
The UK-based charity said ideally orphans should be cared for by their extended family or community and taking them abroad was "not a solution".
Madonna took then 13-month-old David Banda to the UK from Malawi in 2006Madonna with children Lourdes, Rocco and David Banda
Madonna also has two biological... more
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Xenophobic attacks in South Africa displaced 150,000 people and killed more than 60 in 2008. This year, as the country heads to the polls, researchers say local politicians may be capitalizing on the hate and fear that fuelled the attacks - this time to win votes.Xenophobic attacks in South Africa displaced 150,000 people and killed more than 60 in... more
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Malawi is facing an acute shortage of medical personnel, the Medecins Sans Frontieres conference report revealed. It said tremendous progress has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS but there is still limited access to Anti-retroviral therapy (ART).
The report indicated many persons living with HIV have been left out in the free ART programmes due to shortage of doctors at health facilities. It observed that the current staffing levels of health workers in Malawi remains far below the recommended World Health Organization (WHO) medium level standards to ensure reasonable level of care. It noted that it is so low as compared to other African countries.
While the situation has reached an alarming state as the country is loosing most of its skilled heath staff to the West, the Malawi government has since 2004 implemented an Emergency Human Resources Plan (EHRP) to meet the health sector demands that have come with the scale up of ART.
"We are coming to the end of the honeymoon period with ART scale up, and can not continue to focus so strongly on initiation alone. Lets see ART as a marathon, not just a spirit, for the health sector as well as the patient," said Matt Boxshall of the Lighthouse which offers ART services in Malawi.
While it is forecasted that with over one million people living with HIV, the need for ART would increase the health sector in Malawi continues to face a critical Human Resource shortfall with the 2004 Ministry of Health report describing it as 'dangerously close to collapse'.
"The ART programme is an enormous national commitment and within the sector we have to make well considered choices, where to put most resources," said Timothy Gilbo head of the World Bank delegation to Malawi.
Malawi’s national HIV and AIDS action plan calls for universal access; 385,000 patients to be initiated on ART and 262,000 to be alive by 2012. However these targets do not cover all people in need as there is currently a treatment deficit of 69 percent and as the ART programme progresses the country is expected to face more challenges, mostly coming in from human resource problems.
"We realize that the cost will continue to go up significantly. HR is a sort of mortgage payment, therefore requiring long term commitment," Dr Austin Derby of the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in Malawi said.Malawi is facing an acute shortage of medical personnel, the Medecins Sans Frontieres... more
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Grassroots AIDS organisations in Malawi are facing uncertainty as the National AIDS Commission (NAC) ends its dependence on international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for dispersing grants. The responsibility for channelling funds to more than 3,000 AIDS organisations working to alleviate the impacts of HIV and AIDS in Malawi has now shifted to local government authorities known as district assemblies.
Grassroots AIDS organisations in Malawi are facing uncertainty as the National AIDS... more
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Mc Anthony Ajabu is seven years old and one of 159,111 Malawians the government has put on ARV treatment since 2004. After his mother died from an AIDS-related disease in 2005, he was taken in by his grandfather, Roben Nangwandu, 53, a widower who works as a security guard in the capital, Lilongwe.
Mc Anthony Ajabu is seven years old and one of 159,111 Malawians the government has... more
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Pop singer Madonna has presented I Am Because We Are, her documentary about Malawi orphans, at the Traverse City film festival in northern Michigan.
The musician turned film producer was met at the screening by director and fellow Michigan native, Michael Moore. Madonna, who was born in Bay City in 1958, said it was "great bringing my movie to a place that I feel familiar".
"There's something poetic about coming back to the place where I used to come for holidays," she continued. Madonna was accompanied by her 11-year-old daughter, Lourdes, and the film's director, Nathan Rissman. Her husband, British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, was not present.
'Generous spirit'
Moore, who co-founded the film festival in 2005, said Madonna had "such an incredible heart and such a generous spirit".
"She does so much out of the glare of the lights to make the world a better place," the Bowling for Columbine director continued. The singer returned the compliment, saying she needed people like Moore in her life. "There aren't a lot of role models for us in the world," she said.
She also said the event in Traverse City was better than the Cannes Film Festival, "where nobody's speaking English". Pop singer Madonna has presented I Am Because We Are, her documentary about Malawi... more
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