Sarine Arslanian
Contributor
Bonfils Ngabonziza is one of Rwanda’s most talented young contemporary artists. After finishing high school he realised that his true passion lay in the arts and decided to teach himself to become a painter first, then a muralist. Inspired by children and women, he uses art to portray his inner feelings, spreading peaceful, loving and
In the slums of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi nearly all fresh products are sold in little kiosks run by women vendors known as “Mama Mbogas”, of which there are over 80,000 in this city alone. Mathare, for example, is the second biggest slum in the city, housing over 500,000 people. As the
10 talented and ambitious women living in the village of Cyeza, in Rwanda’s Muhanga district, formed a cooperative in 2006. They wanted to develop their artistic specialty, weaving with sisal fibres, and make a living out of it. Each woman has her own story to tell, but they all share one thing: the determination to
“Poverty is not something that is just in the developing world, it is all around the world”, said Rose Broome, co-founder and CEO of HandUp, at the 2015 New Cities Summit in Jakarta, the leading global event on urban development organised by the New Cities Foundation. The fact that poverty exists everywhere might
Recent estimates show that 50% of the Indonesian population lives below $2 a day and 18% below $1 a day. On average, 1.6% of income is spent on health and almost 60% of Indonesians remain without health coverage. Indonesia is also the second most important plastic garbage generator in the world. On average,
Haute baso was established in February 2014 when the two young, ambitious and talented Rwandan fashion designers, Candy Basomingera and Linda Mukangoga, merged their respective brands because “two heads are better than one”. Believing in the idea that their passion for fashion can be used as a vehicle for positive change, they work towards advancing
Like other expanding megalopolises Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital and most populous city, faces tremendous challenges. High population growth, increasing house prices and land scarcity have reduced the availability of affordable housing. This has forced millions into living in informal settlements, commonly known as slums. Many of these are located along the Ciliwung River, one of Jakarta’s
