By Eric Opa Doue with New Narratives ITI, River Cess – The horizon is gray and murky here and in neighboring Glanyah, two communities battered by the wrath of nature. Mohammed Keita, sits on an old sponge mattress gifted him by a neighbor, in the ruins of his former home that was destroyed by flooding…
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Experts Say Helmet Regulation Has Helped Reduce Death and Injury Among Motorcyclists, But More Enforcement Needed
By Fatu Kamara with New Narratives SINKOR, Monrovia – Amos Kollie sits sadly in front of his house here on a recent sunny morning. Amos once spent his days plying the city’s streets on his motorcycle. But since a serious accident in 2022 the 29-year-old has no job prospects and depends on handouts from his parents…
Rural Maternal Health Providers, Already Battling Funding Shortfalls, Say USAID Cuts Will Kill More Mothers and Babies
By Nukanah Kollie with New Narratives PALALA, Bong County — There is joy, excitement, smiles and relief for Tetee Suah as she plays with her newborn daughter, just a day old, in the maternal waiting room of the Palala Clinic in Bong County. At 43, Suah is at an age where pregnancy and childbirth can…
Liberia’s New Abortion Law Among Most Liberal in Africa, Faces Hurdle in Senate
Liberia’s new public health law, which was passed by the House of Representatives in 2022, is currently being debated in a special session by the Senate where it is facing a barrage of opposition from abortion opponents. A provision in the bill, which contains a range of other public health elements, would make abortion legal up to 18 weeks of pregnancy as long as it is done by a doctor, the most liberal in Africa….
Pollution Sickens Residents Near Industrial Zones; In Weija They’re Fighting Back
WEIJA, Accra – For close to a year, Evans Antwi had been feeling unwell. His breathing was labored, and he couldn’t sleep. He often felt a tightening in his chest, and he suffered persistent headaches. Unsure what was happening to him, Evans managed his symptoms with over-the-counter medication. That was until he started coughing out blood. The…
A New Technology Promises to Change Shea Butter Processing
Tamale (N/R): Lamnatu Seidu works six days a week in this shea butter processing centre here in Sagnarigu District. The 52-year-old mother of five is shrouded in smoke as she roasts nuts in a traditional roaster fueled by firewood and shea cake. She coughs and wipes her red eyes every few minutes. The smoke makes…
Clean Cookstoves Offer Benefits But Many Fishmongers Cannot Afford Them
Smoking fish has long been a dangerous job for the women and children who labor over toxic smoke. Many develop blindness, asthma and other illnesses preparing the food that we rely on. But traditional smoking can also harm us. Smoking adds pollutants to the fish that can impact our health. Currently, health experts are calling…
Air Pollution in Slums Sickening Children; Harming Brain Development- Experts
Agbogbloshie (G/A) April 25, GNA- Baby Hawa peers sleepily from the lappa strapping her to her mother’s back. Her mother, Mariama Issahaque, fries yams that she sells to residents and workers here. One-year-old Hawa looks sickly. Her faint cry is broken up by a weak cough. Mucus drips from her nose. The smoke from Mariama’s…
South Africa Makes Big Improvements in Public Transport. Can Ghana do the Same?
Here in one of Africa’s biggest cities commuters have all the same needs as they do across the continent. But compared to other bustling cities, including Ghana’s capital, Accra, commuters here have a major advantage: modern public transport. Among the taxis, cars and motorbikes that ply this city’s roads are a fleet of sleek buses…
Highway Construction Health Hazard: Accra Residents Appeal for Dust Relief
The Ofankor-Pokuase-Nsawam highway has become a dust-choked battleground, leaving residents and workers grappling with air pollution. The stretch spans more than thirty kilometres and ferries thousands of commuters daily. After enduring years of a road plagued with potholes, this road rehabilitation has become a new inconvenience for the community. Stephen Agyekum, a resident, expresses his…
Asokwa Residents Fear Retribution For Reporting Air Pollution
Asokwa Municipality, Ashanti Region – A culture of silence has descended on this industrial area of the Ashanti Region, as residents and health workers say they fear complaining about air pollution that is impacting their health, will lead to repercussions by the government and the institutions they work with. Residents say the air pollution from a…
New Narratives Supports Gambian Newsrooms to Cover Milestone Swiss Trial of Jammeh Enforcer
New Narratives is pleased to to support the reporting of leading Gambian journalist Mustapha K. Darboe of the trial of Ousman Sonko, a former lieutenant of Gambia’s dictator president Yahya Jammeh, in Bellinzona, Switzerland….
Tema Residents Battle For Clean Air In One Of The Most Polluted Cities In Ghana
At 55, Richard Acquah’s lungs are damaged from long exposure to dust, factory smoke and vehicular fumes from his lifetime profession as a taxi cab driver at Tema Community One taxi station. Doctors have advised him to change jobs if he wants to live….
Ghana Takes Steps to Reduce Methane Pollution in Agriculture, Waste Management
Ghana is working to reduce methane pollution in agriculture and waste management. This is in line with the country’s mitigation actions of its climate plan to ensure air quality and public health, unlock carbon finance and create jobs. This is being done through Alternative Wet and Drying (AWD) strategy – a rice farming technology that…
Fish Smoking Endangering Lives of Many Ghanaian Children
Noami Mansah Anim was just six years old when she died. The little girl had battled asthma for years, her tiny body wracked by the struggle to get air into her lungs. On a cold dawn morning in 2019 she finally succumbed. Her mother Abena Anim is still overwhelmed with grief. “Anytime Naomi got an…
Call for Applications: Journalism Fellowships, Liberia
Journalists with at least three years experience are invited to apply to join New Narratives as reporting fellows on a range of topics including governance, democracy, human trafficking, gender-based violence, climate change, pollution, biodiversity and land rights. Funding is provided by Swedish International Development Assistance, the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund and the American Jewish World Service….
Job Alert: Deputy Editor in Chief
**POST FILLED. WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS***Location: Monrovia, Liberia New Narratives is seeking an experienced independent journalist to lead our journalism projects in Africa. Must be a strong team leader who can mentor our dedicated team of journalists to the highest standards of journalism. Time: Full Time (40 hours a week) Remuneration: $24,000 – $36,000…
Job Alert: PT Editorial Consultant, Liberia
Job Description Job Title: PT Editorial Consultant Job Location: Monrovia, Liberia Time: 2-3 days a week over four months Remuneration: competitive New Narratives seeks a highly experienced editor to support and mentor our Liberia team in journalism production and project management skills. Deadline: January 31, 2024. To Apply: Send CV, cover letter and links to…
Air Pollution: the Growing Threat to Our Food Supply
Though it has not received much attention until now, air pollution has become a huge challenge around the globe, with significant implications for human life. The last few years have been hard on Saeed Jafat and his family. The 45-year-old maize farmer has no irrigation system or underground water supply. He depends entirely on the once-a-year rainy…
Air pollution kills 28,000 Ghanaians Each Year and Sickens Many More, Say Experts
At first it wasn’t clear to the family members what had killed their beloved father. Dr Ato Atobrah, a retired lecturer, had been taking a nap in his bedroom. Several hours later they found his lifeless body. Footage from a closed-circuit television revealed the killer. The 70-year-old had awoken when smoke poured into his room…
Plastic Waste to Increase Air Pollution
Plastic waste is projected to rise to 116m tonnes annually by 2060, six times more than the 18m tonnes of waste produced in 2019. The main driver of rising plastic consumption in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70 per cent of the population is under 30, is rising income and population growth. Plastic waste is also projected to almost…