THE MONITOR: Breaking barriers for women with hearing impairment - NOVEMBER 2024

On 11th November, 2023 Mawazo Fellow Munira Gimono published an opinion piece based on her work on Ugandan women with hearing impairments in The Monitor, a Ugandan newspaper. Munira's research prioritises the importance of making sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) accessible to all women, including those with hearing impairments. Munira suggests a number of practical solutions in addressing the challenges of accessibility, including training healthcare workers in Sign Language and reviewing and amending existing policy.

THE STANDARD: Low-cost biodiesel can help to tackle climate change, pollution - October 2024

On Friday the 11th of October 2024, The Standard, a Kenyan based newspaper ran a digital opinion piece by 2023 Mawazo Fellow, Johra Said Ali.
The piece is centered on the importance of her work in lowering the cost of production of biodiesel by using waste cooking oil. Johra highlights the extent to which burning fossil fuels has contributed to the pollution of our environment and its effects.  Her intervention however minimizes this as bio-fuels can produce CO2 in amounts absorbed by plants in their life cycles. Additionally, in using waste cooking oil, she is centering a more accessible source of fuel for the continent.

THE GUARDIAN NIGERIA: Need for radical reform in legal framework resolving environmental disputes in Niger Delta - September 2024 

On the 25th September, the Guardian Nigeria published an Opinion piece by 2023 Mawazo Fellow Felicia Ikpokonte on the legal framework addressing petroleum related environmental disputes in Nigeria. In the piece, Felicia asserts that as the region's legal framework influences and guides the resolution of disputes, there is a need for radical reform. Using her research as a foundation, Felicia outlines several suggestions and considerations that she recommends being incorporated. 

THE GUARDIAN NIGERIA: Bird Distribution in Nigeria: Impact of climate and anthropogenic activities - September 2024

On the 25th of September, the Guardian Nigeria published an Opinion piece by 2023 Mawazo Fellow Winifred Nanchin Kazeh on bird distribution in Nigeria. The piece pulls from her research on the impact of climate change and human activities on bird distribution in urban and rural areas of Nigeria. In it, she makes several recommendations to urban developers and other stakeholders including improving public participation in urban planning, and incorporating more green planning. 

THE STANDARD: Elevate Africa's indigenous knowledge to achieve sustainable development - September 2024

On the 17th of September 2024, Standard digital, a Kenyan based publication, ran an opinion piece by Mawazo Communications Lead, Carolyne Tunnen and Mawazo Communications Officer Naliaka Odera.

The article emphasizes the critical role of Africa's indigenous knowledge systems in driving sustainable development. By integrating traditional practices with modern science, Africa can address challenges like climate change, food security, and health. The piece calls for policy support to uplift this rich cultural heritage and integrate it more effectively into education systems on the continent, ensuring it plays a key role in achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

KTN News: Wanafunzi wa vyuo vikuu waonyesha ujuzi wa kutumia AI - AUGUST 2024

On the 29th of August 2024, KTN News, a news channel broadcasting across East Africa, featured 2018 Mawazo Fellow Dr. Elizabeth Benson and her co-organisers from IndabaX Kenya for hosting a hackathon and workshop at Dedan Kimathi University, Nairobi, Kenya.

The segment featured Dr. Benson, her colleagues, and some of the students participating in the event. She highlighted the importance of the event for Deep Learning scientists, and the skills they walked the students through. Participants appreciated the opportunity to learn from each other, and showcase their own work in the field of AI and Machine Learning.

MONITOR: Measles outbreak: What needs to be done - JULY 2024

On July 8th 2024 ,Prossy Namuwulya, a Laboratory Scientist at the Uganda Virus Research Institute and 2023 Mawazo Fellow was featured in a piece by The Monitor, A Uganda based national newspaper highlighting measles as a highly contagious disease affecting young children, particularly in low-income countries.
Despite the availability of a safe vaccine, measles remains a leading cause of death, claiming over 136,000 lives annually in Africa and Asia. Namuwulya underscores the urgency of vaccination campaigns and cross-border health measures to curb transmission, advocating for community engagement and improved surveillance. Her article stresses the need for sustained efforts in outbreak response and population-level studies to strengthen diagnostic capabilities and prevent future outbreaks.

NATION: Are you a woman-owned start-up? Here's how to get funding - MAY 2024

On May 23, 2024, The Nation published a digital news feature article showcasing Dr.Elizabeth Wafula, a 2021 Mawazo Fellow. The article delved into her entrepreneurial journey, focusing on her experience in establishing a business that processes legume-based products. Dr.Wafula’s goal was to create high-quality and affordable products for the mass market. Throughout the piece, she discussed the various challenges she encountered, ranging from policy and financial obstacles to the gender-specific challenges that women often confront when venturing into entrepreneurship.

THE CITIZEN: Increasing biosecurity in poultry farming could save farmers money -  MAY 2024

On Wednesday the 15th of May 2024, The Citizen, a Tanzania based newspaper, ran an Opinion Piece by 2021 Mawazo Fellow, Rogia Gomez, on the importance of increasing biosecurity in poultry farming as a means for farmers to save money.

The piece centers Rogia’s insights from her research, assessing the levels of biosecurity practices adoption in broiler farms in Tanzania’s Coastal Region. Rogia outlines the risks mitigated by the uptake of Biosecurity practices in the sector and the steps that the government could take to promote the application of these practices.

NATION: Malaria's gendered burden: Recent floods heighten risk for women, girls - May 2024

On the 14th of May 2024, The Nation, headquartered in Kenya ran a feature news digital article, derived from an interview with, 2021 Mawazo Fellow, Dr.Trizah Milugo.

The piece was in light of the recent events of flooding in the country with Dr.Trizah’s research playing a role in highlighting the increased risk of malaria transmission to women and girls in the Kenyan community.

AZAM Media: Radio Interview with Miriam Elisha Loivotoki - April 2024

On April 5th 2024, 2023 Mawazo Fellow Miriam Elisha Loivotoki, from Tanzania, was interviewed by Azam Media in Swahili, to commemorate Autism Awareness Month. Miriam's research looks at autism from an educational perspective with a special focus on solutions that enable learners with autism to obtain maximum educational outputs while schooling in an inclusive educational setting.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: To make water last year-round, Kenyans in dry regions are building sand dams on seasonal rivers - March 2024

On 25th March, the Associated Press published a story citing 2021 Mawazo Fellow Dorcas Benard as an expert. The piece explores how Kenyans living in drought stricken regions of the country have resorted to constructing sand dams on seasonal water bodies. Dorcas' research on water resources and irrigation made her work of vital importance in understanding water conservation in dry regions in Kenya.

NATION: PhD candidate advocates for urine test to screen for cervical cancer - March 2024

On March 25th the Daily Nation headquartered in Kenya and with a readership across the East African region, published a feature interview of PhD candidate Loise Nthambi, a 2023 Mawazo Fellow, on her research promoting urine testing as a method to screen for cervical cancer in women. Loise's work highlights the increase of cancer rates in Kenya, and also the importance of accessible and painless cancer screening methods.

NATION: Dr. Ronoh, the don combating HIV with 'Beshte', a Sheng speaking AI chatbot - March 2024

On Wednesday the 13th of March 2024, The Nation ran a feature news piece on 2018 Mawazo Fellow, Dr. Marilyn Ronoh and her brainchild Beshte, the HIV & AIDS chatbot.

The feature highlighted the need behind the innovation by Dr.Marilyn and her team at the University of Embu, while also outlining the various ways in which Beshte can contribute to increasing HIV & AIDS testing among the youth in Kenya.

In this feature readers were also able to learn how Beshte works in the Kenyan landscape in regards to language and useability.

KTN News: Africa Speaks International Women’s Day: Recognizing Women Researchers - March 2024

On Thursday the 7th of March 2024, KTN News hosted a panel interview featuring; 2023 Mawazo Fellow Dorcas Mwigereri and 2021 Mawazo Fellow Margaret Muriuki, as part of the discussions centered on International Women’s Day 2024.

The panel discussion centered on the theme of “Count her in: Invest in women. Accelerate progress.” while recognising women researchers and the role that professional career women have in the development and innovation space in Kenya.

NATION: Africa needs to re-energise investment in women start-ups - March 2024

On Tuesday the 5th of March 2024, The Nation ran an opinion piece by Mawazo Communications Lead, Carolyne Tunnen.

As a run-up to the International Women’s Day, 2024, the piece centers the IWD theme of the year “Count her in: Invest in women. Accelerate progress.” The Op-ed highlighted the gaps in representation of African women in various sectors and the numerous ways that women are left behind in provision of opportunities in the African continent.

THE CITIZEN: Tanzania needs to increase support for autistic learners in schools - March 2024

On Friday the 1st of March 2024, The Citizen Tanzania ran an opinion piece by, 2023 Mawazo Fellow, Miriam Loivotoki, on the need for the country to increase institutional and systemic academic support for learners on the spectrum.

Miriam Loivotoki, an education expert, accentuated the problems facing autistic learners in Tanzania such as the cost of private institutions suited to special needs learning and the lack of sufficient testing for learning disorders.

NewsPaper Africa: Oral health affects overall health, it should not take a back seat - January 2024

Dr. Peace Uwambaye, 2021 Mawazo Fellow and Senior Lecturer at University of Rwanda’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, published an OpEd in Newspaper.Africa, a Rwandan online newspaper. Dr. Peace’s article, “Oral Health affects overall health, and should not take a backseat,” calls attention to Africa’s worrying state of oral healthcare and stresses the importance of research as a means to plan and conduct methods of intervention."

NewsPaper Africa: Why Govts must chart course on tackling emerging disease threats - January 2024

Dr. Thérèse Umuhoza, 2021 Mawazo Fellow and current Associate Director at Global Public Health and Development, Africa at Holden Fitzgerald published an OpEd in the Rwandan online newspaper Newspaper.Africa on “Why Governments must chart [a] course on tackling emerging disease threats”. The article centers Dr. Thérèse’s expertise as an epidemiologist as she forecasts African governments response to future epidemics.