Using indigenous science to show the benefits of consuming indigenous food
Due to absence of a documentation culture, it has remained very difficult for African elders to convince the young generation about the benefits of consuming…
Decolonizing urban planning through African values and indigenous markets
Decades after independence from colonial masters, most African countries continue to perpetuate colonial urban planning approaches that were designed to exclude and marginalize the majority…
The Social Impact of Large – Scale Construction Projects in Africa – Emerging lessons from rebuilding Mbare Retail Market in Harare, Zimbabwe
Introduction Across Africa, it has become common practice for large-scale infrastructure projects to be decided and implemented by government departments, engineers and architectural designers without…
Why evidence should guide the formalization of African informal economies
When African policy makers, development organizations and financial institutions talk about the need to formalize Africa’s informal economy, those discussions and decisions are often based…
Poorly sequenced investments doing more harm than good in Africa
Poorly sequenced investments doing more harm than good in Africa Imagine the Japanese Embassy financing the building of a house at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo…
When a vibrant sense of belonging is more important than selling commodities
When a vibrant sense of belonging is more important than selling commodities While corporates are more interested in agricultural commodities than producers, African territorial markets…
Why the elite should stop imposing their expectations on smallholder farmers
Bankers expect smallholder farmers to repay loans at a particular interest. For economists, African smallholder farmers are supposed to master return on investment. Nutritionists expect…
When it’s counter-productive for development agencies to insert their banners in rural communities
After taking their good intentions to the grassroots and supporting rural communities to build dams, irrigation schemes, clinics, dip tanks and market sheds, many development…
The role of baseline studies in anchoring local solutions and resilience
In addition to unearthing community resilience and coping mechanisms, baseline studies can be good at identifying relevant partners and local expertise. A lot of market…