Articles

Interview with Maria Pevchihk – The Fuller Project (image)

Interview with Maria Pevchihk – The Fuller Project

December 19, 2022

December 9th was International Anti-Corruption Day. Fuller Project contributor Neha Wadekar attended the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), a gathering in Washington, D.C., that brought together heads of state, civil society, business leaders and investigative journalists.

The conference drew some of the world’s most prominent anti-corruption voices. Among them was Maria Pevchikh, Chief Investigator at the Anti-Corruption Foundation, a non-governmental organization founded by Alexei Navalny, the leading political rival of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Read our interview with Maria here.

Why dangerous content thrives on Facebook and TikTok in Kenya – The Washington Post (image)

Why dangerous content thrives on Facebook and TikTok in Kenya – The Washington Post

July 31, 2022

As Facebook and its competitor TikTok grow at breakneck speed in Kenya, and across Africa, researchers say the tech companies are failing to keep pace with a proliferation of terrorist content, hate speech and false information , taking advantage of poor regulatory frameworks to avoid stricter oversight.

“It’s a deliberate choice to maximize labor and profit extraction, because they view the societies in the Global South primarily as markets, not as societies,” said Nanjala Nyabola, a Kenyan technology and social researcher.

Activists in Kenya to keep fighting for abortion rights after end of Roe – The Washington Post (image)

Activists in Kenya to keep fighting for abortion rights after end of Roe – The Washington Post

July 5, 2022

Although Kenya has gradually liberalized its abortion laws in recent years, activists are concerned that the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court could set back their progress. But they are determined to continue their fight, drawing inspiration from Latin America, where three countries have expanded abortion rights in the last year.

“I think the wave that started in Mexico, in Argentina, in Colombia, is catching fire in Africa,” said Tabitha Griffith Saoyo, a Kenyan lawyer working to expand reproductive rights. “[T]here’s room for Africa to lead by showing that abortion is an African issue, it’s not a Western concept, and that we’re ready to protect our women.”

As election season nears, Kenyans brace for unrest and hope for peace – The Washington Post (image)

As election season nears, Kenyans brace for unrest and hope for peace – The Washington Post

June 25, 2022

The Wajir event was a sign the 2022 presidential race is heating up. Past elections have descended into violence, with the most recent one in 2017 culminating in a nullified result, a runoff vote, and street riots.

The upcoming election, on Aug. 9, promises to be as fractious as ever. It’s an unusual contest with all the usual names: Odinga has teamed up with former rival Uhuru Kenyatta, the sitting president, against William Ruto, the sitting deputy president.

Experts are already predicting that the results could be challenged in the Supreme Court, and the decision could provoke violence and a prolonged period of unrest in this East African country — a pillar of democracy and a key U.S. ally.

For this Somali refugee, beauty has a purpose – National Geographic (image)

For this Somali refugee, beauty has a purpose – National Geographic

June 20, 2022

Meet the pageant queen who is raising awareness about climate change.

How American Influencers Built a World Wide Web of Vaccine Disinformation – Mother Jones Magazine (image)

How American Influencers Built a World Wide Web of Vaccine Disinformation – Mother Jones Magazine

June 2, 2022

In the United States, the proliferation of disinformation about Covid vaccines and treatments has been widely publicized, and most of these myths come from a few powerful influencers. Last year, the anti-extremism group Center for Countering Digital Hate found that 65 percent of vaccine disinformation on Facebook and Twitter came from just 12 people, including the activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the natural lifestyle influencer Dr. Joseph Mercola. The target audience, the media reports, is in bastions of American conservatism—in rural communities, among evangelical Christians, and among Trump voters.

But there is increasing evidence that American vaccine disinformation campaigns don’t stop at the borders.

As drought worsens, can Kenyan communities coexist with native wildlife? – National Geographic (image)

As drought worsens, can Kenyan communities coexist with native wildlife? – National Geographic

May 3, 2022

The men sitting inside the open-backed safari truck were silent and tense as they pulled up alongside their target. A young male giraffe stood under the shade of a tall tree, seeking relief from the unusually brutal March sun. As he heard the tires roll over dry thorn bushes, he craned his long neck and perked up his ears. 

The man in the passenger seat aimed his gun and pulled the trigger, hitting the giraffe squarely in the flank. The group let out a hushed cheer as the animal flinched. 

A man in the backseat set the timer on his watch. “Seven minutes until he falls,” he whispered… 

Read my latest on how the worst drought to hit NorthEast Kenya in decades is killing off its precious and endangered wildlife.

Why global warming threatens east African coffee – The Economist (image)

Why global warming threatens east African coffee – The Economist

March 17, 2022

Global warming may shrink the total area that is most suited to growing arabica beans by about half by 2050, according to a recent peer-reviewed paper. Other cash crops including tea will also be affected.

‘Everyone’s using’: Mozambique scrambles to stem a rising tide of drug addiction – The Telegraph (image)

‘Everyone’s using’: Mozambique scrambles to stem a rising tide of drug addiction – The Telegraph

February 8, 2022

Mozambique has been a key transit point on the international drug route for the last 25 years but it has had historically low rates of drug usage compared to its northern neighbors, Kenya and Tanzania. Now, this appears to be changing and both drug users and those working in drug recovery report an increase in the number of people using heroin across the country. Aid agencies and the government are scrambling to stem the rising tide of addiction.

‘Kidnapped, raped and trafficked’: Women and girls exposed to sexual violence in war-torn Mozambique – The Telegraph (image)

‘Kidnapped, raped and trafficked’: Women and girls exposed to sexual violence in war-torn Mozambique – The Telegraph

December 31, 2021

As conflict rages in Cabo Delgado, women and girls are being used as sex slaves and forced to marry insurgent fighters.