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Youth humor to fight fossil fuels, solar grandmas in Ghana; bamboo to save homes from landslides and sacred sites protecting biotopes in Uganda.
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00:11welcome to ecoafrica where we bring you news of sustainable solutions and inspiring people from
00:18all over the continent and beyond from laughter to lasers and grammars my name is chris alems
00:24and i'm speaking to you from lagos nigeria my co-host as ever is malama mukunde in zambia
00:36greetings from lusaka we have another fine selection of stories for you let's get started
00:45how bamboo could stop this terrifying landslide
00:50we see how ghana's solar grandmothers are bridging a vital gap in renewable energy
00:58and we witness the importance of uganda's sacred sites for humans and non-humans alike
01:05it has long been said that laughter is the best medicine it is also a potent weapon for confronting
01:13oppression or anxiety about the environment for example faced with seemingly hopeless situations
01:21humor can give hope and satire can give strength we saw these effects in action when we hang out with
01:29a group of young people in zimbabwe we value our african sea life and oceans as long as it doesn't
01:35get in the way of our drilling students in the zimbabwean capital harare are familiar with this
01:40poof video which takes aim at french multinational total energies for years the company has been
01:47portraying itself as a driving force behind the energy transition while extracting oil and gas on a
01:53massive scale hello south africa and nigeria we pride ourselves on being green and clean oh come because
02:00we say so just look at our adverts with solar panels and windmills and nice renewable energy crap like
02:06or in greenwashing lingo a little goes a long way can satire on social media actually bring about
02:14change i think you have to make use of almost every means of communication no matter how outdated it is
02:22or no matter how modern it is you have to make sure make use of all of them because you
02:27never know
02:28like what a certain community uses to communicate certain things we just need to drill baby drill to
02:35end editing quality afkis need jobs not solar panels i love it scar sebata and trust chicotzo use social
02:44media to reach the younger generation their next video is already in the works they work for magamba
02:52network a rr-based media organization that combines culture with activism the new production looks at social
02:59media influencers parroting and spreading disinformation originating from their sponsors oil will make
03:06africa rich jobs and energy for everyone anytime now rich for me the profits go offshore faster than your
03:14wi-fi drops during load you want that message to not be too too rigid and easy just easy to
03:23understand in
03:23such a way that you can never laugh but at least after you've watched that video you come you come
03:28out of that uh watching session with at least something that you've grasped and something that you
03:33you know spark that fire within you to to to want to you know demand for a future that is
03:40better climate
03:40disinformation is actually a huge threat um you'll find on social media on the internet the news sites that
03:46we see they propel fossil fuel propaganda so that's disinformation when information is fed to public
03:54to the public directly uh in a way to mislead them into thinking that maybe the fossil fuel industry is
04:01doing amazing things for the green sector when it's actually not the burning of fossil fuels is the main
04:08driver of rising temperatures in climate change and when climate conferences end in disappointment
04:17sometimes satire is not enough when it comes to combating fake news about bad news which is why trust
04:25chikodzo also organizes an annual environment festival for magamba network to promote a cleaner and
04:32echo friendlier harare the green cities expo is attended by over 100 artists the focus here is not
04:41on digital media use but real world action of the analog variety such as photos laying bare the issues of
04:49waste management and collaborative collages depicting a cleaner and a better world is magamba network we
04:57we normally use satire right but incorporating these other elements makes sure that this
05:05like environmentalism is participatory like trying to demand for that just transition trying to demand for
05:13cleaner safer and healthier environments needs us to look at it with a holistic lens when it comes to
05:20how we can engage with people young people a transition that is urgently needed
05:26the zimbabwean capital produces over 400 000 tons of waste every year of which less than half is
05:33disposed of by professionals parts of ferrari are drowning in garbage also among the responses at the green
05:42cities expo is the costume or cosplay where people dress up as characters from movies or video games this
05:50guy is playing a figure from a first person shooter game but his weapons are perfectly harmless it like
05:57starts off that conversation by telling people i made this out of like recycled things up cycle things we
06:02can and then lead the conversation to talking about you know climate change and how it's affecting things
06:06garbage yeah i'm a garbage lady yes and garbage ladies guitar is likewise 100 recycled i've had these
06:18things for two years now but if i hadn't went and started to make something else it probably would have
06:25been burned somewhere and the fumes are very dangerous so imagine if everyone like in small households
06:32try to be creative and make beautiful art out of things that they want to throw away then there'll be
06:38less pollution and trash in the landfills and such ultimately it's the words of a young woman during a
06:46poetry slam that seemed the most impactful our industries are building kingdoms of methane and
06:52carbon dioxide in the sky creating the world into an inferno and we blame the sun for heat waves when
06:58she
06:58hasn't changed in all the years that she has existed we have
07:04we have broken our world so we can repay it trust chicago is mobilizing young people to make that happen
07:12with creativity determination and no shortage of energy
07:21when it rains in kinshasa there is a real risk that some people would lose their houses
07:26the capital city of the democratic republic of congo is growing at a huge rate many people have
07:32settled on hillsides or other areas at risk of landslides or flooding we're going to see one
07:38idea for stopping erosion and saving lives
07:49bertan mboya is a man on a mission to protect his environment
07:52the university graduate is passionate about tackling climate change and its devastating impact on
07:59communities he's the coordinator of a project called the chinese bamboo green wall for seven
08:06years now the initiative has been busy planting bamboo on the outskirts of kinshasa in the democratic
08:12republic of congo the plants will help prevent soil erosion and hopefully slow the creation of
08:19trenches that threaten homes across the city
08:23so far we've planted more than 15 000 bamboo trees near this university
08:29the idea from an environmental perspective is first of all to reinforce the soil structure
08:35the soil in kinshasa is vulnerable to erosion because it is very sandy
08:41the bamboo we plant frees up a huge quantity of organic material
08:45when the bamboo leaves fall they decompose and produce nutrients that improve the soil structure
08:56kinshasa is home to some 17 million people rapid unplanned urban growth means many live
09:02dangerously close to the trenches or gullies that are created or widened by heavy rain
09:08in recent years severe flooding has repeatedly hit kinshasa with devastating consequences
09:16some 12 000 people in the drc lose their homes each year because of these gullies
09:20according to research by the earth and life institute of belgium
09:29we are facing a very big problem here and it is all caused by insufficient discipline
09:38we tried to solve the problem by planting trees
09:43we added about 1500 acacia trees but most of them were cut down
09:51today i doubt we even have 100 of them left
10:00but bertin mboya and his team remain undeterred they continue planting bamboo and educating the
10:06community about its vital role the fast growing bamboos dense root network helped stabilize soil and
10:14retain water forming a natural barrier against erosion
10:19and it has even more virtues especially beneficial in a congested mega city like kinshasa
10:29this bamboo that we have planted participates in the filtering of the ambient air
10:34and of vehicle and other emissions that are released everywhere we are part of the air purification cycle
10:43anyone who has ever weeded a garden knows how annoying it can be on a large scale it can be
10:51a serious
10:51problem weeds are a silent harvest stealer they can cut crop yields drive heavy pesticide use
11:00and demand hours of back breaking work in our next report we explore a high-tech solution
11:08so all that from germany
11:16in northern germany a new machine rolls across an onion field burning away weeds with laser beams
11:23controlled by ai this groundbreaking technology targets only unwanted plants
11:31all that's left is a fine layer of ash
11:35it heats the soil a lot and operators need to be careful not to get burned by the laser beam
11:43the machine delivers around 24 kilowatts of optical power with each laser at two kilowatts that's
11:51enough to cause deep tissue burns within milliseconds if for example you put your hand beneath it
11:57a few kilometers a meter deep stephan heinrich invented the machine growing up on a farm he knew the
12:04problems weeds can cause and wanted a solution a generator at the front of the tractor powers the laser beams
12:11while satellite navigation guides it across the field
12:18the core innovation is the ai software heinrich developed as part of his doctoral thesis the camera
12:24system can distinguish between crops and weeds and control the laser beam with pinpoint accuracy
12:32the software recognizes every stage of plant growth and stores millions of bits of information which it
12:39can then retrieve again and again the cameras are mounted underneath the housing and the software
12:46guides the laser beams to exactly where they're needed we work outdoors where environmental conditions
12:52constantly change some weeds are larger some smaller with different leaf shapes adjusting all these
12:58parameters is very complex with ai many of them can be learned and controlled much more easily
13:04that's why ai is a small revolution in this field small-scale carrot and onion farmers could especially benefit
13:12particularly in regions with labor shortages germany and the eu are pushing to phase out pesticides and
13:20protect pollinators and this technology offers an ecologically friendly alternative ai software is set to
13:29transform agricultural technology in the years ahead for now the system is still in its infancy
13:39africa is rich with sacred sites from pilgrimage destinations to mountains and waterfalls revered by
13:46local communities now these places of tranquility and reflection open a window into the continent's diverse
13:54belief systems our next report from uganda shows that these sanctuaries are not only important for
14:01preserving our human heritage kabaka's lake is a precious jewel on the edge of the ugandan capital
14:10kampala it was created in 1886 by kawakamuangatu then ruler of the kingdom of buganda it was part of a
14:20royal
14:20project near his palace the current king of buganda still maintains the palace while he holds no direct
14:28political power he remains highly revered as a culture and spiritual leader today kawaka's lake still
14:37provides a bond between uganda's largest ethnic group the buganda and their king every day lamek kale
14:45removes garbage from the lake out of respect for the monarchy i love keeping the lake clean so
14:53if my king the kabaka comes here he finds it impressive but kabaka's lake is not only a symbol of
15:01cultural identity it is also a living ecosystem in a busy city as a rainwater reservoir it helps to cool
15:09the micro climate and provide the habitat for water birds such as the opened bill stock an indicator
15:17of the health of wetlands carry on eating marabou stocks and little egrets that breed here
15:25lamek's quiet dedication without a wage is preserving nature
15:32sometimes there are loyal pilgrims who appreciate what i do
15:36they might easily give me 10 000 shillings in gratitude for my work
15:42at kampala's chambogo university environmental scientist mary therese kagua has found that when
15:50people sense a spiritual connection with nature they tend to actively preserve it in that sense there is
15:58that all broader benefit we get that when this site is not interfered with okay by anthropogenic
16:05activities and all that it remains intact around 30 kilometers east of kampala lies another sacred
16:12place in the kingdom of buganda the sisibwa falls legend has it that a woman gave birth to twins here
16:21in the form of two rivers a divine event that makes the place sacred to this day people come here
16:29to pray
16:30and seek healing spiritual guardians like mubiru basawa care for the area but the sacred forest
16:37around the waterfall almost protects itself through the powerful stories that are linked to it
16:46for instance we have specific trees that should never be cut down for any reason our forefathers
16:53foretold that destroying one of these trees would cause disasters that could not be reversed later
17:02this sanctuary protected by tradition provides an emergency backup for the future we get organisms
17:10both flora and fauna yeah we get the abundances maintained of those different organisms but also
17:19these sites end up working like gene banks for us school students now come to sitzibwa falls to witness
17:27the power of preservation because as we started the informers that these forests have what they call
17:36carbon dioxide that reduces this growing rate of global warming so i learned to that i learned that i
17:42should protect the involvement in this place and also in our areas as we go back the un's cultural heritage
17:50agency unesco also notes that identity spirituality and cultural pride can all help drive conservation
18:00at sezibwa falls nature is protected not by law but by cultural taboos and spiritual beliefs
18:09likewise at kawaka's lake in serving the king lamek kale is a true steward of the environment
18:18imagine living your whole life without electricity no lights no fans and no way to charge your phone
18:28that is the daily reality for many rural communities in ghana however things are changing thanks to a new
18:37generation of solar installers but we're not talking about the fresh young face graduates here on the
18:44contrary these inspiring engineers are breaking stereotypes in more than one way
18:52salamato abukari is 65 years young and known here as a solar grandmother today she's repairing a loose
19:01connection in a power model apart from her there are no trained solar technicians in the village
19:08if a solar facility breaks down in this community they call me
19:13some closely watch so they can fix their own system when i'm not around
19:19i want to share my knowledge so that everyone understands a little about solar power
19:25a customer had to go to mars without use of his solar powered lamp now it works just fine again
19:34she's doing a great job since she came along 10 years ago everyone has gotten rid of the
19:40agrarism lamps and the hassle of buying flashlights and batteries is now a thing of the past
19:48so that's what we're talking about we're talking about we're talking about we're talking about
19:54dupari is a small community north in ghana energy poverty is still widespread in the region with
20:00around a quarter of households not connected to the grid pylons did arrive in dupari 15 years ago but
20:07were not followed by a joint power then fate intervened in the shape of the solar grand maddes
20:13salamatu abukari and nimatu abudu they are journeyed to becoming solar technicians as an extraordinary
20:20one about 10 years ago the two women were selected by their villages to embark on a special nation
20:28after flying all the way to india and making their way to barefoot college in rajasthan state
20:33they attended a un program that combines female empowerment with the fight against energy poverty
20:40together with three other women from their region they learned how to install solar panels and carry
20:46out repairs the biggest challenge was the language barrier but once they started showing us step by
20:56step how to connect panels and wire up batteries learning became easy when they gave us books we
21:05couldn't follow we just had to guess there was no fear anymore because we relied on each other
21:14if you didn't understand something there would always be someone to help
21:24we came from different countries to learn they taught us the work we benefited a lot and got to really
21:31appreciate each other now we're back home and are busy doing our new job and thanks to their help that
21:38power is lighting up homes the solar grandmothers are passing on their expertise the un program has
21:45enabled salamatu abukari to set up her own workshop she's already trained 10 people so that they can now
21:52run their own small scale solar systems at home i trained them for a reason when i had the skill
22:02alone
22:02it didn't benefit many people but by training the younger ones they can pass it on and help even more
22:12some of those i've trained are now studying photovoltaic technology in school
22:23kasanga sonoba is proud of what her fellow villager has achieved salamatu abukari's success has also
22:30bolstered respect for women in the community
22:38hadjiya salamatu went and learned and when she came back the whole community praised her and gave
22:45her our support what she learned is good for us i see that as inclusion when another opportunity comes
22:52will all get involved as for the village's male residents opinion is divided on the matter when
23:01you call a woman to come and do some certain job like this tomorrow he'll tell you that i mean
23:06i'm
23:06cooking i wanted to go to search water i wanted to do this i wanted to do that everything there
23:14should
23:14be gender bubbles there is a saying that what men can do women can equally do it better he has
23:22been
23:22moving to their house to houses installing them when they have problems she come and then she
23:27solve the problem in the paris itself the nights are now brighter the new lights have brought a greater
23:35sense of security a new energy into village life this report taught me one clarity it is not about
23:44education before you can contribute to development these women have not gone to school they basically
23:51can understand what alphabets and numeracies are but they are able to contribute significantly in
23:59terms of bridging energy poverty in their communities over 150 solar panels have been installed around the
24:06region by five solar grammatis the un-funded electrification program has ended bringing more reliable
24:13power to north in ghana will require more than the expertise of the women what these solar engineers are
24:21doing they are just complementing the efforts of government what i'll add is that the government
24:29should create an enabling environment so that we can have opportunities of public private partnerships
24:39so that more of the solar panels and the batteries can be installed barring sickness or death by the
24:51grace of god i pledge to do this work till the end of my life there is already been significant
24:59change
24:59in the paris empowerment for local women and more power for the village thanks to the solar grand
25:06mothers lighting the way to a brighter future
25:11it just goes to show what you can achieve if you involve everyone well that's it for this week's show
25:18we hope you have been inspired by what you have seen it's goodbye from me malama mukonde in lusaka zambia
25:26and goodbye from me chris lms in lagos nigeria you can find plenty more eco africa online and please
25:33write to us and share your thoughts at eco at dw.com see you next week
25:55bye
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