The first is Development - this site will deal with news specifically related to Development issues, the Millennium Development Goals and West Africa.

The second is EMWAB - East Midlands West Africa Bureau - this site which I’m currently developing is specifically aimed at encouraging companies from my own region in the UK (East Midlands) to look at West Africa as an area of commercial opportunity.

The Bureau’s aim is to assist them in finding suitable trading partners in the countries covered by the EWA News Agency.

JC

The idea behind Country Blogs is to get a diverse range of views and experiences when it comes to each country. This could be someone living there, someone originally from there who is now part of the diaspora or someone who has visited either as a tourist or a worker. You will read personal comments, see great photographs and hear about real life experiences described by many different people.

If you have a suggestion for a blog that would be worth viewing, then send me an email: john@ewanews.org

The idea behind Online Newspapers is simple. In certain locations the media is viewed as something that undermines the political power base and suffers censorship. Therefore freedom of expression is forced to embrace anything that gives it a chance to be heard and in this case its the internet.

I read somewhere: “The media is essential in Africa’s fight against corruption, as it has the power to hold those in power to account”.

Let’s all hope so!

Again, if you have any suggestions for online newspapers doing a good job of getting the news onto the net, send me an email.

In case anyone out there was wondering what I do in UK - I’m the Editor of Citizens Eye - a Community News Agency that helps community groups work together and encourages people to set up blogs to become ‘Citizen Reporters’.

If you want to set up a blog and become a volunteer ‘Citizen Reporter’ for EWA News - its easy!

Just go to Novalet, set up a blog and email me your details so I can register your RSS Feed. Simple!

Thanks. JC

Click here for full details: Togo News - Topix

In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 218 million people live in extreme poverty. Among them are rural poor people in Eastern and Southern Africa, an area that has one of the world’s highest concentrations of poor people.

The incidence of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa is increasing faster than the population. Overall, the pace of poverty reduction in most of Africa has slowed since the 1970s.

Click here for full details: Rural Poverty Portal 

Design student Daniel Sheridan has created a simple see-saw which generates enough electricity to light a classroom.

The device works by transferring the power, created by a child moving up and down on it, to an electricity storage unit via an underground cable.

Click for the full story: BBC News

“It is vitally important to recognise and value the press” – Barry Wells, US ambassador to The Gambia

A media workshop on covering human rights issues, organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat together with the British High Commission and the US Embassy in The Gambia, opened in the town of Serekkunda on 4 March 2008 with a call for journalists to take every opportunity to learn the skills and principles of responsibly reporting on human rights from a broad perspective.

Full story: Commonwealth Secretariat

by Lauri Romanzi, M.D.

“It was my second journey as a volunteer fistula surgeon to Niger that I met the woman who taught me what it means to expect the unexpected.”

Women’s Voices for Change

“Born in Sweden, but came to Niger at the age of six. Still around. Am the greatest Niger fan you can find and cannot think of a better way to live my life than working for Eden Foundation in the Tanout zone. This blog is about living life as an unpaid volunteer and trying to make the best out of every day (sometimes possible, sometimes not) while helping the people of the least developed area of the least developed country in the world achieve a sustainable life.”

Click here: Esther Garvi Blog

I was contacted today by Moussa who runs Niger1.com

Its a great site with lots of local news and links. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Click here: Niger1.com