West Africa Videos - ViewChange.org

For people living in the remote Malian town of Yebe, the village bank cooperative has opened up new opportunities. With a microfinance loan of only 30 euros, Mama Coulibaly was able to buy a sack of corn and turn a profit. Now, she runs a small shop and is the only person in her village with a television. Will microfinance prove to be the anchor that keeps young Africans at home, with a bright future?

Burning in the Sun

When there are chores to be done during the day and it's dark in the evening, children find it difficult to learn. But Malian entrepreneur Daniele Dembele is bringing electricity to remote rural areas, so local schools can light their classrooms long into the night.

Burkina Faso: Flowering Desert

Many African refugees are environmental migrants; they are forced to leave their homes because spreading deserts are destroying their livelihoods. A Swiss doctor has set up a new project in the Sahel zone of the Sahara desert aimed at reclaiming land from the advancing sands, and it is giving encouraging results.

The Edge of Joy

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has the second-highest number of maternal deaths in the world. The Edge of Joy follows doctors, midwives, nurses, and public health educators as they fight maternal death on every front, from preemptive family planning education to expanded blood transfusion services.

Life on the Edge: Back in Business?

Sierra Leone was torn apart by years of civil war. Now that the country is beginning to rebound, two men see a vast potential for sustainable and ecological tourism. But will they be able to ensure that the impending development boom will benefit the people of Sierra Leone and not just foreign investors?

Life on the Edge: Scent of the Streets

Nigeria has had some success in getting more women into government and business. But what about those in the crowded and often violent slums of Lagos? Meet three girls from one of the city's poorest and toughest neighborhoods, all looking for their chance to escape.

Life on the Edge: Sorie K and the MDGs

Musician Sorie Kondi, the Stevie Wonder of Sierra Leone, is trying to make it as a world musician in part because he needs to pay his daughter's school fees. He's hitting the road to investigate what's happening with girls' education ten years after the civil war.

Zainabu's Decision

Contraceptives are difficult to get hold off in rural Sierra Leone. As a result, many young couples end up with more children than they can take care of, a strain on both the family's budget and the mother's health. But a new program is teaching young mothers about family planning and providing free birth control.

Niger Food Crisis

The West African nation of Niger is on the brink of a major food shortage. Concern Worldwide is implementing several innovative projects on the fly in order to prevent a catastrophic scenario.

Living Proof: Cote d'Ivoire – A Father and Son Love Story

When Kevin fell ill with HIV, his father took him to the hospital instead of shunning him. His father's love, together with the help of antiretroviral medications, saved his life. Now, Kevin helps other families cope with the disease, giving them the support that his father once gave him.

UNICEF: Hygiene Education in Remote Mali

UNICEF is piloting a new program called Community-Led Total Sanitation in the village of Fadieda, some 100 kilometers north of Bamako. It relies on community leaders, like Mr. Sho Traore, to teach people how to make major changes in their hygiene and sanitation habits.

UNICEF: Mothers Work to Enroll Girls in School in Cameroon

Cameroon's National Network of Mothers' Associations for Girls' Education (RECAMEF) is going into villages around the country to try and convince families and traditional leaders to send girls to school. This initiative is supported by UNICEF and Cameroon's Ministry of Basic Education and is part of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

A Dollar A Day: The Price of Cotton

Factors such as government subsidies, overproduction, and even currency exchange rates are steadily depressing the price of cotton worldwide. Ultimately, it is farmers living in places like Mali and Texas who are impacted the most. But can they do anything to change the situation?

TED: Ernest Madu on World-Class Healthcare

Dr. Ernest Madu runs the Heart Institute of the Caribbean in Kingston, Jamaica, where he proves that—with careful design, smart technical choices, and a true desire to serve—it's possible to offer world-class healthcare in the developing world.

On the Ground with Nicholas D. Kristof: Monrovia’s Street Newspaper

In Liberia's capital Monrovia, Alfred Sirleaf has built a unique, roadside news outlet that has become one of the city's leading information sources, a remarkable feat considering his daily updates are all written by hand using chalk.

Youth Zones – Lebanon

During conflicts and natural disasters, young people, at a crucial stage of their development, are faced with numerous challenges. Yet in the midst of these difficulties, youths will also help to raise their younger siblings, put food on the table, contribute to peace movements, galvanize their communities, and contribute in numerous other ways to positive changes. Crucial as these stories are, most of them are never told.