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TOPICAL INDEX time page
Development FINANCE
Community Saves USD 20,000 from Income
Generating Activities 1min. 35secs. 5 The Akassa community at the edge of the Atlantic has a successful

a micro-credit development scheme.
Corruption Down, Tourism Up, in Tanzania 48secs. 14 A cleaner society translates into more dollar earnings for Tanzania.

JUSTICE
The Rules of War in Focus 2mins. 26secs. 9 The tide has turned against dictators and warmongers.

HEALTH
Bill Gates Funds AIDS Research 2mins. 41secs. 8 Microsoft computer giant plans major

grants for AIDS and malaria research
Meningitis: Good News from Europe 1min. 7secs. 3 Africa could benefit from a new vaccine

against the deadliest strain of meningitis
WOMEN
Women Enraged Over Dress Code 3mins. 12secs. 6 Malawi women are enraged at a politician's remarks

about skimpy dressing.
Malawi Integrates Women into Armed Forces 1min 8secs. 14 Malawi's army becomes equal opportunity employer.

Environment
POLICY
First National Forestry Law Workshop Held in Nigeria 3mins. 12secs. 8 More than 20 experts met recently in southwestern Nigeria to study

a federal forestry law proposal.
Legal Sale of Ivory Criticized 1min. 58secs. 4 NGO Chief fears sale of elephant tusks

may re-kindle poaching of elephants
African Countries Unite to Fight Wildlife Crime 1min. 4secs. 3 Six African nations join forces to check environmental crime. 1
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POLLUTION
Newspaper Publishes Number Plates of Offensive Cars 1min. 3secs. 14 A newspaper editor's contribution to environmental protection.

WILDLIFE &TOURISM
An NGO Introduces Domestic Cultivation of
Wildlife for Meat 1min. 18secs. 4 A new approach to conservation of wildlife in four Nigerian

local communities.
Big Bulls 'Rehabilitate' Rowdy Teen Elephants 1min. 13 Father figures are important for orderliness in the wild kingdom.

Nine Blind Men Climb the Kilimanjaro 1min. 28secs. 3 Nine men make history as the first blind people
to scale Africa's highest mountain.
BOOKS
Nigerian Conservation Foundation Introduces Academic Journal 1min. 10secs. 5

Nigeria's leading environmental NGO introduces a journal
for new ideas on grassroots conservation.

Children's Section
The Result of Greed 9mins. 25secs. 11 A greedy, impatient woman meets her death
The Day Jackal Fooled the King of the Beasts 1min. 55secs. 10 Why is Jackal very wary of Lion?

How do Birds sit on Electric Cables without
Getting Shocks? 56secs. 11 A reason why birds don't always get electrocuted.

Why do Birds sing in the Morning? 50secs. 11 Do birds sing to entertain or to achieve less friendly ends?

Acronyms 15 2
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News
Meningitis: Good News from Europe 1min. 7secs. After recent outbreaks of meningitis in the United Kingdom, a new vaccine has been produced for immunizing
babies, schoolchildren and students going to university from October. This could be a blessing of sorts to Nigerian residents in the northwest of the country where annual outbreaks of meningitis are frequent.

The new vaccine (which has no name yet) gives protection against group C meningitis known as meningococcal. It is the most virulent strain of the disease. The vaccine is not effective against meningitis B, another kind of
meningitis that causes inflammation to the lining of the brain and can be fatal. Smoking and damp environments are common causes for an attack of these diseases.

According to reports by the manufacturers of the new vaccine, more than 4,500 children and young people in the UK and 21,000 outside the U. K. have been tested with it and proved effective.
London Press Service

Nine Blind Men Climb the Kilimanjaro 1min. 28secs. History was made recently, as nine blind men from three African countries and Britain scaled the 19,000 feet
Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, to raise funds for a charitable organisation. The climbers were Modetta Matingi, Stephen Maina, Gregory Kimani and Chrisantus Waswa from Kenya. Others were Peter Simon
Nyombi from Uganda and Adela Buruno Salonga from Tanzania. The British members of the team were
Louise Waddington, Byron Cooke and Deborah Langan. The climb took 20 hours to complete.

The organizers of the expedition, Sight Savers International, chose the climbers for their teamwork and put them through several months of training.

"They set off at midnight, battling against the harsh terrain, sub-zero temperatures and altitude sickness to reach the mountain's peak, where they planted a flag to mark their achievement" reports The Nation, Kenya's
national daily.
Basking in the light of the achievement, Sight Savers International said that the expedition was intended to
show the world the scope of a blind person's capabilities and raise vital funds for the fight against cataract in the developing world.

Josephine Odira Sinyo, a visually impaired member of the Kenyan Parliament, later congratulated the triumphant climbers on their accomplishment.
Africa News Online

African Countries Unite to Fight Wildlife Crime 1min. 4secs. Six African countries have established the world's first international task force to combat poaching and other
wildlife crimes. 3
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The Republic of Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia agreed in March to empower a task force, known as the 'African Interpol, ', to help stop illegal trade in wildlife. This is according to recent information
from the United Nations Environment Programme.
The task force has its headquarters in Nairobi. It grew out of a recommendation by wildlife law enforcement officers from eight African countries who met in Lusaka in 1992. The task force functions in accordance with
the Lusaka Agreement on Co-operative Enforcement Operations of 1996 and is expected to strengthen the effectiveness of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

National law enforcement officers from the six countries will work together on cross-border operations against wildlife crime.
AWF

Legal Sale of Ivory Criticized 1min. 58secs.
The President of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Mr. R. Michael Wright, has criticized the bulk sale of elephant tusks by three African countries because it risks triggering the resumption of poaching of elephants for

their ivory tusks.
His criticism followed the sale in April of about 50 tons of ivory stockpiles belonging to three southern African
countries. Namibia sold 12 tons of elephant tusks; Zimbabwe followed by selling 20 tons while Botswana sold 18 tons. By prior agreement all the sales were made to buyers from Japan -the world's largest consumer of

ivory.
In 1997 the three countries, where elephant numbers are increasing rapidly, were granted approval by a
standing committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to hold one-time sales from government stockpiles. No tusks poached from elephants were sold. All

three countries have an estimated population of 200,000 elephants and say they need additional funds to protect their growing populations.

To qualify for the sale, the countries agreed to use all proceeds from it for conservation and demonstrate they had monitoring and enforcement systems in place to prevent illegal sales. Critics are concerned, however, of
the impact of the transaction on the elephant populations in east and central Africa, where there are no such controls.

"We are concerned that the system to monitor the impact on elephants in east and central Africa is seriously flawed," Wright said. "We will be watching closely to be certain there is no renewal of the poaching that led to
the world wide ban only a decade ago," he added. AWF

An NGO Introduces Domestic Cultivation of Wildlife for Meat 1min. 18secs.
In an attempt to conserve their wildlife resources through sustainable use, six forest communities in Cross River State, Nigeria, now cultivate the grass-cutter (a large rodent) for food, to meet their protein needs. The project

was introduced by the NGO Coalition for the Environment (NGOCE) -a community-based non-governmental organisation. 4
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The communities involved in this project are Iko Esai in Akamkpa local government area, Ekukumeala and Alok in Ikom, Etara/ Eyeyeng and Nsofong in Etung and Bashau in Boki local government areas.
"We have introduced mini livestock projects -particularly grass-cutter rearing -in selected communities to reduce the pressures on their forests and wildlife," explained Bassey Archibong, NGOCE Programme Officer.
In the first phase of the project, the communities also tried their hands on snail farming. This will be followed by conservation education that would be introduced in the second phase, to raise local awareness of the need to
protect their natural resources.
"The communities are willing to protect their forests and wildlife resources," Archibong said, "but need alternatives to unsustainable agricultural practices."
Obasi Ogbonnaya

Community Saves USD 20,000 (N2 million) from Income Generating Activities 1min. 35secs.
The small rural community of Akassa in Rivers State now count their financial assets in millions of Naira, and are ready to establish a community bank of their own. This is due to the successful implementation of a micro-credit
and community savings scheme launched 18 months ago with the help of a non-governmental organisation called Pro-Natura International.

Akassa Community Development Programme (ACDP) manages the micro-credit scheme. More than 70 small grants have been disbursed to community members in the last 18 months, for businesses ranging from
welding, carpentry, metal work and car garage operations. Others include tailoring, bee-keeping and computer skills acquisition.

Grant beneficiaries were encouraged to save some amounts of money in a traditional savings programme called the 'Ogbo', as they paid back their loans.
"Some contributions to the savings scheme were as low as five naira," said Mike Weeks, Natural Resource Adviser to Pro-Natura's Akassa Community Development Programme. More than N2million has been saved
in this way, Weeks said. These savings would be managed as new financing for the micro-credit scheme to ensure that the programme continues under the full ownership and management of the people of Akassa. A
new community-based organisation (CBO) -the Akassa Development Foundation (ADF) -has already been created to own and manage the micro-credit scheme.
Obasi Ogbonnaya
Nigerian Conservation Foundation Introduces Academic Journal 1min. 10secs.
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has introduced an academic journal to its list of periodicals.

The publication, called ROAN, is named after the roan antelope whose head is the logo of NCF. ROAN is described as "a journal discussing biology, problems and strategies of nature conservation and sustainable
livelihoods for rural peoples in Africa and Madagascar." 5
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Articles are now being sought from contributors for the first edition of the 60-page color journal. For more information please contact: The Editor-in-Chief, ROAN, NCF, km 19, Lekki-Epe Expressway, P. O. Box
74638, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. Tel: 234 1 264 24 98; Fax: 234 1 264 24 97; email: info@ ncfenvironment. com.
Obasi Ogbonnaya

Features

Women Enraged Over Comments on Dress Code 3mins. 12secs.
Women and human rights groups in Malawi have described as an insult remarks by a legislator that women abuse the freedom of dress to show off their nakedness. Contributing to a motion on women's rights in the

capital Lilongwe recently, Joseph Njobvuyalema said, since Malawi repealed its dress code in 1992, women are "walking half naked clearly showing their contours and valleys."

Njobvuyalema was promptly sent out of the House for refusing to withdraw the statement which the Speaker, Sam Mpasu, described as "un-parliamentary."
Under the late dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda, who ruled the country between 1964 and 1994, Malawi imposed prison sentences on women who wore trousers or skirts that showed any part between the waist and
kneecaps, similar restrictions were placed on longhaired men or those who wore flared pants.
Although all this changed after a new constitution was promulgated in 1995, women wearing mini-skirts are still subjected to all sorts of harassment -violence, distrust, shame and rejection.

"Njobvuyalema's statement is an insult to women of this country who have suffered for too long," said Emmie Chanika, Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Committee (CILIC). Other human rights groups like the
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) have also described Njobvuyalema's remarks as "unfortunate."

"Those remarks are injurious not only to his image but also to his party. People have not forgotten that the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) enacted the dress code that sent several women to prison for exercising their
rights," said Nancy Kamwana, a businesswoman in Lilongwe.
"We gave him our votes, and he decides to respond with insults," says Chanika. "He makes one question the
integrity and maturity of some of our new parliamentarians."

Malawi, with a population of 10 million people of which more than half are women, elected new members of parliament and a head of state on June 15. Njobvuyalema is one of the new members who account for two-thirds
of the 193-member parliament.
Zimbabwean gender activist, Stella Makanya, blamed tradition and negative stereotyping of women for reinforcing the tendency for men to dictate what women should wear. 6
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The new dress code of 1995 has exposed the Malawian woman to different styles and varieties of clothes found in designer shops that have opened in the country's main shopping centres in Blantyre and Lilongwe.
Satellite television and fashion magazines have also helped to broaden women's choice for clothes, eating
habits and business practices.

Njobvuyalema has since returned to parliament, but he continues to be vilified for his comments. IPS

Bill Gates Funds AIDS Research 2mins. 41secs.
The world's richest man, Bill Gates, is to finance a number of medical research organisations throughout the world working on a cure for the two most potent killer diseases on earth -AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency

Syndrome) and malaria.
The Microsoft giant and his wife, Melinda, are reported to have committed a portion of their multi-billion dollar
fortune to the William H Gates Foundation for disbursement to beneficiaries. Details of the grants will be published before the end of the year. Meanwhile, the couple has issued a statement indicating their intention to

help speed up the development of an anti-AIDS vaccine, saying: "A widely distributed vaccine can help make a world without AIDS a reality."

Grants for AIDS research are likely to be channeled through IAVI (the International Aids Vaccine Initiative) to research institutes which are at advanced stages of AIDS vaccine research and are testing their products. The
Oxford University in southern England, a likely beneficiary from the grants has already developed a vaccine that it plans to test both in the UK and in Kenya.

"The vaccine has been developed in Oxford and we plan a three-year trial which will begin in the UK from April next year," said Professor Andrew McMichael, head of the Oxford unit. " We will also carry out similar
trials in Nairobi where there is a 20 per cent HIV (human immuno-deficiency virus) infection in cities and rural areas," he added.

"I am certain that if enough money is made available for AIDS research, a vaccine will be found… and AIDS could be conquered say in seven years rather than 17," Professor McMichael said.
Malaria kills more than 2 million infants in Africa alone every year. It is also responsible for a very high rate of maternal mortality. About 16,000 new cases of AIDS infections are documented daily throughout the world
and nearly all of them in the developing world. Its economic impact has been horrendous, decimating the labour force across the board and reducing longevity to less than 30 years.
London Press Service

First National Forestry Law Workshop Held in Nigeria 3mins. 12secs. Longstanding plans to come up with the first federal forestry law for Nigeria advanced considerably on August
18 -21 at the Gateway Hotel in Ota, Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. The first reading of a draft federal forestry law, prepared by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) was conducted with expert input from
representatives of public and private institutions working in the fields of forestry, environmental management and community development in Nigeria. 7
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The key changes made to the 60 page draft document were aimed at creating a federal body with clearly specified powers and functions to manage the nation's forestry assets and regulate their use, development and
protection in order to guarantee an enduring heritage. The new law when it comes into force would also set the standard for the states and local government forestry departments.

Attention was paid to proper remuneration and equipping of forestry staff, development of sustainable forest conservation measures and management principles, community empowerment and private forestry management,
regulation of use of forestry products and certification of resource management. Other issues addressed include financing of the monitoring and regulatory activities of the new body and the definition of offences and penalties
in the law.
The participating environmental NGOs ensured that the draft law addresses the issues of community forestry such as empowerment of communities to manage their own forests, and have free access to forest resources
nearest to them. Communities were to be involved in the making, implementation and enforcement of all regulatory laws and development plans.

About 20 experts drawn from environmental NGOs, government departments, industry and the academic community met in Ota for the first reading of the draft law. Among the participants was the Deputy Director of
the Federal Department of Forestry (FDF), Mr. Z. O. Adesiyan, the head of the Forestry Management Evaluation and Co-ordination Unit (FORMECU), Mr. P. M. Papka, and the Deputy Director of Cross River State Forestry
Department, Mr. Philip Mfon. There were also Barrister S. A. Okonofua of the FDF's legal department, Dr.
Olawale Ajai who prepared the draft forestry law. Other participants include Dr. Aminu Kano, Executive Director of NCF; Professor Emmanuel Obot, NCF Technical Programmes Director; and Ibrahim Inahoro,

NCF Conservation Mananger and co-ordinator of the workshop, as well as representatives of private environment and development organisations.

The workshop adjourned after two days, with a commitment to continue consultations between NCF and the Federal Department of Forestry. A second reading would be held sometime in the future to fine tune work on
the draft law in the interim by both organisations. Obasi Ogbonnaya

The Rules of War in Focus 2mins. 26secs.
The Television Trust for the Environment (TVE) based in London has released videos that deal with human rights in warfare, and bringing violators to justice. The films with the titles: International Criminal Court

PSAs and The Rules of War indicate that the tide has definitely turned against dictators and the dirty warmongers of the world.

International Criminal Court PSAs were produced jointly by two groups, namely: WITNESS (a committee of lawyers for human rights based in the USA) and the Coalition for an International Criminal Court. It is a set
of three Public Service Announcements (PSAs) featuring such individuals as Adolf Hitler and Augusto Pinochet alongside clips of the atrocities they instigated. They also include footage from past and recent conflicts in
Rwanda, Bosnia and Nazi Germany, and of people from around the world campaigning for justice. 8
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A report on TVE's website describes the films as "uncompromising [with] harrowing images of human suffering." The PSAs urge the public to "demand a permanent International Criminal Court," adding that "Without justice
there is no peace, without accountability there is no hope for the 21 st century."
The Rules of War celebrates the 50 th anniversary of the Geneva Convention which binds states to protect civilians and sick and wounded soldiers during war. The film laments the blurring of the barrier between
civilians and soldiers in nearly every war since the Second World War. But it also highlights the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC] in educating the national armies of some of the 188 signatories
to the Convention.
The films build on the tide of global public opinion that has alienated sympathy for dictatorships. The octogenarian Augusto Pinochet, former Chilean Head of State, who is about to be prosecuted in a foreign country for crimes
against Chileans, and the warlords of Serbia currently standing trial at an international court for crimes against
humanity, are cases in point. Oneworld. org

Children's Section
The Day Jackal Fooled the King of Beasts 1min. 55secs.
One day long ago, Jackal was trotting through a narrow and rocky pass when he came face to face with Lion, who was coming in the opposite direction. Realizing that he was too near to escape, Jackal was afraid, for he

had played too many tricks on Lion in the past, and now Lion might take this opportunity to get his revenge.
In a flash, he thought of a plan. He cowered down on the cliff path, looked above him, and cried, "Help!"
Lion stopped short in surprise. He had indeed been just about to leap upon Jackal and give him the beating of his life.

"Help!" cried Jackal again, "The rocks are about to fall on us! We shall both be crushed! Do something, O
mighty Lion!"

Lion looked up, most alarmed, but before he had time to think, Jackal was begging him to use his great strength to hold up an overhanging rock.

"Hold on!" cried Jackal, "I'll run and fetch that log over there to prop under the rock -then we'll both be saved!"
Lion put his great shoulder to the rock and heaved. While sneering Jackal made his escape, Lion was left all alone to struggle under the weight of the unmoving rock.
How long he remained there before he realized that it had all been yet another trick, we will never know. But one thing is perfectly clear: Jackal had to be twice as wary of Lion from that day forward.
When Hippo Was Hairy 9
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Why do Birds sing in the Morning? 50secs. A bird sings in the morning to tell other birds that its territory is occupied, or to attract a female bird for
breeding. It sings in the evening, too, before it goes to sleep. These important songs mean "This is my home and
I live here."

Birds guard their territories very closely, as do most other animals. A territory is vital for survival because it will include food and a safe place to breed and sleep. If a bird is injured or dies another bird of the same species,
looking for a territory of its own, will soon move in and start singing its own song of ownership. Chongololo

How do Birds sit on Electric Cables without Getting Shocks? 56secs. We will answer this as simply as we can, because electricity is quite difficult to understand.
In order for a bird (or any animal) to receive an electric shock, electricity must flow through its body. That means the bird must be in contact with both a source of electricity and the ground, or another wire, or even the
pylon which holds the high voltage cables up.
When a bird rests on a high voltage cable it will be quite safe because the electricity in the cable cannot flow
through its body. But, if the bird touches one of the other wires, or touches the pylon with its wing, then it is letting electricity flow through its body and will be killed.

Chongololo

The Result of Greed 9mins. 25secs. Once upon a time, there lived a woman who had one daughter. When her daughter grew up to marriageable
age, she decided to marry at a village called "Ohamkpi," which is the Igbo name for "The land of he goats." All efforts to dissuade her failed. So, in the end, her mother gave her blessings and she got married to a very
handsome man from Ohamkpi. She lived at peace with her husband and later gave birth to a son. After her delivery, word was sent to her mother who left to see her daughter and grandchild.

As is customary, before leaving to visit her daughter, son-in-law and grandchild, the woman bought a lot of food items needed to nurse and tend her child who was now a nursing mother. The items she took with her
included rice, cassava, beans, fish, meat, milk, sugar and every item needed to look after a nursing mother and child. She loaded all these into a basin and set off on her journey.

On the journey, a little bird flew overhead and said: "woman, woman, please give me a little of your provisions and I'd tell you what to do." Hearing this, the woman put down her basin and gave the little bird a little of each
food item and the little bird said: "When you get to Ohamkpi you will notice that the inhabitants are all goats. You will see them do everything human beings do, so do not disturb them. Instead, you should greet them in
their language. Their greeting is 'Unu gwezima' to which they would reply 'gwezima zima gwezima. '" After
this conversation with the bird, the woman continued on her journey.

Not long after that, she entered Ohamkpi village and the first sight that met her gaze was a collection of goats at a farm weeding and tending crops. She greeted them: "My in-laws, 'Unu gwezima. '" To which they replied
"Gwezima zima gwezima. Who taught you our language? May it be well with you. May you return home
peacefully as you came in peace." 10
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Continuing her journey, she saw another he goat and his family processing palm fruits to extract palm oil. She greeted them in like manner and got a prayerful response as above. Finally, she saw a family having dinner and
the greeting and response were repeated.
Arriving at her in-law's house she greeted them 'Unu gwezima' to which they replied 'gwezima zima gwezima' and she hugged her daughter and son-in-law. She requested to see her grandson and a bouncing he -goat was
presented to her. She fussed over it and returned it to its mother -her daughter.
After a two-week stay during which she visited her in-law's neighbors and socialized with them, she made her desire to return home known. At night the town crier went round the village singing:

You people of Ohamkpi Our guest leaves tomorrow
Please bring your gifts and items of Good wishes to give our guest,
A befitting farewell."
All the inhabitants of Ohamkpi brought their gifts. Some brought wrappers, blouses, dresses, head-ties and
shoes. Others bought jewelry and every good thing one could think of. These were packed into a large trunk and the goats held a send off party in her honor at which they thanked her immensely for her motherly visit.

When she was all set to go, her son-in-law sought a means of transport for her. A violent wind came along but he rejected it. Then a cool breeze came along and was accepted. The breeze was instructed to move fast when
it gets to sunny areas and to wait for her to rest when it got to a tree shade. The wind obeyed and dropped her safely at home.

On getting home, neighbors and townspeople came in great numbers to rejoice with her and inquire after her in-laws, daughter and son. After all had calmed down and the visitors departed, her next door neighbor asked
for her own traditional share of the gifts. [Traditionally a woman would let her neighbors get a small share of gifts of that nature from in-laws.] She got a piece of cloth and one blouse as gifts. But she greedily rejected the
items saying that she was going to get her own. And immediately she commanded her daughter to marry an Ohamkpi man and prayed fervently that her daughter should give birth to a child. Her prayer was answered
and she set out on a visit taking along the same food items for a nursing mother as her neighbor before her.
On the way to Ohamkpi village the little bird appeared and asked her, in exactly the same words to give her some food in exchange for information. Rather than give anything to the bird, the woman killed it and put it into
her basin along with the other food items and continued on her journey. Not long after that she entered Ohamkpi village.

When she saw a family on their farm, she threw sticks and stones at them, shouting at the top of her voice for the "owner of the farm" to come and disperse "goats" spoiling the crops. They, in turn, cursed her and wished
her ill luck. Continuing on her journey, she saw another he-goat and his family processing palm fruits to extract palm oil. Again she threw missiles at them, and they also cursed her and prayed for evil to befall her. 11
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When she got to her in-law's house, she greeted her daughter, asking her to call her husband and bring her grandchild. The daughter showed her a fat he-goat, saying that was her husband. She kicked her in-law and
threw off her grandchild, saying she had nothing to do with goats.
The next day she said she was about to go home and demanded her gifts like her neighbor had received when she visited. So, her in-law went round Ohamkpi village singing this song:

"You people of Ohamkpi
Our guest leaves tomorrow Please bring your snakes, bees, wasps and ants

So we can give our guest The farewell she deserves."

Hearing this, the inhabitants brought pythons and several other dangerous reptiles, bees, wasps, and deadly insects. These were packed into a large trunk box and, in her greed, the woman did not ask to see the contents
of the box. When a means of sending her home was sought the gentle breeze came but was turned back. A whirlwind came and was commissioned to convey her home. The wind was instructed to speed up where there
were shades but to stop under the scorching sun to rest.
The wind obeyed. And when it passed areas that were shaded by trees and shrubs, it sped up, but on getting to desert-like areas where the sun was fiercest without any cover or shade whatsoever, it stopped. Agitated by
the heat of the sun, the dangerous reptiles and insects broke loose from the box and bit and stung the woman until she died. The whirlwind then gathered her corpse and the box with its content and dumped them at her
doorstep.
So died the woman who was motivated by greed and jealousy. The lessons to be derived from this story are many. They include the following:
a) We must be contended with what we have.
b) We must not be jealous of other people success. c) We must show kindness to others. If the woman had given some food items to the bird, she may not

have come to the harm that befell her. Character Moulding Stories for Better Citizenship

Special Section
Big Bulls 'Rehabilitate' Rowdy Teen Elephants 1min. Sometimes it takes a big, strong father figure to get an unruly teenage male to shape up. And that is not just with
humans. Take the situation in South Africa's Pilanesberg National Park, where the matriarchal elephants a few years ago welcomed and nurtured the very young male orphans relocated from Kruger National Park.

But once the orphans became teenagers, the female group spurned them. Like unconstrained adolescents of many species, the males, their hormones ablaze, became seriously aggressive, even killing some rhinos. 12
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Judging that their outrageous behavior might be due to the absence of dominant older males, Pilanesberg officials in March 1998 imported six big adult bulls from Kruger to keep the youngsters in line. So far the trick
seems to be working and no more rhinos have been attacked. AWF

Corruption Down, Tourism Up, in Tanzania 48secs. There has been an upturn in tourism in Tanzania, earning as much as US$ 392 million in 1998, the highest in
recent years. Reports from the East African country credit this upturn to the visible drop in the level of corruption. Visitors experience less corruption. It is becoming rare for a foreign visitor to be hassled for a bribe from local
officials.
"This is a marked change from previous years when officials at airports demanded bribes in exchange for the favour of checking in passengers or in exchange for ensuring that one's baggage was sent into the aircraft with
minimum delay," the report said. Newslink Africa

Malawi Integrates Women into Armed Forces 1min 8secs. Malawi is hastening to open up to women all doors that had been traditionally closed to them. The law
prescribing an in-offensive dress code for women has been abolished. Now the government plans to recruit women into its armed forces.

"We are the only country in the region without women in its ranks," said Lt. General Joseph Chimbayo, the army commander recently. "Recruitment of girls into the Malawi army will start towards the end of the year or
early next year," Chimbayo said. He added that most logistics and policies surrounding the enlisting of women have been finalized and money allocated for the exercise.

Explaining it as a move to further redress the problem of gender inequality in the country, Chimbayo said that 35 girls would be enlisted in non-combatant capacity initially. Meanwhile gender sensitization workshops are
underway in the army to prepare them for the new changes. Pan African News Agency

Newspaper Publishes Number Plates of Offensive Cars 1min. 3secs. In a bid to combat air pollution, the Mauritian daily L'Express has started publishing the registration numbers of
smoke-belching vehicles found on roads.
In a recent edition the paper came out with registration numbers of 20 vehicles, their make and the name of the
owners. "The objective is to get the owners to take stock of their ghastly impact on the air we breathe, to force them to change their ways and be more responsible," the editor said.

He regretted that previous measures, including awareness seminars and laws, have failed to convince the owners of smoke-belching vehicles to rectify them. The editor indicated that "until Mauritians can breathe and
see quite freely the sky again, we propose to point out those vehicles that obviously do not know they are pestering the rest of the community."
Africa News Online 13
13 Page 14
Vol II No. 11
October 1999 CHANGE Radio

14
Acronyms
ACDP Akassa Community Development Programme
ADF Akassa Development Fund
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
CBO Community Based Organisation
CHRR Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation
CILIC Civil Liberties Committee
HIV Human Immuno Deficiency Syndrome
IAVI International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
IBA Important Bird Areas
ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross
MCP Malawi Congress Party
NCF Nigerian Conservation Foundation
NGOCE Non Governmental Organization Coalition for the Environment
PSA Public Service Announcement
RSPB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
TVE Television Trust for the Environment
WWF-UK World Wide Fund for Nature -United Kingdom 14

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