Identify construction & infrastructure project opportunities in Africa.  Main contractor to be selected by December for Limpopo scheme Gouga-Bangui route is part of Pointe Noire-Ndjamena multimodal trade corridor World Bank to support establishment of country’s first BESS and facilitate investments.  By subscribing you get access to the Newsfeed Construction News  Construction Market Reports  Construction Project Intelligence All Rights Reserved CA Digital Marketplace Cameroon – Conditions are often harrowing for women and girls in Cameroon’s Far North Region child marriage and maternal death are all too familiar experiences in this part of the country But these grave concerns are being tackled head-on in an unexpected place: The local 95.8 FM radio station the channel offers women and girls a glimpse into another way of living – a world where they are empowered and valued The situation is even grimmer in Mayo Tsanaga Division, close the Nigerian border. Attacks by the militant group Boko Haram have driven tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees into the area and many local families have been also affected by the violence When a woman is uncomfortable or frustrated because of cultural barriers and she doesn’t have the opportunity to make her voice heard the whole society is sick," said Pascal Djakaya Echos des montagnes is the only radio station broadcasting in the Mayo-Tsanaga Division Its reach includes the nearby Minawao camp where some 40,000 Nigerian refugees have sought shelter from Boko Haram attacks The station covers issues pertinent to both refugees and members of the local community ranging from reproductive health and girls’ education to women’s rights and empowerment ‘Vie de femme’ – the Life of a Woman – offers practical information to improve women’s status and welfare "Vie de femme gives an opportunity to a woman to talk about her life and tips she uses to address her vulnerability," explained Mr Tips include how to engage in income-generating activities Even men are realizing the value of these programmes “I call my wife and girls to listen Vie de femme because they can draw some very important lessons for their welfare,” said Ibrahim informing them about the rights of women and the consequences of gender-based violence The station has proved to be a powerful public health tool The show ‘Santé plus’ – Health Plus – features reproductive health experts answering questions from listeners And public service announcements are broadcast in the local languages promoting antenatal care and encouraging women to give birth in the local health centres instead of at home One programme, in particular, offers a platform for women to express opinions rarely heard in public. In ‘Débat au féminin’ – Debates of Women – women discuss issues widely considered forbidden, including sexual violence, sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, family planning,  and child marriage Listeners learn where to find assistance and health services “It gives vulnerable women and girls an opportunity to make their voices heard and to participate in discussions about everything that frustrates them and affects their collective well-being,” said Mamoudou Kermi Echos des montagnes was established in 2007 the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Ministry of Agriculture In December 2014, UNFPA and H4+ with funding by the Swedish International Cooperation Development Agency and five other community radio stations in the Far North to strengthen their health and human rights coverage “Journalists from these radio stations took part in trainings on how to use radio specifically to talk about reproductive health and rights,” said Gabriel Tchokomakwa Radio is a critical means of reaching out to the community “It is the safest and fastest way to promote reproductive health to the largest number of refugees internally displaced and host populations,” he said.  We use cookies and other identifiers to help improve your online experience. By using our website you agree to this, see our cookie policy zookeepers have known that something strange was stopping the giant animals’ hearts—now they’re beginning to trace the culprit to their guts Save Just before 8 o’clock on a snowy Wednesday morning deep in a maze of doors and steel fencing in the basement of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo a 30-year-old gorilla named Mokolo is getting a heart exam He’s voluntarily shambled up to a stainless-steel fence Now he looks at the ceiling with thinly veiled exasperation like a kid who wants to play outside but knows he has to stand still long enough to get slathered with sunscreen first His expression is so recognizably human that it’s disconcerting passing a green bean into Mokolo’s mouth as a treat The 400-pound animal gently accepts it with his lips Price rubs ultrasound gel on Mokolo’s thrust-out belly He wipes off some of the goo and examines it with a suspicious expression frowning as he rubs it between thumb and forefinger as though satisfied it’s the same substance Price used last week he raises his arm above his head and looks back at the ceiling rolling an ultrasound probe over Mokolo’s ribs a pulsating gray-and-white image of Mokolo’s heart appears on a portable ultrasound machine watches the right ventricle flutter open to let in blood he’ll measure the fluid that’s collected around Mokolo's heart cavity to make sure it hasn’t increased and add the information to a national database Mokolo suffers from heart disease—specifically healthy heart muscle into bands of white scar tissue too rigid to pump blood Although heart disease is nearly absent in wild populations it’s the leading killer of captive male gorillas around the world Roughly 70 percent of adult male gorillas in North America have heart disease epidemiologists and others have struggled to figure out why heart disease is so prevalent among captive apes and how to prevent the animals from developing it Now they may be closing in on answer—one that lies not in the 20-ounce time bombs housed in gorillas’ chests but in the microscopic bacteria that flourish in their guts at least 100 species of apes lived in the tropical forests of the Old World Some were as small and light-footed as house cats; others weighed as much as modern gorillas But the animals we now call the great apes weren’t alone and its brain eventually grew complex enough to use tools and invent the bulldozers and chain saws that are today tearing down great apes’ last ecological strongholds the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers all six species of great apes endangered and Sumatran orangutan—critically endangered While humans have pushed wild apes to the edge of a second mass extinction we have an abiding zeal for keeping our closest evolutionary kin in captivity Some of the earliest captive apes were held in menageries owned by European royals in the 17th and 18th centuries an era when intellectuals debated whether apes were exotic beasts or some distant the creatures were treated as both—shackled with iron chains but given linens for their bed and meals of bread scientists had managed to classify great apes into distinct species but still had little idea how to care for them The first gorilla to cross the Atlantic Ocean into North America a female western lowland gorilla named Madame Ningo arrived at New York’s Bronx Zoo from the French Congo in 1911 Perhaps because she so closely resembled a human—or because her oversized canines suggested the mandible of a vicious carnivore—zookeepers tried feeding her cooked meat and other hot dinners from the nearby Rocking Stone Restaurant They were perplexed when she refused to eat wrote bitterly that the animal “deserved to be [dead] for its obstinacy.” Perhaps he didn’t realize that gorillas are herbivores—their sharp canines are for stripping bark off fibrous African plants or baring at opponents in mating displays dying after 11 months from a lack of appetite despite no apparent pathological symptoms Yet zoos continued their quest to bring gorillas to North American audiences the highest desire of every zoological garden and park .. live gorilla of a size sufficiently large to compel both admiration and awe,” Hornaday wrote in 1915 care of gorillas improved—especially after the passage of the 1973 Endangered Species Act which banned the import of endangered wild apes and gave zoos even greater impetus to maintain self-sustaining captive populations the roughly 230 zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums had begun to shift their purpose from purveyors of “admiration and awe” to serious partners in conservation and education They adopted mandates to contribute money and man power to field conservation and to educate visitors on the threats faced by endangered species Zoos created “species survival plans” to ensure that captive populations of gorillas and other endangered species were robust enough to act as insurance in case wild populations edged too close to extinction But early misconceptions about gorillas proved hard to shake calorically dense “biscuits” packed with vitamins and nutrients and supplemented with a few fruits and vegetables eventually helped standardize gorilla diets Animals on the biscuit diet began living longer including a rambunctious baby boy born on July 10 When Mokolo arrived at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 1994 he helped establish a bachelor group with three other young males Wild gorillas often live in bachelor groups when they’re young and Mokolo settled easily into his new social role says the zoo’s executive director and animal behaviorist Chris Kuhar “He was the punky kid who caused trouble,” Kuhar recalls Like the 350 or so other gorillas living in AZA zoos Mokolo appeared relatively content and healthy Nearly a century after Madame Ningo arrived in the New World it seemed zoos had finally figured out great-ape husbandry three beloved male gorillas from 21 to 34 years old died in quick succession The culprit turned out to be heart disease Largely unbeknownst to zookeepers and veterinarians the disease had been creeping into the hearts of great apes much as it had crept into human hearts in the 20th century gorillas with heart problems didn’t show evidence of coronary-artery blockage or high cholesterol gorilla hearts were almost unknown territory to scientists “We didn’t even have a definition of heart disease in gorillas,” says Pam Dennis a veterinary epidemiologist with Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and assistant professor at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine it was easy enough to identify heart failure through a necropsy but since there were no parameters for healthy gorilla hearts diagnosis and treatment in living animals was tricky And because heart disease increases the risk of death during anesthesia veterinarians were reluctant to anesthetize gorillas to perform ultrasounds Even after the Great Ape Heart Project was created in 2010 to synthesize heart-health information from apes around the country data arrived in a trickle rather than a flood “No vet would anesthetize an adult male gorilla unless they absolutely needed to,” Dennis recalls “Routine health exams just sort of stopped.” The first breakthrough came as veterinarians and zookeepers realized they could use apples and green beans as treats to train apes to voluntarily give blood and stand still for cardiac ultrasounds More institutions began contributing to the Great Ape Heart Project and Mokolo and other gorillas around the country began shambling up to their keepers and presenting their chests or arms through barriers so the keepers could poke them with a needle or run an ultrasound probe over their abdomens veterinarians established what a healthy heart in an awake gorilla looks like making it possible to diagnose animals without anesthetizing them Both Mokolo and Bebac—the only other remaining member of the Cleveland Zoo bachelor group as well as Mokolo’s closest friend—were found to have fibrosing cardiomyopathy Veterinarians did their best to halt the disease’s progress by prescribing human heart medications snuck into the gorillas’ food two female gorillas named Fredrika and Kebi were brought to Cleveland so Mokolo could fulfill his next role in the arc of a gorilla’s life that of a dominant silverback with a harem He frequently watches them out of the corner of his eye are scrambling to keep Mokolo and the other males of his generation alive an associate animal curator at the Cleveland Zoo who began studying gorilla diets when she was a Ph.D student at Case Western Reserve University Given the connection between human diet and heart health gorillas’ diets seemed like “an obvious place to look” in the quest to understand heart disease Less found that the biscuit diet left plenty to be desired While gorillas are genetically similar to humans they have very different digestive systems—more akin to those in horses gorillas are “hind-gut digesters” who process food primarily in their extra-long large intestines rather than their stomachs That means they’re great at breaking down fiber “If you feed them a sweet potato or commercially grown fruit “But it’s not really giving them a lot of energy.” Claire MerchlinskyPlus wild gorillas spend up to 70 percent of their time foraging for high-fiber plants while gorillas on the biscuit diet can scarf down their food in just 30 minutes director of conservation and science at the Cleveland Zoo and chair of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan thinks this might contribute to a behavior called regurgitation and re-ingestion in which animals intentionally bring up their food and eat it a second time The behavior has never been recorded in wild gorillas but it’s well documented in humans with developmental disorders—and in some two-thirds of captive gorillas Lukas has found that gorillas that regurgitate are actually better adjusted than other captive gorillas in terms of behavior and stress; the behavior may be an adaptation that gives them a sense of control or allows them to better mimic the amount of time they’d spend eating in the wild When Less switched the Cleveland gorillas to a new diet—one that cuts out biscuits and simple starches and replaces them with leafy greens and branches from willow and other trees—she realized gorillas needed to eat about four times as much by weight as they had previously been fed Not only did gorillas on the “Cleveland diet” get a huge increase in fiber they spent nearly as much time eating as they would in the wild the Cleveland gorillas stopped regurgitating their food “We thought the diet change might have an impact on regurgitation and re-ingestion,” Less says “But to see it eliminated completely was shocking.” The new diet measurably decreases body fat and lowers cholesterol it seems to affect the bacteria living in gorillas’ stomachs and intestines And those microbes may be the key difference between gorillas with heart disease and those without it “I started studying the brain because I thought it was in control,” says Mary Ann Raghanti a biological anthropologist at Kent State University who studies both brain evolution and great-ape heart health scientists have begun to explore how the trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms living in people’s stomachs and intestinal tracts influence our health What we eat determines which of these microbes thrive and the composition of our gut flora has wide-ranging implications for other parts of our bodies trigger inflammations in our immune systems while other bacteria secrete substances that infiltrate our blood or clog arteries which may help explain why humans with heart disease host very different microbial communities than those with healthy hearts an assistant professor of biology at Ohio Northern University wanted to understand if bacteria played a similar role in gorilla guts: Do gorillas with heart disease host different bacteria than healthy gorillas is it possible to manipulate the bacteria in gorillas’ guts to impact their hearts Although the work to answer these questions is still in its early stages which contains hundreds of thousands of strands of DNA from the bacteria in gorillas’ guts I expected gorilla poop to look something like bear poop—an ominous steaming pile that clearly belongs to a very large But gorilla poop is more like the feces of a miniature horse—compact and dryish Zookeepers and graduate students collect samples extracts the DNA and sequences it to figure out which bacteria are present in gorillas’ guts By analyzing the poop of eight captive gorillas and other researchers found that animals with cardiac disease do indeed have different microbiomes than those without it Krynak compares the bacteria to guests at a party But if close friends come or maybe the host changes the environment by bringing out alcohol it might change your behavior,” she explains “the first step is to know who’s at the party well if you change the environment—if the gorilla eats something different—do you change who’s at the party Who there are more of and who there are less of do the functions of those bacteria change?” Researchers are just beginning to understand the mechanics of how changing the gut-microbe party affects other organs a diet that’s lacking in fiber seems to wipe out fiber-digesting bacteria and throw off finely tuned proportions of gut microbes The mice develop chronic inflammation and gain weight conditions that can increase the risk of heart disease such detailed understanding is still years away But the connections between animals’ microbiomes and their success in captivity is too promising to ignore Krynak is now analyzing posthumous fecal samples from Bebac and Fredrika to determine whether the biscuit-free diet creates a microbial “party” similar to that in healthy gorillas Researchers studying doucs—another endangered primate that struggles to survive in captivity—have found that zoo doucs’ gut bacteria differ significantly from those of their wild cousins but bear an uncanny resemblance to human microbiomes perhaps because humans and zoo doucs both tend to eat low-fiber diets as in any real-world scientific application so even if Mokolo’s condition doesn’t worsen it’s hard to know whether it’s attributable to his medications Determining whether the Cleveland diet can actually prevent heart disease from taking hold requires an entire generation of young male gorillas to be raised on it but so far only three zoos besides Cleveland have adopted it—mostly because it’s about four times as expensive as a biscuit-based diet only the North Carolina Zoo has males who have been biscuit-free since they were weaned Even if those two males grow up without heart disease they comprise such a small sample that it’ll be difficult to determine whether their health is due to their diet and microbiomes or simply good genes and others may take captive gorillas one step closer to living like their wild cousins—one step in a century-long series of steps and missteps that our understanding of human medicine and physiology is finally contributing to the health and well-being of primates “is that we learned so much about human health by doing research on primates that now it’s sort of like giving back.” when the streetlights are still on and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is closed to the public shows up for work in faded Carhartts and a hooded sweatshirt and a canister of heavy-duty pepper spray hang from his belt snow sifts from the sky and the city stirs to life Inside a florescent-lit back room at the zoo’s Primate Price measures out syringes of vitamins and medicine—birth control for the female gorillas a diuretic and a blood-pressure med for Mokolo Then he mixes up a substance that smells like oatmeal and has the consistency of wet cement It takes me a very long time to make enough saliva to swallow Price adds the medicine to the resistance starch and brings it to the gorillas in the basement holding area—the same behind-the-scenes enclosure where Mokolo gets his heart exams and blood draws Then he heads upstairs to the main gorilla exhibit that visitors can see through a large glass wall He stuffs endive and romaine lettuce into cardboard containers designed to increase the time gorillas spend “foraging” for food scatters the containers around the enclosure and raises the door that lets the gorillas move freely from the basement holding area into the main exhibit The two females knuckle-walk into the enclosure first snatching the first greens they see and stashing them under their arms the shaggy fur on his forearms swinging as he walks He surveys the enclosure with all the confidence of a dominant male then leisurely picks up a piece of romaine and Mokolo flicks it off with a forefinger—a startlingly human movement I understand why humans have been enthralled with gorillas for so long; why we’ve put them in zoos and menageries to study and observe them and perhaps learn something about ourselves along the way A few gibbons chatter from another enclosure Gray winter light filters through the windows My only other memory of seeing a gorilla is in nature documentaries There’s no cameraman to control what I see Zoos remain controversial among animal-rights advocates but proponents believe firmly in their purpose captive animals have been released to bolster nearly extinct wild populations and zoo animals can act as “ambassadors” to get people to care about wild animals Millions of people who may never travel to Africa visit AZA zoos each year is funneled directly to field conservation AZA zoos contributed $6.6 million to such projects including a collaboration with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund that trains Rwandan university students in scientific research and outreach Yet when I asked researchers and zoo staff in Cleveland why they cared about solving heart disease in great apes they didn’t talk about species-level conservation or whether captive gorillas will ever need to replenish wild populations they talked about improving the lives of individual animals like Mokolo humans took gorillas out of Africa and across the Atlantic Ocean And like so many choices made generations ago we’re the ones forced to grapple with the consequences “We brought these animals into zoos,” says Pam Dennis and if how we manage them is the cause of heart disease then I think we’re responsible to figure it out and fix it.” he sits on a tree root with an elbow resting on one knee and lets the uneaten pieces flutter back to the floor he leaps up and gallops around the enclosure making a ruckus that echoes through the quiet building Smiling slightly as though satisfied with himself he turns his back and disappears down the stairs back into the place of cement floors and bright lights and steel fences This article is part of our Life Up Close project which is supported by the HHMI Department of Science Education Cleveland Metroparks Zoo last week announced the birth of a male gorilla—the first gorilla born at the Zoo in its 139-year history The western lowland gorilla was born the morning of Oct When Nneka did not show appropriate maternal care Fredrika or “Freddy” (47)—who herself has raised four infants—instinctively took over maternal care of the newborn Guests visiting Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will have a chance to see the newborn and gorilla troop at the Primate, Cat & Aquatics building daily between 11 a.m newborn gorillas are in almost constant contact with their mother for the first six months and nurse for about three years.">Weighing about three pounds at birth newborn gorillas are in almost constant contact with their mother for the first six months and nurse for about three years.“We’re thrilled to announce the birth of this gorilla as we also look ahead towards the future at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo,” said Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian M “Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has been an international leader in gorilla research newborn gorillas are in almost constant contact with their mother for the first six months and nurse for about three years Freddy has been bringing the newborn to be bottle fed by Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s animal care team The team worked with the gorillas using positive reinforcement training techniques to facilitate cooperative participation in the supplemental feeding of the infant The technique allows the infant to stay with the gorilla family at all times to allow proper physical development Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is a long-term leader in gorilla research, care, and management—including spearheading the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP) program across all accredited zoos of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Cleveland Metroparks Zoo works closely with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda and zoo experts to help train young Rwandan scientists in protecting the 200 gorillas in the Nkuba-Biruwe Conservation Area Only 1,000 mountain gorillas remain in two populations in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Fewer than 8,500 eastern lowland gorillas, or  Grauer’s gorillas Cleveland Metroparks also announced a long-term partnership with Cleveland-based CrossCountry Mortgage that will include a public naming opportunity of the new gorilla an exclusive video series featuring updates on the growth and development of the infant “Our newly announced multi-year partnership with CrossCountry Mortgage will bring new engagement and other exciting opportunities to our zoo as well as all of Cleveland Metroparks,” said Zimmerman the Zoo and CrossCountry Mortgage will host a public naming opportunity and release a video series documenting the infant’s development and troop dynamic The partnership will include multi-year support of new public events, programs, and art displays designed to expand recreational and educational opportunities across all of Cleveland Metroparks and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Africa Intelligence brings you exclusive coverage of the major political economic and diplomatic issues at stake on the African continent identifying power players on the rise and low-frequency signals on the horizon Peruse our daily story summaries to get the scoop on tomorrow's top stories ahead of the crowd We will not use your address for advertising or commercial purposes Discover our work by making use of the following possibilities: daily newsletters Do you want a free trial before subscribing A cookie is a text file placed on the hard drive of your terminal (computer, smart phone, tablet, etc.) by the website. 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Museums have no borders,they have a network collections in two Cameroonian museums were inventoried and digitised as part of the Museums Resilience initiative with the goal of helping museums in the country protect their cultural patrimony during health and security crises The undertaking was funded by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) The Royal Museum of the Mokolo Lamidat was able to take advantage of this programme with the support of the Chair of Cameroon’s National Committee—ICOM Cameroon—and his team Royal Museum of the Mokolo Lamidat is located in the Cameroonian city of Mokolo the departmental capital of Mayo-Tsanaga in the Extreme North Region around 60 km northwest of the city of Maroua and promoting the cultural heritage of the Mafa and Fula peoples Introducing the Royal Museum of the Mokolo Lamidat The museum is divided into a ground-floor gallery of about 20 square metres and a permanent exhibition space upstairs of approximately 40 square metres The gallery displays and sells items made by people from near and far medicinal and agricultural products and objects The permanent exhibition is called Art and Traditions With an approach combining reconstructed scenes and hanging displays it documents the origin and evolution of the Royal Museum of the Mokolo Lamidat through portraits of several lamibés (plural of lamido a title given to traditional chiefs in Northern Cameroon) One of the key elements of this space is the section devoted to cavalry and historical conquests in Northern Cameroon Here one finds weapons alongside traditional musical instruments as well as jewellery and blacksmithing tools At the exhibition’s centre towers a millstone one of the fortuitous discoveries from the village of Ziver located within Mokolo in the South Matakam administrative area Other cultural and social spaces such as the equestrian facility library and multimedia centre neighbour the museum building Tradition and modernity at the Royal Museum of the Mokolo Lamidat The permanent exhibition showcases the lifestyles of the Fula and Mafa people have stayed true to their traditions Objects used in daily life have a long history and thus belong in the museum made by local women for storing water and cooking traditional food and drinks like bili-bili are a perfect illustration of this connection between past and present cavalry and musical instruments displayed are still mainstays of city life Music and cavalry often accompany the Lamido during religious outings Ceremonial garb and instruments shown at the museum are directly bequeathed by the lamibés a powerful symbol for the Fula and Mafa cultures also continues to figure prominently in society It is used as a musical instrument for dance The museum thus bridges between Mokolo’s younger generation and its ancestors by documenting conserving and bringing to the fore a tradition and cultural heritage that live on in the heart of the city Inventory and communication at the Royal Museum of the Mokolo Lamidat: the role of ALIPH and ICOM in addressing the health and security crises In light of the Boko Haram and Covid-19 crises overwhelming the Extreme North region of Cameroon the Royal Museum of the Mokolo Lamidat received aid from ALIPH and ICOM in digitising and preserving its rich collection the ICOM Cameroon team collaborated with the local population (the Lamido and public figures) to systematically inventory and digitise the collection of artefacts while also training the museum staff and reconfiguring the permanent exhibition The inventory consisted of several steps: categorisation Approximately 500 artefacts—spanning 15 categories—were inventoried including acquisitions made during the project The digitisation of this collection is of paramount importance because it helps preserve the cultural treasures of the Mafa and Fula peoples A scientific and technical inventory toolkit was given to the museum so that it can continue these practices the team from ICOM Cameroon shifted to rearranging the permanent exhibition Categorising and archiving the artefacts helped reorient the museum’s discourse with an eye to improving the public’s understanding of the material Exhibition signage was produced with this in mind; in parallel LinkedIn) was increased to raise its profile Digitising collections while using cutting-edge technology to develop and produce promotional tools helps protect the museum from crisis-fuelled destruction These processes also reemphasise the existing ties between past and present thereby creating new modes of access to the skills of the Fula and Mafa peoples Regarding the collaboration with ALIPH and ICOM ICOM. 2020. ‘ICOM and ALIPH join forces to support West and Central African museums at risk in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’. Available at: https://icom.museum/en/news/icom-aliph-partnership-covid-19/ ICOM. 2020. ‘PROJECT UPDATE: supporting West and Central African museums in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic’. Available at: https://icom.museum/en/news/supporting-african-museums-covid-19 Regarding the Royal Museum of the Mokolo Lamidat (French-language websites) .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By James Ewinger, The Plain DealerCLEVELAND a western lowland gorilla at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has not been around females of his species since he came here from Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo in 1994 he has adjusted nicely to being the silverback dominant male in a mixed-gender troop Cat and Acquatics building give him high marks for his restraint and deference as he and two females continue to adjust They spent the summer getting to know each other and were introduced to Mokolo in August because it is the first time they have been together and visible to the public The food was scattered around their indoor enclosure compelling them to search for it as they would in the wild said this diet is better than the steady stream of biscuits they used to eat Making them forage also prolongs eating and burns more calories Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices \n m_gallery = \"two_new_gorillas_keep_mokolo_c\";\n m_gallery_id = \"23588459\";\n m_gallery_title = \"Two new gorillas keep Mokolo company at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo\";\n m_gallery_blog_id = \"4501\";\n m_gallery_creation_date = \"Friday 1:41 PM\";\n m_gallery_permalink = \"http://photos.cleveland.com/4501/gallery/two_new_gorillas_keep_mokolo_c/index.html\";\n m_gallery_json = \"https://blog.cleveland.com/photogallery/4501/23588459.json\";\n m_gallery_pagetype = \"embed\";\n m_gallery_type = \"photo\";\n <\/script>\n Gallery: Two new gorillas keep Mokolo company at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo a former radio journalist and Alabama campaign worker for President Barack Obama announced Monday she will join the crowded Democratic primary field in the race to replace U.S Artur Davis in Alabama's 7th Congressional District next year 'I am a proud American and I am a proud Alabamian and I have a strong voice with which I will represent each and everyone,' Mokolo said as she kicked off her first bid for public office at her campaign headquarters on Skyland Boulevard East 'The only way we can confront the issues that face the 7th District is to acknowledge them and take them on.' She said the top issues are poverty and the lack of jobs in the mostly rural district that includes much of the Black Belt as well as parts of Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties 'I will be an advocate in Washington for everyone in the district,' she said to a handful of family and supporters Mokolo joins Tuscaloosa businessman Eddison Walters Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Smoot former Selma Mayor James Perkins and Birmingham attorney Martha Bozeman in the race for the Democratic nomination for the rare open seat in Congress No Republican candidate has announced plans to run The 7th District has never elected a Republican The winners will become the party nominees on the Nov said she has spent much of her time in recent years 'being a mother and housewife,' but that working for Obama's campaign in Alabama last year energized her who has a degree in journalism from the University of Alabama and previously worked for two Tuscaloosa radio stations has also worked for the Alabama Democratic Conference The Tuscaloosa resident said she believes she has good name recognition in the district through her political work 'I've been a community activist working on any number of projects,' she said 'Right now I think the main thing all of us running for Congress should be concentrating on is the poverty in the Black Belt but has been hit really hard by the recession,' said Mokolo 'I think we have to get our citizens back to work and share the wealth 'We have some areas in the district that are well-developed and some that are under-developed,' she said 'I think we need to hold what we have and work hard on building up those undeveloped areas.' Since she has not formally qualified for what is a federal office Mokolo has not yet had to file campaign disclosure figures with the Federal Election Commission but she indicated she plans to run a low-budget race I don't think you have to spend all that much,' she said 'You just need to get out there and work.' Reach Tommy Stevenson at tommy.stevenson@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0194 shows fish in a fish shop at Mokolo market in Yaounde Although Cameroon's government plays a great part subsidizing many goods June 30 (Xinhua) -- Ideline Kuate meandered around Sandaga market in Cameroon's commercial hub of Douala in search of what to buy the 40-year-old earns approximately 50,000 xaf (about 80 U.S dollars) each month but it's no longer enough to adequately feed her family of six complaining that a litre of cooking oil she used to buy at 1,200 xaf now sells at 2,100 xaf Marguerite Mbazoa arrived at the Mokolo market to shop but she realized that the fish she used to buy for 1,500 xaf now sells at 2500 xaf Homologated prices are no longer respected," said Mbazoa fuming at how the increase in prices is affecting her children's feeding habits A trader carries tomatoes at a food market in Douala When Xinhua visited the once-popular markets in the two cities few buyers visited the stalls piled high with local commodities as their soaring prices have discouraged most of the customers from buying Francois Tague is selling a bag of rice at 22,500 xaf The 52-year-old said he was contemplating on abandoning his business because there are no buyers Prices have continued to rise sharply over the last few months in the Central African nation as the economy which was barely recovering from COVID-19 disruptions now suffers from both internal and external shocks Official figures put the inflation rate at two percent but purchasing power for an estimated 20 million Cameroonians has dropped considerably over time According to Cameroon National Institute of Statistics (NIS) the country is under siege from the rising cost of doing business and the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict which has disrupted the global movement of commodities and pushed up oil prices NIS said the prices of food products increased by 10.1 percent and 8.2 percent over one year in Douala and Yaounde respectively The prices of imported food products increased by 10.1 percent in annual variation and those of local products by 8.9 percent in Douala while in Yaounde this increase was 1.3 percent over one month and at 9.2 percent over one year A trader serves customers at his stall at Mokolo market in Yaounde Among the worst affected commodities are bread and rice whose high costs has made it a luxury among many Cameroonians who was shopping for her family at the Mokolo market "The government has to fix this," she said We are pleading to the government to bring down these prices and increase salaries of civil servants" said Ben Werenge who trades in food products at the Sandaga market "The war has disrupted production and trade of several commodities particularly those where Russia and Ukraine are key exporters These price increases come on top of already tight commodity markets due to a solid demand recovery from the pandemic as well as numerous pandemic-related supply constraints," Damue said The government needs to encourage farmers to grow wheat locally and also subsidize prices of some commodities The Ministry of Trade has recently issued a price list of basic commodities following the unauthorized increase in market prices The government has tried to reassure Cameroonians in recent weeks that existing wheat reserves and local crops will meet demand for the subsidized bread Officials have said subsidy reforms could be included in the 2022/23 budget though the extent of any reform remains unclear With African migration to Europe seemingly at an all-time high a bishop has appealed to European governments to help slow migration by creating jobs in Africa told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that if young Africans are not given hope they will continue to flee poverty The prelate stressed that “if people were to have access to jobs and economic opportunities in their countries of origin “There is a clear connection between the reality of displaced people Bishop Ateba called on politicians in European countries – where many migrants are heading – to be more proactive in seeking solutions He said: “If Europe cooperated with job creation in our countries we would not have the problem we are currently facing at a global level.” He added: “Young people represent tremendous potential for our continent but only if we can give them the tools and opportunities required to prosper.” The bishop told ACN: “After 50 years of independence [in Cameroon] Many feel obliged to leave due to lack of opportunities we have to find a sustainable solution to stop the exodus of our young people.” Bishop Ateba said these conditions are driving young Africans to risk everything to seek a better future elsewhere and they are also under a lot of social pressure so even though they have to cross the Sahara Desert first The prelate told ACN that Cameroon had been a migratory passage for young people crossing Chad to reach better economic conditions in Libya but the changes in the region’s political landscape meant that they now headed to Europe instead the ‘African El Dorado’ ceased to be a reality which has led to a massive flow of migrants towards that continent.” In some places on the African continent instability caused by jihadist groups is also fuelling displacement and migration Bishop Ateba’s diocese is providing support for refugees He praised “an ACN-funded activity centre for young people at the refugee camp of Minawao which has 80,000 refugees from neighbouring Nigeria who fled Boko Haram” The centre is teaching skills including as boot making and fixing computers to help refugees support themselves  Bishop Ateba concluded: “The Church and organisations such as ACN continue to play a crucial role in supporting and helping those who are directly affected by the security and migratory crisis – but the cooperation of governments and the international community is essential to face these challenges and find long-term solutions.” By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information Accept The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this ANY DONATIONS AND MASS OFFERINGS YOU KINDLY GIVE THROUGH THIS WEBSITE WILL BE COLLECTED BY ACN TRADING LTD ON BEHALF OF AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED (UK) Copyright © 2025 Aid to the Church in Need. All Rights Reserved.Aid to the Church in Need is a Pontifical Foundation of the Catholic Church and a registered charity in England and Wales (1097984) and in Scotland (SC040748) | Charity web design by Fat Beehive .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By James Ewinger, The Plain Dealerc07apes3.jpg a male Western lowland gorilla at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Ohio - The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has announced that Bebac were diagnosed with heart disease nearly a decade ago The steps taken to arrest the problem included a change in diet and an enrichment program that compelled the duo to forage for food in their enclosures just as the would do in the wild they were fed biscuits of a sort and the food was brought to them Veterinarians and other specialists at the zoo said in earlier interviews that there had been little data on the heart health of the great apes and animal-care personnel relied on human data The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has taken a leadership role in the future of the western lowland gorillas It has participated in an effort with other zoos to build up the medical information about the gorillas an animal behavior expert who is the zoo's curator of conservation and science heads the western lowland gorilla species survival plan SSP for the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums which accredits the best zoos and aquariums in North America Quebec City convenience store owner Madeleine Zari-Doka comes by retail selling honestly courage and determination that have enabled her to build a three-store chain in Quebec’s picture-perfect provincial capital are all hers.“I’ve been through a lot,” says Zari-Doka speaking from her original Dépanneur Mokolo location a basement convenience store also features imported foods cosmetics and sundry items for the city’s small but growing population of African and Latino residents and students “But I’ve worked hard and I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished.” Born and raised in a large family in Baboua a small town on the Central African Republic’s border with Cameroon Zari-Doka grew up helping run the clothing stores and inns owned and operated by her entrepreneurial father.“He taught us how to sell,” recalls Zari-Doka “Even at school he got us to sell small items to our classmates.”Later while travelling to several countries under the auspices of the Lutheran World Federation Zari-Doka ran afoul of one of the many rebel groups in the unwieldy central African nation a former French colony that is one of the poorest countries on Earth where she worked at several jobs and completed a business course before securing a $15,000 loan in 2007 from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation but that didn’t work out and she turned her attention to convenience “I decided to also get a permit to also sell the foods that Africans like but can’t get in supermarkets here,” says Zari-Doka who adopted the moniker Mokolo because it means “big” in several indigenous African dialects and is the name of both a major city and a famous market in central Africa.Dépanneur Mokolo opened in 2008 in the basement of a small building on a busy commercial street in Quebec City’s west end close to the Laval University campus and the many African students who live and study there An Arabic grocery store later opened on the main floor above.In addition to snacks and staples as well as African-centric fresh and frozen foods ranging from dates sauces and potato-based cassava flour to plantain lamb and hard chicken (a pan-African culinary mainstay and the store’s top-selling food item) who works alone in the store that is open daily from 10 a.m so that she can attend morning church services) the business grew thanks to word of mouth and her ongoing sponsorship of community events  “It took a lot of time and patience,” says Zari-Doka whose children joined her in Quebec City shortly after the store opened “I worked hard and concentrated on building people’s confidence is the popularity of the store’s food items among the local Latino population A large percentage of my customers now are non-Africans." Zari-Doka bought the inventory of a shuttered c-store and opened a second Mokolo just a stone’s throw from the Laval University campus This ground-floor location features many of the same products as the original store plus many regular North American c-store items and is operated by her 22-year-old son William.Two years ago Zari-Doka bought another store and converted it to a third Mokolo location which is run by her 25-year-old daughter Lydia-Annette who has two kids of her own.“Things are going very well,” said Zari-Doka who now returns to the Central African Republic for several weeks during the summer months to visit her family (she travels incognito out of fear of being kidnapped by cash-hungry rebels) “I really enjoy being of service to people.” This article originally appeared in Sept/October issue of CSNC Mokolo Crocodile Water Augmentation Project (MCWAP) involves the construction of a 46km pipeline and a pump station transferring water from the Mokolo Dam to supply water to EXXARO Grootegeluk Mine Lephalale Municipality and to supply the new Medupi Power Station Despite the fact that long term funding was sought from markets, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) provided funding for the Mokolo Crocodile Water Augmentation Project to allow the project to continue. During the financial year the tender for long term funding closed and was 6 times oversubscribed, indicating continued long-term confidence in Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) projects Income from the sale of bulk raw water delivered to the off-takers will be used to repay the project debt Phase 1 comprised the construction of a 4.5MW pump station and 46km (of up to 1 100 mm diameter) pipeline delivering approximately 30 million cubic metres of water per annum taken from the Mokolo Dam in the mountains south of Lephalale This infrastructure was constructed parallel to existing infrastructure supplying Exxaro’s Grootegeluk Mine Eskom’s Medupi Power Stations and Matimba; and the Lephalale Local Municipality Phase 2 of the Mokolo Crocodile Water Augmentation Project will include an abstraction weir in the Crocodile River de-gritting channels with high and low lift pump stations and approximately 160km of pipeline with break pressure and balancing reservoirs a Joint Venture between Vela VKE Consulting Engineers PD Naidoo and Associates and Worley Parsons is the engineering consultant for the Project Aveng (Africa) Ltd and Umbutho Civil and Electrical cc JV (AUJV) is the construction contractor on the Mokolo Crocodile Water Augmentation Project The land which was critical for construction to commence was acquired timeously Also Read: Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) timeline and all you need to know The Environmental Authorisation for Phase 1 was granted in December 2010 Work also commenced with the detailed Construction Environmental Management Plan for Phase 1 Baseline studies were initiated to determine ambient conditions and background variability for aspects such as vegetation Traffic volumes and road conditions were investigated identification and analysis of assets and infrastructure in the pipeline servitude area were conducted Environmental performance criteria were integrated into the infrastructure design and contract specifications of the tender documentation the contractor mobilised and moved to the site construction works commenced after TCTA gave the right of access to and possession of the priority parts of the site which includes the rising main from Mokolo dam to Wolvenfontein balancing dams Phase 1 of the Mokolo Crocodile Water Augmentation Project was successfully commissioned Environmental impact assessment (EIA) authorization issued in December by the Department of Environmental Affairs Construction of phase 2A began in June but no sooner had it started than it stalled in early August due to an appeal launched in April by Earthlife Africa and groundwork against the environmental impact assessment (EIA) authorization issued in 2018 by the Department of Environmental Affairs Earthlife Africa and groundwork called on the Minister of Water and Sanitation to review and set aside the authorization of the project owing to environmental impacts the project will bring including the impact it will have on the climate according to DWS spokesperson Sputnik Ratau the appeal does not prohibit any organization against continuing its preparatory works in anticipation of the project “The project is currently at the preparation stage with documentation and tender-design having commenced,” he said Forestry and Fisheries Ms Barbara Creecy released her response to the appeals and rejected their grounds clearing obstacles to commencement of phase 2 Welcome to Construction Review a portal that serves the building and construction industry through our blog social media presence and print publication Contact us Guest Posting Take down policy South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has confirmed that construction works on the US $828m Mokolo-Crocodile Water Augmentation Project Phase 2A will not commence due to an appeal launched back in April by Earthlife Africa and groundwork against the environmental impact assessment (EIA) authorization issued in December 2018 by the Department of Environmental Affairs Earthlife Africa and groundwork called on the Minister to review and set aside the authorization of the project In June this year, the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) announced it had started the implementation of the project which is designed to transfer water to support energy and mining activities in Limpopo province including Eskom’s Medupi coal-fired power station a project cannot continue when there’s an appeal against an EIA authorization does not prohibit any organization against continuing its preparatory works in anticipation of the project.The project is currently at the preparation stage with documentation and tender-design having commenced,” he added Also Read:South Africa allocates US $547,000 for Mpumalanga water projects The project which is expected to significantly increase the supply of water to the Lephalale area which is currently facing a water shortage involves the transfer of water from Crocodile river to Steenbokpan and Lephalale areas and also implementation of tributaries Its main components include a pump station and bulk raw water infrastructure in order to meet future and existing demand over a 20 year period The TCTA will be in charge of procurement while the GBN JV consisting of Nyeleti Consulting, Gibb and Bigen Africa Services will be the project’s professional service provider in charge of design TCTA is also mandated to approach the financial market for funding of 89% of the project 1 Contributor100 kilos Lyrics[Intro]Naza kaka na sé ya nzete n'esika oyo otikaki ngaiSam Mpengo Mbey Grand LacRestaurant Schengen chez BalendoCodeco Mbongwalanga[Couplet 1 : Ferré Gola]Mbongo oza nango Luemba ehBilamba otonda na ngo sambo ko zomiNazangi mayele ya kosepelisa yoNalamuki avant tongo etana nakoti zamba haNabuki 100 Kilos ya ba fleurs na maboko ma nga mokoNa ba kipungu-pungu misato pona yéOlingaka ba nyama LuembaZwa pe tshaku oyo na lakisi ye maloba ya bolingoAlobelaka yo na absence na ngai Adam BomboleSoki esclavage ONU epekiskaka teNde na mi tie moombo ya Jeampy BolaPo ata regard nayo ya pamba eza caresse[Couplet 2 : Ferré Gola]Otindeli nga maloba olobi na ngai okoya ko tala ngaBa tandelaka mokonzi tapis ya rouge ya lokumuNatandeli yo simisi pe pantalon na nga LuembaWuta na bala-bala ti na ndako na ngaïPo otambolela Edo MuzambaYou might also like[Couplet 3 : Ferré Gola]Yo oza vraiment na lignée ya ba plus beaux joyaux vivantAta obombi elongi lokolo no ya pamba eza na valeur ya parc ya VirungaBongola vie na ngai na seconde moko tanda maboko GuyGuy Makumbi[Pré-refrain]Mokolo Luemba akendeki mobembo ohOh Willy Tembela ehMokolo Luemba akendki mobembo eh[Refrain]Na ko sala nini Guy Luemba oboyi nga (oh Jacky Watunda na José Kongolo)Na ko sala nini Guy Luemba oboyi nga[Couplet 4 : Ferré Gola]Caprice ça suffit nde courant ebendakakiElamba na ngai ya feti eza na poso na yoTango okoya ekozala le plus grand festin Thierry GolaCaprice na yo nde courant ebendaka ngaiElamba na ngai ya feti eza na poso na yoTango okoya ekozala le plus grand festin sans toi ma vie n'a pas de sens[Couplet 5 : Ferré Gola]Yo oza vraiment na lignée ya ba plus beaux joyaux vivant tanda maboko GigiMakumbi[Couplet 6 : Ferré Gola]Mokolo mosusu ozongi na minuit na kangi yo na photo ya basiEhNatuni yo papa eh olobi ezali ya cousine na yoEt pourtant nayebi eh ozalaka na bandeko ya basi teWana nyoso ozali kaka to troubler coeur coeur)[Couplet 7 : Ferré Gola]Mokolo mosusu nakei na zandu nayoki posa na yoNalobi na leka na bureauNakuti yo lisusu kaka na secrétaire (coeur coeur)[Couplet 8 : Ferré Gola]Mokolo mosusu tolali na butu nayoki phone eleliNayoki mongongo ya mwasi ehNatuni yo papa eh coeur)[Couplet 9 : Ferré Gola]Nakotuna nzambe pona nini esalama ngo boyeNakotuna nzambe pona nini esalama ngo boyeNakotuna nzambe pona nini esalama boye (oyebaka que oza danzer oyebaka qu'oza mystique vraiment)Mokolo Luemba akendeki mobemboShaggy Musawe eh mama ozali nyoso naza na yango[Refrain]Nakosala nini Guy Luemba oboyi ngaNakosala nini Guy Luemba oboyi nga[Couplet 10 : JDT Mulopwe]Bolingo ekotela nga Verlin Nzala ehEkomi otungisa nga Pathy Lomboto St ValloisBalobi okoteli nga mpungu (niveau oza kolela Mulopwe en tout cas vraiment) po nakomi'o kutu koluka cracka tchoi[Couplet 11 : Celezino]Bomoyi na ngai ezo tambola na makila na yo ehMa Tara ya Bosco Lleya Nanu KasaPasi ministre alobi nini na souffrance ya vie na ngaClaudel Mavanga la Mama[Pré-refrain]Mokolo Luemba akendeki mobembo oh[Refrain]Na ko sala nini Guy Luemba oboyi nga[Outro : Ferré Gola]Le bonheur des uns fait le malheur des autresEmbedCancelHow to Format Lyrics: To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning thesouthafrican.com is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd Reproduction without permission prohibited Home » Bodies of two teachers and child found after boat accident at Mokolo Dam The bodies of two teachers from Lephalale and an 11-year-old boy were found after a boat accident at the Mokolo Dam The bodies of two teachers from Lephalale (Ellisras) in Limpopo and an 11-year-old boy were found after their boat crashed over the bank of the Mokolo Dam on Tuesday afternoon Mof and Mariëtte Weber went out on their boat on the dam at around sunset on Tuesday afternoon They took 11-year-old Ruan van der Merwe along on the boat ride Ruan and his family were camped next to the Weber couple ALSO READ: Missing 10-year-old boy found in shallow grave on Christmas Day A large-scale search for the three was launched after they did not return in time on Tuesday The search was suspended and resumed at dawn on Wednesday in cooperation with the police and the diving unit told the media that her son had sustained visible injuries The bodies of the Weber couple were found on Thursday morning. Adriaan Joubert, principal of Ellisras High School, told the media the couple had been with the school since the 1980s He described the events as an absolute tragedy messages of condolences and tributes poured in for the beloved teachers on social media ALSO READ: Surfer killed in an “apparent shark attack” on Christmas Eve Follow us on Facebook for the latest breaking news, polls - and more! Chaos and laughter unfold as a brave rooster chases a woman after grabbing a chicken The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has announced the decision to close the SA Embassy in Sofia There’s a lot at stake for Kaizer Chiefs who are chasing one of the continents most sought after strikers Sue Duminy – the former wife of cricketer JP Duminy – cosied up to a mystery man at the recent AfrikaBurn festival… Kaizer Chiefs midfielder George Matlou has suggested that Amakhosi supporters can expect to finally witness his best football Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro hails his relentless squad as “beasts” for their fierce pursuit of silverware on all fronts