#Programming schools in Kenya

[fandfnews]

Hungary Helps Program Brings Hope and Educational Opportunities to Nairobi's Korogocho Slum

[farmerstrend]

Kenyan Government Sends Youth to UK for Modern Agriculture Exposure

162 young Kenyans from the Kenya School of Agriculture have been flagged off to the UK for six months of hands-on farm work under the Kenya–UK Seasonal Workers Program, gaining valuable skills and global exposure. 162 young Kenyans from the Kenya School of Agriculture (KSA) were officially flagged off to the United Kingdom under the Kenya-UK Seasonal Workers Scheme (SWS). Presiding over the…

[travelwithpourpose]

Aerial View of Saruni Samburu Game Lodge. Do you like the Views? ❤

[reasonsforhope]

Here's the top 2 stories from each of Fix The News's six categories:

1. A game-changing HIV drug was the biggest story of 2024

In what Science called the 'breakthrough of the year', researchers revealed in June that a twice-yearly drug called lenacapavir reduced HIV infections in a trial in Africa to zero—an astonishing 100% efficacy, and the closest thing to a vaccine in four decades of research. Things moved quick; by October, the maker of the drug, Gilead, had agreed to produce an affordable version for 120 resource-limited countries, and by December trials were underway for a version that could prevent infection with just a single shot per year. 'I got cold shivers. After all our years of sadness, particularly over vaccines, this truly is surreal.'

2. Another incredible year for disease elimination

Jordan became the first country to eliminate leprosy, Chad eliminated sleeping sickness, Guinea eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus, Belize, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, India achieved the WHO target for eliminating black fever, India, Viet Nam and Pakistan eliminated trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, and Brazil and Timor Leste eliminated elephantiasis.

15. The EU passed a landmark nature restoration law

When countries pass environmental legislation, it’s big news; when an entire continent mandates the protection of nature, it signals a profound shift. Under the new law, which passed on a knife-edge vote in June 2024, all 27 member states are legally required to restore at least 20% of land and sea by 2030, and degraded ecosystems by 2050. This is one of the world’s most ambitious pieces of legislation and it didn’t come easy; but the payoff will be huge - from tackling biodiversity loss and climate change to enhancing food security.

16. Deforestation in the Amazon halved in two years

Brazil’s space agency, INPE, confirmed a second consecutive year of declining deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. That means deforestation rates have roughly halved under Lula, and are now approaching all time lows. In Colombia, deforestation dropped by 36%, hitting a 23-year low. Bolivia created four new protected areas, a huge new new state park was created in Pará to protect some of the oldest and tallest tree species in the tropical Americas and a new study revealed that more of the Amazon is protected than we originally thought, with 62.4% of the rainforest now under some form of conservation management.

39. Millions more children got an education

Staggering statistics incoming: between 2000 and 2023, the number of children and adolescents not attending school fell by nearly 40%, and Eastern and Southern Africa, achieved gender parity in primary education, with 25 million more girls are enrolled in primary school today than in the early 2000s. Since 2015, an additional 110 million children have entered school worldwide, and 40 million more young people are completing secondary school.

40. We fed around a quarter of the world's kids at school

Around 480 million students are now getting fed at school, up from 319 million before the pandemic, and 104 countries have joined a global coalition to promote school meals, School feeding policies are now in place in 48 countries in Africa, and this year Nigeria announced plans to expand school meals to 20 million children by 2025, Kenya committed to expanding its program from two million to ten million children by the end of the decade, and Indonesia pledged to provide lunches to all 78 million of its students, in what will be the world's largest free school meals program.

50. Solar installations shattered all records

Global solar installations look set to reach an unprecedented 660GW in 2024, up 50% from 2023's previous record. The pace of deployment has become almost unfathomable - in 2010, it took a month to install a gigawatt, by 2016, a week, and in 2024, just 12 hours. Solar has become not just the cheapest form of new electricity in history, but the fastest-growing energy technology ever deployed, and the International Energy Agency said that the pace of deployment is now ahead of the trajectory required for net zero by 2050.  

51. Battery storage transformed the economics of renewables

Global battery storage capacity surged 76% in 2024, making investments in solar and wind energy much more attractive, and vice-versa. As with solar, the pace of change stunned even the most cynical observers. Price wars between the big Chinese manufacturers pushed battery costs to record lows, and global battery manufacturing capacity increased by 42%, setting the stage for future growth in both grid storage and electric vehicles - crucial for the clean flexibility required by a renewables-dominated electricity system. The world's first large-scale grid battery installation only went online seven years ago; by next year, global battery storage capacity will exceed that of pumped hydro.

65. Democracy proved remarkably resilient in a record year of elections

More than two billion people went to the polls this year, and democracy fared far better than most people expected, with solid voter turnout, limited election manipulation, and evidence of incumbent governments being tamed. It wasn't all good news, but Indonesia saw the world's biggest one day election, Indian voters rejected authoritarianism, South Korea's democratic institutions did the same, Bangladesh promised free and fair elections following a 'people's victory', Senegal, Sri Lanka and Botswana saw peaceful transfers of power to new leaders after decades of single party rule, and Syria saw the end of one of the world's most horrific authoritarian regimes.

66. Global leaders committed to ending violence against children

In early November, while the eyes of the world were on the US election, an event took place that may prove to be a far more consequential for humanity. Five countries pledged to end corporal punishment in all settings, two more pledged to end it in schools, and another 12, including Bangladesh and Nigeria, accepted recommendations earlier in the year to end corporal punishment of children in all settings. In total, in 2024 more than 100 countries made some kind of commitment to ending violence against children. Together, these countries are home to hundreds of millions of children, with the WHO calling the move a 'fundamental shift.'

73. Space exploration hit new milestones

NASA’s Europa Clipper began a 2.9 billion kilometre voyage to Jupiter to investigate a moon that may have conditions for life; astronomers identified an ice world with a possible atmosphere in the habitable zone; and the James Webb Telescope found the farthest known galaxy. Closer to Earth, China landed on the far side of the moon, the Polaris Dawn crew made a historic trip to orbit, and Starship moved closer to operational use – and maybe one day, to travel to Mars. 

74. Next-generation materials advanced

A mind-boggling year for material science. Artificial intelligence helped identify a solid-state electrolyte that could slash lithium use in batteries by 70%, and an Apple supplier announced a battery material that can deliver around 100 times better energy density. Researchers created an insulating synthetic sapphire material 1.25 nanometers thick, plus the world’s thinnest lens, just three atoms across. The world’s first functioning graphene-based semiconductor was unveiled (the long-awaited ‘wonder material’ may finally be coming of age!) and a team at Berkeley invented a fluffy yellow powder that could be a game changer for removing carbon from the atmosphere.

-via Fix The News, December 19, 2024

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #19

May 17-24 2024

President Biden wiped out the student loan debt of 160,000 more Americans. This debt cancellation of 7.7 billion dollars brings the total student loan debt relieved by the Biden Administration to $167 billion. The Administration has canceled student loan debt for 4.75 million Americans so far. The 160,000 borrowers forgiven this week owned an average of $35,000 each and are now debt free. The Administration announced plans last month to bring debt forgiveness to 30 million Americans with student loans coming this fall.

The Department of Justice announced it is suing Ticketmaster for being a monopoly. DoJ is suing Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation for monopolistic practices. Ticketmaster controls 70% of the live show ticket market leading to skyrocketing prices, hidden fees and last minute cancellation. The Justice Department is seeking to break up Live Nation and help bring competition back into the market. This is one of a number of monopoly law suits brought by the Biden administration against Apple in March and Amazon in September 2023.

The EPA announced $225 million in new funding to improve drinking and wastewater for tribal communities. The money will go to tribes in the mainland US as well as Alaska Native Villages. It'll help with testing for forever chemicals, and replacing of lead pipes as well as sustainability projects.

The EPA announced $300 million in grants to clean up former industrial sites. Known as "Brownfield" sites these former industrial sites are to be cleaned and redeveloped into community assets. The money will fund 200 projects across 178 communities. One such project will transform a former oil station in Philadelphia’s Kingsessing neighborhood, currently polluted with lead and other toxins into a waterfront bike trail.

The Department of Agriculture announced a historic expansion of its program to feed low income kids over the summer holidays. Since the 1960s the SUN Meals have served in person meals at schools and community centers during the summer holidays to low income children. This Year the Biden administration is rolling out SUN Bucks, a $120 per child grocery benefit. This benefit has been rejected by many Republican governors but in the states that will take part 21 million kids will benefit. Last year the Biden administration introduced SUN Meals To-Go, offering pick-up and delivery options expanding SUN's reach into rural communities. These expansions are part of the Biden administration's plan to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease by 2030.

Vice-President Harris builds on her work in Africa to announce a plan to give 80% of Africa internet access by 2030, up from just 40% today. This push builds off efforts Harris has spearheaded since her trip to Africa in 2023, including $7 billion in climate adaptation, resilience, and mitigation, and $1 billion to empower women. The public-private partnership between the African Development Bank Group and Mastercard plans to bring internet access to 3 million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria, before expanding to Uganda, Ethiopia, and Ghana, and then the rest of the continent, bring internet to 100 million people and businesses over the next 10 years. This is together with the work of Partnership for Digital Access in Africa which is hoping to bring internet access to 80% of Africans by 2030, up from 40% now, and just 30% of women on the continent. The Vice-President also announced $1 billion for the Women in the Digital Economy Fund to assure women in Africa have meaningful access to the internet and its economic opportunities.

The Senate approved Seth Aframe to be a Judge on the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, it also approved Krissa Lanham, and Angela Martinez to district Judgeships in Arizona, as well as Dena Coggins to a district court seat in California. Bring the total number of judges appointed by President Biden to 201. Biden's Judges have been historically diverse. 64% of them are women and 62% of them are people of color. President Biden has appointed more black women to federal judgeships, more Hispanic judges and more Asian American judges and more LGBT judges than any other President, including Obama's full 8 years in office. President Biden has also focused on backgrounds appointing a record breaking number of former public defenders to judgeships, as well as labor and civil rights lawyers.

[royal-confessions]

“It’s bizarre that in the same week that The King’s Trust International announced tripartite partnerships to expand their Enterprise Challenge Program to remote schools in Kenya, Harry announces he’s going to Southern Africa “in honor of Diana’s legacy” of helping young people in the region. What exactly did she do there that developed youth? Meanwhile The King’s charity is operating in 6 African countries so far and giving young people opportunity but Harry won’t recognize this because it doesn’t fit the “Saint Diana” narrative.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - October 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles on Patreon!

1. EV owners volunteer to drive voters to the polls in 11 states (and you can too)

“ChargeTheVote.org is a nonpartisan voter education and engagement initiative to enhance voter turnout in the 2024 election by providing zero-emission transportation in electric vehicles (EVs) to local polling locations. ChargeTheVote will also host a webinar for those who are interested in participating this coming Tuesday, October 22 at 7pm Eastern time.”

2. Kenya moves 50 elephants to a larger park, says it’s a sign poaching is low

“The elephant population in the […”Mwea National Reserve”…] has flourished from its capacity of 50 to a whopping 156 […] requiring the relocation of about 100 of [them…. The] overpopulation in Mwea highlighted the success of conservation efforts over the last three decades.”

3. Australian start-up secures $9m for mine-based gravity energy storage technology

““We expect to configure the gravitational storage technology [which the company “hopes to deploy in disused mines”] for mid-duration storage applications of 4 to 24 hours, deliver 80% energy efficiency and to enable reuse of critical grid infrastructure.“”

4. Africa’s little-known golden cat gets a conservation boost, with community help

“[H]unting households were given a pregnant sow [… so that they] had access to meat without needing to trap it in the wild. […] To address income needs, Embaka started […] a savings and loan co-op[… and an] incentive for the locals to give up hunting in exchange for regular dental care.”

5. 4.8M borrowers — including 1M in public service — have had student debt forgiven

“That brings the total amount of student debt relief under the administration to $175 billion[….] The Education Department said that before Biden's presidency, only 7,000 public servants had ever received student debt relief through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. […] "That’s an increase of more than 14,000% in less than four years.””

6. Puerto Rico closes $861M DOE loan guarantee for huge solar, battery project

“The solar plants combined will have 200 megawatts of solar capacity — enough to power 43,000 homes — while the battery systems are expected to provide up to 285 megawatts of storage capacity. [… O]ver the next 10 years, more than 90 percent of solar capacity in Puerto Rico will come from distributed resources like rooftop solar.”

7. Tim Walz Defends Queer And Trans Youth At Length In Interview With Glennon Doyle

“Walz discussed positive legislative actions, such as codifying hate crime laws and increasing education[.… “We] need to appoint judges who uphold the right to marriage, uphold the right to be who you are [… and] to get the medical care that you need.””

8. Next-Generation Geothermal Development Important Tool for Clean Energy Economy

““The newest forms of geothermal energy hold the promise of generating electricity 24 hours a day using an endlessly renewable, pollution-free resource[… that] causes less disturbance to public lands and wildlife habitat […] than many other forms of energy development[….]”

9. Sarah McBride hopes bid to be first transgender congresswoman encourages ’empathy’ for trans people

““Folks know I am personally invested in equality as an LGBTQ person. But my priorities are going to be affordable child care, paid family and medical leave, housing, health care, reproductive freedom. […] We know throughout history that the power of proximity has opened even the most-closed of hearts and minds.”“

10. At Mexico’s school for jaguars, big cats learn skills to return to the wild

“[A team of scientists] have successfully released two jaguars, and are currently working to reintroduce two other jaguars and three pumas (Puma concolor). [… “Wildlife simulation”] “keeps the jaguars active and reduces the impact of captivity and a sedentary lifestyle[….]””

October 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[mariacallous]

When Donald Trump installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center’s formerly bipartisan Board of Trustees, the move prompted growing concerns about attacks on cultural freedoms in the United States. The Kennedy Center is a hallmark of our nation’s capital that champions arts education across the country, benefiting millions through programs like Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA) and Arts Across America.  

Trump’s February 7 Truth Social post announcing his intention to install himself as chairman at the Kennedy Center specifically referenced future censorship of drag shows aimed at youth. Targeting the LGBTQ+ community in cultural censorship has been a global trend. In Kenya, for example, any “film, poster or program” that shows homosexuality is restricted. In Russia, Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses prohibits disseminating “propaganda” that “create[s] nontraditional sexual attitudes” or makes them “attractive.” The law was documented by FreeMuse as the cause of approximately 75% of artistic freedom violations against LGBTQ+ artists in the country between 2018 and 2020, and Trump’s reference to drag shows would be consistent with this global trend. 

In the early days of the second Trump administration, this increased control of artistic freedoms has extended beyond just the Kennedy Center. In addition to purging the Center’s bipartisan board, Trump also issued an executive order dismantling the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities (PCAH), which was established to cultivate arts education by President Reagan.  

Other executive orders restrict federal funding for “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) or “gender ideology.” The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) have both issued directives since to any grant recipients that funds cannot be used to promote DEI or gender ideology. In a letter to NEA officials, over 450 American artists pushed back against the new guidance and requested the organization reverse it, writing, “abandoning our values is wrong, and it won’t protect us. Obedience in advance only feeds authoritarianism.” Though the legality of provisions of two executive orders relating to DEI remains unresolved following a district court judge issuing a preliminary injunction on February 21, the NEA and NEH directives currently remain in place. 

The current administration’s actions double down on attempts during Trump’s first term to defund the arts at the federal level. For example, the previous Trump administration’s 2018 and 2021 annual budget proposals sought to defund the NEA.  

The administration’s recent actions have reportedly had a “chilling effect” on communities at local and state levels, particularly given the trickle-down nature of federal arts funding. Forty percent of annual NEA allocations are budgeted to state, jurisdictional, and regional arts organizations; the same is true for the NEH, with 40% of funds distributed through a network of 56 humanities councils across the United States. As of late February, the full impact of new restrictions remains to be seen, as compliance for local and state grantees is not yet clear.  

Cultural and artistic institutions like the Kennedy Center, PCAH, NEA, and NEH, along with other national, state, and local institutions across the United States, play an essential key role in preserving a functioning democracy and critical freedoms, as we emphasized in our recently published Democracy Playbook. The tightening of cultural freedoms by the administration also includes attacks on U.S. independent media and the banning of books in schools operated by the Department of Defense. If these efforts continue to metastasize, they could further polarize U.S. society and incite hatred and violence against individuals and communities targeted by these actions. 

Authoritarians and suppressing freedom of expression 

The tightening control over artistic freedoms and content is common under autocratic regimes and aspiring authoritarian leaders, given that art and culture often allow opposition through political commentary. Globally and across history, autocratic actors have taken actions like those we are starting to see in the early days of the current administration, attempting to supplant artistic endeavors in favor of censorship and propaganda. 

Overreach of government powers to control boards and positions on cultural institutions is not a new tactic. In 1930’s Germany, we saw similar actions. In 1933, the Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Nazi Joseph Goebbels, led the newly established Reich Chamber of Culture. The institution took control of cultural production across Germany as part of the early Nazi regime’s growing attacks on anyone who did not meet “Aryan” standards, including Jews and other religious, political, racial, and sexual minorities. The Nazis conducted racial and political purges across a variety of cultural spaces, including theatrical and visual arts but also extending to the press, film, and broadcast media.  

Other examples saw governments installing pro-party individuals to leadership roles in cultural institutions, leading to artistic censorship. Under the Law and Justice Party (PiS) in Poland in 2015, President Andrzej Duda appointed a new head of the Ministry of Culture, Piotr Gliński. Gliński selected leadership of national and municipal theaters across the country without following the required recommendations from expert advisors, instead installing party loyalists. PiS also used a blasphemy law, Article 196 of the Polish Penal Code, to silence any artistic expression that “offended religious [Catholic] beliefs.” Similarly, a 2019 Culture Law in Hungary adopted under the current Orbán government, which has also sought to censor art and free expression, made funding of cultural institutions conditional on the government having a say in appointments to senior positions.   

Unduly restrictive conditionality of arts funding is also present elsewhere. In Hungary, artists and performers who criticize the government are largely unable to receive any public funding, often facing censorship in addition to funding challenges. And, since 2018, Decree 349 in Cuba has required that Cuban artists, long targeted by the government, must seek permission from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs before any exhibitions and private or public performances. 

Argentina presents a particularly interesting example. Following the 1976 military coup in Argentina, the Argentine Public Information Secretary (SIP) issued directives aimed at the “reconstruction of the national being” through films, theater, and other artistic productions. Specific plays were prohibited, and many artists were individually targeted. Scholars have termed much of the pullback of the arts scene “autocensura” (self-censorship) in the years of the dictatorship. However, artists such as Argentine author Héctor Lastra have pushed back on this idea, with Lastra saying in 1986 that “self-censorship does not exist. What exists is censorship.” It is clear from the Democracy Playbook that the reality of self-censorship is likely somewhere in between. Though censorship pressures are very real, so too is self-censorship and “anticipatory obedience.”  

Pushback by the arts community during Argentina’s dictatorship (1976 to 1983) shows us that it is possible to produce artistic work—even under a repressive government. Starting in 1981, the Argentine clandestine theater group, “Teatro Abierto” or Open Theater, was founded. Working collectively, the group started with 21 authors, 21 directors, and about 150 actors who developed works that were often political in nature and had anti-dictatorial themes.  

Defending artistic and cultural freedom of expression

As we explained in the Democracy Playbook, democratic power in America derives from the consent of the governed. Freedom of expression and diversity of opinions are fundamental to our democracy and our country. It is essential to avoid following the path of artistic and cultural censorship that we have seen take root in autocracies around the world.  

In addition to Americans consistently expressing strong support for the arts, we also know art and culture have a tremendous social and economic impact. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, arts and culture sector activity in 2022 comprised $1.1 trillion and approximately 5.2 million jobs. 

As they have done repeatedly in the past, including during Trump’s first term, Republicans and Democrats in Congress can work together to ensure there is continued federal funding for the arts and counter defunding efforts. As federal, state, and local funding remains uncertain, NGOs, philanthropies, businesses, state and local leaders, and individuals can all endeavor to fill the gap. 

Maintaining wherever possible the independence of arts education, cultural institutions, their boards, and their activities is vital. Civil society organizations like Americans for the Arts and the Performing Arts Alliance provide resources outlining how arts organizations and the public can strengthen the arts community.  

Bolstering American cultural institutions and artists, from their early arts education through their careers, is key. Concrete recommendations for individuals include purchasing artwork or donating to specific artists.  

Organizations can also seek to promote art created in environments with tightening freedom of expression, whether locally or at the national level. The Artistic Freedom Initiative, for example, also allows artists who are at-risk to apply for assistance. The Human Rights Foundation runs the Art in Protest program to highlight such art and annually awards the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent.  

Free artistic and cultural expression, whether through Wicked, Captain America, or the latest Kendrick Lamar hit, is one of the primary vehicles for citizens to express their opinions, including political discontent. They are also essential to the health of our nation’s democracy amidst growing threats. Any efforts by the new administration to weaken freedom of expression or censor dissent run counter to America’s rich and diverse culture. 

[shesthespinstersimmer]

Graduates (2)🎓

Billie Jang

Fine Arts Major / Alvin Ailey Scholarship / Foxbury / Ward Hall

Billie Jang is out here living her best life, you hear me? She got into the student corps at B Lab, has a yoga studio next-door to her dorm, and Kwame in her rearview mirror. Sure, she misses her parents, Baako and Anaya , but nothing brings them more pleasure than watching their daughter follow her dreams.

Kenya Tharp

Veterinary Medicine / Work/Study Program

Kenya has two things on her mind: vet, camp and her horse Shiloh. She’s looking forward to the veterinary program, but it will be a little strange being away from all of her high school friends and her cousin Shalom. Thank goodness for technology. Besides, she’s looking forward to spending time with PawPaw and Judge B. 

She’ll miss her mother, Ava and her mom’s boyfriend Al, but she thinks it’ll be good for those two to have a little time to themselves for a change. She won’t be surprised if she comes home to a sibling, she can tell you that much. 

Curtis Fernsby

Computer Science / Young Gamers Program

Even though he’s staying home, Curtis plans to take full advantage of what the campus has to offer; it’s only a bike ride away, after all. There are times he regrets not getting his own dorm, considering that his girlfriend Michiko will be at the Chopra House in Britechester, but they have plans after graduation.

On the plus side, he gets a little more time with his parents, Wallace and Miracle. And - now that his brother Cosmo is a little older, they can really have some fun.

Michiko Yamashita

Music Arts Major / Maestro Scholarship / Chopra House

Being raised by parents Yuna & Kengo, who are both rock musicians, it was a bit of a surprise when Michiko was drawn to classical music. She rocks out every now and then (in the shower), but appreciates the delicacy and strength of the classical genre.

She hopes for a long career with the orchestra, then maybe composing musical scores in her golden years.

She’s got plans for her and Curtis too - more on that later 👌🏾

Previous / Next / Beginning

[lboogie1906]

Allison Payne (February 12, 1964 – September 1, 2021) was a nine-time Emmy Award winner, a 21-year anchorwoman with WGN-TV, a veteran international journalist, a popular public speaker, and an actively involved community builder. She was a longtime anchor and reporter at CW affiliate and cable superstation WGN-TV in Chicago. She served as co-anchor of the WGN Midday News.

She was born in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in Detroit to Dana and Kathryn Payne. She was a graduate of Renaissance High School and held a BA in Liberal Arts from the University of Detroit Mercy. She graduated from Bowling Green State University with her MA in Radio/TV/film. She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

She began in television news as an intern at ABC affiliate WNWO in Toledo, she was promoted to main anchor of the station’s late evening newscast. She moved to NBC affiliate WNEM-TV in Saginaw, Michigan. She moved to Chicago to anchor the station’s primetime newscast. She traveled to Kenya to trace Barack Obama’s roots, and to the Middle East to cover the Reverend Jesse Jackson’s peace negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

During her tenure with WGN, she has won numerous awards including nine Emmys for reporting, including:

Outstanding Achievement within a Regularly Scheduled News Program – Specialty Report/Series — Politics/Government: Jackson & Jackson: Allison Payne, Reporter; Pam Grimes, Producer. WGN Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera: Programming – Program — Host/Moderator/Contributor: Allison Payne – People to People. WGN Outstanding Achievement within a Regularly Scheduled News Program – Specialty Report: — Religion: Blue Eyes, Black Soul: Allison Payne, Reporter; Pam Grimes, Michael D’Angelo, Producers. WGN Outstanding Achievement for Informational Programs – Public Affairs/Current Affairs: People to People: Gloria Brown, Producer; Allison Payne, Steve Sanders, Hosts. WGN Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera: News – Reporter: Allison Payne – Composite. WGN #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #deltasigmatheta

[farmerstrend]

Transforming Makueni’s Agricultural Landscape as the County Set To Welcome School of Agriculture Campus

Makueni County is poised to gain significantly in agricultural education with the proposed establishment of a Kenya School of Agriculture campus at Kwa-Kathoka. This is following a public participation meeting held on Monday by stakeholders drawn from Agricultural, Administrative, Business and Education sectors to discuss the project, which will be managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and…

[reasonsforhope]

"Samuel Onyango’s office at Kibera Primary School is serene and spacious. His table is neatly arranged, with an assortment of files and an array of books. One side of his cream-colored office is decked with aggregate performance scores, and another shows off several trophies in a glass cabinet. Last year, Onyango’s school performed a traditional dance and scooped third place in the National Drama and Film Festivals, where schools across the country competed for the top prize.

But today Onyango, the school’s principal, is bragging about something much more basic: Thanks to an innovative community program, his students and teachers are no longer getting sick from dirty water.

Onyango’s school, with a staff of 30 and a student body of about 1,700, is in Kibera, a neighborhood in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that is widely known as Africa’s largest informal settlement. It is a community of houses made from mud or tin sheeting where residents have to hustle to meet even their most basic needs, like electricity or clean water.

It is also a community where creativity and innovation, at the heart of any hustle, are changing how some people can access clean water — and making major ripples in public health.

Onyango’s school has long gotten its water the same way many people in Kibera do: by buying it from independent suppliers, who truck water in and sell it for around $30 per 10,000 liters (about 2,650 gallons). But trucked water can be contaminated, despite suppliers’ promises, and Onyango’s students and staff were often using unclean water at home, too. It was common, he says, for both teachers and students to get sick and miss school because of waterborne illnesses.

Last November, Onyango’s school got connected to an aerial clean water system built by a local grassroots organization called SHOFCO, which stands for Shining Hope for Communities. “Once we got connected to SHOFCO’s water,” Onyango says, “cases of these ailments reduced to nil.”

SHOFCO’s water distribution system currently reaches about 40,000 people and distributes more than 3.7 million gallons of clean water per month.

Access to safe drinking water — and its equitable distribution — underpins public health. But for the estimated 250,000 people in Kibera, who live without any government infrastructure, clean water is often a luxury. Many people are using illegal water connections, which proliferate among the poor — there are nearly 130 in just three lesser-resourced Nairobi neighborhoods. But those DIY hookups can mix clean water with raw sewage, and Kenyan officials have recently warned of a looming public health crisis if water access is not prioritized.

Shifting weather patterns also increase the risk of waterborne illness, government officials say. The Ministry of Health and the Kenya Red Cross Society have called out severe flooding during the El Niño weather pattern as a source of a recent major cholera outbreak in parts of the country. Kibera was not spared this risk: The floods led to the contamination of various sources of water in the sprawling neighborhood.

But the aerial piping system SHOFCO built in 2012 — the one that brings water to Onyango’s school — saved some Kibera residents, quite literally. With collaboration from health and county authorities, SHOFCO has all but eliminated diarrheal disease in the communities that use its aerial piping system, according to Gladys Mwende, a program officer at SHOFCO. In the health facilities SHOFCO runs, the incidences of diarrheal infections have also gone down, she adds.

Pictured: People in Kibera’s Makina section pass by the signature blue pillars that hold up SHOFCO’s aerial water piping system. Visual: Sarah Waiswa/Harvard Public Health Magazine

“[Poor sanitation is the reason] that our water is aerial piped,” says Kennedy Odede, the founder and CEO of SHOFCO. Piping water in helps clean water maintain its integrity without interference from elements including tampering. In a huge community with no major infrastructure, piping seemed impossible — there was no money and no will to build a disruptive underground system connected to the city’s main water supply. Instead, Odede and his team put the pipes up in the air. “As somebody who grew up in Kibera, to see this clean water — which I have also drank — is powerful.”

SHOFCO’s water distribution system currently reaches about 40,000 people and distributes more than 3.7 million gallons of clean water per month — nearly 46 million gallons per year — at community water kiosks, which residents access with tokens linked to the mobile money platform M-Pesa. The water kiosks are pre-programmed to fill jerry cans that hold about five gallons at a cost of 3 Kenyan shillings, or about 23 U.S. cents.

A recent evaluation of SHOFCO’s clean water efforts, undertaken by the African Population and Health Research Center, shows diarrheal disease among children under age five have decreased by 31 percent where community members used SHOFCO water kiosks and received SHOFCO’s sanitation messaging.

“We don’t get as many cases of diarrhea even though now we are in the middle of the floods,” Mwende says. “Communities have not reported any outbreaks within the areas where we are working.”

Mohammed Suleiman is grateful for the change. Suleiman, 25, was born here, and it’s been his job for the last 18 years to fetch 135 gallons of water daily for his family’s personal needs and for their samosa business.

Two months ago, Sulieman contracted typhoid from the unsanitary water he was consuming. Once he recovered, he says, switching to SHOFCO water kiosks was a no-brainer.

“I don’t know where the other independent vendors get it from,” he says. But he trusts SHOFCO water. “Water sourced from SHOFCO is cleaner than that of other vendors,” he says. “I don’t have to treat water from [SHOFCO] kiosks before consuming it.”

And he’s the living proof: Since switching to SHOFCO water, Suleiman hasn’t been sick even once."

-via Undark, August 13, 2024

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Theo Moudakis :: @TheoMoudakis :: @TorontoStar

* * * *

MAGAt GROTESQUERIE

TCinLA

Sep 29, 2024

Roseanne Barr: They eat babies. It’s true.

Tucker Carlson: So it’s not just the dogs and cats?

Roseanne Barr: Everybody thinks I’m crazy. I’m not crazy. They love the taste of human flesh and they drink human blood.

Tucker Carlson: I think you have some authority on this.

And also:

Fresh off an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s extremist election tour (above), Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance is set to sit for a Pennsylvania town hall hosted by far-right Christian nationalist Lance Wallnau. Wallnau has pushed a litany of extreme views, including that Vice President Kamala Harris embodies “the spirit of Jezebel,” saying earlier this mont:

“What you’re seeing now is a real Jezebel. When you’ve got somebody operating in manipulation, intimidation and domination — especially when it’s in a female role trying to emasculate a man who is standing up for truth — you’re dealing with the Jezebel spirit. So, with Kamala, you have a Jezebel spirit, a characteristic in the Bible that is the personification of intimidation, seduction, domination and manipulation.”

You cannot make this shit up. Former Republican Peter Wehner wrote about this in The Atlantic this week. All these points need repeated emphasis:

The Republican Freak Show :: By: Peter Wehner

The GOP is a moral freak show, and freak shows attract freaks. Which is why Mark Robinson fits in so well in today’s Republican Party.

Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, has described himself as a “devout Christian.” But a recent CNN story reported that several years ago, he was a porn-site user who enjoyed watching transgender pornography (despite a history of an anti-transgender rhetoric), referred to himself as a “Black Nazi,” and supported the return of slavery. According to CNN, commenters on the website discussed whether to believe the story of a woman who said she was raped by her taxi driver while intoxicated. Robinson wrote in response, “And the moral of this story….. Don’t f**k a white b*tch!” Politico reports that Robinson’s email address was also registered on Ashley Madison, a website for married people seeking affairs. (Robinson, the current lieutenant governor of North Carolina, has denied all of the claims.)

These allegations aren’t entirely shocking, because Robinson—a self-described “MAGA Republican”—has shown signs in the past of being a deeply troubled person.

Regarding the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, in 2011, Robinson wrote, “Get that fucking commie bastard off the National Mall!” Robinson also has referred to the slain civil-rights champion as “worse than a maggot,” a “ho fucking, phony,” and a “huckster.” During the Obama presidency, Robinson wrote, “I’d take Hitler over any of the shit that’s in Washington right now!” He promoted the conspiracy theory claiming that Obama was born in Kenya. He referred to Michelle Obama as a man and Hillary Clinton as a “heifer.” He compared Nancy Pelosi to Hitler, Mao, Stalin, and Castro and mocked the near-fatal assault on her husband, Paul Pelosi. He is also an election denier, claiming that Joe Biden “stole the election.”

In 2017, Robinson wrote, “There is a REASON the liberal media fills the airwaves with programs about the NAZI and the ‘6 million Jews’ they murdered.” He has used demeaning language against Jews and gay people. He has cruelly mocked school-shooting survivors (“media prosti-tots”). And he supported a total ban on abortion, without exceptions for rape or incest, even though he admitted that he’d paid for an abortion in the past.

Much of this was known before he ran for governor. No matter. Republicans in North Carolina nominated him anyway, and Donald Trump has lavished praise on the man he calls his “friend,” offering Robinson his “full and total endorsement” and dubbing him “one of the hottest politicians” in the country.

SOME REPUBLICANS ARE distancing themselves from Robinson partly because they are worried he’ll be defeated, but also because they’re even more concerned that he will drag down other Republicans, including Trump. But the truth is that Robinson is a perfect addition to the Republican ensemble.

The GOP vice-presidential candidate, J. D. Vance, has been relentlessly promoting the lie that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, were abducting and eating pets. In 2021, he said that the United States was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs, and “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has blamed wildfires on a Jewish space laser, promoted a conspiracy alleging that some Democratic Party leaders were running a human-trafficking and pedophilia ring, and agreed with commenters who suggested that the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Florida, was a “massive false flag.” Another House Republican, Paul Gosar, has promoted fluoride conspiracy theories and posted an animated video depicting him slashing the throat of a Democratic congresswoman and attacking President Biden. Yet another Republican member of Congress, Lauren Boebert, was ejected from a family-friendly musical for vaping, being disruptive, and groping her date (and vice versa). She also falsely claimed that school authorities “are putting litter boxes in schools for people who identify as cats.”

The Atlantic’s Elaine Godfrey reported that Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, who is under House investigation for having sex with an underage girl, “used to walk around the cloakroom showing people porno of him and his latest girlfriend,” according to a source Godfrey spoke with.

This is not normal.

The GOP is home to a Republican governor, Kristi Noem, who describes in her book shooting her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, in a gravel pit, as well as killing an unnamed goat. A Republican senator, Ron Johnson, claimed that COVID was “pre-planned” by a secret group of “elites” even while he promoted disinformation claiming that Ivermectin, which is commonly used to deworm livestock, was an effective treatment for COVID. (Because people were hospitalized for taking the drug, the FDA tweeted, “You are not a horse. You are not a cow.”)

Earlier this month, Trump attended a 9/11 memorial event in New York City. He took as his guest a right-wing conspiracy theorist, Laura Loomer, who has claimed that 9/11 was an inside job, referred to Kamala Harris as a “drug using prostitute,” and said that Democrats should be tried for treason and executed. (Trump has called Loomer a “woman with courage” and a “free spirit.”)

Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, floated the idea of having Trump declare martial law so that he could “rerun” the 2020 election. He suggested that the president should seize voting machines. He predicted that a governor will soon declare war. He has also warned about the dangers of a “new world order” in which people such as Bill Gates, George Soros, and World Economic Forum Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab “have an intent to track every single one of us, and they use it under the skin. They use a means by which it’s under the skin.”

Tucker Carlson, a keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention and an unofficial Trump adviser, recently hosted a Holocaust revisionist on his podcast. He praised the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones as having been “vindicated on everything” and described Jones as “the most extraordinary person” he has ever met. (Two years ago, Sandy Hook families won nearly $1.5 billion in defamation and emotional-distress lawsuits against Jones for his repeatedly calling the 2012 school shooting, in which 20 first graders and six educators were killed, a hoax staged by “crisis actors” to get more gun-control legislation passed. As The New York Times reports, “The families suffered online abuse, personal confrontations and death threats from people who believed the conspiracy theory.”) (TC Note: all of Jones’ InfoWars property is being disposed of by court order to satisfy the judgement against him)

Carlson, one of the most influential figures on the American right, has also peddled the claim that the violence on January 6, 2021, was a “false flag” operation involving the FBI and used to discredit Trump supporters; alleged that former Attorney General Bill Barr covered up the murder of Jeffrey Epstein; and promoted testicle tanning.

Then there’s Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former Democrat who recently endorsed Trump. The former president has asked Kennedy to be on his transition team should Trump win the election and “help pick the people who will be running the government and I am looking forward to that.” Trump told CNN’s Kristen Holmes, “I like him, and I respect him. He’s a brilliant guy. He’s a very smart guy.”

Sara Dorn of Forbes listed some of the conspiracy theories that Kennedy has promoted—vaccines can cause autism; COVID was genetically engineered and is targeted to attack Caucasian and Black people (and Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people are mostly immune); mass shootings are linked to Prozac; the 2004 presidential election was stolen from John Kerry; the CIA was involved in the death of his uncle John F. Kennedy; and Sirhan Sirhan was wrongly convicted of murdering his father.

In addition, Kennedy, who has revealed that he had a parasitic brain worm, told the podcaster Joe Rogan that Wi-Fi causes cancer and “leaky brain.” He believes that chemicals in the water supply could turn children transgender. He claims that 5G networks are being used for mass surveillance. He’s said that Katherine Maher, the president and CEO of NPR, is a CIA agent. “Even journals like Smithsonian and National Geographic … appear to be compromised by the CIA,” according to Kennedy.

According to Kennedy’s daughter Kick Kennedy, her father chain-sawed the head off a dead whale on a beach in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, bungee-corded it to the roof of their car, and drove it five hours to the family home in Mount Kisco, New York. (The severed head streamed “whale juice” down the side of the family minivan on the trip home. “It was the rankest thing on the planet,” Kick told Town & Country magazine in 2012. “We all had plastic bags over our heads with mouth holes cut out, and people on the highway were giving us the finger, but that was just normal day-to-day stuff for us.”) Kennedy has also recently admitted to leaving the carcass of a bear cub in Central Park a decade ago, as a joke.

Donald Trump Jr. has said that he could see Kennedy being given some sort of oversight role in any number of government agencies if his father is reelected, including the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services. “I can see a dozen roles I’d love to see him in.”

Like Mark Robinson, RFK Jr. fits right in.

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY today isn’t incidentally grotesque; like the man who leads it, Donald Trump, it is grotesque at its core. It is the Island of Misfit Toys, though in this case there’s a maliciousness to the misfits, starting with Trump, that makes them uniquely dangerous to the republic. Since 2016, they have been at war with reality, delighting in their dime-store nihilism, creating “alternative facts” and tortured explanations to justify the lawlessness and moral depravity and derangement of their leader.

None of this is hidden; it is on display in neon lights, almost every hour of every day. No one who supports the Republican Party, who casts a vote for Trump and for his MAGA acolytes, can say they don’t know.

They know.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, in an essay titled “As Breathing and Consciousness Return,” warned that no one who “voluntarily runs with the hounds of falsehood” will be able to justify himself to the living, or to posterity, or to his friends, or to his children. Don’t surrender to corruption, the great Russian writer and dissident said; strive for the liberation of our souls by not participating in the lie. Don’t consent to the lies. The challenges facing Solzhenitsyn were quite different, and certainly far more difficult, than anything we face, but his fundamental point still holds.

The Trump movement is built on layers of lies. It’s late, but it’s never too late to liberate yourself from them. One word of truth outweighs the world.

[TCinLA]

[afrotumble]

Recent mural by Kenyan artist Kevin Bankslave Esendi. Graffiti mural of the late Mzee Kimani Maruge, a national symbol for adult education. He enrolled in a primary school at the age of 83 at the onset of the free primary education program in Kenya in the early 2000s.

[sketchfanda]

Kirishima’s Mystique: Fun Times of the Chivalrous Stud Red Riot:The Cheetah Princess of Kenya

Now it was easy to forget especially with all the mayhem and what not that came their way during their first year alone, and heroics or no, but UA was still a high school. Festivals and sports events were the necessities for any regular fun highschool life after all, not to mention occassions such as when a new transfer student came along or the old classic, the foreign exchange program. One student from their own school and another from a school in a different country changing places for a period of time in the spirit of better co-operation and understanding of one another's cultures and differences. But of course UA was no exception to this especially when Minoru Mineta found himself selected (translation:Forced into volunteering) to attend a hero school all the way in Alaska, which left UA playing host to a splendid, perky and friendly young lady from Kenya by the name of Elena. She was a definite stunner in looks alone and the face she stood at an even 6 feet tall only enhanced that. It was like one had to wonder if Mina had a long lost twin of sorts in the girl, given their enthusiastic levels of energy and their social, affable personalities. To say nothing of the fact she was quite a dancer herself when it came to the brazilian art of Capoeria. But then of course there was her quirk, which was guaranteed to earn er a spot in the top 10 of her home country as a pro in terms of looks and ability. But one person was a little conflicted when it came to the exchange student and not for any negative reasons mind you. For our resident Red Riot, you see, the awkwardness was due to of course, his ever kinky girlfriends and their antics when it came to him and their loving,but by no means vanilla relationship as a trio.

Kirishima:*thinking to himself as he sat on the comfy mat in the campus gymnasium.*'There is no way these two didn't plan this? Midnight-sensei definitely had a part to play in it...'*the chivalrous hero thought to himself, as he looked out the window to see a view of the swimming pool. Mina and Maya of course hanging out with some of their lady friends/classmates, looking hot as all damn hell in the UA school swimsuits. Those one piece leotards left very little to the imagination,that was for sure,a playful toungue blep on his face directed at the cotton candy acid girl and the blue shapeshfter bombshell as they waved with cheeky smiles,blowing kisses his way. Damn he just couldn't stay mad at them.*

Elena:"Kirishima-kun, you alrighty? You seem distracted. Nothing serious I hope.."0w0^w^*The spikey haired redhead felt his brain hit the brakes as that ever peppy,melodic voice spoke up. Elena getting his attention as he found himself looking her way. Goddamn what a view to behold as the exotic Kenyan princess (Seriously, what were the odds they'd have an actual princess in their class!!), wearing nothing more than a white mid-riff baring tanktop and white spandex booty shorts,and her distinct jewellery accessories was doing her usual personal workout routine. Feeling his pulse racing as no doubt blood was rushing to a certain place at seeing this six foot African beauty perform stretches and yoga style twists and bends. Her flexibility on display as she practiced her chosen fighting style, reminding himself how much Mina and the excange student had bonded over their sense of rhythm and love of dance. Her dusky chocolate skin coated in a glistening sheen of perspiration which threatened to soak her workout wear as she casually,seemlessly shifted around like an eel swimming through grease. Currently looking his way as she did a handstand,one palm flat on the gym mat floor while her legs performed the splits. To say he was having ideas would be an understatement*

Kirishima:*managing to exert some sense of willpower and self control as he kept his libido tame and at bay, sending a modest friendly smile her way.*"Yeah, I'm good Elena-chan.no worries, just been thinking was all.."*Left unsaid was the fact Maya had been hosting the exchange student in her dorm room,or that the shapeshifting hottie and Mina had been having regular slumber parties. To which the teased and gave him ideas that Elena was, to say the least, more than into him and wanting to be "very good friends". Quirking a brow curiously as Elena giggled, her tone and body language just radiating such soothing energy. Before she ceased her handstand and her routine as she planted herself upright, standing on her feet as she walked over to him with a distinct bounce to her step. Those bright blue eyes twinkling as she stopped and bent over to face him. Her expression playful as she looked into his own crimson eyes and made him feel...a sort of sense of deja vu.*

Elena:^w0"Let me guess, was it about me naked? You and me doing some very adult things, of which I'm sure Ms.Midnight would certainly approve.0w0 How does she put it,ah yes, "Just two young heroes enjoying the spirit and energy of their youth together as they should."*the Kenyan beauty giggled cutely at the look on Eijiro's face, his jaw risking dropping at the words that came out of her mouth as she tilted his jaw shut, before gently cuppping and caressin his face.* "It's okay if you do and more of course. After all,you've been a very wonderful friend. And I certainly think it's time you and I became quite very good Friends,don't you?"*She quipped before capturing his lips in a sudden kiss. certainly not a chaste peck either,oh no, this was a full on sensual, erotic sort of kiss. Her tongue caressing his lips before making its way into his mouth to dance with and caress his own. Purring and smiling as she found him returning and giving in kind,as she felt him grasp her snow white shortcut hair as he deepened their liplock. The pair of heroes in training moaning as Elena found him probing her throat while she caressed and traced those sharp shark like teeth of his. he duo soon breaking for air as a little stand of saliva broke between them, panting as their faces were flushed with red blushes of arousal.*

Kirishima:*an amused deadpan smile on his face as the Kenyan princess playfully blepped and smiled at him in kind*"Let me guess,Mina and maya's idea? Makes sense why you asked me here...and why they got the view there..."*shaking his head in bemusement as Elena giggled,her tone not lacking any of its usual playfulness and feisty friendliness. Kissing him on the lips softly and sensually as she backstepped away a bit, striking a little pose for him that made thos toned,limber mscles of hers flex, standing out thanks to the sunlight and her glistening sheen.*

Elena:"Of all the boys here,you stood out to me the most at first sight when we met. They could tell soon as we got acquainted and insisted they were more than okay with it. And of course they were very detailed and descriptive singing your praises,you manly puppy you..." *soon as she’d finished saying that,the exotic African babe made the sturdy hero in training drop his jaw and widen his eyes,taking delight in having his attention as she began to strip. Peeling off her tanktop and shorts as she exposed and laid herself bare before him. Flexing and posing for him,her movements silky and graceful. Looking like some divine goddess as his red eyes drank her in from hewed to toe. Her long,strong,toned powerful legs, her firm arms and good lord her hips and thighs. To say nothing of her boobs and bubble butt. Before she shit him a wink and a smile,blowing a kiss his way as she flexe her muscles and begs to change. Her muscle mass boosting as f her hands and feet took on the traits of a feline,cat ears sprouting on her head and a tail forming from where her spine tailbone met the pelvis. Fur formed on her arms and legs up to her biceps and mid-thigh, showing the colour and pattern of a cheetah, another portion acting like a makeshift bikini. The transformation complete as she struck a pose, sending him a purr and meow a her tail wagged.*

‘Elena, home country:Kenya, birthplace:France. Quirk:We’re-Cheetah. A transformation type quirk that enhances Elena’s flexibility and senses while it also increases her strength and especially her speed as it provides her the traits and qualities of the African Cheetah, such as a set of sharp fangs an claw. Her affable charm,friendly personality and sensual charisma combined with the exotic appeal of her looks and quirk ensure this young lady has a bright future ahead in the pro hero circuit.’

Kirishima stared in awe,face blushing so red thst it made his hair look paler in comparison. If Elena was a 10 before,in her quirked form she was an absolute 11 as the Kenyan hero exchange student posed for him. Courting his attention as if she were a wild animal in mating season looking for a good time, fitting given the nature and appearance of her transformed state. Before the chivalrous hero in training shook his head steeling his nerves with a look of firm determination as he stood up, stripoing off his gym suit top. Elena licking her lips sensually at seeing his sculpted torso, a result of his hours of dedicated,rigorous training. Her silky tail swaying seductively as she watched the sturdy redhead continue to strip until he was as naked as she was. Silently oohing and aweigh at the sight of his exposed loins. Such smooth yet large heavy balls and of course his absolute unit of length and girth as it breathed freely in the open air. Rising to full mast erection as it stood stiff and firm as a flagpole, looking like he could hammer nails into solid wood with that meat stick of his. All without yet needing the added benefit and enhancement of his quirk as despite being a solid even statuesque six feet tall, the 5 foot 7 absolute unit of a young buck felt like an equal. A sensual smile and blush on her the were-cheetah girl’s face as her blue eyes twinkled with arousal as the young buck approached her. Looking as serious as he would on a mission, which in his mind was all the same,as a real man never left a woman waiting and wanting.

Elena:*softly gasped as Eijiro didn’t stop until their fronts were pressed together. His head level with her breasts as his face nuzzled the valley of her cleavage. Giggling and moaning as she felt her erection sandwiching between her thighs, his length and girth pressing against her slit and the crack of her juicy bubbly booty.* “Oh my, such a look in your eyes, Mina and Maya told me you really became quite the beast once you get in the mood. Well then, you Manly Man you, please show me what a real alpha male You can be….” *She playfully quipped, cupping Kirishima’s face in her hands as she tilted his head up, gasping delightfully as she found one of his hands clasp the back of her head and the other reach around to grab a nice handful of her ass. A melodic moan escaping her luscious milk chocolate lips as he gave a firm squeeze of that booty meat.*

Kirishima:”For you,Princess? I’m not gonna disappoint….”*not wasting anytime and leaving no hesitation or doubt, the shark teethed redhead pressed his lips to hers as they kissed once more. Elena’s moans and gasps music to his ears,as they made out with a deep passion to fuel the growing sparks of desire between them. Their hands exploring one another as Kirishima felt the silky spotted fur and her exquisite muscles while she used her own quite healthy thighs to massage and jerk off his magnum dong. Feeling her snatch gush and lube up that length and girth as she traced and memorised every detail of his physique. From his firm pecs to his washboard abs, he was on par with all those classical renaissance sculptures.*

it wasn’t long before their make out intensified as the two heroes in training truly ran with the spirit and energy of the pair youth in ways that would make Midnight proud. Rolling around the floor as they kissed and groped one another,their tongues dancing in a sloppy game of spit swapping and tonsil hockey before Kirishima sat on the matted floor, shuddering as Elena stroked his shaft. Her padded,furry pawed hands heavenly Especially as she would perform such stunning fellatio. Sucking snd blowing on his cock as it was clear Mina and Maya gave her their toys to practice on. Effortlessly deepthroating him as her blue eyes looked at his red ones with friendly sensuality. Twikling with glowing lust and admiration for her new “Alpha Male” who didn’t stay idle as she found him masaaajnf and smacking her swaying ass. Making that booty jiggle as his fingers teased and caressed her slit. Her nectar flowing with a steady stream of growing arousal as her tail wagged with erotic delight as she popped her mouth off of his cock, nuzzling her face against it as she smiled a catlike grin,tongue teasing his balls as she stroked that veiny womb hammer. Eyes glowing with lust as she awaited his next move.

Elena:”Ahhhn my alpha,you really do know yiur way with a girl’s body. Aah please, enjoy me to your hesrt’s content and have your fill. Keep this uo and we may become more than just very good friends…”*The Kenyan heroine in training melodically praised,as she found her body laying at a 90 degree piledriver angle. His hands grasping and massaging her spread thighs as his tongue lapped away at her snatch. The slithery muscle drinking up her love nectar as it probed her folds, the African jungle princess biting her lip sensual as her tail wrapped around his shaft. Idly stroking that length and girth as the primal animal instincts within her began to take hold, truly coming to imprint on Kirishima as her alpha male, her body entering a mating heat, awaiting to be claimed by him sexually.*

Kirishima:”Princess…you feel amazing…so Damn hot….”*Eijiro couldn’t help but feel like the first times he’d fallen for Mina and Maya as he found himself currently fucking Elena doggy, or rather kitty style. Balls deep inside her as heavy sacks smacked against her clit, making her juices splash against his pelvis and rain down on the floor beneath them. His muscles rippling and flexing as his cock pumped into her snatch like the pistons of a jackhammer drill. Elena’s smooth abs swelling from the thickness and reach piercing her welcoming, eager womb. The gym walls and ceiling echoing with the sexual rhythm of their mating, the cries of passion and skin slapping skin as he’d smack that stunning chocolate booty which was amazing to watch jiggle. Her tits swaying as her claws grasped and scratched the mat up,her tail wrapping around her designated alpha male’s waist as she looked over her shoulder at him with devotion.*

The exotic exchange student and her studly Alpha Male didn’t know how long they’d went at it but quite frankly all that mattered to them was to maintain the flow and rhythm of raw,primal passion and desire between them. Elena feeling orgasm hit her so swiftly that there was no way to keep count but ooh the sweet pornographic bliss whenever Kirishima came. Especially inside her, Maya and Mina were right on the money about forgoing condoms. A magnum dong like Kirishima could only be enjoyed raw as the cheetah Lycan beaut relished every intimate position they performed in their primal dance of man and woman. Sitting and bouncing on his lap as they kissed in the seated lotus, to rolling around playfully fighting for dominance in a mating and Amazon press. Hearts glowing her in sky blue eyes as she found herself held up in a full nelson, screaming yes over and over as Eijiro flexed his muscular form and pumped his cock into her over and over. Missionary, spread eagle, piledriver, a veritable kama sutra for their first time becoming animalistic friends with benefits was an absolute must for the duo as their momentum saw her laying flat on the floor. Kirishima mounted atop her as he fucked her prone bone, the primal part of Elena’s brain howling “get me pregnant” over and over like a mantra. Claws deep in the mat as his cock hammered into her overflowing, warm pussy. Her booty a lush meaty cushion jiggling with every impact of their loins. Shuddering as they came together, Elena purring as her tail caressed his back,turning her head as they kissed kissed one another softly and sensually. Breaking their liplock as they heard applause, turning to see the source and finding they weren’t alone anymore.

Mina:*grinning with erotic,Pervy delight,her golden eyes having a soar of mischief and lust to them as she and Maya stood over their boyfriend and roommate. Ceasing their clapping and beginning to strip off their swimsuit leotards.*”Well now,Maya-senpai I knew these two would get along famously. But if two is company and three is a crowd,what’s four?”

Maya:”ooh I’m sure we can make it work just fine Pinky. But first thing’s first,what’s say we stop watching and really make out like animals…”*the blue shapeshifter teased erotically as she and Mina and stood naked before their boyfriend and his new bestie with benefits. Their bodies radiating raw desire as their pussies fished with arousal.*

Kirishima stared,blushjng and wide eyes,his red hair wet frkm sweat and effort as he looked between at his girlfriends and Elena, the cheetah princess playfully blepping and smiling as she was clearly ready and willing for a four way. To which the sturdy hero could only roll his eyes and smile bemusedly before he set his face to a determined expression. MUscles flexing,tensing as he mentally prepared to use his quirk as need be. His little Red Riot was going to to need the extra boost and energy and A Real man would and should never leave his important ladies needing an wanting. As Elena’s alpha male especially, he knew that he needed to go, Plus Fucking Ultra…..

[reasoningdaily]

Across a sterile white table in a windowless room, I’m introduced to a woman in her forties. She has a square jaw and blonde hair that has been pulled back from her face with a baby-blue scrunchie. “The girls call me Marmalade,” she says, inviting me to use her prison nickname. Early on a Wednesday morning, Marmalade is here, in a Finnish prison, to demonstrate a new type of prison labor.

The table is bare except for a small plastic bottle of water and an HP laptop. During three-hour shifts, for which she’s paid €1.54 ($1.67) an hour, the laptop is programmed to show Marmalade short chunks of text about real estate and then ask her yes or no questions about what she’s just read. One question asks: “is the previous paragraph referring to a real estate decision, rather than an application?”

“It’s a little boring,” Marmalade shrugs. She’s also not entirely sure of the purpose of this exercise. Maybe she is helping to create a customer service chatbot, she muses.

In fact, she is training a large language model owned by Metroc, a Finnish startup that has created a search engine designed to help construction companies find newly approved building projects. To do that, Metroc needs data labelers to help its models understand clues from news articles and municipality documents about upcoming building projects. The AI has to be able to tell the difference between a hospital project that has already commissioned an architect or a window fitter, for example, and projects that might still be hiring.

Around the world, millions of so-called “clickworkers” train artificial intelligence models, teaching machines the difference between pedestrians and palm trees, or what combination of words describe violence or sexual abuse. Usually these workers are stationed in the global south, where wages are cheap. OpenAI, for example, uses an outsourcing firm that employs clickworkers in Kenya, Uganda, and India. That arrangement works for American companies, operating in the world’s most widely spoken language, English. But there are not a lot of people in the global south who speak Finnish.

That’s why Metroc turned to prison labor. The company gets cheap, Finnish-speaking workers, while the prison system can offer inmates employment that, it says, prepares them for the digital world of work after their release. Using prisoners to train AI creates uneasy parallels with the kind of low-paid and sometimes exploitive labor that has often existed downstream in technology. But in Finland, the project has received widespread support.

“There's this global idea of what data labor is. And then there's what happens in Finland, which is very different if you look at it closely,” says Tuukka Lehtiniemi, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, who has been studying data labor in Finnish prisons.

For four months, Marmalade has lived here, in Hämeenlinna prison. The building is modern, with big windows. Colorful artwork tries to enforce a sense of cheeriness on otherwise empty corridors. If it wasn’t for the heavy gray security doors blocking every entry and exit, these rooms could easily belong to a particularly soulless school or university complex.

Finland might be famous for its open prisons—where inmates can work or study in nearby towns—but this is not one of them. Instead, Hämeenlinna is the country’s highest-security institution housing exclusively female inmates. Marmalade has been sentenced to six years. Under privacy rules set by the prison, WIRED is not able to publish Marmalade’s real name, exact age, or any other information that could be used to identify her. But in a country where prisoners serving life terms can apply to be released after 12 years, six years is a heavy sentence. And like the other 100 inmates who live here, she is not allowed to leave.

When Marmalade first arrived, she would watch the other women get up and go to work each morning: they could volunteer to clean, do laundry, or sew their own clothes. And for a six hour shift, they would receive roughly €6 ($6.50). But Marmalade couldn’t bear to take part. “I would find it very tiring,” she says. Instead she was spending long stretches of time in her cell. When a prison counselor suggested she try “AI work,” the short, three-hour shifts appealed to her, and the money was better than nothing. “Even though it’s not a lot, it’s better than staying in the cell,” she says” She’s only done three shifts so far, but already she feels a sense of achievement.

This is one of three Finnish prisons where inmates can volunteer to earn money through data labor. In each one, there are three laptops set up for inmates to take part in this AI work. There are no targets. Inmates are paid by the hour, not by their work’s speed or quality. In Hämeenlinna, around 20 inmates have tried it out, says Minna Inkinen, a prison work instructor, with cropped red hair, who sits alongside Marmalade as we talk. “Some definitely like it more than others”. When I arrive at the prison on a Wednesday morning, the sewing room is already busy. Inmates are huddled over sewing machines or conferring in pairs over mounds of fabric. But the small room where the AI work takes place is entirely empty until Marmalade arrives. There are only three inmates in total who regularly volunteer for AI shifts, Inkinen says, explaining that the other two are currently in court. “I would prefer to do it in a group,” says Marmalade, adding that she keeps the door open so she can chat with the people sewing next door, in between answering questions.

Those questions have been manually written in an office 100 kilometers south of the prison, in a slick Helsinki coworking space. Here, I meet Metroc’s tall and boyish founder and CEO, Jussi Virnala. He leads me to a stiflingly hot phone booth, past a row of indoor swings, a pool table, and a series of men in suits. It’s an exciting week, he explains, with a grin. The company has just announced a €2 million ($2.1 million) funding round which he plans to use to expand across the Nordics. The investors he spoke with were intrigued by the company’s connection to Finland’s prisons, he says. “Everyone was just interested in and excited about what an innovative way to do it,” says Virnala. “I think it’s been really valuable product-wise.”

It was Virnala’s idea to turn to the prisons for labor. The company needed native Finnish speakers to help improve its large language model’s understanding of the construction-specific language. But in a high-wage economy like Finland, finding those data laborers was difficult. The Finnish welfare system’s generous unemployment benefits leaves little incentive for Finns to sign up to low-wage clickwork platforms like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. “Mechanical Turk didn’t have many Finnish-language workers,” says Virnala. At the same time, he adds, automatic translation tools are still no good at Finnish, a language with only 5 million native speakers.

When Virnala pitched his idea to Pia Puolakka, head of the Smart Prison Project at Finland’s prison and probation agency, she was instantly interested, she says. Before the pandemic, another Finnish tech company called Vainu had been using prisoners for data labor. But Vainu abruptly pulled out after a disagreement between cofounders prompted Tuomas Rasila, who had been in charge of the project, to leave the company.

By the time Virnala approached her with his proposal in 2022, Puolakka was eager to resurrect the AI work. Her job is to try and make the relationship between Finnish prisons and the internet more closely resemble the increasingly digital outside world. So far, she has been installing laptops in individual cells so inmates can browse a restricted list of websites and apply for permission to make video calls. She considers data labor just another part of that mission.

The aim is not to replace traditional prison labor, such as making road signs or gardening. It’s about giving prisoners more variety. Data labeling can only be done in three-hour shifts. “It might be tiring to do this eight hours a day, only this type of work,” she says, adding that it would be nice if inmates did the data labeling alongside other types of prison labor. “This type of work is the future, and if we want to prepare prisoners for life outside prison, a life without crime, these types of skills might be at least as important as the traditional work types that prisons provide,” she says.

But how much data labeling offers inmates skills that are transferable to work after prison is unclear. Tuomas Rasila, the now estranged cofounder of Vainu, who managed the prison project there for a year, admits he has no evidence of this; the project wasn’t running for long enough to collect it, he says. “I think asking people, who might feel outside of society, to train the most high-tech aspect of a modern society is an empowering idea.”

However, others consider this new form of prison labor part of a problematic rush for cheap labor that underpins the AI revolution. “The narrative that we are moving towards a fully automated society that is more convenient and more efficient tends to obscure the fact that there are actual human people powering a lot of these systems,” says Amos Toh, a senior researcher focusing on artificial intelligence at Human Rights Watch.

For Toh, the accelerating search for so-called clickworkers has created a trend where companies are increasingly turning to groups of people who have few other options: refugees, populations in countries gripped by economic crisis—and now prisoners.

“This dynamic is a deeply familiar one,” says Toh. “What we are seeing here is part of a broader phenomenon where the labor behind building tech is being outsourced to workers that toil in potentially exploitative working conditions.”

Toh is also skeptical about whether data labor can help inmates build digital skills. “There are many ways in which people in prison can advance themselves, like getting certificates and taking part in advanced education,” he says. “But I'm skeptical about whether doing data labeling for a company at one euro per hour will lead to meaningful advancement.” Hämeenlinna prison does offer inmates online courses in AI, but Marmalade sits blank-faced as staff try to explain its benefits.

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By the time I meet Lehtiniemi, the researcher from Helsinki University, I’m feeling torn about the merits of the prison project. Traveling straight from the prison, where women worked for €1.54 an hour, to Metroc’s offices, where the company was celebrating a €2 million funding round, felt jarring. In a café, opposite the grand, domed Helsinki cathedral, Lehtiniemi patiently listens to me describe that feeling.

But Lehtiniemi’s own interviews with inmates have given him a different view—he’s generally positive about the project. On my point about pay disparity, he argues this is not an ordinary workforce in mainstream society. These people are in prison. “Comparing the money I get as a researcher and what the prisoner gets for their prison labor, it doesn't make sense,” he says. “The only negative thing I’ve heard has been that there’s not enough of this work. Only a few people can do it,” he says, referring to the limit of three laptops per prison.

“When we think about data labor, we tend to think about Mechanical Turk, people in the global south or the rural US,” he says. But for him, this is a distinct local version of data labor, which comes with a twist that benefits society. It’s giving prisoners cognitively stimulating work—compared to other prison labor options—while also representing the Finnish language in the AI revolution.

Without this kind of initiative, Lehtiniemi worries that non-English languages are being locked out of this next generation of technology. Smart speakers still struggle to understand Finnish dialects. “Not all Finnish people speak English very well, so there's a need for these local forms of data labeling as well,” Lehtiniemi says. Metroc isn’t the only company that has been forced to get creative about finding Finnish data labor. In 2011, the national library created a game to incentivize volunteers to help digitize its archive. In 2020, broadcaster YLE teamed up with Helsinki University and the state development company VAKE to ask volunteers to donate recordings of them speaking Finnish.

There is a sense in Finland that the prison project is just the beginning. Some are worried it could set a precedent that could introduce more controversial types of data labeling, like moderating violent content, to prisons. “Even if the data being labeled in Finland is uncontroversial right now, we have to think about the precedent it sets,” says Toh. “What stops companies from outsourcing data labeling of traumatic and unsavory content to people in prison, especially if they see this as an untapped labor pool?”

It's also not clear whether labor conditions in Finland's prisons—which famously focus on rehabilitation—could be replicated in other countries with a less progressive approach to justice. In the US, 76 percent of prisoners report that prison labor is mandatory, according to civil rights group, the ACLU. “The prison system in the United States is very, very different from what we have in Finland or Nordic countries. It's a completely different idea,” says Rasila. “In Finland, there is an exclusively positive feeling around the project because everyone knows that this is very voluntary.”

AI companies are only going to need more data labor, forcing them to keep seeking out increasingly unusual labor forces to keep pace. As Metroc plots its expansion across the Nordics and into languages other than Finnish, Virnala is considering whether to expand the prison labor project to other countries. “It’s something we need to explore,” he says.