Ever wonder how rural Africans brush their teeth? Metropolis TV sent a correspondent to Kenya to find out.

Here are some photos from our community development in Tamale, Ghana:

Thinking about donating books / clothes abroad? While the sentiment might be good, there are far better ways to help others.

One great example is a new non-profit called LivelyHoods in Kenya which helps locals earn money by selling local goods.

The LivelyHoods project, which began in Kawangware, a densely populated urban slum about nine miles (15km) from Nairobi, is designed to create employment opportunities by training young people to sell products tailored to the needs of their communities. Cornerstones of the scheme’s iSmart brand include fuel-efficient cookstoves, of which 3,233 have been sold so far, as well as solar lamps and reusable sanitary products for women. All the products are vetted for their suitability, first by the LivelyHoods sales team and then by potential customers.

Here is founder Maria Springer to explain:

(from the BBC)

(from the BBC)

(from the BBC)

Our local newspaper here in Philadelphia just did an article on the neighborhood of Miraflores in Peru, one of the towns where our volunteers stay with host families.

Miraflores is one of several districts in Peru’s capital city of Lima. It is known for its parks, shopping areas, beaches, and more. (Colin Kerrigan / philly.com)

British Airways, one of the longest serving airlines that flies into Ghana and currently the only direct flights operator to the United Kingdom, will deploy a bigger capacity aircraft onto the Ghana route, with effect from March 2014.

Full story at GhanaWeb…

We just watched the 2012 film “War Witch” and highly recommend it. It’s about a child soldier in Africa. Granted, not exactly a Xmas movie, but incredible nonetheless.