Hi John,

Last month, you voted for your favourite choice of new names for this newsletter. And ONE Voice was the winner! 🎉

Thank you to everyone who cast their vote. We're trying some new things in this newsletter and would love to know what you think! So please let us know at bottom of this email. Enjoy! 

💡 Solutions journalism: the answer to doom-scrolling?

Pandemics, climate disasters, conflict, food and energy shortages… the 24/7 news cycle paints a pretty bleak world. But, what we don't hear as much about is how people are trying to solve these kinds of widely shared problems. The Solutions Journalism Network is trying to address that gap.

A solutions story focuses on how people are responding to a social problem — and most importantly — how that response has or hasn't worked and why.

At ONE, we advocate for African-driven policy solutions to tackle extreme poverty and preventable disease. So we're going to include a solutions journalism story each month. We encourage you to share these on social media to inspire more ideas for solutions to the world's problems.  

🪫 Half of people living in sub-Saharan Africa don't have access to electricity. The Africa Mini-Grid Program aims to provide accessible solar-based electricity in some of the lowest-income countries.

🤔 Poll: Are you seeing the impacts of climate change where you live?

Yes
I'm not sure
No

To fight climate change we need to lower our greenhouse gas emissions urgently. But, we also need the tools to adapt to life in today's increasingly extreme conditions.

Adapting to our changing climate requires altering our behaviour, systems, and — in some cases — ways of life to protect our families, our economies, and the environment in which we live. We want to know how your area is vulnerable to climate change and how it's adapting.

Your activism quick hits

📚 These 12 books will kickstart your activism

💥 Stunning artwork from five emerging African artists on the theme of celebrating Africa's creative power.

🌟 The Power of Love Foundation works with children, women, and caregivers across Zambia and India who have been impacted by HIV/AIDS. Meet two women whose lives have been changed by getting the support, tools and training they needed.

📖 Dystopia, drought and hope? African cli-fi takes on the climate crisis.

Your activism journey

💰 Student debt, personal debt, national debt. There have been lots of campaigns highlighting the injustices around debt. In this podcast, Debt Collective organisers share their lessons from campaigning on #CancelStudentDebt in the U.S.

🌍 Peer-powered climate action: How 140 women moved £1.2 million for the planet. And if you're inspired to join, check out these resources to help you use your money for good.

📣 Why we need new stories about climate change. "What the climate crisis is, what we can do about it, and what kind of a world we can have is all about what stories we tell and whose stories are heard." 

People changing the world: Amusile Olayemi

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the work you do? 

My name is Amusile Olayemi and I’m from Abuja, Nigeria. I am 26 years old.

As an activist, I focus on promoting good health and wellbeing. I work at Nigeria Health Watch, an organisation that advocates for equal access to healthcare services across the country and helps people to make informed decisions about their health. 

I also founded an initiative called Drug Solutions, which informs young people about drug abuse prevention through advocacy and research. Our work was featured by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. I have co-authored papers in peer-reviewed journals on topics like One Health (a plan to improve health security in Nigeria), period poverty, female genital mutilation, diabetes and depression, and tobacco control.

What inspired you to become an activist?

The limited access to effective healthcare services and medicines spurred my interest. Every year in Nigeria, people die of preventable infectious and non-infectious diseases - like those linked to maternal deaths. 

More interesting still is the number of youths that smoke and use illicit drugs. Someone had to bridge the gap between preventable diseases and access to the right information. I was motivated to create a solution.

What is your most memorable moment as an activist?

My most memorable moment was when I was invited to be a panellist at a youth event by the youth commissioner of the state where I live. I was the youngest person on the panel. I received encouraging feedback and that inspired me to keep pushing for change in my society. 

That same year, I got a travel grant to attend training about health technology assessment through a collaboration between the Kwame Nkrumah University of Ghana, the Technische Universität of Berlin in Germany, and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Which activist would you most like to meet?

I’d really love to meet Bono, ONE’s co-founder. I am fascinated by his love for humanity and how he has used pop music to change the world.

What's one thing you've learned that might help someone new to activism?

Start now! There is never a perfect time to start your activism work. One step at a time and you will be walking the road of impact.

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