On the radar this week...
Cameroonian artist Shiri Achu shares her journey with Oral Ofori
Shiri Achu is a multiple award-winning Cameroonian visual artist and painter that has captivated international audiences with her vibrant paintings celebrating African culture. Achu’s art is gripping and engaging across the globe, from Cameroon to the United States, Czech Republic, Australia, Wales, Britain, Singapore, Germany, Kenya, Ghana etc.
Last month, she was honoured with the United Council for Youth Empowerment’s (UCYE) 21st Century Most Contemporary Artist Award, and appointed as the UCYE African Cultural Ambassador to the United States, both recognizing her dedication to promoting African culture through her art.
In an interview with Oral Ofori of TheAfricanDream.net, Achu shared her journey from her roots in Africa to her international exhibitions; emphasizing her purpose, dedication to showcasing African heritage, career milestones, and the profound motivations behind her creative endeavours.
QYO Foundation empowers teenage girls with ‘Pad A Girl Initiative’
Nigerian-based nonprofit, Queen Yetunde Olofintade (QYO) Foundation hosted its inaugural transformative program “Pad A Girl Initiative,” focused on health and wellness talk, distribution of sanitary pads, and menstrual hygiene sensitization on May 28, 2025 marking a significant step towards empowering teenage girls in its region.
The nonprofit addressed invited schools, which included female students from Do-Estdot International School, and Larb College, helping them to reinforce their confidence towards treating menstruation as a natural process, and not a source of shame. The program was held at the Area M Police Command Hall, Pipeline Bus Stop, Isheri Olofin, Lagos State, Nigeria.
HWPL unites international leaders for 12th annual peace walk
In a powerful display of global solidarity, peace advocates, community leaders, educators, interfaith representatives, and youth gathered to proclaim peace at the United States Capitol. The event commemorates the 12th Anniversary of the Declaration of World Peace and affirms a collective commitment to securing peace for future generations.
Hosted by HWPL and local partners, this year’s walk was held under the theme “Peace Is Possible: Securing Generational Peace Through Law and Dialogue,” on May 31. This peace walk also launched a new campaign entitled “A Piece of Peace”, which gathered local and international leaders to make tangible commitments to peace activities.
Book review — The African Sojourners by Kofi J. Roberts
The novel ‘The African Sojourners: From Africa to America Aged 21 with Only 20 Dollars’ written by Kofi J. Roberts is a compelling, fictionalized story drawn from the author’s observations of African immigrant communities in the United States between 1960 and 2010.
Through the interconnected stories of characters like Joe Mankatah, Doku Amarfio (aka “Shoe”), and Ben Tettey, Roberts explores the aspirations, struggles, and cultural complexities of African immigrants chasing opportunities in America. The book published in November 2024, poses a compelling question of whether the sojourners were pushed out of Africa by necessity or pulled to the U.S. by ambition?
How ex-inmate Frederick Hutson transformed prison call system
Frederick Hutson was 24 when a drug trafficking conviction altered the trajectory of his life. The Air Force veteran from St. Petersburg, Florida, spent four years behind bars in eight correctional facilities, where he experienced the harsh isolation many inmates face. A single 15-minute interstate call could cost as much as $17, a financial burden that added to the emotional strain of imprisonment.
Research consistently shows that maintaining communication with loved ones reduces recidivism. A study by the nonprofit Vera Institute found that incarcerated individuals with strong family ties have better outcomes, such as stable housing and employment, upon release. “Corrections practitioners understand the positive role families play,” the study noted, “but often lack the tools to support those connections.”
Inspired by these findings and his personal experience, Hutson launched Pigeonly in 2013 with support from San Francisco’s NewME Accelerator, a program focused on underrepresented entrepreneurs. Today, Pigeonly is a $3 million tech company offering cost-effective solutions for inmates and their families. Its services include Fotopigeon, a photo-mailing platform, and Telepigeon, which drastically reduces the cost of phone calls to correctional facilities.
Watch: Great African Elder Akyaaba Addai-Sebo shares how Black History Month UK got started
Great African Elder, Statesman, and Activist Akyaaba Addai-Sebo is a Ghanaian analyst, journalist, and pan-African activist who is credited with developing in 1987 the recognition of October as Black History Month in the UK. With Ansel Wong, Elder Addai-Sebo co-edited the 1988 book "Our Story: A Handbook of African History and Contemporary Issues."