Northern Ireland

New exhibition in Belfast highlights challenges facing women and girls in Africa

‘Africa Adapting’ is on display at Queen’s University Belfast

Self Help Africa ambassador Rob Herring joined Dorothy Jacob, head of development education, Self Help Africa, at the launch of the charity’s photographic exhibition ‘Africa Adapting’ which is on display at Queen’s University Belfast
Self Help Africa ambassador Rob Herring with Dorothy Jacob from the charity at the launch of the exhibition ‘Africa Adapting’ at Queen’s University Belfast
By Suzanne McGonagle

A new exhibition which aims to highlight the challenges faced by women and girls across Africa has been unveiled in Belfast.

The display, ‘Africa Adapting’, from the global development charity Self Help Africa is on show at Queen’s University Belfast.

The charity said the exhibition brings to life the stories of people it is working with in Africa, those who are least responsible for, but are most impacted by climate change.

Through personal narratives, the exhibition illustrates how women and girls are harnessing information, science and market opportunities to mobilise their communities to respond to the climate crisis and other pressing challenges, which includes access to a healthy diet.

A photographic exhibition from global development charity Self Help Africa 'Africa Adapting' on display at the Institute for Global Food Security at the School of Biological Sciences, Chlorine Gardens, Queen's University Belfast on the 17th and 18th October 2024. PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
Prof Eric Morgan, Professor of Veterinary Parasitology and Dr Anne Nugent, Reader, Nutrition look at the photographic exhibition. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

The exhibition coincides with World Food Day today with figures showing there are more than 2.8 billion people in the world unable to afford a healthy diet.

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Last year, more than one in five people in Africa - and one in 11 worldwide - faced hunger.

Extreme weather events are having a devastating impact on the ability of millions of farmers in Africa to grow enough food to earn a decent income, and to feed their families.

Martha Hourican from Self Help Africa said: “Access to food is a fundamental human right - yet in 2024 as we commemorate World Food Day, more than 730 million people around the world are facing hunger, due to a number of global shocks and challenges.

“Self Help Africa’s ‘Africa Adapting’ exhibition not only highlights some of these challenges, but also the innovative solutions being put in place by the women that we are working with.

“These are stories of strength and resilience, and the power of community in the face of adversity.”

Dr Anne Nugent from QUB said: “This visual project documents the real-life impact that Self Help Africa have in empowering females within communities in Africa.

“In addition, it is vital as it helps build on existing research and encourages further collaboration between Queen’s and Self Help Africa, work that has most recently focussed on improving goat health in Malawi and to provide important nutrition and health advice to female small farm holders in the Teso Region of Uganda, particularly in relation to pregnancy and child health.

Dr Anne Nugent, Reader, Nutrition looks at A photographic exhibition from global development charity Self Help Africa 'Africa Adapting' on display at the Institute for Global Food Security at the School of Biological Sciences, Chlorine Gardens, Queen's University Belfast on the 17th and 18th October 2024. PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
Dr Anne Nugent. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

“We look forward to welcoming people to our school to view the exhibition and hope that they leave feeling inspired and encouraged to support us on this journey.”

The exhibition, which is free, is at QUB’s school of Biological Sciences, 15 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast until Friday from 9am-5pm.