Women take shelter from the hot sun under the cover of trees planted by school children at Muusini Primary School in Kibwezi, east of Kenya's capital Nairobi. REUTERS/Noor Khamis

'This Is Our Future' – Kenya's Croton Tree Touted as New Biofuels Crop
Eco Fuels Kenya, a small company based in Nanyuki, is pioneering the use of croton oil as a replacement for diesel. Croton oil generates 78% less carbon dioxide emissions than diesel and has one big advantage over other common biofuels: food security. The fact that croton nuts are inedible means they can replace the need to make fuel from ingredients that could otherwise be food for humans.

Africa’s First Grid-Connected Biogas Plant Powers Up
A commercial farm in Kenya has become Africa's first electricity producer powered by biogas to sell surplus electricity to the national grid, cutting the carbon emissions associated with oil-powered generation. The new plant generates not only electricity, but also heat for the farm's greenhouses, with fertilizer as a by-product.

New Oxfam App Aims to Rebuild Trust in Charities and Increase Donations
Oxfam, the global poverty reduction charity, is launching an app, My Oxfam, that it says will make donating easy and rewarding. The app aims to build trust among supporters by giving them an insight into the charity’s work and the way funds are spent, through video diaries from Oxfam staff on the ground, stories about the people the charity is supporting, and live updates on emergencies.

Kenyan Farmers Develop Taste for Insects as Drought Hurts Crops
Farmers' traditional crops have suffered in Kenya in recent years due to long periods of drought. According to the Nairobi-based International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology, a growing number of farmers in eastern and western Kenya are now harvesting and eating insects like termites to cope with prolonged drought.