Several years ago, Erin Zaikis was working in rural Thailand. She was surprised to see how many children in the village didn’t wash their hands with soap, much less know what soap was. In 2013 Zaikis founded Sundara, a nonprofit working to improve hygiene and prevent disease in poor communities in India, Uganda and Myanmar by recycling used bars of hotel soap. 

The third India-Africa Forum Summit has been depicted as truly historic. It is so for three reasons: it was the largest assembly of African leaders outside Africa; the biggest gathering of Africa’s 41 heads of state/government on Indian soil; and it saw India unveiling a bigger development cooperation package than ever before.

China’s soft power has also been ascendant in Africa. [...] China is leveraging its soft power — culture, investment, academia, foreign aid, public diplomacy — more effectively than before to influence Africa and other regions in the developing world.

Ethiopia's Addis Ababa Rail project opened last month to the delight of excited residents of the country's capital. The $475m urban rail project [...] is one of the most obvious examples of Beijing's huge role in Ethiopia's infrastructure development. The world's most populous nation has also built dams, roads, and factories in Ethiopia, and even gifted Addis Ababa the African Union headquarters, which cost $200m.

India’s rich cultural heritage will be at show when the third India-Africa Forum Summit gets underway on Tuesday. Apart from a cultural event during the banquet being hosted by the President for the visiting dignitaries, a mix of Indian traditional cultural exposure to monuments as well as a modern fashion show, which will highlight the handlooms of Varanasi [...]

The debate over the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States tends to focus on big business and American workers: To opponents it represents "crony capitalism" and "corporate welfare," supporters point to the American jobs and tax dollars it seeds. But there's another way to think about it: Ex-Im, as small as it is, represents an excellent vehicle for advancing America's foreign policy interests.

The public will get an opportunity to learn more about countries accredited to South Africa when they showcase their cultural diplomacy at the Union Buildings. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), in partnership with the City of Tshwane, will host the Annual Diplomatic Fair.

Lieutenant Ouma Laouali, 28, on the 21st of October became the first female pilot in Niger. She was one of the Nigerien Airforce members trained by the United States as part of a program to help fight the Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram. Just as women in politics and business are celebrated, Lieutenant Ouma is celebrated for joining the league of amazing first female pilots in Africa.