Geldof's Africa private equity fund nears $200 million (Reuters)

ZURICH (Reuters Life!) – Bob Geldof, the former Boomtown Rats singer and Live Aid front man, said a private equity fund he agreed to front last year to invest in Africa was nearing its first close, having raised nearly $200 million.

Geldof helped organize the 1985 Live Aid concert, which reached an estimated 1.5 billion people and did much to raise the profile of those suffering from poverty, starvation and disease in Africa.

Geldof said the private equity fund, called 8 Miles, which represents the shortest distance between Europe and North Africa, had attracted increasing attention because of what he called an existential fiscal crisis in the euro zone.

"It's all about globalization. Without Africa, this whole game stops," Geldof told delegates at a Julius Baer investor conference in Zurich, focusing on growth. "Last month, of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world, six were African."

Private equity funds often close to new investors as they deploy the money already gathered, because holding on to large amounts of idle cash while they choose their investments can create a drag on performance.

Geldof said he agreed to help raise money for the fund late last year after discussions with Phillip Pritchard, Chief Executive of CLSA, an Asian brokerage and investment company arm formerly called Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia.

He said that while Africa was currently seeing huge investment from China and other nations anxious to access its raw materials, the continent had the chance to become a productive global powerhouse.

"Currently 80 percent of exports from Africa are unprocessed raw materials. There's your opportunity: they need manufacturing," Geldof said.

"We need their brains and their muscle power, because we're growing older," he said, adding that by 2020, Africa will have a larger young working population than China or India.

"They are connected (to the global economy) now and cannot be disconnected," he said.

(Reporting by Martin de Sa'Pinto; Editing by Will Waterman)

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Music stars campaign to end hunger crisis in Africa (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A global social media campaign featuring a Bob Marley song was launched by some of the music industry's top stars on Tuesday to help stem the hunger crisis that is increasing in the Horn of Africa.

More than 150 stars including Lady Gaga, U2, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney are among the well-known figures using their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to urge fans to donate money to help the numerous families starving in the region.

The campaign, called "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend," can be found at www.imgonnabeyourfriend.org. It shows a video of Bob Marley & The Wailers' 1973 song, 'High Tide or Low Tide," accompanied by footage of malnourished children created by award-winning film director Kevin Macdonald.

About 3.6 million people are at risk of starvation in Somalia and 12 million people across the Horn of Africa, including in Ethiopia and Kenya, the United Nations says.

The drought-hit Horn of Africa urgently needs funds to rebuild agriculture and fight famine. The United Nations food agency has called for a high level meeting to help overcome the worsening crisis.

The "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend," campaign estimated it would reach over a billion people with partners such as Universal Music Group, Yahoo, Facebook, AOL, MSN, YouTube and Twitter and the power of celebrities' reach. The combined power of using Facebook and Twitter pages alone will reach 730 million, the campaign said.

Donations or downloads of "High Tide or Low Tide," for $1.29 will go to the Save the Children appeal for east Africa and used for food, water and medicine.

Other stars participating include Sting, David Beckham, Eminem, Rihanna, Annie Lennox, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Ricky Martin and Lily Allen.

"High Tide or Low Tide" was chosen by the Marley family for the resonance of the single's lyrics, "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend" and can also be found on www.facebook.com/bobmarley.

The video starts with the slogan "The Worst Drought in Decades" and after showing images of starving and thirsty children, ends with a black-and-white image of the late Marley behind the message, "Millions of children are facing starvation."

"We must stand up together as friends to put a stop to this, to feed our children and to save their lives," Rita Marley, Bob Marley's widow, said in a statement.

(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Celebs urge action for Horn of Africa famine funds (AFP)

ROME (AFP) – Bob Geldof, Stephen Fry and Eddie Izzard joined other celebrities and activists Monday in urging world leaders to step up their response to the Horn of Africa crisis ahead of emergency talks in Rome.

"As we write, more than 11 million people are suffering the great agony of the worst famine in Africa for many years," they said in a joint letter released by One, a poverty campaign group founded by singer and activist Bono.

"It is incomprehensible that in 2011 anyone should die of starvation. 600 million dollars is needed now for our fellow humans. Not a great sum for the world, even in a time of great economic difficulty for some," the letter read.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is hosting emergency talks in Rome on Monday as aid groups scramble to raise money for an estimated 12 million people on the brink of starvation in the drought-stricken region.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed by the worst drought in 60 years, which has wreaked havoc in war-torn Somalia but has also hit more widely in parts of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda, the UN says.

"All can and should use this meeting to make their pledges and find this money without reservation, prevarication or equivocation," said the campaigners including actress Kristin Scott Thomas and director Richard Curtis.

An online petition by One which calls urgently on world leaders not only to provide the necessary funds now but to keep

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Drogba takes malaria fight to native Africa (Reuters)

BANGKOK (Reuters) – After six years braving England's frigid winters, a tropical disease was the last thing Chelsea's injury-prone striker Didier Drogba thought would keep him on the sidelines of the Premier League.

Since contracting malaria last year, Drogba's fight against the disease has gone from the Chelsea treatment room to the wilds of West Africa, where he is building a hospital and providing thousands of mosquito nets in an effort to cut the infection rate of one of the world's biggest killers.

There are 225 million cases a year of malaria, a mosquito-borne disease which can damage the nervous system, kidneys and liver. There were 781,000 deaths due to malaria in 2009, nine out of 10 were in Africa, according to the World Health Organization.

"I had malaria, I know exactly what it feels like and it's something that I want to stop," Drogba told Reuters on Saturday, handing out hundreds of nets bearing his face to a foundation in Thailand during Chelsea's Asian tour.

"That's why we're giving these nets to kids and people who can't afford treatment. These are good options, they're efficient and they save lives."

Drogba has been active in his native Ivory Coast in raising funds and donating his own sponsorship earnings to building a hospital in the capital Abidjan worth more than $4 million.

The 32-year-old fell ill with malaria in September but continued playing, a decision he said was foolish in retrospect and delayed his recovery.

DANGEROUS MOVE

The towering forward still does not know where he picked up the illness, which the club did not reveal until two months later.

"It was very dangerous and cost me fitness for almost two months," he said. "But I kept playing, I wanted to help my team, but I really should not have."

Drogba's hospital project has been delayed due to a four-month conflict in Ivory Coast that killed thousands of people following an election intended to unite the former French colony that plunged it back into civil war.

The country is now in recovery following April's ouster by French-backed rebels of former President Laurent Gbagbo, who had refused to cede power. Drogba said he would return to his homeland in the next few weeks to get his hospital project started.

"The situation in Ivory Coast has meant it's difficult for people to receive treatment, but the country is trying to survive, slowly things should get back to normal," Drogba said.

"I want this money to go to the right place, to try to help my people and give back to them what they gave to me.

"They've always been supporting me, so I really want to help them."

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South Africa cheers Mandela's 93rd birthday with a song (AFP)

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Millions of South African schoolchildren sang happy birthday to Nelson Mandela as he turned 93 Monday, while politicians and ordinary citizens did charity work to support his call to do good.

For the third year, at the request of his charitable foundation, July 18 is observed as Mandela Day, recognised by the United Nations as a global call to volunteer for good causes for 67 minutes -- representing each year of Mandela's life in active politics.

The nation's 12.5 million schoolchildren sang "Happy Birthday" before starting class Monday, with television and radio stations urging the nation to join in the special rendition of the song, given an African twist by a local composer.

"He must relax and must not get sick. He must live long," said 10-year-old Kabelo Masemola, whose Johannesburg school suspended extra-curriculars for the week so the students can do volunteer work instead.

Tributes also came from world leaders, with British Prime Minister David Cameron saluting Mandela's legacy during his visit to South Africa on Monday.

"President Mandela is an inspiration to the world, and as we celebrate his birthday and look back at just how far South Africa has come, so I believe we can look forward with confidence to an even better future for South Africa and her people," Cameron said.

US President Barack Obama hailed Mandela as "a beacon for the global community, and for all who work for democracy, justice and reconciliation."

"Mandela's legacy exemplifies wisdom, strength and grace, and on the anniversary of his birth we salute the example of his life," he said.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who like Mandela has won the Nobel Peace Prize, said he had sent good wishes to Mandela and his wife Graca Machel, as the couple is also celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary.

"On behalf of The Elders, I sent him an email because it's also their wedding anniversary," Tutu told reporters.

Tutu and Machel both belong to The Elders, a group of global statesmen.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the world to observe Mandela's call to carry out volunteer work.

"Everybody remembers and, indeed, needs an inspirational figure who has played a signal role in their lives. Nelson Mandela has been that role model for countless people around the world," Ban said.

Mandela spent his birthday with his family at his childhood village Qunu in the Eastern Cape province. Pictures released by his foundation showed him gathered with his family around an enormous birthday cake.

Later in the day, President Jacob Zuma visited Mandela in Qunu and showed him a model of a bridge to be built nearby.

His grandson, chief Mandla Mandela said the family would give blankets to elderly people around his birthplace of Mvezo.

"We'll be ensuring that at least our elderly citizens are looked after and taken better care of, but we are also having kids from the school in Mvezo that will be cleaning the community because we want to ensure that we preserve our area," he told national broadcaster SABC.

Similar activities were underway around the country, as South Africans cleaned and painted schools, orphanages and clinics, while others donated food, clothes, books and toys to charity.

Increasingly frail with age, Mandela was last seen in public just before his 92nd birthday, when he and Machel made an appearance at the football World Cup final in Johannesburg.

As South Africa's first black president, Mandela is revered for having ushered in democracy and for his personal sacrifices in fighting the apartheid regime.

On his release in 1990, he led negotiations that paved the way to elections in 1994. He used his warmth, dignity and self-deprecating humour to help heal racial divisions and opened a process of reconciliation.

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Michelle Obama says husband is committed to Africa (Reuters)

GABORONE (Reuters) – First Lady Michelle Obama rejected criticism that her husband's administration had not paid enough attention to Africa, saying on Friday her trip was a direct reflection of his commitment to the continent.

Obama arrived in Botswana early on Friday after spending the past days in South Africa promoting health, education and youth leadership.

She met President Ian Khama and young people who have or are affected by HIV/AIDS.

Her husband, President Barack Obama, whose father was Kenyan, has faced criticism for not spending more time on the continent himself. His only trip as president was to Ghana in 2009 for one night.

"There are a lot of expectations for this president. And so there's bound to be people who feel like it's never enough," Mrs. Obama said in a group interview with four reporters traveling with her on the week-long African trip.

"But this trip is ... a direct reflection of his support and his interest and his view of the importance of Africa to the world and to the future of the world. That's why I'm here."

President Obama is in the middle of tough talks with congressional Republicans to agree a deal to raise the U.S. debt limit and reduce the deficit. With the 2012 election looming, his primary political focus has been domestic.

"This is his trip. He would love to be here. But there's a lot of work to do on the domestic front, and particularly at this time there are a lot of critical issues," Mrs. Obama said.

"I think his record and the number of senior officials who have spent so much time in Africa are ... a reflection of this administration's commitment to this continent."

Jennifer Cooke, Africa Program Director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said: "The fact that he's only taken one short trip -- I think people have been disappointed, Africans and Africa policy watchers alike.

"People are hoping for a trip and one a little longer than his Ghana sojourn."

Obama is on her second official solo journey abroad, along with her daughters, their cousins, and her mother.

The White House hopes the first lady's trip to South African and Botswana will highlight strong democracies on the continent and serve as an example for others.

In a nod to that goal, Obama praised Botswana during remarks at a meeting of young women leaders.

"It is a pleasure to be in this beautiful country that embodies what my husband has called 'a vision of Africa on the move'," she said. "That is Botswana, a thriving democracy, a vital society, a fast-growing economy, and more importantly a kind and generous people."

Obama and her family are scheduled to take a safari on Saturday and head back to Washington on Sunday.

(Editing by Alison Williams)

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Michelle Obama urges Africa to advance women's rights (Reuters)

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – First Lady Michelle Obama urged young Africans on Wednesday to fight for women's rights and battle the stigma of AIDS, using her husband's "yes, we can" campaign slogan to motivate youth across the continent.

Obama is on her second solo trip abroad as first lady to promote issues such as education, health and wellness.

But her speech to a group of young women and men at Regina Mundi Church, which played a role in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, touched on much harder topics: race, discrimination, democracy, and development.

Obama, who is traveling with her mother and two daughters, drew on the leaders of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and the civil rights movement in the United States as an example for the younger generation to follow.

"It is because of them that we are able to gather here today...It is because of them that I stand before you as First Lady of the United States of America," she said to applause.

"That is the legacy of the independence generation, the freedom generation. And all of you - the young people of this continent - you are the heirs of that blood, sweat, sacrifice, and love."

Obama appeared visibly moved when the audience stood and sang an impromptu serenade as she approached the podium. Placing her hands over her heart, she thanked the crowd and seemed to choke back tears.

She spoke passionately about women's rights, saying the young leaders should ensure that women were no longer "second class citizens" and that girls were educated in schools.

"You can be the generation that stands up and says that violence against women in any form, in any place, including the home - especially the home - that isn't just a women's rights violation. It's a human rights violation," she said.

"You can be the generation that ends HIV/AIDS in our time, the generation that fights not just the disease, but the stigma of the disease, the generation that teaches the world that HIV is fully preventable and treatable, and should never be a source of shame," she said to applause.

Obama was introduced by Graca Machel, Nelson Mandela's wife.

Obama and her family met Mandela at his home on Tuesday.

Barack Obama is the first black U.S. president, just as Mandela was the first black president of South Africa.

Mrs. Obama used her husband's famous campaign slogan, which helped him win the 2008 presidential election, to urge the audience to follow through on the issues she addressed.

"If anyone ever tells you that you shouldn't or you can't, then I want you to say with one voice - the voice of a generation - you tell them, 'yes, we can."

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Michelle Obama leaves for Africa, second solo trip (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – First lady Michelle Obama left for Africa on Sunday, embarking on her second official solo journey abroad with a goal of advancing U.S. policies on education, health, and democracy.

The first lady will arrive on Monday in South Africa, where she will make stops in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Later in the week she will visit Botswana.

Her trip will be rich with imagery.

As the wife of the first black U.S. president, Mrs. Obama's travel on the continent adds a different symbolic heft than previous first ladies' trips there have had.

In South Africa she will meet Graca Machel, the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela. She will also visit the island where Mandela was imprisoned under apartheid.

In Botswana she will meet with President Ian Khama and with women leaders. She will also see a nature reserve.

Her trip comes as the United States starts gearing up for the 2012 presidential election, when her husband, President Barack Obama, hopes to hold on to the White House. Pictures of Mrs. Obama in Africa could appear in the campaign to appeal to black voters, a critical voting bloc for Obama's Democrats.

White House officials said her visit would advance her husband's foreign policy goals.

"This trip by the first lady is very directly connected to the president's agenda in Africa and the Obama administration's foreign policy in Africa," Ben Rhodes, President Obama's deputy national security adviser told reporters last week.

"It's no coincidence that she would be visiting countries that have embraced democracy, (and) in many respects, have shown that not only does their democracy deliver for its citizens, but it can provide a positive example for the neighborhood that these countries are in as well."

The first lady's previous official solo sojourn abroad was to Mexico.

She is joined on this trip by her two daughters, Sasha and Malia, as well as her mother.

(Editing by Christopher Wilson)

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