A chance encounter at a protest by Afghans in Rome

How aid to Africa can backfire; urban mosquito spreads out [View this email online]( [NPR]( Goats and Soda editor's note Pierre Kattar Sometimes as a journalist you make all kinds of plans to come up with a story. And sometimes ... the stars align. Pierre Kattar, who is editing photos for our blog, worked on our story about an Afghan teen who died in a suicide blast. [Marzia Mohammadi left behind a diary with her hopes and dreams -- from writing a novel to eating pizza in Italy.]( A week later, Kattar, who was then in Rome, went to a demonstration by Afghans. He saw a sign with a photo of the 53 people, mainly girls, who died in the attack --- and immediately recognized Marzia Mohammadi’s photo. It was the same photo he had published. He pulled up the NPR story on his phone and showed it to the two men holding the poster. One of them said: "I was their teacher." "I felt a pang of empathy," says Kattar -- but also a feeling that he was so lucky to meet Hamidullah Hussaini (pictured above). Hussaini answered texts at all hours to help Kattar write the story and recalled how the young student was "too smart" -- so brainy, so good, so full of energy. After the post published, the 29-year-old teacher said that despite his sorrow, he was proud that the voice of this hopeful teenager was being heard. [Read about this chance encounter here.]( Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda in the news BSIP/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images [This urban mosquito threatens to derail the fight against malaria in Africa]( The Anopheles stephensi is a well-known malaria mosquito but still sort of new in Ethiopia, where it has caused dramatic, out-of-season outbreaks in ill-equipped cities, new research shows. [Countries hit hardest by climate change need much more money to prepare, U.N. says]( To help developing nations prepare for more extreme storms, heat waves and floods, industrialized countries gave them around $29 billion in 2020. But that's a fraction of what the developing world needs in order to reduce the damage from extreme weather events, according to a U.N. report. fighting pathogens Tommy Trenchard for NPR [African scientists say Western aid to fight pandemic is backfiring. Here's their plan]( Monkeypox is the latest case of how global health inequities persist. Vaccines went to the rich world while Africa lacks access. African scientists call for a bold plan to protect against pathogens. send us your toilet sign pix Javed Dar/Xinhua via Getty Images [World Toilet Day draws nigh! We'd love to see your toilet sign photos from around the globe]( World Toilet Day is November 19. It's a serious day. The U.N. established it to "celebrate toilets and raise awareness of the 3.6 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation" – in other words, a place to do number 1 and number 2 with dignity, without risk to your safety and without endangering others with diseases that stem from fecal matter. But people are sometimes reluctant to talk about toilets. And one sanitation expert told us: "Humor is a useful way to broach the subject." In the past, we've run a selection of photos of amusing toilet signs from around the world. If you'd like to contribute, send your photo to [goatsandsoda@npr.org](mailto:goatsandsoda@npr.org?subject=) with "toilet signs" in the subject line. Send in your submissions by November 15 and let us know how to contact you if we have any questions about including your photo in our roundup. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- links we like - The New York Times profiles [Ghana's only openly transgender musician:]( Maxine Angel Opok. - The high rate of [violence directed at health workers in India]( is the subject of a report in Global Health Now. - The Indian Express pays tribute to Ela Bhatt, an advocate for women workers, who died on Nov. 2: ["A gentle revolutionary who changed millions of lives."]( --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [goatsandsoda@npr.org](mailto:goatsandsoda@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Health, Daily News, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Goats and Soda emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]