How to get help with debt problems

John Kieti always made sure that the windows of his apartment were shut tight and all the curtains closed.It was his way of keeping out the stench and polluted air in Syokimau, a neighbourhood close to Kenya's capital, Nairobi. The pollution was affecting the health of his two children."We decided enough was enough. We couldn't take it in any more," he told the BBC. "Every day, we woke up to the stench and dusty air. The children in the estate started developing breathing problems."Syokimau is a middle-income neighbourhood, home to more than 5,000 people, many of them staying in two- or three-bedroom apartments. But there are several factories - among them a steel mill, a cement manufacturing plant and an asphalt factory - dotted across the community, sitting close to residential blocks. Mr Kieti, along with his wife and children, lives near the asphalt factory that used to release dense fumes into the air, blanketing the area in dark smoke. Overall, the WHO reports that the level of … [Read more...] about Kenya pollution: How air sensors are helping people fight pollution

IT is that time of year again – when parents must fork out for school uniforms. But children can outgrow it all in no time, it seems. Parents of kids starting secondary school spend on average more than £300 for new threads over the year, a new study reveals. So here are some tips to help you kit out your kids more cheaply . . . FACEBOOK CAN BE YOUR FRIEND: Many outgrown or unloved items of uniform can be found for sale on Facebook Marketplace. And if you cannot find what you are looking for in the listings, it is also worth doing a shout-out to local parent groups on Facebook — there is bound to be a parent with a child in an older year who will be keen to offload uniform to you. LOST AND FOUND: Schools will often sell off the heaps of clothing left unclaimed in lost property — so it is worth asking when the next sale may be. Many items will have plenty of wear left in them — just give them a quick wash to freshen them up.HELP YOURSELF … [Read more...] about How to cut back school uniform costs from second-hand buys to applying for grants

The father of the alkaline diet, Robert O Young, is hailed as an inspiration by one of the UK's most popular food writers, Natasha Corrett, but he faces a jail sentence for practising medicine without a licence. One patient who believed he could cure her cancer, British army officer Naima Houder-Mohammed, paid thousands of dollars for his alkaline treatment, which consisted mainly of intravenous infusions of baking soda.In May 2009 Naima Houder-Mohammed was commissioned as a captain in the British army. The following year, tragedy struck. Naima was diagnosed with breast cancer. She received treatment and was declared cancer-free. But in 2012, while training with the army skiing team, it was discovered the cancer had returned. Her condition was so serious she was offered end-of-life care."She refused to accept that this was the end," recalls her friend and former fellow officer, Afzal Amin. "Naima was a fighter. She fought to get through selection for Sandhurst. She fought through … [Read more...] about The dying officer treated for cancer with baking soda

Residents held a street party to celebrate a 'neighbour from hell' finally being evicted. Katie Bentley's landlord Phil Withnall spent months desperately trying to get her out of the property, which she rented from P&J Properties. The mum-of-five left the house in Bransholme, Hull, needing £25,000 worth of repairs. There were holes in the walls, smashed up windows, ripped up floorboards and mounds of rubbish in multiple rooms. Mr Withnall eventually got her kicked out through the High Court, Hull Live reports. And she was unpopular with neighbours, who complained about her on a weekly basis for her apparent raucous behaviour and the state of her rented home. Miss Bentley was evicted in March after a lengthy battle with her landlord. Neighbours said they would throw a party if she ever left - and sure enough, today they kept their promise by getting the whole community together for a “Getting Our Street Back Party”. Those in charge of the celebration … [Read more...] about Neighbours throw street party to celebrate ‘tenant from hell’ being evicted

A woman booted out of her home for being a 'neighbour from hell' has now been accused of causing havoc in her new flat with 'wild and noisy' late night antics. Those living next to Katie Bentley claim their evenings are blighted by screaming and shouting coming through the walls. She has been accused of keeping residents up at night, with some so fed-up and sleep deprived they are considering selling their homes. It comes weeks after Miss Bentley was evicted from her previous home in Bransholme, Hull, in March. Residents were so relieved and delighted to see the back of her that they threw a street party to celebrate. The house, which she rented from P&J Properties, needed £25,000 worth of repairs after landlord Phil Withnall discovered holes in the walls, smashed up windows, ripped up floorboards and mounds of rubbish. Miss Bentley now lives in a new flat in west Hull and was said to have “turned her life around”, according to her former neighbours, reports … [Read more...] about ‘Neighbour from hell’ already causing havoc in new home with ‘late night antics’