Independent, on-the-ground reporting from across the Cape Verde islands.
Reporting freelance from São Vicente, Santiago, and the smaller islands in between, I cover the stories that shape everyday life in Cape Verde. From rising food costs and freshwater scarcity to youth-driven activism and migratory tides. Here you’ll find independent dispatches, analyses, and on-the-ground interviews that connect local realities to global conversations on climate, inequality, and cultural resilience.
Scroll down for the latest articles and see the archipelago through a correspondent’s lens – unfiltered, timely, and firmly rooted in the communities I serve.
Why Cape Verde’s First Official Kriolu Schoolbook Lasted Only Seven Months
Cape Verde’s first official Kriolu schoolbook was withdrawn after only seven months, exposing tensions over language, identity, and education policy.
What Cape Verde’s Substance Use Data Doesn’t Capture
In Cape Verde, substance use is publicly visible but statistically elusive. The gap exposes how limited data, stigma, and informal markets distort the picture. Some months ago I wanted to investigate substance use in Cape Verde, an African republic consisting of a group of islands. Before starting, I expected a familiar journalistic process: gather relevant…
Mindelo’s Flood Disaster: How Colonial Roots and Current Planning Failures Left the City Exposed
On August 11, 2025, the Cape Verdean island of São Vicente was hit by 192.3 millimeters of rain in just five hours. That’s nearly a year’s worth. This exposed not only the devastation but also the vulnerability rooted in colonial urban planning and inadequate contemporary infrastructure in Mindelo. The historic center, built right on the…
Carmen Esselink 