But it was an exciting 2 weeks nonetheless, sometimes even fun. I had the pleasure of briefly meeting United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon (see pic), reconnected with many (new and old) journalist colleagues and networked with a number of interesting people from the politicial, scientific and NGO sectors. Still, I must admit I'm glad there's only one climate summit each year (and I only have to cover those on African soil)!

Flagging economic fortunes and a persistent AIDS pandemic have devastated the southern African nation, leaving little hope it will ever be able to pull itself out of its bleak poverty trap. Every fourth child here is orphaned.

The granny in this photo lives with her two granddaughters in a dark, crowded mudhouse, struggling to provide even one warm meal for her family a day. Like thousands of other children, the girls are chronically malnourished and mostly go to school on an empty stomach.

While the whole world has been anxiously following the grave humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa for the past months, hardly anyone has noticed that Lesotho, too, has become one of the worst places in the world to be a child.

I spent 10 days travelling through the Democratic Repubic of Congo (DRC) in mid-October - spending time in North and South Kivu, the country's mineral-rich and war-torn East, as well as in capital Kinshasa - to find out more about the pre-election atmosphere in the country.

The DRC will hold its second democratic elections on November 28. Only that this time around, it will have to manage without massive support from the United Nations and the West. Six weeks before the polls, tensions were already running high. In the countries east, rebel attacks remain the order of the day, while a corrupt military and police force are regarded as enemies, not offering protection to its people. No matter to which side of the political spectrum I spoke, hardly anyone expects free, fair and peaceful elections. Many feel abandonned by the West, which many believe has a vested interest in keeping the DRC politically unstable to secure its continuous and cheap access to the central African country's vast natural resources.

It was disheartening to work in a country that, as a fellow correspondent once wrote, "seems to have fallen victim to a paradox of sub-Sharan Africa: that countries with the greatest natural assets are doomed to war and stagnation, while nations with nothing somehow prove better at building contented societies. The richer the nation, the more spoils to fight over." But what gave hope was that quite a number of exiled, highly educated Congolese have returned to their country and are actively involved in trying to turn its politics around. Perhaps not all is lost after all...

One can imagine that the Malawian government was not too keen to have international news coverage on the issue. They had told tobacco farmers not to speak to journalists, in the same month that they passed a new media bill that allows them to shut down publications without having to provide reasons. A few weeks later, President Bingu wa Mutharika announced everyone who criticises him would "be beaten".

Due to the questionable human rights situation in the country, a group of international donors, including Germany, the US, Japan, France and the UK, had sent an open letter of concern to the Malawian government. Some countries are now withholding aid money.

It was in this atmosphere of a crumbling 'democracy' that I did my research about child tobacco labour. I was ignored by some, shunned and threatened by others, but in the end, I managed to find enough sources that were willing to talk. I left with a great story and photos proving it.

Click here to see the official announcement.

1) The holiday island has a huge heroin problem, with one in ten of its 1 million inhabitants using the drug. When night falls, the narrow lanes of Stonetown became dark hiding places for addicts. Heroin is incredibly cheap on the island, which lies on a major trade route from Afghanistan, through India, to East Africa. The Zanzibari government is trying to keep the issue quiet, since its economy heavily relies on tourism.

2) One of the other foreign currency earners in Zanzibar is seaweed farming. It's not only used for Sushi but mainly as a gelling agent in toothpastes, cremes and medication. Who would have thought?! It's also a key income-generation opportunity for unskilled women on the island.

The training also coinciced with a conference on climate change, the South African Development Community (SADC) Multi-Stakeholder Water Dialogue. Together with the newly trained journalists, we produced a conference newspaper, which reports on the latest water and climate change policies and strategies in southern Africa.

First, we talked to rural farmers about food security, malnutrition and survival. Paddle pump as well as solar and wind-powered irrigation system will hopefully help these farmers to boost their harvests and gain sustainable livelihoods.

A day later, we visited Malawi's only refugee camp, Dzaleka, where more than 11,000 Africans who had to flee their countries live together. Living conditions are tough here, and alcohol abuse and domestic violence are rife. I interviewed a 13-year-old girl who was raped by her stepfather and, nine months later, gave birth to his child.

We also travelled all the way to Karonga, in the northern tip of the country, where two earthquakes in December 2009 caused thousands of homes to crumble. The recovery and reconstruction process has been slow, with those affected still living in tents and makeshift constructions, ten months after the disaster. What's worse is that they are running out of time: What is not finished before the start of the rainy season in November will have to wait until March or April next year.

To see photos of the trip, click here.