When Diébédo Francis Kéré got a call from the Pritzker Prize jury awarding him with architecture's highest honour, he was so overwhelmed that he lost his voice.

In the past, laureates of the prestigious prize were known for their high-profile buildings, art centres, expo plazas and skyscrapers. But Kéré, who is the first African and first Black laureate, is now internationally recognized for his schools, health-care clinics and homes