Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from November, 2011
Nigeria: Celebrating Nigerian Fashion in Abuja
Damilare Aiki shares photos from Mode Demarrage fashion show in Abuja, Nigeria: “The show truly lived up to its meaning ‘Fashion’s Start’ as it marks the beginning of a new age of fashion in Abuja.”
Ghana: Visual Artist Meets Nicest People on Earth
Christine M. Rose, an actor and visual artist from upstate New York, writes about her trip to a Ghanaian village: “They were literally the nicest people on earth…They literally fed, clothed, and sheltered me with no expectation of recompense.”
Madagascar: Population Grows Tired of Power Outage
For the past week, Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar, has experienced scheduled daily power outages [fr] that lasted on average 2h and 30 minutes in the evening and it seems that it could get worse [fr]. Several bloggers have expressed [fr] increased frustration [mg] with the ongoing situation that was...
Nigeria : Homes made of Plastic Bottles
In the village of Yelwa — North of Nigeria — a new style of construction intrigued the curiosity of the locals. Noorinfo publishes photos of rounded huts [fr] built with plastic bottles. These new constructions look like a potential alternative to the old-fashioned bricks.
Tanzania: How Not to Launch a Data.gov
Mbwana Ally explains how not to lauch a Data.gov: “Checking my twitter stream I saw that the Tanzania Government had launched a Open Data website initiative (Kiswahili)…The complaints on twitter started mounting and I gladly participated. Where is the data? The SMS no. set up does not work. The site...
Africa: Open Doors 2012: Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa
Open Doors 2012 focuses on Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa: “Following on from India in 2011, the next edition of Open Doors, the Festival del film Locarno’s co-production lab, will be devoted to francophone Africa…Application forms for Open Doors 2012 are available on www.onopendoors.pardo.ch and are restricted to projects from francophone Sub-saharan...
Kenya: Africa’s Story of Mobile Conquest
Africa’s story of mobile conquest & why utility beats ‘coolness’: “Why was MPESA [mobile-phone based money transfer service] such a success? Simply put – it was a necessity. Pre-MPESA (sounds like when someone asks ‘how did we ever survive without Google?’), people still had to do all the things that...
South Sudan/Sudan: Refugee Narrates Her Emotional Story
Amanda Hsiao talks to Miriam, a Sudanese refugee in Ethiopia. The post is part of a series based on Enough interviews with Blue Nile refugees in Sherkole refugee camp and Kurmuk, Ethiopia. Details of these testimonies are impossible to verify, but accounts Enough heard have been generally consistent.
Tanzania: The Faces That Rocked Swahili Fashion Week
Missie Popular shares photos of models who rocked Swahili Fashion Week in Tanzania: “Swahili Fashion Week 2011 provided quite an experience! We witnessed all types of walks and poses on the runway….”
Malawi: The President Talks Better in English Than Chichewa
Gregory Gondwe argues the Malawian president talk better in English than Chichewa, a Bantu language widely spoken in Malawi: “Whether it is a piece of fortune or a curse it is not for me to say. I believe there is evidence that two of our three Executive Heads that have...
D. R. Congo: The Stolen Future of the Pygmy People
Marie wrote the following in a blog post to comment [fr] on the Greenpeace report: Stolen Future: Conflict and logging in the heart of Congo's forests – the Danzer case : “This action denounces both both an ecological and a human crime. It is time that nations take concrete measures against logging companies that destroy tropical ecosystems and violate human rights. “
Côte d'Ivoire: Pregnancy and Lifestyle
Kingsuy blogging from Côte d'Ivoire writes in this post [fr]: “Fad or symbol of unconsciousness of some mothers? Either way, it is difficult to figure why so many young pregnant women are still drinking so much while attending “maquis” (local eatery); but many of them will still find a way to convince you...
Liberia: Giving Free Press a Second Chance
The judgment in the controversial media closure case in Liberia gave justice a rare opportunity to prevail. On November 7 the Liberian government shut down three media houses for allegedly spreading hate messages likely to incite violence.
Kenya: The Maasai Flame
Learn about the Maasai flame from the Wandering Trader: “One of the unique aspects of visiting the Maasai in Kenya is they perform many of their rituals while you are there. After seeing the way they typically dance and getting a taste of what life is like inside their homes...
Gabon's UNESCO Bailout: International Solidarity at What Price?
Ali Bongo, President of Gabon, has agreed to offer $2 million USD to UNESCO, following the launch of an emergency fund to compensate for the loss of funding from the United States and Israel. Activists in this oil-rich Central African nation urge the public to look beyond the announcement.
Sao Tome and Principe: Community Radio Takes Advantage of Social Media
Somos Todos Primos (We are all cousins) [pt] is the name of an online community radio whose first letters are a clue to the country it refers to: São Tomé and Príncipe. Both its Facebook page and Ning network have a lot of activity from listeners.
Cape Verde: Delicious Blogging on Local Gastronomy
Would you like to try the Cape Verdean famous dish, cachupa? Odair Varela explains the process of preparation in a photopost [pt]. For more on gastronomy from Cape Verde, visit the blog CV Na Pontu [pt].
Cameroon: A Cameroonian Artist in London
Commenting on an exhibition organized by Illy, an Italian coffee maker in London, bonaberi.com blog reports that [fr] : “The Cameroonian Alioum Moussa takes part in the exhibition as he was requested to design one of the new boxes of Illy [coffee]. “
Cameroon: 5th International Festival of Fulani Arts and Tradition
The Bilitol fulfude association is organizing the 5th international festival of Fulani arts and tradition [fr] from December 8th to December 11th 2011. The festival will take place at Yagoua, a region of the far east Cameroon. The program has scheduled the following events: “educational discussions, […] traditional games, traditional...
Guinea: A Guide to Flirting in Conakry
Alimou Sow lists 10 rules [fr] for flirting in Conakry in his blog entitled ‘Ma Guinée Plurielle': “Like everywhere else, flirting in Conakry follows rules which evolve over time. Here are 10 of them, drawn from a small sample survey and expanded upon through my own personal experience. Guys: get...
Zambia: Porn Video Sparks Debate on Gender, Culture and Morality
A video clip of a young female student at one of Zambia’s expensive colleges having sex with her boyfriend has surfaced on a hardcore pornography website. The case has generated a lot of debate online about culture, morality and gender in the country.