Lupita Nyong’o’s ScoreCard and her Oscar buzz
From Kenya To Hollywood
The Decade of the African Woman
The rise of young african women Entrepreneurs
20
to watch out for in 2014
farai gundan, saran kaba jones, ojinika obiekwe, solome lemma and mpule k. kwelagobe a conversation with nobel peace prize winner
LEYMAH GBOWEE
ON THE ROLE OF THE MODERN AFRICAN WOMAN plus Thabo Sefolosha the NBA superstar with a heart of gold, and a soft spot for South Africa.
SPRING 2014 ISSUE MARCH/APRIL/MAY USA $5.00 AFRICA / UK $7.50
A NEW CHAPTER A new year always brings opportunities. Ideally, we want to make new resolutions, in hopes that the year will be better than the previous one. To a point we have made it a ritual to hit the “REFRESH” button. They say behind every great man is a greater woman.Therefore, in this issue we will highlight once again the women who have and will continue to break through the proverbial glass ceiling. Please excuse my bias, I am after all a woman and a woman who happens to firmly believe that women ROCK! To say you do not agree means that I have to change your mind. We would like to introduce you to some women who are making things happen. As the lovely Janell Hazelwood stated, “This is the new #bossmoves movement.” To name drop a few of these #BOSSES: Spectra Speaks, Lorna Rutto, Marieme Jamme, and Julian Rotich are women who remind us of the importance of celebrating and empowering women as they continue to make critical contributions to our communities not only locally but also globally. This leads us to discuss the importance of our struggles across global and cultural boundaries. We present you with varying perspectives on the immigration debate: Should Africans care about the ongoing discussion? African Services explains why Africans need to raise their voice in their respective communities in regards to this issue. Did you know that outside of English, French is also one of the primary languages spoken on the continent? Which brings to question: What about Francophone Africa? Make sure you stop by the interview section of the magazine where you will get a chance to learn more about the Francophone community and the strides they are making on our continent. Can African Women have it all? As I pen this last note as the editor-inchief of Applause Africa, I acknowledge how appropriate it is that my first cover was with Nobel Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee. Now, I close this chapter with Gbowee on the cover again, joined by some extraordinary women who have been part of my journey in the past three years with Applause Africa. If you get to read the article on their interaction during the African Diaspora Awards in 2013, you might be encouraged to find that with proper balance, African women can truly have it all. During my time at Applause I have had the privilege of working with a great team of writers, photographers, graphic designers, editors, and together we put together one incredible issue after another. My thanks go to the founders of Applause Africa, Debo Folorunsho and Michael Ikotun, for giving me the opportunity to lead this amazing team. I will miss working with this team and the late nights conversing with writers on some of their articles that have challenged how I see Africa and our community. While I am leaving my post as Editor-in-Chief, I am still very much part of the Applause Africa family. My last words to the Applause Africa readers? Be Engaged, Be Connected, Be Empowered. I believe that the only way forward for Africa, and for us as Africans is to truly be each other’s champions. If we can achieve this, the sky will be limit!
Founder | Creative Director Adebowale Folorunsho Co-Founder | Brand Director Michael Ikotun Editor-in-Chief Divine Muragijimana Associate Editor Sophia Egbelo Copy Editor Lolade Siyonbola Director Of Marketing Nnamdi “NaMÓ” Ebere Director, Strategic Partnerships &Events Ijeoma Obilo Web Master Lekan Ikotun Digital Content Manager Jamiu Folarin Contributing Writers Mora McLean Tosin Tosinger Shakira Attitebi Kenny Frimpong Mary Olushoga Serge Tiendrebeogo Olubunmi Segun Jessica M. Greenberg Busayo Olupona Jennifer Nnamani Serusha Govender Photo Production Yinka Ajakaiye Oluwaseye Olusa Solwazi Afi Olusola Adriana C. Sánchez Nigeria Bureau Biodun Folorunsho Special Thanks OnyLaw Basirat Adeyemi Cynthia Nkem Nwafor MUI | The PR Company Hafeeza Rashed Applause Africa is published by APPLAUSE AFRICA COMMUNICATIONS LLC 1379 St. Marks Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11233, USA +1 415 871 7615, +1 347 613 5876 Nigeria Bureau: Ekwo Awolo House, 43 Osolo Way, Isolo, Lagos, Nigeria +234 805 520 4740, +234 704 223 0151 Email: info@applauseafrica.com Website: www.applauseafrica.com
Hello, Love!
Flaviana Matata is beautiful, talented and truly, madly in love with inspiring, empowering and supporting young girls. In Tanzania, she aids them in utilizing their full potential by educating them. We’d be dying of envy if we didn’t love her work. In October 25, 2013 the Flaviana Matata Foundation launched “FMF Stationeries Project”; a project that encompasses sensitizing corporations, government institutions and Tanzanians at large to donate and distribute FMF Stationeries (exercise books, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, mathematical sets and backpacks) to underprivileged students in Tanzania. The revenue from the project is used to pay school fees and other costs associated with provision of quality education to girls under the Flaviana Matata Foundation. Currently the foundation is sponsoring 15 girls studying in different secondary schools in Tanzania.
12 26 42
THE ENTIRE APPLAUSE AFRICA TEAM IS EXCITED TO HAVE OUR PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTED BY BARNES & NOBLE. THIS MARKS OUR NATIONWIDE LAUNCH AND REMARKABLY THE FIRST TIME THAT CONSUMERS (FROM NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA) CAN PURCHASE A MAGAZINE FOCUSING ON BOTH AFRICANS IN DIASPORA AND AFRICA AS A WHOLE.
CELEBRATE
Be the change. Be Inspired. Be you.
Recognizing 20 African women with powerful, inspiring, and influential voices, and how they are redefining their roles in the society.
EMPOWER
Who’s Afraid Of Post Feminism?
In what was probably the most famous TEDx Talk of the last quarter, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie blew open the annals of Nigerian patriarchal ignorance.
CONNECT
futuristic africana Let’s Start A Revolution
In today’s popular media, the concept of a strong black woman has been dissolved into fictitious characters. For the modern African woman, she’s constantly tossed to and fro—looking for an identity that meshes her family’s traditions and expectations from society alike.
FARAI GUNDAN, SARAN KABA JONES, OJINIKA OBIEKWE, SOLOME LEMMA, MPULE K. KWELAGOBE AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER LEYMAH GBOWEE, PHOTOGRAPHED IN NEW YORK BY OLUWASEYE.OLUSA
The Decade of African Women
AS SEEN IN OUR LAST ISSUE OF APPLAUSE AFRICA AA
EMPOWER
Ntshepeng Motema
Wayne Rose
Adedamola Agboola
CHANGE AGENTS
I Tukumbi Lumumba-Kasongo
Andrew dosunmu
(A)frican union 50 + 2013
0
10 YOUTHS, 3 AMBASSADORs, 1 VOICE Black Enterprise @blackenterprise Congrats! #ManOfPower RT @ ApplauseAfrica: Congrats to Mr. @thioneniang recipient of #ADA person of the year award
Angela J Barnes @ajbenterprises @ApplauseAfrica I was just in the book store and saw your magazine and purchased it. I was not aware that this magazine existed. Great stuff
Tina Amadi @TinaGodsTIME Totally Inspired by @ LeymahRGbowee lifetime acheivement award speech @ ApplauseAfrica #ADA2013 #globalpeace
Tamsen Fadal @tamsenfadal So proud of @TheOjinika ! hosting this years #ADA 2013 #OurVoice @ApplauseAfrica Tonight in #NewYorkCity
Janell Hazelwood @JPHazelwood Good times at #ADA Awards. Recap to come on @ blackenterprise. Thanks so much to @MUIPR and @ ApplauseAfrica
Barry Segal @BarrySegal2 Thanks to @ApplauseAfrica for honoring me at the #ADA event, SFF ExecDir. @AV_ Bryant will attend on 11/30 @ GboweePeaceUSA #OurVoice
Claudine Moore @ClaudineMoore Awesome to see my dearest @GerDuany last night @ApplauseAfrica awards. Beautiful man...beautiful spirit! #Ourvoice
Gbenga Akinnagbe @GbengaAkinnagbe If you’re in NY on Nov 30th, support @ApplauseAfrica #ADA Awards honoring Nobel laureate @ LeymahRGbowee #OurVoice!
Afripop Mag @Afripopmag And we’re live at the @ApplauseAfrica Africa Diaspora Awards where Nobel Prize winner Leymah Gbowee is being honored. #ADA #OurVoice kara gerson @karagerson Red carpet interview @ApplauseAfrica #ADA2013 accepting Friend of Africa award on behalf of @vossfoundation Flaviana Matata @FlavianaMatata @ApplauseAfrica Good luck for tonight,I will be with you guys in spirit
connect with us! applause africa APPS
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ONLINE
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AGU @EmekaDGR8 The Annual African Diaspora Awards Is Such A Powerful Movement For ALL Africans! Join @applauseafrica Next Week Saturday NOV 30 For Magic! Saran Kaba Jones @sarankjones ditto! RT @aaiafrica: look fwd to seeing @ApplauseAfrica @ LeymahRGbowee @sarankjones @GbengaAkinnagbe @ BlitzAmbassador @ JPHazelwood #ada2013
To begin last year’s African Diaspora Awards celebration, Applause Africa hosted its first annual ADA United Nations Ambassadorial Tour in partnership with the United Nations Association SNY for Young Professionals. The tour was held on Thursday, November 7, 2013. Applause Africa took a group of young African professionals to visit three African based Permanent Missions in New York City. This tour served as our way of connecting the civil society of the African Diaspora to the people in authority. The goal of the ADA Ambassadorial Tour complimented the Applause Africa and UNA-SNY Young Professionals efforts to inspire young African professionals in the Diaspora to achieve their highest potential by creating a pathway for them to become involved with the Missions objectives in the UN. The tour assisted the Permanent Mission to actively engage with the African Youth in Diaspora about programs and policies of their organization.
Applause Africa’s Ambassadorial delegation with Ambassador Noel Nelson MESSONE at the Gabon Permanent Mission to the UN, New York Office.
Ambassador William A. Awinador-Kanyirige, Deputy Permanent Representative, Ghana Permanent Mission to the UN subscribes to a one year subscription of Applause Africa during Ambassadorial Tour.
Ambassador Fillippe Savadogo with Applause Africa’s Ambassadorial delegation at the La francophonie Permanent Mission to the UN, New York Office Want to know what Africans in the United States are up to? Find out at applauseafrica.com. — where Africans inspire each other so they can influence the world. Capture new insights, follow fresh perspectives, and forge new opportunities while sharing your story. Finally, subscribe to our magazine at www.applauseafrica.com/subscribe
On behalf of the UNA-YP AAC, I want to say thank you to Applause Africa for allowing us to be apart of a wonderful event. Ambassadorial Tour was groundbreaking. As an advocate for forward movement and change in Africa, I felt the tour was a great opportunity for young professionals like myself to have our voices heard by a few of Africa’s most influential leaders. Orobosa Owie Director, African Affairs Committee, United Nations Association Young Professionals, Southern New York Division
passionate. PREVENTIVE. holistic. creative.
SHUGA! HARD-HITTING NIGERIAN-BASED DRAMA FROM MTV BASE & MTV STAYING ALIVE FOUNDATION GOES LIVE IN 60+ COUNTRIES REACHING 550 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS MTV Base--stepping beyond the conventional classic music videos--in conjunction with MTV Staying Alive Foundation {MTV’s global content producing and grant giving organization} and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has collaborated with UNFPA, PEPFAR, DFID and NACA to ensure increased awareness and address misinformation about HIV, Sexual Responsibility and Teen Pregnancy among African youth. SHUGA, MTV’s globally acclaimed, award winning TV series and multimedia campaign is the medium. MTV Base and the MTV Staying Alive Foundation have revealed that Shuga Naija, the Nigerian-based sex and relationships drama, will be reaching its largest audience yet in 2013/2014. The third series of Shuga, filmed in Lagos with a largely Nigerian cast and Nigerian director Biyi Bandele, will be watched by a TV audience estimated to be in excess of 550 million households around the world via 61 TV broadcasters and 12 online/view-on-demand platforms across Africa, Europe, UK, Asia and the Caribbean.
Shuga, part of a far-reaching multimedia campaign, will extend its reach beyond the TV sphere via a vibrant web portal, www.shuga.tv, while a Shuga comic book and radio series are planned to roll out early 2014. The Shuga radio drama, starring Wazobia FM OAP Lolo (@Officiallolo1), William Benson, Bayray McNwizu (@bayraymcnwizu) and LeeLee Byoma (@LeeleeByoma) rolled out in English and Pidgin in January. Relating a separate but parallel storyline to the TV series, the Shuga radio project is based in a fictional rural location in Nigeria. For viewers wanting to find out more about the issues raised by the series, the MTV Staying Alive Foundation promotes the 6222 helpline service offered by the National Association for the Control of AIDS (NACA), displaying the number prominently at the end of every episode of Shuga. A free Skype service, rolled out from December 1, also allows viewers to connect with key characters from the series to hear cast “confessions” that expand on key topics raised in the drama.
8 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com
Georgia Arnold, Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundation says, “We and our partners are thrilled to see how the demand and interest in Shuga grows from year to year. As a vehicle for communicating messages about public health, as an entertainment experience, and as a grassroots teaching tool; Shuga delivers on every level.” Speaking on behalf of MTV Base, Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks Africa commented, “MTV Base is proud and excited to bring Shuga to Nigeria for the first time. We are delighted that this award-winning series and multimedia campaign will be using its muscle to shine a light on important public health issues affecting youth and promoting meaningful behaviour change while leveraging Nigerian creativity and talent.” Georgia Arnold, Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundation comment: “In moving Shuga to Nigeria, we aim to strike a chord with young Nigerians and provoke a significant shift in their attitudes and behaviour towards sexual health and associated public health issues. Combining these messages with stylish production, poignant storylines, believable characters and world class acting allows Shuga to sweeten the pill and make an impact where other campaigns may have failed to resonate in the past.” Fusing sexual health messaging with gripping storylines, Shuga aims to raise awareness among young people about HIV prevention and reproductive health in Nigeria, as well as other public health issues affecting them including: living with HIV; disclosing your status; getting tested; condom use; gender based violence; gender equality; women’s empowerment; family planning; pregnancy; transactional sex; multiple concurrent partners; stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV; and parent/child communication.
Secrets and lies, crossed wires and broken dreams are at the heart of series 3 of Shuga, set in Nigeria for the first time, after two seasons based in Nairobi. In Shuga, nearly everyone’s keeping something hidden from those they love – from their family, their girlfriend, their boyfriend, their lover, their best friend, their husband, but perhaps most of all: themselves...
Speaking about his involvement in the Nigerian series of Shuga, Biyi Bandele said, “I was attracted to Shuga because it is special, it’s great …. It’s doing something that no TV series in Africa is doing right now. It is essentially saying to young people; the future is yours, but you have to take responsibility for your own life, you’ve got to take responsibility for yourself…it is crucial that Nigerians tell our own stories. When you do that, you find that your target audience immediately responds, there is no translation to be made, you don’t have to do any special pleading – they ‘re just there with you immediately.” Musing on her goals for the series in Nigeria, Kemi Adesoye commented, “In bringing Shuga to Nigeria, I hope that we embrace it, we learn from it, we‘re entertained by it and it changes our lives. I’d like Shuga to help start a conversation between friends, between families about issues about certain taboo issues in people’s lives, about talking about HIV, pregnancy. We do not need to stigmatize, we need to understand, we need to be kinder to each other, we need to try to understand and not hide from issues anymore.”
Set against the clubs, bars and student hangouts of Lagos, Shuga relates a bitter-sweet tale of love, betrayal, relationships and miscommunication among the youth of contemporary Lagos.
Written by Kemi Adesoye, Tunde Aladese, Omotunde Akiode, Ayoade Adeyanju, Victor Sanchez and Biyi Bandele, and directed by Biyi Bandele, Shuga stars Maria Okanrende, Tiwa Savage, Okezie Morro, Chris Attoh, Ikubese Emmanuel Ifeanyichukwu, Nick Mutuma, Dorcas Shola Fapson, Leonora Okine, Sharon Ezeamaka, Timini Egbuson, Kachi Nnochiri, Olumide Oworu, Owumi Ugbeye, Sani Mu’azu, Bikiya Graham-Douglas, KC Ejelonu, Efa Iwara, Silo Emem Bankole and Charles Ukpong. Ice Prince, Iyanya and MTV VJ Ehis Okoeguale make cameo appearances in the series. The title track for the series, “Sweet Like Shuga” was written and produced by Del B in collaboration with Nigerian artists Flavour, Sound Sultan, Chidinma, Kcee and South African kwaito star Professor. The music video for “Sweet Like Shuga” was directed by Clarence Peters. Shuga premieres to 52 territories in sub-Saharan African on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322)
Along the way we follow the interlinking stories of DJ wannabe Foye, her music promoter boyfriend Ekene, their old friend Femi, club owner Sade and her rebellious son Weki, mercenary student Sophie and her precocious younger sister, Princess, medical student David and his studious room-mate Tobi, young spouses Nii and Malaika, and ruthless businessman Solomon and his sleazy associate, Osaro, as they navigate the alluring yet hazardstrewn landscape of love, passion, sex, temptation, relationships, growing up, and learning to be a responsible adult in contemporary Africa. The Nigeria Country Representative for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mairo Mandara, said: “The Gates Foundation is committed to Nigeria because we believe every person deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life with dignity. By raising awareness of public health issues through this exciting project with Shuga, and investing in primary health services, we can work together to give every Nigerian a chance at leading a healthy and productive life.”
Entertainment News
from the edge
Expanding your world view with Lola Ogunnaike and Shannon LaNier ARISE Entertainment 360, hosted by Lola Ogunnaike and Shannon LaNier, features the top news stories in entertainment, arts and culture pertinent to North America. The ARISE News Network is a new global television network that launched on Sky cable in the UK and online in late January, 2013 (www. arise.tv). A global media network reflecting the experiences of under-served communities, championing the voices of the African diaspora across all continents and engaging citizens of the world. Currently broadcasting in over 30 countries across Europe, our programming is also available globally, online. The network has hubs in London, New York, Johannesburg and Lagos. The New York hub was launched on March 11, 2013. With a team of world-class journalists, behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera, ARISE covers the compelling issues of our time in a way no one else can. ARISE Entertainment 360, hosted by Lola Ogunnaike and Shannon LaNier, features the top news stories in entertainment, arts & culture pertinent to North America and the Caribbean. Based in New York City, guests from both the creative and business sides of the arts are interviewed live in our studio. ARISE Entertainment 360 has already featured top professionals in film, music, art, and business including: Hank Willis Thomas, Rapper Prodigy, Bravo’s Bevy Smith, soul musician Bilal, entertainment attorney Londell McMillan, chef Roblé Ali, celebrity physician Dr. Ian Smith and Somali designers Mataano, among others. Arise Entertainment 360 is expanding to take advantage of the latest technology and social media to bring real-time interaction with newsmakers and important news events.
ideas. problems. breakthroughs.
A SNIPPET OF THE STATE OF AFRICAN WOMEN
Investments in Women’s Education provide a “multiplier effort”, compounding the returns in other sectors; with more education in women comes increased health, economic growth and food security. Organisations creating an impact amref | un.org | femnet.co who.org | ywca.org
90%
20%
Educated women invest 90% of their income in their family. Men invest 30-40%
50%
Africa accounts for 20% of the world’s births but contriButes 40% of maternal deaths
1in4
1in 4 women around the world cannot read this sentence
Educated mothers are 50% more likely to immunize their children than mothers million without an education If all women in sub-Saharan Africa had a secondary education, 1.8 million lives could be saved
1.8
43%
Womens education has contributed 43% of the reduction in child malnutrition
98% of people who can’t read live in developing countries
3X
A girl who completes basic education is 3X less likely to contract HIV/AIDS.
25% In sub Saharan Africa, investing in girls education has the potential to boost agricultural output by 25%
1% Each 1% increase in the level of women’s education generates 0.3% in additional economic growth
Girls make up 53% of the children out of school. Debo Folorunsho
20
influential
CHANGE AGENTS
Be the change. Be Inspired. Be you
voices to
watch in Twenty Fourteen
Recognizing African women with powerful and inspiring voices The African Women Power Network
Rapelang Rabana
(South Africa) is CEO of ReKindle Learning and Yeigo Communications. ReKindle Learning is an innovative technology-driven education company that uses and integrates the power of mobile and internet technology to improve and complement learning for students and corporate employees. ReKindle Learning, an interactive mobile learning platform is designed with the idea of ‘learning as a lifestyle.’ Rabana states, “Education is the way out of poverty. For Africa to leverage on its population, the continent must focus on education and work hard to improve the educational system.” Her other company, Yeigo is credited with creating ground-breaking applications and services that took advantage of the internet, mobile and cloud computing technologies to tackle the cost of communication in South Africa. In 2008, the Swiss-headquartered Telfree Group of Companies, a pioneering next-generation telecoms operator, acquired a majority stake in Yeigo, enabling the group to provide the full range of telecommunications services. .
Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola
(Nigeria) is CEO and Co-Founder of Wecyclers, a for-profit social enterprise working to help communities reclaim their neighborhoods from unmanaged waste. Founded in 2012, Wecyclers, in partnership with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), utilizes low-cost cargo bicycles called “wecycles” to provide convenient recycling services to households in Lagos, Nigeria using a SMS-based incentives system. Adebiyi-Abiola is a graduate of Fisk University, Vanderbilt University, and MIT’s Sloan School of Management. While at MIT, AdebiyiAbiola was a Legatum Fellow. She is currently an Echoing Green Fellow, Tech Award recipient, and laureate of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards. 12 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com
Spectra Speaks
(Nigeria) is a queer afrofeminist writer and activist. Spectra is also the founding director of Queer Women of Color and Friends, a grassroots organization and media collective dedicated to highlighting LGBTQ women of color, immigrant, and diaspora voices. Her blog, Spectraspeaks.com is a global afrofeminist blog which publishes social commentary about gender, sexuality, diaspora communities, and movement-building through the lens of “Love” and media psychology. Her work uses media to amplify the voices of marginalized people which has featured on both mainstream and alternative media outlets, including ABC network, Huffington Post, Ms. Magazine, Curve Magazine, Racialicious, and BET.com.
Mametja Moshe
(South Africa) is executive director at Identity Mineral Resources (Pty) Ltd., an African mining investment company. Moshe is one of Africa’s leading voices in the mining industry. Before joining the Identity group of companies, Moshe worked as an Investment Banker at Morgan Stanley covering the South African, Zambian, and Nigerian Mergers & Acquisitions and Equity capital markets for the mining industry. Moshe has sat on the boards of EuroDollar Foreign Exchange (Pty) Ltd and Southgold Exploration (Pty) Ltd. Moshe holds a B. Com Hons (Accounting) and a B. Com Hons. (Management Accounting) degrees from the University of Kwazulu Natal. Moshe is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a graduate of the Global Executive MBA Program at Columbia University and London Business School.
Vivian Onano
(Kenya) is a Moremi Initiative fellow, a ONE Campaign Congressional District Leader, a UNAUSA campus advocate, and a Half the Sky Movement Campus Ambassador. Her goal is to help create sustainable healthcare systems in rural parts of Africa which will change the lives of women and girls. Vivian has participated in a number of global international development gatherings, including serving as a panelist at the Clinton Global Initiative, and CARE International’s conference to unlock the power of Girls. She was also a youth representative at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Hussainatu Blake
(Cameroon/Atlanta) is co-founder of Focal Point Global (FPG), a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower underserved youths in Namibia and Cameroon using education and technology to address social issues. Hussainatu Blake was also recognized as a White House Champion of Change. Her organization, Focal Point Global will launch the Gambia and Namibia HIV/AIDS Education Initiative--an inter-African and multi-religious (Muslim and Christian) program focused on linking African youths to one another to discuss how to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS on the continent.
Nkemdilim Begho
Lorna Rutto
Juliana Rotich
(Kenya) is co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi – a web-based reporting system that utilizes crowdsourced data, mobile phone, and web reporting to formulate visual map information of a crisis on a real-time basis. Rotich is an African Futurist and a TED Senior Fellow. Her organization, Ushahidi documented the Kenyan presidential election crisis of 2007-2008; the platform has since been used in Chile, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Haiti. As a blogger, she has authored articles on Afrigadget.com, acted as Environmental Editor of Global Voices Online, and participated in the TED Global conference in Arusha. As a public speaker, she is known for her commentary on technology in Africa and voicing concerns about the loss of indigenous forest and water catchment areas in Kenya. Juliana Rotich was named Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year in Africa by the World Economic Forum.
Anie Akpe
(Kenya) is an innovator, social entrepreneur, and founder of EcoPost, a company that specializes in environmentally friendly solutions that save the environment from deforestation, pollution, and creates jobs for marginalized communities. Ecopost manufactures fences from wasted plastics, a green alternative to expensive timber fence products - with only two percent woodlands cover--and this provides an important service to Kenya’s fencing industry. Through her work, Rutto has spawned an ecosystem of new jobs as traders buy plastic waste from the public, sort it, and resell it to her company. She is also a laureate of the Cartier Women’s Initiative.
(Nigeria/New York) is co-founder of IBOM LLC, an organization dedicated to keeping the African Diaspora business community informed through seminars and cultural events. Akpe’s company aids small businesses around the world, particularly those owned by African entrepreneurs in the Diaspora. Akpe meshes her global experience and culture with skills from stellar corporate America leadership to provide unique and results-driven services to her clients. In addition to leading IBOM LLC, Akpe is also founder of Innov8tiv.com.
(Nigeria) is managing director of Future Software Resources. Begho has successfully re-branded the company, thus changing its focus from stand-alone solutions to web-based educational, enterprise, and business solutions. Prior to her appointment at Future Software Resources, Begho has contributed to various research projects, such as the Wazobia Linux Initiative, the E-Government Interoperability Framework, NITDA open standards framework, as well as the deployment of e-commerce and e-portal solutions in the Nigerian public and private sector. Her company, Future Software Resources is also winner of the Etisalat Nigeria Prize for Innovation which created the iConnect project, which is focused on making ICT and education more accessible to Nigerian youths. Nkemdilim is an active board member of the World Summit Youth Award, and co-founder of the Bake for Change Development Foundation.
Lilian O. Ajayi
(Global) Ambassador Lilian O. Ajayi is the Founder and CEO of Global Connections for Women foundation (GC4W). GC4W foundation was created in direct response to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) and established to support women and youth in underserved communities across the globe. Lilian sits on the board of Harvard Crimson Impact, NAAEP Ltd., Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, the HOPE Program and International Women in Business (IWIB). She is also the Vice Coordinator of the New York State Chapter, Goodluck Support Group (GSG) USA. She spent a portion of her career working at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, representing the Mission of Nigeria to the UN, and served on the Social Economic Committee as the Economic Development Policy Negotiator. Lilian was appointed as the Ambassador of Goodwill and Honorary Citizen of the State of Arkansas by Governor Mike Bebe. She was awarded with the Special U.S. Congressional Award for Outstanding Community Service from Congresswoman Barbara Lee and recognized by Applause Africa Magazine as “Top 40 under 40” Most Inspiring African in the Diaspora. Lilian Ajayi was recently selected as Black Enterprise Magazine “Power Women of the Diaspora.” Lilian continues to inspire, connect and empower other women to follow and live out their passions through her foundation’s community of over 50 thousand Global followers.
Marieme Jamme
(Senegal/London) is co-founder of Africa Gathering, a global platform that brings together entrepreneurs and experts to exchange ideas about Africa’s development. Jamme is also CEO of SpotOne Global Solutions which helps international technology companies selling enterprise software solutions to get a foothold in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Jamme is a blogger, tech activist, and social entrepreneur who works tirelessly to empower her fellow Africans through education, mentoring, leadership, and economic development. Jamme has also supported Google in organizing the Apps4Africa contest. She recently joined the Microsoft 4AfriKa team as a council member, advising on how to engage the youth in Africa’s development and increase their competitiveness in the global market by creating profitable SMEs.
Ola Orekunrin
(Nigeria) is an innovator and a 2013 New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute. Orekunrin is also a member of the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, a TED fellow, medical doctor, helicopter pilot, and managing director of the Flying Doctors Nigeria Ltd, West Africa’s first indigenous air ambulance service and a crucial link for critically injured people. Her articles have been featured in the New York Times and the Huffington Post.
14 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com
Esther Agbarakwe
(Nigeria) is an award-winning advocate with extensive experience in facilitating and managing youth-led projects on Population, Health, and the Environment. She co-founded the Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition, the biggest youth climate movement in Nigeria. She sits as an adviser to the African Youth Coalition on Climate Change (AYICC). Agbarakwe was recently recognized by the Future Africa Awards as one of “100 Guardians of the Future,” an honor presented by the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Namadi Sambo.
Minna Salami
(Nigeria/ London) is a writer, blogger, and commentator on African feminism. Salami is also owner of the MsAfropolitan Boutique, an online shop featuring designs by women of African heritage. Salami’s areas of expertise include extensive research and writing on gender issues in African society; media and popular culture in an African context; speaking engagements, university guest lectures as well as providing workshops and master classes. Minna received a Master of Arts with Distinction in Gender Studies from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). She is also a graduate of Lund University’s Political Science Bachelor’s Program.
During the International Women’s Day, the Global Connections for Women Foundation (GC4W) is also undertaking the important task of celebrating the accomplishments of global women leaders, whose remarkable journey has made a tremendous impact on the economic growth of women today. The event will be held at the Harvard Club of New York City on March 7th 2014.
Oreoluwa Somolu
(Nigeria) is an Ashoka fellow and executive director of the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre, a non-profit working to encourage Nigerian girls to use technology to empower themselves socially and economically. W.TEC’s work is carried out through projects, which helps women build their technology skills and supports them through mentoring. Notable among these programs is the Girls Technology Camp, which seeks to help girls develop an early interest in computers. Somolu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Essex University, U.K., and a Master’s degree in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems from the London School of Economics & Political Science. She is the recipient of the Anita Borg Change Agent Award for her commitment to issues of women in computing.
Mary Olushoga
(Nigeria) Mary Olushoga is founder of awpnetwork.com, an online platform powering small business success for African entrepreneurs. Recognized at the UN World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) and listed as an Apps4Africa Innovation, the AWP Network is also known to be one of the leading organizations supporting African Women in Technology. Olushoga is the first-ever GOOD Maker/Oxfam America International Women’s Day Challenge Winner, a Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI) Associate, and an Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador. Olushoga received a bachelor’s degree from Union College in Schenectady, New York and a Master of Science degree from Baruch College. She has served as a Public Policy Fellow at the University at Albany, Center for Women in Government and Civil Society and most recently participated in the Sub-Saharan African Women In Public Service Fall Institute. Olushoga has featured on BBC World News, Black Enterprise, iwantherjob.com, AFK Insider, BET Networks, and has presented her work on African women entrepreneurs at the Columbia University Africa Economic Forum, the United States Department of Labor Strategy Meeting on Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, and Disability, W!se Institute, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the United Nations ECOSOC Youth Employment Forum, and the Rockefeller Foundation Tech Salon. Olushoga also writes for GE Ideas Lab and the Huffington Post.
Rainatou Sow
(Guinea/United Kingdom) is founder of Make Every Woman Count, an organization led by a team of volunteers’ in Africa, America, and Europe who use their passion and experience to promote the rights and empowerment of women and girls. Sow is a campaigner for a peaceful and equitable world. She has appeared on CNN’s African Voices, and her work was recognized by the Women4Africa foundation.
Amanda A. Ebokosia
Semhar Araia
(State of Eritrea/ Washington D.C) is founder of the Diaspora African Women’s Network (DAWN), an organization whose mission is to develop and support talented African women and girls in the Diaspora. Araia is also an Oxfam International Horn of Africa regional advisor and founder of IMPACT. She has an international law background and specializes in conflict resolution, international human rights, and peacebuilding in Africa. Araia has served as a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team and has extensive experience working as a foreign policy staffer in United States Congress.
SEED Awards 2014 Open: Call for Applications Deadline: 08 April 2014
SEED is seeking women-led or owned enterprises as a means to highlight and support women entrepreneurs and innovators who are leading in the area of sustainable development. Do you have an entrepreneurial and innovative idea that is locally-driven and has potential to contribute significantly to sustainable development in countries with developing or transition economies? Visit seedinit.org for eligibility criteria and how to apply for the 2014 SEED Awards for entrepreneurship in sustainable development, including the 2014 SEED Gender Equality Awards and the 2014 SEED Low Carbon Awards.
“Amanda A. Ebokosia is a NigerianAmerican freelance journalist and Founder & CEO of The Gem Project, Inc., a nonprofit organization that educates school-age children, youth and young adults about the issues that affect them and their communities. Through the involvement as activity leaders, youth strengthen skills of leadership and community organizing. Since inception, The Gem Project has directly impacted the lives of 1,950 youth and young adults, through the hosting of educational workshops, weekly programs and events at participating sites within the Greater Newark, New Jersey area. Honored by The White House, The City of Newark and making the annual FORBES Magazine 30 under 30 list, Ebokosia and her team have demonstrated a great ability to engage communities and young people in ways that develop their leadership skills, which have the capacity to change their lives. The Gem Project and Ebokosia have been featured in News 12 New Jersey, Black Enterprise.com, Forbes Magazine, Forbes.com, GOOD magazine, NJ.com, Rutgers Magazine and others. As a freelance journalist, Ebokosia explores the psychology of people as it relates to their leadership styles. She also focuses on business, women issues and education. She earned a BA in biology with a minor in psychology at Rutgers University. She has also completed the Nonprofit Executive Certificate program from Rutgers Institute of Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School. This year, Forbes has named Ebokosia among 20 millennials on a mission. She currently resides in New Jersey.”
CoNNECT Burundi is in the heart of Africa and Landlocked
French, Rundi and Swahili are the official languages of Burundi.
The Hutu make up the nation’s Burundi, geographically, largest ethnic group (80%), is only slightly smaller followed by Tutsis (14%) than Maryland. and Twa (1%). 75% are Christian, 5% Muslims and the 20% practice a range of indigenous religions.
Burundi
The highest point is Mount Heha and Lake Tanganyika the lowest point Burundi got its independence on July 1, 1962 and was until the mid 20th century one of the only black republics.
Gustave, a crocodile found in Burundi, was the basis of the movie Primeval
Agriculture in Burundi amounts to more than 60% of the country’s GDP
Burundi was among the first three republics to have a female prime minister.
THE DIPLOMAT Serge Tiendrebeogo
o
ur Diplomat for this issue is Filippe Savadogo, the Permanent Observer of La Francophonie to the United Nations. He presented his letter of appointment to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on April 9th 2012. Ambassador Savadogo is from Burkina Faso, but represents all 77 countries of Francophone Africa. Applause Africa was invited to meet with the PAN African Film Festival Visionary Award honoree at his United Nations office, New York.
Backgrounds Yourself and the OIF
My professional background is in Media. I attended the Institut Français de Presse at the University of Paris II (Panthéon) and the University of Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle). For 12 years, I headed the Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO)– the largest African film festival on the continent. I was then appointed as Ambassador for Burkina Faso to France where I worked for more than ten years, before my latest appointment as the Permanent Observer of the International Organization of Francophone States (OIF) to the United Nations. The OIF was born in 1970 in the heart of Africa – Niger, with a core purpose of strengthening relations between member states. It was first called the Agency of Cultural and Technical Cooperation. As an ambassador to the United Nations representing 77 Francophone States, who have a lingual Franca – French; my experience in communications helps a lot. Beyond a common language, we aim to improve humanist values such as development, the professionalization of women, and the vision of sustainable development 18 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com
goals. We are very committed to the eight United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015. Peacekeeping is another area in which OIF member states work hand in hand with the UN; an example being the deployment of UN forces (MINUSMA) to Mali during their elections. Africa –with some thirty Frenchspeaking countries, is a priority for OIF. We have cooperation agreements with similar organizations, such as the Commonwealth. We also have partnerships with the OAS (Organization of American States) and the United Nations. The OIF-UN resolution is reviewed every two years.
English Is The Dominant World Language, How is OIF Establishing A Balance? First of all, being multilingual is beneficial. When one is proficient in African, American and European languages, it allows for easy exchanges and relationships with others. I don’t see the French language conflicting with other languages, but rather complementing
them. We are defending multilingualism at the UN by developing our position and harmonizing our point of view with Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, French of course, and also the Russian and Chinese speaking countries; all the official languages of the UN. One-third of the UN member countries are Francophone, with French as their official language. As the world becomes a global village, it is necessary to be more open to the positive essences of others. Today, the vision of the United Nations is to make all the world’s languages available and all information about the UN accessible to everyone. The UN, through its Department of Public Information, addresses the world in more than 200 languages. This means that there is an interest in disseminating the ideals of the world in languages that our people can understand. So for us at the OIF, it is all about vision and reach. Also keep in mind that I am an African born in Burkina, I speak four African languages that are spoken in several other countries in West Africa: Fulani, Bambara, Mooré and Gourmantche. To be open to the world, you must be flexible and dynamic.
How Human Capital Can Be Integrated To Meet The Challenges Of Development Firstly, we’ve known for a long time that women are the backbone of the family unit in Africa and they can also lead us to sustainability. Unfortunately, their financial status has never been where it ought to be. Micro financing is helping in this area. Data shows that when we lend money to women to work and repay it, the recovery rate is usually 95%.
“A successful example of the transfer of technology and the capacity to help Africa is the Mo Ibrahim Foundation… Mo Ibrahim recently came to the UN to stress the need to strengthen the processes of technology transfer, because Africa has potential and is the continent of the future.”
The other issue discussed is globalization. No country can succeed without developing a clear vision that relies on values that are outside of its own borders. This is why, in West Africa we have the ECOWAS, the CEMAC in Central Africa, the AMU in North Africa, the IGAD in East Africa and the SADC in South Africa. These visions of integration allow for the easy commercial activities between member states. Finally, Africans living outside of Africa make up one of the entities that contribute to strengthening Africa’s development. The young African immigrants living in the U.S still interact with Africa. They send money to loved ones, and often go back to aid development in their home country. So migrants are an extraordinary reservoir of development through financial infusion but also through the transfer of technology. Often it’s graduate students from the United States that are capable of launching startups in Africa. I think that a successful example of the transfer of technology and the capacity to Africa is Mo Ibrahim. Mo Ibrahim recently delivered a paper at the UN, demonstrating why we need to strengthen processes of technology transfer, because Africa has potential and is the continent of the future. And what we lack is probably not the human capital as we are almost one billion people. It is not ores because we have the minerals that are envied by the world. It is not size either as we have an area of 30 million square kilometers.
A Typical Day of the Permanent Observer to the UN of the Francophonie A routine day as the Permanent Observer to the UN begins with reading the journal of the UN that announces upcoming events and information, past and future. We are currently preparing for the General Assembly. We are working with the States’ members of the Francophonie to be well prepared in an acute and precise manner to face the General Assembly. For example, we have a letter that we send to all the Ministers of Foreign Affairs to inform them of a consultation meeting on the
eve of the General Assembly. So we participate in technical meetings on language and other issues that will be held this month. We also have work to do to adopt a resolution on multilingualism and this resolution is the result of the contributions of 90 States members, most Francophone, who sponsored it. But beyond the Francophonie, multilingualism is a reality. Thus, for example in NY, there has been an increase in the number of bilingual schools. More and more parents, Anglophone or Asian, enroll their children in these French-English schools because they want them to learn a language other than English. This does not mean that English is not important, but diversity is needed. We have room for dialogue and consultation and we organize ourselves to meet the expectations of each State in the UN and the United States in general.
The Similarities and Differences between the OIF and AU The main difference between the two organizations is that the OIF is not a regional organization but global one. We are in five continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Europe. We are a supra-regional international organization. The OIF is more similar to the Commonwealth than to the AU. In order to show the international dimension, the OIF Secretary-General, Abdou Diouf uses this phrase: The sun never sets in the Francophonie.
On Engaging The Diaspora OIF is committed to engaging its diaspora. My office here in the U.S. often organizes an event for young immigrants, in partnership with a U.S. based association called the French Heritage Association. The event is for those who have lost the use of the French language simply because they do not have the opportunity to use it. These young people come from diverse backgrounds so we are not sectarian either. We are not just working to promote the French language, but to promote the values of Francophone. If you speak French and your values are not humane, you wouldn’t belong. Many people think that Ambassador Savadogo is an avatar of France who works for French interests. This is not the case because the Francophonie is a platform that allows us to discuss our problems. If you feel that the Francophonie is an expansion of colonialism, then what about the Commonwealth? You must agree that democracy is an essential criterion that every member must obey amid the risk of exclusion. We speak not only of English as a language but also of its values. We cannot push our agenda if we are not organized. Finally, I would to thank Applause Africa for the work they do to strengthen the image of Africa. I read the magazine avidly, and from one media professional to another, I am truly impressed by the quality and depth of your publication.
IMMI
F E R N O GRATI
N A L P ORM
IMMIGRATION REFORM AND THE FEAR OF NON-PROFIT IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES ATTORNEYS Olubunmi Segun and Jessica M. Greenberg, ASC Staff Attorneys
E
ighteen months ago, I sat at my desk across from a gentleman in his midfifties. Twenty-five years ago, he landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport and passed through U.S. Customs Services without incident using a “black market” passport. The man laughs as he recounts his entry into the United States,
claiming that he looked nothing like the photograph of the passport’s owner, but he was desperate. I explain that unfortunately it does not appear that he has a means of adjusting his undocumented immigration status to a lawful immigration status, like Lawful Permanent Resident. At the end of our meeting, the man asks whether I believe immigration reform is possible. I respond in the affirmative, clarifying that if the newly promulgated immigration regulations and policies are an indication, the reform will be harsh. As we stand shaking hands, the gentleman tells me that I am incorrect: comprehensive immigration reform will happen and it will be good.
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It is too early to declare, but I am willing to concede that I was perhaps wrong. On June 15, 2012, President Obama issued an Executive Order granting Deferred Action to Childhood Arrivals (with credit to Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, activist, and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas), which allows undocumented immigrants under the age of thirty to receive Employment Authorization if specific criteria are met. In late January 2013, eight U.S. Senators released the Bipartisan Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the first objective of which is “creating a tough but fair path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants living in the United States . . . .” The following day, at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, President Obama emphasized the need for “common sense immigration reform.” During his State of the Union address, the President reiterated that “real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship . . .” On February 16, 2013, the White House immigration reform plan was leaked, detailing an eight-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. It is essential to note and then reiterate that the above is certainly a step in the right direction, but each - with the exception of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals - is merely a proposal. It is absolutely meaningless until proposed as a bill, which must pass through the House of Representatives before referral to the Senate, where the bill is then presented to the President. There he will either refuse to sign, veto the bill - returning it to the House - or sign it into law. Because immigration is under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security, the law will be unenforceable until the pertinent agencies (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Patrol) determine the means of administering and applying the law. The process is extensive and a bill may stall in Congress without recourse. Unfortunately, there is no immigration reform, yet. Immigrants are an exceptionally vulnerable population for a myriad of reasons. And, it is this vulnerability, coupled with the attention immigration reform is receiving, that is of very real concern and fear to immigration services providers, like us at African Services Committee. The fear is not unfounded -- immigrants regularly fall prey to immigration services fraud with both significant financial and immigrationrelated consequences.
ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT HOMELAND SECURITY, 130,000 AFRICANS MIGRATE LEGALLY TO THE US EACH YEAR.
West Africa:
573,791
ETHIOPIANS
The African immigrant groups with the largest presence in the United States as of 2010 were Nigerians (219,309), Ethiopians (173,592), Egyptians (137,799), Ghanaians (124,696), and Kenyans (88,519)
EGYPTIANS GHANAIANS KENYANS
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF AFRICAN FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION AND TOTAL U.S. POPULATION, AGE 25 & OVER African immigrants
16.1%
U.S. population
10.4%
Graduate Degree
24.2%
17.7%
Bachelor’s Degree Only
27.7%
28.9%
Some College
20.0%
28.5%
High School Diploma
12.1%
14.4%
No High School Diploma
The U.S Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census reports that
33% 27% 27% STATISTICIANS COMPUTER
88,711
Northern Africa:
280,280
Southern Africa: Eastern Africa:
79,914
475,832
AFRICAN FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION BY REGION OF BIRTH
TOP COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR AFRICAN FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION
NIGERIANS
Middle Africa:
41%
of Fortune 500 companies were founded by an immigrant or child of an immigrant
OCCUPATIONS OF AFRICAN FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS AGE 16 & OVER
African immigrants make a big impact on the U.S. economy.
48%
of America’s top 50 venturebacked companies, as ranked by Dow Jones VentureSource, have at least one immigrant founder
Management, Business and Science
37.7%
Production and Transportation
14.4%
18%
Service
of all small business owners in the U.S are immigrant
24.8%
5.2%
Sales and Office,
19.8%
is the percentage of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. workforce
Construction and Maintenance
3.3%
OF ENGINEERS OF MATHEMATICIANS OF PHYSICAL
SCIENTISTS
SCIENTISTS
ARE IMMIGRANTS
Source: Department of Commerce, Bureau of The Census, 2010 American Community Survey, www.immigrationpolicy.org, Partnership For American Economy/ National Foundation For American Policy/INC. 500 CE0 SURVEY, TIME.
Debo Folorunsho
THE OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL CLASSIFIES IMMIGRATION SERVICES FRAUD INTO FIVE DISTINCT, YET INTERSECTING CATEGORIES:
1 Misrepresentation of legal credentials;
2 Unauthorized practice of law, whereby an individual presents him or her self as capable of providing immigration services, yet lacks the pertinent credentials (which is a criminal offense);
3 False (i.e., illegal) promises to expedite immigration processing time;
4 Misleading and/or false information and promises regarding the ability to adjust immigration status;
5 Utilizing community ties, whereby an individual targets members of his own ethnicity or nationality.
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AS COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM CONTINUES IN THE FOREFRONT, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ARE COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK SEEKING ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE. IT IS MY FEAR, AND THE FEAR OF MY COLLEAGUES, THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL SEEK ADVICE FROM UNETHICAL ATTORNEYS OR NON-ATTORNEYS PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING THE REFORM AS CONCRETE. My colleagues and I meet daily with prospective clients who have been victimized. Last week, I met with a woman who is unable to adjust her immigration status from undocumented to Lawful Permanent Resident for various reasons, yet an immigration attorney promised her otherwise in exchange for $10,000. A few years ago, I worked with a client who, fifteen years earlier, was referred by a friend to a reverend for immigration assistance and without his knowledge the reverend filed an asylum application on his behalf and charged him thousands of dollars; an immigration judge later ruled that the application was frivolous and the client is barred for life from all immigration benefits without recourse. The Department of Justice permits only individuals who are either attorneys licensed to practice in the United States or are Board of Immigration Appeals accredited representatives - who work at recognized non-profit organizations - to represent or assist in immigration matters. Certainly, as illustrated above, immigration attorneys too often are scam artists. But, if an unethical attorney victimizes an immigrant, recourse may be available. Yet, this recourse is unavailable to immigrants who receive assistance from non-attorneys. Rather, the government faults the immigrant for retaining or receiving assistance from a non-attorney. Particular to the African Diaspora is hiring immigrant consultants or specialists (who otherwise work as paralegals) to perform immigration related services. A paralegal is not an attorney. A paralegal is rarely an accredited representative. Thus, a paralegal cannot and may not assist with legal services unless under the direct supervision of an attorney. If a paralegal is working under the direct supervision of an attorney, the client is unlikely to have significant contact with the paralegal that is not ordered by the attorney.
Because immigration consultant/specialist advertising is word-of-mouth, it is somewhat understandable to question the necessity of retaining an attorney, especially when an acquaintance received the desired outcome. Aside from the above (discussing unauthorized practice of law and available recourse), the answer is simple: immigration law is very difficult to understand. In Hernandez v. Mukasey, 524 F.3d 1014, 1018 (2008), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote “we have observed that the proliferation of immigration laws and regulations has aptly been called a labyrinth that only a lawyer could navigate.’ ” As comprehensive immigration reform continues in the forefront, undocumented immigrants are coming out of the woodwork seeking advice and assistance. It is my fear, and the fear of my colleagues, that these individuals will seek advice from unethical attorneys and/or non-attorneys particularly because of the misconceptions regarding the reform as concrete. To protect both undocumented and documented immigrants and their families, African Services Committee launched low fee immigration services in early 2013. The purpose is to provide quality immigration legal services at a nominal fee that is approachable to the hard-working immigrant. The immigration clinic is staffed by attorneys who are well-versed in the intricacies and complexities of immigration law. Whether you come to us, or source an attorney on your own, we urge you to do your research and ensure that the legal services that you are procuring, are legitimate and that the attorney is certified. Too often we see cases in which that isn’t the case, and too often the result of those situations is irreversible. For more information about African Services’ low fee legal services, please call (212) 222-3882 or email immigration@africanservices.org.
ABOVE AND BEYOND Theo Namases’s Path to Success Theo Namases is dedicated to the task of running Africa’s youngest airline and she is not intimidated by the magnitude of her title as CEO of Air Namibia. Before being CEO or female, Namases recognizes that there is work to do, and that work includes providing the best services and solutions for Air Namibia to operate. Air Namibia currently runs a fleet of ten aircrafts and flies domestic, regional and intercontinental flights. A few of those routes include Frankfurt, Rwanda, Botswana, Lusaka, as well as partnership flights with Delta via Johannesburg and Accra. Namases who first started in aviation in the early 2000s before officially joining Air Namibia in 2010 makes it clear the relationship the airline she supervises has to its customers, she says “Air Namibia values its people. And we understand as an airline that if we take good care of our people, they will take good care of our customers. And it is customer service that is the focus of the airline and the focus of how we deliver our product and our services. ” She notes that in operating as a national airline for the country, “we are carrying the spirit of Namibia. The mandate is to bring tourism to Namibia and to create an environment where business can flourish.” And to that end, “the government has been incredibly supportive of Air Namibia and its expansion routes.” Theo Namases makes being a managing director of an airline corporation seem
LEADERSHIP
Sophia Egbelo
like a light task. Her commitment to serving Air Namibia is evident when she speaks of the joys of getting to work with her staff of over seven hundred employees, “I’m still in the mood of getting into the company, rolling up my sleeves and working with my team. Forget about being a CEO because there are too many things we have to correct before we can sit back and start to claim our position. I work with my people; I want to set an example, I want people to know I’m walking the talk.” And of the challenges she faces being female CEO in Africa, proudly enough there are none. Instead this female executive points that, “The aviation industry in not an African thing, it’s a global thing.” Namases, notes that several businesses, corporations and agencies across Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa, have appointed female CEOs. To this end we (society) should watch over the next five years for signs of success. She notes,
“Already there are signs that there is a different vibe going into institutions. ‘I’m very positive that it’s high time and this is the time.” Her visions for Air Nambia and the direction it is headed are very humble, yet driven “In the next five to ten years, we will still be operating the current route and obviously add a few new ones. China and the Middle East are some of the prospects we are looking at, as well as destinations in the United States, East and West Africa. We’re striving towards being the best regional airline. We want to strengthen the current relationships we have with airlines we partner with, as well as enter into new ones.” Theo Namases may be quietly opening doors for the female gender. Her message to all women aspiring to lead is simple, “to the young women and the girls, it doesn’t matter where you are; the sky should not be the limit. You should have the belief in yourself that you can do it. And it should be a very humble belief that you can make a positive contribution. That’s all you need. If you are certain within yourself that you want to make a contribution positively, it doesn’t matter where you are, start now. And do not wait for others to tell you that ‘you can or you can’t’. You know your abilities and so go for it.”
to the young women and the girls, it doesn’t matter where you are; the sky should not be the limit. You should have the belief in yourself that you can do it. And it should be a very humble belief that you can make a positive contribution.
Talking Love and Relationships A Conversation with Africa’s Sophia Egbelo 21st Century Women
The era of gender subordination is gradually fading away and we are awakening into a world of gender equality. Today, modern culture has uplifted women into powerful distinctions that are gaining them notable praise, honor and societial influence. No doubt African women are joining in the changing workforce. Many of them - particularly those in the Diaspora - continue to excel in academia, business and various marketable areas. These women are making names for themselves with titles such as entrepreneurs, activists and moguls to name a few. But can women have it all? Can African women really have it all ?
T
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“It is not about how your friends see that person. When the cameras are out, when you shut that door and it’s only two of you, ask yourself, can we communicate? Can we talk about anything? Can we laugh? Can I just cry and let go? Once you can answer yes to all of these questions, you’ve found your person”. Albeit in modern times, it appears that the higher a woman ascends the ‘career ladder,’ the more she diminishes her chances of becoming who tradition requires her to be. Sometimes the harder we strive to achieve greater success than our male counterparts, the further away we run from the traditional norms that define a woman’s identity. Africa’s decade of strong women come from a long line of female ancestors: great-grand mothers, grandmothers and mothers who in their time worked home jobs to keep the family in place. However, the majority of women in the present generation stir change in society, fighting for causes where they can be recognized by the rest of the world. In pursing their calling something must not have to give. Compromises should not be made in order to be the woman you are determined to be. This was the message resonated by 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee during a couch session held with a group of young African diaspora women who hold notable careers. While delivering as a keynote speaker at the 2013 African Diaspora Awards Gbowee took out time to mentor a group of ladies on the need to remain career focus despite customary constraints imposed by tradition. Joining the activist in conversation were Mpule Kwelagobe, former Miss Universe, who is Managing Director of the Pula Agriculture Fund, a capital fund that invests in agriculture, agribusiness and agro-industries development projects across Sub-Saharan Africa amongst others, Saran Kaba Jones a clean water advocate and social entrepreneur from Liberia who was appointed International Goodwill Ambassador for the county of River Cess, Liberia in 2012. Three-time Emmy nominated journalist, producer and correspondent for PIX11 Morning News, Ojinika Obiekwe, activist, philanthropist and organizer Solome Lemma who runs Africans in the Diaspora (AiD), an organization that aims to unleash the philanthropic and intellectual capital of the Diaspora to advance sustainable development in Africa and Farai Gundan a TV and radio personality, who also runs an African entertainment blog and is co-founder of two tech startups.
Gbowee listened attentively as the ladies chatted about the conflicting roles of career and womanhood in the African culture. Examining the pressures of African traditions, the ladies voiced, “The culture forces the idea about getting married (by a certain age). And so you can have all these accolades, but you’re not a woman. In Africa a lot of people get married because it’s time, for the family’s sake, because you’ve reached a certain age and you just marry whoever is available.” In response Gbowee stated, “The question to ask yourself is: are you going to be okay even after quitting your job? If my desperation to get married is going to let me set my goal aside, is it worth it? Is it worth throwing my life’s dream away? If the shoe was on the other foot, would he do the same for me? She revealed to the ladies, “My dad told me one thing that stopped me from desperately looking. He said to me, God has given you a good job. He has given you fame and fortune. And so even if you don’t have a husband don’t begrudge it because marriage is a vocation; it is like a calling. You have to be called into that vocation; you have to put a lot of prayers into it.” Perhaps her father’s disclosure was a message of relief for the Nobel Peace Prize winner who endured an abusive relationship after which she says she had to “resocialize.” Leymah has since been blessed and finds fulfillment in her present relationship. Her current partner, Jay, she describes as “perfect”, a man who is not intimidated by her prominence, her status as activist and Noble Laureate or the time she spends in the limelight. Perhaps the word “perfect” spells a happily ever after story for Gbowee; but there is more to the appearances her partner keeps while he globetrots with the philanthropist. That more is the special connection Gbowee shares with Jay. A connection she told the ladies must come first before money, looks and status. “It is not about how your friends see that person. When the cameras are out, when you shut that door and it’s only two of you, ask yourself, can we communicate? Can we talk about anything? Can we laugh? Can I just cry and let go? Once you can answer yes to all of these questions, you’ve found your person. Gbowee also joked, “Behind
every successful African woman is a very accommodating African man,” to which the ladies burst out laughing. The ladies found her words heartening. Mpule Kwelagobe, who undoubtedly agreed to Gbowee’s advice, pointed out that finding that connection which Gbowee gushes of may not be all too easy because “The society we live in emphasizes external appearances. As a younger generation we’re looking for something that is beautiful on the outside, but is not strong on the inside. I appreciate what she (Gbowee) said because that is what is authentic and that’s what we should look forward to in relationships. Especially African women, doing the kind of work we do we need the kind of man that is not intimidated by we (women) being in the front or having a public career. We need men that will be comfortable, that will uplift us, and want us to be celebrated for the work we do.” On a more solemn note the peace activist pressed for the ladies to continue in their drive to accomplish their goals be it career, academia or philanthropic. After all it wasn’t long ago that Gbowee led a peace demonstration to bring an end to the war in her home country Liberia. It is because of Gbowee’s determination that the peace talks gained ground until the war gradually ended. Gbowee reflected back on those horrid times and advised, “I’ve learned one thing in life, that anger is fluid. Anger is liquid that draws into two containers violent and positive. And those who pull their violence into the violent containers are the Hitlers’, Taylors’ and all those men who have been dubbed villains of the world. And those who decide to pull their anger into a positive container by means of starting a protest, educating young people, starting a Diaspora movement; these are the Martin Luther Kings, the Ghandis’ and the Mandelas’…I felt there was a purpose. Sometimes after you’ve lived in a negative situation for so long it tends to become positive. You have to decide I’m not going to take this crap. I want to move out there and change the tide. And changing the tide is never about you. Even when I started the peace movements it was never about me. It’s never about you; it’s never about any of us. We’ve been called to do something and sometimes it’s uncomfortable; it takes a lot away from you. But you have to ask God and ask yourself, if this is what I signed up for then I will take everything associated with it.”
Who’s Afraid of Post-Feminism?
In Nigeria, feminists are women who are angry because they could not find a husband. They are women who hold picket signs and burn bras and never marry. They hate men. They have wild sex with multiple lesbian partners. African women are docile. They defer to their husbands and earn no money. They are not whole persons, but exist only through the identities of their husbands. They are not feminists.
Raising our Voices
In what was probably the most famous TEDx Talk of the last quarter, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie blew open the annals of Nigerian patriarchal ignorance. On a track from her latest SelfTitled album, Beyonce sampled a quote from Adichie’s talk, making her a household name even to those who’d never had a clue about African literature. The following is the quote from Adichie’s talk that Beyonce sampled:
“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls – you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful but not too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man. Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life
choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. A marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support. But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same? We raise girls to see each other as competitors not for jobs or for accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.
Feminist: A person who believes in the economic, social and political equality of the sexes.” More than two-thirds of Nigerian women are believed to experience physical, emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of their partners. Many small girls are not educated because they are more immediately “valuable” to their family when “sold” into marriage. A Nigerian female walking into a hotel alone is assumed to be a sex worker. Women are seen as the property of men. Even the woman walking alone into a hotel is
Ololade Siyonbola Chester Higgins, Jr.
defined through her usefulness to the male race.
“We teach women not to get raped, rather than teach men not to rape.” Nigeria’s rape and domestic violence statistics are shoddy, because most of these incidents are believed to go unreported due to the stigma attached. Such victims are stigmatized because of the cultural pattern that allows women to be defined by their marriageability. A girl who has been raped is not marriageable. And in a highly patriarchal society in which a woman is more likely than not to be accused of infidelity when she discloses a rape, what is the incentive for that woman to seek justice? In a society in which an unmarried woman is looked down upon, pitied, what is the incentive to report a domestic violence incident or leave one’s husband? There is simply no room in our society to place value on unmarriageable women.
Unless, of course, we re-orient our boys. In her TEDxTalk, Adichie advocates for the rearing of a male child who is less insecure, less defined by his ego and his ability to oppress girls. She advocates for the rearing of boys who are comfortable with women of equal power, not only those whose false power depends on their ability to manipulate the power of their owners. Boys are not often taught to aspire to marriage, taught how to treat women correctly.
How would we teach them?
A very famous Nigerian minister once told the story of a childhood altercation with a young female cousin. When their argument became heated, he slapped her and she began to cry. He was seven years old at the time, and he was fortunate enough to have the kind of father who said to him, “Never, ever hit a woman. You must treat every woman as your mother.” Currently this minister travels the world advocating for equal access to education for the girl-child.
inspire. create. achieve.
His Courage. His conviction. His story. Dr. Jacques Sebisaho grew up on an island called Idjwi, belonging to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the second largest inland island in Africa, and the tenth largest in the world. Idjwi is roughly equidistant between the DRC and Rwanda, with 10 to 15 kilometers separating its western shore from the DRC mainland and a similar distance between its eastern shore and the coastline of Rwanda. Historically a clan-based society, Idjwi Island became a kingdom in the late 18th century under the influence of the neighboring Kingdom of Rwanda.
B
efore 2010, malnutrition was common in Idjwi, with ten percent of children under five and 20 percent of nursing mothers malnourished. With the nearest hospital located eight hours away to the Southern tip of Idjwi, which was being serviced by only four doctors, three percent of the population was dying from preventable causes. With close proximity to Rwanda and populations consisting of Hutus and Tutsi, Dr. Jacques Sebisaho has had his fair share of danger and death threats, very much because he looked like a Tutsi. “It was part of the reason I left Congo,” he said.
Dr. Sebisaho went to the seminary in DRC, then medical school in Belgium before moving to the United States with limited proficiency in English to continue his medical profession before earning his Masters in Public Healthcare Policy. In 2005, Dr. Sebisaho started going back to DRC treating patients for free and providing medical supplies for the men, women and children in the Idjwi community. He started a small clinic which expanded into a full hospital which opened its doors this past July. The hospital consists of four buildings, maternity wards, surgeon wards, patient wards, pediatric wards, and a community center. Sebisaho investd heavily in solar power because there is no electricity and it’s the first time people will have internet connection. “We want this small place to be connected to the rest of the world,” he said. From 2005 to 2010, the Sebisahos have financed their work by themselves, burning through their savings. “We did that on purpose because we didn’t believe in NGOs changing anything at the time”, he explained. Dr Sebisaho later started an organization through which he would receive financial assistance from The Segal Family Foundation and members of his board of trustees. Dr. Sebisaho’s push for change in the community began at a younger age in a country devastated by more than a decade of civil conflict. “I used to lead the youth movement of youth aged 16-25 in Eastern DRC that advocated for change in the community”, he said. “Some of the youths have gone on to become doctors and lawyers themselves.” In recognition of Dr. Sebisaho’s work in Idjwi, the Aspen Institute in Partnership with the Gates Found Foundation and the World Bank selected him as
one of the 12 fellows who not only speak out on issues affecting Africans but also people deeply invested in Africa. “More than anyone else, we know what our issues are, we know the reality, we know how the people will react and we know what is needed,” he explained. “It’s not just about patching but building infrastructures.” In a continent flooded by international charities and non-governmental organizations, Dr. Sebisaho stresses the importance of community building by the people who live in them. “Charities will not help Africa, it only gives us a chance to solve problems,” he remarked. “Many of these people you see have good intentions and they want to change things though they don’t speak the language, and they don’t understand the culture.” Besides building the hospital in Idjwi, Dr. Jacques is working on a model that would make the hospital sustainable on its own leaving behind the model that requires donations from its board members and outsiders. “I am trying to move away from this model as quickly as possible because it’s not really sustainable. We are working to see if there are 50 thousand people who can start paying their own insurance which helps us become sustainable.” The hospital has offered to provide the community with free healthcare for the next couple of years before implementing the measure but hopes it works and can be implemented not only in DRC but cities around Africa. Explaining the details of the model further, he said: “Through a fund, every person will contribute $3 to $4 to fund the hospital. If each person of 50 thousand pays $3 a year, that’s $150 thousand a year. That helps pay the salaries of the doctors and nurses. Drugs and supplies can also be purchased and that’s how we can remain sustainable. That’s the model we are pushing.” While the bulk of the people may be poor, he stresses that some of the people can afford $3 dollars which in turn will cover the costs of some of the people who can’t. Besides the ambitious insurance plan, Dr. Sebisaho is also hopeful in building a network of hospitals in and around Eastern DRC with many of the hospitals built around the colonial era and many abandoned because of lack of funding. While not advocating that Africans in the diaspora move back to Africa, he does however stress the importance of taking trips back home and fulfilling some need in their community. “I grew up like you. I ate the same food like you. I was poor like you. And if I am able to do this, imagine what ten of us can accomplish.”
SCAN AFRICA Shakira Atitebi
Africa’s History Through Architecture Stone Town Tanzania
Stone Town also known as Mji Mkongwe, the Swahili word for “old town,” is the ancient part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is positioned on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago. Previously the capital of the Zanzibar Sultanate, and thriving epicenter of the spice trade as well as the slave trade in the 19th century, Mji Mkongwe preserved its importance as the key city of Zanzibar throughout the era of the British region. When Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to form the United Republic of Tanzania, Zanzibar kept a semiindependent status, with Stone Town as its local government seat. Stone Town is a city of prominent historic significance in East Africa. Its structural design, dating back to the 19th century, replicates the various inspirations underlying the Swahili art, music, and literature, with a unique mixture of Arab, Persian, Indian and European components. Therefore, the city was elected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Due to its legacy, Stone Town is also a main tourist attraction in Tanzania, and a large part of its economy rests on tourism-related events.
Fort Jesus, Kenya
Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese in 1593-1596 to the designs of Giovanni Battista Cairati to shield the port of Mombasa, is one of the most exceptional illustrations of 16th Portuguese military fortification. Built over a spur of coral rock, and kept under Portugal’s power for one century, Fort Jesus, Mombasa, exhibits the first victorious effort by Western civilization to control the Indian ocean trade routes, which, until then had remained under Eastern authority. The layout of the fort, with its proportions, its imposing walls and five bastions, replicates the military architectural concept of the Renaissance. Fort Jesus, Mombasa, bears physical witness, in its constructions and subsequent makeovers, also to the interchange of cultural values and inspirations between and among peoples of African, Arab, Turkish, Persian and European origin that fought to gain and maintain their control over this strategic port.
Asmara, Eritrea
Asmara is the capital city and by far the largest city in Eritrea. It is the home to a population of around 649,000 inhabitants. Asmara is located at the tip of an escarpment that is both the northwestern edge of the Eritrean highlands and the Great Rift Valley in bordering Ethiopia. Its beginnings reach back between 800 BC and 400 BC. Originally, it is said, there were four clans occupying the Asmara region on the Kebessa Plateau: the Gheza Gurtom, the Gheza Shelele, the Gheza Serenser and Gheza Asmae. Inspired by their women, the men united the four clans and overpowered the bandits who preyed on the area. Subsequently, a new name was given to the place, Arbaete Asmara which means, “the four are united” in the Tigrinya language. Eventually, Arbaete was dropped and it has been called Asmara, although there is still a zone called Arbaete Asmara. The city bears many traces of the Italian colonial era: in its infrastructure, its architecture and some culinary traditions. Dissimilar to many of the other towns in Eritrea, it is relatively undamaged but has undergone a rapid improvement in infrastructure, building repairs, and repainting.
AKsum, Ethiopia
Aksum is a city in northern Ethiopia that was the original capital of the kingdom of Axum. It has a population of 56,500. Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from about 400 BC into the 10th century. In 1980 UNESCO added Aksum’s archaeological sites to its list of World Heritage Sites due to their historical value. The main Aksum monuments in the town are stelae. These pillars are around 1,700 years old and have become an emblem of the Ethiopian people’s identity. The other major structures of the town are the Old and New Cathedrals of St Mary of Zion. The two cathedrals are the center of pilgrimage and valued as the holiest sites in Ethiopia to members of its Orthodox Church. Other attractions in Axum include archaeological and ethnographic museums, the Ezana Stone written in Sabaean, Ge’ez and Ancient Greek in a similar manner to the Rosetta Stone, King Bazen’s Tomb (a megalith considered to be one of the earliest structures), the so-called Queen of Sheba’s Bath (actually a reservoir), the 4th-century Ta’akha Maryam and 6th-century Dungur palaces, the monasteries of Abba Pentalewon and Abba Liqanos and the Lioness of Gobedra rock art.
Bamako Grand Mosque, Mali
The Bamako Grand Mosque is located in the city center of Bamako. It is one of the tallest structures in Bamako. Constructed on the site of a pre-colonial mud-brick mosque, the existing mosque was built with funding from the Saudi Arabian government at the end of the 1970s. With its tall cement minarets built around a square central structure, the structure is stylistically more similar to Saudi religious structures than West African. The mosque is noticeable from much of the city and sporadically opened to sightseers. Another center of attraction in Bamako is the BCEAO Tower. It is 20 stories high and the tallest building in the West African nation. The BCEAO Tower is the Malian headquarters of the Central Bank of West African States, which offers development banking and government financial and currency services in various Francophone West African countries. Categorized as Neo-Sudanic architecture, it is modeled on the Sudano-Sahelian architecture of the famous mosques of Djenne and Timbuktu. The building is located between the two main Bamako bridges: King Fahd Bridge a block west and Martyrs Bridge three blocks east. Just to the east of the BCEAO complex, a park and formal garden mark where the diagonally running “Boulevard du Peuple” reaches the river. By contrast, small market gardens and river canoes lie along the river front.
STONE CIRCLES, SENEGAL AND GAMBIA
The Senegambia stone circles lie in Gambia north of Janjanbureh and in central Senegal. They are sometimes divided into the Wassu (Gambian) and Sine-Saloum (Senegalese) circles, but this is purely a national division. Each stone circle contains about 10 to 24 standing stones. All the stones in any given circle are usually the same height, and size, varying between 60 cm and 245 cm high and weighing up to 10 tons. The largest stones, located at N’Jai Kunda, may weigh at least 10 tons. These stones were all made up of laterite (soil rich in iron and aluminum), whose particular property is to harden upon exposure to air, and before exposure, they are quite easy to quarry; they were fashioned with a great degree of sophistication using iron tools. According to local historians, the circles were built around mounds of kings, chiefs, and later, religious Muslim leaders, following royal burial traditions from the ancient empire of Ghana. The late Islamic scholar Alhaji Kemoring Jaiteh suggests that these were burial sites where the circle represents harmony, the absolute and perfection; the circle implies heaven and eternity. These structures reflect a prosperous, highly organized and enduring society.
THE CASTLES OF GHANA
The Castles of Ghana fashioned not only Ghana’s memory, but that of the world over four centuries as the focus of first the gold trade and then the slave trade. They are a significant and emotive symbol of European-African encounters and of the starting point of the African Diaspora. The castles along the coast of Ghana date back to the 15th Century and were built and occupied at different times by the European traders and adventurers from Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany and Britain to safeguard trading posts. The castles overall remain vulnerable to environmental pressures, developmental pressure including localized quarrying, and lack of adequate funding for the regular maintenance and conservation of the sites. Today some have been restored and have a variety of uses while some are in ruins. Most are, however, open to the public.
30 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com
ROBBEN ISLAND, SOUTH AFRICA
Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th century and the 20th century as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups, and a military base. Its buildings, in particular those of the late 20th century maximum security prison for political prisoners, testify to the way in which democracy and freedom triumphed over oppression and racism. What has survived from its episodic history are 17th century quarries, the tomb of Hadije Kramat who died in 1755, 19th century ‘village’ administrative buildings including a chapel and parsonage, small lighthouse, the lepers’ church, the only remains of a leper colony, derelict World War II military structures around the harbour and the stark and functional maximum security prison of the Apartheid period began in the 1960s. The symbolic value of Robben Island lies in its somber history, as a prison and a hospital for unfortunates who were sequestered as being socially undesirable. In 1964, Nelson Mandela arrived on Robben Island where he would spend 18 of his 27 prison years. This came to an end in the 1990s when the inhuman Apartheid regime was rejected by the South African people and the political prisoners who had been incarcerated on the Island received their freedom after many years.
Thabo Sefolosha
the NBA superstar with a heart of gold, and a soft spot for South Africa. Serusha Govender
I wish I could do more. But for now I just want the youth to understand that they are the future, and that you shouldn’t put a limit on what you’re capable of doing… You gotta dream big to make big things happen. Shoot for the stars, and if you fall you’ll only hit the clouds, and that’s not so bad after all.
wiss basketball megastar Thabo Sefolosha has got some serious game. Not only has the towering 6 foot 7 inch guard been blazing a trail through the ranks of the NBA, but he’s also been helping his team Oklahoma City Thunder score some pretty inspiring victories against teams like the Brooklyn Nets during the grueling 2014 season. Off the court the 29-year-old is no less impressive: just ask Sefolosha what else he’s passionate about and he’ll tell you about a special after-school project he’s running in a South African township that’s keeping kids off the streets and uplifting a community.
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Sefolosha grew up in Vevey, Switzerland, one of the ‘pearls of the Swiss Riviera’ on the shores of Lake Geneva. It’s idyllic and serene, and headquarters for both Nestlé and Häagen-Dazs. It’s also about as far as you could possibly get from the bustling impoverished township of Mamelodi, on the eastern outskirts of Pretoria in South Africa. Here Sefolosha’s charity is running an after-school program using sports as a tool to understand leadership, teamwork, and what it means to work hard to achieve success. “It brings a whole lot of values to you from different aspects of life, not just sports but real life, that you apply to your own life,” explains Sefolosha. “It teaches you to listen to rules, to understand the rules, how to work in a group, self-esteem and to be good role models.” “When I came to Mamelodi there was nothing for children to do after school... I saw a lot of young people in the corner, shooting dice, smoking, drinking at an early age. That isn’t really the best start for anyone to be successful.” The NBA player first visited Mamelodi 11 years ago after years of hearing stories about it from his father, who was raised there. His parents -- South African musician Patrick Sefolosha of Malopoets fame, and his Swiss artist wife Christine -- met in South Africa but fled the country’s then strict apartheid laws
banning interracial marriage. Though even in their new Swiss home there were constant reminders of his heritage. And after seeing the poverty and need in his paternal homeland, he knew he had to do something to help. His first move was becoming the spokesperson for the Swiss-based foundation IMBEWU, which manages sustainable projects in South Africa. Then, along with his wife Bertille, they held a fundraiser in Oklahoma (where his NBA team OKC Thunder is based) in 2011 to raise funds for the after-school initiative -- their new neighbors gave generously and they were able to fund 150 needy youngsters from eight different schools in the area. “Sometimes you wonder what drives people to be so generous to kids they don’t know in a country they barely know,” says Sefolosha. “I’m just amazed by their generosity. Without them this wouldn’t be possible.” It was a good start, though it turns out, not nearly enough. While the program has been incredibly successful Sefolosha explains there’s now a waiting list of children for the program a mile long, and they’ll have to hold more fundraisers soon so they can expand: “We really want to open another program for more schools, this time on the west side of Mamelodi... and then to have more people to take it to other schools all over the country.” Despite Sefolosha’s rising star in the NBA, he remains firmly committed to his charity work; and his connection to his South African roots is a strong one -- though he doesn’t speak any native languages he loves listening South African house music and he enjoys dappling in the country’s local cuisine (his favorite food is Chakakala, as made by a close friend of his). But more importantly, he’s determined to see the youth of the country rise: “I wish I could do more. But for now I just want the youth to understand that they are the future, and that you shouldn’t put a limit on what you’re capable of doing… You gotta dream big to make big things happen. Shoot for the stars, and if you fall you’ll only hit the clouds, and that’s not so bad after all.”
BUSINESS
textiletraders VLISCO empowers Women in sustaining successful textile businesses and facilitating their growth.
SALOMEY GYAMFI is the Marketing Director of Vlisco, a Dutch Wax textile manufacturer based in the Netherlands. Vlisco opened its first store in West Africa in 2009 and has seven stores in nine African countries. In this one-on-one, Salomey discusses with Applause Africa’s Michael Ikotun on what makes their textiles bestsellers, and Vlisco’s plan for Africa and its Diaspora. A lot of people in the fashion industry know Vlisco as a supplier to the industry, but Vlisco is actually a much broader business than this. Could you give us an overview of the business, and the history of how it has developed? In 1846, Dutch entrepreneur Pieter Fentener van Vlissingen established the company P.F. van Vlissingen & Co, which became Vlisco BV in 1970, in the Dutch city of Helmond. His passion for handprinted textiles formed the basis for the initial production and sales of Vlisco fabrics in the Netherlands and Europe. Since the start, the company has produced and sold hand-printed textiles both domestically and abroad. Around 1852, the VOC Dutch East Indies trade routes became involved in the export of the hand-printed Vlisco fabrics. The fabrics were used for bartering during stopovers in Western Africa. As soon as African women saw the fabrics, they fell in love with Vlisco and embraced the brand as their own. This was the catalyst that created what Vlisco is today: the market leader in African prints designed and produced through a unique process combining Indonesian batik, Dutch Design and African heritage. Our distinctive products are not only admired in Africa but have inspired many to embrace the merging of Dutch and African roots in the fashion, art and design industry, and beyond. Designers such as Burberry, Dries van Noten and Ozwald Boateng have used Vlisco designs in their collections. Whilst our roots lie in textile we are currently developing consumer products such as luxury leather and jacquard goods that incorporate our design signature and craftsmanship developed through the ages.
Another myth about Vlisco is that Vlisco produces only for Africa, however Vlisco produces for African consumers wherever they live Africa, London, New York or Tokyo. How many stores does Vlisco have; and what plans does Vlisco have to penetrate the United States, and engage the African Diaspora? African inspired design is increasingly popular not only amongst Africans but in Europe and the United States and we see the interest in our brand continually growing. Vlisco currently owns 7 retail boutiques, located in West and Central Africa. Our intention is to extend our retail network in West and Central Africa with 10 new stores in the coming year. In North America Vlisco works together with an exclusive distributor, Sonna USA, to reach our consumers in the US. We also advertise in International and local magazines targeting Black Americans for example Ebony. In Europe we work together with several distributors specialized in reaching the African Diaspora. The Internet and social media are ideal platforms for us to create a dialogue with the world and engage with our consumers. On social media we are very active: Twitter, Pinterest, You Tube and Facebook. Facebook is especially popular, with almost 300,000 followers and the popularity is ever growing. Our followers originate not only from West and Central Africa but also a large number come from Europe and the US. Our Vlisco eShop at vlisco.com, enables us to serve almost the whole world with our products. Whilst we continue to focus on our core markets in Africa, however, the US is a key development market with great potential and as such we will continue to work with Sonna to capitalize on this potential in the future.
Speaking of design, there is a long-standing relationship between Vlisco and African designers. Can you talk a bit about how that relationship started, and how important that is to the business today, both in terms of innovation and design? Ready to wear, as we know it in the Western World is relatively new in Africa. In Africa, there is a tradition of buying fabric and having your personal designer or tailor create your dream outfit. Vlisco has played a key role for many years in this process, being a source of expression and together with designers we bring the Vlisco designs to life. Vlisco is renowned for its high quality and expressive designs, which inspire designers to in turn to create silhouettes that flatter the design. These silhouettes in turn inspire us. It is a duet between the fabric design and designer. Designers are therefore an important and essential link in engaging with our consumers. In the future we will continue to collaborate with both global and African partners and designers, ensuring constant fashion innovation and inspiration for our consumers. Early in the year 2013, Vlisco started the Vlisco Women’s Month “Be Your Dream” campaign, in which Vlisco celebrated and paid tribute to successful African women who have made their dreams come true. This campaign was also the birth of the Vlisco Fashion Dream Fund. Tell us more about these initiatives and other ways Vlisco is empowering the African woman. International Women’s Day is on the 8th of March each year. Worldwide women are honoured and shown respect for their immense achievements. Vlisco feels women should remain in the spotlight for longer than just one day and in 2013 we celebrated inspiring women, throughout West and Central Africa, for one whole month. Vlisco selected several inspiring women as nominees to win the unique Vlisco Women’s Month BE YOUR DREAM award. The public voted for the woman who inspired them. Vlisco also aimed to support ambitious designers and tailors who have bigger dreams of success but need some support. By sending in a business plan of their dream, they had the opportunity to win funding to make their dream come true. In 2014 we are continuing with the Vlisco Women’s Month campaign with the theme ‘Dare to Dream’ because every success starts with daring to dream. The Vlisco Fashion Dream Fund is part of the Vlisco Women’s Month campaign. Aspiring individuals with dreams of becoming a designer and running a fashion business were asked to send in their business plan and vision. 3 of these budding designers were then awarded funds to make their dream come true. This year we will continue this whilst adding educational
training to the prize to ensure their full potential can be reached. Women have always played a key role in the history of Vlisco. Many of the successful textile traders were and still are today women. These women originally gave design feedback to Vlisco from the market and this was interpreted by our designers into fabric designs. The close relationship and bond established remains today. Our goal is to empower these ladies in sustaining successful businesses and facilitating their growth.
As everyone knows China produces everything (for cheap). Do the Chinese also compete with you today in the Wax Fabrics market, or is that still a relative monopoly for Vlisco? Also, how is Vlisco fighting counterfeiting of your popular fabrics? The originality and reputation of the Vlisco brand have been the target of criminal activity, seeking to make profit illegally from the unauthorized use of the Vlisco brand. Counterfeit Vlisco fabrics (Super-wax, Waxblocks and Java) are now in the market. Counterfeiters seek to deceive consumers
At the end of the twentieth century the patterns and colours became more and more varied and in line with the taste of the African market. Together with the traders and by observing the taste of African consumer the prints became more bold and colours became brighter and brighter. From Super-wax, Wax-blocks to Java, Vlisco has fabrics that are very popular with Africans. What are the inspirations for the bold mix of colors, geometric patterns and optical illusions for Vlisco’s fabrics? Also, explain how is Vlisco able to produce a product that is a hit across the entire African continent while addressing the tastes of distinct ethnic groups? Vlisco is the only brand creating Authentic Dutch wax fabrics recognizable for its’ unique design, colours and wax craquelé. Every yard is unique due to our special and natural, wax process, originating from batik techniques. When Vlisco fabrics arrived for the first time in West Africa the patterns of the wax were based entirely on Javanese motifs with sombre colours and fine patterns. At the end of the twentieth century the patterns and colours became more and more varied and in line with the taste of the African market. Together with the traders and by observing the taste of African consumer the prints became more bold and colours became brighter and brighter. We discovered that the African consumer had an eye for quality and was not satisfied with inferior fabrics and designs. That is why still today there is so much attention given to the play of design and colour in our fabrics. This design signature has become the foundation of all African print fabrics in the world and inspires fashion designers around the globe. Vlisco has a clear design identity and DNA and is the starting point for all designs. As such designers nowadays do not specifically follow global and African trends but are inspired by what they see around them, in their daily lives or while they are travelling. Insights are also collated from our colleagues and consumers in Africa. These insights can be a source of inspiration for design.
by copying and marketing fabrics bearing Vlisco trademarks, word marks and designs. Whilst Vlisco prides itself on inspiring others to create fashion and apparel, the products are literally being copied. Vlisco has a fulltime Brand Protection department, of legal, technical and Intellectual Property experts, dedicated to making sure that consumers get authentic Vlisco products. The main purpose of the Vlisco Brand Protection team is to fight counterfeiting in all our markets. Our team works with worldwide Customs authorities and various law enforcement agencies to stop the shipment of counterfeit goods, preventing their sale and distribution. We are prepared to take legal action against anyone found infringing upon our marks whenever necessary. Vlisco produces about 70 million yards of fabric a year and made over $400 million in 2013. It seems like things are going in the right direction for this company whose consumers are Africans. So what’s next for Vlisco - ready to wear clothing line, accessories, product branding via Nollywood films? As ever, our goal is to perform better in the markets in which we are already present bringing innovation and added value to our consumers. We also aim to enter into new markets with existing and new products, such as accessories and bags. Fashion is the context in which Vlisco’s designs have been used and will continue to be a focus so ready to wear will be an option. We are also embarking on some surprising and exclusive collaborations to bring new products to our consumers. So watch this space.
Yaya Alafia (Mother of George and The Butler)
Ebbe Bassey and Entrepreneur Of the Year Chinedu Echeruo of Founder, HopStop chat on the RedCarpet
The Ambassadors / Five Permanent Observer to the United Nations
Humanitarian: Munyang Reath Kher
Lola Ogunnaike and Robert Brunner
THE AFRICAN DIASPORA AWARDS HONORS CHANGE MAKERS IN THE BIG APPLE
Hostes PIX 11 News Producer and Correspondent, Ojinika Obiekwe and Veteran French radio presenter Nasser Diallo.
Kara Gerson (Voss Foundation)
Applause Africa honored and celebrated 16 African leaders in New York City at our 3rd annual African Diaspora Awards (ADA). Conceived to recognize the achievements of African leaders and professionals with ingenuity and creativity, who work across categories of media, entertainment, community advocacy and philanthropy, the ADA, is the only major awards show that celebrates exemplary brands and individuals who have made a significant difference in the African community in the United States. The prestigious ceremony was hosted by Three-time Emmy nominated media professional and PIX 11 News Producer and Correspondent, Ojinika Obiekwe and Veteran French radio presenter Nasser Diallo.
Mother of George, An Andrew Dosunmu and Blitz The Ambassador pose with family and friends
More than 700 luminaries walked the red carpet – artists, entertainers, politicians, ambassadors, innovators, and captains of industry from the diaspora. Thanks to the presenting sponsors: Arik Air international, AAI, and Heineken. Honors were given in the following categories: Solwazi Afi Olusola
34 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com
IBM Executive, Ajamu Wesley.
Lifetime Achievement: Leymah Gbowee (2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winner) Entrepreneur Of the Year: Chinedu Echeruo (Founder, HopStop) Company of the Year: IBM Actor of the Year: Yaya Alafia (Mother of George and The Butler) Community Service Of the Year: Mpule Kwelagobe (Former Miss Universe & CEO, MIED) Advocate Of the Year: Amini Kanjuju (CEO, The Africa America Institute) Designer: Korto Momolu (1st Runner Up, Project Runway) Diplomat: Ambassador Fillipe Savadogo (Permanent Observer of La Francophonie to the United Nations) Film: Mother of George, An Andrew Dosunmu Movie Creative Artist of the Year: Wangechi Mutu Humanitarian: Munyang Reath Kher (Semi-Finalist, Do Something Award) FaceOf Africa Nnenna Agba Musician: Blitz The Ambassador Scholar: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Friends of Africa: Kara Gerson (Voss Foundation) and Barry Segal (CEO, Segal Family Foundation) Person of the Year: Oluchi Orlandi (Creator, Africa’s Next Top Model) Person Of the Year / Change Maker: Thione Niang
Remi Adetiba
Face Of Africa, Nnenna Agba (America’s Next Top Model)
Advocate Of the Year: Amini Kanjuju (CEO, The Africa America Institute)
Dr. Adenike Folorunsho and Divine Muragijimana
Donald Osmund and Tinu
Musician: Blitz The Ambassador
Creative Artist of the Year: Wangechi Mutu
Entrepreneur Of the Year: Chinedu Echeruo of Founder, HopStop
Abiola Oke and Mariama C. Keita
Helene Faussart - Les Nubians
Daniel Ademinokan and Stella Damasus
Kobi Brew Hammond Nana Brew-Hammond and Friend Ernest Danjuma and Solome Lemma
Michael Ikotun, Nasser Diallo, Tamsen Fadal, Ojinika Obiekwe, Debo Folorunsho, Sophia Egbelo, NaMo and Folarin
Scholar: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa with CUNNY USS Executives
KAISSA
Adey Hailu
Nekpen Osuan and Friends
Orobosa Owie,Tooni Akanni , Mercy Egbelo, and Basirat, Adeyemi
Lilian Ajayi, Robert Brunner and Magdalene Festina Johnson Obaji Amini Kanjuju, Shanta Bryant Gyan
and Ntumba Mukendi
Okenfe Lebarty and Friend
Oluwaseye Olusa and Friends
Guests read AA after subscription during Cocktail Hour
Lekan Ikotun and Michael Ikotun
Omoyele Sowore, Owner and Founder, SaharaReporter and Friend Rafiyah “Queen of Afro-pop”
YNiyi Fatogun, Ralph Adetayo, Fola Robert and Jamiudeen Folarin
VIEWPOINT
Mora McLean
Defining “the African Diaspora,” and Why it Matters To paraphrase an old maxim, our understanding of the meaning of “African Diaspora” depends greatly upon what we perceive from where we stand. Because of my ancestry, I have a visceral attachment to the idea of an African Diaspora. I grew up with an African-American mother and a West Indian father in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. But by the particular standards of the African Union, only my work to spur development in Africa qualifies me as a member of the African Diaspora. I am convinced that we would be better served by a more expansive view of our capacity for mutual self-help. More than ever before, our collective interests call for an ethos of reciprocity--one that presupposes that Africans and members of “the African Diaspora” are just as invested in the well-being of African descended people throughout the world as they are in the development of Africa. History teaches us that the concept of African Diaspora is complex and evolving, with practical implications for how resources are deployed to improve conditions of life, within and outside the African continent. For instance, reflecting a view from the academy, Colin Palmer, the Jamaican-born historian, cites evidence of mass movements of human beings within and outside Africa dating back some 100,000 years, and observes that, “To study early humankind is, in effect, to study [the African] diaspora.” Palmer argues that this “early African exodus,” and the one that was spurred much later on by Arab slave traders and African slaves, soldiers, musicians, nurses, and adventurers bound for Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, comprise just two of at least four identifiable diasporic movements from the African continent to-date. The antiquity era of voluntary and forced migrations of Africans from East, Central, and Southern Africa across the Indian Ocean to Asia and the Middle East is rarely considered or talked about in connection with “the African Diaspora.” And yet this massive movement out of Africa, conservatively estimated to exceed 4 million people, lasted some 20 centuries. Today, Africa’s cultural influence and African descendant peoples are evident across the
Indian Ocean world--in countries such as India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Sri Lanka. In more recent times, especially in the Americas and throughout the Caribbean, the term “African Diaspora” has most often been associated with the roughly estimated 11 million people from West, West-Central, and Southeastern Africa, and their descendants, dispersed during the trans-Atlantic slave trade that lasted some 400 years. This is the culturally diverse Atlantic Ocean diaspora whose members collectively struggled against racially codified slavery and race-based oppression, maintain a collective sense of solidarity, and share an emotional bond with Africa,. Taking on yet another dimension, the 21st century “African Diaspora,” encompasses the voluntary streams of migration, between countries within, and to countries outside, the African continent. By most estimates, roughly 31 million African emigres made their way to Europe and the Americas over the last two or so decades. This Diaspora includes people desperately seeking escape from intractable poverty and political repression in their home countries--such as the victims aboard the overcrowded boats that capsized off the coast of Lampedusa--as well as more educated and prosperous Africans whose migration is facilitated by family, professional, and other connections. Latching onto this most recent diasporic trend, the African Union defines “the African Diaspora” as “peoples of African Origin... irrespective of citizenship and nationality” who
live outside of Africam and are committed to contributing to African development and building the AU. This is an exclusive definition. It does not include all people of African descent. Only those working explicitly on behalf of the AU and Africa. One could argue that the AU’s functional definition is appropriately tailored to its mission and priorities. The reality though, is that many, if not most, of us fit within multiple overlapping African Diasporas. We have identities and commitments that transcend cultural, national, and even continental boundaries. And this is a trend that will continue along with the geographical dispersion of people who trace their heritage to the African continent. It is also a fact that, around the world disproportionate numbers of Africans and people of African descent lack resources and opportunities necessary to improve their wellbeing, and are disproportionately impacted by the global phenomenon of escalating income inequality. How we acquire our birth heritage is beyond our control. But for the most fortunate amongst us, how our birth heritage influences our attitudes and actions is largely a matter of choice.
By most estimates, roughly 31 million African emigres made their way to Europe and the Americas over the last two or so decades. In this sense “the African Diaspora” can serve simply as a means of group identification--or to signal group commitment to a larger cause. We can adopt the Jay Z perspective that, whether or not we do anything concrete to alleviate the struggles of people less fortunate than ourselves, our own material success and “presence,” wherever that might happen to be, “is enough” to give hope to the downtrodden. We can answer the AU’s call to devote all our energies to African development. Or, recognizing our shared humanity, and that our privileged status derives from the suffering and sacrifices of previous generations scattered across the globe, at different times for different reasons, we can pursue our mutual enlightened self interest, and pay our debt forward, by somehow contributing to the well-being of Africans and “the African Diaspora,” in all its diversity within and beyond Africa.
WE ARE
AFRICA’S
FUTURE 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate, Leymah R. Gbowee’s keynote address at the Applause Africa’s ADA Award Ceremony, November 30, 2013
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Your Excellencies, Organizers of the event, Fellow honorees, friends of Africa my fellow Africans: I would like to give all glory and honor to God for His mercy and favor. I would like to thank the Applause Africa Rector, for the honor bestowed on me today. In my journey as an activist, I receive many different honors and recognitions; however, when Africans and African institutions honor and recognize my minimum contributions, it holds a special place in my heart. It gives me a renewed sense of legitimacy and validates my contribution to the growth of the African continent. May God restore such honor a hundredfold to the Applause Africa family I would like to recognize the presence of my family: My partner Jay and my beautiful children. I grew up in a family of five sisters and no brothers. We learned at very early ages that we had to situate ourselves in the world effectively; or else others would come dominate our space and make our world very uncomfortable. This advice and instructions came most times in the form of stories, and always started with the word “Tomorrow...” or “... in the future....” As soon as my mother would say “Tomorrow,” my sister and I would roll our eyes up to heaven seeking deliverance from a lecture. It always went like this: Tomorrow, life will be more difficult than today. Tomorrow, this world would be more difficult to live in. Tomorrow, only men and women who are strong and know something, educated in some way, will be able to make it in this world. Tomorrow, depending on how well you prepare, you will be the tomorrow of tomorrow....
Oh boy,
for two very little girls, “tomorrow” meant even more confusion. Who is this “tomorrow” and what is the tomorrow that Mama was always referring to? Several months ago, my sister was having some crisis, and we talked regularly about how to solve this problem. One day, she asked me “Remember when Mama used to say tomorrow and we had no idea who or what tomorrow was?” I answered yes. My sister explained, “It dawned on me that tomorrow is today. Our future and how we prepared for it is also tomorrow.” She said that we are the tomorrow. Kindly permit me to speak briefly on the topic “We Are Africa’s Future.”
38 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com
Africa
is a place I like to call the land of many contradictions. To some, it is the land with many natural resources, beautiful beaches and landscapes filled with much youthful exuberance. To others, it is a dreadful land filled with diseases, poverty, wars, hunger and many more. It is a place that has seen many troubles and hardship including the slave trade followed by colonialism. It is a place where our founding fathers and mothers struggled to give us the freedom we all experience in some shape and form today. When these great men and women fought for our freedom, they envisioned an Africa that would be free of oppression and colonial dominance; they were fighting for Africa’s future, knowing that they themselves were the future. Today, nations like Nigeria, Liberia (though never colonialized in the formal sense), Ghana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and many others celebrate freedom and independence because of their struggles. Today, fifty years later, when we look at the continent that these men and women bore stripes and bruises for, the question that comes to mind is “If they were alive today, would they be pleased with what we have morphed into?” My candid answer is no. Despite the growth and potential of our continent, we win the gold medal for ignorance, poverty, disease and wars. The continent that many fought to liberate unfortunately is loaded with never ending wars and conflict. I must agree with author Jeffrey Gettelman who wrote a piece about the wars in Africa and described them as no longer wars in the traditional sense. They are unwars. They lack plans, ideology and have no clear goals – they care less about taking capital cities; instead they prefer the bushes where it is easier to commit crimes, and if I may add, with impunity. When our founding fathers and mothers fought for Africa’s tomorrow, they had a plan. What we see today, according to Gettelman, is the decline of the classic African liberation movement and the emergence of something else... something wilder, messier and violent. The question we must ask ourselves is how did we get here? How did we get here when economists are now projecting that Africa has the highest rate of return on foreign investment than any other developing region globally? How did we get here when the natural resources found in Africa are even more astounding now than before? How did we get here when we have a youthful population that given the right tools can serve our continent with so much good? The questions of “how” can go on forever.
Our founding heroes fought tyranny, colonialism and apartheid even though they too were referred to as rebels. But they had plans for state- and nation-building and were persuasive, intelligent leaders with a heart for the continent and their individual countries. Today, what we see is all about raping our nation’s resources and, dare me to say, our own women as well. What is sad is that it doesn’t take much for the planners of these unwars to rain havoc with just a few guns, some drugs and a handful of stolen children.
To fight ignorance, we must rethink our educational systems to weed out those courses that have no bearing on our current realities and design programs that will help our young people meet the demands of Africa’s emerging markets.
The picture painted is bleak, sad and loaded with pessimism. The question remains. Can we fix Africa today so that there is a future? The answer is yes we can. We have examples of places where wars have ended in Mozambique, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and many more. It is important to note that the end of war does not necessarily mean the presence of peace. For peace to flourish, the conditions that contributed to these wars, or unwars, must be addressed. We must seek to return the gold medal of poverty, disease and wars to those who bestowed it on us by doing things differently.
To fight poverty, we must create programs that are set to create wealth and jobs in diverse and creative ways. To fight ignorance, we must rethink our educational systems to weed out those courses that have no bearing on our current realities and design programs that will help our young people meet the demands of Africa’s emerging markets. To fight disease, we must increase national spending on providing free basic health care for all, and intensify community campaigns that highlight healthy lifestyles and living. To end wars for Africa to have a future, we must all understand without a doubt like our founding fathers and mothers that we are Africa’s future. As Africa’s future, we must conduct ourselves and do business in our continent differently. We must work to change societal conditions that make it easy for disgruntled individuals to pick up arms. We must cultivate compassion and teach it to our children and the youth. We must begin to put an end to the policies of winners take it all. To borrow from Bishop Dinis Salomao Sengulane, There must be victories without losers. We must seek out and give leadership to individuals with proven abilities to manage our national assets for the good of all, and not as their private farms. We must weed out corruption, injustices and all of those vices that continue to plague our continent and lead us to disastrous conditions. We must empower and give hope to the youth of our continent so they recognize that they too are Africa’s future. We must constantly remind ourselves that we are Africa’s future. We must constantly remind our brothers and sisters through our actions that we all are Africa’s future and together we can make our continent greater! I would like to end this address with words of Caeser Chavez and American activist and labor organizer: “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned or humiliate the person that feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future and the future is ours”. Our forefathers gave us the blueprint. It is up to us to make the future of our continent bright in every way.
I thank you all.
ap p l a u seafr ic a.c o m
fashion
be a u t y
style
Should You Really Start That Clothing Line? Busayo Olupona
Hannah Saleh
I followed the advice of the career reinvention guru and self-promotion expert, James Altucher, and chose myself. Actually, I try to follow his advice, but we’ll get to that later. Altucher’s argument is that the American Dream is dying and either you choose yourself by actualizing your dreams or you’re roadkill.
to dye my own prints, source my fabrics and production from Nigeria; and, second, I was uncertain as to whether there was a market for my product. I knew the prints were beautiful, however, in essence, I was attempting to export and transplant a culture, and I wasn’t sure the average American woman would bite.
For many children of immigrants (mine are from Nigeria), there’s a playbook and I followed the rules. I remember my father yelling at me as I started college: “You must get a certificate.” His reasoning was that with that piece of paper, I would always be able to make a living and no one could take my certificate from me. Fair enough.
I stayed in this limbo of indecision for almost a year. Then, everywhere I went, I saw African prints. The fashion world was in the midst of the unfortunately named “tribal trend” and there was an “African-inspired” piece in almost every magazine. Friends, aware that I had this dream, began forwarding articles about African-influenced fashion lines. I started getting weird anxiety pangs whenever I would get one of these emails. I couldn’t really escape it, so after six years of corporate practice, I folded my cards at the law firm and chose myself.
After college, I followed the path of least resistance and went to law school. While practicing, I began nursing a dream. It was so far-fetched. I wanted to start a clothing line that reflected my own bi-furcated identity: I would utilize African prints and design contemporary, western silhouettes. Now this is crazy for a couple of reasons: first, I wanted
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I’m a doer. I tend to gather the basic information and then figure it out as I go along. Before I left the firm, I had gotten books
on starting a fashion line and taken courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I just jumped in after that. I put together a collection, put it on my website, and then focused on getting the line into stores. Fast forward, eight months after choosing myself, I’m seated at a booth at the largest trade show in the world, having spent a ridiculous amount of money to be there, absolutely convinced that the customers will come flooding in. Everyone had tried to prepare me: “Your first trade show is a challenge,” “The buyers don’t know you from Adam,” “They are hesitant to take a chance on a new line.” I thought I was emotionally prepared for disappointment, but there is nothing more soul-crushing than sitting for three days at a trade show, knowing that what you have to offer is beautiful, and leaving with two orders. The lessons of the entrepreneur path have been fast and furious. In my previous life, failure was not getting the grade I wanted. The challenges of being an entrepreneur require
g ro o ming
essential
you to risk failure and dissapointment every, single day. In fact, ideally you should crave it (at least that’s what the gurus tell me). I’m so not there yet; I avoid rejection like a plague and yet after the trade show debacle, I thought the only way that I could build my brand was to continue to risk rejection and become a traveling sales woman of sorts, shilling my goods directly to boutiques. I had no idea how difficult cold calling would be for me. Actually, that’s not true. I had an inclination that it would be rough. I was a telemarketer for the Special Olympics in high school and it was one of the two worst jobs I have ever had. The dread of being hung up on from my Special Olympics days was still with me. All my degrees did nothing to salve that fear. But entrepreneurship requires you to take the bulls by the horn and attempt to shape a version of the world different from the one that you currently inhabit. So after months of canvassing different boutiques in New York City and throughout the country, the line did end up in more stores.
p i c ks
Then I made another expensive mistake: I got a showroom. As a friend jokingly said, “You called someone to sell them your line and you ended up buying their services.” I got a sales representative that promised a litany of deliverables: press mentions, numerous sales and celebrity clients (every small designer’s fantasy), among others. After seven months of paying the sales representative, I ended up with a few more accounts, but nowhere near the accounts that would justify the investment or satisfy my expectations. So I cut the cord and decided to go back to choosing and selling myself. In retrospect, I see what I did wrong: I kept throwing money at the problem. In confronting the real challenges of scaling any business, money certainly helps, but going to the right trade show or getting that great sales representative is not the only answer. Before going to a fashion trade show, pre-show marketing is everything; reaching out to boutiques beforehand and directly marketing your line to buyers is a requirement. Fashion distribution is complicated as clothing is not a commodity that can be shopped to potential distribu-
t re n d s
tors at any time. There is an extremely tight window for selling fashion lines to stores and it is further compounded by seasonal considerations. So if your fall line doesn’t make an impact and sell that season, you are out of luck, goodbye, come back next season. Upon further reflection, I wonder if I missed the point of my guru. I chose myself and created a product that customers love, however, in trying to get it to the market place, I followed the traditional model of “pick me.” Going to a trade show hoping that a major store “picked me” was the continuation of the very paradigm from which I was attempting to break free. I was choosing myself, yet I was asking to be picked and waiting to be discovered. So once again, I’m back to the drawing board, pivoting and trying again to choose myself in my effort to expand my brand presence in the marketplace. Busayo Olupona: Nigerian-American Fashion Designer, lawyer, Boxing Student, Compulsive Reader, Lifelong student, obsessed with all things Nigeria and a nutty James Baldwin fan. This piece was originally published on Medium.com as part of the Culture Club collection edited by Felicia Gordon.
In today’s popular media, the concep t of a strong black wo man has dissolve d into fictitious characte rs. The modern Af rican woman is consta ntly tossed to an d fro, searching for an identity that mes hes her family’s traditions and society’s expe ctations. As much as she seeks to celebrate the woman that she has become, she is constantly judged. As a young Nige rian woman living in N ew York City, I co nsistently come across youn g women str uggli ng to find themselves in this dazed society. Th is led me to come up with the fir st installmen t of an afro-futuristic proj ect seen from an African woman’s perspe ctive. Most celeb rated fashion stylists ex press their interpr etation of what this African woman should lo ok like— and often times, it is hard to belie ve the story they are portrayin g. Jennifer Nnamani
Futuristic AFRICANA Let’s Start A Revolution
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Futuristic AFRIC AN A is a storyline ba sed in the year 2030 po rtraying two stron g women of color in their natural element— free of fake clichés, superficia l expectations, an d doused with authenticity. I was inspired by the strength of the wo men in my family and most importantly, envis ioning a future wh ere the African woman em braces who and what she is; the beauty she adds to the unive rse and her palatable ener gy which brings fo rth life. I was also inspired by nature—as m ost of my creative works ar e centered around it—and the tranquility it added to some of the shots. The shoot took place in a small to wn in Upstate New Yo rk, unfamiliar to th e tourist crowd, which allow ed my vision to co me to life. Models we re adorned by Af rican designers such as Adeleke Sijuwad e, Olayinka Idowu, Kibonen N Y and All Flo; shoe designer like John Ashford and accessory de signer brands Yumnah N ajah, Vivienne Ke lly, AMI, Hearts and Shop Lately adorned th e models. Ankara pillows de signed by LYN BO RGA brought an Afric an flair to the lan dscape. With five exciting looks and three different backdrops, the Fu turistic AFRIC AN A embodies what I hope the future African woman would be .
Creative Director / Stylist Jennifer Nnamani Photographer Kadeem Lewis-Riley Assistant Stylist Stephanie Nnamani & Alexius Diana Makeup Artist Jennifer Alexis Videographer/B-Roll Reynaldo Osoria Models Ashley Mingot Mariah McKenzie Storyline African Picnic Let’s Start A Revolution Rule The World
African dance is stimulated by rhythm, singing, hand clapping, and shouts accompanied by foot and body tapping. Shakira Atitebi, Tosin Tosinger and Divine Muragijimana
MAKING AFRICA’S
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AFRICA s NEW RELIGION
THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE AFRICAN DANCE Watching on TV, the backup choreographers and dance routine of Chris Brown, the American pop star at the recent BET Awards show; I couldn’t help but observe the dance moves that I have become oh so familiar with from my African culture. African dance is an all engaging bodily and spiritual movement. Energy, passion, entertainment – these are words that define the act of African dancing. The angled bend of the arms, stomping legs and fluid torso movement; the shoulder and hip gyrations; hopping, somersaulting, are all part of African dance. It is not an exaggeration to say African Dance has very much influenced other types of dances and music all over the world like the traditional 44 ApplauseAfrica | www.applauseafrica.com
dances of Cuba: the Rumba, also called the Afro-Cuban Dance; the Conga; the Tango; dances of the Caribbean - Dancehall music, Reggae etc. - Folk dances, African American Step dancing and even Beyonce and Shakira’s popular hip swerves among others. Cuba in particular is a notable reflection of the African culture through dance because a significant proportion of the population is of African origin. African dance is stimulated by rhythm, singing, hand clapping, and shouts accompanied by foot and body tapping. This rhythmic complexity has been said to form the basis for music genres such as Jazz and Rock’n’Roll. African music is dominated and mostly driven by sounds of percussions (drums) and vocal sounds (voice of singing or shouting) In the contemporary world of today, dance crazes are a phenomenon. African dance has evolved into different variations and
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nomenclature. The most popular of recent is the Azonto dance, which originated from Ghana and is widespread among the young generation. Specific dances usually accompany specific songs/music made popular by the music artist for example the ‘Alanta’ dance spread like wild fire in 2008 when a Nigerian musical duo called “Artquake” came out with a musical video “Alanta” , in 2011; the ‘Oliver Twist’ dance by Award winning African International star – Dbanj became a fan obsession. Others include the ‘ Soukous/Lingala’ (Congo, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) ; ‘Coupe Decale’ (Cote D’Ivoire, Congo), ‘Kizomba’ (Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe)‘Yahooze’ by Nigerian singer, Olu Maintain which Colin Powell, the former US Secretary of State is said to have displayed publicly; the ‘Shangaan Electro Dance’ of South Africa and many more. African dance creations are fun, entertaining and sometimes a spectacle of amusement. More importantly, African dance is a reflection on cultural identity, and some of the African dances have been able to take the world by a storm: the Kizomba, Azonto, and Makosa
AZONTO Africa, a continent three times the size of the United States, is ethnically and culturally the most diverse on the planet with people of different shades, language and cultural traditions. The most prevalent tradition that is performed in many African cultures as a form of emotional expression, social interaction, spiritual performance, storytelling, or even just for plain old fun is called dance. Though similar themes may be found throughout dances across the many countries and landscapes, each has its own history, language, song, background, and purpose. African dance is a type of art that generally involves movement of the body and is a custom that also brings different African cultures together. Let’s take for example one of the most popular African dance moves today called Azonto. This dance originated from Ghana but has made its way to the Nigerian culture frequently performed by almost every Nigerian music artist. Azonto has even broken through to the European and the American music scene. Azonto is known to have its roots from a traditional dance called Kpanlogo which came in the wake of Ghana’s Independence, from the streets of Accra around 1962. It was music played by the youth, rooted from the spirit of liberty that their
newfound independence had brought them. From the beginning, it was not recognized by the elders of the community. The lyrics were profane and the dance movements were sometimes risqué. Eventually, Kapanglogo was accepted by the seniors. Nowadays, it is enjoyed by all played at both informal gatherings for pleasure as well as at Ga funerals and political settings. The dancer responds to the tune in their individual style, usually two dancers at a time (opposite sex), working off each other in a teasing sexual style. During holiday time, the dance becomes congregational. Many people are seen dancing at the same time. Kpanlogo ultimately evolved in to the groovy dance Azonto. Azonto involves a set of hand movements that either mimic everyday activities or are meant to signal an often amusing intention. It begun with one or two step movements but has been advanced to more complex and almost acrobatic movements. Just like most African dances, knee bending and hip movements are components to dancing it. The dance has effectively evolved from a few simple moves to embracing depictions of ironing, washing, driving, boxing, grooming, praying, swimming, and even talking on the phone.
MAKOSSA Another popular dance seen on the dance floors of African weddings and clubs is called Makossa. This dance originated from Cameroon. Makossa, which means “dance” in the Duala language, has its origin in the dance called the kossa. Later in the 1960s, modern Makossa developed and became the most popular genre in Cameroon. Makossa is a type of funky dance and music. It was made popular by an African artist named Manu Dibango; whose 1972 single “Soul Makossa” was an international hit. Following Dibango, a wave of musicians tapped into Makossa in an attempt at making this genre more accessible outside of Cameroon. Makossa involves a set of hip and waist movement performed by Africans of all ages. During its performances it is evident that the individual dancing is having a great time. African dance embodies flexibility and a graceful beauty flowing with rhythm. In Africa, there is so much that can be mentioned about the history of African dance such as it is a means of marking the experiences of life, its use for encouraging abundant crops, and healing the sick soul and body, also its use for ceremonial purposes. But to sum up the beauty of dance this day in age, Africans know how to get down on the dance floor.
KIZOMBA Kizomba, translating to “Party” in the Angolan Language Kibundo, is a dance born in the 1980s in Luanda. A partner dance, Kizomba is an extremely beautiful and sensual dance that seduces the soul. For those knowledgeable dancers, imagine a marriage Kizomba as the Afro-Tango, a marriage between Zouk and the Argentine Tango. The couple is dancing, cheek to cheek. Their bodies lean in towards each other as their feet weave in intimate conversation. The hand of the leader is pressed against her back, tactfully signaling the next move. From a viewer’s point of view, one would think that it was another laid-back revolution of the Tango, except that the music and the way the dancers’ hips sway and their bodies’ rock is unmistakably African. Kizomba is a dance that developed out of a need for social reform. The dance can be traced back in the 1950s-60s when
Angolans would dance Semba in big parties that were called Kizombadas. The current form of Kizomba that is being danced all around the world appeared at the end of 80’s – 90’s as a rebellious interpretation to semba, the national dance. kizomba is a result of an evolution: young generations, listening to traditional music like semba, felt something was missing - a modern and sensual touch. Kizomba is danced to music of the same name, a fusion of French Caribbean zouk and Angolan semba. Bands like Kassav, a famous French Caribbean Zouk band were the source of inspiration. Adding an electronic percussion with a slow and extremely sensual rhythm… kizomba was born. During the passing years kizomba was developed and spread worldwide as a music that catches your ear and as a dance that captivates your soul. Many other related sounds and dancing patterns have
been developing at the same time, not only in Angola but also Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and Antilles and has been given different variations like the tarrachinha, coladera, or simply zouk. Kizomba has spread from Luanda to Lisbon, which is the capital of Kizomba in Europe. Amazingly, the majority of the kizomberos (Kizomba Dancers) are not African, but European. Outside of Europe, the Haitian community has embraced the dance, and is not only creating social scenes to introduce the dance in the United States, but have become instructors of the dance. The dance remains popular in Angola as Kizomba music artists like Neide Van-Dúnem, Don Kikas, Calo Pascoal and Irmãos Verdades keep the Kizomba culture alive both in and outside of the country.
THE GOOD DOER Life’s good. Don’t waste it on trivial matters. Maximize your happiness and spend time to make someone happy, especially those who need you the most. Sophia Egbelo
Something Beautiful for Children of Rural Africa “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa His virtues may liken him to his idol, the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta. But don’t tell him that; he may be too humble to admit it, or simply assert that we all ought to dedicate our lives to a cause. Fr. Peter Obele Abue is a Roman Catholic priest from Ogoja, Cross River state in Nigeria’s eastern region. His 27 years of priesthood have taken him on a transatlantic trail from cavernous rural areas in the Obudu Mountains of Nigeria, to profound locations in the valleys of upstate New York and Pittsburgh. But Fr. Abue is trailing for a cause, a mission he began in 2006, called CORAfrica. “Children of Rural Africa is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a Mission to assist rural children and their families in Africa through education, healthcare, information dissemination, advocacy, training and economic empowerment within a community-based educational structure,” he says. Fr. Abue’s dedication to his mission is clear when he says, “I believe by becoming a Priest, I have been called to share my life with others in a more meaningful way because my efforts can add both spiritual and material value to the lives of those I serve. The society I live in is in dire need of change and any sincere effort can make a lot
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of difference.” To this end Fr. Abue commits his time to developing rural communities across local government regions in Ogoja, Obudu and Boki. While his humanitarian deeds are merely an indication of what he has been called to do as priest, his scholastic background as a doctorate degree holder in International Development Studies, attained from Cornell University also counts. With his academic forte, Fr. Abue has implemented strategies that manage and sustain rural development in the areas he serves. Today, beneficial platforms established by CORAfrica include educational programs that consist of the St Joseph School Systems and the Little Flower School, which provide children and youths with fundamental learning skills at no cost. Other areas include health programs that “focus on identifying threats to the social welfare of rural communities. Including the establishment of the Labre Medical Center that affords free treatment to children in the region. In addition, water and sanitation programs provide mounted bore-holes across schools for clean and accessible water. Financially, micro-credit programs such as the CORAfrica loans ensure economic sustainability for underprivileged families, while agricultural programs aim to teach children agro-allied ventures and sustainable vigorous farming methods.
Fr. Abue continues to advocate for rural towns in his home state through meetings with government and nonprofit agencies. As such his mission has remained supported through partners such as Abode for Children, Inc. as well as home-based supporters such as various Cross River State agencies for health and social services, to name a few. Likewise, independent benefactors from around his network continue to support Fr. Peter’s goodwill mission. Similar to every noble man hankering for change, Fr. Abue hopes his mission will extend beyond the borders of Cross River State and impact other regions that need such aid. His message is clear: “Life’s good. Don’t waste it on trivial matters. Maximize your happiness and spend time to make someone happy, especially those who need you most. As a priest I do not have any goals than to see how I can do my work well and be happy doing it. My personal happiness and peace of mind matters to me; likewise I’m fulfilled when I see the lives I’ve affected positively, especially children in rural areas.” And underneath his priestly garb Fr. Peter Abue is just an everyday man who often times takes a jab at himself with his wits. Albeit, his generosity proves to the world the man he is, he still emphasizes the obvious when he retorts, “I’m a priest; I want to go into heaven.”
Language
LOVE Of
I still remember my first encounter with Philomena “Ama” Nimley. On September 16, 2011 at 6PM at the Brooklyn College’s Graduate Center For Worker’s Education, I was getting ready to welcome attendants for the first annual “ CUNY Young African Leadership Symposium”. As it would be for anyone in my position, stress was high. Food had not arrived, and all we had were snacks. In my effort to calm down, I was pacing up and down the halls, and I finally landed in the networking room. And there she was! Never having met me or my team, Ms. Nimley was already organizing the serving table, and giving instructions to the team on what needed to be done as we prepared for the guests to arrive. Since then, I have seen her do the same thing for other young people, helping them in organizing themselves and giving them the resources they needed to succeed at whatever project they embarked on. She is a pioneer for all causes that have to do with African Development. In my three years of knowing her, I have always left the room feeling empowered, and hopeful that maybe there is hope for the youth in Africa. She is selfless, and not only works to the betterment of Africa, but she is also active in the community in which she lives. Ama, as we fondly refer to her, is a woman of grace and strength. She has walked beyond the borders and made all of Africa her home. She will school you on Nigerian politics and at the same time give you a lesson in pan-Africanism and the need for Frantz Fanon’s teachings. She is the kind of person that I want emulate because she simply opens the doors, and lets you walk through to amazing opportunities. If you drag your feet, she will call you and remind you that the door is still open for you. She believes in the youth’s potential in moving Africa forward and to this, she continues to challenge me, and many other young Africans in our community, towards excellence. Ms. Nimley is not alone in this. Let me introduce to you Ms. Ramatu Ahmed. If you are in New York City and you have not had the pleasure of meeting this woman, then you need to make a point of doing so. She
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is a powerhouse to be reckoned with. A Ghanaian by origin, Ms. Ahmed works very hard to make sure that the African community works together, and unites towards common goals. From the immigration reform, women empowerment, African cultural development, social development to youth empowerment, Ms. Ahmed has done it all. She does all this with a smile and a sense of humor. Some of my best memories of 2013 have been with her. You are likely to see her speaking at a conference, just as you would see her on a soccer field cheering her team during African soccer tournaments. She is the kind of leader who goes in first and leads by example. She has no problem walking from the Bronx to Staten Island in support of the immigration reform. She has organized rallies in Washington D.C and giving an African voice to the immigration reform debate. She is greatly admired by all who know her as she continually serves as a mentor to a lot of young women in the African community.
She has organized the youth in the African community, and together, has planned program after program empowering the African community in New York City. Many times, she has spoken about her dream for the youth of Africa to become more involved in the community. To this, her faith in the Youth’s ability to become better leaders by participating in the political process, has never wavered. As we celebrate women in the month of March, I salute these women. They continually work to open doors for young women to not only learn, but to be exposed to new opportunities that will empower them to achieve their dreams. These two women have showed me that women have the capacity to have it all- whatever “all” denotes. Their examples teach us that if we are dedicated to achieving the best for our community and for ourselves, then nothing is impossible.
Hooray Nollywood (R-L) Tunde Kelani, Kunle Afolayan, Jamiu Shoyode, Aimee Corrigan meeting outside the classrooms of Nollywood UP.
Ololade Siyonbola
RE-Defining and Celebrating the Past and Future of Nigerian Cinema A walk down many a Brooklyn street and the noises of the city are accompanied by the blaring noises of storefronts. Bootleg movies blare from wall-mounted televisions, and Carribbean and American passerby stop in to buy films flown over from the Motherland. Mostly Nigerian films, these stories give an insight into the African continent that this audience would not otherwise have.
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Actor Seun Akindele in the kitchen, the weight of the world on his character’s shoulders. Scene from Tunde Kelani’s New Movie Dazzling Mirage Image By Connor Ryan
“Nolly, who?” Perhaps it is this image of Nigerian cinema that keeps Africans in the Diaspora viewing these films with less fanfare than other Americans. Fiftysomethings are more likely to be caught watching Nigerian films than twenty-somethings. Why is this? The younger generation, Western-raised on immaculate cinema and television content, is often more distracted by poor production quality than their, say, Caribbean-raised counterparts.
“You’re Nigerian? I love Nigerian movies.”
How old is Nollywood?
In a country like the US where the dearth of Black cinema leaves much to be desired, Nigerian films were welcomed with open arms. Blacks living in the States thrive on seeing images of people who look like them. Instead of the images of brownskinned people committing crimes, serving “fairer” masters, living in poverty, near-naked dancing on poles in music videos; American consumers of Nigerian films view Black Africans with mansions, their own house help, their own businesses, drivers and extended family units. They see the urbanization of Lagos and other African cities, while also being transported into the hinterlands with more traditional stories.
Last Spring, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan acknowledged the 20th anniversary of the inception of “Nollywood” as we know it with a government-sponsored celebration. This on the heels of UNESCO’s declaration that Nollywood, the world’s second-largest film industry and Nigeria’s second-largest employer, required more support. Some tastemakers and contributors to Nigerian cinema were rubbed the wrong way by the celebration. The $200 billion loan fund and ₦3 billion grant fund recently instituted by Jonathan for development of the film industry is suspected to be targeted only to chosen facets of the industry—the same facets who claim that Nollywood was born in 1993 with Kenneth Nnebue’s film Living in Bondage.
The fact that these consumers have spent millions on Nigerian films in the last 10 years—in spite of language barriers (the accent-peppered English can be an acquired taste for the average American), poor writing and lower production quality than what they are accustomed to—shows that they value the experience of traversal to West Africa more than they worry about film quality. After all, these films present to such consumers the rare opportunity to see reflections of themselves in a relatively positive light.
In actuality, Herbert Ogunde and Ola Balogun produced Nigerian films as early as the 1960s. However, these earlier films were not mass distributed in the way that Nollywood films have come to be. Nnebue’s distribution model set the stage for the straight-to-home-video, cheaply-massproduced nature for which Nollywood has come to be known.
There is also an element of shame at the high incidence of voodoo rituals used for evil, and the repetition of stories that are core to the most popular films. It seems that you can always expect an evil mother-in-law, sister or “frenemy” to solve a problem or nine with the help of a voodoo priest. It seems often that life’s problems are explained by someone’s use of a catastrophic spell years and years ago. While this very well may be the reality for a certain portion of the Nigerian / West African population; while marriage, infidelity, backstabbing, murder may be the central themes in the lives of many a Nollywood contributor; the younger generation seems to thirst for stories that enrich, that edify and that reflect a much broader sense of African-ness. The newer films, focused on a very Western aesthetic and storyline, may be relatively easier for the younger group to swallow, but also have lost a great deal of what made them African in the first place. The most unforgettable African films are those whose fullydeveloped, intelligent African storylines and characters speak to the humanity of the viewers.
NOLLYWOOD ON AMAZON
Last Flight to Abuja was written, produced and directed by Obi Emelonye, a visionary award-winning UK based Nigerian filmmaker and starring Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Hakeem Kae-Kazim and Jim Iyke – the biggest screen talents Africa has to offer – Last Flight to Abuja is set to thrill global audiences & become the latest blockbuster for fans of new Nollywood cinema everywhere.
The Nigerian movie industry “Nollywood” is the second largest in the world in terms of the annual volume of films distributed behind only the Indian “Bollywood” film industry. Worth $250 Million a year, Nollywood productions are in great demand, especially on the digital platform.
Re-writing the Script Osuofia in London, arguably the most internationally known Nollywood film, was produced with superior digital quality, with a story themed on culture-clash, familial loyalty, and unusual perseverance. Directors like Tunde Kelani still produce films for theatre, films that instruct viewers in the culture of his homeland, advancing the mother tongue. Tony Abulu has more than once bridged the gap from the Diaspora to the homeland through film. Andrew Dosunmu has produced two “visuallystunning” films to sold-out US theatres, with Mother of George also providing cultural education. Most of these would never be considered “Nollywood” films. Granted, there are a whole host of films produced and/or directed by Nigerians and other Africans, telling African stories with Sundance class. But is the new government funding interest focused on these? Or on the mother seeking a Babalawo’s help to restore her prostituting daughter who became mentally ill because of a twenty-year curse? This debate is what spurned the creation of the Nollywood Diaspora Film Series, a series of film screenings and panel discussions highlighting the best of Nigerian Cinema. Using West African media content as the platform on which to dissect larger issues plaguing Africa, the Nollywood Diaspora Film Series is encouraging a new infusion of interest in high-quality Nigerian cinema.
Digital distribution has empowered content created in Nigeria or Ghana to spread across geographic and cultural boundaries. Thanks to new commercial models for distribution as well as international Diasporic networks, there is a wide circulation of Nollywood and Ghollywood content globally. Digital distribution of African content is in demand in United States, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy and Malaysia being the most active markets. One of the companies providing content across the globe is Black Speech Media, a multi-faceted company with both movie and music production, with subsidiaries in online streaming. Most recently, Amazon.com negotiated a contract with Black Speech Media to provide African content for purchase. This move assures that lovers of African movies have an easily accessible way to will be able to purchase copies of their favorite movies no matter their region of habitation.
“Ties That Bind” Starring Omotola Ekeinde And Kimberly Elise.
“Ties That Bind” is one of the most gripping movies I’ve screened in a long time.” Rick Berman, Executive Producer Star Trek
The inaugural event last fall Featured screenings of Kunle Afolayan’s Phone Swap, Femi Agbayewa’s Brooklyn Shakara and a panel discussion with Prof. Awam Amkpa (NYU), Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Wire), Mojisola Sonoiki (WoCAF), Oluchi Enuha (IrokoTV) and Nollywood veteran Stella Damasus at the renowned Studio Museum Harlem. This and the December follow up event at NYU provided the opportunity for moviegoers, emerging filmmakers and students to join the conversation on African media content with actual producers, seasoned actors and distributors. NDFS hopes to continue to provide the American markets access to the best of Nigerian cinema, thus giving those city-dwelling film-lovers better buying options in their theatres and storefronts, and supporting the notion that Nigerians have largely struggled to accept: that of quality over quantity.
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Based in Brooklyn and New Jersey, Black Speech Media is one of the leading producer, distributor and promoter of Nollywood and Ghollywood movies in the United States. Recently, the company has branched to providing content in the Caribbean and Europe. In their dedication to assure that the media is enjoyed at all ages, the company is committed to providing content with limited adult content for its audience. In their effort to meet the demand for digital distribution of Nollywood and Ghollywood content, Black Speech Media is not only providing content for Amazon, but also contracts with IPTV companies and online streaming venues such as Enovative TV and TruAfrica. Additionally, the company makes free content available for the public on their YouTube channel, and other online platforms.
Ololade Siyonbola is the co-founder of the Yoruba Cultural Institute and the author of Market of Dreams, the first multilingual poetry collection by a Nigerian author. Connect with Siyonbola on her blog www.siyonbola.com
Nollywood has been a great tool in telling African stories that other mainstream media and Hollywood have failed in telling. With companies such as Black Speech Media showcasing these stories on a medium accessible for all, Nollywood, Ghollywood and other African movie industries will slowly become strong global luxury industries.
Nadia Buari is a Ghanaian actress, philanthropist and an enterprising business woman. She has consistently stayed above her contemporaries in the film industry not just because of her irresistible beauty and sense of humor, but more importantly because of her ambidextrous quality in business coupled with her affable attitude undergirded by her persistent aptitude for excellence.
Impact
Having been featured in over fifty movies Nadia is one of the finest in African movies and a great asset to the African movie industry. She has won numerous awards including the Best African Actress award by Five Continents, an Annual Academy Awards show organized by Haitians for two consecutive years and her recent one at Zafaa, an awards show organized by the African Community in the UK for Best Supporting Actress.
GhANA’S SWeeThEART
Kenny Frimpong
NADIA BUARI
Many in the media and her fans prefer to refer to her as “Beyonce” which is a name she merited from the lightening lead role she played in the movie titled “Beyonce – The President’s Daughter.” Asked how she feels about being referred to as one of her characters, the actress doesn’t seem to mind the reference. “Beyonce has always been one of the people I look up to, she’s phenomenal, and to have people refer to me as someone this incredibly talented and one of the world’s greatest icon, I can only be humbled.” Though a mediashy actress, in front the camera she continuous to thrill the world with her creative acting prowess.
Family
Nadia is daughter to Mr Sidiku Buari a great composer, actor and a businessman. As the former president and vice president of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSUGA) and the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) respectively, Nadia’s father has had a huge influence on his daughter’s career as an actress. To date, Mr. Buari still plays a key role in the art industry worldwide. As the first of five children of Mr. and Mrs. Buari, Nadia has consistently
STANDS OUT FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASON
placed her family above all her priorities. To Nadia, the source of her strength for doing what she is doing is derived first from her belief in God, support from her family and her passion for assiduousness.
Education
Nadia currently holds a First Class BFT Degree in Fine Art. Following her successful basic, elementary and high schools, Nadia enrolled in the University of Ghana, Legon, where she studied Fine Art. Assiduous as she was and still is she played a major role in her school’s theatre and drama club by organising many programs and shows that sought to inspire many in the club to aspire to advance themselves in their chosen careers. “Acting has always been my ardent passion and it’s amazing I’m living my dream. I love what I do and do what I love,” says the actress. Asked about her most memorable performance, the actress says, “I played a demon called Azazi in a movie entitled “Agony of The Christ.” An incredibly challenging role. That’s one role that will be etched in my memory for a long time.”
Aside from being nominated severally in various categories at the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), “Beyonce” as she is affectionately known in the industry also has in her custody the award for Best Supporting Actress which she enviably won at both the Ghana Movie Awards in 2010 and the Ghana Movie Awards 2011. For her many accomplishments in the industry and beyond, she became the first actress to be officially honoured by Emklan Showbiz International for her outstanding contributions to show business in Africa. Her modesty in success has made her an attraction to the corporate bodies in Africa for marketing their images and products. Beside her various endorsement deals with different giant companies in the sub-region, she is currently the official face of devon, an internationally acclaimed luxury soap. As a philanthropist, entrepreneur and a great leader with the heart of service, Nadia has constantly sought to give back to society through her numerous humanitarian activities. She runs the Nadia Buari Foundation, an NGO that seeks to address the plights of street children by providing them with food, medical care, training and programs that are designed to help them live a better and more meaningful life. “Children inspire me, and as someone who is constantly in public, I believe that I have a responsibility to pay it forward.” The actress is also involved with several other projects that assist the needy and the less privileged. Also as the former ambassador of the International Children Games Ghana (ICGG) tasked to unearth talents and raise funds worldwide for the development of these raw potentials into useful skills, she helped many young people realize their dreams to have a fulfilling and productive life. She has also been an ardent supporter of “City Hill Avenue Scholarship Establishment” which provides means for less privileged children to get a quality education. It is very obvious that Nadia is not only known for her great skills in the art of entertainment, but most significantly also for her acts of kindness.
WHAT’S ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
food for thought
Dress up your bookshelf with these seriously chic titles and spectacular African reading. It’s already obvious that 2014 is going to be a big year for African novels. The first quarter alone will see the publication of several highly anticipated works. Foreign Gods, Inc. is a thrilling account of divinity in the age of global capitalism. The novel recounts Ike’s ill-conceived plan to steal Ngene, the patron god of his village. He hopes to sell the deity to a New York City businessman dealing in gods sourced from Africa, Asia and the Americas. Ike discovers Mark Gruels’ strange world of god-collecting in a magazine. Gruels’ “Foreign Gods Incorporated” is “the world’s oldest god shop.” At first, the idea of buying “deities torn away from their shrines in remote corners of the world” fills Ike with disgust. But the crushing weight of piling credit card debt and a gambling problem transforms his disgust into fascination. Grammy Award-winning singer Angelique Kidjo is known for her electrifying voice and fearless advocacy. In her new book, Spirit Rising: My life, My Music, she reveals how she escaped Communist Africa to make her dreams a reality, and how she’s prompting others all around the world to reach for theirs as well. Desmond Tutu provides the foreword, and Alicia Keys has provides an introduction. In addition to her eloquent narrative, Kidjo publishes droves of vivid photographs documenting her life, as well as a number of recipes that have sustained her on her remarkable journey. Ghana Must Go tells the story of Folasadé Savage, who leaves Lagos for Pennsylvania, where she meets her Ghanaian husband, Kweku Sai, a brilliant surgeon. Fola, as she is called, gives up her dream of going to law school in order to raise their four children. After losing his job, Kweku abandons them all and returns to Ghana. The book opens with the family being splintered, with
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5 Books that can jump start your career as a woman 1. The Missing Mentor : Women Advising Women on Power, Progress and Priorities. (Household publishing) by Mary E. Stutts Provides the career guidance you need.
no one in regular communication. The news of Kweku’s death in Accra brings the five remaining Sais together for a bittersweet trip to his homeland. Deji Olukotun’s Nigerians in Space spans across the USA, Switzerland, Paris, Nigeria and South Africa. This is a tale of murder, crime, shattered dreams and betrayal. With a story that quickly moves from the early 90’s to the present, it is a very smooth, slightly mad debut novel which bodes particularly well for future outings. The story follows three lead characters: Wale, a Nigerian lunar geologist, Thursday Malaysius, an abalone poacher, and Melissa, a girl from Zimbabwe with a skin condition as scary as it is fascinating. According to a new book by French journalist Annick Cojean, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi imprisoned schoolgirls to abuse and rape them on a daily basis, The horrifying evidence of the late dictator’s serial sex crimes came to light while Cojean was investigating incidents of rape during Libya’s 2011 revolution: she has now revealed the details in her book, Gaddafi’s Harem. Cruel City tells the story of Banda, a young man torn between village and city, between dreams and doubts. He lacks confidence in his ability to become prosperous and fulfill his ailing mother’s greatest wish: to marry a girl of her liking and settle down. The title city refers primarily to Tanga, a fictional city in an unnamed country, most likely what is now known as Cameroon. Tanga is more than a backdrop to Banda’s story, it has a life on its own that is vividly portrayed throughout the novel.
2. The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women (One World/ Ballantine) by Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood and Rhonda Joy McLean offers advice on how to succeed in any setting. 3. Job Hunting Online: A guide to job listings, message boards, research sites, the underweb, counseling, networking, self assessment tools and niche sites (Ten Speed Press) by Mark Emery Bolles and Richard Nelson Bolles. Helps you navigate the online job hunt and avoid the pitfalls. 4. Career GPS: Strategies for women navigating the new corporate landscape (Amistad) by Ella L. J. Edmondson Bell, Ph.D. Presents a road map for traveling on a new career path. 5. Deliver the package: Simple truths to help you set your genius free. (The Genius Group) by Stephanie Chick. Gives you the tools to unleash your power in the workplace.
GO/See/Do promotions and events
SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK - LAGOS FEBRUARY
HALF OF A YELLOW SUN OPENS IN MARCH
Powered globally by Nokia, this year’s event explores the future of tech and social media for Africa with the theme A CONNECTED AFRICA IS THE FUTURE. With over 100 events over the course of the week, SMWLagos will explore social media technology’s impact on music, food, banking, business and more in February. Social Media Week Lagos is Bigger, Bolder and Better Connected for 2014 so don’t miss the opportunity to take part.
Monterey Media has secured rights to Half Of A Yellow Sun, co-starring Golden Globesnominated 12 Years a Slave thesp Chiwetel Ejiofor. Half of a Yellow Sun is based on the novel of the same title by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and features Ejiofor as a revolutionary who falls in love with Olanna (Thandie Newton), one of two sisters whose stories unfold against the backdrop of the Nigerian-Biafran War. Anika Noni Rose also stars in the drama directed by Biyi Bandele. Half of a Yellow Sun is produced by Shareman Media and BFI in association with Metro International Entertainment and Kachifo Limited in association with Lip Sync Productions LLP and A Slate Films. Metro International’s Natalie Brenner and monterey’s Scott Mansfield negotiated the deal. The film, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, will open theatrically in March, 2014.
DAVID OYELOWO TO PLAY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. IN SELMA David Oyelowo will portray civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. in MLK Drama Selma. You may recognize Oyelowo as Dr. Junju from The Last King of Scotland, but his profile grew in 2012 when he stars in George Lucas’ Tuskegee Airman ensemble piece Red Tails. In 2013, Oyelowo appeared in a couple of other civicminded films: recently, “Lincoln” and “The Butler,” in which he played Winfrey’s activist son.
FACE AFRICA 5TH ANNUAL WASH GALA / MARCH
This year’s event will highlight FACE Africa’s accomplishments in the areas of W A S H (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) while paying tribute to those who have helped make each of them possible - friends, partners and change-makers alike. Your attendance will help further FACE Africa’s core mission of making access to clean and safe drinking water for thousands of people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
AFRICA NOW! APOLLO THEATER APRIL Presented in partnership with World Music Institute The Africa Now! festival spotlights the best of today’s African music with a blowout concert on the legendary Apollo stage. Countries like South Africa, Mali, Senegal, Cape Verde, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Congo—the true colossus of African pop music— host vibrant and wildly popular music scenes. This is a rare chance to hear some of their hottest stars and brightest lights, live, on the world-famous Apollo stage. Last season’s Africa Now! event, featuring Blitz the Ambassador, Lokua Kanza, Freshlyground and more, sold-out!
AFRICANS IN DIASPORA SET TO BATTLE IN BRAZIL
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international men’s football tournament, that is scheduled to take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014. Africa will be represented at next year’s World Cup in Brazil by the same five teams that played in South Africa in 2010 A round-trip flight from New York to Brazil is $220, Visa services: $375, Game tickets: TBA. Registration and payment ends on March 1st, 2014. Participation is unrestricted and space is limited. Payment plan available at http://traveloganza.com and you can get any of the five African National Team soccer gear that you want, including the official soccer jersey at the World Soccer Shop! http://www.worldsoccershop.com
UZO ADUBA ON NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
Uzo Aduba’s first television appearance was on the TV Series Blue Bloods in 2012. In 2013 she began to receive wider recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Suzanne Warren, also known as “Crazy Eyes”, in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.
LUPITA EXCELS
The modern-day African invasion continues with Lupita Nyong’o, who brings her light-hearted voice, sophistication and class to Hollywood. A single film in, she’s bagged an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress, a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, a SAG award and most recently she took home the Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 12 Years a Slave. The Critics’ Choice Awards audience welcomed her to the stage with a standing ovation from her idols and peers. Lupita Nyong’o is the newest girl in the scene with the beauty, brains and body of a goddess. She rocks her natural hair on the red carpet like a halo and brings a fresh glow to any outfit. Something tells us the best is yet to come for this starlet and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her. At Applause Africa’s “African Exchange” event last June, Lupita was adorable. She revealed to us her current study of African accents and dialects with her teacher Beth McGuire. Prior to starring in 12 Years a Slave, Lupita appeared in the short film East River, as well as the African-based MTV miniseries, Shuga (see p. 8). We’ll next see Lupita in the action film NonStop with Liam Nielson, Michelle Dockery and Julianne Moore. Lupita is a fashion industry darling! She covers the February issues of W Magazine, V Magazine, Hollywood Reporter, Dujour and Dazed and Confused; and is featured in Vanity Fair’s February “Hollywood Issue.” She has also landed a role as one of the new faces of Miu Miu’s Spring campaign. There is so much more that we didn’t know about her! Keep reading Applause Africa to find out just who Lupita Nyong’o is and why you should be part of the African Diaspora movement. The next “African Exchange” event is coming this April.
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