Conflict big and small

Here are a few stories discussing conflicts large and small. Any thoughts on the subjects are welcome.

Eritrea warns of renewed conflict

Threats close Nigeria oil station

Ethiopia Jews go on hunger strike

S African white farm to be seized

Good day,
Mama

Back to school for African children

Hello all,

I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. Today's news focuses on children. Some are stories you will enjoy, others might inspire discussion as to how to improve the educational systems in some countries.

Best wishes for a fabulous week,
Mama

Burundians flock to free schools

Mozambique's crowded classrooms

School Dropouts Set Off Alarm Bells (South Africa)

And what about women...?

Today's articles focus on the rights of women in Africa:

More Women Needed -- At Peace Talks, and in Government (Sudan)

Rape Bill Introduced At NTLA

Educate Girls - and Boost Health

Enjoy!
Mama

Poverty in Africa... what are your views?

Today's focus is on poverty. I found a couple of good articles on BBC.com and would like to share them with you. But above all, I am very interested in learning more about the issue through you. Please comment and share any interesting reading you might have seen or tell us your views on the causes of poverty or the possible long-term solutions.

Here are the articles:

Ethiopia strives to feed itself

In pictures: Millennium Village in Kenya

I look forward to your input!

Mama

Happy New Year...yes, in September!

Good morning everyone! I hope your weekend went well. Sunday September 11th was Eritrean (and Ethiopian) New Year. Although we use the modern Christian calendar now due to international commerce, etc, the traditional calendar is still recognized and celebrated to this day. The Orthodox Church still uses the Julian calendar, which puts the religious calendar 7 years and 7 days behind the more commonly used calendar. Those of us in the diaspora whom receive the Eritrean television station via satellite got to watch beautiful celebrations held throughout the country. We watched our fellow countrymen dancing, singing and drinking traditional coffee, like millions of Eritreans did throughout the planet.

It was also a time to call family and friends to wish them a happy and prosperous New Year. One of the many traditions in Eritrea is to start a fire outside of the house, jump over it three times (once for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) while singing songs of praise and prayer. Men and boys are blessed through the songs by the women of the family/village and the men then take a torch (lit by the flames of the fire everyone is dancing and singing around) run around the house three times.

To quote one of the songs I heard sung by some gorgeous Eritrean women yesterday, here is my wish for my people and the people of Ethiopia... and for all of us worldwide: "Let us sing and dance together, so that there will be peace. Let us visit each other often, so that there will be peace...."

A wonderful day with family and friends, prayer and the delicious smells of strong traditional coffee brewing and singing and dancing... who could ask for more? Happy New Year everyone!


On the health front in Africa, here are a few articles concerning health in Africa today:

Multi-Drug Resistant TB Cases Confirmed (Kenya)

Ugandan Girl to Address US Congress (Uganda)

Cultivated Land Disappears in Aids-Ravaged Africa (Ethiopia)

Ethiopians held as slaves in the Middle East

At long last! The west is taking a look at the issue of slavery and human trafficking in the Middle East. It has always bothered me that in the hope of being politically correct; many have turned their heads where this issue is concerned so as not to offend Arabs. Between this issue in the Horn of Africa and the way that blacks and Christians are being slaughtered in Sudan... it makes me wonder why noone is drawing any comparisons?

The worst is that Christian and Muslim Ethiopians have been living in side by side for generations despite religious differences. It is this which leads Ethiopians to trust that they will not be persecuted, tortured or sexually abused when they take jobs in places like Yemen, Saudi Arabia, etc. After all, they have never known a Muslim to hate them simply because they are Christian. They've had Muslim friends and neighbors their whole lives.

I can hardly imagine that if these same black faces were being held against their will in countries like the United States or Germany that people would do anything but jump on the offenders and their nations for allowing it.

I read a book recently concerning slavery in the diplomatic field, this book discussed Europe primarily and France specifically. But other than the sensational news story when a girl is found in horrible living conditions once every few years in the home of some ambassador or other... it is largely ignored.

My sincere hope is that this story will be shared and discussed. I also applaud not only the woman who was daring enough to share her story; but the Ethiopian government for taking her story to the average Ethiopian who might be considering making the same journey.

Now let us all help this part of the world develop so that they can find a means to provide for themselves while remaining in their country.

Here is a link to the original story: Ethiopian tells of migrant ordeal (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

All my best,
Mama

News in Africa:

Minimum Wage Act Has Legalised Slave Wages - ZCTU (Zambia)

Police Torture Wum SDF Chairman (Cameroon)

Villagers Respond to Aids Orphans Crisis (Zimbabwe)

I have to say how much the last article struck me. It speaks volumes to the spirit of Zimbabwe's people that they are living in such terrible conditions and still manage to reach out to help those suffering with them. I am touched by their willingness to grow food for others when they are never sure what the situation will be from day to day for themselves.

May God bring peace to their nation soon. Dictatorships rarely produce anything positive for the citizens of the countries that they hold hostage. I hope that the average citizen in Zimbabwe soon has the right to speak his opinions without fear, to provide for his family and to flourish in a way that they deserve. After all, history shows us they are ever-so-capable!

Peace,
Mama

In the news

Happy Labor Day to those of you in the US.

Here are a couple of interesting stories concerning Africa today:

Africans feared killed by Katrina (BBC)

Didn't do it for you: How the World Betrayed A Small African Nation (Eritrea)

The queen’s surgeon visits Kenya to help heart patients (Kenya)

Enjoy,
Mama

Todays news in Africa...

I spend most mornings digging through the news coming out of Africa. I read not only the international press; but local newspapers and news sources from African countries across the continent.

I know that most of you don't have time in the day to do the same; so I figured I'll peruse the news and then post a few of the headlines I find most interesting so that you can come to one place, sip your morning cup of coffee, click through to some of Mama's favorite news stories of the day and then get your day started.

Here are today's stories:

Eritrean cookers saving firewood , By Ed Harris BBC News, Eritrea

Development-Africa: Water, Water Everywhere... by Thalif Deen, IPS News South Africa

Labour-Niger:Gold Miners Exploit Children, by Ousseini Issa, IPS News South Africa

Enjoy,
Mama

What can one kid do to help Africans live better?

I got an email earlier this week from a little girl in the US asking what a child could do to help in Africa. I tell you it warms my heart everytime I get one of these mails.

I've decided to post my reply to her here (removing any identifying information of course). I hope it will inspire other children to get involved too.

Hello T,
Thank you so much for taking time to email me. I am always impressed by children like you who are already interested in helping other children live better lives.

Over the years, I have been lucky enough to hear from other kids like you who want to help. Here are a few ideas of projects they started. Maybe this will help you think of something you can do too.

K. in Montreal Canada started a little organization of her own . She started by having a slumber party where she invited lots of her friends and charged them each $5 to come. Her mom made some great snacks and games for them to play and the money was saved. They then started doing little fundraising activities and now donate the money to an orphanage in Uganda.
Mama Afrika works with a wonderful organization in Rwanda which helps orphans from the genocide. To change a girl/woman's life costs only $25 a month. She will receive the money for one year and that allows her to have a business so she can feed herself and her family for life. We really love this project! Perhaps you could get together with a few friends and try to do bake sales, ask family or friends or some other interesting idea to raise money and you could help in this way? You'll find more information about this project here: http://www.mamaafrika.com/NGOs/rwanda/mbwirandumva.php

If you go to the following page on MamaAfrika.com you will find the story of two girls who decided to donate some of their savings and sending school supplies to a school in Ghana. http://www.mamaafrika.com/NGOs/ghana/pwa_ghana2.php

You can find great items at those stores which sell things at a discount (Dollar Stores, 99 cent stores, etc). These two girls were able to send items like crayons, pencils, art supplies and things for the playground like jump ropes, etc. The children in Ghana were so very happy to receive such things!

If you would like the address of an organization we work with in Africa so that you can send items directly; just let me know. I'm always happy to help children with big hearts like yours.
Again, thank you for caring about my beautiful continent. You are an angel!

Love,
Mama Afrika

The adventure begins

After having people ask me why on earth Mama isn't blogging yet, I've decided to give this whole thing a shot. Those of you who have met me know I am far from being one of those women who is at a loss for words... so here it goes!

Honestly, the main reason I have decided to take the plunge into the land of blogs is that it will give me the opportunity to share more information about Africa, Africans and the issues facing our great continent.

I also think it will meet the request (at long last) of those visitors to the website who miss the days when I was able to post an article per week to MamaAfrika.com Those days are long gone and time restrictions prevent me from adding them as often as I like.

Keep an eye out here though for briefs on the news of the day, answers to questions that people send me and a host of other things to do with Africa.

Make it a place to have yoru morning cup of coffee, enjoy your lunch or take that 10 minute break you need during the day. Above all, contribute your views, ideas and thoughts.

I think that with enough of us focused on the same goal, we can get some wonderful things accomplished!

Away we go...

Mama