Away from Africa

A few photos from the book From the Hut to the Modern Home

2013-05-18T15:42:00.000-04:00

These are a few of the images that have been chosen for the book "De La Case A La Villa" (From the Hut to the Modern Home). The crowdfunding campaign is at:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/de-la-case-a-la-villa

For more information on how crowdfunding works: http://www.indiegogo.com/crowdfunding-contribution-basics and http://support.indiegogo.com/entries/20494567-How-to-Contribute-to-a-Campaign

(Description of the book in English available at:
http://www.awayfromafrica.com/2013/05/from-hut-to-modern-home-book-campaign.html)

Please contribute so that this book becomes a reality! If the financial goal is not reached, you will be reimbursed by Indiegogo. We appreciate your support!

"Modern traditional" in West Cameroon/"Nostalgic Architecture" chapter.
Photo courtesy of Christine Jumaucourt

North Cameroon Foulbé contemporary huts

Square hut in poto-poto (West Cameroon)

Bamiléké funerary masks

"From the Hut to the Modern Home" book campaign

2013-05-08T14:32:00.004-04:00

“From the Hut to the Modern Home” is a discussion and analysis of the evolution of housing in African architecture from traditional dwellings to the modern home.
Indiegogo campaign: http://igg.me/at/delacasealavilla

This book attempts to answer the African architect’s constant professional dilemma of adherence to the concept of “modern African” architecture, while recognizing that Africans no longer wish to live in traditional-style dwellings as their life style and housing needs continue to evolve.

The direction taken by Epée Ellong, and Diane Chehab, is to follow traditional African architecture through time to today’s African architecture, to show the contradictions in the social and technical transformations through various historical phases.

To accomplish this work, Epée Ellong delves into his own experience and knowledge of Central Africa. He traveled extensively within

Cameroon

, and spoke with locals, including traditional chiefs and village elders.
The illustrations and images that accompany the text show the construction phases of traditional and contemporary architecture, as well as everyday objects. Many historical and linguistic references are used in order to better explain the changes on both a human and architectural level.

Subjects covered in the book include:

-Historical migrations in Africa

-Traditional architecture in Cameroon

-Colonial architecture

-The consequences of social changes on architecture and construction

-The evolution of housing in

Cameroon

-Thoughts on the future of African architecture.

What we need in order to publish this book:

We need a minimum of $9,000 (USD) to edit, review graphics, and print the book, which will most probably be about 230 pages in a 8” x 10” format, with many color illustrations. The rewards proposed include, depending on the pledge, illustrated color bookmarks, a book, a signed book, a telephone conversation, or even your name mentioned in the book.

Why was this book written?

There are few books that explain the relationship between history, colonization, sociology and architecture in Africa.

The authors

Epée Ellong is a native of Douala, Cameroon. He is an architect trained at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris,

France

. In 1983, he founded an architectural firm, CAEE, with his spouse, Diane Chehab, an American-born architect. The philosophy behind CAEE was to reincarnate African traditional architecture into modern design. A home whose basic materials are bamboo and palm fronds, and no electricity or running water, can’t be automatically transformed into a contemporary dwelling. Epée drew upon traditional symbolism and masks to “Africanize” CAEE’s architecture. The firm designed projects in

Cameroon

Guinea

, and

Ivory Coast

CAEE’s projects brought Epee to many parts of

Cameroon

, where he was familiarized with the country’s ethnic, cultural and geographic diversity. He met many regional traditional chiefs who provided him with the background of the architectural and social upheavals brought on by the arrival of Europeans. Together with these chiefs, he put together a nomenclature of the typological elements of traditional construction.

Epée has been practicing architecture in the

United States

since 1995. He has also taught Afro-centric architecture within specialized workshops, and speaks at American universities and at the Museum for African Art in New York.

Diane Chehab was born in the United States, lived in several countries and continents, and studied architecture at the Lebanese University in Beirut and at the Beaux Arts in Paris, France. She married her colleague, Epée Ellong, and moved to

Cameroon

to manage their architectural firm. She learned Duala, her spouse’s language, to better understand the culture. She is currently living in the

United States

We thank you for helping us realize this project. We would be very grateful if you could pass the word on to your friends and family; share on Twitter, Facebook, etc. using Indiegogo’s tools. Here is the link: http://igg.me/at/delacasealavilla

Questions? Please email us: Padouk@PadoukDesign.com

Indiegogo is a crowd funding site. If you wish to contribute to a campaign, you click on "contribute now" and choose your contribution. "Perks" are offered - in our case, a bookmark, a book, a signed book, etc... depending on how much is pledged. They charge you, but if the goal is not reached, you get your money back.

Barbershops and hairdressers

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In Cameroon, as in other Sub-Saharan African countries, barbershops used to have painted signs showing several haircut styles. At some point the museum world started paying attention and suddenly these signs were popping up in museum stores.

The last two times I was in Cameroon I realized the signs weren't being used anymore, and in fact had pretty much disappeared. Nowadays there is either just one style shown, or photos are used rather than a painting. It was quite a disappointment!

;

Barbershop in Kekem, West Cameroon

Other links to posts on this subject:

http://www.anotherafrica.net/interviews/township-barbershops-signs-of-south-africa

Dr. Erik Nordman - Sustainability specialist in Kenya

2013-04-14T16:07:00.002-04:00

Sometimes it really seems like there are just a few degrees of separation between all of us humans. Recently I attended a celebration with colleagues I hadn't had a chance to chat with yet, and found out that one colleague's son, Erik Nordman, was currently residing in Kenya (his dad had just gone to visit him and his family). Of course, my curiosity was piqued, I went to read his blog at Nordman Sustainability, and emailed him to find out more. Below is the interview, conducted by email.

Son and father at Mount Longonot
(a dormant volcano in the Rift Valley)

What is your background?

I grew up on Long Island, where my parents, brother and sister still live. I moved upstate for college and earned a BS in Biology from SUNY Geneseo, and an MS (forest ecology) and PhD (natural resource economics and policy) from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. Since 2006 I have been a professor of Natural Resources Management at Grand Valley State University near Grand Rapids, Michigan. My wife Jennifer and I have a daughter (8) and a son (5). My wife works as a school psychologist.

How did you end up in Kenya? How long will you be there? What are your activities there?

As a professor, I was eligible for a sabbatical leave. My research area is in renewable energy and there is a tremendous need for sustainable energy resources in developing countries. I have wanted to get involved in some research projects abroad for some time, but was never quite able to put something together. My wife, kids, and I were very eager to spend the sabbatical abroad. My wife's only criterion was someplace warm where we could escape a Michigan winter. I have a friend who is working in Kenya and he introduced me to some faculty members at Kenyatta University in Nairobi. With a letter of invitation from the university, I applied for and was awarded a Fulbright Scholar Grant from the US Dept. of State to teach and conduct research in Kenya. I am teaching classes in two departments: Environmental Studies and Energy Engineering. English is one of the official languages and is the language of instruction in all the schools, so that made the transition easier. I taught Environmental Economics, Principles of Research Methods, and Energy for Sustainable Development. My research assessed the potential for wind power at Kenyan tea farms. I have also started a couple of other energy-related research projects with students and faculty here

What is the relationship between Nordman Sustainability Solutions and your time in Kenya?

I started the energy and sustainability consulting business to pick up on some projects and opportunities that did not fit into academic research. In Kenya, more than 80% of people, mostly rural residents, do not have access to grid electricity. Access to clean energy sources is essential for sustainable development. Electricity allows people to charge mobile phones, to read and study in the evening, to pump water. I am hoping that Nordman Sustainability Solutions can complement my academic work by bringing the latest research to bear on delivering clean energy services to communities in Kenya.

Will you be implementing any sustainability projects in Kenya? Will they be low-cost and/or with locally built elements?

So far I have just been getting to know the landscape and understand some of the players. There is a lot of activity here in the energy sector. The World Bank recently launched the Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC). The center is a business incubator for energy, agribusiness, and clean water technologies. The idea is to help develop local solutions to climate change challenges and at the same time foster local economic development. I helped facilitate a collaboration between the KCIC and the Kenyatta University Energy Engineering Department. The collaboration will help engineering students lend their expertise to entrepreneurs who have good ideas but may lack the technical skills. It will also encourage the students, both graduate and undergraduate, to start thinking of their own innovations. I also met with some young Americans that started a wind turbine manufacturing business here in Nairobi. The company is called WindGen and they are making the turbines mostly from locally available materials. This keeps the cost down while having a substantial local economic development impact. The need for sustainable energy development is great and it is very exciting to see local solutions being developed and implemented. I hope I can become more involved in some of these projects as time goes on.

What are your feelings towards returning to the US after this stay?

We are looking forward to coming home and seeing our family and friends. It has been a fantastic experience for all of us, but we are ready to return to the US. The kids miss their pet rabbit, Chopin, who has been living with another family while we are gone. There was a culture shock moving here, and I'm sure there will be a shock moving back. We have realized how convenient everything is back in the US. You can get anything you want, any time of day. Life here in Kenya takes a lot more planning, and you learn to just go without some stuff. Like most Kenyans, we don't have a car. We walk a lot more here than we do at home. Fresh local vegetables are available all year long and that is something we'll miss. But sometimes you just want to grab a bagel and cup of coffee on your way to work - and that just isn't going to happen here in Kenya.

What will you bring back with you from Kenya: physical objects, ideas, outlook on life?

Erik Nordman and children at Fort Jesus, in Mombasa

We will be bringing many things home with us, tangible and intangible. We've picked up some nice souvenirs like a handmade rungu (small club, symbol of leadership), Maasai shuka blankets, beaded bracelets, sandals, etc. What will really stay with us are the intangibles. Our kids have picked up a Kenyan-British accent from their classmates at school and we've been learning Kiswahili. We have made many friends through the university neighborhood and we treasure those.

We also have many memories of the sights and sounds of Kenya. I attended a Catholic mass this morning and was so impressed with the singing and dancing. "Dancing" and "Catholic mass" are two phrases that usually don't go together back home, but the student dance troupe and chorus was amazing. The service was much more jubilant than a typical mass in the US. Today's mass also included songs in six different local languages (and the readings were in English). The cultural diversity in Kenya was surprising to me.
Another highlight was attending a Kenyan wedding. During the reception we all got to participate in some dances from different regions of the country. The wedding guests were certainly amused by the "wazungu" couple joining in the dances and it was a lot of fun. Music and dancing are such important parts of the culture and that is something we've learned to appreciate.
The culture here is also much more community-oriented, even within the university. For example, our department meets to debrief after final exams to discuss the grades, what went well that term, and what needs improvement. This is something that my colleagues and I don't often do back in the US. I think it is a great practice to swap ideas at the end of the term and get some good feedback. It is a practice I hope to bring back with me.

I don't want to come across as naive - corruption, street crime, and a lack of trust are huge, systemic challenges; but overall the experience here has been overwhelmingly positive. We've made some great friends, personally and professionally, and we hope to make Kenya a part of our lives. I am confident we will be back again.

And lastly--any comments on the election?

Kenya made great strides since the disastrous election of 2007 and its aftermath. The country approved a new constitution in 2010 and this year's presidential election was the first under the new system. The candidates had their first-ever televised debates. There was a sincere attempt to speak to the issues. Electoral politics in Kenya is largely based on ethnic groups so attention to issues is relatively new. Ethnicity (and to a lesser degree, generational differences) still dominated the election. Overall, the election was a success and that was a relief to everyone. Our taxi driver got up at 3:30 AM and was on line to vote at 4:00. The polling stations didn't open until 6:00 and there were already more than 100 people in front of him. Another friend stood on line for eight hours. The level of commitment was inspiring. The voting was peaceful, even though the high-tech voting system totally failed and the votes were tallied by hand and physically delivered to Nairobi. The losing candidate contested the election in the Supreme Court, but Uhuru Kenyatta's victory was upheld. Every aspect of the voting system was tested and in the end the outcome was a peaceful transition of power. We were very relieved.

Interview with William Siegmann in January 2010

2013-04-11T09:33:00.000-04:00

(This post was originally written for the Sosauce.com site, not in existence anymore. William Siegmann, sadly, passed away in November 2011.)

William Siegmann (photo by
Adam Husted, Brooklyn Museum)

I first heard about William Siegmann through Sally Williams, Public Information Officer at Brooklyn Museum, NY, where he worked as a curator. He spent many years in Liberia, starting in 1965, and it sounded like he’d have a fascinating story to tell. I was not disappointed when I was finally able to meet him in person.

He first came to Liberia in 1965, as a member of the Peace Corps. It was a heady time, as many African nations were celebrating their independence from European colonization. He taught at a private college, Cuttington University. Most of the students were Liberian but there were also a few students from Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and later also Kenya, Sudan, and Tanzania.

During this time, Siegmann, a history major, developed an interest in African art, and started his personal collection. He also founded a small art museum for the college. He returned to the US after 3 and a half years, attended graduate school, majoring in history and art history. In 1973, he returned to Liberia for research on his dissertation. Between 1974 and 1976, he once again taught at Cuttington University.

Having completed his research in 1978, but realizing that his true passion was art, rather than history, he returned to the US. He joined the Society of African Missions in New Jersey, where he set up a small collection, installations, a catalog and an arts program. http://www.smafathers.org/. Between 1979 and 1984, he worked at the Museum of Fine Arts in San Francisco, CA. In 1984, he was granted a Fullbright scholarship, and returned once again to Liberia. In the meantime, Samuel Doe had taken power, after a violent coup. Siegmann was tasked with setting up a National Museum in a building from the mid-19th Century, the old Legislature Hall. He met with Samuel Doe--in person--to secure funding to renovate the building, which was in serious disrepair. Rather than money, he was awarded a line of credit for up to $60,000 with a building supplies company. A workforce was provided by the Ministry for Public Works.

It took three years and a mountain of obstacles to renovate the building. No architect was provided; Siegmann worked with the site workers to figure out solutions. They had to remove and replace the roof, floors… as the building was in very bad condition.

The West African Museums Programme provided additional funds to acquire a collection. http://www.wamponline.org/en/page.php?id=15 Siegmann traveled to villages all over Liberia to buy objects. The Museum, when it opened, featured 3 floors:

- first floor, historical pieces

- second floor: ethnographic

- third floor: used for contemporary art exhibitions.

In 1987, having completed the museum project, Siegmann was offered a position as curator at Brooklyn Museum in New York.

Unfortunately, during the ensuing civil war, the building was damaged, and the collections looted. The Cuttington University collection was also looted. Both museums are in dismal condition; Siegmann returned to Liberia a few years ago to consult with the new authorities about the National Museum.

On the subject of museums in Sub-Saharan Africa:

I asked Siegmann what he thought of the viability of art museums in Sub-Saharan Africa at the moment. As he said, unfortunately, museums are not a priority in Sub-Saharan Africa, for several reasons, the main one being that the majority of people do not have the leisure or the means to concentrate on culture and art. The "leisure class" is not a large group. In addition, resources are not put into museums by many governments. Items displayed often fall to neglect, especially if the climate is humid. I've personally witnessed a piece literally disintegrate, turn to powder, in a flash, right in front of my eyes.

In the United States, at the turn of the 20th Century, museums were meant to educate members of the community. Still now, it is mainly the "elite" who visit museums, and it is an institution that can exist only "late in the game," when a society has already fulfilled basic needs.

About art in Africa:

There is a discussion about contemporary African art: is it contemporary art, or is it African art? Where is it displayed? In the United States, different museums have different approaches to this issue. Magdalene Odundo's modern (non-utilitarian) ceramics, inspired by traditional styles, are currently displayed in the African Galleries section of the Brooklyn Museum, for example. However, the artist may have preferred to be in a general contemporary art section.
Siegmann was happy that increasingly, contemporary African art is being taught at American universities.

Links for more information:

http://magdaleneodundo.com/

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/4931

About Mr. Siegmann's passing: http://www.fol.org/events/passing/siegmann.html

El Anatsui: 2013 Brooklyn Museum Retrospective

2013-03-07T20:59:00.001-05:00

"Gli" (Wall), 2010, at the beginning of the
exhibition area, Brooklyn Museum

What a life trajectory. El Anatsui's work is now featured in a retrospective at one of the United States' premier museums, the Brooklyn Museum: Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui, curated by Kevin Dumouchelle.
El Anatsui has been shown at New York City's contemporary African art galleries since over 20 years, such as Skoto Gallery and the Contemporary African Art gallery. The first pieces I had seen, in the 1990s, and admired, were made of wood, and I still have a Newark Museum postcard I held on to since 2007. Several years ago, both Skoto Gallery and the Contemporary African Art Gallery staged a double exhibit of El Anatsui's new metal work, which is the art that finally made him famous worldwide, at the age of sixty!

"Amewo" (People) - 1998, modified 2010

The art was so wonderful to behold that we all wanted a piece, even though none of us mere mortals could afford it, even then. "Weaving" together liquor bottle caps, he created giant shimmering, glittering tapestries, which from afar, resembled Ghanaian Ashanti cloth.

Detail

Fast forward a few years and El Anatsui's work is now shown at the Newark Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and now in this grand exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum (and that's just counting a few museums here in the Northeastern United States).
El Anatsui was born in 1944 in Ghana, studied at the College of Art of the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. He studied European-style art, and it was later that he turned towards a more "Africanist" style.

Kevin Duchoumelle speaking of the
art at a press preview

He was a professor of sculpture at the University of Nigeria for 35 years, while simultaneously working on his art. He exhibited for many years in many countries and was certainly already a well-respected artist, but the fame he is now enjoying is certainly of another order.
In the Brooklyn Museum exhibition, there are a few pieces in yet another new style, albeit still in "recycled" metal. Should we call El Anatsui's art "green"? I would answer affirmatively... El Anatsui thinks that materials can be humble, and yet end up as a beautiful piece of art.

The latest in El Anatsui's work

Detail

Sculpture made of condensed milk can tops

El Anatsui ships his pieces folded up, and it is the curator's choice how to display them, where the folds should be. He does not insist on determining how a sculpture should be shown; the curator uses her/his own judgment and sensibility.

Ink Splash

For further information:
Brooklyn Museum exhibition in the NY Times
El Anatsui at the High Line Park in Manhattan in 2013
Educator's Guide to the Museum for African Art exhibition "When I Last Wrote to You about Africa"

Test post (dear readers, please disregard!)

2013-02-21T09:05:00.003-05:00

TM9XFNK83Z4W

Road trips in Cameroon - Douala, West Cameroon & Yaounde

2013-02-13T19:23:00.001-05:00

Aerial view of Douala

Douala, Cameroon, has a long way to go before getting into a NY Times or AFAR must-see destination list. However, it is the gateway to the scenic Western portion of Cameroon. Douala is the commercial hub and the largest city of Cameroon (about 3 million inhabitants), albeit not the political capital, which is Yaounde. Unfortunately urban development went haywire, and it has become a very disheveled-looking city, with the exception of the administrative and diplomatic neighborhoods, formerly where the colonizers lived. The climate doesn't help, as it is very hot and humid.
However, less than 10 kilometers out of the city, the scenery starts changing.

Home on the road between Douala and West Cameroon

On the road to the west, after the Wouri River bridge, post-colonial homes dot the roadside. By the time one reaches Melong, most people’s means of transportation is their feet. Many of these rural village dwellers work in small-scale agriculture.

Further west, and uphill into Bamiléké country, the towns still lack architectural identity, or rather lost their identity in the years since the Europeans took control of what was known as The Cameroons in the late 1800s.

Grasshopper (not camera shy)

Nestled in the hills are a multitude of McMansions, far larger than any in the United States. Some are designed by contractors and draftsmen, and a few are designed by local or foreign architects. These homes usually belong to the well-off Bamiléké merchants and professionals who left their natal village to gain fortune in Douala and sometimes Yaounde, but return to their original village to build their “true home,” where they can relax and retire. Who can blame them--land is still plentiful and the climate is pleasant, far from the Douala steam-bath. Here you can still find grasshoppers and butterflies, that disappeared years ago from Douala.

Avocados, pineapple, papayas, bananas and
bread purchased at a roadside stand

West Cameroon is still the breadbasket of Cameroon, thanks to the climate, the fertile earth and the agricultural know-how of the Bamiléké people. They developed an efficient agricultural system which has been analyzed by research centers abroad. As per Wikipedia: "The Bamileke are skilled farmers who exploit virtually every strip of land available."
From time to time, along the road, you’ll stumble upon a waterfall; some are really magnificent, such as the Ekom waterfall, about 40 kilometers away from Bafang.

Kekem fast food

Food options are not as plentiful as in Douala, where local cuisine and French share space with Chinese, Senegalese and Moroccan, especially in the well-off neighborhoods. For this visitor at least, there is one absolute: the town of Kekem. If you are not too worried about hygiene--and I have never been ill after eating there--Kekem boasts the tastiest skewered beef anywhere, spiced with a mix of peppers. There are also kidney brochettes, grilled plantains, and sometimes “prunes”--savory fruit which is best grilled, but not available year-round. You can purchase beer, sodas, and mineral water to wash it all down. I also noticed stew, but was discouraged from trying it out; maybe it was too spicy or not well cooked. (Yes, I am adventurous when it comes to food, but draw the line at anything insect-based!)
For less risky food choices, the town of Bafang has the Hotel La Falaise, slightly run down (the owner seems to prefer to invest in South Africa nowadays) but still a place to have a decent breakfast or lunch, albeit not at any hour; we passed by around 3 pm and nothing was left.

Poulet DG

One of the appealing popular dishes often eaten in West Cameroon is “Poulet DG,” a fragrant stew of chicken, fried plantains, ginger, carrots, and green pepper.
Lodging in West Cameroon is either at a friend or family member’s home, or in an inn, such as 3T in Banka, close to Bafang. The owner is very welcoming, and cooks up a mean dish of Poulet DG or even innards.

For a glimpse of what Bamileke architecture used to be, Bandjoun is a must-see, for a few well-maintained structures.

Dschang, about 5 hours by car from Douala, used to be the retreat for the European colonists. The Centre Climatique is a little worn down since its glory days, but rooms include a fireplace which is needed during the rainy season. This is one of the rare places in Cameroon where you’ll need a sweater from time to time.

Yaoundé
Yaoundé is the political capital of Cameroon; its population is about half of Douala’s. It is located in a hilly region, and the climate is very pleasant. The only disagreeable geographical issue is the red dust that settles everywhere.

Leaving Douala for Yaoundé in the early morning used to be a losing proposition in which a car could be stuck in one place for 45 minutes, because of the armies of motorcycle taxis arriving into town from the opposite direction and used to take up all lanes, incoming and outgoing. Now soldiers and police are posted all along the way and do their best to keep some order so cars can leave the city to get to the road to Yaoundé and intermediate towns such as Edea and Pouma or other points in the center of the country.

Unseen from the main road on the outskirts of Douala, in the “quartier," the non-urbanized neighborhoods with dirt roads and wood plank or cement homes, there is an enormous population living, if not exactly thriving. The road between Douala and Edea is sparsely populated, dotted with simple homes in recycled wood plank or poto-poto (earth mixed with straw). Edea is the main town on this road, about an hour away from Douala; this is where Cameroon electrical power comes from. About halfway to Yaounde is Pouma, known for its stone, from which slabs are made, used in Cameroonian kitchens to grind spices on.

Armchairs sold on the street in Yaounde

Yaounde Hilton Hotel

Yaounde’s outskirts are also a continuous marketplace, wares displayed right on the sidewalk. In the center of town you’ll find all the ministries and other government institutions as well as embassies. The most luxurious hotel in Cameroon is the Yaoundé Hilton, similar to any luxury hotel in the world, and lunch costs more than in New York City ($30 for a buffet, albeit quite nice)!

Map of the area we traveled in

Happy New Year

2013-01-13T18:00:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year to Africa... May 2013 be a year in which more African countries move forward, away from corruption, away from external exploitation of their resources, away from the consequences of colonialism and post-colonialism. Forward to progress, however imperfect.

Mbu mwa peña mwa bwam! (Happy New Year in Duala)

Malene's Africa-inspired carpets

2013-01-13T17:45:00.001-05:00

A sampling of the African-inspired collection

It's been many years since the first time I heard of Malene Barnett: and in fact, I didn't meet her myself at the time; it was my husband, Epee Ellong, whom she interviewed for African Voices magazine.
I kept in touch over the years, and Malene is now a talented carpet designer and entrepreneur. Recently I caught up with her at her studio on Brooklyn, where I went to pick up a small carpet I had purchased.

Malene B.
Photo courtesy of Malene B.

Malene's background is in textile art, painting and illustration. Having worked for many years in the textile industry, and then in the carpet industry, and traveled to several continents, she had loaded up inspiration and made the next step by founding her own carpet company, Malene B.
For this blog, of course, the highlight is on her African-inspired designs. In the photo above, we have; bottom left: the green Adinkra, above it, Timbuktu, reminiscent of this ancient Mali city's mud architecture; bottom right and center, Wolof, center right, a cowry shell patterned Cowrie, and above that (top right) Papunya (which is not African inspired but rather by the Aborigenes in Australia.) Top left Market Women and top center: Mendhi.
Malene's Africa travels have taken her, to date to Senegal, Gambia, and Ghana. In Ghana, she participated in a cultual exchange program sponsored by the Afrikan Poetry Theater to learn native crafts, language and dance. Ghana's bustling capital city, Accra, provided the inspiration behind Market Women. Dakar, Senegal's Wolof traditional clothing also provided inspiration for carpet designs (such as, evidently, Wolof).

Center: Wolof, over Calabash

This month, Malene started a collaboration with the home accessory company Surya: she introduced an exclusive carpet collection called Destinations & Voyages. It was introduced at the Atlanta International Gift Show on January 10, 2012. Here's to wishing Malene continued inspiration from all over the world.

Styles from the new Surya line

Africa is a Country blog: "Social Media in Africa's Revolutions"

2012-12-24T15:53:00.001-05:00

Read in Africa is a Country, this article about an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art (MoCADA) in Brooklyn, NY:

http://africasacountry.com/2012/12/21/social-media-in-africas-revolutions/

Getting to Zero, event organized by the Harvard African Law Association

2012-12-16T12:13:00.003-05:00

Tracey Masella and Rolande Hodel

On November 30, the Harvard African Law Association hosted a fundraising event: Getting to Zero, in honor of World Aids Day. The Harvard African Law Association’s mission is to “unite African students and students interested in Africa, and increase awareness of legal, social and economic issues that shape and concern the continent of Africa”.Two nonprofit organizations were invited to present their organizations’ activities: Medical Relief Association (MRA) and AIDSfreeAFRICA.

The evening’s Master of Ceremonies was Sedoo Manu; the moderator, Mr. Nana Okyir; Sia Henry was one of the organizers and main point person. All three are students at Harvard Law.

The audience on November 30

Tracey Masella, Board Chair of MRA, showed us a video of the goat farm recently inaugurated by MRA in Kenya. MRA’s mission is to help families affected by AIDS the means to earn a livelihood and lead healthy lives. To achieve this goal, MRA donates dairy goats to families; the milk is easily digestible by HIV-afflicted people and a goat usually provides more than enough milk for an entire family, so there is enough left over to sell on the market. MRA just inaugurated a goat farm: the Goat Hope Farm.
Dr. Rolande Hodel, after obtaining her PhD in chemistry, rather than return to the corporate world, founded AIDSfreeAFRICA in 2005. She has been active in Cameroon, mainly in the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest Regions. The organization’s mission is to help produce pharmaceutical drugs locally and to create access to these drugs to rural populations through revolving drug funds. AIDSfreeAFRICA’s work encourages the creation of sustainable jobs, for example by founding a healthcare clinic in the village of Esu. In the past 7 years, AIDSfreeAFRICA has brought manufacturing equipment, medical equipment and supplies, AIDS tests, condoms, vitamins, medicine, and scientific books to Cameroon, amongst other useful items collected by the organization’s volunteers.
At the event, she mentioned that although it was difficult to change the habits of the older generation in the areas she serves, this generation however believes in her mission to eradicate AIDS and wants their children to be educated in protecting themselves, as they do not want to lose the new generation to this disease.

Hicham Alaoui

Special entertainment was brought by Hicham Alaoui, a young Master Percussionist from Casablanca, Morocco, who is also a first year Harvard MBA student. He blends rhythms from many cultures, on a variety of drums, and his performance was entrancing.

Sedoo Manu

Additional photos of the Harvard Law event: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103109390457637139774/albums/5817419475847127745

WomenCentric article about Dr. Rolande Hodel

Dr. Hodel handing out vitamins

Quai Branly Museum in Paris

2012-10-29T14:28:00.002-04:00

Paris boasts a modern museum whose core permanent exhibitions are of traditional art in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. The Musée du Quai Branly, located close to the Eiffel Tower, is a modern and "green" structure opened to the public in 2006.

Quai Branly Museum street view

La Rivière

Entering the museum is in itself an adventure--first through outdoor winding paths, in the garden, and then an interior winding path, in itself a work of art called the "River" showing words projected in the ground, moving like water.
It's quite a trip to reach the top, where the entrance to the permanent exhibits is, as well as to the current exhibition, "The Art of Hair."

Below are a few photos of the Africa section. As usual in all African traditional art exhibits, there are many pieces from the Grassland Bamiléké region's prolific artists. However, to my great surprise, there was one piece, not just from Douala, but specifically from Deido, my husband's home neighborhood! (Douala used to be 3 villages: Bonanjo, Akwa, and Deido.)

(bottom) Bow of a boat from the "Deido School of Art" (Cameroon)

Danhomé royal seat

Figurines from South Cameroon and Gabon

Colorful Téké-Tsayi pieces (Gabon-Congo)

The Museum is a little tricky to navigate with its labyrinthine style of exhibitis. What I would have liked to see as additions would be modern artists from these same regions.

For all those interested in traditional (I don't especially care for the term "indigenous"--do we say indigenous art from France?) art from Africa, it is still really worth visiting this museum.
Address: 37 Quai Branly, 75007 Paris; subway: Alma-Marceau
Exhibition starting November 13: Nigeria, Arts Of The Benue Valley

The Institute for African Studies, Columbia University, New York

2012-10-07T18:17:00.000-04:00

The following is paraphrased (ever so slightly) from the answers kindly provided by the IAS through Zinash Seyoum.

The Institute for African Studies of Columbia University (IAS) was founded in 1959 to serve as Columbia University's central forum and resource for African-centered academic research, program development, curriculum administration, student advisement, and local, national and international dialogue, as well as action on the region.

There was not, as far we know, a specific scholar or administrator behind the founding of the institute. It was part of an institutional reaction to post-World War II, characterized by the rise of nationalism in the former colonial empire, the challenges of nation building, along with development, and the Cold War.An environment that called for a production of knowledge to serve government policies and foreign relations at bilateral and multilateral levels emerged. At the beginning of John F. Kennedy’s administration, the US government launched an ambitious program to support the establishment of "area studies;" IAS was created in that context. Some scholars, such as Immanuel Wallerstein, played a key role in framing the discussion about "area studies," along with "Third World Dependency Theories," launching the IAS.
IAS prepares Africanist scholars and practitioners for careers in development, diplomacy, business, governance, journalism, law, human rights, academic research and teaching, through its undergraduate and graduate programs. At the undergraduate level, students pursue the African studies major, which includes an intensive language study, a semester abroad in Africa, and a supervised research paper. The Africa regional specialization at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) remains one of the more popular specializations among graduate students. IAS also hosts conferences, seminars, films and lecture series, bringing together faculty and students with widely varying interests and disciplinary backgrounds. IAS partners with departments, centers, institutes, and student groups across the university to reach new audiences and facilitate an exchange of knowledge about Africa. In addition, IAS administers the Leitner Family Research and Language Fellowship that allows Columbia students to study in Africa during their summer recess. IAS also is a research and academic partner with Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Together, the key players from both institutions administer research initiatives, as well as a dual certificate program in African studies, enabling students to study Africa in France for one semester. The shared research initiatives explore citizenship in Africa and pursued research on recent elections in the region.

Key team members
The day-to-day affairs of the Institute are conducted by Professor Mamadou Diouf (History and MESAAS), who is the director (on leave 2012-2013), Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne (French), who is serving as this year’s acting director, and Dr. Jinny Prais, the assistant director. The students who are active in the center’s activities include: Zinash Seyoum (SIPA), Sarah Sinidal (SIPA), Marina Saleeb (SIPA), and Sam Reichman (Columbia College).
Faculty who have been instrumental in our programs and academics include: Mahmood Mamdani (MESAAS and Anthropology), Gregory Mann (History), Hlonipha Mokoena (Anthropology), Mariame Sy (MESAAS), Abdul Nanji (MESAAS), Rhiannon Stephens (History), Yuusuf Caruso (African Studies Librarian), George Bond (Teacher’s College) and Brian Larkin (Anthropology).

Goals for the future
IAS has two key goals for the year. First, the institute seeks to consolidate their international networks in order to develop an exchange program with French African studies programs and African universities for both students and faculty. Secondly, IAS is developing research and outreach programs in our "neighborhood.” Columbia University is part of Harlem, which consists of not only a large African-American community, but also contains a very large West African community. We would like to focus our work on contributing, through research, public debate sessions, art exhibitions, music recital, food festivals, and other community involvement projects, to place Africans in conversation with Americans in their community, fellow Africans, along with the larger American public by exploring and working through their connections with the region.Some research has been conducted by present and former members of our faculty in each of these issues and continues to be a pursuit of the institute today.
The offices of the Institute for African Studies are located at Knox Hall on 122nd Street, New York, NY.

A sampling of programs dating back to 2004: past author, film, and lecture series, and forums can be found at http://www.ias.columbia.edu/events/archive/archive.html.

Away From Africa post about West African community in Harlem.
Upcoming IAS events include:

Worlds of Work in Africa Series
Give a Man a Fish: The New Politics of Distribution in Southern Africa
(and Beyond)
A lecture by James Ferguson, Stanford University
Introduced by Frederick Cooper, New York University
Tuesday, October 9, 4-6pm
Event Location: 509 Knox Hall
Narratives of neoliberalism’s triumph have tended to obscure from view a startling fact about the contemporary world: that, across the global South, recent years have seen not a retreat or rollback of the welfare state, but rather an explosion of new forms of welfare and social assistance. Programs of “cash transfers” to “the poor” have become central to both the politics and the political economies of many developing countries. South Africa is one dramatic case where recent expansion of a system of old age pensions and child support grants means that nearly 30 percent of the entire population will soon be receiving some sort of monthly state social assistance. These programs raise fascinating questions about the role of welfare in societies where wage labor has never occupied the dominant role it played in the “classical” welfare states of the North. They may also open possibilities for new kinds of politics. This paper explores the recent campaigns for a “Basic Income Grant” (BIG) in South Africa and Namibia as a window onto these new political possibilities. It argues that a new politics of distribution is emerging, in which citizenship-based claims to a share of national wealth are beginning to be recognizable as an alternative to both the paradigm of the market (where goods are received in exchange for labor) and that of “the gift” (where social transfers to those excluded from wage labor have been conceived as aid, charity, or assistance). Beyond the binary of market and gift, the idea of “a rightful share”, it is suggested, opens possibilities for radical political claims that could go far beyond the limited, technocratic aim of ameliorating poverty that dominates existing cash transfer programs.

A conversation on labor, livelihood, and the politics of distribution with James Ferguson and Frederick Cooper
Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 4-6pm
Event Location: 509 Knox Hall

University Seminar on Contemporary Africa
Apartheid's Art School: Art, Education and the Beauty of 20th Century South Africa
Professor Daniel Magaziner, Yale University
This paper considers the trajectory of the education of African art teachers both before and during apartheid in South Africa. It argues that although the government intended art education to promote the notion of African difference, art educators saw the study and teaching of art as essential to the development of creative, modern individuals. Rather than experience apartheid schools as simply oppressive, these teachers and their students saw them as a potentially privileged forum, where a new African subject was under development. Apartheid's Art School thus asks new questions about 20th century South African intellectual history and attempts to reorder - or break apart - old binaries about the nature of social and intellectual experience under apartheid.
Columbia University Faculty House
Friday, October 19th
6:00 PM-8:00 PM

"Lucas the Baboon Boy, and Other Stories: Towards a History of Popular Racism in South Africa, 1910-1948."
Professor Roger Levine, Sewanee University
Columbia University Faculty House
October 30th
6pm - 8pm

Ifriqiyya Seminar
"Arab-led Slavery of Africans: The Story of a Discourse.."
Dahlia Gubara, Department of History, Columbia University
Wednesday, October 31st
208 Knox Hall
12pm - 2pm
"Theology of Disorder : Islam, Order and Disorder in the XIXth Century Sahara"
Abdel Wedoud Ould Cheikh
Wednesday, November 28th
208 Knox Hall
12pm - 2pm

Worlds of Work in Africa Series
Slavery By Any Other Name: African Life under Company Rule in Colonial Mozambique
A talk by Eric Allina
Tuesday, November 27, 2012, 4-6 p.m
Event location: 208 Knox Hall

Democracy and Elections in Africa Series
Jerry Rawlings and the debate About Political Leadership in Ghana: A Backdrop to the 2012 Elections
A talk by Paul Nugent
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 4-6 p.m.
Event location: TBD

T-shirts with graphics of the African continent

2012-09-14T22:22:00.000-04:00

Over the years, I bought several "Africa" t-shirts for my son, all quite nice... Here they are.

Purchased via Twitter

AEF 2012

Edun

Global Peace Exchange

West Africa on the Hudson

2012-08-26T14:02:00.001-04:00

Interviews and research from Bineta Fall and Mohamed Ka, New York

Entrance to Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market

Statistically many immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States are from English-speaking countries (former British colonies), such as Nigeria, Ghana, with a relatively large influx from South Africa (which is not officially an English-speaking country), along with Kenyans, not shown in the Wikipedia article.
However in New York City, the French-speaking population from Western African countries is noticeable, especially in Harlem. In the 1990s, Harlem seemed to be a mini-outpost of Senegal and Guinea. Gambians (English-speaking) are also represented, as geographically, their country is wedged within Senegal.

Arame Adje, the self-proclaimed "Grandmother of the Community" arrived in 1986 from Senegal. She says that the Senegalese started arriving in the United States in the mid-eighties, during a very bad drought in Senegal. Also, flights from Dakar and Abidjan, were relatively inexpensive, compared to flights from many other African airports. At first, they stayed in hotels throughout Manhattan, and little by little moved to Harlem, where rent was relatively inexpensive in those days. Many were here illegally, but President Reagan proposed a bill to legalize immigrants, while cracking down on new illegal immigration.

Ms. Arame Adje, Harlem, NY

Ms. Adje recounted that in the early days, the Senegalese newcomers encountered some hostility as newly arrived immigrants in Harlem, however, over the years, their contribution to Harlem's revival though the small businesses they created came to be appreciated.

Mohamed Ka's research showed that in the 1990s, immigration accelerated, as not only farmers, who were more concerned with making money than continuing their education, but students also fled Senegal's ceaseless student strikes and unemployment. The Senegalese Association of America was founded (1990), men brought their spouses, and their children attended school.

Sanna Kanuteh in his shop

Another relative longtime Harlem resident is Mr. Sanna Kanuteh, originally from Gambia, whose shop is located in the Malcolm Shabbaz African Market. He sells African clothes, jewelry , artwork, and more. He came to the United States in 1990. As per Mr. Kanuteh, Harlem was "empty, had no life" in those days; no one wanted to come visit Harlem. When the Africans came, that changed, and Harlem became a destination for many tourists who came to New York. They could "discover African cultures without having to travel to the continent."
One way of discovering the continent is through the many West African restaurants that have sprung up, especially in Harlem.

Due to the economic crisis in the United States, and the fact that the first immigrants are getting older, many opt to return home to their African homeland. Often the community will fund-raise to help them pay for the trip home, so that they have a small nest egg to start over once back in their village. The Senegalese community is a model of solidarity and assistance to its members, helping pay for children's medical expenses, sending deceased members' bodies home, and more. Faith-based groups called "Dahiras" offer both moral and financial support to newcomers, who are taken care of till they find employment.

Clothing in Sanna Kanuteh's shop

Despite the problems and the woes encountered in a new land, with an unknown culture, the United States is still the place of which people from all over the world will often dream, and will be until there are better chances of a career and even simple survival back home.

116th Street and Lenox (Malcolm X Boulevard)

Photographs by Bineta Fall

Sanna Kanuteh's shop: Shabbaz Market/ Booth #78, 116 St. & Lenox Ave. (near the #2 train), New York, NY

Post about another Senegalese in New York: Bibi Seck, Industrial Designer

Bineta Fall is of part Senegalese, part Mauritanian origin, born in Ivory Coast and living in NYC since the age of 12, in 1999. She is a graduate student at The New School, pursuing a Master's Degree in International Affairs. She is also an instructor in one of the NYCHA Digital Vans, assisting residents.

Mohamed Ka is a graduate student at The New School, pursuing a Master's Degree in International Affairs. Previously, he worked as interpreter, journalist and strategist in various African countries and in New York.

New York in French

2012-08-07T21:33:00.000-04:00

This week's post was published on New York in French. For the first time in years, I wrote in French.... and translated into English!

The post is about Vickie Frémont's latest "Tour of Recycling" in Peru with the Alliance Française.

Africa and the Broadway vision - Fela! on Broadway

2012-07-22T15:13:00.002-04:00

Last week we attended our first Broadway show (after living in New York city for many years!), to see the much-acclaimed Fela!
I was a fan of Fela Anikulapo Kuti's music well before I ever imagined living in Africa and marrying an African, to boot. French acquaintances introduced me to his music as a student in Paris, and I was immediately smitten.
In the late seventies and early eighties, when I met my future spouse and learned so much more about Africa, Nigeria seemed to be the shining star of the continent, with industry and close to 100 million inhabitants. Unfortunately, politics brought the country down; I still see it as a beacon, however, and I believe it is again on the rise, after I attended the recent African Economic Forum: it is now an even more populous country, with a plethora of highly educated people and oil revenue, I hope, being better routed, so as to serve a larger number of Nigerians.
The Fela! show recounts the stages of Fela's adult life, rendered quite faithfully when compared to the Wikipedia account: going to London to study medicine, and instead going into music; finding his own musical voice, back in Nigeria; discovering Black Power in the United States in the late sixties; returning to Nigeria and engaging in political activities; his wives; his mother's death; and finally, his own death in 1997.
Our expectation going to the show, was that we would relive Fela's music through the years as well as his life. As soon as we saw the female dancers' make-up--reminiscent of The Lion King--we should have understood that this would not exactly be the case. In fact, some elements made one specific African very uncomfortable.
The fact that Will and Jada Smith, and Jay-Z, were the producers, should have been a hint that this was Broadway's take on Africa, rather than Africa itself.
However--far from me the thought that the show is not excellent! It is fun, colorful, full of energy, and the cast is fantastic. The dancing was awe-inspiring, even if it might have been more inspired by West African dance than Nigerian. On the day we attended, Adesola Osakalumi played Fela--singing, acting, declaiming, dancing, and playing the saxophone. The rest of the cast was similarly incredibly talented and just plain fantastic.
I may be alone in my opinion--my friend Atim Oton, born and raised in Nigeria, wrote her very positive take in the Huffington Post.
Watching the show made me curious about additional elements of Fela's life, and the players: I found a few websites which are listed below.
http://questionmarkmag.com/2011/04/throwback-things-you-dont-know-about-fela-kuti/
http://www.theroot.com/views/strange-love-affair-between-america-and-afrobeat-superstar
The real Sandra: http://www.myspace.com/sandraizsadore

If you want to see the show (if you haven't already), there are 19 performances left from today, July 22.... Please let me know your opinion!

IBM in Africa

2012-07-15T20:35:00.001-04:00

As I currently work in information technology, I came across an article about IBM's activities in Angola. This made me curious to find out more about IBM's activities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Not being on the ground, it was not easy to receive information. IBM's Growth Markets headquarters are based in Shanghai, China--a half-day of time zones away from New York, and where the staff appears to be incredibly busy and constantly globe-trotting. I reached out to Bruno Di Leo, General Manager, IBM Growth Markets, who put me in contact with Ms. Vera Rosauer. She provided me with the answers to my questions (listed below).
I would have liked to have more details, and something akin to personal stories, however, IBM is an enormous organization, and corporate communications are tightly controlled--understandable, viewing the fact that information is often twisted in the media, but the result is that this blog post ends up sounding rather commercial, but it is absolutely not a sponsored post.

IBM presence in Africa

1. What Sub-Saharan African countries are covered by IBM?
Today we have a direct presence in more than 20 African countries, including Tanzania, Senegal, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Mauritius. In late 2010, IBM signed a deal with Bharti airtel to transform the 16 different IT environments across airtel's African operations into an integrated IT system, and oversee the management of all applications, data center operations, servers, storage and desktop services (covering Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.)
This has resulted in a significant extension of IBM's footprint across Africa and a strengthening of operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
(Note from the blog author: As per IBM's press room: "With the recent opening of offices in Mauritius, Tanzania, Senegal and Angola and with established business hubs in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt, IBM today is present in more than 20 African countries."

2. What type of business does IBM do?
We are offering our full portfolio of hardware, software and services in tandem with the growth on the continent and the emerging middle class. Our increased presence in Africa will strengthen IBM's ability to provide
solutions and services to a rapidly expanding base of customers and partners in the region.

3. What are future plans for expansion?
Geographic expansion is one of IBM's core growth strategies. We are expanding into new markets around the world where there is a significant opportunity for growth. IBM's geographic expansion programme includes many
parts of the world including Africa, Brazil, India, China, Spanish-speaking South America, Russia, Turkey and ASEAN.
Also important to our Geo Expansion strategy is co-ordinated investment across all parts of the business. This means having a robust and efficient management system, ensuring our team on the ground follows our IBM's
strict ethical standards and putting strong leaders in place. Across Africa, we are focused on the industries with the highest potential for growth and in which we have proven experience in applying advanced
technologies including telco, banking and government.. For example, in telecommunications --- according to analysts, Africa has approximately 400 million mobile subscribers, who are expected to generate between $12 billion to $15 billion in telecom revenue in the near future.

4. Who are the clients - private (local, foreign corporations, medium-sized businesses)? Government?
IBM is engaged with hundreds of customers across Africa--for example:

In December 2011, IBM announced details of contracts with five of Kenya's leading banks: Credit Bank, Co-operative Bank, Family Bank, National Bank of Kenya and National Industrial Credit (NIC) Bank. The agreements are amongst more than 20 similar deals that IBM signed with banks across Africa in 2011 worth over $200M in line with the rapid growth of the financial services sector and as technology enables a wave of innovation in African banking.
IBM signed a milestone deal with Bharti airtel late 2010 to transform the 16 different IT environments across airtel's African operations into an integrated IT system, and oversee the management of all applications, data center operations, servers, storage and desktop services.
In July 2011, we announced an additional 10-year agreement with airtel to provide comprehensive IT solutions to airtel's employees across 16 African countries. In terms of the agreement, IBM will provide a standard operating environment, help desk and desk side support to enhance employee efficiency and convenience.
IBM has signed an agreement with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia to support the bank in a major program of modernization and business expansion. Under the terms of the agreement, IBM will provide hardware, software and IT services to support the bank in its rapid business growth and its shift from manual financial processes to real-time financial services.
IBM's business services consultants are working with the government of Cross River State, Nigeria to assist with the implementation of two new social welfare and healthcare initiatives designed to help alleviate poverty and increase levels of literacy in the region.
The Cameroon Ministry of Finance has selected IBM mainframe and storage technologies to help modernize the payroll processes for government employees in the country. The new system will help to increase the security of the Ministry's payroll system and improve the efficiency of processes such as generating pay slips.
The Customs Directorate of the Senegal Ministry of Finance has selected IBM to provide two mainframe servers to help modernize the country's import and export processes.
First National Bank of Namibia has selected IBM System z to create a new core banking platform
One of IBM's clients on the island is global textile industry leader Compagnie Mauricienne de Textile Ltée (CMT) which has over 12,000 employees and runs a 24-hour automated factory supplying the fashion markets across the USA and Europe. CMT needed a solution to increase efficiencies and ensure timely delivery of its clothing products which are often manufactured to meet fast turn-around orders. IBM provided CMT with a new data storage system which has led to a 20% increase in the performance of its operations.
The International Card Processing Services (ICPS) of Mauritius is also using IBM solutions to support the modernization of the country's financial services sector. ICPS provides IT platforms for key banks in Mauritius including the Mauritius Commercial Bank. In line with its business expansion plans to provide similar services across Africa, ICPS selected IBM's Power Systems.

5. How many employees? Are they expats or local, and if expats, from where?
IBM does not disclose the number of employees in each country, but we are growing our presence in Africa and have an active hiring program in place to support that.

6. What are the differences between working in Sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world?
Across Africa, we are noticing an increased growth within the middle class as well as a surge in using innovations in telecommunications including mobile money. Also the financial sector overall has embarked on a
modernisation strategy.

Additional IBM sources:

http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/presskit/34710.wss

http://citizenibm.com/2011/11/a-new-model-to-cultivate-global-leaders.html

Wake Up Madagascar tour

2012-07-15T20:25:00.001-04:00

Razia Said is currently on a US tour, "Wake Up Madagascar". Information can be found on her Facebook page.

Next stop is Toronto on Tuesday, July 17, at Lula Lounge Toronto, Canada. The concert will be at Le Poisson Rouge in New York on Saturday, July 21.

As always, the main goal is to raise awareness of illegal logging in Madagascar. More information can be found at http://www.wakeupmadagascar.com/.

An American in Ghana

2012-06-30T17:59:00.001-04:00

My curiosity was piqued when my colleague told me about his daughter, Emily Silver, who just returned to the United States from a semester abroad in Ghana, Africa. She is 21 years old, and a double major in Dance and Arts for Children, studying at The College at Brockport (NY State). She studied dance for most of her life, and now hopes to channel her childhood passion into a fulfilling adult career.
After meeting her (and after hearing about her from her proud father!), I asked to interview her for this blog, as she demonstrates much passion, not only for life and dance, but also about her time in Africa.

Emily, what brought you to Africa?

During this pivotal time in my life, I have done a lot of self reflection and come to recognize that my friends are my world, I am interested in the less glamorous walks of life, I enjoy finding hidden treasures and that I am a self proclaimed extremist and wouldn't have it any other way. I thrive off of challenge and I enjoy seeing, learning and exploring the path less traveled... I suppose that's how I ended up in Ghana.

Ever since I entered college I have planned on doing a semester abroad. However, I started thinking about going the less conventional route, once I joined the Sankofa African dance ensemble at The College at Brockport. While having my first taste of African dance, I also closely befriended a Ghanaian going to The College at Brockport, pursuing his MFA in dance. After years of being fascinated about his heritage, enthralled by the electrifying spirit of West African dance and overcome by the traditional drumming rhythms, it

eventually seemed like a natural exploration for me to embark upon--even if it was a bit of a stretch, and certainly not the typical European trip most college students opt for.

Where did you stay?
For most of the semester, I stayed at the prestigious University of Ghana, in the International student hostel amongst international students from all around the world, as well as some Ghanaians. However, I spent most weekends exploring all of the surrounding
regions in and near Ghana, sleeping in the most remote rural villages literally straight out of National Geographic, and even eventually at my friend's house from my home college in Brockport, New York.

What were your activities while there?

Emily trying her hand at fufu!

For most of my time in Ghana, I was a full time performing arts student. This meant in addition to the brutal hike in the blazing heat to the dance studio (a converted barn), I was also dancing between 3-6 hours a day learning some of the many traditional, ritualistic dances West Africa has preserved and still uses in a very spiritual context. In addition to my dance studies, I spent a lot of time traveling, making foreign and Ghanaian friends, patronizing Ghana's remarkable beaches, braving the chaotic marketplaces and adjusting my palate to Ghanaian food. Most of my experiences were uncomfortable to say the
least, but once I was able to get past that, a whole new world of possibilities, friendships, culture, food and recreation was opened up to me.

Bracelets Emily brought back from Africa

What appealed to you the most?

Initially before coming to Ghana, I was most intrigued by the prospect of experiencing dance in a natural, ritualistic context. However, I very soon came to realize that almost all of the aspects of the Ghanaian lifestyle are quite different, and especially interesting when coming from a mecca like New York City. The kindness of the people, the deeply ingrained sense of community, the structured chaos, the lack of time orientation and appreciation of the simplest of things are all concepts that are a bit foreign to a New Yorker, but I was lucky enough to both observe and experience them. I found the resourcefulness of the people inspiring, the lack of materialism astounding and their contentment with so little thought-provoking. What appealed to me most in Ghana was the happiness that was apparent in places that many Americans would consider to be impoverished and in need of support and development. They may be in need of basic
resources, but there is no shortage of spirit.

What appealed to you less?

After spending about 5 months in Ghana I started to realize about midway through my experience that luxury and Western influence and comfort could actually be found-- although at a steep price. Every so often my friends and I would go out for foreign food of Thai, American, Indian and Italian influence, and on the weekends we would sometimes frequent European style night clubs. Although it was interesting to see cultural diffusion apparent all the way in Ghana, I felt like my time was best spent living like the Ghanaians who were certainly not experiencing luxuries like these. I think there is something to be said about acknowledging that Ghana is a lot more than the rugged huts and naked babies. However, at the same time, I was here to live and experience life in a way I cannot back at home, which made me believe my most impressionable experiences would be more
authentically Ghanaian.

Any regrets?
When first coming to Ghana I first interpreted the characteristic friendliness and helpfulness of the natives as aggression and forwardness. One of the major problems I experienced as a naive traveler was using individual experiences as my marker for generalized impressions. I would have one negative interaction that would then close me off to the more plentiful heartwarming experiences. Too many times, I believe I was rude and short with the natives because I was fearful of being taken advantage of, when their attempt at conversation and offers for assistance were completely genuine as Ghanaians generally are. My only regret is not softening my New Yorker hard shell earlier in the experience.

Any "Africa" plans going forward?
As of now my main goal is to successfully complete my last year of college. This being said, I think about my time in Ghana--maybe too often... And I still have too many unanswered questions; my adventurous spirit is still untamed. I sometimes think about visiting
Ghana in a few years, seeing the friends I thought I'd never see again and hopefully seeing the development that Ghana can desperately benefit from. Nothing would bring me more happiness than reuniting myself with the piece of my heart that I definitely left there.
While in Ghana, I also became really fascinated with the drastic differences in lifestyle, race, development and natural inhabitants between Ghana and South Africa. I am fearful that the seeds have been planted for my newest worldly curiosity; I doubt I'll be content until this curiosity is satisfied as well.

Message to Americans about Africa?

Back in NYC!

Let me be clear and say that my message to Americans does not come from a condescending place. I speak from my own experiences and observations and admit to being quite ignorant myself, before venturing into Africa. I would say that to acknowledge the side of the story that's less explored - be careful not to make generalizations - do not see the HUGE continent of Africa as one entity - be open to alternative styles of life... They work for many. And be wary about looking down upon developing countries, for we have lost a sense of the very fundamentals that bring them eternal happiness and contentment. Try saying hi to a stranger, walk them to their destination if they are lost, don't be so short with people, ask them about themselves, walk slow sometimes--just because you can, talk to your friends for hours, turn all the power out... What are you left with? Share everything you have with everyone. Ask yourself if you are richer or poorer. Realize that as Americans we have options- but have we always chosen the better
option?

I appreciated Emily's thoughtfulness and the fact that spending this time in Ghana probably did not turn her assumptions upside down, as she already had an open mind and heart, but at least modified them. My hope is that many more Americans will visit Africa and realize that it is not as foreign as they thought.

In the NY Times Magazine, another take on Africa, by a Maine native of a different generation, Monica Wood.

Julius Essoka, Musician from Douala

2012-06-24T10:06:00.000-04:00

Julius Essoka

After a couple of years on Twitter, I started following--or did he follow me? I don't remember!--@JuliusEssoka, who seemed to be living in Douala, Cameroon, and who was up at all hours, as he'd answer my tweets when it was late evening in New York, but in the wee hours of the night in Cameroon!
When I returned to Cameroon in January, I hoped to meet him. He braved the ridiculous traffic jams that are now a mainstay in Douala, to come visit us in our Deido neighborhood.
Julius Essoka works for MTN, in communications, by day. By night he is a talented musician. I brought back his CDs and mailed them to another African Twitter friend, Akenaata Hammagaadji, who has a weekly African music program: First World Music on @WVKR.
Of course, first I listened to the CDs, and really liked some of the songs. I can't label them--some are Makossa-style, some reminiscent of African-jazzy House Music: it's quite a mix of styles.
I interviewed him via email to find out more about him.

Julius claims he has loved music since he was a baby. As per his bio, his dad would leave a Grundig tape recorder on when he was a kid, and he'd change the tapes to whatever caught his fancy. Later, he'd hang out at local "cabarets" and after a few years started playing in a band (one of the people he played with was Richard Bona, who now lives in the United States and got his U. S. start playing with Harry Belafonte, where my spouse and I first discovered him on a TV show). Between 1982 and 1994 he played with a variety of musicians, and went to Europe for the first time in 1994. Since 1998, he produced two CDs: Jokin’at home (1998) and Epass'i n’Epassi (2008). The next one is anticipated for 2013.
At this point, he does not have musical influences per se, anymore, but he is inspired by those who remain wise and humble, despite having great career success. His collaborations are with old friends, who have become like family: the late Tom Yom's (in duet in Silane, he also wrote 2 songs for him; Lo dumea and Ebudu), Gino Sitson (also based in the U.S.) Fred Doumbe (who works with Les Nubians, amongst others), Xavier Mesa, and more.
Julius' musical style: African in general. His philosophy is to enjoy life and to make others happy; to lend a helping hand to those in need. His other passions in life are writing (he wrote novels, poems and children's tales) and... sleep: he doesn't go out much, so sleeping is his pleasure!
To hear some of Julius Essoka's music: http://juliusessoka.bandcamp.com/ (from Epass'i n’Epassi, my personal favorite).
Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/Juliusessoka (you can see scenes of the city of Douala)
Meet him on Twitter @JuliusEssoka and on Facebook at Julius Essoka.

Le Pagne and African-made fashion

2012-06-17T12:42:00.000-04:00

Display at R.W. King, Douala

One of the first stops I made while in Douala was to buy pagne, African fabric, at R.W. King.
Since a couple of years, women's clothing made with pagne is popping up in Saks Fifth Avenue and other upscale retailers' ads, at corresponding prices, in the many hundreds of dollars: Suno and Edun; in France, Toubab Paris.* In Edun's case, it certainly helps that a celebrity (Bono) and his spouse, Ali Hewson--are behind it.
These trademarks have one thing in common: non-African founders, which is sad, as the same thing happens in all design fields, and often not only for Africans, but all "developing" countries: if the designer is African (or Indian, or even Chinese), she/he is ignored by major Western media or trade representatives (retailers, galleries). On the other hand, when finally Africa joins the rest of the economically wealthy world, and I am convinced the day will come, this will become be a moot point.

Pagne

I often wore dresses made in pagne when I was living in Cameroon, and all the seamstresses in Douala are accustomed to making them. When I showed my spouse's cousin, who not only sews clothes, but also creates complete wedding environments (decor and dresses), the ads torn from the New York Times for Suno and Edun, she was flabbergasted at the prices!
Of course I had to have at least one dress made, although I wasn't ready to pay for Dutch "wax" at a much higher price point than Cameroon-made fabric. The "wax" holds out better to the strains of time, but not only is it expensive, the designs are better-suited to a specific African wardrobe than for a Western-style dress.
R.W. King was one of the outposts of the European "comptoirs coloniaux," trading outposts that have their roots all the way to the Phoenicians with Carthage, in North Africa. They were used to import fabrics and more to Sub-Saharan African countries, and exporting raw materials to Europe. It's such an old-fashioned business that I couldn't even find an R.W. King website.

My new dress by Schekina

I returned from Cameroon with my own dress, as yet unworn because of the cool rainy season we've had in the Northeastern United States. Below are a few more photos of the Douala traditional kabas and mini-kabas, easier to wear for daily life.

Kaba

Mini-kaba

Links to explore

Earlier posts in Away From Africa written about clothing in Sub-Saharan Africa: http://www.awayfromafrica.com/2010/08/traditional-and-contemporary-dress-from.html
http://www.awayfromafrica.com/2009/09/duala-mens-attire.html
http://www.awayfromafrica.com/2009/08/cameroon-street-fashion-ladies-first.html

For more information about the history of Comptoirs, trade posts, pagne, and wax, in English and in French:

French Wikipedia: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comptoir which includes a reference to the slave trade.

English Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trading_post?oldid= with a focus on Northern America.

Fah-Schyon blogs about fashion in Africa topics.

About Wax and Bazin on the Toubab Paris blog: http://toubabparis.wordpress.com/quest-ce-que-le-wax-et-le-bazin/

Note:
* Toubab (or Toubob) is the word used in West Africa to name people of European descent. The first time I ever saw this word was in Alex Haley's Roots (the book)--my first introduction to Africa south of the Sahara, so long ago!

Vickie Frémont: Return to Peru!

2012-05-27T19:21:00.000-04:00

Article about Vickie's program in Peruvian media

Vickie Frémont was invited to travel to Peru in the Fall of 2011 by the Alliance Française (French Cultural Association), to teach in various Peruvian cities how to create art from recycled items, or even trash. It was a whirlwind trip, and so well-received that she has been once again invited, for the Month of the Environment. She will be traveling to Chiclayo, Trujillo, Arequipa, Iquitos, Huancayo and Cusco, and also will teach a short program in two universities, in Arequipa and Trujillo.

Article about Vickie's program in Peruvian media

Below are a few photos from the Fall 2011 tour.

Trujillo Mall event

Collage made in Iquitos

Trujillo Mall event

Paper doll

Tourism in Sub-Saharan Africa

2012-05-10T21:01:00.000-04:00

An excellent panel discussion at the Columbia University African Economic Forum was about Tourism in Africa.

Left to right: Kobina Brew-Hammond, Rumit Mehta,
Sthu Zungu, Edward Bergman

In the news, we hear mainly of coups, famines, massacres and economic woes. These issues exist. However, the African continent is chock-full of fantastic scenery and exciting traditions, not to mention the beautiful handicrafts. Not only is travel from other continents to Africa rising, but increasingly Africans are traveling within their own continent rather than going to Europe or the United States. My first-hand experience is speaking with Cameroonians who shuttle back and forth from South Africa, which used to be on every Cameroonian's list of countries it was forbidden to visit (during Apartheid) just 20 years ago.

The panel included:
Edward Bergman, Africa Travel Association
Rumit Mehta, Immersion Journeys
Sthu Zungu, South African Tourism (America)
Kobina Brew-Hammond, Arik Air (one of the sponsors of the Forum)

Edward Bergman stressed the fact that tourism is an industry that leaves hard currency in the country visited, without removing anything from the country, such as raw materials: an especially big issue in Sub-Saharan African countries. Statistics from "The State of Tourism in Africa" include the following numbers:
476 million arrivals in Europe; 203 million in Asia-Pacific Rim; 98.2 in North America; and 63 million in Africa (including North Africa) showing much opportunity and potential for growth.

For Sthu Zungu, the highlight in recent years was the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which brought in 23% more visitors; in 2011, rather than going down, visitorship went up yet another 2%. The additional good news is the increase of visitors from the rest of the continent.

Kobina Brew-Hammond spoke of the airline industry in Africa and the fact that many passengers are "VIAFAR"- Visiting Friends and Relatives, along with Expatriates. Travel from Middle Eastern countries is rising, and this group does not come just to see animals (often the case for Westerners*). It certainly helps when the governments get engaged and engage with the private sector to encourage tourism.The cost of tickets is a big challenge; fuel costs rising have a big influence on ticket costs, as they correspond to a large percentage of a ticket price.

Rumit Mehta was born in Africa, educated as an architect, in which profession he worked for 13 years. He founded Immersion Journeys and the trips he organizes focus on Eastern/Southern Africa and more recently Ghana, for which his company was selected by National Geographic as one of "50 Tours of a Lifetime."
His perception is that Sub-Saharan Africa is still a daunting environment for American tourists, who have very little knowledge of the continent beyond (bad) current events (at the moment, Mali and Sudan) and ask what can appear to be "silly" questions. Africa has a very real branding issue. Immersion Journeys has an office in Tanzania, where requests arrive for travel to Kenya, sometimes Zambia, and South Africa.
The logistics and cost of traveling within the African continent are also a challenge to intra-continental tourism.

To the mention of how unknown Africa can be to the average American, Mr. Bergman said the perception is that a country only exists if it shows up on Google Maps! The obstacles are there, but to be turned into opportunities.

Mr. Mehta advises that the local skill set is crucial to welcome tourism; all along the line, trained people are needed. Emerging destinations are for example Ethiopia, Burundi, and Congo (wilderness trips). In his view, few people understand how much beauty there is in the continent.

Ms. Zungu spoke of the shifting media, towards a more digital space, where people can tell their own stories; also, more young people are traveling internationally, including to Africa. Twitter is bringing African voices out of the continent, but it is still early to gauge the results. There are few international correspondents on the ground; local media may not always be trustworthy.

For those who don't have an active or strong Ministry of Tourism or tourism industry: Mr. Bergman's advice is to find another ministry to obtain support for your tourism project. To that, Ms. Zungu added that even in South Africa, some provinces are under-served and struggle to get attention and funding. Mr. Mehta's added that some countries' tourism boards forbid cooperative marketing or joint campaigns, which can seriously undermine efforts to promote tourism on a tight budget.

Photo courtesy Mark Webster from Muna Tau Safaris

The 2012 ATA Congress took place in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, May 18-22.