Here comes BENIN

This week, I will be shifting my attention from Nigeria to Benin, next to Nigeria. Just to clarify, there is a state in Nigeria called Benin (same spelling, pronounced differently) state. However, I cam referring to Benin, the country.
   
Since Benin is the country on the right of Nigeria, I thought it wise to talk about Benin this week. Please check out this cool video I found about Benin right here. You will love the immense serenity that emerges from Benin.
Yes!!. Africa is wonderful.
Thank for watching in Advance.

Also, I would like to shout out Davida Woodard for speaking extensively about injustice through her Your Voice Matters: Injustice Being Unsilenced. Here, Davida talks about many of the other injustices besides the one that is being done to Africa, which I address.

Why Nigeria? Why Not?

One may be wondering why I have spent about three weeks talking about Nigeria. Well, why not? Nigeria has in recent times been labeled as a country of violence since many negative item have in recent times, made headlines. This is because of the constant religious unrest between the two predominant religious group in the country, the Christians and the Muslims.

Also, the Nigerian government has recently passed a law for anyone who comes out or is identified as being gay to

be imprisoned for about ten years, I believe, which highlights Nigeria's stands on gay rights.

However, something else people need to know about Nigeria besides the headlines is that Nigeria has on of the fastest growing economies in Africa today. Nigerians has many beautiful natural landmarks that are far more greater than what is seen in the headlines.

Please, do not get me wrong. I am not saying that these things are not going and are not important (plus, they are entitled to make whichever laws they choose to make). I am saying that what you see is the least of Nigeria.

My purpose for talking about Nigeria is to draw your attention from the violent Nigeria you see on CNN to the beautiful Nigeria in Nigeria.

Back to Nigeria- Places to Visit

    This week, I continue with Nigeria.  I am not very familiar with Nigeria as I am with my own country, Ghana. However I must say Nigeria is the only country I am very familiar with besides Ghana. I have had to some digging and research to find the places worth visiting in Nigeria.With the movies and the music videos I have watched, Nigeria indeed has many wonderful sights worthy of the eye. You will be giving your eyes great pleasure if you are able to get them to see these beautiful sights. And so in my search, I found two videos that give a view of some places in some of the Nigerian States. The second video is even more breath-taking.  I hope you enjoy the Nigeria they do not show you on TV.

Are There Cars in Africa???

        This week, I planned on bringing you yet another interesting item from Nigeria. However, minds changed. Actually, I remembered something that happened a few months back. About five months about five months ago, a friend of mine who was fascinated by my accent and about the fact that I am a Ghanaian, told me that she had a lot of questions to ask me. Well, when she said that my mind went blank about the kind of questions she would ask me, but when she asked me the first question, I just closed my eyes, shook my head, and gave a faint giggle. 

        Her question was this: "Patience, are there cars where you come from?" "Well yes there are." I answered. "Oh really? My mom says you guys walk everywhere." She continued in disbelief. Like I said, I closed my eyes, shook my head and slightly giggled. I giggled not because of her ignorance but because of how serious she was when she asked. I explained to her gently, that indeed just as people in the United States get around here in buses,cars, and trucks, we do same in Africa. Ride in buses, mini vans, cars, trucks, motor cycles, canoes, and many other means of transportation. We do walk, but not to everywhere. 

        I understood why someone would think that because Africans walk a lot, there are no cars in African countries. In Africa, our general way of life require us to do a lot of walking. In Ghana for instance, people who are farmers, walk to their farms. These farms are usually located miles away from their homes or the main village, on paths that are not capable of accommodating any type of vehicle but human less. 

        Also, because roads in some villages are not always tared, many vehicles do not like to ply them. This makes the amount of vehicle that come to those particular places very limited. With that in mind, the people use the option of walking to their destination if it is within a walking distance of about 45 minutes to many be an hour; at most two or three hours of walking distance. The thing is, if ones body is used to doing something, doing it at a time when is it extremely necessary is not at all a problem. Even in the city, where cars, mini vans and buses literally beg you to use their services, my friend and I sometimes chose to walk about an hour to her house from school, and then I would continue to walk an extra thirty minutes to my house. We loved it. 

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Lets Talk Nigeria- Ogene Dance

        Still in mood for some music and entertainment? I would like to take you to the land of the Ibos the Yorubas, and the Hausa people.This week we are taking a stroll into Nigeria, the land enrich with overflowing oil and beauty.  Located a little above the equator and two countries away from Ghana, Nigeria is over 356, 669 square miles. This is about three times the size of Germany and six times the size of New York. From the Ibo people of Nigeria comes the Ogene dance, which i will be focusing on.

         The Ogene is a dance named after a metallic musical instrument, Ogene, that comes in a pair.Traditionally, the Ogene instrument is known to be an instrument for calling assembly and the ancestors, but clearly that is not its only use. Combined with other instrument, the Ogene instrument creats rhythms breath taking enough to shake some rigid legs.  Dancers of the Ogene dance move their legs according to the 4 step rhythm of the Ogene instrument.
       
        In the vedio is a group of students dancing the Ogene dance just to give you a peep at it. You will notice that the dancers have furry sticks in their hands. Their waists, legs, necks, and wrists are adorned with large red beads. If you are wondering why, please, do not wonder any further. It is all part of the culture. I told you. It is beautiful. So, Like I always say, as you watch this vedio, please, enjoy the Ogene coming to you from the great continent of Africa.

Some Limbs Moving Music

 Not to surprise my readers too much but this week, I have something special and very different for you. Just to give my readers a tinny taste and glimpse of some of  African music, I have selected a few of my favorite songs from some favorite artists in some countries in Africa. Even though these songs may not be entirely in English, music as they say is Universal language. I do not expect everyone to understand the language or even know the song, but I guarantee that you will love and enjoy it. It is totally fine if you cannot figure out how to dance to them. Just do whatever you can. So, as you enjoy, remember that this beautiful music is by African Artists made in Africa.  Please, do let me know if you enjoy them through your comments.

       

Success is From Within

              Once again, this week, I will be talking about something different from the normal, yet very relevant to this "campaign". During the first semester of my first year of college (it is still my first year), I watched a video in INST 150 which was a Faith, Reason and Justice class. The video was about Camden; the poverty and violence that has taken over the city. In the beginning of the video, the presenter, Diane Sawyer, said something that touched my heart so much. She said that success is measured from within.

              This touched my heart so much because what she was implying in this case was that, in order for a country to get a correct measure of how successful it is and how achieving it has been, it must first look within it self. It must asses the lives of its people- whether mostly good or mostly bad, the nature of its law systems- whether it is beneficial enough to it people, prevents the oppression of the poor, and most of all, if it brings justice. It must also asses the medical system, the educational system, and many others in order to feel accomplished.
       
               However, what I have observed in this country is the opposite.The United States rather measures its success based what other nations have and do not have. Some people in the United States look at the entire African continent and assume that because the African continent lacks certain things, the United States is way way way way better.  They then assume that we all (Africans) are poor because some parts of a few some countries in the Africa do not have schools that are conducive enough or water that is portable, and that the government is not doing anything about it. Because of this, the United States, which is one country, is better than an entire continent made up of over 50 countries.
       
              It is these same few people with this idea who forget that not all schools in the United States have environments conducive enough to support education for all student. These same people forget that there are so many things lacking in the United States as much as they are lacking in countries in Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, Niger, Tanzania, Madagascar, and all the other countries. Similarly, all countries lack something valuable and necessary. Therefore technically, no one who compares African to America or any other developed country in the world, is morally right.