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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