Month: February 2019
The United States of America has injected $40 million towards boosting Ethiopia’s health sector to provide quality and affordable healthcare services to its citizen.
With an estimated population of over 105 million people since 2017, the Horn of Africa country would greatly benefit from the finances.
The US, Ethiopia’s largest bilateral donor in the health sector has already invested over $4 billion in development and humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia over the past five years.
Health service delivery in Ethiopia is characterised by an inadequate number of well-trained health providers, limited health infrastructure and shortages of finance, equipment, and supplies, which on the flip side has offered opportunities for investors.
Commenting on the financial aid invested in the coming five years as part of the Health Financing Improvement Program launched yesterday, USAID Mission Director Leslie Reed said, “We look forward to continuing our joint work to tackle the challenges facing health financing as part of overall efforts to build a truly sustainable and resilient health system in Ethiopia.”
“Together, we can show other developing countries around the world that with the right political will and commitment, it is possible to lay the promising foundation to a self-reliant healthcare system, capable of providing high-quality health services to all citizens in every corner of the country” he added.
“Under the new program, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will work with the Ministry of Health to strengthen policy and financing reforms that enable public and private entities to better provide primary health services while reducing out-of-pocket expenses for Ethiopians,” a statement from the U.S Embassy read.
Ethiopia has a large, predominantly rural, and impoverished population with poor access to safe water, housing, sanitation, food and health service and the government is working to strengthen the healthcare system to align it with the Millennium Development Goals.
US Secretary of State, Michael R. Pompeo released a press statement on the occasion of the 54th Independence day anniversary of Gambia on February 18th.
Pompeo stated in the statement that the US remained committed to a strong partnership with The Gambia and looked forward to continued cooperation on efforts to promote democracy, good governance, and economic growth.
See more details of the message
Continue reading “Michael R. Pompeo salutes Gambia on National Day”
More than 7,000 miles separates Western New York from Namibia, Africa, however that distance will seem less now thanks to a recent grant award and the Building Cultural Bridges program.
Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES is part of a grant consortium that was recently awarded a three-year Learning Technology Grant from New York state. The grant, in partnership with Educators of America and its Building Cultural Bridges program, focuses on increasing cross-cultural awareness between diverse countries.
“This is a great opportunity for our students and staff to see beyond our borders and community,” said Bryan Olson, Coordinator of Distance Learning. “By utilizing video technology equipment, students and staff will travel to places that are culturally and ethnically different from their own. It makes the world smaller and unites us as a global community.”
said Bryan Olson, Coordinator of Distance Learning. “By utilizing video technology equipment, students and staff will travel to places that are culturally and ethnically different from their own. It makes the world smaller and unites us as a global community.”
The $527,011 grant will provide video technology equipment, project-based learning projects and program support through personnel to facilitate the program and connect classrooms. The students in the E2CCB component school districts of Pine Valley, Jamestown, Gowanda, Cassadaga and Forestville, in addition to Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda and Cleveland Hill UFS districts, will benefit from the enhanced programming.
Continue reading “Group in New York awards grant to help American and African students interact”
You might hear his voice and wonder why you’ve never heard of J.S Ondara but that is set to change because we are going to introduce you to the silky-voiced crooner.
Ondara is a Kenyan who moved to the United States of America six years ago after winning a Green Card lottery that allowed him to settle down there, where he picked up guitar playing from scratch.
The interesting thing about his artistic journey is that it all started with a bet gone wrong!
He had bet with a friend that the song Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door was written by the band, Guns N’ Roses, his favourite band and not by the legendary musician Bob Dylan.
Continue reading “Meet J.S Ondara: The next big musical export from Kenya to the world”
The poor economic outlook, weak investment climate and concerns about property ownership are all reasons affluent South Africans are looking for a second citizenship as a matter of priority, says Nadia Read-Thaele, director of LIO Global, World Residence and Citizenship.
This year has seen a notable rise in emigrations and HNWI (high net-worth) individuals looking to shift some of their wealth into offshore destinations to secure a second residency or citizenship, said Read-Thaele.
“Many clients do not actually want to leave the country, but want a second passport as a security option,” Read-Thaele stressed, adding that a second passport is often sought as it allows freedom of travel as many of the top European and Caribbean Programmes offer visa-free access to top international markets.
While the UK, Australia and USA are top options for emigration, these have among the highest property prices in the world and many other draw-backs for South Africans.
It is also very difficult to get into these countries, the immigration expert said.
South Africans are therefore looking to ‘buy’ a second citizenship, either by a donation of sorts to the government or investment into property, or a combination , depending on what that government’s programme requires in order for investors to qualify.
Nimetembea sijamuona msichana kama Aoko…
imetembea sijamuona msichana kama Aoko…
This is one of the most famous lines in arguably Jabali Afrika’s greatest song of all time, Aoko.
Teenage Kenyan music fans — and most certainly those in their early 20s — may not resonate with songs by one of the continent’s most iconic Afro-rock jam bands, but the journey by the legendary ensemble reads like a fairytale.
Teenage Kenyan music fans — and most certainly those in their early 20s — may not resonate with songs by one of the continent’s most iconic Afro-rock jam bands, but the journey by the legendary ensemble reads like a fairytale.
After bolting out due to unresolvable differences, former members of Kenya National Theatre (KNT) Dance Troupe formed Jabali Afrika on February 12, 1993.
Justo Asikoye, Peter Mutua, Josek Asikoye, Evans Chagala, Victor Savana Elolo and Robert Owino threw in the towel to chart their own way, but one would wonder why this powerful troupe split even after making a serious musical impact in the country and beyond.
Justo Asikoye, Peter Mutua, Josek Asikoye, Evans Chagala, Victor Savana Elolo and Robert Owino threw in the towel to chart their own way, but one would wonder why this powerful troupe split even after making a serious musical impact in the country and beyond.
“We wanted independence, freedom and space to express our creativity in a more profound manner. Our decision to break away wasn’t that easy because we had already established ourselves at KNT, but we had to make a decision anyway,” says Justo Asikoye, 48, one of the most recognisable faces of Jabali Afrika.
Continue reading “After 20 year sojourn in America, kenyan band, Jabali Afrika, returns home”
An opinion piece by Herman J. Cohen former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1989-1993), U.S. ambassador to Senegal and The Gambia (1977-1980), a National Security Council member (1987-1989) and a 38-year veteran of the Foreign Service.
President Trump likes to overturn his predecessor’s initiatives, but so far the US-Africa relationship has been defined by policy continuity—a rare bipartisan bright spot among domestic and foreign turmoil. Yet there are clouds on the horizon.
Public statements by senior American officials, including President Trump himself, foreshadow potentially troubling moves which threaten to undermine decades of mutually beneficial relations.
The first half of President Trump’s term has been good news for Africa. His first Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, is an expert diplomat and the right man for the job. Work continues apace at President Obama’s two signature programs, Power Africa and Feed the Future; at George W. Bush’s Millennium Challenge Corporation, and at PEPFAR, the hugely successful U.S. initiative to fight HIV/AIDS. Every year, more African nations are taking advantage of unilateral free-trade privileges under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The military’s U.S. Africa Command continues to provide assistance and advisors to nations fighting Islamist terrorism and other threats to regional stability.
These programs are working. But there are a few indications that the Trump administration could pull the rug out from underneath.
Continue reading “TRUMP MAY BE ABOUT TO UNDERMINE OBAMA’S AFRICA POLICY |”
Three new exhibitions and over a dozen programs will take place from February through May
PhilAesthetic returns to the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) to celebrate the African Diaspora.
Funded through The PNC Foundation through the PNC Arts Alive initiative, and curated by AAMP, PhilAesthetic shines a light on the vastness, depth and impact of diasporic arts and culture here in Philadelphia, and worldwide.
This year marks the 400-year anniversary of the arrival of Africans to British colonies of 1619. These individuals brought with them a rich cultural tapestry that would shape the foundations of our country, and go on to influence creative expression around the globe.
Honoring the cultural contributions of diasporic communities past and present, this year’s PhilAesthetic celebration includes three new exhibitions at AAMP, including “AAMP on Paper: Selections from the Permanent Collection,” along with “Baye Fall: Roots in Spirituality, Fashion” and “Resistance and The Sacred Star of Isis and Other Stories,” which include photographs by MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora founders Laylah Amatullah Barrayn Adama and Delphine Fawundu. In addition to these exhibitions, PhilAesthetic includes more than a dozen programs held both at the museum and with partnering institutions around Philadelphia through May.
Continue reading “PhilAesthetic: AAMP celebrates the African Diaspora in Philadelphia”
More than 100 artisans and 170 films from around the world are being showcased at the 27th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival in Los Angeles.
The multiday event in the largely African American neighborhood of Baldwin Hills aims to connect Africans to people of African descent from around the world.
“As a result of the slave trade and colonization, African people are spread all over the planet, so we get a chance through this festival, get a chance to know each other,” said the festival’s executive director, Ayuko Babu.
Film, fine art, fashion and jewelry with Africa as inspiration are all featured at the festival.
Continue reading “Pan African Festival Connects African Diaspora Through the Arts”
From Feb. 17-23, the Wellesley African Students’ Association (WASA) invites the Wellesley College community to take part in Africa Week.
Originally called the African Film Festival when it was established in 2004, the event as a chance for the community to focus on different African perspectives through film.
Africa Week is put on during Black History Month and focuses on having the community engage with various aspects of different African cultures. Aside from solely screening films, Africa Week allows WASA to invite different organizations on campus to showcase their talents in order to highlight the diversity of African culture.
Continue reading “West African Students host annual African week to highlight diversity”
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) on Saturday announced their plan to launch the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa.
The BAL will be built on the foundation of current club competitions FIBA is organizing in Africa. Scheduled to begin play in January 2020, the BAL would mark the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America.
The NBA also announced its plan to introduce a re-imagined direct-to-consumer offering of NBA games for fans in Africa by the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. The offering would include new packages, features and localized content, with additional details to be announced at a later date.
Continue reading “NBA and FIBA announce plan to launch professional basketball league in Africa”
By BUKOLA IDOWU
With an estimated inflow of $25 billion remitted by Nigerians abroad in 2018, chief economist at PriceWaterCoopers (PwC) Nigeria, Prof Andrew Nevin, said Nigeria’s citizens living outside the country are its biggest export.
Nigerians had remitted $22 billion in 2017 making it the highest in the Sub-Saharan Africa region followed by Senegal and Ghana with $2.2 billion each for the year. Currently, the country is in the top five nations in global remittances.
PwC’s Chief Economist, in a report titled, “Nigeria Economic Outlook: Top 10 Themes For 2019”, noted that remittances remitted to Nigeria represent 6.1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and translate to 83 per cent of the Federal Government budget in 2018.
He said Nigeria’s migrant remittance inflows was also seven times larger than the net official development assistance (foreign aid) received in 2017 of $3.359 billion, stating that, “Nigeria’s biggest export is not oil; it is actually people, because of the remittances coming in.”
Continue reading “Nigerian diaspora remitted $25 billion home in 2018”
On Friday, Feb. 15 from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Senate Chambers of the Old Capital Museum, the African Studies Program and the Office of Outreach and Engagement at the University of Iowa presented My Daughters Are My Writings, a new play based on oral histories of seven Iowa City residents from Sudan compiled by two UI graduate students, followed by a talk by Steve Howard, a scholar visiting from Ohio University (Athens), about Mahmoud Mohammed Taha, a Sudanese Muslim social reformer whose work initiated the Republican Brotherhood before and after Sudan’s independence from Britain.
The play is a truly interdisciplinary affair: Written by UI alum Margot Connolly, based on excerpts from Howard’s book and interviews by graduate students from the history department, it is directed by UI theater graduate student Britny Horton, who acts in the play alongside three fellow graduate students.
Taha is best known for the Second Message of Islam, which distinguishes the verses in the Koran revealed in Medina (the basis of Sharia law) from those initially revealed in Mecca. The latter, from Taha’s perspective, would provide the basis of an ideal religion based on freedom and equality — including the equality of men and women.
Continue reading “Interviews form basis of new play about the legacy of Sudan in Iowa City”
For many Major League Soccer players, the offseason is a much-needed time to rest, travel and relax with family. But for Los Angeles FC forward Latif Blessing, the offseason was a time to focus on his greatest passion — using the sport of soccer to give back to his hometown.
Continue reading “Los Angelese FC forward Latif Blessing gives back to his Ghanaian village”
As I headed home on the plane, my mind was abuzz. The engines steadily hummed in the background, dulled only by the even louder thoughts that raced through my mind. The plane lights were dim. Snores ebbed and flowed around me, my neighbors nothing but still heaps piled under blankets. Meanwhile, I sat wide awake, staring ahead into space, unable to settle down.
I was on my way back to the US after a 3-week span of conferences and research project work in East Africa. This exercise isn’t new to me, however. I am a penultimate example of the “reverse diaspora,” where a particular area of expertise (my academic research) which is focused in Kenya has landed me there for increasingly more frequent stints every year for the past several years. While I was born in America to Kenyan immigrant parents, I was raised in Kenya from a young age.
I went on to pursue secondary education in America, and now hold a faculty appointment at a US institution. In some shape or form, I knew that I’d return some day.
Continue reading “Bridging the gap: Africa’s science landscape and the African diaspora”
By Landry Signé and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
This year’s Black History Month is being celebrated with a higher sense of African pride, given the unprecedented enthusiasm generated by Marvel’s “Black Panther” last year and increased conversations about a better representation of minority groups.
“Wakanda”—a fictitious, prosperous, “futuristic, powerful, and proud African nation”—salutes black culture by “shedding light on black excellence.” After the movie’s release, many in black America—and across ethnicities—and around the world are wondering how to turn this fiction into reality.
During the hype of “Black Panther,” we both were giving talks on how to unlock Africa’s potential to African-American professionals, community, and business leaders. Many of them asked us how they could help make Africa as successful as the imaginary Wakanda. In other words, where are the opportunities to develop mutually beneficial relations between Africa, African Americans, and the United States?
We propose strategies focused on three themes: tourism in Africa; trade and investment in and with Africa; and knowledge, innovation, and technology sharing to improve U.S.-Africa relations.
Nigeria headquartered online retail giant, Jumia is mulling a listing in America. It appears the efforts of Rocket Internet to cash out on Jumia will finally pay off as the eCommerce giant is planning to launch its Initial Public Offering (IPO) this year on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
As reported by Bloomberg, the planned listing could value the company at $1.5 billion. The move to have the company listed on the NYSE raises a couple of questions, one of which is about the choice of New York and not any of the African countries Jumia operates in.
MTN Group — the major stakeholder of the company — is looking forward to raising $600 million from the offering, having revealed plans to sell its 40% stake in the company last year.
African communities pride themselves on preparing traditional fare with vegetables, meats and spices from their home countries, something a local food market in London, Ont. supplies.
Payless African and Caribbean Food Market opened its doors at 875 Hamilton Rd. nearly two years ago, answering the call from local friends and family for ingredients from home. At the time, the couple was living in Caledon, Ontario.
“We saw a need here and I began to persuade my husband to drop his construction work and open an African market,” said Ade Taiwo, co-owner of Payless African and Caribbean Food Market.
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Sudanese refugee Kuol Deng sits in his Louisville apartment next to a stack of old black and white Western films that his daughter and son will watch from South Sudan using FaceTime.
It has been more than three years since Kuol has seen his kids in person. They often ask him when they will get to come to America — a difficult question to which he doesn’t know the answer.
On the other side of town, fellow Sudanese refugee Rizik Lado sits outside his apartment tightening his shoes in preparation for a run. This time, the run is for leisure, but he can still remember running while bullets whizzed past his body as he fled his village in South Sudan.
Continue reading “It isn’t easy migrating to America. Three refugees’ stories”
Photography– Willy Vanderperre Styling-Olivier Rizzo Text-Lynette Nylander
It’s been just six years since her Oscar-winning turn as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave but Lupita Nyong’o has already redefined what screen actresses might be, what they might achieve, what they might represent, and how they might inspire others. In fiction, she has inhabited different worlds, told different stories. In reality, she has affirmed the beauty of millions of black women across the globe, reaching way beyond the limitations of cinema.
Last year, as special-forces operative Nakia in Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-nominated Black Panther, Lupita Nyong’o and her accompanying all-black lead cast – unprecedented in the superhero-movie genre – caused a seismic shift.
Marrying the black experience, which in Hollywood is rarely seen through the African lens, with fantasy fiction, the resultant epic carries an enormous cultural significance that will be its legacy. It was wildly popular:
Black Panther was the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time. 2018 also saw Nyong’o reprise her performance as Maz Kanata in the Star Wars franchise, due for release later this year. Both roles – pivotal to megawatt, mega-buck productions – transcend any vague notion of Nyong’o as an ingenue, a rising star.
Continue reading “Lupita Nyong’o, A Gracious Role Model for Our Times”
Former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner F.W. De Klerk stopped by Illinois State University on Tuesday to talk to students on the topic “Bridging the Gap: Globalization Without Isolation.”
In 1994, De Klerk and the late Nelson Mandela collaborated to end apartheid, or institutional racial segregation, in South Africa.
De Klerk said though many call him “the last president of apartheid” he did not support it, and worked to change the country once he was elected. When it comes to America, he said the country used to be a leader in racial equality.
“I think America should go back to its good history of eradicating discrimination and fighting racism,” De Klerk said.
He came to the university to be a part of their Speaker Series, bringing history to life. Continue reading “Former South African President, De Klerk speaks on “Globalization Without Isolation” at Illinois State University”
By Ashley Schafer
Otrude Moyo, chair of the Department of Social Work at the University of Michigan-Flint has been named a Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship from the Institute of International Education.
She joins a prestigious group of 385 scholars who have been awarded African Diaspora Fellowships to travel to Africa since the program’s inception in 2013.
Moyo received the fellowship for her project, “Internationalizing the Social Work Curriculum: Breathing Life into New Possibilities, Integrating Local-Global Thinking about Social Problems to Rebuild Healthy and Vibrant Communities.” Moyo will collaborate with faculty at the University of Fort Hare in South Africa on the project.
Moyo, an assistant professor, specializes in social welfare, critical multiculturalism, diversity and social justice, understanding quality of life, and inequality issues. She currently teaches social policy, diversity and social justice courses at University of Michigan-Flint.
By Chidinma Irene Nwoye
As a child in the Congo-Brazzaville, Therese Patricia Okoumou loved climbing things, particularly houses. No one else, not even her brothers, joined her in these escapades; feats that decades later came in handy as she scaled New York City’s revered Statue of Liberty on July 4, 2018, in protest of President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy.
By doing this, Okoumou became the first woman in history to successfully climb Lady Liberty’s pedestal but she could spend up to 18 months behind bars for doing so.Last December, a federal district court in Manhattan found Okoumou guilty of three misdemeanors: disorderly conduct, trespassing, and interfering with government agency functions.
Each charge carries a sentence of up to six months in prison. Ruling in The United States of America v. Therese Okoumou, Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein asserted that Okoumou’s political motivations did not override the law.
Nigeria expects $3 billion in investment funding from citizens living mainly in the U.S. to support the agriculture, power, mining and transportation sectors, a senior presidential adviser said.
The government will support “a diaspora investment fund,” Abike Dabiri-Erewa, President Muhammadu Buhari’s adviser on diaspora affairs, said in an interview in Abuja, the capital. “They’re planning a $3 billion investment in Nigeria. The fund will be driven by Nigerians in America.”
Continue reading “Nigeria Expects $3 Billion in Diaspora Investment Funding”
Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo has called for support to construct the National Cathedral of Ghana.
He made the call on Friday, February 8, 2019, at the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC.
Prior to the launch of fundraising for the National Cathedral of Ghana, on December 28, 2018, the President made a personal donation of $100,000, a demonstration of his commitment towards the building of the Cathedral.
The National Cathedral of Ghana when constructed will have an auditorium with a seating capacity of 5,000 and with its chapels and baptistery.
Johannesburg – Multiple award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir have won the Best World Music Album Grammy for their collection of songs titled Freedom.
The awards took place on Sunday night in Los Angeles and were hosted by Alicia Keys.
This was the group`s fifth nomination in this category and they have now won the prestigious award a total of three times.
Receiving the award on behalf of Soweto Gospel Choir were album producer Diniloxolo Ndlakuse Shimmy Jiyane, Mary Mulovhedzi and Mulalo Mulovhedzi whose late father David Mulovhedzi co-founded the group with producer/director Beverly Bryer 17 years ago.
Continue reading “Soweto Gospel Choir take home 2019 World Music Awards at Grammys”
BY AMARACHI NWOSU
Ibra Ake is a Nigerian-American visual artist, creative director and writer based in Los Angeles, California. Living in cities around the world from Lagos to New York has played a major role in his unique approach to visual art.
From shooting covers of magazines to being the creative director for artist’s like Childish Gambino as well as writing on the hit show Atlanta, Ake is no stranger to expressing himself through different mediums.
Having been introduced to art through animation and drawing, he later picked up photography through a class in art school before he decided to leave, and go into creating full time.
Nigerian-American producer, writer and filmmaker, Ibra Ake snagged his first Grammy Award at the 61st ceremony. He won the award for Best Music Video for producing Childish Gambino’s critically acclaimed visuals for ‘This is America’.
Reacting to the win, Ake excitedly tweeted @ibralikezebra, “I can’t believe I just won a Grammy. Where’s the catch? Royalty forever.”
The visual artist, creative director and writer based in Los Angeles, California and shuttles between cities around the world from Lagos to New York.
While he has spent most of his life in America, he constantly credits his Nigerian upbringing for allowing him to understand the value of documentation and storytelling.
Ake, who grew up in Nigeria and New Jersey, is also a writer for hit TV show, ‘Atlanta’ which also features Childish Gambino.
Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America’ won a total of four Grammy awards on Sunday night.
