China just this past weekend decided to pledge $60 billion to aid Africa's development, primarily in South Africa, but all over Africa, which is great. The reason behind this pledge is that China promises to help nationals become industrialize and also to" elevate its relationship with the continent beyond one centered on the extraction of raw materials."(Onishi)
China's president Xi Jinping decided to triple the amount at the last meeting which was a China-Africa summit. He wanted to reassure the audience of China's commitment amid an economic downtown whose effects have actually reverberated this year across Africa.
China's president stated how "China has the strong political commitment to supporting Africa in achieving development and prosperity.”(Onishi) Trading also seems to happen between Africa and China, so this new change would bring in goods to the Chinese and Africans would get some goods in return as well.
Today in Cameroon, activists are working on putting an end to "gender-based violence" which is "part of the global campaign 16 days of activism that ends in December 10."(Kindzeka) These rights groups are advocating against traditional practices that are harmful and unlawful to women. Cameroon is home to three hundred ethnic groups who each recite their own traditional practices.
What kind of traditions/rituals are occurring?
For example according to Voice of America news, author Moki Edwin Kindzeka stated how"In Ngomedzap village just south of Yaounde, village notable Essomba Eloundo said that as part of a cleansing ritual for a woman who has lost her husband, he feeds her millipedes and asks her to walk on her knees. He beats her with banana leaves and washes her with muddy water early in the morning.The 60-year-old man said this is a tradition they inherited from their forefathers and they will continue it.The point of the ritual is to prove that a woman did not kill her husband or conspire in his death." Yet their are other other stories of other rituals that are done to women, that are much more disturbing than this one.
Another story that stood out to me was how a twenty-four year old women stated how she and three other women had to go through a ritual when they lost their husbands in a car crash a few years ago. She stated how they had to shave their heads after being locked in a small room for a week.During this week they were fed through a small window, which makes them feel like they were prisoners or animals. Other than being locked in a room, they were not allowed to take showers and they were asked to do many rites just to prove their innocence. After the ritual was over, the main women who had started this ritual with the other women, was forced to marry her late husband's younger brother. It's shocking to know how other women around the world are getting mistreated a lot. These rituals are harming them physically, emotionally and last of all mentally.
Demanding Change:
Cameroon women have had enough of these rituals and also practices such as female genital mutilation, which still occurs in some parts of the country. Wives often get abused by their husbands. Overall women aren't being respected and don't have any rights in Cameroon. This event the first year that women right advocated are raising awareness in Cameroon about these traditions. It is actually the fourth year. Yet change is occurring within Cameroon, due to the lack of awareness within Cameroons political world and also because of education, which many Cameroon women don't happen to have, since when they are young, they stay at home and do household chores, whereas the boys go to school. This just shows how inequality is still an issue within Cameroon, and as time goes on; hopefully these traditions will start to decrease, and no longer be a harm for Cameroon women.
2.) How does Christianity play a big role in the novel "The River Between"? Did it influence those villages in central Kenya?
3.) In the novel " Things Fall Apart" the author explains the lifestyle of a Nigerian tribe that was connected to nine other villages. What was the daily lifestyle of those men who belonged to these tribes? How were women treated then?
4.) In the novel "Kaffir Boy" the author explains the living conditions during the apartheid years in South Africa. What did these families have to go through? And how harsh was the South African government to it's people?
Earlier today their was an bomb explosive that hit a bus carrying presidental guards in Tunis, Tunisia that kiled at least 12 people.
Where it happened:
The explosion happened at a bus stop where the presidential guard picks up and drops off its staff, which is near the former headquarters of the party of deposed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.Also roads in the city were already flooded with heavy rain, when the explosion hit. Also it seems as if the bomber might've detonated explosives in the vehicle.
Aftermath of the incident:
Following the incident, according to BBCNews.com they stated how "President Beji Caid Essebsi has declared a 30-day state of emergency and the capital is under curfew."
This incident left Tunisians shocked and also bewildered due to the bombers getting close to cilvilans also especially getting super close to the members of the presidental guards. Where the bombing occured which is the tree-lined Mohamad V Ave. is not only a walking distance of many well-guarded ministeries, but it also close to cinemas, shops and then also cafes.
Also the area was busy when the blast had occurred, with pedestrians and cars heading home. Their has been incidents like these in Tunis earlier this year and they had changed their security to a much more advanced one but just today a bomb had killed several people. Their has been no group that has been found guilty for this incident, it has yet to be determined. It is such a tradegy how all of these bombings keep occuring all within Africa and also the bombing that had tooken place in Paris, France about two weeks ago.
Nigeria has been having severe fuel shortage for the past few months and it has become a bigger issue this month. This shortage is affecting their daily lives, and their jobs, due to the government putting an hold on the payments for the petrol, even though Nigeria is known as Africa's main oil importer, but they don't handle the process of turning it into petrol.
The root of this issue:
According to aljazeera.com they stated how "The crisis started weeks before the March 29 elections, with oil suppliers were hit by tightened credit lines and halved international oil prices, a slump in the naira currency, and unpaid government debts the suppliers claim amount to nearly $1bn."
In May 2015, a new president came into power in Nigeria known as Muhammadu Buhari. Ever since he came into power the severe fuel shortage went even more downhill. Previous governments used to pay the wholesale fuel sellers without parliamentary approval. Whereas with President Buhari, he wanted to do things the right way.
According to BBC News.com, they stated how "…President Buhari is trying to stick to the law by refusing to release such a large sum of money without parliamentary scrutiny."
This fuel that has been put on hold, is imported at a subsidised price under a scheme operated by the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC). Just earlier this month, the government approved the payment of $2.1bn(e1.4bn) to the importers, or wholesale fuel sellers, to settle the subsidy claims, Yet this payment has been delayed because parliament has not approved it.
Today:
Many petrol stations have closed due to the shortage of petrol and they don't know when the payments will be approved. People are now being forced to buy fuel in the black market because the government won't pay the oil suppliers to manufacture the oil, so they can turn it into petrol and therefore it could be distributed back to Nigeria, from where they manufacture it.
Also their is long lines of cars waiting at petrol stations from sunrise to sunset. Their are cases where people are staying there overnight, so they can have a better chance at being the first to receive petrol if they receive some.
Their are also some places within Nigeria, where some petrol stations are giving out petroleum to people who they have connections with, which isn't okay. Hopefully this issue gets resolved soon, so Nigerians can get back to their normal routine's and go back to work.
For decades illegal gold mining has been occuring within West Africa. From Ghana to Burkina Faso and Mali, these three have succeeded within the illegal gold mining industry. This type of job is very dangerous and hundreds of African die from it ever year. They risk their lives everday so they can have a better life and have the money to carry on with their education. Ghana Illegal Gold Mining: Ghana is known to be the one country who benefits the most from this type of industry and is the best at it. It is also another hot spot for illegal gold mining. According to www.takepart.com they stated how "A 2013 studyfound that the West African nation, which is the world’s second-largest gold producer, faces an environmental crisis as a result of illegal mining. “Illegal miners have caused and continue to cause irreparable havoc to the environment especially water bodies which serve as sources of water for domestic, industrial and irrigation purposes,” wrote Amankwah Emmanuel, a researcher at Ghana’s Wa Polytechnic university, in the paper, which was published in the Journal of Earth Sciences. They also stated how “Pollution of soil and water bodies with mercury, sludge and other chemicals, destruction of farms and farm lands, degradation of land and vegetation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, encroachment of forest and game reserves among others have been the order of the day due to illegal mining" within Ghana.
Therefore illegal gold mining in Ghana is hurting the environment, and causing alot of damage within Ghana.
Mali Illegal Gold Mining: Maili is Africa's third largest gold producer. Yet the country still remains poor, and scraps that illegal miners manage to dig up are few. According to Makula Dunbar from www.afkinsider.com she stated how these miners "... arrive at 6 A.M. and stay until 6 P.M.,” Mali gold miner Awa Keita told CCTV Africa. “That’s what we do: there are times when we don’t even eat. Personally, I’ve worked so hard that my back aches. The work is very difficult.” Therefore even though illegal gold mining is occuring within Mali, these minors are risking their lives everday to make some money, that can help them live a better life.
Burkina Faso Illegal gold mining: Burkina Faso, is the third country in Africa that has illegal gold mining. Everyday dozens of people arrive to Burkina Faso's low-tech artisanal gold mines, in order to find employment. They work in poor conditions just like the other two countries and it's also dangerous as well. These minors in Burkina Faso, can go months without an income. Their has been cases where some of the minors have made a huge profit from gold mining, and can afford to buy luxury cars and motorcycles. Yet for the majority of the miners, they still live in poverty and don't make alot of profit. They make about seventeen dollars a week, which is a little bit. Even though these miners aren't making much on a daily basics, they perfer mining over farming.
Putting an end to illegal gold mining: Due to the growing rate of illegal gold mining, it has been hard to put an end to this issue. Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso government have been trying to decrease it, but it is nearly impossible to do so.
What has been happening? South Africa's university students are standing up for their rights and want college tuition's rates to not increase. It is already becoming expensive as it is. White minorities are the only ones who seem to be able to afford universities, whereas South Africans are struggling to afford to go to universities. Higher education is now being seen as a luxurious things, and all these students want is for universities to be more affordable so anyone can earn a degree and be more successful in life.
According to CNN News.com, authors Basani Baloyi and Gilad Isaacs stated how "An unprecedented movement of student activism has been sweeping South African university campuses and cities, culminating in a march on the historic Union buildings on Friday 23 October, the seat of the South African government. Not since the Soweto Uprising of 1976 have this many youth arisen to demand the right to quality and accessible education." Why are South African students struggling in general? South Africa is seen as being the most unequal society in the world. Many people are struggling to get by. Their youth also faces many problems. First of all, a third of their young people who are aged from 15-24 are either not employed or higher education. Also their unemployment rate for the youth is at 50%. Set aside from university students, primary and secondary students are also experiencing problems. Many aren't finishing high school. Also schools that are located in black townships and in rural areas tend to have the least access to quality education. Many of these students who are protesting didn't come from poor background but they all have one thing in common, which is that fees represent access, which leads to higher education and to better life, one filled with success. (Baloyi&Isaacs) Why are students protesting? Students are seeing the fee as something that will lead them to a lifetime of debt, which is what they don't want. Many students find themselves in the middle as in not being poor enough to qualify for National Student Financial Aid schemes, and then also not being wealthy enough to afford the rise in university fees, which is devastating.(Aliki Saragas) Due to these sudden changes, many students are protesting and feel upset because they can't believe how expensive universities will become and will continue to become, as the years go by. Soon higher education will be for minorities, and not for everyone.
Also the protests and student demands are not only about access but about the nature of higher education. "Academia in South Africa remains a white, predominantly male space. In 2012, white academicsmade up 53% of full-time permanent academic staff. That is a staggering amount when you consider that white people make up only 8% of the population"(Baloyi&Isaacs). What has occurred after these protests? "The students have won their demand of a 0% increase in tuition fees, with planned fee increases of up to 11.5%, at the heart of the protests. However, as ongoing demonstrations prove, the students' demands have been deeper than this. They have called for the "decolonization" and "transformation" of higher education institutions, the insourcing of outsourced workers (mostly cleaning, security and support staff, often the most vulnerable workers), and the release of their classmates arrested earlier in the week"(Baloyi&Isaacs). On October 23rd, in President Zuma of South Africa announces no increase in tuition fees due to the student protests. In Conclusion These students proved that change can happen. All you need to do is speak your mind and stand up for your rights. This is only the first step to a better education system for all these students, and they plan to stand up for their rights. 1st article link:http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/africa/fees-must-fall-student-protest-south-africa-explainer/index.html 2nd article link: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2015/10/south-african-students-protest-education-fee-hike-151025113254387.html YouTube video:
Child prositution is very common in Madagascar with young girls, and teenage girls, even though it is illegal. Many brothels in Madagascar have minors working in them and even young girls wander around cities at night and don't belong to a brothel.
Why young girls?
Young girls are the main target, becuase they are virgins when they begin. Most of these girls are as young are between the ages of 8-17. Instead of these young girls staying in school and getting an education they are pulled out of school to make money. Many of these young girls come from poor families, who are in desperate need of money.
In some cases, parents even put their children into prositution which is very wrong for a parent to do, but when they are struggling day to day, they need any type of income in order to survive. Young girls could either make alot of money at first or make a little bit of money, becuase they are new to the prositution world. Their is also cases where young girls mothers also are prositutes and thats the way they live their lives, as in it passes from one generation to the other. It is seen as being an easy way to make money.
What has the child prosiutution done for Madagascar as a whole?
It has actually boosted it's economy. According to author Aaron Ross from www.minnpost.com he stated how "Madagascar has long grappled with the scourge of child prostitution. Yet since a 2009 coup d’état sent the country spiraling into political and economic disarray, the problem has reached crisis proportions".
Foreign sex tourists?
Many clients of children who are prositutes are foreign tourists and older men. According to Aaron Ross from www.minnpost.com he also stated how "Foreign sex tourists account for much of the demand. In 2011, the last year for which official figures are available, 225,000 tourists visited Madagascar, a 15 percent increase over the previous year. Fifty-eight percent of those were from France, the former colonial power. And while most undoubtedly came to enjoy the country’s pristine beaches and lemur-filled forests, significant numbers arrived with less wholesome intentions".
Also child prositution occurs in the resort islan of Nosy Be; and other big cities like Toamasina, the capital, Antananarivo and many other cities and also in mining towns like Ilakaka in the south.
What can we do, to put a stop to this?
Their is not much being done to somewhat allievate this issue. Many families within Madagascar are okay with child prositution and don't view it as being something unlawful or bad, which is what I don't understand. It's never okay to be involved in prositution especially child prositution and the fact that parents within Madagascar are okay with it and even pushing their kids into this type of indsusty leaves me feeling speechless.
The governent has done anything to resolve this issue or decrease it. They will not even address the issue and even ignore the issue becuase it provides a source of income with their economy needs, since many families within Madagascar live in poverty.
I feel like an issue like this is something that everyone should be aware of and address, it may bring income to many families, but it is not okay to to make your daily income in an industry like this. Children should be in school, getting an education and keep growing in a postitive way, and all of these families are leading their children or are supporting their children not in the right way, which is leading them down the wrong path in life.
