Searching for fast and yummy rice recipe meal ideas tonight for dinner? Then taste our recipe today and make simple Nigerian white coconut rice.

Nigeria has a rich history of food and culture. Here is one of our favorite recipes from Nigeria, Coconut Rice. This coconut rice side dish goes well with pork or chicken.

Simple Nigerian White Coconut Rice Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups cooked jasmine or white rice
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Directions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat add oil, heat then add shredded coconut, toast until light brown. Reduce heat to low, fold in remaining ingredients to the shredded coconut mixture. Serve warm.

More easy breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes to make right now.

• Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe 
• Ethiopian Scrambled Egg Breakfast 
• Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli 
• Chadian Steamed Honey Cassava Buns 
• Nigerian Breakfast Fried Akara and Ogi 

Drinking hibiscus bloom herbal tea is good for you since hibiscus teas made from edible flowers can be hot, at room temp, iced made with little or no sugar.

Drinking Hibiscus Bloom herbal tea brewed from freshly gathered and dried hibiscus is an easy way to get nature's healing strength into your body. African hibiscus teas can be hot, at room temperature or iced.

There are no hard and fast rules about hibiscus bloom flower African tea brewing. Everyone’s tastes and preferences are different. Some like strong herbal teas and others prefer mild or lightly flavored herbal infusions. 

You can also buy your herbs dried from health food stores, and this is an excellent source for more exotic herbals. A dried herb will have a stronger flavor than a fresh herb. Dried Hibiscus Bloom Tea is the perfect recipe for an exotic yet simple tea. 

There are tons of fresh herbs that of course are preferable for making herbal teas such as dried hibiscus flowers or Flor De Jamaica. Be sure to always rinse and wash herbs and flowers prior to making tea. 

Use one teaspoon of dried herbs per cup of water, more to taste. When making a flower or herbal tea with small leaf and green leaf type plants, you can use a tea strainer. The tea strainer eliminates the need to strain off the small leaves later. 

Add your desired amount to a tea strainer or teapot. Cover with boiling water a let steep for 2- 5 minutes or until you created your perfect cup of tea based on tour preference.

 

Try these five simple herbal tea recipes combinations using one cup of warmish hot water.

1. 1 small piece ginseng root. 

2. 1 teaspoon dried peppermint leaves and 1 teaspoon dried spearmint leaves.

 

3. 1 teaspoon mint and 1 teaspoon lemongrass.

 

4. 1 teaspoon dried Echinacea.

 

5. 1 teaspoon dried hibiscus flowers and 1 teaspoon mint.

More economical easy lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring meal again.

1. Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe
2. Yedoro Stir Fried Ethiopian Chicken Dinner
3. Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli
4. Caldo Verde Portuguese Kale Soup
5. Air Fryer Black Eyed Pea Dumpling Stew

The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded 109 times to 113 Nobel Laureates between 1901 and 2016; four were African authors.

African authors who won the Nobel Prize for Literature

Discover more African authors and book-centered history in the African Bookshelf Hub .

A person or organization awarded the Nobel Prize is called Nobel Laureate. The word "laureate" refers to being signified by the laurel wreath. In ancient Greece, laurel wreaths were awarded to victors as a sign of honor.

African authors who have won the Nobel Prize for Literature

Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka, an African author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature  

Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka

Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka (Wole Soyinka) from Nigeria wrote in English in 1986 in drama, novels, and poetry. He says he uses myths as "the aesthetic matrix" for his writing. Soyinka was the first person and only black African from Africa to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The dramas stand out as Wole Soyinka's most significant achievement. They are made to be acted on the stage, with dance, music, masques, and mime as essential components. But his plays can also be read as important and fascinating literary works from a richly endowed writer's experience and imagination - and with roots in a composite culture with a wealth of living and artistically inspiring traditions.

Soyinka is an author who writes with great deliberation, and especially in his novels and poems, he can be avant-artistically sophisticated. During the war years, his time in prison, and afterward, his writing takes on a more tragic character. The psychological, moral, and social conflicts appear increasingly complex and menacing.

Najîb Mahfûz, an African author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature  

Najîb Mahfûz from Egypt wrote in Arabic in 1988 in the genre of the novel; Cairo also provides, time and again, the setting for his novels, short stories, and plays.

Najîb Mahfûz

In Arabic literature, the novel is actually a 20th-Century phenomenon, more or less contemporary with Mahfouz. And it was he who, in due course, was to bring it to maturity. Some milestones are Midaq Alley, The Trilogy, Children of Gebalawi, The Thief and the Dogs, Chit-Chat on the Nile, Respected Sir, and Mirrors. Incredibly varied and partly experimental, these novels range from psychological realism to an allegorical and mystic-metaphysical design. Naguib Mahfouz has an unrivaled position as spokesperson for Arabic prose.

Through him, in the cultural sphere to which he belongs, the art of the novel and the short story has attained international standards of excellence, resulting from a synthesis of classical Arabic tradition, European inspiration, and personal artistry. Najîb Mahfûz died August 30, 2006, at age 94, in Cairo.

Nadine Gordimer, an African author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature

Nadine Gordimer

The only female to date Nadine Gordimer of South Africa in 1991 in the genres of novel, short story, and essay. Art is on the side of the oppressed, Nadine Gordimer says in one of her essays, urging us to think before we dismiss this heretical idea about the freedom of art. If art is freedom, she asks, how could it exist within the oppressors?

She has dared to write as if censorship did not exist, and so has seen her books banned, time after time. Above all, it is people, individual men and women, that have captured her and been captured by her.

It is their lives, their heaven and hell, that absorb her. 

The outer reality is ever present, but through her characters, the whole historical process is crystallized. Conveying to the reader a powerful sense of authenticity and broad human relevance, she makes visible the extraordinarily complicated and utterly inhuman living conditions in racial segregation. She feels political responsibility and does not shy away from its consequences, but will not allow it to affect her as a writer: her texts are not agitational, not propagandistic.

Still, her works and the profound insights she offers contribute to shaping reality. Such thoughts and impressions are called forth by novels like A Guest of Honour, The Conservationist, Burger's Daughter, July's People, and My Son's Story. However, in a manner as absorbing as in her novels, Nadine Gordimer develops her penetrating depiction of character, her compassion, and her powers of precise wording in her short stories, in collections like Six Feet of the Country and, as yet untranslated, A Soldier's Embrace and Something Out There.

J. M. Coetzee, an African author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature 

J. M. Coetzee

 J. M. Coetzee, in 2003, wrote in English in the genres of novel, essay, and translation. To write is to awaken counter-voices within oneself and to dare enter into dialogue with them. The dangerous attraction of the inner self is John Coetzee's theme: the senses and bodies of people, the interiority of Africa. "To imagine the unimaginable" is the writer's duty. As a post-modern allegorist, Coetzee knows that novels that do not seek to mimic reality best convince us that reality exists.

Coetzee sees through history's obscene poses and false pomp, lending voice to the silenced and despised. Restrained but stubborn, he defends the ethical value of poetry, literature, and imagination. Without them, we blinker ourselves and become bureaucrats of the soul. John Coetzee's characters seek refuge beyond the zones of power. Life and Times of Michael K. gives form to an individual's dream outside the fabric of human coexistence.

Waiting for the Barbarians is a disturbing love story about wanting to possess another person and to turn that person inside out as though she were a riddle to be solved. Everyone who recognizes the threat of totalitarianism and desires to own another person can learn from Coetzee's dark fables. With intense concreteness and verbally disciplined desperation, he tackles one of the significant problems of the ages: understanding the driving forces of brutality, torture, and injustice. Who does the writing? Who seizes power by taking pen in hand?

Can the black experience be depicted by a white person? In Foe, Friday is an African, already dehumanized by Defoe. To give a speech to Friday would be to colonize him and deny him what remains of his integrity. The girl in Waiting for the Barbarians speaks unintelligibly and has been blinded by torture; Michael K has a harelip, and Friday has had his tongue cut out. His life is recounted by Susan Barton: that is, through 'white writing,' the title of one of Coetzee's books.

Abdulrazak Gurnah, an African author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature

Abdulrazak Gurnah

Tanzanian Zanzibar-born novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2021 at 72. He published ten novels and several short stories and is best known for his 1994 book Paradise. Paradise is a historical novel set in Colonial East Africa as English invaders drive natives off the land, a coming-of-age account, and a sad love story in which different worlds and belief systems collide. 

His debut novel, Memory of Departure, from 1987, is about a failed uprising and keeps us on the African continent. Abdulrazak Gurnah was born in 1948 on the Tanzanian Island of Zanzibar and currently lives in England, where they retired as a Professor of English and Postcolonial Literature at the University of Kent. Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. 

The United Republic of Tanzania was formed by the union, in 1964, of the newly independent state of Tanganyika and the islands of Zanzibar. Gurnah belonged to the victimized ethnic group and, after finishing school, was forced to leave his family and fled Tanzania at eighteen.

Did you know? 

The Nobel Prize is named for Alfred Bernhard Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. He used his fortune after his death and stated in his will money to institute the Nobel Prizes. Nobel held views that were considered revolutionary during his time; he took a particular interest in social and peace-related issues. The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded by the Swedish Academy, Stockholm, Sweden.

More links to articles you will find thought-provoking.

1. Dangerous Erupting Volcanoes of Africa
2. Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
3. What is an African Proverb
4. African Water Spirit Mami Wata
5. Ancestors are Guardian Angels

Homemade curry powder spice recipe, fragrant eight-spice curry powder adds a unique flavor soups, stews, sauces, rice, and vegetable dishes.

Homemade Eight Spice Curry Powder Recipe

Homemade Eight Spices Curry Powder Recipe

Ingredients

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon ground caraway

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

6 teaspoons of ground turmeric

1 teaspoon of ground cloves

4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

Mix well in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place, do not refrigerate.

Did you know?

If a recipe calls for the spice garam masala you can substitute curry powder. Pepper Water stew is a healthy African dinner recipe using curry powder.

Anansi Short African Story for Kids.

About Anansi.

Anansi African folktale is a story forming part of an oral storytelling tradition shaped by the tongues of African elders passed down from one generation to the next. Folktales reflect the morals, superstitions, and customs of the African people.

Anansi is a tricky spider who gets into all sorts of trouble. The word Anansi is Akan simply meaning spider. Anansi is an exceedingly popular folktale character whose stories are told and retold in West Africa and Jamaica.

The Anansi tales are believed to have originated by the Ashanti people of Ghana. In the southern United States of America, Anansi's name evolved into the beloved Aunt Nancy stories.

Anansi and the Old Lady’s Field Story.

One day there was an old lady work a very nice field on a rock, And an old-witch boy is the watchman.

And one day Anansi heard about the old-witch boy, And Anansi sends And invites him to his yard. And when the old-witch boy come, Anansi asks him what his name. And he says to Anansi that his name is John-John Fe-We-Hall.

And the boy asks Anansi why he ask him like that.

And Anansi say:—"Don't be afraid my friend', I very love you; that's why I ask when your name."

And by this time the old lady didn't know that the old-witch boy gone to Anansi yard.

And Anansi have a son is a very clever thief, call Tacoma.

And Anansi made a bargain that, when he sees John-John Fe-We-Hall come, he must walk to the back door And come out, And go to the old lady ground And destroy the provision.

And when Tacoma come home, Anansi leave John-John out the hall And tell him that he is going to get some breakfast for him.

Now the old lady make a law that, if the watchman eat any of his provision, it going to make him sick in a way that he will find out if it is the same watchman thieving him.

And being the boy is old-witch, he knows that the food Anansi is getting ready is from the old lady field. Therefore, when Anansi bring breakfast he won't eat it.

Anansi tell him that he must eat the food, he must not be afraid.

And the boy say:—"No."

And Anansi send And tell the old lady that the man is here clever more than him.

And when the old lady receive the message from Anansi, he sent to the ground to tell the old-witch boy that he must look out for Mr. Anansi, for him receive a chance from Anansi.

And this time the old lady didn't know that the watchman is at Anansi yard.

And the old-witch the boy is a flutter, And when the old lady wants to dance it's the same boy playing for the old lady. And the old lady has a tune which he is dancing with. And Anansi asks the boy to play the tune when he is going home, And Anansi knows if the tune plays the old lady will dance till she kills herself.

When the boy going home, he took up his songs with the flute:

Old lady you too love dance, turn them,
Old lady you too love dance, turn them,
Turn them make them lay, turn them,
Turn them make them lay, turn them.

And when the old lady hear the song she begins to dance And wheel until she tumbles off the rock And dead.

And Anansi becomes the master of the field until now.

Up next.

Have you ever wondered about How the baboon’s bottom got swollen and red. an African folktale.

Negritude

Négritude is a consciousness of and pride in the cultural and physical aspects of the African heritage. Négritude is the state or condition of being black.

What is Négritude

Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

Negritude, who am I?

Léopold Senghor was one of the three founders of Négritude, with Aimé Césaire and Léon-Gontran Damas. A Milestone in African literature the groundbreaking book 'The New Negro and Malagasy Poetry' or 'De la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache' was written in 1948 by Léopold Sédar Senghor.

Elected in 1960, Senghor was the first president of Senegal, a poet, and cultural truth-seeker. The impact of “The new Negro and Malagasy Poetry” is unrivaled establishing Senghor as the father of French African literature. Négritude is a term used to describe that which is unique about the African culture as found on the continent of Africa and in the African diaspora.

In the 1930's as a rejection of French colonial racism, négritude was established as a literary and sociopolitical movement. Léopold Sédar Senghor, the first president of Senegal, with Aimé Césaire and Léon-Gontran Damas helped to develop the idea of négritude.

Négritude is a term used to describe that which is unique about the African culture as found on the continent of Africa and in the African diaspora. Senghor's Anthology “De la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache de langue française” written in 1948 is a collection of stories reflecting négritude, and is noted as a milestone in African literature.

Did you know? In many interviews on Négritude, the French Caribbean Césaire stated his friendship with African Senegalese Senghor and the Frenchmen Damas meant the meeting between Africa, the African Diaspora and Black France. Together they all discovered the Black American movement of Harlem Renaissance.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

1. Historical African Country Name
2. Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
3. How many countries does Africa have?
4. Roots of Africanized Christianity Spiritual Songs
5. Paying Money To Tour Slums in Africa
6. Awesome Kenyan Woman
7. Land is Not For Women in Sierra Leone


8. African Kente Cloth Facts
9. Accra the Ghanaian Capital Ultimate Mall Experience

Classical Music of Africa

The Most Famous African Classical Music Composer is Sierra Leone Samuel Coleridge Taylor.

Little Known Facts About Sierra Leone Samuel Coleridge Taylor African Classical Music Phenom

Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

Sierra Leone Samuel Coleridge Taylor Most  Famous Classical Music Composition is the Song of Hiawatha

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor 1875-1912 was born in Croydon, the son of a white English mother and a father from Sierra Leone. As a violin scholar at the Royal College of Music, he was taught composition under Charles Villiers Stanford and soon developed a reputation as a composer, with Edward Elgar recommending him to the Three Choirs festival in 1896. By the time he died of pneumonia aged only 37 he had already toured America three times and performed for Theodore Roosevelt at the White House.

At the age of five Samuel began playing the violin and joined the choir of a Presbyterian church in Croydon, where H.A. Walters guided his progress and arranged his admittance to the Royal College of Music in 1890.

Compositions such as Coleridge-Taylor’s African Suite attempted to incorporate African influences in the same way that, say, Dvorák used Hungarian folk themes, but much more successful is Hiawatha’s Wedding, which is occasionally performed today. Even better are Coleridge-Taylor’s works for violin and orchestra, which are elegant pieces of fin de siècle romanticism.

In 1898, Coleridge-Taylor was fresh from his success with his orchestral Ballade in A minor, which was performed at the Three Choirs Festival of 1898 after Edward Elgar had recommended him as "far and away the cleverest fellow going amongst the younger men". Having been greatly inspired by his reading of Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha (even later naming his own son Hiawatha), he decided to set the words to music in a choral work called Hiawatha's Wedding Feast.

List of works by Samuel Coleridge Taylor

Works With Opus Number

Op.1 - Piano Quintet (1893)

Op.2 - Nonet (1893)

Op.3 - Suite for Violin and Piano

Op.4 - Ballade in D Minor for Violin and Orchestra (1895)

Op.5 - 5 Fantasiestücke for String Quartet (1895)

Op.6 - Little Songs for Little Folks (1898)

Op.7 - Zara's Earrings for Solo Voice (1895)

Op.8 - Symphony in A Minor (1896. Premiered(?) 6 March 1896)

Op.9 - 2 Romantic Pieces for Violin and Piano

Op.10 - Clarinet Quintet in F Sharp minor

Op.11 - [Not used]

Op.12 - 5 Love Songs (1896)

Op.13 - String Quartet in D Minor (1896) (lost)

Op.14 - Legende for Violin and Orchestra (1897)

Op.15 - Land of the Sun, Song (1897)

Op.16 - 3 Hiawathan Sketches for Violin and Piano (1896)

Op.17 - 7 African Romances, Songs (1897)

Op.18 - Morning and Evening Service (1899)

Op.19 - 2 Moorish Tone-pictures for Piano (1897)

Op.20 - Gipsy Suite for Violin and Piano (1897)

Op.21 - 2 Partsongs

Op.22 - 4 Characteristic Waltzes for Orchestra (1899)

Op.23 - Valse Caprice for Violin and Piano (1898)

Op.24 - In Memoriam, 3 Songs (1898)

Op.25 - Dream Lovers, Operatic Romance (1898)

Op.26 - The Gitanos, Cantata-Operetta (1898)

Op.27 - [Not used]

Op.28 - Violin Sonata in D Minor

Op.29 - 3 Songs

Op.30 - Scenes from The Song of Hiawatha (1898/99)

Op.31 - 3 Humoresques for Piano (1897)

Op.32 - [Not used]

Op.33 - Ballade in A Minor for Orchestra (1898)

Op.34 - [Not used?]

Op.35 - African Suite for Piano (1898)

Op.36 - [Not used]

Op.37 - 6 Songs (1899)

Op.38 - 3 Silhouettes for Piano (1897)

Op.39 - Romance in G Major for Violin and Orchestra (1899)

Op.40 - Solemn Prelude for Orchestra (1899)

Op.41 - 4 Scenes from an Everyday Romance, Suite for Orchestra (1900)

Op.42 - The Soul's Expression, 4 Sonnets (1900)

Op.43 - The Blind Girl of Castél-Cuillé (1901)

Op.44 - Idyll for Orchestra (1901)

Op.45 - 6 American Lyrics (1903)

Op.46 - Toussaint l'Ouverture (1901)

Op.47 - Herod, Incidental Music

Op.48 - Meg Blane, Rhapsody

Op.49 - Ulysses, Incidental Music (1901-02)

Op.50 - 3 Song-Poems (1905)

Op.51 - Ethiopia Saluting the Colours, March

Op.52 - 4 Noveletten for Strings, Tambourine and Triangle (1903)

Op.53 - The Atonement, Sacred Cantata (1903)

Op.54 - 5 Choral Ballads (1904)

Op.55 - Moorish Dance for Piano (1904)

Op.56 - 3 Cameos for Piano (1904)

Op.57 - 6 Sorrow Songs (1904)

Op.58 - 4 African Dances for Violin and Piano (1904)

Op.59 - 24 Negro Melodies for Piano (1905)

Op.59 - Romance for Violin and Piano (1904)

Op.60 - Unknown

Op.61 - Kubla Khan, Rhapsody (1906)

Op.62 - Nero, Incidental Music (1906)

Op.63 - Symphonic Variations on an African Air for Orchestra (1906)

Op.64 - 4 Scenes de Ballet for Piano (1906)

Op.65 - Endymion's Dream, Cantata (1910)

Op.66 - 5 Forest Scenes for Piano (1907)

Op.67 - 3 Partsongs (1905)

Op.68 - Bon-Bon Suite, Cantata (1908)

Op.69 - Sea Drift, Choral Rhapsody (1908)

Op.70 - Faust, Incidental Music (1908)

Op.71 - Three-Fours, Valse Suite for Piano (1909)

Op.72 - Thelma

Op.73 - Ballade for Violin and Piano (1907)

Op.74 - Scenes from an Imaginary Ballet (1910)

Op.75 - The Bamboula, Rhapsodic Dance (1910)

Op.76 - A Tale of Old Japan, Cantata (1911)

Op.77 - Petite Suite de Concert for Orchestra (1911)

Op.78 - 3 Impromptus for Organ (1913)

Op.79 - Othello, Incidental Music (1910-11)

Op.80 - Violin Concerto (1912)

Op.81 - 2 Songs

Op.82 - Hiawatha, Ballet

Op.82 - Minnehaha, Suite

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Works Without Opus Number

A lovely little Dream for Strings

8 Anthems

Clarinet Sonata in F Minor (1893) (Lost)

Eulalie (1904)

Fantasiestück in A Major for Cello and Orchestra (1907)

5 Fairy Ballads, Songs (1909)

From the Prairie, Rhapsody for Orchestra

Interlude for Organ

Papillon for Piano (1908)

Piano Sonata in C Minor

Piano Trio in E Minor (1893)

3 Short Pieces for Organ (1898)

2 Songs (1909)

2 Songs (1916)

5 Songs of Sun and Shade

St. Agnes Eve, Incidental Music (1912)

Te Deum (1890)

The Clown and the Columbine, Melodrama

Viking Song

Variations on an Original Theme

Variations for Cello and Piano (1918)

Did you know? Florence B Price 1887-1953 was the first African American woman to have a work played by a major orchestra the Chicago Symphony premiered her Symphony in E minor in 1933, but despite success during her lifetime, her many compositions are rarely played today.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

1. Historical African Country Name
2. Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
3. How many countries does Africa have?
4. Roots of Africanized Christianity Spiritual Songs
5. Paying Money To Tour Slums in Africa
6. Awesome Kenyan Woman
7. Land is Not For Women in Sierra Leone


8. African Kente Cloth Facts
9. Accra the Ghanaian Capital Ultimate Mall Experience

Amos Tutuola: The Visionary Voice of Yoruba Lore

Amos Tutuola, Pioneer of the African Literary Imagination

From the cocoa farms of Abeokuta to the forefront of world literature, Amos Tutuola (1920-1997) forged a path entirely his own, weaving the rich tapestry of Yoruba oral tradition into the very fabric of the modern novel.

Born in 1920 in Abeokuta, in what is now Southwest Nigeria, Tutuola's early life was far from the literary circles he would later captivate. The son of cocoa farmers, he received only six years of formal education. He held various jobs, most notably as a records keeper for the Nigerian Broadcasting Company, a role that perhaps sharpened his ear for the rhythm and cadence of a good story.

"With a mind richly stored with the Yoruba folktales told by his mother and aunts, Tutuola did not merely write stories; he unleashed a cosmos of spirits, ghosts, and magical quests onto the page."

A Literary Odyssey

In 1952, a unique manuscript landed on the desk of Faber and Faber in London. The Palm-Wine Drinkard, written in 1946, was a phantasmagoric account of a legendary drinker's quest in the land of the dead. Its publication marked a watershed moment: Tutuola became Nigeria's first internationally acclaimed author writing in English.

The book's singular style—a vibrant, "unpolished" English that pulsed with the syntax and imagery of his native Yoruba—divided opinion at home. Some fellow Nigerian intellectuals dismissed it as simplistic. Yet, this was his genius. Tutuola was not failing at standard English; he was masterfully reinventing it to carry the weight of his cultural universe.

His second major work, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1954), plunged readers even deeper into a metaphysical landscape, following a young boy's terrifying and wondrous journey through a ghostly realm. It was Welsh poet Dylan Thomas's glowing review that called the novel "brief, thronged, grisly and bewitching," catapulting Tutuola to global literary fame.

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, a seminal work of magical realism.

Legacy and Later Work

Undeterred by criticism, Tutuola continued to build his unique literary kingdom. He was a foundational member of the Mbari Club in Ibadan—a vital crucible for African writers, artists, and musicians in the 1960s, whose name derives from the Igbo word for creation.

His later works, including The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town (1981) and Yoruba Folktales (1986), further cemented his reputation as a custodian and innovator of folklore. He passed away in 1997, but his legacy endures.

Today, Amos Tutuola is celebrated not for conforming to literary conventions, but for shattering them. He opened the door for a new African literature, one that was unapologetically rooted in its own myths, its own voice, and its own powerful sense of wonder. He demonstrated that the deepest magic often lies not in the language of the colonizer, but in the ancestral stories whispered through the generations.

Explore More Literary Treasures in The African Bookshelf Hub

Facts Ebola in Africa

Since 1971 Doctors Without Borders or Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF helps people worldwide where the need is greatest, delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from health care. As one of the Ebola epicentres, the district of Kailahun, in eastern Sierra Leone bordering Guinea, was put under quarantine at the beginning of August 2013.

Seven True Ebola Facts

“We are not sure that words can always save lives, but we know that silence can certainly kill." Dr. James Orbinski, then-President of the MSF International Council, accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of MSF in 1999.

Doctors without Borders in the Congo

1. Ebola got its name from the Ebola River in then Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Ebola River is a branch of the Congo River, which is the world’s deepest river. 

2. Ebola first appeared in June and July in 1976 in simultaneous outbreaks in Nzara, South Sudan, and Yambuku, Democratic Republic of the Congo located in Central Africa. 

3. Fruit bats aka Flying Foxes are considered to be the original host of the Ebola virus. 

4. The time from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms is 2 to 21 days. 

5. Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. Ebola then spreads through human to human transmission through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons and with surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing contaminated with these fluids. 

6. There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines but two potential candidates are undergoing evaluation. 

7. The case-fatality rate of Ebola varies from 25% to 90% depending on the strain.

A Global Coalition of Inaction on Ebola

Ebola was previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever and is a deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus species. Currently there are 5 Ebola virus species and four are known to cause the Ebola disease in human beings. The four Ebola virus species are Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Taï Forest virus, and the Bundibugyo virus. 

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

1. Historical African Country Name
2. Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
3. How many countries does Africa have?
4. Roots of Africanized Christianity Spiritual Songs
5. Paying Money To Tour Slums in Africa
6. Awesome Kenyan Woman
7. Land is Not For Women in Sierra Leone


8. African Kente Cloth Facts
9. Accra the Ghanaian Capital Ultimate Mall Experience

Trafficking of Men in Africa — Silence, Survival, and Mental Health (2025)

Human trafficking is often spoken about as something that happens to women and children. Yet in 2025, one of the most overlooked realities across Africa is the trafficking of men — for labor, armed conflict, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation.

For a broader look at masculinity and identity, explore African Men: Identity, History & Culture.

Men are taken from bus stations, border towns, fishing coasts, farms, mines, and refugee camps. Some are lured with promises of work; others are kidnapped, sold, or traded. Many leave home willingly, seeking opportunity, only to be trapped far from anyone who knows their name.

Trafficking destroys bodies, lives, families — and it thrives in silence.

Why Trafficking of Men Is Invisible

Culturally, men are expected to be strong, self-sufficient, and in control. The idea that a man could be trafficked, enslaved, or sexually violated clashes with expectations of masculinity — so many never speak.

Shame keeps them quiet. Fear keeps them quiet. And society’s disbelief keeps them quiet.

Meanwhile, networks that buy and sell men continue operating with little scrutiny — especially across borders and at sea.

How Men Are Trafficked in 2025

Trafficking of men takes many forms:

• Forced labor — mines, fishing boats, agriculture, construction
• Debt bondage — “work contracts” they can never pay off
• Forced migration scams — fake job offers abroad
• Domestic servitude
• Forced recruitment — militias or armed groups
• Sexual exploitation

Some men disappear for years — or forever. Others reappear changed, traumatized, and unable to speak about what happened.

Sexual Violence Against Men — Especially Disabled Men

One of the most hidden crimes is the sexual trafficking of men. It is even more concealed when the men are developmentally delayed, disabled, or living with mental illness.

These men are at high risk because traffickers see them as:

• Less likely to report
• Less likely to be believed
• Easier to manipulate
• Easier to isolate

Sexual violence against men is heavily stigmatized; many survivors carry their suffering silently for decades.

The shame belongs to the perpetrators — never the victim.

Trafficking, Mental Health, and Silence

Trafficked men may experience:

• Depression
• Nightmares
• Fear and hypervigilance
• Substance dependence
• Loss of identity
• Isolation

Without support, survivors often struggle silently — believing their suffering must remain hidden. Some families never learn the truth; some never see their sons again.

Traditional Beliefs and Stigma

In many communities, families do not discuss trafficking or sexual violence. Men who return home traumatized may be described as cursed or spiritually attacked, rather than abused and exploited.

Learn more about cultural responses to illness here:
→ Traditional African healing beliefs

Community wisdom can also offer strength:
→ African proverbs about resilience and family

Chaining and Confinement

Some men return from trafficking suffering severe psychological distress. Without services, they may be chained, hidden, or locked indoors because families do not know where to turn.

WHO’s Chain-Free Initiative

Confinement is not care. A chained man is not being helped — he is being abandoned.

The Men We Don’t See

There are men who were taken as boys — forced to fight, forced to labor, forced to obey. Many never learned what it means to feel safe.

Others were recruited by traffickers while trying to escape poverty or war, believing they were headed toward a better future. Instead, they were exploited.

Their stories matter.

Culture Can Help Heal

Healing begins in many places:

• Conversation
• Proverbs
• Music
• Faith
• Community ritual
• Creative focus

Even quiet mental focus can help rebuild peace:
→ African Sudoku puzzle

When Men Heal, Families Heal

When a man finds support — emotional, spiritual, or communal — his entire household benefits. Children feel safer, partners feel supported, and communities grow more stable.

Healing does not erase the past. But it changes how the past lives inside us.

Strength is not silence. Strength is truth.

Related Insight: Explore how fear and belief intersect: Night Running in Africa: Tribal Art, Witchcraft, or Sadism .

Frequently Asked Questions

How are men trafficked?

Men are taken into forced labor, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and armed recruitment. Some are tricked with promises of work or visas.

Are disabled or developmentally delayed men targeted?

Yes. They are at higher risk because traffickers assume they will not report or be believed.

Why do men stay silent?

Shame, fear, disbelief, and cultural expectations of strength keep men from speaking about trafficking and abuse.

How does trafficking affect mental health?

Survivors often face trauma, depression, substance dependence, and isolation. Many struggle alone without support.

Shrimp Curry Homemade Spice

Spices are made from flowers, berries, bark, seeds, roots, and gum of plants and trees. Keeping spices in the refrigerator does not increase their shelf life because the moisture from the refrigerator causes the dried herbs and spices to deteriorate faster.


Shrimp Curry Spice Blend

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container away from light and heat.

A few facts about shrimp

Seafood is the most common protein for humans in the world. As members of the shellfish family shrimp are among the top allergens, which in addition to shellfish include milk, eggs, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy. One medium shrimp that is not fried or covered in butter and oil provides about 7 calories, which means a dozen add up to less than 85 calories. 

Three ounces of shrimp provides about 20 grams of protein, just a few grams less than that a 3-ounce chicken breast. Four ounces steamed contains over 100% of the Daily Value for selenium, over 75% for vitamin B12, over 50% for phosphorous and over 30% for choline, copper, and iodine. 

Moreover, while we do not typically think of animal proteins as sources of antioxidants, shrimp contain two types. In addition to being a mineral that plays a role in immunity and thyroid function, selenium is an important antioxidant that helps fight damaging particles called free radicals, which damage cell membranes and DNA, leading to premature aging and disease. 

Another antioxidant, called astaxanthin, which provides the primary color pigment in shrimp, has been shown to help reduce inflammation, a known trigger of aging and disease. 

However, shrimp are also bottom dwellers and bottom feeders live and feed off the bottom section of their environment. Their diet of algae and other detritus gives them plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for human health.

Laikipia, Kenya: Grevy’s Zebra and Rare Plants

Laikipia County sits in Kenya’s stunning Great Rift Valley, a region famous for wide open savannah, ancient cultures, and incredible wildlife. It’s one of the best places in Africa to spot the endangered Grevy’s zebra — the largest and rarest zebra species on Earth — along with unique plants and a mix of traditional and modern Kenyan life.

What “Laikipia” Means

The word Laikipia comes from the Maasai language and means treeless plain. The county stretches across 9,462 km² (3,653 mi²) along the equator, under the shadow of Mount Kenya.

Peopleand Culture

Laikipia is home to many ethnic groups. The Kikuyu and Maasai peoples make up the majority, while Borana, Samburu, Kalenjin, Meru, Somali, Turkana, and settlers of European and Asian origin also live here. Most people in northern Laikipia are pastoralists, moving livestock to find water and grazing land. Tourism, ranching, and small farming also support the local economy.

Wildlife Highlights

Laikipia is a biodiversity hotspot with the Big Five — elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhino — plus some of Africa’s most threatened species. Here you can see:

• Grevy’s zebra — bigger and rarer than common zebras, with thin stripes and a white belly.
• Reticulated giraffe — one of three giraffe subspecies found only in Kenya.
• Hundreds of birds, insects, and pollinators — including native bees vital for the ecosystem.
• Medicinal and aromatic plants such as aloe and stinging nettle, used for local remedies and essential oils.

Did you know? Fewer than 2,500 Grevy’s zebras survive today — down from more than 15,000 just a few decades ago. Habitat loss, overgrazing, and reduced water sources threaten their future.

Grevy’s Zebra — A Presidential Gift

This striking zebra was named after French president François Paul Jules Grévy, who gifted the species to the King of Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) in the 1880s. Today, Grevy’s zebras live mostly in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia.

Climate and Landscape

Laikipia’s location on the equator brings cool, temperate weather and sweeping plains. It’s a working landscape — home to wildlife reserves, tourism lodges, pastoralists, and small farmers who depend on healthy ecosystems for water and grazing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Laikipia, Kenya?

Laikipia County is in central Kenya along the equator, just north of Mount Kenya in the Great Rift Valley.

What animals live in Laikipia?

Laikipia has the Big Five (lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, rhino) and endangered species like Grevy’s zebra and reticulated giraffe.

Why is the Grevy’s zebra endangered?

Habitat destruction, competition with livestock, reduced water, hunting, and disease have caused sharp population decline.

What plants is Laikipia known for?

Over 500 medicinal and aromatic plants, including aloe and stinging nettle, grow in Laikipia’s diverse ecosystems.

Explore More African Wildlife

• Fascinating Giraffe Facts — Africa’s Tallest Animal
• 30 Zebra Facts to Amaze Africa Beginners
• 30 Cheetah Facts — Africa’s Fastest Cat
• Inside Giant African Termite Mounds

Make your Ghanaian Bofrot Doughnut Holes as fancy or plain as you want.

Puff-puff as it is known in Nigeria is called Bofrot in Ghana. Bofrot is a traditional African snack is similar to an American doughnut hole. The recipe is very versatile, be creative with your puff-puff snack tonight. Mandazi or Maandazi is East African fried round dough bread similar to doughnut holes and Nigerian Puff-Puff.

Easy Homemade Ghanaian Bofrot Doughnut Holes

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

1 large cage free egg

2 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted 5 cups vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Add the vegetable oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the milk-egg mixture into the dry ingredients, then stir in the melted butter, mixing until a soft dough forms. Once the oil is hot, drop about 1 tablespoon of dough into the oil, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry the doughnut holes, flipping them in the oil, for about 2 minutes or until they are golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnut holes to the paper towel-lined baking sheet.

More economical easy lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring meal again.

1. Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe
2. Yedoro Stir Fried Ethiopian Chicken Dinner
3. Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli
4. Caldo Verde Portuguese Kale Soup
5. Air Fryer Black Eyed Pea Dumpling Stew

Steps to take to ensure your morning cup of coffee is not creating poverty in Africa.

Africa does not benefit from the processing and manufacturing portion of the coffee bean, only the agricultural. 

What is Fair Trade and how does it help the small family coffee growers? Fair Trade does not endorse poverty and exploitation of poor agricultural coffee growing regions. 

While the coffee industry can be complex and challenging, there are steps that consumers must take to ensure that their morning cup of coffee is produced in a way that is ethical, sustainable, and supports the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and workers in developing countries.

Coffee and poverty, the bitter truth behind your morning brew.

Explore more stories in the African Coffee Hub .

It is true that the coffee industry has a complex supply chain that involves exploitation and poverty among small-scale farmers and workers in developing African countries. However, there are steps that consumers can take to ensure that their morning cup of coffee is not endorsing poverty.

One way to support ethical and sustainable coffee production is to look for products that carry certifications such as Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance. 

These certifications indicate that the coffee has been produced in a way that meets certain standards for fair labor practices, environmental sustainability, and economic stability.

By choosing certified coffee, consumers help to support small-scale farmers and workers in developing countries and promote a more equitable and sustainable coffee industry.

Another way to support ethical coffee production is to buy directly from small-scale coffee farmers or cooperatives. 

This approach can help ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their crops and that the benefits of coffee production are more evenly distributed throughout the supply chain.

Consumers can also support ethical coffee production by advocating for policy changes that promote fair labor practices and environmental sustainability in the coffee industry. 

This includes supporting initiatives to promote transparency in supply chains, strengthen labor protections, and reduce the environmental impact of coffee production.

Small family coffee growers in Ethiopia are a crucial part of the country's agricultural sector, and they play a key role in producing some of the world's finest coffees. 

However, despite the importance of coffee to the Ethiopian economy, the lives of small family coffee growers can be challenging and often marked by poverty and uncertainty.

Many small family coffee growers in Ethiopia work on small plots of land, typically less than one hectare, and rely on coffee as their main source of income. However, coffee prices can be volatile and subject to fluctuations in the global market, which can make it difficult for farmers to make ends meet.

In addition to economic challenges, small family coffee growers in Ethiopia often face environmental challenges, such as droughts, floods, and soil erosion. These challenges can make it difficult to maintain healthy coffee trees and produce high-quality beans.

Social challenges are a factor for small family coffee growers in Ethiopia. Many farmers lack access to education, healthcare, and other basic services, and may live in remote areas with limited infrastructure.

Despite these challenges, small family coffee growers in Ethiopia are deeply committed to their work and take pride in producing high-quality coffee. 

Many farmers use traditional methods of cultivation and harvest, such as hand-picking the ripest coffee cherries, and take great care in processing and roasting their beans.

The dark side of coffee, how it fuels poverty and inequality but Fair Trade can help.

The lives of small family coffee growers in Ethiopia is difficult and uncertain despite the deep connection to the land and coffee that it produces. Efforts to support these farmers through initiatives like Fair Trade helps provide greater stability and security for communities.

Fair Trade is a social movement that aims to help small-scale farmers and producers in developing countries get better prices and working conditions for their products. 

One of the ways that Fair Trade works is by establishing a set of standards for fair labor practices, environmental sustainability, and economic stability, and then certifying products that meet these standards with a Fair Trade label. 

For small family coffee growers in Ethiopia, Fair Trade certification can have several benefits. First and foremost, it can help them get a fair price for their coffee beans, which can be difficult in a global market that is often dominated by large multinational corporations.

For example, Fair Trade standards often require farmers to use environmentally-friendly farming practices, such as natural pest control methods and organic fertilizers. Fair Trade certification can also help support community development projects, such as building schools or health clinics, which can have a positive impact on the lives of small family coffee growers and their families.

Picking coffee berries in Ethiopia

The hidden cost of coffee: poverty for the growers.

Africa particularly the Ethiopian Rift Valley is famous across the world for growing producing the best coffee in the world, primarily due to its superior growing conditions. Coffee is the way many people begin their day. Whether it is brewing a cup at home or stopping by their favorite local coffee shop, many people consider coffee an essential part of their routine.

Ethiopia is the world’s fifth largest coffee producer and Africa’s top producer. Coffee is Ethiopia's principal source of income and the world's demand for quality coffee is increasing steadily. More than 15 million people grow the crop for a living, hundreds of thousands of intermediaries are involved in the collection of the crop from farmers and supply to the export and domestic market.

A sizable amount of foreign exchange, accounting up to 30% of the total yearly export income, is derived from coffee. Companies outside of the African continent do the work of roasting, packaging, retailing and other assorted workings in the coffee value chain. Africa does not benefit from the processing and manufacturing portion of the coffee bean, only the agricultural.

[Read: 54 Interesting Facts About African Agriculture]

According to Fair Trade USA, Fair Trade goods are just that. Fair. From far-away farms to your shopping cart, products that bear the fair trade logo come from farmers and workers who are justly compensated. Fair trade helps farmers in developing countries build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities.

Fair trade is a nonprofit but does not do charity. Instead, teaches disadvantaged communities how to use the free market to their advantage. With Fair Trade USA, the money you spend on day-to-day goods can improve an entire community’s day-to-day lives.

Fair Trade can be a powerful tool for supporting small family coffee growers in Ethiopia and other developing countries. By providing fair prices, promoting environmental sustainability, and supporting community development, Fair Trade can help ensure that these farmers can continue to grow and produce high-quality coffee for years to come.

Visit Fair Trade USA  for a complete listing of companies under the Fair Trade Certified Coffee program.

Where did Coffee come from? Legend has it that coffee was accidentally discovered by Kaldi, a goat herder who lived in Ethiopia. One day, Kaldi observed his herd of goats chewing on red cherries from a tree he had never noticed before, after which they became energized. After trying them himself, Kaldi brought the cherries to a local monastery, where the monks tossed them in the fire as they disapproved of the idea of using the strange fruit. Instead of burning the beans, it actually roasted them. Those roasted beans were used to create the first coffee.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

1. Deadliest routes for refugees
2. Cooking with shea butter oil
3. Worst serial killers recorded in history are women
4. Indigenous healers and plants used
5. Night running illness or magic
6. What is back to Africa