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Showing posts from June, 2013

African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Esther. Thank you, Esther. We were able to purchase a new cutting board.

African Folktale | Why Cats Kill Rats

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Why Cats Kill Rats African folktale is a folklore story about love, betrayal and murder. African Folktale Why Cats Kill Rats  Ansa was King of Calabar for fifty years.  He had a very faithful cat as a housekeeper, and a rat was his house-boy.  The king was an obstinate, headstrong man, but was very fond of the cat, who had been in his store for many years. The rat, who was very poor, fell in love with one of the king's servant girls, but was unable to give her any presents, as he had no money. At last he thought of the king's store, so in the night-time, being quite small, he had little difficulty, having made a hole in the roof, in getting into the store. He then stole corn and pears, and presented them to his sweetheart. At the end of the month, when the cat had to render her account of the things in the store to the king, it was found that a lot of corn and pears were missing. The king was very angry at this, and asked the cat for an explanation. But the cat could n

Speak Zulu: 20 easy Zulu Words to Impress Your Friends

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Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with well over 9 million speakers most of whom are in South Africa. Zulu is one of South Africa's eleven official languages since 1994. Below are 20 easy Zulu words with their English phonetic pronunciation: Buya [bu-ja] -Come back Cela [ne-la]- To wish iGoli [e-go ː li]- Soil ihembe [e:him:mbe]- Bed isibili [is:see:bill ː li]- Bead Khala [ka-la]- To cry Khuluma [ku-lu-ma] -To speak Kulula [gu-lu-la] -It’s easy Lapha [la-pa] -Here Lapho [la-po] -There Lutho [lu-to]- Nothing Moja! [mo-ts-cha] -Cool Nini [ni-ni] -When Phuza [pu-sa] -To drink Sawubona [Sa-u-bu-o-na] - Hello Suka [su-ga] -To go away Thanda [tan-da] - To love Thi [ti] -To say Uju [oo ː jew]- Jump Yami [ja-mi] -My You cannot know the good within yourself if you cannot see it in others - Zulu Proverb Zulu Beer Strainer and Skimmer is also known as a Isikhetho Zulu People Afr

African Proverb About Winning Through Adversity

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Proverbs Teach African proverbs teach us about tough life lessons and when seeds of hardship are planted, the new growth is healthier and more plentiful. African proverbs explain the more challenging the hard times, the more valuable will be the lessons. African Proverb About Winning Through Adversity Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture African Proverbs If you make friends with the boatman in the dry season, you will be the first to cross when the rains come and the tide is high – African Proverb Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors – African Proverb Once water has been spilled, it cannot be scooped back up - African Proverb Smooth Seas Do Not Make Skillful Sailors, learn the lessons your ancestors are communicating with you and take to heart the African Proverbs about winning through adversity. More African proverbs to learn from The tree does not fall at the first stroke. He is rich enough who owes nothing. The fool who is silent passes for w

Following the Money Trail in Africa

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Money Trail in Africa the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Explanation. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative or EITI collects and validates data on financial management, accountability and transparency by African governments and companies in oil, gas and mining industries. Currently there are 27 African countries not participating in EITI's data collection on financial management, accountability and transparency. Following the Money Trail At a conference in London in June 2003, a Statement of Principles to increase transparency of payments and revenues in the extractive sector was agreed, The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, or EITI was born.  EITI, is a voluntary, global effort designed to strengthen accountability and public trust for the revenues paid and received for a country’s oil, gas and mining. EITI is a global coalition of gove

European Colonial Native Codes and Jim Crow History

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European Colonial Native Codes and Jim Crow History Jim Crow and the European Colonial Native Codes were both systems of legal segregation and discrimination used to maintain the social and economic dominance of whites. European colonial legal codes played a role in shaping the development of Jim Crow laws. The Native Codes and Jim Crow laws were both forms of legal segregation and discrimination that were used to maintain the social and economic dominance of white people over people of color. Although the Native Codes and Jim Crow laws were implemented in different historical and cultural contexts, they shared many similarities in their goals and effects. European colonial legal codes played a role in shaping the development of Jim Crow laws.  One major similarity between the Native Codes and Jim Crow laws was their establishment of a rigid racial hierarchy, in which white people held the highest status and people of color were relegated to inferior positions. Under the Native Code

African Folktale Pretty Stranger Who Killed the King

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Pretty Stranger who killed the King African Folktale. She may look beautiful, but she will kill you. Mbotu was a very famous king of Old Town, Calabar. He was frequently at war, and was always successful, as he was a most skillful leader. All the prisoners he took were made slaves. He therefore became very rich, but, on the other hand, he had many enemies. The people of Itu in particular were very angry with him and wanted to kill him, but they were not strong enough to beat Mbotu in a battle, so they had to resort to sneakiness. The Itu people had an old woman who was a witch and could turn herself into whatever she pleased, and when she offered to kill Mbotu, the people were very glad, and promised her plenty of money and cloth if she succeeded in ridding them of their worst enemy. The witch then turned herself into a young and pretty girl, and having armed herself with a very sharp knife, which she concealed in her bosom, she went to Old Town, Calabar, to seek the king.