Sierra Leone is recovering gradually from civil war (1991-2002) and disease.

Sierra Leone Country and Presidential Profile.

Julius Maada Wonie Bio President of Sierra Leone elected in April 4, 2018

Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Wonie Bio is a Sierra Leonean born on May 12, 1964 in Tihun, a village in the Sogbini Chiefdom, Bonthe District, in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone, Maada is one of 35 children born to a Mende Paramount Chief, Charlie Bio II, of Sogbini Chiefdom.

He was briefly the Head of State of Sierra Leone from January 16, 1996 to March 29, 1996. Bio is currently the President of Sierra Leone elected in April 4, 2018 winning just over 51% of votes.

Since then his governmental offices launched a free education program and is retooling its governance and financial and health‑care institutions. On health care, President Bio called on international partners to help invest in critical institutional, technical and human resources and to help improve the country’s preventative health infrastructure.

One of the world’s poorest nations despite huge mineral and diamond deposits, Sierra Leone is recovering gradually from civil war (1991-2002) and disease. Its economy remains fragile, with corruption widespread in the former British colony.

Sierra Leone

Before the Ebola outbreak, Sierra Leone was on track to overcome its troubled past. The countries Ebola epidemic threatened to stop the progress of Sierra Leone economic and social growth. The post-Ebola recovery period is proving challenging.

Bio was in a group of youthful soldiers behind a 1992 coup that would install their leader, Valentine Strasser, as the youngest head of state in the world, at age 25. He later took power but agreed to step aside in 1996 for an elected civilian leader, and his subsequent apologies for his role in the military installed government.

Sierra Leone name is from the Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra who named the country Serra Leoa or Lion Mountains for the impressive mountains he saw while navigating the West African coast in 1462.

Following the American Revolution, a colony was established in 1787 and Sierra Leone became a destination for resettling black loyalists who had originally been resettled in Nova Scotia.
After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, British crews delivered thousands of Africans liberated from illegal slave ships to Sierra Leone, particularly Freetown.

Sierra Leone hope is to become a middle-income country, be an inclusive, green country, with 80% of the population above the poverty line, have gender equality, a well-educated, healthy population, good governance and rule of law, well-developed infrastructure, macroeconomic stability, with private-sector, export-led growth generating wide employment opportunities; there would be good environmental protection, and responsible natural resource exploitation.

Tamarind trees are native to tropical Africa, trees grow wild throughout the Sudans, Madagascar and most of tropical Africa.

How to use fresh tamarind

Tamarind fruit is very popular in many regions of Africa and the Caribbean. The pulp is sour and is regularly used to create delicious tamarind tea. 

Fresh Tamarind Ginger Tea Recipe

Make Fresh Tamarind Ginger Tea

Ingredients

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

½ teaspoon ginger paste

3 cups hot water

½ cup granulated sugar (or to taste)

Directions

Place all ingredients into a pot and mix well. Serve hot or cold.

Did you know?

Tamarindus indica or tamarind tree is native to tropical Africa; the tree grows wild throughout the Sudans, Madagascar and most of tropical Africa. 

About the First African National Congress President

The African National Congress (ANC) was founded as the South African Native National Congress (SANCC). The first ANC president was John Langalibalele Dube.

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

First ANC President

The first African National Congress president was John Langalibalele Dube born in now eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in the Inanda district on February 22, 1871.

Dube whose nickname was Mafukuzela was an educator, minister, politician, author, and activist. He was the son of the low ranking Zulu chief Reverend James Dube one of the first ordained pastors of the American Zulu Mission.

At the age of 16, in 1887, Dube accompanied missionaries to the United States of America, where he studied at Oberlin College while working his way through school. However, despite his hard work due to the lack of money, he never received an official degree. Nevertheless, the talents that he nurtured during these Oberlin years laid the foundations for his future endeavors.

In 1897, when Dube returned to the United States he enrolled at the Union Missionary Seminary in Brooklyn, in New York. In March 1899, Dube was ordained as a priest by the Congregational Church. On August 8, 1900, Dube and his first wife Nokutela Dube established the Ohlange institute on 200 acres of land in the Inanda district with 63 male students.

Chief Mqhawe of the AmaQadi donated the land on which Ohlange institute was built. The Ohlange institute became the first Black-directed institution and rivaled Tuskegee Institute. The imposition of apartheid had a negative impact on the school.

In 1953, the government passed the Bantu Education Act that had a negative impact on Ohlange institute resulting in its decline. When apartheid eventually collapsed and the first democratic elections were held in 1994, Nelson Mandela chose to cast his vote at Ohlange.

Around 1903, Dube began the first Zulu newspaper Ilanga lase Natal or Sun of Natal. In 1912, John Langalibalele Dube was a founder member and first president of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), which was renamed as the African National Congress (ANC) in 1923. He died in Durban near his birthplace of Inanda on February 11, 1946.

Who is the The African National Congress (ANC)

The African National Congress (ANC) is South Africa's governing party and has been in power since the transition to democracy in April 1994. The organisation was initially founded as the South African Native National Congress on January 8, 1912 in Bloemfontein, with the aim of fighting for the rights of black South Africans.

As a result of the establishment of apartheid, its aversion to dissent by Black people and brutal crackdown of political activists, the ANC together with the SACP formed a military wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe renamed Spear of the Nation/ MK in 1961. The apartheid government was forced to enter into negotiations with the ANC. This saw the collapse of apartheid and the ushering in of democratic rule in 1994.

The current ANC President is Cyril Ramaphosa who was elected president at the 54th National Conference in 2017. His term of office will expire in December 2022 when the 55th National Conference will elect a new president.

Listing of Presidents of the ANC from the year 1871 to present day.

 
1912 to 1917 John Langalibalele Dube

1917 to 1924 Sefako Mapogo Makgatho. 

1924 to 1927 Zacharias Richard Mahabane. 

1927 to 1930 Josiah Tshangana Gumede. 

1930 to 1936 Pixley ka Isaka Seme.

1937 to 1940 Zacharias Richard Mahabane. 

1940 to 1949 Alfred Bitini Xuma.

1949 to 1952 James Sebe Moroka. 

1952 to 1967 Albert John Lutuli.  

1967 to 1991 Oliver Reginald Tambo. 

1991 to 1997 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. 

1997 to 2007 Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki.

2007 to 2017 Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma. 

2017 to current Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. 

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

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The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.

White honey is a distinctive white colored honey produced by bees in Ethiopia’s Mountains of Tigray. White honey production from Ethiopia is declining because climate change affecting the Ethiopian honey bee production.

Did you know? Color in liquid honey varies from clear and colorless to dark amber or black. Honey color varies with the botanical origin, age and storage conditions.

Ethiopia is Africa’s largest producer of honey producing nearly 24 percent of Africa’s total honey production. Collecting and selling honey and other bee products produced in homes and home gardens is common throughout the country. Beekeeping is an ancient tradition in Ethiopia, stretching back into the country’s early history between 3500 and 3000 B.C.

 The color and the flavor of honey is different depending on the nectar source of bee honeybees. Generally, light-colored honey is milder in taste and dark-colored honey is stronger in taste. Bees may visit flowers such as sunflowers or herbs such as Rosemary or a combination of the two.

More Plant Guides: Main Hub • Cancer Bush • Top Plants • 15 Herbs

White honey is one of Ethiopia’s most unique and flavorful honey produced in the northern part of Ethiopia Mountains of Tigray. Ethiopian white honey develops its unique color and taste from a variety of native plants growing in the Tigray mountain region. 

White honey is growing scarce as bees abandon Ethiopian Tigray mountain region due to drought. Bees are traveling further distances in search of flowers to pollinate. Bees need two different kinds of food. One is honey made from nectar, the sugary juice that collects in the heart of the flowers. 

The other comes from the anthers of flowers, which contain numerous small grains called pollen. Just as flowers, have different colors, so do their pollen. Due to drought the native plants bees usually pollinate local Tigray flowers and plants producing white colored honey. 

However, bees are traveling further distances in search of flowers to pollinate, creating yellow colored honey. Because a honeybee starts the honey making process by visiting a flower and gathering some of its nectar, this affects the color of honey.

Ethiopia is heavily dependent on agriculture; more than 90 percent of Ethiopia’s honey is still produced using traditional hives. Many beekeepers lack modern technologies and operate on a small scale. Climate change will inevitably have a greater impact on people's lives in Ethiopia and Africa at large. Vanishing white honey is just the beginning of the permanent changing climate of Ethiopia.

White honey of Ethiopia Mountains of Tigray

Colors of Honey

Honey is the natural sweet substance produced by honeybees from the nectar of blossoms or from the secretion of living parts of plants or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which honeybees collect, transform and combine with specific substances of their own, store and leave in the honeycomb to ripen and mature.

Honey is the most important primary product of beekeeping from both a culinary and an economic point of view. It was also the first bee product used by humankind in ancient times. The history of the use of honey is parallel to the history of man and in virtually every culture.

Proof can be found of its use as a food source and as a symbol employed in religious, magic and healing ceremonies. An appreciation for honey as the only concentrated form of sugar available to man in most parts of the world. The same cultural richness has produced an equally colorful variety of uses of honey in other products.

Color in liquid honey varies from clear and colorless to dark amber or black. The various honey colors are basically all nuances of yellow amber, like different dilutions or concentrations of caramelized sugar, which has been used traditionally as a color standard.

Honey color varies with the botanical origin, age and storage conditions, but transparency or clarity depends on the number of suspended particles such as pollen. Less common honey colors are white, bright yellow, reddish chestnut, grey and green. Once crystallized, honey turns lighter in color because the glucose crystals are white. Darker kinds of honey are more often for industrial use, while lighter kinds of honey are marketed for culinary dishes.

The color and the flavor of honey is different depending on the nectar source of bee honeybees. Generally, light-colored honey is milder in taste and dark-colored honey is stronger in taste. Bees may visit flowers such as sunflowers or herbs such as Rosemary or a combination of the two.

Bees collecting pollen from cornflowers make greenish honey; the honey has a slightly bitter aftertaste and the smell of almonds. Heather honey has a reddish color and is very thick, bees that collect pollen from maple flowers produce maple honey, and this honey can be pink in color to yellow-green.

Mint honey it's also reddish and color and is prized by consumers in Western Europe. Honeybees collect pollen from blueberry bushes to create light-colored honey with a reddish tint. Bees visiting the dandelion flower produce bright yellow honey; it has a strong smell and a sharp acidic taste.

 A unique honey is tobacco honey which is produced in areas where tobacco is cultivated the honey is light-colored to dark brown and has a unique aroma of tobacco. Of course, white honey is the rarest honey of all where bees collect pollen from plants on the Ethiopian Tigray Mountain.

Most popular honey flavors. 

The hum of bees is the voice of the garden. - Elizabeth Lawrence

Five popular honey flavors from around the world. 

Sourwood Honey 27.2%
Leatherwood Honey 25%
Tupelo Honey 21.9%
Manuka Honey 18.9%
Acacia Honey 13.8%

African honey shop

What is honey good for other than eating.

Honey is said to help with better physical performance and resistance to exhaustion; it also promotes higher mental efficiency. It is therefore used by both the healthy and the sick for any kind of weakness, particularly in the case of digestive or assimilative problems.

Improved growth of non-breast fed newborn infants; improved calcium fixation in bones and curing anemia and anorexia may all be attributed to some nutritional benefit or stimulation from eating honey.

In many different climates, honey is a well-known remedy for colds and mouth, throat or bronchial irritations and infections. The benefits, apart from antibacterial effects, are assumed to relate to the soothing and relaxing effect of honey. Honey may be useful for chronic and infectious intestinal problems such as constipation, duodenal ulcers, and liver disturbances.

Honey is used in moisturizing and nourishing cosmetic creams, but also in pharmaceutical preparations applied directly on open wounds, sores, bedsores, ulcers, varicose ulcers, and burns. It helps against infections, promotes tissue regeneration, and reduces scarring also in its pure, unprocessed form.

If applied immediately, honey reduces blistering of burns and speeds regeneration of new tissue. Honey is also a fundamental ingredient in some medicinal wines and kinds of vinegar. Pure honey applied three times per day has been successfully used on many sores and abrasions.

Getting to Know Africa

Historical African Country Name
Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
How many countries does Africa have?

African penguin facts about coastal penguin residents living on Namibia and South Africa shorelines.

African Penguin Love

African Penguins grow to be about 2 feet or .67 meters tall and weighing between 4 and 11 pounds or .28 to .78 stone living and breeding on the Southern coast of Africa.

Surviving and breeding on African Jackass Penguin Island

Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

African penguins breed from Hollams Bird Island Namibia to Bird Island Algoa Bay in South Africa. Gansbaai South Africa Dyer Island is a protected bird sanctuary home to large colonies of endangered African Penguins. African Penguins are the only penguin species that breed in Africa.

Why are African Penguins called Jackass?

The African penguin, or black-footed penguin, is also nicknamed the jackass penguin because it’s mating call sounds like a whinnying donkey. They spend their days at sea feeding and their nights gathered together on the shore. Like all penguins, African penguins are much more agile in water than on land swimming up to 12 miles per hour. Each penguin eats about one pound of fish per day feeding on small fish such as sardines and anchovies, crustaceans and squid. Each penguin eats about one pound of fish per day.

African Penguins are faithful to their mate

African Penguins are the only penguin species that breed in Africa and it is found nowhere else in the world. African Penguins are monogamous and the same pair will normally return to the same colony and often the same nest site each year on Dyer Island to be together.

Endangered Status of African Penguin

African penguins are currently classified as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN red data list criteria. Unfortunately, the African Penguin is now endangered and on its way the extinction because of pollution, climate change and overfishing on African shores. The African penguin population has declined by 90 percent since the turn of the 20th century.

Did you know?

African Penguin population was estimated at 179,000 in 1998 and is still declining despite conservation efforts. African Penguins are the only penguin species that breed in Africa.

25 Essential Facts About the Kola Nut

Kola nuts are culturally and economically important across West and Central Africa. They are caffeine-rich, slightly sweet, and deeply rooted in tradition. Here are 25 fascinating facts about this remarkable nut.

Kola nuts — naturally sweet, packed with caffeine, and steeped in tradition

Quick Facts

• Bitter kola is different from the larger, caffeine-rich kola nut.
• Chewing bitter kola seeds is rumored to have aphrodisiac effects.
• Deforestation and development have reduced wild kola tree populations.
• Nigeria has high demand for kola nuts, valued for their storability and versatility.
• Excess caffeine from kola nuts can cause headaches, anxiety, and irregular heartbeat.
• In 2014, fake reports claimed kola nut cured HIV/AIDS and Ebola.
• During the Ebola crisis in Nigeria, some believed salt water and bitter kola could cure the virus.
• Kola nut flavors foods and beverages and was once key in cola sodas.

For deeper cultural context, visit the Kola Nut Hub.

Geography & Cultural Significance

• Kola trees grow in Benin, Cameroon, DR Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
• Cola acuminata kola nuts hold deep ceremonial importance in Nigerian Igbo culture.
• Kola nuts energize drinks in Sierra Leone and replace hops in some African beers.
• The nut symbolizes hospitality and is central to welcoming guests at ceremonies and weddings.
• Some traditions believe kola nuts ward off evil spirits.

Health & Chemistry

• Kola nut contains caffeine, stimulating the central nervous system, heart, and muscles.
• Theobromine — also in chocolate — is present in kola nuts.
• Excessive intake can cause jitters, anxiety, and ringing in the ears.
• A fatal caffeine dose is estimated at 150–200 mg per kilogram of body weight (about 10–14 g of kola nut).
• Kola nuts are used to treat sore throats, upset stomachs, ulcers, colds, and liver issues in traditional medicine.

Economic & Modern Uses

• Kola nuts remain a valuable income source for families in Nigeria and West Africa.
• Though once key in soft drinks, most modern colas no longer use real kola nut.
• Kola nut extract flavors energy drinks and herbal tonics worldwide.
• The nuts help prevent beer spoilage in traditional brewing.

Inside the Fruit

• Kola nuts grow inside star-shaped pods with white shells.
• The fruit is ovoid, about 1.5–3 inches long.

Part of the African Cuisine Hub — featuring traditional African cooking techniques, ingredients, and flavor stories.

How to Cook With Banana Leaves

Cooking with banana leaves adds aroma and authenticity to African cuisine.

Cooking with banana leaves is both an art and a tradition in many African and tropical kitchens. Preparing banana leaves for cooking, wrapping, and serving rice, fish, or meat recipes is simple, sustainable, and aromatic.

Why Cook With Banana Leaves?

Banana leaves impart a naturally sweet aroma when steamed or baked. While the leaves themselves are not eaten, they act as a flavorful, biodegradable cooking wrap that infuses dishes with tropical fragrance. Use them as you would foil or parchment paper — perfect for wrapping fish, vegetables, and rice.

How to Cut and Prepare Banana Leaves

Use scissors to cut banana leaves into the size you need, depending on your recipe. For wrapping food, place your ingredients in the center of the leaf and fold into a square packet, tying with kitchen string or a thin strip of banana leaf. Always place wrapped food in a baking dish to prevent juices from dripping.

Fish and rice wrapped in banana leaves, Ghana

Banana Coconut Rice Recipe

• 2 cups rice
• 4 ripe bananas, peeled and halved
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 large banana leaves (20×30 cm rectangles)

Directions: In a saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, spices, and sugar. Simmer for 5–6 minutes until thick. Cool slightly. Soften banana leaves by microwaving briefly. Spoon rice and banana pieces into leaves, fold and tie securely. Steam for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

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Facts About Banana Leaves and Bananas

The banana plant (genus Musa) is native to Africa and Asia, with over 70 known species. Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof, making them ideal for cooking, serving, and even ceremonial uses.

How Banana Leaves Grow

Banana plants form a pseudo-trunk from tightly rolled leaf sheaths. As new leaves grow from the center, older ones are pushed outward, forming tall green stalks topped by wide, vibrant leaves used for cooking.

Banana Ripeness Guide

• Green Bananas: Starchy and ideal for savory dishes or frying.
• Partially Ripe: Slightly sweet, perfect for baking or broiling.
• Yellow Ripe: Great for cooking or eating fresh.
• Fully Ripe: Soft and sweet, ideal for desserts and smoothies.
• Overripe: Best for banana bread, fritters, and waffles.

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Frequently Asked Questions — Cooking With Banana Leaves

Where can I buy banana leaves?

Fresh or frozen banana leaves are often available at African, Asian, or Caribbean grocery stores. Frozen leaves can be softened by briefly passing them over steam or microwaving.

Can I reuse banana leaves?

No, banana leaves are single-use wraps. They’re biodegradable and should be composted after cooking.

What dishes use banana leaves?

Common dishes include grilled fish, steamed rice, plantain pudding, and coconut-based desserts across West, Central, and East Africa.

Learn more traditional methods in the African Cooking Techniques Collection.

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African Recipes by The African Gourmet

Teach everything you know

Presidents of Togo for years is the target of criticism over human rights. Togo is still known as a country where the same family has been in power for five decades.

Togo is a narrow strip of land on Africa's west coast. French Togoland became Togo in 1960.

President Faure Gnassingbé’s father took power in a 1967 military coup; father and then son have held the presidency since. Togo’s Gnassingbé Eyadema led the country from 1967 until his death in 2005. His son, Faure Gnassingbé, was promptly installed as president and has since been victorious in three deeply flawed elections. Togolese citizens have loudly demanded democratic reforms and insist on term limits ending the son Faure Gnassingbé s presidential term in 2020.

Major opposition parties boycotted Togo’s first three legislative elections after the country adopted multiparty politics in 1992. They have been met with sometimes-violent repression that has alarmed the region. The boycotts left the legislature dominated by the ruling party, granting it the power to make constitutional amendments, enabling two leaders, Gnassingbé Eyadéma and his son Faure, to extend their successive rule past the 50-year mark.

Togo has for years been the target of criticism over its human rights record and political governance. A penal code criminalizing media offenses was passed in 2015; journalists could face jail sentences and fines for "false news". Togo's parliament passed the new section to the penal code on November 2, 2015 article 497. 

The law proposes a prison sentence of up to two years and a fine up to 2 million CFA francs (US$3,300) for "the publication, dissemination, or reproduction by any means whatsoever of false news, fabricated parts, falsified or falsely attributed to third parties where, in bad faith, this disturbs the public peace, or is likely to disturb it,"

Togo flag pic

Fast facts about Togo

The Togolese Republic, Togo, is a tiny West African country next to Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso.

Togo is where the same family has been in power for five decades.

In 1884 the German protectorate of Togoland was established. Togo was occupied since the 1700s by the Danish, Germans, British and French received independence in 1960 with Sylvanus Olympio elected as the first president.

Opposition groups have protested against changes to the electoral law and have also demanded the restoration of limits on how many terms the president may serve.

A penal code criminalizing media offenses was passed in 2015; journalists could face jail sentences and fines for "false news" prison sentence of up to two years and a fine up to 2 million CFA francs (US$3,300).

Togo name derived from the Ewe words - to (water) and go - (shore); originally the name applied to the town of Togo, now Togoville, but the name was eventually extended to the entire country.

Togo capital is Lome

West African country of Togo

Togo’s landscape is diverse, with five environmental zones: mountains, Savannah, rainforest and coastal areas. Togo is one of the smallest countries in Africa with more than one million people living in Lomé, its capital city.

With more than 6 million residents, for the most part, live in rural areas. Voodoo worshipers from the Guen tribe worship at the annual Epe Ekpe festival in Togo.

For one week each year in September the small town of Glidji located in the Southernmost region of Togo, hundreds of voodoo or vodun worshipers make a pilgrimage to the sacred village.

Togo is an agriculturally based society. Commercial crops include coffee, cocoa, and cotton. Mined resources include phosphates, diamonds, and gold; phosphate mining is the largest non-agricultural industry. The United States imports cocoa and coffee from Togo. Togo is among the world's largest producers of phosphate.

American Colonization Society in 1817 founded Liberia and sent free and freed blacks back to Africa as an alternative to living free in the United States.

Table of Emigrants Settled in Liberia

Liberia began as a settlement of free blacks and freed slaves from the US established in 1822. Arkansas emigrated more free and freed blacks to Liberia, more than any other US state.

During the term of the fifth president and founding father of the United States, James Monroe, the American Colonization Society (ACS) was formed.  ACS, in 1817 sent free and freed blacks back to Africa as an alternative to emancipation in the United States. In 1822, the society established on the west coast of Africa a colony that in 1847 became the independent nation of Liberia.

Because the soil around Monrovia was poor and the coastal areas were covered in dense jungle, many early emigrants to Liberia moved up the nearby St. Paul's River, where they found land suitable for farming. There they established small communities of people from the same geographic region in America. >

In 1867, the American Colonization Society published a list showing the names of ships, dates of sailing, and a number of emigrants by the state through December 1866. By that time, more than 13,000 blacks had been settled in Liberia through ACS efforts. 

The peak years were between 1848 and 1854 when the society chartered forty-one ships and transported nearly 4,000 colonists. After falling to the twenties in 1863 and 1864, the numbers went up again after the Civil War, when 527 people went in 1865 and 621 in 1866. The table shows that the 3,733 Virginia emigrants were the largest group, followed by North Carolina with 1,371, and Georgia with 1,341.

The Library of Congress states, “The roots of the colonization movement date back to various plans first proposed in the eighteenth century. From the start, colonization of free blacks in Africa was an issue on which both whites and blacks were divided.

Some blacks supported emigration because they thought that black Americans would never receive justice in the United States. Others believed African-Americans should remain in the United States to fight against slavery and for full legal rights as American citizens.

Some whites saw colonization as a way of ridding the nation of blacks, while others believed black Americans would be happier in Africa, where they could live free of racial discrimination. Still, others believed black American colonists could play a central role in Christianizing and civilizing Africa.

By 1867 the American Colonization Society (ACS) resettled more than 13,000 black people in Liberia.

Beginning in the 1830s, the society was harshly attacked by abolitionists, who tried to discredit colonization as a slaveholder's scheme. And, after the Civil War, when many blacks wanted to go to Liberia, financial support for colonization had waned. During its later years, the society focused on educational and missionary efforts in Liberia rather than emigration.

Liberian settlers tried to recreate American Society by building churches and homes that resembled Southern plantations, however, they found themselves in the same complex relationship with the indigenous Liberian population as they were with their white counterparts in America.

Some Liberian settlers tried to civilize the indigenous people of Liberia however this caused a rift that is still seeing between the two groups of people today.

Liberian colonists built schools during the early years to try to teach the indigenous population however, conditions worsened as Liberians tried desperately to modernize this group of people. 

Development between the supposed Elite breed African settlers and the indigenous population caused a widening gap and frustration in Liberia ran high. The majority of the population was poor and lack basic education.

Joseph Jenkins Roberts, 1809–1876, a wealthy Monrovia merchant who had emigrated in 1829 from Petersburg, Virginia, became the first black ACS governor of Liberia in 1841. In 1848, he was elected the first president of an independent Liberia.

He achieved international recognition for the new country before leaving the presidency in 1856. After many years as president of Liberia College, Roberts again served as Liberian president from 1872–1876.

Before the Civil War, Robert E. Lee freed most of his slaves and offered to pay expenses for those who wanted to go to Liberia. In November 1853, Lee's former slaves William and Rosabella Burke and their four children sailed on the Banshee, which left Baltimore with 261 emigrants.

Burke studied Latin and Greek at a newly established seminary in Monrovia and became a Presbyterian minister in 1857. He helped educate his own children and other members of his community and took several native children into his home.

The Burkes's letters describing their lives in Liberia show that they relied on the Lees to convey messages to and from relatives still in Virginia, and the letters also reflect affection for their former masters.

Despite the hardships of being a colonist, William Burke was enthusiastic about his new life.

After five years in Liberia, he wrote that "Persons coming to Africa should expect to go through many hardships, such as are common to the first settlement in any new country. I expected it, and was not disappointed or discouraged at anything I met with; and so far from being dissatisfied with the country, I bless the Lord that ever my lot was cast in this part of the earth. The Lord has blessed me abundantly since my residence in Africa, for which I feel that I can never be sufficiently thankful."

Before the civil war, Robert E. Lee freed most of his slaves and offered to pay expenses for those who wanted to go to Liberia

Liberia began as a settlement of free blacks and freed slaves from the US established in 1822.

Interesting Facts About Liberia

Liberia is a settlement of freed slaves and free blacks from the US established in 1822.

Colonization of free blacks in Africa was an issue on which both whites and blacks were divided.

Colonization of free blacks in Africa was an issue on which both whites and blacks were divided.

The U.S. state of Arkansas, passed a law in 1842 prohibiting the immigration of free blacks into the state, formal emancipation from slavery was illegal. Nearly 700 free blacks and freed slaves left from Southern and Eastern Arkansas to Liberia, more than any other US state.

Liberia is located in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone.

Liberia is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Arkansas.

Liberia’s capital city Monrovia is named after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States.

Nine Arkansas counties led the way emigrating the most blacks to Liberia from 1880 to 1890; Conway, Faulkner, Jefferson, Lee, Lonoke, Phillips, Pulaski, St. Francis, and Woodruff.

Two major groups of Liberia’s native African population are the Kpelle around 20% largely farmers and Bassa around 13% who mainly city dwellers.

Liberia is Africa's oldest republic, but it became better known its first civil war 1989 until 1997, second civil war 1999-2003.

The 2014-2015 Liberian Ebola endemic where hundreds of people died, Doctors Without Borders described the situation as tragic and disastrous. Many hospitals closed under the weight of treating people with the Ebola virus.

Most Liberians live in urban areas, with coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, manioc, tapioca, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goat food markets in close proximity to the capital of Monrovia.

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 names
2. Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
3. How many countries does Africa have?
4. Paying Money To Tour Slums in Africa
5. What Is the Wettest Country in Africa
6. Land is Not For Women in Sierra Leone
7. African Kente Cloth Facts
8. Where is Shashamane Ethiopia the African Rastafarian Promised Land

Whether you call them kabobs, kebabs, satays, brochettes, souvlakia, skewers, or kyinkyinga, meat on a stick made in Ghana is delicious on the grill.

About Ghana Ghana is the current name for the Gold Coast and Togoland or British Togoland was carved out from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory. 

In Africa, Ghana was the first to achieve independence in 1957. The new nation's most influential figure was its prime minister, later president, Kwame Nkrumah. Ghana's route to independence became the model for the rest of the continent.

The Republic of Togo to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west and north, and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to the west borders the Republic of Ghana. The Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean lies south of the country, and it forms a 341miles or 550 km long coastline.

Food of Ghana Make grilled goat meat kebabs are made of small, tender chunks of goat meat seasoned with ground peanuts, spices, dabbed with oil and grilled directly over a hot grill.

 

Goat Meat Kyinkyinga Kabobs

Goat Meat Kyinkyinga Kebabs

Ingredients

1 pound goat meat cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons cooking oil

24 wooden skewers

Ghanaian Tankora Spice Mix

Ingredients

1 cup roasted peanuts

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 bouillon cube crushed

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon cloves

Directions

Add all spices to a coffee grinder and grind carefully taking care not to over process the mixture or it will turn into peanut butter. The texture should resemble fine breadcrumbs. This spice mixture is called Ghanaian tankora and is the spice mix of choice for kyinkyinga kebabs.

Soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes; you will use two skewers per kebab. Place goat meat in a large bowl and mix with cooking oil making sure the meat is coated well. Add meat to skewers about 4-6 pieces per stick taking care the meat is not touching so they cook evenly then sprinkle with homemade tankora spice mix.  Place kebobs directly on a hot grill, close lid and cook 5 minutes per side or until meat is done all the way through to the center. Transfer skewers to a plate, let rest 2 minutes and serve.

The Economy of Goats in Ghana 

Many Ghanaian rural households keep some sort of livestock; livestock farming is an aside to crop farming. Poultry predominates in the south, while cattle production is concentrated in the Savannah zones. 

Goat production is generally widespread throughout the country, however, goat production in Ghana is basically traditional except for a few organized or large-scale livestock farms. Livestock stabilizes the socio-economic capability of households by providing reliable income in times when prices of crops are low due to a bumper harvest.

Ghanaian households with different levels of income have varying objectives of keeping livestock in view of the wide spectrum of benefits livestock provide. These include cash income, food, organic fertilizer, source of renewable energy for draft power and hauling services, savings, insurance and the socio-cultural life of the people such as an offering of bridal dowry particularly in the rural communities.

The West African Dwarf type and the West African Long-Legged type are the major breeds of goats kept by livestock farmers in Ghana. Sheep and goats are often slaughtered for various occasions and functions such as births, funeral and marriages.

Ghana’s agriculture is predominantly traditional where about 60% of all farms in the country are less than 1.2 hectares in size. On the national average, there are about 7 cattle, 10 sheep, 10 goats and 8 pigs on Ghanaian farms.

Villages and rural areas are where the bulk of Ghana’s goats are located usually living in unroofed or fenced yards and semi-open sheds where the animals are confined after grazing. The animals when released for grazing stay within a particular distance by their territorial instinct.

Goats have a fascinating ability to survive and produce under a surprising range of conditions and even in respect of dry season survival on poor herbage. In the rural areas, there are always reports of crops being destroyed by these animals especially the goats.

Ghana’s top three food commodities are cassava, yams, and plantains. Cassava is known by various names, manioc, yucca, yuca, mandioca, and tapioca. The yam belt of West Africa includes Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Central Africa, Cameroon and Togo, Nigeria alone produces 71 percent of the yams. Plantains are important in the humid lowlands of West and Central Africa. One hundred or more different varieties of plantain grow deep in the African rainforests.

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Vegan fine dining is a growing trend around the world and Ghanaian red gourmet vegan recipe is a new classic.

Ghana red-red bean tomato stew is made with black-eyed peas, palm oil, and tomatoes. Red-red is a Ghanaian food dish that gets its name from the red color of the ingredients, red palm oil, tomatoes, and tomato paste used to make the stew.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes


Ghana Red-Red Vegetarian Stew
270 calories
8 grams fat

Ingredients
2 tablespoons palm oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 plantains, halved lengthwise and cut into chunks


Directions

Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook about 10 minutes or until golden and tender, stirring frequently. 

Stir in garlic, ginger, and cayenne and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes and peas and bring to a simmer. 

Cook 15 minutes or until peas are tender and flavors blended. Stir in salt. Melt butter in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. 

Reduce heat to medium, add plantains and cook about 5 minutes or until browned on both sides, gently flipping halfway through cooking. 

Serve alongside black-eyed peas in a shallow bowl.