Even though foreign investors may own or lease land, native Sierra Leonean women rarely can.

Women’s land ownership rights in Sierra Leone remain limited. Colonial laws and tribal customs still block women from owning or inheriting land.

Land in Sierra Leone operates under a dual tenure system dating back to the British colonial era. The British Crown Colony of Freetown (est. 1808) used English freehold and leasehold systems, while the surrounding Protectorate (declared 1896) was governed by local customary law.

Freehold tenure grants the legal right to own land outright; leasehold allows renting from an owner. These Western forms exist mainly around Freetown. In the rural Protectorate, customary law dominates—and that often means land is passed through male lineage, keeping women as users but not owners.

How Customary Rules Keep Women from Owning Land

Land disputes in rural Sierra Leone are settled informally by chiefs and elders, with rules based on unwritten tradition. Women are rarely invited into these negotiations. In many areas, women cannot sue in land cases or inherit family property. Boundary markers—trees or streams—are unreliable, and without formal titles women’s farms can be seized or sold without their consent.

Population Pressure and Modernization Attempts

Urban growth around Freetown—from 195,000 people in 1960 to over 1.5 million in 2015—has intensified land demand. After civil war, the government tried to modernize land records. In 2014 Sierra Leone launched the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure to promote fairer access. Yet in provinces ruled by customary law, mindsets remain slow to change and women’s ownership is still rare.

Why Secure Land Rights For Women?

Women produce most subsistence crops yet lack legal titles, leaving them vulnerable to land grabs and unable to use land as collateral for loans. As Landesa notes, “For women, land truly is a gateway right — without it, efforts to improve basic rights and well-being will be hampered.”

“It was taboo for a woman to inherit or purchase land, rent a house in her own name, or even speak in men’s meetings.” — Sayon Mansaray, rural Koinadugu social worker

Newer policies, such as the 2022 Customary Land Rights Act, aim to require female representation in land decisions. But implementation challenges and deep-rooted patriarchy still make secure ownership elusive for most women farmers.

Read More on Land and Gender in Africa

• Disputes Over Land and Maritime Borders in Africa
• What Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa
• African Healers and Traditional Beliefs

Ashe to Amen — learn about the custom of using the words Ashe and Amen historically.

This article is part of our African History hub — exploring race, African identity, and philosophy across the continent.

Where did the word Amen and Ashe come from, why is it said, and what does it mean?

In Judaism, which dates back over 3,500 years, and Christianity, about 2,000 years old, Amen means “may it be so.” In the African Yoruba language, among the Yoruba people whose culture is as old as time, Ashe or Ase also means “may it be so.”

Ase or Ashe means power, commandment, and authority — the ability to make whatever one says happen from the spiritual to the physical realm. In Yoruba, Ashe is omnipresent spiritual energy.

Followers of Judaism and Christianity use the word Amen to end prayers as an affirmation for divine response. Similarly, in Yoruba spirituality, Ashe refers to the life force within all living things — the spark that animates creation itself.

Ashe is used at the end of appeals and prayers as an affirmation that what has been requested should manifest in the physical realm.

It is fascinating how many newer religions that often dismissed African indigenous spirituality have borrowed words and ritual practices from ancient African traditions.

Modern-day Yoruba people still blend traditions — Jewish, Christian, and Muslim practices often merge with Yoruba customs, reflecting an ongoing dialogue between old and new faiths.

The Yoruba word Ashe or Ase (pronounced AH-SHAY) is the divine force, energy, and power to make things happen — the same as the word Amen.

Did you know?
Ile-Ife is the ancestral and spiritual home of the Yoruba, and the Ooni of Ife is the revered traditional head. The Yoruba — one of the three largest ethnic groups of Nigeria, also living in Benin and northern Togo — have long been recognized among the most skilled artisans in Africa.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ashe and Amen

What does Ashe mean in Yoruba belief?

Ashe (or Ase) in Yoruba spirituality represents divine energy or life force — the power to make things happen through words, intention, and action.

Is Ashe the same as Amen?

Yes, both Ashe and Amen mean “may it be so.” Amen is rooted in Hebrew and Christian traditions, while Ashe originates from Yoruba cosmology as the affirmation of divine energy.

How is Ashe used in modern prayers?

People end affirmations or prayers with Ashe to declare intent and align their words with spiritual power, much like saying Amen in other faiths.

What is the origin of Amen?

Amen derives from ancient Hebrew, meaning “truly” or “so be it.” It was carried into Christian liturgy and is used globally in prayer and worship.

Read more facts about Africa and African food recipes. African people are praised for their proverbs, history, traditions, and resilience. Learn more about African history.

Honor a child and she will honor you.

Below are more articles you will find thought-provoking. Ase.

1. Scientific Racism: Ota Benga, the Human Exhibited at the Bronx Zoo
2. Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
3. What is an African Proverb?
4. African Water Spirit Mami Wata
5. Percentage of White People Living in Africa

Three-Ingredient North African Tahini Honey Butter Recipe

Tahini is simply sesame seeds ground into a rich, smooth paste. Making your own at home is easy, fresher, and less expensive than buying a jar at the store.

You only need three ingredients: sesame seeds, honey, and oil. Add salt to taste if you like. Store your homemade tahini honey butter in a clean, tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Use North African tahini honey butter as a spread or dip

Nutrition (per serving)

• 2 grams fat
• 38 grams carbohydrates
• 2 milligrams sodium

Ingredients

• 1 cup honey
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• Salt to taste (optional)

Directions

1. In a dry frying pan over medium heat, lightly toast the sesame seeds until golden and fragrant.
2. Transfer toasted seeds to a food processor. Add sunflower oil and blend until a thick paste forms.
3. Add honey and blend again until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour into a clean jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for up to three weeks.

How to Use

Spread this sweet North African tahini honey butter on crackers or bread, or serve it as a dip with fruits and vegetables. It’s also delicious swirled into oatmeal or drizzled on pancakes.

Explore More African Recipes

• Pumpkin Leaf and Cocoyam Stews
• Better Cooking With Shea Butter
• West African Ginger Beer Recipe
• Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra
• Frikkadelle — Afrikaner Meatballs
• Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli

African Proverbs are often difficult to understand because they often refer to local customs or situations. However, among the strongest influences for learning lessons from people long on experience are through a nation's popular proverbs. 

They come, backed by the authority of the masses and that which everybody says we instinctively accept as true. Naturally, there is a tendency among the 54 African nations to make these compact and concise sayings, carved from real life. 

African proverbs and sayings are compressed summaries of practical wisdom, pure condensations of life-experience.

Studying African Proverbs 

There are many popular African proverbs which are full of truth and worthy of our study on social issues of hunger, injustice and global piracy of African land.

Formed from the wisdom of many proverbs are crystallizations of experience, brief expressions of the wisdom of the ancients. Below are 21 Ancient proverbs worth ruminating over and studying in-depth.

African Proverbs are often difficult to understand.

The labors of the poor make the pride of the rich.

It is a great way to the bottom of the sea.

Hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper.

Soon ripe, soon rotten.

A cat in gloves is a friend to rats.

In flying from the wolf, he met the lion.

It is pleasant to look at the rain when one stands dry.

Let everyone look to himself, and no one will be lost.

In the land of promise a man may die of hunger and want.

He that lives with cripples learns to limp.

A hungry belly has no ears.

Chickens are plucked as long as the feathers last.

Handsome apples are often sour.

See that you tie so that you can untie.

Better a land ruined than lost.

If you pull one, pig by the tail all the rest squeak.

He who plants fruit trees must not count upon the fruit.

Not all bite that shows their teeth.

Heavy purses and light hearts can sustain much.

Were fools silent they would pass for wise men.

Not all are wise who ride with the King.

Read more African proverbs, facts and food recipes about Africa

African proverbs and Tribal groups in Africa number in tens of thousands. The African Gourmet's two favorite African proverbs are Not all are wise ride with the King and See that you tie so that you can untie. Learn more about proverbs of Africa.

Cassava and cassava flour, everything you ever wanted to know.

Cassava is known by various names, manioc, yucca, yuca, mandioca, and tapioca. Cassava originated from tropical America and was first introduced into Africa in the Congo basin by the Portuguese around 1558.

Adding cassava and cassava flour to your diet can easily lead to weight gain since cassava flour has double the carbohydrate and calorie content of sweet potatoes. Cassava flour is great if you are looking for high-calorie food but not so great when trying to lose weight. Cassava flour maybe a gluten-free, wheat flour alternative, however, cassava root is essentially a rich carbohydrate source.

Cassava grows well in poor soils with little attention needed to grow the crop. However, it requires considerable postharvest labor because the roots are highly perishable and must be processed into a storable form soon after harvest. Roots can be harvested between six months and three years after planting.

Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. Nigeria is the world's largest producer of cassava, while Thailand is the largest exporter of dried cassava however, Africa exports only one ton of cassava annually.

Nearly every person in Africa eats around 176 pounds or 80 kilograms of cassava per year. It is estimated that 37% of dietary energy comes from cassava. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the largest consumer of cassava in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Nigeria.

Many varieties of cassava contain a substance called cyanide that can make the crop toxic if inadequately processed. Various processing methods, such as grating, sun drying, and fermenting, are used to reduce the cyanide content.

Apart from food, cassava is very versatile and its derivatives and starch are applicable in many types of products such as foods, confectionery, sweeteners, glues, plywood, textiles, paper, biodegradable products, monosodium glutamate, and drugs. Cassava chips and pellets are used in animal feed and alcohol production.

Best Fritters Recipe

Best Fritters Recipe

Fritters are best served with homemade soups and stews recipes. Golden brown Garri Fritters are a favorite recipe of Western Africa made with ground cassava flour and spices fried into delicious snacks.

 

Serves 8

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 10

Total time: 20 min

Best Cassava Fritters Recipe Ever

Ingredients

2 cups cassava flour

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 - 1/3 cups water

1-2 cups oil for frying

 

Directions

In a large frying pan heat vegetable oil. Add all ingredients, mix well and form small fritters, fry until golden brown about 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with extra salt or curry powder before serving.

Cassava Fact. 
Nearly every person in Africa eats around 176 pounds or 80 kilograms of cassava per year.
Recipes for the heart, mind, and soul.

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Reading and collecting three famous short African folklore stories, Foolish Tongue, Why Frogs Croak and Why the Sky is Curved.

Surma tribe folklorw in southwestern Ethiopia

In Africa, in the earliest times before there were pictures or written words there was the African folktale. For centuries, stories were passed down by word of mouth from one generation to the next. As Africans traveled across the African continent, they took their stories with them.

Every community had a storyteller who sat around the fire at night spinning yarns of magical tales and legends. African folktales reached into the heart of the people and grew into the lifeblood of the African community.

African folklore storytelling has long been accepted as a form of teaching to be defined as a series of events told in such a way that it moves the emotions and the intellect. African folklore storytelling is a spiritual legacy passed down from one generation to another. It is as old as Africa herself with a deep appreciation for antiquity expressed in artistic form. 

Folklore storytelling is the most ancient art form of the African Community. Just as someone expresses their ideas and the form of music, painting, dance and sculpture folklore takes the ideas of an ancient story and creates with words a picture that enchants the listener with a rich auditory environment.

Daddy telling African folklore stories to his child in Ghana

Many African people are born storytellers and spend many long hours practicing their art. Not everyone can acquire the art of folklore storytelling imagery, but for the beginner one should think of folklore storytelling as a heritage passed on from traditional storytellers and dig deep within the ancient storyteller that lies within us all.

 
Time and effort must be given to becoming an African folklore storyteller, just as any artist must give time and effort to developing their skill. African folklore storytelling can turn a shy awkward self-conscious boy or girl into storytellers who captivates and win’s the heart of their listeners. 

African folklore storytelling can help those afraid of public speaking by relating the value of the story and discover the roots within themselves on how to tell a story like a skilled craftsperson.

 
Great storytelling of the short story began in Africa with the African folktale also known as African folklore. Here are three famous short African folklore stories to begin reading or save when you have time to sit down and truly enjoy the depth and complexity of African folklore.

 

Here are three famous short African folklore stories, Foolish Tongue, Why Frogs Croak and Why the Sky is Curved.

Foolish Tongue East African Folktale Short Story

The chief of a village once asked, “Who are more in number in our village, the women or the men?” 

Koa, the village jester answered without hesitation, “Men are the minority, women the majority!” 

Koas' wife turned to him puzzled and asked, “How do you know this?” 

Koa laughed and said, “The reason why there are more women in our village dear wife is that men who listen to what women say are counted as women!” 

As soon as he spoke the words, Koa knew he would soon have one foot in this world and one in the next for his wife answered, “It is your foolish tongue that will carry you to your grave husband!”.

Why Frogs Croak African Short Story Folklore

The animals arrange a wrestling match between frog and elephant. 

It is agreed that at the beginning of the match, at the signal each contestant will rush forward into the wrestling match and begin the contest. 

However, the elephant comes so fast, that he stumbles and falls over on his back, frog jumps through elephant's legs, pins him and wins the match. 

All Frog's relatives began to croak, and to this day, they crock to each other celebrating the victory over the elephant.

Why the Sky is Curved East African Folklore Short Story

Many, many years ago, when people were innocent, as soon as they died, their souls went directly to heaven. 

In a short time, heaven was crowded with souls, because nearly everyone went there. 

One day, while God was sitting on his throne, he felt it move by someone. 

On looking up, he saw that the souls were pushing towards him because the sky was about to fall. At once he summoned five angels, and said to them, “Go at once to the earth, and hold up the sky with your heads until I can have it repaired.” 

Then God called together all his carpenters, and said to them, “Repair the heavens as soon as possible.” 

The work was done; but it happened that the tallest angel was standing in the center of the group; and so, ever since, the sky has been curved.

More short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends again from the motherland.

1. Why the bunny rabbit has wiggly slits for a nose
2. Love Takes No Less Than Everything Marriage Folklore
3. Hunters Attack Cowards Tell the Story
4. One Do Wrong All Get Punished
5. Mighty Little Hedgehog

In many African countries sexual, physical and social violence because you are female is common. Due to segregation and margination many prospects for women in Africa are gender limited. 

Homeless women and children in Darfur in western Sudan. 

Around 46% of women in Africa have experienced either non-partner sexual violence or physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner, or both.

Physical violence meant the woman had been: slapped, or had something thrown at her; pushed or shoved; hit with a fist or something else that could hurt; kicked, dragged or beaten up; choked or burnt; threatened with or had a weapon used against her.

Sexual violence meant the woman had: been physically forced to have sexual intercourse; had sexual intercourse because she was afraid of what her partner might do; been forced to do something sexual she found degrading or humiliating. In Ethiopia, of women who had ever experienced physical violence by a partner, 19% had been injured at least once.

Among the main injuries were abrasions or bruises in 39% of women who had been injured, sprains and dislocations 22%, injuries to eyes and ears 10%, fractures 18%, and broken teeth 6%. In 2016, the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey sampled close to 5,000 women aged 15-49 from all the nine regions and two city administrations of Ethiopia and 47% of girls aged 15-19 said they had undergone  FGM .

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), approximately 1.7 to 1.8 million women reported having been raped in their lifetime. Access to maternal health services is still a challenge so that childbirth remains a potential threat to the life of women: Over 200,000 women in Africa still die each year giving birth.

Of the women who sought help after experiencing physical violence by a partner 39% of the women had never talked to anyone about the physical violence. Few abused women asked formal agencies or authorities for help. The most often mentioned were local leaders 15%, health services 4%, police 2% and the courts 1%. Among those women who did not seek help, 53% said they feared the consequences or had been threatened, and 37% said they considered the violence normal or not serious. 

Women’s lack of voice in decisions that concern their lives is at the center of many of these issues. In Malawi and DRC, for example, 34% and 28% of married women respectively are not involved in decisions about spending their earnings. At the same time, women, forming a particularly vulnerable sub-group, head 26% of households in Africa. 

The number of youth in Africa is growing rapidly, presenting both opportunities and risks with 50% of the population in the region are under 25 years of age. By 2050, Africa will have 362 million people aged between 15 and 24. This rapid increase contrasts starkly with the Middle East and North Africa, where increases in the size of this cohort have steadied, and even with East Asia, where numbers are dominated by China and the size of this cohort is expected to fall from 350 million in 2010 to 225 million by 2050. 

Due to the size of the population, Africa has a high rate of female entrepreneurship at 33%, speaking to the potential and resilience of women in the region, which can contribute to an acceleration in the development of the African continent. With the right sexual violence and physical violence policies and teaching programs in place, a young population offers tremendous opportunities to end the violence against women in Africa. 

Segregation based on gender can lead to lower social standing, often accompanied by a lower standard of living in terms of income, access to employment and services, and a voice in both national and local decision making.

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 South African Indian Garam Masala

Garam masala simply means “hot spice mix.” This traditional blend of aromatic spices traveled from the Indian subcontinent to Africa and became the heart of South African Indian cooking. Our recipe is simple, budget-friendly, and adds warmth to any meal.

South African Indian recipes often include garam masala — a mix of seven key spices: cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Indian food is unimaginable without Garam Masala

Spices give South African Indian cuisine its distinctive flavor and personality. Most South African Indian recipes use many different spices, but don’t let that intimidate you — most are easy to find in local supermarkets or Indian grocery stores.

One thing new cooks often find intimidating about Indian food is the wide variety of spices, but blending them yourself creates depth and balance that store-bought mixes can’t match.

Homemade Garam Masala Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Mix all the spices together in a bowl until evenly combined. Breathe deeply as you do—this is the first scent memory: the sharp, bright awakening of raw spices meeting for the first time.
2. Store the mixture in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months. When you open it weeks later, the second scent memory emerges: matured, complex, like a story that needed time to settle.
3. Use in small batches to preserve aroma and flavor. The final scent memory blooms when heat hits the spices—that warm, enveloping cloud that means home is being made.

South Africans of Indian descent, especially in KwaZulu-Natal’s city of Durban, keep garam masala at the center of their kitchens. For many, the scent of toasting spices is the very smell of belonging—a fragrant thread connecting Durban markets to ancestral villages in India. Try pairing it with our Eggplant Brinjal Curry for a perfect Durban-style meal that will fill your kitchen with generations of memory.

The Crown of Silver Threads

Why African elders wear moonlight in their hair

When the moon sees hair like this, she bows. She remembers lending those strands one night long ago.

Listen, child. Sit close to the fire.

In the time before time, when the first people still had hair as black as midnight oil, the Moon grew lonely. Every night she walked the sky alone, pouring silver light on sleeping villages, but no one ever poured anything back.

One evening she came down in the shape of an old woman and sat among the grandmothers who were braiding each other’s hair under the baobab.

“Why is your hair still black?” she asked. “Have you never loved deeply enough to turn even one strand pale?”

The grandmothers laughed. “We have loved. We have cried rivers. We have danced until our feet bled. But our hair stays proud and dark.”

The Moon smiled the slow smile of someone who has waited centuries.

“Then let me lend you some of my light,” she said. “Every tear you shed for someone else, every night you stayed awake guarding the village, every secret you carried so the young could sleep in peace — I will take one thread of your hair and weave it with my silver. When people see those shining strands, they will know: this one has loved the world enough to give pieces of herself away.”

The eldest grandmother, Mama Njatiana, stood first. She had buried seven children, sung a thousand lullabies, and hidden rebels in her cooking hut during war. She bowed her head.

The Moon touched her scalp. One by one, strands turned the colour of starlight.

By morning, Mama Njatiana’s hair was a crown of silver threads. The village children ran to her, shouting, “Mama, the Moon has kissed you!”

And Mama Njatiana laughed, the sound like bells made of moonlight, and said:

“Do not call it grey. Do not call it white.
These are the threads the Moon and I wove together
the nights I refused to let the world grow cold.”

From that day forward, every elder who earns silver in their hair is wearing a crown borrowed from the sky itself. The more silver, the more nights they spent pouring love back into the world so the Moon would never walk alone again.

A head without silver threads is a night without stars.

The moon does not lend her light to those who have never kept watch.

When an elder’s hair turns white, the ancestors lean closer to hear what she says.

Silver hair is the only crown a person can grow with their own heart.

So the next time you see an elder with a head full of moon-wool, do not say “grey.”

Bow, just a little.

They are wearing the sky’s finest jewellery — and they earned every strand by loving harder than the rest of us have learned to yet.

Walk gently, child.
One day the Moon will come looking for you too.

Medical Missionaries Touching Ghana with the Love of Christ?

Racism is a Religious Healthcare Issue Controversial White Archangel Michael and Black Devil Statue in Ghana. Tepa is a small town and is the capital of Ahafo Ano North, a district in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, the Catholic Church in Ghana is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. There are three million Catholics in Ghana, which is around 13 percent. Tepa grotto garden falls under the leadership of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga. Church Interviewed GhanaWeb interviewed some church members who explained why the statue should not be described as racist. An ardent member of the Church defends that color does not matter when issues of religion are being discussed as faith is colorless and emphasized that whether black or white, it should not be interpreted as racism.  “In my opinion, it’s not a racist statue. I see this statue as a projection of an angel and the devil and that’s all I see… I don’t really care about the color because the color will not take us to heaven it’s just the faith that we have which is colorless. A believer who sees this image and is climbing the mountain to pray understands this perfectly well without thinking of racism,” he stated.  Others believe that if the color does not matter then the Roman Catholic in Tepa Ghana should have no issue painting Michael, the white angel black and Satan the black devil as white. Still, others believe the reversal of colors will not satisfy the issue of whites believing they are superior to black Africans and religion is a tool used to continue to enslave the African mind.  Christianity and Colonialism: A Legacy Shaped by European Powers Christianity and colonialism are closely associated because Catholicism and Protestantism were the religions of the European colonial powers. Why did enslaved Africans embrace the religion of their captors? Christianity as a tool of oppression is a question on the young minds of Africans.  In his 1984 book Missions Heralds of Capitalism or Christ? on page 135 evangelist Jan Boer argues that for evangelicals, particularly those involved in the Sudan United Mission and colonialism evangelical ventures, social projects generally served as bait for opportunities to evangelize verbally to the native African population. Medical Missionaries and Healthcare in Ghana.   Many believe religion and the bible was used as a tool of colonization and is being used as a medical, political and social tool in Africa. The bible continues to be used to justify the actions of the colonizers and the current population of some medical missionaries in Africa.  Health care organizations belonging to various Christian Non-governmental groups or NGO's located in the rural areas Ghana provide for the majority of Ghana national health care needs. The umbrella organization of which the various mission hospitals, clinics, and facilities are members of is known as the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG).  According to its website, CHAG is a Network organization of 302 health facilities and health training institutions owned by 25 different Christian Church Denominations. The Roman Catholic Church whose garden the White Archangel Michael and Black Devil Statue stands funds and manages many clinics in rural Ghana.  A message from the director Peter K. Yeboah states, “CHAG exists primarily to promote the development and sustainability of Church Health Services anytime, anywhere, and everywhere the need beckons. Over the years, CHAG has kept faith with the people of Ghana and beyond, providing holistic health services in line with our mandate of promoting Jesus Christ’s healing ministry… As the second-largest provider of health services in Ghana, CHAG offers a significant level of hope for all generations unborn, children, young, mothers, adult, the aged and the vulnerable groups in the society. "  NHIS and Ghana In 2003, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was created to provide financial access to quality basic health care for residents in Ghana, adopting free maternal care in 2008 and free mental health care services in 2012.  However, urban populations and richer households are more likely to have a valid NHIS card than rural and poorer households who rely more on CHAG. In Ghana, most health care is provided by the government and is largely administered by the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Services or GHS. Christian Health Association of Ghana or CHAG is the second largest. The GHS, the main provider, has an Institutional Care Division with a Quality Assurance Department in charge of quality assurance and patient safety. CHAG, the second-largest provider has its own quality assurance and patient safety program.  African Country Names Your Saying Wrong What do Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa? About African Healers and Witchdoctors Hurricanes are Angry African Ancestors Highest Temperature and Lowest Temperature in Africa About African Night Running

Kente cloth pronounced Ken-Tay is the most famous African textile design. Kente a Ghanaian traditional fabric that is worn for major celebrations.

Discover more textile symbolism and quilt traditions in the African Quilting & Textile Crafts Hub .

Kente cloth is the most recognizable of all African textiles. Kente cloth fabric design was inspired by a spiders web by the Ashanti people of Ghana.

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Why African kente cloth is popular

Africa, particularly in the areas of dance, music and the fine arts has influenced cultures around the world for two millennia ans so has kente cloth. African people are creative having a long history of unique cultural elegance valued around the world over. The fact is making and trading of African cloth have been vital elements in African culture. The first colorful kente cloth was worn by Otumfuo Nana Prempeh I, a former Ashanti king. Through cloth, we can understand not only Africa’s history but also its engagement with other parts of the world. Textiles can be used to address global issues and to express individual traditions of Africa. African textiles unspoken language often provides a way of suggesting thoughts and feelings that may not or cannot be expressed in other ways, and these cloths regularly move between the kingdoms of the earthly and the revered.

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The Ashanti people of Ghana and the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo make the African cloth kente.

Kente cloth is the most recognizable of all African textiles. Kente cloth originated with the Ashanti people of Ghana dating back 375 years in the village of Bonwire. Bonwire is a kente clothing weaving village in Ejisu-Juaben Municipal district, a district of Ashanti. To this day, Bonwire is still the most famous center for kente cloth weaving. Traditional Kente Cloth was black and white however the colors of black, red, yellow and green symbolize: Black represents Africa, Red represents the blood of ancestors, Yellow represents a wealth of gold and Green represents the land.

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African Kente Cloth Legend

According to legend, Kurugu and Ameyaw, two brothers from the village, went hunting one afternoon and came across a spider spinning a web. They were amazed by the beauty of the web and thought that they could create something like it. Upon returning home, they made the first cloth out of black and white fibers from a raffia tree. A second legend of the origins of kente cloth told by Bonwire villagers is the story of a man named Ota Karaban and friend, Kwaku from Bonwire had their weaving lessons from a spider that was weaving its web. They tried to do the same by weaving a beautiful raffia fabric.

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Kente cloth

Continue exploring patterns + meaning inside the African Quilting & Textile Crafts Hub .

An easy one-pot meal of tender mutton lentil stew is just what you need for hectic weeknights.

Hearty mutton lentil stew recipe from North Africa is The African Gourmet most popular stew recipe. Nourishing, healthy lentils are a staple food throughout North Africa. North African cuisine is famous for the use of mutton, various pulses, such as chickpeas, and lentils and flavored by seven earthy spices.

North African Mutton Lentil Stew

North African Mutton Lentil Stew

Ingredients

1 pound mutton meat thinly sliced

1 large white onion, finely chopped

1 cup dried lentils

2 large potatoes diced

2 large carrots diced

4 cups of water

2  tablespoons ground cumin

2  tablespoons minced garlic

1  tablespoon ground cinnamon

1  tablespoon ground allspice

1  tablespoon ground paprika

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Add all ingredients to a large pot and and simmer for about two hours until the mutton is tender. Serve with rice.

North African Lamb Lentil Stew

What is mutton?
Lamb and mutton are the meat of sheep at different ages. Sheep in its first year is called a lamb while the meat of an adult sheep is mutton.

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