Three African Food Recipes Using Cassava Leaves, Sweet Potato Leaves, and Cocoyams.

African staple foods that can make if you know how to cook cassavas, sweet potatoes, and cocoyams.

Carrying cassava home for dinner tonight

About popular African food ingredients cassava, sweet potato, and cocoyam toxins and safe African food recipes. Make three easy African food recipes of Curry Cassava Leaves, Saute Sweet Potato Leaves, and Cocoyam Vegetable Soup.

African Food Staple of Cassava
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.

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.

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 linamarin that produces cyanide that makes the crop toxic if inadequately processed. Various processing methods, such as grating, sun drying, and fermenting, are used to reduce the cyanide content.

An efficient processing method will release the enzyme linamarase by disintegrating the microstructure of the cassava root. Excessive consumption of cassava, as the sole source of dietary energy and the main source of protein, could thus increase vulnerability to cyanide toxicity.

Several diseases have been associated with the toxic effects of cassava. Its causative role has been confirmed in the pathological condition of acute cyanide intoxication and in goiter, a swelling of the neck resulting from enlargement of the thyroid gland.

There is also some evidence linking two types of paralysis to the combined effects of high cyanide and low sulfur intake. Tropical Atoxic Neuropathy and Epidemic Spastic Paraparesis, causes damage to the spinal cord.

Tropical ataxic neuropathy is a paralysis disease common in Nigeria where a lot of cassava is consumed without the addition of sufficient protein-rich supplementary foods to provide an adequate supply of sulfur amino acids for the detoxification of ingested cyanide.

All the cases reported came from the area where cassava is cultivated and eaten in large quantities. In the case of epidemic spastic paraparesis, in parts of Mozambique, a bitter toxic type of cassava is often planted as a food reserve because of its high yield as cassava constitutes about 80% of the basic diet.

This disease affects mainly women and children. It damages the nerve tract in the spinal cord that transmits signals for movement, thus causing aspastic paralysis of both legs.

Cassava is toxic when insufficient fermentation of the cassava that leaves residual cyanide. Cassava can be peeled, sliced and sun-dried for about three weeks after which the cyanide level is reduced to about, pounded to a flour, mixed with hot water to make a thick paste-like stiff mashed potatoes.

This paste is normally eaten with a relish of beans, fish or vegetables, to provide a well-balanced meal. This is a safe way to eat cassava in Africaminus the cyanide.

Curry Cassava Leaves Served with Ugali

Curry Cassava Leaves Served with Ugali

African food recipes are easy to make at home.

Curry Cassava Leaves African Food Recipe

Ingredients
3 handfuls cassava leaves, chopped
1 medium white onion, diced
1 hot pepper, chopped (optional)
¼ cup of coconut milk
1 tablespoon good-quality curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions
In a large pot, add oil, curry, salt, and onions over medium-high heat and cook onions until soft and light brown. Add coconut milk, hot pepper then cassava leaves, stir and cover 5 minutes. When leaves are cooked to your liking (soft or with some bite left in them) serve with ugali.


African Sweet Potato
Sweet potato contains raffinose, one of the sugars responsible for flatulence. Three of the sugars which occur in plant tissues, raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose are not digested in the upper digestive tract, and so are fermented by colon bacteria to yield the flatus gases, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

The level of raffinose in the sweet potato depends on the plant. Trypsin inhibitors occur in a wide range of foods and sweet potatoes contain a trypsin inhibitor.

Trypsin inhibitors are foods that inhibit the activity of the enzymes trypsin and chymotrypsin in the gut, preventing protein digestion. Cooking the sweet potato for several minutes inactivates trypsin inhibitors.

Sweet potatoes contain oxalates that can increase the risk of kidney stones. Kidney stones are the result of a buildup of dissolved minerals on the inner lining of the kidneys.

Sweet potato varieties are classified as either firm or soft. The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red.

Yams are native to Africa and Asia. The sweet potato, maybe native to tropical America introduced to Western Africa by the Portuguese in the 1500s.

Easy Saute Sweet Potato Leaves African Food Recipe

Easy Saute Sweet Potato Leaves

Just as spinach sweet potato leaves cook down a lot and have a similar
taste.

Ingredients
4 large handfuls sweet potato leaves, chopped
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 bunch chives, chopped
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions
Add ingredients into a large pot and sauté about 3 minutes. Serve over rice.

Making African Cocoyams
African cocoyams are often associated with peasant crops; cocoyam is considered a poor man’s crop or a woman’s crop. Cocoyams have several plant varieties, some with edible tubers and others with edible stems. Cocoyam or Taro plants are a traditional woman's staple root crop in many countries in Africa.

Cocoyam, if eaten raw, the calcium oxalate crystals cause a stinging feeling to the mouth and throat; cocoyam must be cooked before being eaten. The high content of calcium oxalate crystals in some species of cocoyam can cause kidney stones. The bitterly pungent high oxalate plant varieties of cocoyam can be reduced by peeling, grating, soaking and fermenting during processing.

Women are the cultivators of cocoyam farming in most African countries, thus improving cocoyam production should have a direct impact on the most economically vulnerable groups. Women cocoyam farmers play an important role in farming for daily food and income for their families, especially in Nigeria that is one of the largest producers of cocoyam in the world contributing about 40% of total annual production.

Cocoyam Vegetable Soup African Food Recipe at Home

Ingredients
1 large cocoyam root peeled and diced
3 large tomatoes, diced
2 handfuls bitter leaf or kale
2 medium chopped onions
1 medium chopped red bell pepper
1 medium chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups vegetable stock

Directions
Add all ingredients to a large pot, simmer until thick 25 minutes. Serve warm
with rice.

Harvesting fresh greens in Ghana Africa

1. Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe
2. Frikkadelle an Afrikaner dish of meatballs
3. Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli
4. Chadian Steamed Honey Cassava Buns
5. Cameroon Smoked Bonga Fish Stew

Brief look at goat keeping in Africa on goats and goat keeping.

Goats provide their owners with a broad range of products and socio-economic services and have played an important role in the social life of many African people, being used as gifts, dowry, in religious rituals and rites of passage. Being relatively tolerant of drought, goats can survive with little watering.

Depending on the breed their fast reproduction rate enables their owners to recover quickly, following a drought. Goats, being small, can be carried or moved easily if a family is forced to leave home.

Goats are kept in small herds on mixed farms all over Africa, from the humid coastal zones in West Africa to the highlands of Ethiopia. Farmers and pastoralists all over Africa are increasingly turning to goats as a means of survival and a way of boosting their incomes.

This presents African governments responsible for animal resources with new opportunities for reaching the poorest farmers in their countries. Goats are deeply embedded in almost every African culture and are true friends to the rural poor.

Goats are kept in a wide range of ecological zones and growing systems in Africa. The increasing frequency of droughts, together with long-term environmental degradation, is causing many pastoralists to move away from keeping cattle to keeping goats.

There is a marked trend towards keeping more small animals such as goats as a proportion of livestock than large livestock animals in the Maasai in Kenya and Afar in Ethiopia communities. There are many reasons for this as goats are relatively cheap to acquire and reproduce quickly.

With more regular droughts, pastoral families are in a constant state of recovery from the last drought and seldom get a chance to re-establish the previous status quo based on larger stock. Pastoralists in Africa are increasingly realizing that they need to rely on goats more and more. There are very few large-scale commercial goat farms in Africa with the majority of them found in South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda.

Three interesting things about goats

Goats were the first animals to be used for milk by humans.
Goats do not have teeth in their upper front jaw.
Goats are agile jumping over 5 feet and able to climb trees.

South Africa when it comes to producing goats is found throughout the country in Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. South Africa has 3% of the African goat population and 1% of the world's go population. The Boer goat is the most important meat breed in South Africa, the Savannah and Kalahari red goat produces Kashmir for fiber production. Goat breeds for milk production in South Africa are Saanen, Toggenburg, and Alpine goats. These are called milch goats.

Kenya's local goat breeds are the Small East African (SEA) goat found throughout East Africa from desert to urban settings used mainly for meat. The long and tall bodied Galla goat is known as the Boran or Somali goat is a high producing milk goat of the Kenyan arid and semi-arid areas because they tolerate heat and drought very well.

Galla goats can grow up to six feet long, have very little fat and mature faster than any other breed of Kenyan goats. There are many crosses depending on the breeds used. The exotic breeds; Saanen, Toggenburg, and British Alpine have been crossed with the local breeds to get a better adapted and higher-yielding animal than the local goats.

Goats are commercially and locally popular found in over 50% of households throughout Uganda. In Uganda, the slow-growing Small East African goat is used for leather making from their skins and meat production. The East African Mubende and Kigezi goats are indigenous breeds from limited regions of Uganda.

The Mubende goat is named after the Mubende is a district in the Central Region of Uganda. Goat milk in Uganda is not a common feature since the types of goats breed are used mainly for meat. In areas of Uganda where the prized Saanen and Toggenburg milking goats are found, the drinking and selling of goat milk is not common.

Goat milk is similar nutritionally to cow milk, but goat milk has smaller fat globules and is easier for people to digest who are lactose intolerant. Cows produce around 75 % of the milk consumed in Africa; milk from goats contributes around 13 % and the remaining 12 % by other animals such as sheep and camels.

In Africa, cow, goat, sheep and camel milk is usually consumed raw or made into soured milk. Raw milk is milk that has not been heated to a particular temperature for a certain amount of time or unpasteurized milk. Soured milk is raw milk in which an acid such as lemon or vinegar is added and used in numerous cooked porridge recipes throughout Africa.

Soured milk plays an important role in Africa including making the make tastier and extending the shelf life. In South Africa, traditional fermented milk amasi, sethemi, mafi, and madila are favorite recipes. In ESwatini a popular fermented milk recipe is emasi. To make emasi fermented milk simply leave raw milk to naturally ferment at room temperature in a clay pot until thick curds form this may take 2–3 days.

Another favorite recipe of Africa is stewed goat. Goat meat is lean meat and meets the demand for leaner and nutritious red meat. below is the perfect goat meat recipe for beginning goat meat-eaters.
One of the pleasures in life is eating a delicious curry goat recipe. Goat meat, also known as Chevon in Northern Europe, Capretto in Australia and Southern Europe and Cabrito in Latin America and has been an important source of meat for centuries around the world.

Regardless of the name, Goat meat is a popular recipe to people in Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, and South America.

Stewed Curry Goat Recipe

Ingredients

2 pounds cubed goat meat

2 heaping tablespoons good quality curry powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 onion chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

2 large white potatoes cubed

2 large tomatoes diced

2 large carrots sliced evenly

1 red pepper chopped

1 hot pepper whole

5 cups of water

Salt to taste


Directions

Add all the ingredients to a large pot, cover and simmer on medium low 3-4 hours until goat is tender.

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The nature of war and conflict has also changed over the years in South Sudan with interstate conflict, that intrastate conflicts and civil wars are common.

War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children. – 39th President of the United States of America, James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr., Nobel Lecture, December 10, 2002.

When a complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought up, the first action is usually for the parties to try to reach an agreement by peaceful means. When a dispute leads to fighting, the community's first concern is to bring it to an end as soon as possible. The main strategies for preventing disputes from escalating into conflict, and for preventing the recurrence of conflict, are preventive diplomacy and preventive disarmament.

Preventive diplomacy refers to action taken to prevent disputes from arising or from escalating into conflicts, and to limit the spread of conflicts when they occur. It may take the form of mediation, conciliation or negotiation and through human rights monitoring and security sector reform, to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants.

The duty to prevent and halt genocide and mass atrocities lies primarily with the community, but the international community has a role that cannot be blocked by the invocation of sovereignty. Control no longer exclusively protects communities from foreign interference; it is a charge of responsibility where communities are accountable for the welfare of their people. This principle is enshrined in article 1 of the Genocide Convention and embodied in the principle of “sovereignty as responsibility” and in the concept of the Responsibility to Protect.

The conflicts of today, while fewer in number, are deeply rooted. For example, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur, and South Sudan today, are in a second or third wave of conflict. And many are complicated by regional dimensions that are key to their solution. Conflicts today are also increasingly intensive, involving determined armed groups with access to sophisticated armaments and techniques.

Civil War in South Sudan Five War African Proverbs.

Don't celebrate war, cry for peace.

The drums of war are the drums of hunger

War has no eyes

Civil War in South Sudan Five War African Proverbs

The peacemaker dies while the fighter survives.

Civil War in South Sudan Civilian Losses

In December 2013, following a political struggle between Kiir and Machar that led to Machar's removal as vice president, violence erupted between presidential guard soldiers from the two largest ethnic groups in South Sudan. Soldiers from the Dinka ethnic group aligned with Kiir and those from the Nuer ethnic group supported Machar. In the midst of chaos, Kiir announced that Machar had attempted a coup and violence spread quickly to Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity states. Rebel factions seize control of several regional towns, thousands are killed and many more flee. Uganda troops intervene on the government's side.

On April 15, 2014, Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition forces attacked Bentiu town, Unity State. Ghastly massacres of civilians were committed during the attack. Two days later, an angry mob attacked the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan base in Bor town, Jonglei State, where thousands of internally displaced persons were seeking protection.

Around 353 civilians were killed, and at least 250 wounded, in the attacks on Bentiu and Bor. At least 19 civilians were killed at the Bentiu Civil Hospital and approximately 287 civilians were killed in a mosque in the Kalibalek area. The attack on the UNMISS Bor protection of civilians site resulted in at least 47 civilian deaths.

Perpetrators intentionally targeted civilians, often based on ethnicity, nationality, or perceived support for the opposing party to the conflict. In both Bentiu and Bor, attacks took place against protected objects a hospital, a mosque, and a United Nations base which may amount to war crimes.

After over five years of civil war in South Sudan, the year 2018 brought an increase in regional and international pressure on President Salva Kiir and opposition leader and former Vice President Riek Machar to reach an agreement to end the conflict in South Sudan. Since civil war broke out in South Sudan in December 2013, over 400,000 people have been killed and nearly five million people have been internally displaced or fled to neighboring countries.

In August 2018, the Khartoum Declaration of Agreement was signed that included a cease-fire and a pledge to negotiate a power-sharing agreement to end the war. Despite sporadic violations over the ensuing weeks, this agreement was followed by a peace agreement to end the civil war signed by the government and opposition party, along with several other rebel factions.

The agreement, called the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, included a new power sharing structure and reinstated Machar as vice president. However, continued attacks and violations mark the Khartoum Declaration of Agreement just another failed peace agreement.

In 2018, rapes in Bentiu, South Sudan were a major concern to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan who held urgent meetings with authorities and urged them to take immediate action to protect women and girls in the area and to hold the perpetrators of those terrible crimes to account.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan peacekeepers immediately sent patrols to the area to provide a protective presence and the human rights team launched an investigation to identify the perpetrators as well as clearing foliage from the sides of the road so attackers will find it harder to conceal their presence.

On December 3, 2018, a joint statement by Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, and Natalia Kanem, United Nations Population Fund Executive Director stated "In the past 12 days, more than 150 women and girls have sought assistance after suffering from sexual violence, including rape, near Bentiu in South Sudan. We echo the statement of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for South Sudan condemning these abhorrent attacks.

"The assailants have been described as armed men, many in uniform. We call on the relevant authorities to publicly denounce the attacks and ensure that those responsible for these crimes face justice. All parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and cease attacks on civilians.

"Coming during the international campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the attacks remind us that a broad pattern of gender-based violence, including sexual violence, has continued in South Sudan. In the first half of 2018, some 2,300 cases of gender-based violence were reported to service providers, the vast majority perpetrated against women and girls. More than 20 percent of survivors who have come forward are children. The actual number of cases is far higher, as gender-based violence continues to be severely under-reported.

"Humanitarian workers are providing critical, life-saving assistance and services to the survivors of the attacks. We call on the authorities to ensure the protection and safety of both civilians and aid workers, to ensure that further such horrendous violations are prevented and that assistance reaches those in need."

Angry words are like a fist but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

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

Explanation of cultured meat grown in laboratories and the impact on Africa.

What is Cultured Meat?

Cultured meat is meat produced outside of a living animal produced by culturing animal stem cells created for humans to eat. Cultured meat is envisioned as a potential to produce a high-quality protein that could complement and or partially substitute for the growing demand for meat proteins due in-part to more than half of global population growth between now and 2050 is expected to occur in Africa and a more environmental and sustainable way to feed people is vital.

The world's first cultured meat burger colored red with beetroot juice was cooked and eaten at a news conference in London August 2013. Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, was the project's backer and funded$330,000 for research.

Critics of cultured meat opinion technological fixes, whether it is lab-grown meat or GM crops address the symptoms rather than the causes of world hunger. Prof Tara Garnett, head of the Food Policy Research Network at Oxford University, said decision-makers needed to look beyond technological solutions. "That's just weird and unacceptable. The solutions don't just lie with producing more food but changing the systems of supply and access and affordability, so not just more food but better food gets to the people who need it."

Garnett added: "A lot of people consider lab-grown meat repulsive at first. But if they consider what goes into producing normal meat in a slaughterhouse, I think they would also find that repulsive." She also stated, "We have a situation where 1.4 billion people in the world are overweight and obese, and at the same time one billion people worldwide go to bed hungry," she said.

Pew Research Center analysis on Africa's population growth stated that by 2100, five of the top 10 most populous countries in the world will be in Africa. Four countries currently in the top 10 Brazil, Bangladesh, Russia, and Mexico; will fall out and be replaced by African countries projected to have sizable population growth: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Egypt. These countries will join Nigeria, which is already in the top 10 and is expected to become the third-most populous nation.

Cultured meat is also known as:

Clean Meat

Kill Free Meat

Lab Grown Meat

Vitro Meat

Synthetic Meat

Would you eat cultured meat burgers

Supporters of cultured meat believe that opponents should consider earths limited natural resources, such as land, water, fuel, and increased emissions as well as rapid population growth, food security is one of the largest challenges of the current century. Lab-grown meat, cultured from the stem cells of animals, is considered by many to be a sustainable and ethical solution to the demands of the meat industry.

Commercial scale production is anticipated by 2021 however to date cultured meat does not appear to offer substantial benefits over poultry meat or egg production due to cell and tissue culture are currently not efficient processes in terms of energy, water, and feedstock expenditure. 

Comparison with the land use savings from reduced consumer waste, including over-consumption, suggests greater benefits could be achieved from alternative dietary transformations considered. We conclude that although a diet with lower rates of animal product consumption is likely to create the greatest reduction in agricultural land, a mix of smaller changes in consumer behavior, such as replacing beef with chicken, reducing food waste and potentially introducing insects more commonly into diets, would also achieve land savings and a more sustainable food system.

Technology still uncertain, and benefits compared to other sources of nutrients currently are not well demonstrated. The high direct energy used in production also a concern. In addition to challenges of consumer acceptance, the use of cultured meat products as food for human requires additional evaluation as to how much regulatory oversight to safeguard quality, safety, public and environmental health is necessary.

Importance of cattle and cattle meat in Africa.

Gabon, South Africa, and Mauritius are the African countries that eat the most meat. The African dynamic trio of beef producers are Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. The United States is the largest producer of beef in the world while Vegetarian India is the largest exporter of buffalo meat in the world. In Botswana, as a result of an outbreak of the foot and mouth disease, the exporting of beef by the beef powerhouse country has significantly reduced exports.

Zimbabwe’s lucrative beef export into the European Union has been struggling over the past few years. Farm invasions instituted by President Robert Mugabe’s government in 2000 destroyed the sector as it displaced many beef ranchers from their land. Despite difficulties, Namibia has found a way to export its prime cattle.

Under the new protocol signed with Namibia, the southern African country will be allowed to export to Hong Kong frozen deboned and bone-in meat, excluding head, feet, offal and viscera and other by-products. The top three meat-eating African countries are Gabon 146 pounds per person, South Africa -129 pounds and Mauritius 109 pounds per person. A single US resident consumes, on average, 265 pounds per year.

Cushites, or Cushitic people, live in the arid and semi-arid eastern and northeastern parts of Kenya. They reside along a very large area of land that runs from the east of Lake Turkana, stretches to the north of Kenya, and through to the Indian Ocean.

Cushites include the Somali, Rendile, Borana and Oromo tribes. Due to the dryness of their habitat throughout most of the year, Cushites are mainly nomadic pastoralists who keep large herds of cattle, camels, goats, and sheep. Cushitic people maintain very close ties with their kinsmen - the Cushites of the neighboring countries of Somalia and Ethiopia.

Cattle and children are an important aspect to the Maasai people. The Maasai people of East Africa live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands. Maasai own large herds of cattle, sheep, and goats which they follow around seasonally in search of new grazing grounds and water sources. Traditionally Maasai tribes have been an independent tribe.

Cattle and children are an important aspect to the Maasai people. Cattle play a central role in the life of the Maasai. Cattle represent food and power; the more cattle a Maasai has, the richer he is and therefore the more power and influence he will have within his tribe. Individual, families, and clans established close ties through giving or exchange of cattle. While the Maasai traditions have undergone some changes in the past few decades, their strong social traditions remain intact.

The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists. Cattle, as well as sheep, goats, and camels, are of utmost importance to the Samburu culture and way of life. Traditionally men look after the cattle and they are also responsible for the safety of the tribe.

Samburu boys learn to tend cattle from a young age. The Rift Valley province in Kenya is a dry, somewhat barren land, and the Samburu have to move constantly to ensure their cattle can feed. Around every 6 weeks, the group will move to find fresh grazing grounds.

These settlements are called manyattas. On November 11, 2011, 1,000 cattle and 2,000 sheep and goats of the Samburu livestock were impounded due to a violent dispute over land ownership with the Nature Conservancy and the African Wildlife Foundation who purchased the land and gave it as a gift to Kenya for a national park, Laikipia National Park.

Grilling meat for a party

What does cultured meat mean to Africa?

It is far too early to tell if cultured meat will cause a shift in the African traditional culture traditions as well as the economy. Cultured meat has the backing of a few wealthy capitalists but not the average person in Africa or around the world.

Researchers are looking for alternatives to traditional meat because it is believed farming animals is helping to drive up global temperatures however if the lab-grown meat is quite energy-intensive to produce then they could end up being worse for the climate than cows are.

Growing meat in the laboratory may do more damage to the climate in the long run than meat from cattle. "The climate impacts of cultured meat production will depend on what level of sustainable energy generation can be achieved, as well as the efficiency of future culture processes," said lead author Dr. John Lynch.

For now, harvesting cells instead of animals has no bearing as many pastoral communities in Africa view cattle as a sign of wealth. Scientists growing cultured meat may believe cattle are an unsustainable food supply however cattle are an increasingly important resource to millions of Africans as sustainable sources of food, and wealth.

 

Source References:

Meat Science Volume 102, April 2015, Pages 49-58

FAO/WHO/AU International Food Safety Conference Summary page two

Global Food Security Volume 15, December 2017, Pages 22-32

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The Greatest Cheetah Stats.

In Africa cheetahs live in Morocco, Algeria, Niger, Mali, Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, ESwatini, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

Read on for some valuable cheetah facts so you are knowledgeable about African cheetahs.

The largest land areas cheetahs live in are the Southern African countries of Namibia and Botswana. Their range occurs widely but is extremely sparse and fragmented in the regions they still inhabit. However, Southern and Eastern Africa are major roaming areas for cheetah populations. As human populations grow and expand throughout Africa, agriculture, roads, and settlements destroy the open grasslands that cheetahs inhabit.

The Southern African cheetah lives mainly in the lowland areas and deserts of the Kalahari, the savannahs of Okavango Delta, and the grasslands of the Transvaal region in South Africa. The Southeast African cheetah is currently the most common subspecies and was widespread everywhere in southern to central Africa, ranging from South Africa to the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo Katanga Province and southern Tanzania. Total cheetah populations in Africa are estimated around 6,670. Illegal trade is threatening wild populations of cheetahs. Live cheetahs are caught and traded illegally to the pet trade and are hunted for their skin.

During the 1970s, 9,500 cheetahs were killed on Namibian beef farming farmlands. Large areas of Namibia are covered by farmland, because of this conflict with farmers and cheetahs occur when cheetahs perceive to hunt beef livestock. Cheetahs hunt all their prey by themselves and can become easy targets. Namibia hosts the largest population of cheetahs worldwide but farmers who perceive cheetahs as a threat to their animals threaten this population.

There are five subspecies of cheetahs, four live in Africa. The Tanzanian cheetah, also known as the Kenyan cheetah or the East African cheetah Acinonyx jubatus raineyi is native to East Africa. This cheetah subspecies inhabits the savannahs and grasslands of Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, and Kenya. The Sudan cheetah, also known as the Somali cheetah, Central African cheetah or Northeast African cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii lives in the savannahs, grasslands, deserts, and arid areas of Central and Northeast Africa.

The South African cheetah or the Namibian cheetah Acinonyx jubatus jubatus is the most numerous subspecies of the cheetah. The cheetah can be found in the savannahs of the Okavango Delta, grasslands of the Transvaal, farmlands of Namibia, and the arid areas of the Kalahari. 

The Northwest African cheetah, also known as the Saharan cheetah or the Senegal cheetah Acinonyx jubatus hecki, is native to Northwest Africa. It is one of the most threatened subspecies of the cheetah and is classified as critically endangered. All cheetahs bear distinctive tear marks particularly thicker at the corners of the mouth.

Hungry Cheetah

Here are 30 of the best random facts about African cheetahs. Read on for some valuable cheetah facts so you are knowledgeable about African cheetahs.

Best cheetah fact ever, for more than half of every stride, the cheetah is airborne.

30 Cheetah Stats

The cheetah scientific name is Acinonyx jubatus.

The cheetah is the fastest land sprinter on earth.

Cheetah's purr just like a domestic cat when content.

Cheetahs have long, slim, muscular legs; a small, rounded head set on a long neck; a flexible spine; a deep chest; special pads on its feet for traction; and a long tail for balance.

Cheetahs are the only cat that cannot retract its claws.

The cheetah's coat is tan with about 2,000 small, round black spots, with fur that is coarse and short.

The cheetah has a small head with high-set eyes.

Black tear marks, which run from the corner of its eyes down the sides of the nose to its mouth, keep the sun out of its eyes and aid in hunting.

The cheetah has an enlarged liver and heart; and wide nostrils and increased lung capacity.

For more than half of every stride, the cheetah is airborne.

The cheetah is found in Africa throughout Benin, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Cheetahs can be found in open plains, woodland, savannah, highlands and arid regions extending to desert fringes.

Females are not territorial but roam over large areas.

Males warn intruders to stay away from their territories by scent marking but sometimes fights occur, resulting in serious injury or death.

The cheetah’s social system of solitary females and social males is unique among cats.

Females raise cubs on their own, teaching them survival skills.

At around 18 months, the mother leaves the cubs, who then form a sibling group, which can stay together for up to 6 months.

By 2 years, the female siblings have left the group to establish their own home ranges, but male siblings often remain together for life.

Coalitions of 2 to 5 brothers and sometimes-unrelated males are formed to better acquire and defend territories.

The cheetah uses a variety of vocalizations include chirping like a bird, stutter calling, moaning in distress and growling, snarling and hissing in anger or fright.

Cheetahs are active in the daytime, hunting in the early morning and late afternoon.

Cheetahs usually prey on small antelopes such as Thomson's gazelles and impalas, but they also hunt small mammals and birds.

Chases last an average of about 20 seconds, and rarely more than 1 minute.

Being sprinters, cheetahs hunting speeds averages 40-75 miles per hour.

Prey is tripped and then suffocated with a clamping bite to the underside of the neck.

Solitary females and males may hunt every 2 to 3 days but females with cubs need to hunt every day.

Of all big African predators, the cheetah is second only to the wild dog in hunting success, with an average success rate of 50%.

The average lifespan of a cheetah is 10-12 years; only around 7,500 wild cheetahs are left in Africa.

Cub mortality is extremely high, they are most vulnerable from 6 weeks to 4 months and in open habitat like the Serengeti plains, less than 5% reach adulthood.

Hunting by lions and hyenas accounts for more than half of cheetah cub deaths.

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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U.S.–Africa Trade Facts & Top AGOA Suppliers (Updated 2024–2025)

Snapshot: U.S. goods imports from Africa in 2024 reached $39.6 billion (↑2.7% YoY). The U.S. goods trade deficit with Africa narrowed to $7.2 billion. Source: USTR Africa overview, 2024.

Explore more stories in the African Coffee Hub .

AGOA status (2025): The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) remains the core U.S.–Africa trade preference program. Congress is considering reauthorization beyond 2025; uncertainty plus new U.S. tariff actions have created headwinds for some exporters (notably apparel and autos).

U.S. – Africa Trade Overview (2023–2024)

• In 2024, U.S. goods imports from Africa totaled $39.6 billion, representing a 2.7% increase from 2023. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
• The U.S. goods trade deficit with Africa shrank to $7.2 billion in 2024. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
• U.S. imports under AGOA (including GSP provisions) totaled $9.7 billion in 2023, comprising approximately $4.2 billion in crude oil and $5.5 billion in non-oil goods. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
• In 2024, AGOA imports fell to about $8.0 billion (–13% year over year). Crude oil accounted for ~$2.0 billion (≈25% of AGOA imports). Non-energy AGOA imports totaled approximately $6.0 billion. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
• Top AGOA non-oil import categories in 2024 include passenger vehicles ($2.4 billion), apparel ($1.2 billion), agricultural & food products ($949 million), base metals ($711 million), and chemicals ($251 million). :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
• Top AGOA exporters in 2023 were South Africa ($14.0 billion), Nigeria ($5.7 billion), Ghana ($1.7 billion), Angola ($1.2 billion), and Côte d’Ivoire ($948 million). :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Selected Country Updates

USA – Angola (2023–2024)

• Angola remained a significant exporter of crude oil under AGOA. In 2024, it contributed ~$2.0 billion in crude imports (part of the ~$8.0B AGOA total). :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
• In the 2024 AGOA summary, Angola remained among the key oil exporters, although its non-oil contributions remained modest. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

USA – Kenya (2023–2024)

• Kenya continues to be a top non-oil AGOA supplier: in 2023, apparel exports from Kenya under AGOA remained among the most utilized. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
• In 2024, trade policy changes (tariffs and AGOA uncertainty) have threatened apparel export margins for Kenya. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

USA – Nigeria (2023–2024)

• In 2023, Nigeria supplied ~$5.7 billion to the U.S., largely through crude oil (~$3.6 billion). :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
• In 2024, Nigeria was the top AGOA crude oil supplier (~$1.6 billion out of $2.0B crude imports). :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}

USA – South Africa (2023–2024)

• South Africa is the leading AGOA non-oil goods exporter, contributing significantly to exports of vehicles, jewelry, chemicals, and citrus. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
• Recent U.S. tariffs (especially on autos) have put South Africa’s export advantages under strain. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}

USA – Ghana & Côte d’Ivoire (2023)

• Ghana distinguished itself in 2023 as a top exporter of cocoa products, apparel, and other AGOA-eligible goods. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}
• Côte d’Ivoire (2023 total: approximately $948 million) was significant in cocoa, rubber, and fruit exports. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}

Key 2024–2025 Trends

• AGOA imports: approximately $8.0 billion from roughly $9.7 billion in 2023. About a quarter was crude oil; non‑oil imports (~$6 billion) include vehicles, apparel, agri‑food, base metals, and chemicals.
• Top partners: South Africa (autos, jewelry, citrus), Nigeria (crude), Ghana & Côte d’Ivoire (cocoa & agri), Kenya (apparel).

Sources: USTR Africa overview (2024); USTR 2024 AGOA Biennial Report; CRS IF10149 (Feb 2025).

Selected Country Updates

Angola — U.S. Imports (2024)

• U.S. goods imports totaled ~$1.9 billion, driven primarily by crude oil.
• Angola remains a significant AGOA crude supplier; non‑oil exports remain modest.

Sources: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024; CRS IF10149 (Feb 2025).

Kenya — U.S. Imports (2024)

• U.S. goods imports from Kenya: $737.1 million (↑5.8% YoY).
• Two‑way goods trade: ~$1.5 billion. Apparel remains Kenya’s leading AGOA export to the U.S.

Source: USTR Kenya country page (2024).

South Africa — U.S. Imports (2024)

• U.S. goods imports: $14.7 billion (↑5.1% YoY). Total goods trade: $20.5 billion.
• Key categories: vehicles, precious metals/jewelry, chemicals, citrus.

Source: USTR South Africa country page (2024).

Nigeria — U.S. Imports (2023–2024)

• Top AGOA crude oil supplier in 2024 (~$1.6 billion crude within AGOA total).
• 2023 total exports to the U.S.: ~$5.7 billion (primarily crude oil).

Sources: CRS IF10149 (Feb 2025); USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Ghana — U.S. Imports (2023)

• ~$1.7 billion in U.S. imports (cocoa products, apparel among leading non‑oil AGOA items).

Source: USTR 2024 AGOA Biennial Report.

Côte d’Ivoire — U.S. Imports (2023)

• ~$0.95 billion; key products: cocoa, rubber, fruit.

Source: USTR 2024 AGOA Biennial Report.

Ethiopia — U.S. Imports (context)

• Historically, apparel/footwear under AGOA; recent eligibility and policy shifts have affected volumes.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Egypt — U.S. Imports (context)

• Not an AGOA country (North Africa); notable U.S. imports include apparel, fertilizers, and industrial goods (outside AGOA framework).

Source: USTR NTE Report 2024.

Morocco — U.S. Imports (context)

• Covered by the U.S.-Morocco FTA; U.S. imports include fertilizers, apparel, and electronics.

Source: USTR NTE Report 2024.

Rwanda — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Coffee and tungsten are typical top categories; apparel volumes have varied with policy eligibility.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Tanzania — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Coffee/tea/spices, and apparel are among the leading categories.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Madagascar — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Strong in vanilla/spices and apparel; significant non‑oil AGOA exporter.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Mozambique — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Base metals, titanium ores, and nuts are prominent; AGOA utilization varies.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Senegal — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Seafood/prepared foods, and fertilizers feature in recent trade flows.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Zambia — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Copper and precious stones dominate the U.S. import profile.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Uganda — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Coffee remains the leading agricultural import, with spices and horticulture being secondary.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Zimbabwe — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Iron and steel, as well as agricultural items (tea), appear among the import lines; volumes are modest.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Cameroon — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Mineral fuels, timber, and cocoa are among the notable imports.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

DR Congo (Congo–Kinshasa) — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Copper and cobalt-related products, diamonds, and coffee are also featured on a smaller scale.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Benin & Burkina Faso — U.S. Imports (2023)

• Benin: cashews/tree nuts; limited industrial goods.
• Burkina Faso: cashews and precious stones; apparel is a small sector.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Djibouti, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Namibia — U.S. Imports (overview)

• Djibouti: modest volumes; some coffee transshipment and low‑value categories.
• Gabon: manganese ores, mineral fuels, timber.
• Sierra Leone: machinery parts, ores/metals.
• Namibia: diamonds/precious metals; ores and fish products.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Togo, Malawi, Lesotho, Mauritius — U.S. Imports (overview)

• Togo: fertilizers/chemicals; textiles, small.
• Malawi: tea, tobacco, nuts.
• Lesotho: Apparel under AGOA remains economically vital.
• Mauritius: apparel and jewelry; some sugar and processed foods.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Guinea‑Bissau — U.S. Imports (overview)

• Mauritania: fish and fertilizers; overall volumes are volatile.
• Mali: gold and art/antiques reflect in trade lines.
• Guinea: bauxite/aluminum ores; fish/seafood, smaller.
• Guinea‑Bissau: cashews at a modest scale.

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Sao Tome & Principe, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Republic of Congo — U.S. Imports (overview)

• Country profiles vary from hydrocarbons (Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo; Chad, Niger) to timber/art (CAR), seafood (Cabo Verde, STP), and limited manufactured goods (Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan).

Source: USTR AGOA Biennial Report 2024.

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About Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet

Saturday at home with Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet in Palm Beach Florida

Who is Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet

Chic African Culture is the brainchild of Ivy Newton a graduate of Florida A & M University in Tallahassee Florida. Ms. Newton’s family history has tentacles on two different continents, Africa and America.

The African country of Mozambique in Southeast Africa is her country of origin, specifically from the tourist and fishing port town of Porto Amelia now known as Pemba. Her family's occupation is that of fishing, fishing in the Mozambique Channel is the lifeblood of the family.

Many of The African Gourmet, cooking and recipe division of Chic African Culture, recipes derive from Mozambique with limitless seafood recipes. Many recipes from The African Gourmet gleam directly from family and friends still living in Mozambique and every African Country.

Why are we here?

Since its founding in 2008, Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet goal is to highlight Africa through her food and culture. The objective is to show true facts about Africa and its 54 vastly diverse troubled yet intensely uplifting countries with the hopes of inspiring old and new souls.

Africa is inspirational and has much more to more than just poverty porn, war, and immigrants. We are here making our mark in the respective field of truth about Africa because Africa is worthy of respect and love. Images of Africa and African people in the media tend to be quite negative; while no place on earth is 100 percent positive, no place is 100 percent negative.

Africa is home to more unknown history than known. A map of Africa does not begin to show the vastness of people, culture, food, the living and ancient history of the African continent. Established 2008 Chic African Culture is a learning tool to meet the demand for better education about the entire continent of Africa.

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet Morrua Mozambique is home

Family recipe Mozambique coconut crab stew recipe is made of fresh crab and coconut, staples in our Mozambique coastal cooking.

Make Easy Stewed Mozambique Crab Coconut Recipe
Serves 4

Easy African food recipe

Total time from start to finish 55 minutes

Ingredients
1/4 pound fresh crab meat
1 large onion diced
2 large tomatoes chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 small fresh ginger grated
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 hot pepper diced
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry onion and spices for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, peanut butter and coconut milk simmer 20 minutes or until slightly thick. Add crabmeat. Serve with rice.

Mozambique was once one of the largest coconut or coqueros, as they are locally called, producers in the world until 2011 when Lethal Yellowing (LY) spread across the African country, plummeting a once-thriving industry into chaos.

More easy breakfast, 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. Ethiopian Scrambled Egg Breakfast
3. Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli
4. Chadian Steamed Honey Cassava Buns
5. Nigerian Breakfast Fried Akara and Ogi

African proverbs are important because they teach life lessons in short simple sayings. Here are six African Proverbs about six things I wish I knew before I quit.

Reflect on the important lessons learned from African proverbs to carry with you and not quit life, and look toward the hard times ahead.

If there is one thing, you learn as you get older, it is important to know that no one knows what they are doing, everyone is winging it and life is really about how you handle the unknown and being resilient in spite of failing.

Society sets many benchmarks that they think we should meet, or conform to, but understand we do not have to live life according to an ideal we do not believe in, and we do not have to apologize for it.

The reason why African proverbs speak to our secret places inside us is African proverbs are true statements of how not to quit and love the life we are living.

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Six Things I Wish I Knew Before I Quit African Proverbs

Six Things About Life African Proverbs

We grapple for a lifeline as we struggle to overcome life setbacks but a setback does not have to be the end of the journey. Resilience is an important skill to master because it can make or break your chances in life, and it perfectly captures what we experience when we are thrown off our life plan: we must practice the ability to recover from setbacks, adapt to change, and keep going in the face of adversity.

As a renowned psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, Viktor E. Frankl writes, “We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation when facing a fate that cannot be changed.” As you practice resilience from life’s setbacks, the challenges you face down the road in any situation will seem increasingly become manageable.

Today’s challenges have a way of preparing you for future challenges. As you adjust to the life challenge or change you are facing, remember that sometimes you can turn a tough break into a lucky break by focusing on the solution rather than the problem. It is important to remember the African-proverb starting a journey before others does not mean reaching before them becomes okay because valuable lessons were learned; recover from setbacks, adapt to change, and keep going in the face of adversity.

Six Things About Life African Proverbs

This African-proverb conveys independence and being the author of your life, you compose the rules you live by owning your own reality, perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and opinions. Maintaining independence is difficult, but it is worth the effort because it is impossible for someone else to meet all of your needs.

Independence means having the confidence to be ourselves, and the self-awareness to know who we are and what we want without begging for help from someone living in fear the rug can be pulled out from underneath you at any time they choose. It is not bad to need help. Everyone needs it at some point. Nevertheless, with independence comes the ability to care for you and help other people with the knowledge and abilities you have. People learn to trust you as a beneficial resource and look to you for assistance.

When you are independent as this African-proverb conveys, other people view you positively as a contributor to society rather than a dependent nobody. Happiness comes from independence, self-esteem, the ability to associate with and help others, and physical activity. When you love yourself, you will be far less vulnerable and being dependent on someone. Don't get used to other people things teaches independence is focusing on being loving, and on learning what is loving to yourself.

Six Things About Life African Proverbs

To be at someone's disposal is to be entirely subservient to him or her; ready to do something for someone any time you are asked even to your own determinate. The signs that you are being used are actually pretty clear, so the key is to know the signs and make sure that you are being honest about what’s actually going on in a relationship, no matter how difficult it is to a admit.

If you are making excuses for being treated badly, the basic yardstick for telling whether you are being used or not is to take a good look at how you are being treated. The person you are with should build you up, make you feel happy and as if life is better than it is without them. However, if you are constantly feeling small, underwhelmed, let down you know, that knot-in-your-stomach feeling you need to take a look at the relationship. Something is really off and there is a good chance you are being used.

Your needs are not being met and you are at someone’s disposal and are disposable. Example, you show up with soup and paracetamol when they do not feel well, but they are nowhere to be found when you are under the weather? Pay attention if you are the one always making the effort. Relationships are a two-way street you find your needs are not being met or that you are becoming resentful, just remember you are not obligated to answer a village message.

Six Things About Life African Proverbs

Many people feel deep emotional connections with friends but when serious trouble enters into life, fake friends exit quickly. A real friend and fake friend can be hard to distinguish Real friends are people you can go to for anything. You know they will always be on your side, through thick and thin.

Fake friends will only contact you when they need something or want to know some juicy gossip. Real friends will contact you wherever and whenever because they are always interested in what is going on in your life.

A big difference between real and fake friends is how they deal with your difficulties. If you are feeling down, a fake friend will pat you awkwardly on the shoulder and try to change the subject. Your real friends will wrap you in their arms and listen to you complain and cry all night if you want them to. Real friends are there for you, whether you are happy or sad. Pain is felt by the owner only when dealing with fake friends.

Six Things About Life African Proverbs

The people in your support network will be there for you when you need to talk after a long day, or when you are feeling overwhelmed with work, school or your other obligations. Supportive friends, family, professors and colleagues will celebrate your successes and help you learn from your failures, providing the encouragement that you need to meet each challenge with determination and a positive attitude. We need people who will listen to us and give us honest feedback.

It is important to surround yourself with positive and trustworthy people who can walk through your triumphs and struggles with you. They should be encouraging, care about your life goals, and have your best interests at heart. When you have that kind of support system, you will be more likely to reach your goals and persevere through hardship. However, these relationships have to be maintained to reach their full benefit.

It is social support that builds people up during times of stress and often gives them the strength to carry on and even thrive. But social support is certainly not a one-way street. In addition to relying on others, you also serve as a form of support for many people in your life, remember that young trees.

Six Things About Life African Proverbs

One wrong after another seems to be the tone of the day. No matter what you do, it feels like the world is out to get you. Something that started as a small, unfortunate incident builds up into a day of misery as nothing seems to go your way. In the end, you feel defeated and helpless.

Sometimes, one of those days comes your way, and nothing seems to go right. The days where nothing goes right are the absolute worst but, it will pass. When things start to go wrong, it’s natural for you to feel frustrated and stressed. However, the more stressed you feel, the more likely things are to go wrong. That is why the first step in breaking the cycle is taking a moment to stop.

Bad days will pass, everyone will have a bad day, but you push ahead. Sometimes you need those bad days because it helps you truly appreciate the good ones. Staying positive can be really hard, but trying to see the good in every day.

No one has it all, but some people do make the best of what they have and take very good care of it. Those people tend to savor their lives a bit more. Your habits today can directly prevent or cause heartache or a heart attack tomorrow.

Above are six things I wish I knew before I quit African proverbs. The reason why African proverbs speak to our secret places inside us is African proverbs are true statements of how not to quit and love the life we are living.