The African Gourmet: African Cuisine, Folktales and Cultural Stories

Quilting Fabric Symbols Mirror African and African American Spirituality and History Quilting has long been more than decoration — it’s storytelling, survival, and resistance. African slaves combined quilt patterns and hand sewing as a path to freedom on the Underground Railroad, using visual codes when words could not be spoken aloud. Quilting became a form of coded resistance and survival. Ancient Quilting Traditions No one knows exactly when quilting began, but evidence in the Temple of Osiris at Abydos, Egypt, shows quilted clothing was worn 5,000 years ago. An ivory carving in the British Museum depicts Egypt’s first dynasty king wearing a quilted mantle scarf. Long before newspapers or books, and before Europeans arrived in the Americas, quilt history began as a practical art. Pre–Civil War quilting (1619–1865) didn’t follow the research standards we use today, but oral history kept the stories alive. Did You Know? Oral history has existed longer tha...

Land is defined as continents and islands solid parts of their surface not covered by water on the Earth's surface. “Land governance issues need to be front and center in Africa to maintain and better its surging growth and achieve its development promise,” says Frank Byamugisha, author of the report and Lead Land Specialist in the World Bank’s Africa Region. “Our findings provide a useful, policy-oriented roadmap for African countries and communities to secure their own land for building shared prosperity.” Inefficient land administration, weak governance and corruption to the land governance system in many African countries will fuel the land grab surge. An example of poor government is the fact that Ghana, Kenya and Uganda each have fewer than 10 professional land surveyors per one million people. Land tenure legally or customarily is the legal system in which an individual, who is said to hold the land, owns land. Secure tenure is an important pillar for agriculture and food...

Folklore story of Koelle who has two wives, one wife brought him honey and the other wife was selfish is the traditional beliefs and story of a home where honey caused the death of a wife. Dying Over Honey African Folklore. Koelle had two wives. One day both went to fetch firewood together. The younger discovered some honey. The wives harvested the honey and when they had finished, both sat down and ate heartily. The older wife paused eating the honey after a while and set some aside. When they both were done eating, they went to finish collecting their firewood. When they rose up, the younger wife saw the elder one had some honey in her hand; she said, "Why did you not ask my permission to eat and set aside? "The elder said," You have given birth to no children, and have only a husband to take care of, and you ask why I did not seek your permission? You should have remembered your husband. As for me, I am saving honey for my husband." The younger wife looked ...