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Showing posts from December, 2022

African Food and Art

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

One of the most polluted places on earth

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Port Harcourt in Southern Nigeria is one of the most polluted places on earth and the center of the largest oil spill on earth. Nigeria's oil industry has been a major source of environmental damage. Shell is to pay 15.9 million USD to Nigerian farmers over oil damage where oil pollution continues to damage the health and livelihoods of many in the area. Nigeria’s crude oil and natural gas exports earned $55 billion in 2018. Land soaked in oil, oil companies are accused of negligence in the Niger Delta that has deep oil and gas reserves. Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa, there are hundreds of oil fields in the Niger Delta, one of the largest in the world. After suffering the effects of major pollution for decades, people have turned to the courts for justice.  Since 2008, the Netherlands branch of Milieudefensie also known as Friends of the Earth along with four Nigerian farmers have been fighting the oil spill case against Shell. In 2021 a Dutch court in the Hague rul

Importance of Ghana Slave Castles

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The three largest slave castles in Ghana were Cape Coast Slave Castle, Fort St. Jago and Elmina Castle. Ghana was a major hub for the transatlantic slave trade for centuries. Ghana slave castles are an important reminder of the horrors of slavery and the importance of never forgetting the past. Between 1482 and 1786 in Ghana, European-style coastal forts and slave castles were built to house millions of newly captured African slaves, gold, wood, and textiles arriving in North America to work plantations in English colonies. Cape Coast Slave Castle in Ghana Because of the Atlantic slave trade and the profound effect on the history of West Africa numerous forts were built perched on Ghana's Atlantic Coast. Ghana was called the Gold Coast at the time of the slave trade, the importation of slaves into the Uni

True Traditional health practitioners in South Africa

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The traditional South African practitioner culturally still plays an important role in 70 percent of patients in South Africa, especially through the use of  Traditional Surgeons. True Traditional health practitioners in South Africa Explained. A traditional South African practitioner, also known as a sangoma or inyanga, is a practitioner of traditional African medicine in South Africa. These healers are highly respected members of their communities and are believed to be able to communicate with the spiritual world to provide healing and guidance to their clients. Sangomas use traditional herbs, rituals, and divination techniques to diagnose and treat physical and spiritual illnesses. They are also believed to have the ability to connect with ancestral spirits, who can provide wisdom and guidance to the living. Inyanga, on the other hand, specializes in herbal medicine and is known to prescribe various plant-based remedies to their patients. They may

New Years Day Black-Eyed Pea Casserole

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New Years Day Black-Eyed Pea Casserole is New Year Day comfort food. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year Day is a stable New Year is tradition. The tradition spread after the American Civil War. Black-eyed peas, dried significantly expand in volume when cooked and symbolize expanding good look throughout the year.  During General William Tecumseh Sherman march, the United States Union Army devastated the Confederate Army food supplies but left dried black-eyed peas and hog meat.  The Confederate soldiers thus felt lucky to have these supplies. There is evidence that people ate black-eyed peas for luck as early as 500 A.D. as a part of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. New Years Day Black-Eyed Pea Casserole Ingredients 1 tablespoon melted butter. 3 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed. 1 cup cooked white rice. 2/3 cup dried breadcrumbs. 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. 2 large chicken eggs. 4 large shallots, finely chopped. 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced

Trading Hippopotamus Teeth For Cash

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Hippopotamus teeth are traded legally and illegally. One hippo tooth can fetch up to $600. Hong Kong is the largest market for Hippopotamus teeth which are used as ivory after the hard enamel is removed. Hippopotamus are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa but that does not stop the legal and illegal black market trade in hippopotamus teeth.  One hippo tooth can fetch up to $600. Hong Kong is the largest market for hippo teeth where an increased demand for ivory from hippos hippo teeth are often used for jewelry, piano keys, chess pieces, furniture inlays, hunting trophies and other art items. Hippopotamus teeth Trading Hippopotamus Teeth For Cash You may think of ivory from elephant tusks but hippo teeth are made of ivory also. Hippopotamus teeth are used as ivory after the thick, hard enamel layer is removed. Elephant teeth are up to 6 feet long while hippo teeth are up to 2 feet l

Magical Frog of Lake Jipe

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Magical Frog of Lake Jipe The lesson in this story is that kindness and compassion are rewarded. The mother who showed kindness to the magical frog was saved from the destruction of the village. This story teaches us that it is important to be kind to others, even if they are different from us. We never know when our kindness will be rewarded. Magical Frog of Lake Jipe African Folklore A long, long time ago there was magical frog who lived in Lake Jipe. There was also a large village named Mwere south of Nghonji in Kenya where 10,000 families lived. One day, a terrible rain storm occurred during which the magical frog entered one of the houses; the mother on seeing it told one of her children to throw it out, and this having been done, the magical frog then went to another home where the same thing occurred, and so on at the third. But at the fourth house the mother, however, said, “Oh, it is doing no harm, let it stay.” Thereupon the magical frog seeing the mothers kindness said to

Scapegoat Sacrifice Ceremony

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Scapegoat Sacrifice Ceremony in Africa African Ceremony It is believed the physical world is parallel to the spiritual world therefore when a disease plagues the village of Ukamba, the Elders take a large ram, a male sheep for ceremonial slaughter. The Elders of the village cut small pieces of meat from the ram carcass and spear the meat on wooden sticks. Men and women of the village then each take a piece of ram meat, walk some distance from the village and throw it deep into the woods. By doing this the disease will be carried away with the pieces of meat taking with it all wickedness and impurities of the village. The remaining ram meat is roasted at a large fire and eaten by the villagers; the bones are collected at the place where the meat was roasted and are broken up.  A libation is prepared, and next morning at dawn, everyone must be awakened before the libation is poured out. The libation is put i

Shadowland Mugumo Tree Legend Folktale

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African Folktale from Kenya. Shadowland Mugumo Tree Legend Folktale A long, long time ago a poor farmer named Katimu lived in Kamoko Village Kenya. He borrowed a spear from a neighbor to kill an animal which was destroying his crops.  He lay in wait in the field and eventually speared one, but it was only wounded and ran off with the spear in its body and disappeared down a hole near a scared Mugumo tree.  Katimu went to the owner of the spear and told him that the spear was lost, but the owner insisted on having it back. He bought a new spear and offered it to the owner in place of the lost spear, but the owner refused it and again insisted on the return of the original spear.  He then proceeded to crawl down the hole under the massive Mugumo tree, and having crawled a long, long way found himself eventually, to his surprise, in the mikeongoi shadowlands .  Mikeongoi shadowland old woman The shadowland people asked him what he was doing here and Katimu told them of his errand.  They