Positively African

  If you’ve ever been to the bustling city centre of most African countries, you’ve probably been swarmed by relentless vendors. But have you stopped to consider the positive influence these people have on the economy? Yes, they can be persistent, and rather convincing too. You often think you’ve cut yourself a bargain on those avocadoes, but after doing the math on the way home you feel a little deflated. For a start, we don’t often stop to consider that these people have made a conscious choice to sell you an array of groceries, electronics, garments, crafts, tailoring services, and my favourite- windscreen wipers. I personally prefer politely declining the good-natured mop man at my window than having to file a police report against the theft of my personal belongings. To get to the point, vendors choosing to be vendors brings our crime rate down significantly. They are simply people existing in harsh economical climates, with high unemployment rates, who want to feed their fa...

  In the 1950s, the UK saw a rise in a popular practise referred to loosely as ‘Child Farming’. Essentially it meant that couples were sending their children away to be fostered privately, either by white British families- in poor white areas, or away in the countryside. This practice meant that west African couples who had travelled to the UK to study could focus on receiving their degrees and doing well in their education, without having to worry about the day-to-day care of their children. In West African culture it is considered normal for children to spend long periods of time away from their parents, however, it would normally be in the care of another family member, well versed in the culture and traditions of said family. Many worry that despite the best efforts of some white families to celebrate and practice West African culture, it often falls short and is a bit unnatural to how it may be practised by someone of natural West African descent. In 1955, the popular chil...

In 2015, Sierra Leone saw a rapid rise in teenage pregnancies, with 3 in 10 girls aged 15-19 either pregnant or having birthed a child. This is attributed to the Ebola outbreak which started in 2014. The pandemic caused widespread poverty, as well as a surge in rape cases and abuse. The community is very traditional and pregnant teens were widely discriminated against and outcast, especially by school peers and sometimes even disowned by family members. Some young women are routinely coerced into sex by men who promise to offer financial support for their education, including school and exam fees, uniform, and textbooks. These men also seldom take responsibility for said pregnancies, leaving girls with limited options when it comes to child support. Girls rarely return to school as they have nobody to watch over their child. Following the rapid rise in pregnancies, the government enforced a law banning pregnant females from attending mainstream school. They are believed to be a bad...

  Queen Amina of Zazzua was born in 1533 to King Nikatua, the 22 nd ruler of Zazzua and Queen Bakwa of Turunku. Zazzua is a city in present-day Northern Nigeria, called Zaria (named after her younger sister). Amina also had a brother, Karami, who took over the throne after the death of their parents (thought to be around 1566). Zazzua was one of seven of the Hausa states and was also the largest before Amina took over the throne, it’s large slave hub contributed to its wealth and future success. The other six states were Daura, Kano, Gobir, Katsina, Rano, and Garun Gabas Growing up, Amina showed a strong interest in military and combat skills. She soon became very skilled at this, and is how she earned herself the name Amina, meaning “Woman as capable of man”. She is said to have been bought up in her grandfather’s court, where he educated her on political and military matters. Amina led an army of about 20,000 men and never lost a battle. She was highly respected by her sol...