Away from Africa

Article about Vickie's program in Peruvian media Vickie Frémont was invited to travel to Peru in the Fall of 2011 by the  Alliance Française  (French Cultural Association), to teach in various Peruvian cities how to create art from recycled items, or even trash. It was a whirlwind trip, and so well-received that she has been once again invited, for the Month of the Environment. She will be traveling  to  Chiclayo, Trujillo, Arequipa, Iquitos, Huancayo and Cusco, and also will teach  a short program in two universities, in Arequipa and Trujillo. Article about Vickie's program in Peruvian media  Below are a few photos from the Fall 2011 tour. Trujillo Mall event Collage made in Iquitos Trujillo Mall event Paper doll

An excellent panel discussion at the Columbia University African Economic Forum was about Tourism in Africa. Left to right: Kobina Brew-Hammond, Rumit Mehta,  Sthu Zungu, Edward Bergman In the news, we hear mainly of coups, famines, massacres and economic woes. These issues exist. However, the African continent is chock-full of fantastic scenery and exciting traditions, not to mention the beautiful handicrafts. Not only is travel from other continents to Africa rising, but increasingly Africans are traveling within their own continent rather than going to Europe or the United States. My first-hand experience is speaking with Cameroonians who shuttle back and forth from South Africa, which used to be on every Cameroonian's list of countries it was forbidden to visit (during Apartheid) just 20 years ago. The panel included: Edward Bergman , Africa Travel Association Rumit Mehta , Immersion Journeys Sthu Zungu , South African Tourism (America) Kobina Brew-Hammond ,...

On Friday and mostly on Saturday, April 13-14, 2012, Columbia University's School of International Policy held the 9th Annual African Economic Forum.   Nick Tattersall,  Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Business and Economics Journalism at Columbia University, introduced t he first keynote speaker:  Sanusi Lamido Sanusi  , Governor of Nigeria's Central Bank. Mr. Sanusi hails from Northern Nigeria; on Wikipedia , he is called "Mallam" (" learned " or "teacher," from the Arabic language), as he is also an Islamic scholar---probably a rarity in the banking world! He spoke softly (a little too softly for some of us, as the microphones were not working too well on the first day of the Forum) and couched his words carefully; however, his goals for Africa in general, and Nigeria in particular were quite clear: self-sufficiency leading to prosperity, and independence from foreign economic interests. I cannot, of course, provide here the full sp...

Last Monday was one of those days when my professional life joins my personal life and passions. Tesfaye Tesseme at King Towers I visited the Manhattanville Housing Development to see the Senior Center 's art program, coordinated by Tesfaye Tessema, a NYCHA art consultant, who also happens to be an internationally recognized painter of Ethiopian origin. From there, I went on to King Towers, to see the children's art program that Tesfaye also teaches. Painting at Manhattanville Senior Center The King Houses Community Center director, Dawn Foster, is of Jamaican origin, and her spouse is Egyptian. The Center's children are of a variety of origins: Jamaican, Senegalese, Puerto Rican, etc. By the time I was done, it was too late to return to the office, so my friend and I walked towards Park Avenue on 116th Street, looking for a place to have a cup of coffee. We found a Moroccan hookah restaurant, " The Kiosk ." Instead of coffee, we had North Afric...

on the occasion of the 9th Annual African Economic Forum - New York City: "Africa Reclaiming Africa" The African Ingenuity I am not an African, but in the two years of   my Peace Corps service   in Cameroon, I had fallen in love with the African people. Like most naive twentysomethings who set out to go “change the world”, I was humbled by my time in Cameroon. The country changed me in more ways than one. I barely made a dent in changing my village, much less the world. I discovered Africa beyond the mainstream portrait of the continent. Africa is a massive place, and while civil wars, famines, and the like do still exist in parts of the continent, the Western media somehow rarely highlights the incredible growth that is taking place in this part of the world. In working with the Cameroonian people, they taught me the realities of African life. Western solutions to problems often do not align with these African realities. Western perceptions of Africans often...

A colorful display of lamps and towels Along the roads of Douala and on the way to the Western part of Cameroon, there are shops and market stands galore. Sometimes the road seems to be one uninterrupted marketplace. These are some of the  pictures I snapped from car windows, on the go. Oranges, hardware and more... I loved her headdress! Perhaps a daycare center? In the baskets: mystery. The kiosk: for cell phone refills. Even the historic Mandessi Bell House (below) in downtown Douala has become a market.... Grilled peanuts are sold in recycled whiskey bottles Apples and more Bread loaves and bobolo  (thick fermented cassava sticks, usually eaten in central Cameroon)

The road to Souza While we were in Cameroon in February, I finally traveled to "Abo," the region where my mother-in-law was born. Unfortunately we were not in her village in the northern part, but in Souza (Abo-Sud) to visit the cassava crop farm I wrote about in an earlier post . Sita Behle In Souza, we met Sita* Behle, who welcomed us with a big smile. Not knowing visitors were coming, she had not dressed up or anything, but that was the least of her worries! When I asked if I could take her picture, she readily agreed. By the time we finished visiting the cassava crop farm, it was incredibly hot, and it was lunchtime. Souza's "green house" Sita Behle's house is the original "green" house--the exterior wall is covered with greenery, an unexpected sight. I was standing outside and realized that everyone else in my travel group (5 people in all) had entered the house, so I followed them inside. Palm nuts Sita was in her kitchen...