Tikambe Natulande Part 2

I expressed in Part 1 what a mind*bleep* filming this episode of the vanguard television series produced by Samba Yonga for BBC Media Action was. Even though this post is part of my Things on Thursday series, this is no small thing let me tell you. Are they ever with me ;)?

Youth Counsellor Nancy Mweene and I on set filming our
episode. Photo Credit: PR Girl

I think the most shocking part of the experience for me was the fact that a father felt that it was okay to stick his penis inside his daughter's vagina to teach her about how sex is not to be taken lightly and that she was too young to have intercourse.  That he was able to get aroused in order to penetrate her.  That despite her cries he still went on to rape her.  The despicable act was in no way consensual on her part. That he then ejaculated into his hands so he could mix his sperm with traditional herbs in order to make some juju concoction to rub on her stomach, so if she did have sex, she would get stuck to the dastardly boy who was in cahoots with her, so they could catch them both in the act and reprimand them accordingly! You can't make this kind of crackpot crazy up! I. JUST. CAN'T. As far as I know, the girl did not contract an STD or worse ended up pregnant only to be come the mother/ sister to her brother-incest child! It is pure luck that her once innocent soul was not forced to suffer any more than it already has been burdened with.

I could not express myself quite that bluntly on camera, as Zambia is still in the dark ages. We couldn't even use scientific, technical terms in order to really depict just how heinous a situation this poor young girl was in and what trauma she faced. I am known to not have any brakes, but I was not going to jeopardise the initiative by not finding a way to get this important message out. Her story was more important than any agenda of mine. I was quite annoyed I couldn't quite articulate myself as clearly and as freely  as censorship is a huge part of the problem.  We need to talk openly about sex because clearly we are having it and it was revealed as the Tikambe Natulande season unfolded that children much younger than 10 are experimenting, because we aren't creating safe spaces to chat about this natural and important part of our lives.  This is almost a year since I filmed the episode and I am still shaken, angry and disturbed that this is not a singular case, but there are thousands around the country being disciplined along this spectrum of sexual perversion in the name of tradition and good parenting.  This is not who we are.  We are so lost in Zambia that those with any sort of power abuse it in the most devious and evil ways. We have to do better.  What future do we have if our youth are continuously blighted by the most unnecessary of traumas. Unadulterated, blunt, uncensored truth serum is required to not only be  prescribed, but actually dispensed in bucketloads like Cod Liver Oil. Not teaspoons or tablespoons but bucketloads.  It won't go down well, but it will be good for us.  We just need to suck it up and get on with curing ourselves of this hush hush syndrome that is crippling us.

Here is the episode and you can watch the rest of the season on the Tikambe Natulande Channel:

If you would like to talk more about this, tweet me and for professional advice on sexual reproductive health issues and for resources near you in Zambia, contact the Tikambe team on Facebook or Twitter.

Nelson Mandela: Paradigm of Legacy to Follow

Post by Nelson Mandela.

I have been a little out of it recently, and have been struggling to keep up with current events.  Today I was at a bank, in line to deposit cash, when I saw "REMEMBERING MANDELA" on the TV screen  on the wall and my heart stopped.  I was momentarily paralysed as I processed the information in front of me.  A couple of months ago, I posted on Facebook that I was not ready for Mandela to die.  For selfish reasons.  One of my life goals was to meet the man.  Unfortunately I am a late bloomer and so did not make my small mark in the world in time to be able to warrant an audience with him, let alone have such a blessing granted.

I remember when he was freed in 1990, as it was a few days after my birthday.  I remember thinking that this man must be really special, as all the world is watching, people have sung songs for his freedom, and he has survived prison for what seemed like a ten lifetimes to the child I was.  Years later, when I was applying to Stanford, I not only wrote about the Matrix being closer to reality than we think as in Japan, robots were being created to be nurse maids for their ageing population and prototypes already existed, bu also about Madiba.

After those moments of shock, I was at peace when I thought about what I had written in my application.  Despite the odds the man lived a full life.  He lived in the lowest depths, in prisons both literal and proverbial that could have shackled his spirit, extinguished the fire in his soul, and yet he came out 27 years later even more determined to defend freedom, even prouder to be a Black man, a South African, an African and most impressively, even more committed to forgiveness.  Even though he had been wronged repeatedly by white South Africans, he was still willing to extend the olive branch.  Even though he didn't believe in all the actions that Black South Africans took, at times invoking his name to justify their deeds, he did not hold that against them.

The universe works in mysterious ways.  Last night I read these two articles on Forbes: the traits of mentally strong people and about how whether we like it or not, we are all creating a legacy, so we should think about what we are putting out in the world.  Mandela is probably the most mentally strong man of his generation, and of the last Century, and looking at his legacy, it is a paradigm to follow.

Post by Zapiro.

Though Mandela's time may have set physically in this world, his legacy will endure through the ages.  His impact will forever resonate through the world, and I am glad that I can call on it at any time to comfort, inspire and energise me to do better, to be better, to continually evolve and learn.

MHSRIP

Can't wait to watch Idris Elba as Madiba.  Though he may not look like him, I don't think that is necessary.  The acting is more important, and from what I have seen from the trailer and Behind the Scenes shows, he has captured his essence, his charismatic and powerful presence and has done the man justice.  God is good, the omnipotent one may have taken away the man, but being omniscient, has allowed us to experience him through such a beautiful living body he he he ;}

Bullet Wounds

Had they not qualified, this bag would have been used to
you know what - it has their name on it so clearly..;}  

So the Chipolopolo have qualified to AFCON 2013.  I should be happy about this but I am not.  Why? Because the fashion in which they achieved this was ridiculous.  African champions do not give a lacklustre performance at home only giving them a 1-0 cushion to carry to Uganda, where they then play like they have no mphamvu, let the Cranes score to even the tally and then have to take it to a penalty shoot-out that ends up being longer than the one that secured their victory earlier in the year! UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!!! Why, Zambia, why do we act like this?! I say this because anyone who represents our country acts as ambassadors for the people.  Their behaviour indicates to the world what kind of people we are.  Clearly we are back to being the jokers that we have been.  Instead of using the opportunity afforded by our AFCON win to continue to fulfil our potential, we are reverting back to our underachiever ways. Instead of catalysing our success into becoming a recognised African football powerhouse like our Ghanaian and Ivorian friends, we are complacent and relying on luck.  We are a Christian nation but let me tell you, God only helps those who help themselves.  I don't know who helped us on Saturday but it was certainly not God because we did nothing to deserve the win we got.

I don't know what I would have done if we had not qualified and had the opportunity to play at the World Cup 2010 venues and defend our title.  That should have been incentive enough but it clearly wasn't   Pundits said before the match that we shouldn't worry about the Chipolopolo performance at home because the boys have evolved from being motivated by money as they were rewarded handsomely for their efforts and now it is self-esteem and pride for their nation that will carry them through, the bonus they will get for qualifying was inconsequential.  From the way they played they couldn't care less about ego, money, the nation or anything. The only way to really describe how I feel about their performance is to give you another convo with SPORTS GUZA like I did the last time I was exasperated and wounded by friendly fire:

SG: Have you seen the picture quality? S***ty

MbA: As always. I've even stopped commenting on that.  Renard is wearing black jeans, not blue ones.  If we lose that's why.  I'm very superstitious.  Next he'll chop off his hair!

SG: Ahhhh no we need the hair and skinny jeans.

MbA: The jeans are still skinny but they are black.  Then the shirt colour will change...

SG: Jinx!

MbA: This is not the time for experimentation

SG: Ok, signing off till afterwards....

At half time:

SG: We are clearly out of our depth

MbA: Drugs, just drugs! Was waiting for you to reopen comms. WTF?!!!!!!

SG: No pushing...hesitant

MbA: Ah it's like they don't know how to play football:  Complete panic when in possesion, making long loopy passes and being dispossessed as soon as the ball comes to our feet.  This is it, jeez!  It will be over in 45 if we aren't careful.  We didn't cushion ourselves well at home

SG: No we didn't, lousy game.  

After penalty shoot out that needed 11 rounds for us to win 10-9.

SG: Dude do you feel what I'm feeling? Gutted?

MbA: And the penalty by [Christopher] Katongo to start - says it all.  Since Ug scored I have not felt well.  This is not how you qualify man! We didn't need this amount of stress! I can't even be happy it's too hot and I couldn't eat.  I'm hungry!

SG: I started crying (This is a woman who doesn't cry)

MbA:  I almost cried but I was so hungry so I almost threw up instead (Was going to get lunch at half time but I was so wired I couldn't eat so by the time this was all over I was nauseated) Too much for me too much! I almost died watching the Gabon penalties

SG: I am still in shock

MbA: And you do this just to qualify and these penalties went longer and we started badly.  Bl**dy disrespectful to us fans.  I'm f**king pissed, can't even enjoy qualification

SG: This goes on your blog

MbA: Of course it does!

We both had to go out later to calm down and remember that life is good.

To make it worse,  while watching ZNBC news later to hear what the country had to say, one stupid kambwanga of a man from Kabwe was talking about that loser Clifford Mulenga and how he was needed.  Dude broke curfew during the QF and was suspended and did not participate in the SF or the Final or take a penalty to get the AFCON win.  During the time he played he did not score or do anything singular that could attribute to our advancement through the tournament in 2012.  He is not our talisman.  He is a joker and a fool who missed out on a great opportunity because he could not compute the seriousness and the meaning of us playing in the very country that our men perished almost 20 years before.  GET A GRIP PEOPLE AND STOP FOCUSING ON NONSENSE!!!

Herve and the boys need to regroup. The spirits of our fallen heroes carried them to victory but now it is now up to the Chipolopoloto continue on their own steam to greater heights.  The eagle on our flag is there for a reason: it is to remind us that we are regal, that we can soar and conquer and that we can control our own destiny. NAPAPATA get it together before AFCON 2013!

My Haitus

Unfortunately, my blogging has gone down the drain since I have been back home.  Not only has my internet been non-existent and despite my best efforts, I have only posted from my blackberry once :(.

I am also going through a very scary transitional period where for the first time I really have no idea where I am going or how to get there and the darkness seems to have no light to guide me at any point.  So I am not sure whether I am wondering around aimless or whether I am following a path that will be revealed when I reach my preferred destination.

At this time I am appreciating energy.  Right now it's been sapped right out of me and I am spending most of my time trying to stay optimistic and use my reserves wisely.  I am hoping that I will resolve my current life challenges soon so I can go back to normalcy and being connected.

It doesn't help that the Libya situation is becoming more and more military and that I like the rest of the world still have not shone enough light on the Cote D'Ivoire issue that has been going on for much longer. That coupled with the craziness that happened in Japan just has me a bit forlorn at the moment...

Blood Sport

I know we Africans have a special passion for football.  I talked about this during my World Cup Fever period probably ad nauseum. This unfortunate event in Zambia shows that our love for football can be twisted.  The loss of life here was unnecessary.  We have a particular passion for English football, all you have to do is look at the minibuses emblazoned with their love for Premier League teams.  However, this was one match and not an important one at that.  I am really happy that Chelsea beat Man U coz I really can't stand them and their fans are even worse but there was no need for things to come to this. :( is all I have to say...That and I'll bleed blue forever...

Me, Chelsea Stadium, March 2009

There is a way to love the game without turning it into a blood sport.  Stampedes are very common in Africa at stadiums in particular.  That is usually due to poor infrastructure.  Let us not exacerbate the problem by causing unnecessary loss of life at bars and other viewing venues.

Libya

As promised here information to get you up to speed on the Libya situation.

Gaddafi spoke to the BBC yesterday and laughed when asked if he would ever leave Libya. Very dismissive, very haughty, very eerie, very scary.  I don't think he's going to let go. Unlike Mubarak and Ben Ali, I don't think he will bow out with even a modicum of grace.  And his feelings of betrayal from the West has been exacerbated by the sanctions further cementing this unfortunate likelihood. He is a true despot: has a twisted love for his country and truly believes it is his sovereign right to protect and serve his people no matter what, including inflicting tough love through violence to keep them in check. All in a very calm and controlled manner.  If he is in any sort of panic, not even those his inner circle will know about it.  Those still waters of his definitely run deep, we just don't know how deep and won't till he wants us to. I love how he is using the loophole of having no official position as the reason he cannot resign and step down from power. As he is referred to as simply "The Leader" he is free to interpret that anyway he likes as it can mean anything really! And his interpretation is so profound and astute that it makes his craziness seem justified. He hasn't been leading for 42 years by chance, it has clearly been by very meticulous and purposeful design.

Here are some videos to recap what has happened in the last 2 weeks:

The "Day of Rage" February 17th



Government and military violence against protesters



Gaddafi addressing crowd in Tripoli



The exodus of the tens of thousands migrant workers to Tunisia.  They are from the vicinity and as far as China)!

Border between Libya and Tunisia reaching crisis point with all the refugees.

Unfortunately there is violence coming from the government to curb the protesting and migrant workers are caught in the crossfire.I do not see a peaceful resolution to Libya's version of the North African protest movement.  This makes me sad :(. This is going to be a long and painful methinks...

To follow the unrest, the BBC continues its dedicated live feed on the events in North Africa and the Middle East now titled Libya Revolt.

Kefaya!

I knew that kefaya meant enough but had no idea that it was actually an recognised moniker for an Egyptian coalition that has been opposing President Mubarak for quite some time.  There I was just trying to make sure that I was right and Google turned up this little nugget of information.  You learn something new everyday, it's true :).

I am however saying enough to the craziness of the Egyptian situation.  It has descended into people losing sight of their true goals I think.  Now there are machine guns, fire and stones drowning out the once peaceful protests against the current regime, now reduced to an echo we have to strain our ears to hear.  Mubarak has formally announced his commitment to stepping down in September, has officially declared that his son Gamal will not run in the next elections and has barred several ministers from fleeing the country by freezing their assets. And he has every right to fear that the country could fall into further disarray if he just ups and leaves as some would have him do. Now there are deaths and the injury count is inching ever closer to 1000 and all this happened in a day! At the same time, as many Western leaders have said, it looks unlikely that Mubarak can hold out until September.  The situation is getting worse and people fear what will happen tomorrow. I am happy that the army is stepping in now to separate the opposing groups.

Fear seems to be driving a lot of decisions lately.  In Algeria, in an attempt to counteract any attempts to protest a la Tunisia and Eygpt, the Algerian President has quickly employed countermeasures to appease his people.  President Bouteflika has annouced that the state of emergency imposed in the 90s to will be lifted very soon.  Who knew?!   There are so many things I do not know and it is no excuse that I am not the only one who was in the dark about North Africa.  I am glad that I am learning although I wish it had not been spurred by what is now turning into a tragedy.

To keep following the BBC is continuing its live feed with video and textual updates here.

You can also watch Al Jazeera live here.

The newly elected Prime Minister, Ahmed Shaqif, has apologised for yesterdays attacks.  He vowed that justice will prevail and  has condemned the violence stressing that the perpetrators will be sought out and punished.  Protesters believe that the pro-Mubarak factions are organised and sponsored by the government.  The weaponry that they are using is too sophisticated and it seems that they are working to a schedule.  The Prime Minister, while denying government involvement has indicated that if this is the case, it will be found out and dealt with all the same. Here is a video of his press conference:

Egypt - Following in Tunisia's Footsteps

It seems that Egyptians are committed to following in their North African brothers' footsteps and are looking to oust President Mubarak who has been in power for even longer than Tunisia's Ben Ali, having had a tight grip on the Land of the Pharaohs for 32 years now. Curfews are now in place as the violence escalates.  I do not condone violence, I'd like to think that as an intelligent species we can use reason and logic through carefully crafted arguments to battle and win, but as a collegue remarked in a conversation last week, we humans forget that we are animals.  We are just as visceral  as we are cerebral.  Sometimes violence is our only recourse.  And it is clear that North African citizens are tired of trying to reason with words or staying quiet through inaction.  With the Tunisians successfully removing and calling for Ben Ali's arrest, while moving forward towards democracy, is it any wonder that other states are following suit?

Here is a video showing just how passionate Egyptians are for change and just how much the current establishment is committed to resisting.



The man showing his bloody hands really got me thinking.  He said:

"They shot at us! Why? I don't know! Who are we, the enemy?! Am I an enemy of the state? I just came here to ask for rights, I came here to ask for a home, for a dignified life. For a regime who's been in power for 30 years to go away."

There is such disillusionment in Egypt that I had no idea about.  I keep thinking of ads I see on CNN about going to Egypt and that is the image that I have:



I think of them as being vital to peace in the Middle East - helpers rather than struggling for their own peace and freedoms. The unrest starting with the Coptic killings has really taken me by surprise.  I am ashamed that I have not looked past the media to understand all parts of the African continent better.  I am glad that I have made the effort this year to cover the whole continent more fairly that I did in the last.

It is interesting that social media has paid a huge part in coordinating protests and engaging not just activists, but the average citizen in both Tunisia and Eygpt.  As a blogger taking advantage of the affordances mobile and online technologies have brought us, I am happy to see it working to help citizens exercise their rights.  I hope it will also be used to educate, not only those who are in the thick of it, but the rest of us in the periphery so that we have an understanding too. I just hope that the violence ends soon.  Tunisia has also inspired a similar movement in Yemen.  I wonder if other African countries will be inspired too.  I am glad that Sudan is dealing with the referendum in a peaceful fashion and seems ready for the change, I think enough blood has been shed there already so I am thankful.  Will other apathetic nations, and I am thinking of one in particular somewhere in Southern Africa find their voice too?

I leave you with the words of the woman in the video who is clearly searching desperately for an oasis in the desert and is prepared to drink sand until she finds it (I know, a very cheesy yet appropriate metaphor I think): "We are tired....We are Egyptians, we love Egypt, but stop this!" Inshallah, her wish will be granted soon.

Sudan Referendum Update

Despite both Presidents Kiir and Bashir asking their people to conduct the referendum in peace, there has been violence with lives lost.  Is there any way to get peace without such conflict? Does freedom always come with a violent struggle?  This mars the momentous occasion taking place. This is so unfortunate as you know that is all the media will concentrate on, another conflict to talk about in Africa continuing the "if it bleeds, it leads" journalistic trope that plagues our continent particularly.

Here is a video from AFP  including comments from George Clooney and Koffi Annan that shows just how important and historic this moment is.  I love the woman who is so excited and is convinced she is "going have her [own] country." And the dude who had been waiting since 2am really epitomises the gravity and urgency of the situation.

I hope that by January 15 everyone will have gotten to vote and Sudan can keep forging towards a better future.

AIDS, Common Sense and Discrimination

I have been obsessed with the TED Website since a friend of mine suggested that I use it to learn when I complained of boredom.  I had viewed talks before but since finishing my masters I have been all educated out.  But learning while passively listening is addictive and now I can't stop.  I now watch a TED talk to accompany my lunch at work everyday.  I came across this talk by Elizabeth Pisani and now have a girl-crush on her.  She's so smart and witty and just cool!  Most of all she talks a lot of common sense, something that I think is lost on the world.  We do not trust ourselves to just go with our gut and what just makes sense even if you can't explain it with research, graphs, charts and formulae.  Part of life is just knowing and doing.  She is a little off-kilter so I warn you that you may be put off by the way she presents her thoughts. I quite enjoyed it, I love subversive humour and presentation but can fully appreciate how it may make some uncomfortable or could offend.



If you like her style, right now you can download her book for free here.  This offer is only good for the month of December.

Her talk got me thinking about the recent study that showed that partners of HIV+ people could protect themselves from contracting the disease if they followed a drug regimen consisting of an ART cocktail.  I am all about realistic, sensible prevention.  Let's be honest, humans are sexual beings and telling them to abstain is not the most sustainable and moreover commonsensical way of getting people to think about protecting themselves consistently.  Most people have a modicum of control at best.  I am not cynical or pessimistic, I've just lived enough in the world to know that the average person is quite illogical and careless and have little control when it comes to the bumptibump.  As you know I am a proponent of prophylactics and if you can get them to be part of the everyday routine of a person like taking a pill with their daily vitamins, I think that is great. Now we need to concentrate on halting the pandemic through transmission rather than just having it under control through treatment once positive. Both are required for success.

Speaking of the lack of the commonsensical, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga's recent speech only serves to push the gay minority further underground, further encouraging risky behaviour which will lead to this groups further marginalisation through the double-stigma borne from their lifestyle and if they contract HIV.  I am so disappointed in all the African nations, and in particular Uganda, that further are hampering Human Rights and AIDS progress by targeting the gay community with misinformation and fear tactics for political ends. Enough with the nonsensical!!! UNACCEPTABLE!

And the same goes for women.  We are just depicted as a helpless high risk group and really, not enough is being done to get to the root of the problem.  Yes our biology means that we are more likely to contract the disease  and there is nothing we can do to alter the way we have been designed, but there are social factors than be dealt with.  The typical  African story of girl raped by an uncle, grandfather or family friend to cure himself  of HIV/AIDS is something that should not be allowed to happen. UNACCEPTABLE!  Women to afraid to have candid conversations with their husbands about cheating and condoms is still rife in African society. UNACCEPTABLE! Educating people about how they contract it and what can be done to prevent or manage the disease is still something that needs to be done better.  And the issue of gender-based violence in Africa is something that needs to be dealt with.  I am ashamed that Zambia is one of the countries where men are really foolish about why they abuse their spouses, defending themselves with reasons to do with expressing love.  UNACCEPTABLE!

However, I am very happy that I received a text from my Zambian mobile service provider that read:

 "Guard against gender based violence vices and where such vices occur please do not hesitate to report to the appropriate authorities."

This pleasant surprise makes me happy as it shows how mobile technology can be used to educate the masses on the African continent.  And it is a great example of corporate social responsibility.  So easy to do and the social effects can be huge if the message is received on a regular basis.  I know a lot of people have been talking about mobile marketing and this puts people off.  I don't want to receive a text from sleazy marketer but getting a text about my well-being with no agenda is a welcome use of an opportunity to speak to a large group at little cost. I think this kind of community outreach in Zambia has been spurred by recent efforts from Government to make concrete change through a bill that is ready to be presented to Parliament. I hope that they will not lose momentum as happens with a lot of these efforts.  It made me think of Ms. Afropolitan's post and how I had no idea that there was a day for Gender-based Violence and how it just slipped by.  Some of these issues need to be tied together and maybe there should be a week that tackles all these interlinked diseases and human rights abuses rather than having them scattered about the year with some getting more attention that others.

BTW, if you happen to be in New York, the Access to Life Exhibit is currently showing at the UN Headquarters until the 17th of December.

Nets

So Nadal did finally complete the career slam on Monday and I am over the moon! The guy just amazes me! His constant adaptability in order to reach his goals is so inspiring.  Worth staying up into the wee hours of the morn and suffering through rain delays to witness. Was rather disappointed that Fed didn't make it to the final though.  He seemed so uncharacteristically out of sorts I hope this is temporary and not an ominous sign of his demise. He is 29 after all and in Tennis he's a bit long in the tooth really.

Was watching local news and was reading the text whizzing in that bar thing at the bottom and was pleased to see that Zambia has lowered its malaria cases by 60%!!! Then right after that I saw that 7 Malians were arrested for stealing donor funds for malaria!! Craziness.  Why can't there just be good news, why does it always have to be accompanied by the not so good??!! :(

And now you see why I called this post Nets he he he he...

North Africa And Women's Issues

This is not how I wanted to be able to showcase the North of the continent but today two articles came up on my homepage, which is set to BBC News Africa, to make sure I'm kept up to date while on foreign soil.  Unfortunately, two stories came up that are not happy stories, but at least one of them comes with a silver lining.

I'll start with the worst one, don't want to end the post badly ;).  19 Sudanese men were flogged for cross-dressing and breaking Sharia law.  They were too womanly, leading people to think that they were gay.  Right now I am very mad at people who make irrational conclusions about sexuality and gayness from the most random of evidence.  The average gay person does not going around dressing like a woman.  Most gay men I know are nothing like me, I have never thought that any of them are trying to be womanly or like me.  Even the ones who act effeminate don't seem womanly to me either.  These men weren't even given the chance to defend themselves either.  They could have been a drag troupe or dressing up for a fancy dress party or a play.  We will never know.  However these sentiments are not just Muslim, even Southern Sudan and other devoutly Christian areas of Africa do not tolerate what are considered overt and blatant gay actions.

The second is an encouraging development from a terrible situation.  An Eygptian woman came forward on television to speak up about her rape by policemen.  This is a very big step, albeit having to be made with her completely covered from head -to-toe in black so as not be identified.  I cannot for the life of me find the YouTube video that people have been able to watch of her appearance :(. Instead, here is a video of Eygptian women debating with a man over the way rape is treated in their country.  The issue they are talking about is very serious and polarised views clash, but I must also warn you of other clashes.  Your eyes may not be able to reconcile the rather suspect blond wig adorning one of the ladies' heads so as to hide her hair in place of a hijab.



The good news is that there is debate going on about the injustices that are being sanctioned by religion and that women are trying to take control of their lives and their bodies.

President Obama's Forum With Young African Leaders: 3-5 August

Tomorrow The (US) President's Forum with Young African Leaders kicks off.  115 attendees from 47 Sub-Saharan Africa will be engaged.  Already spotted a problem.  The North and everything South of that divide is being perpetuated.  Why are they not engaging North Africa at the same time?  The whole continent has been connected for millenia.  I know it is to do with the whole Middle East crisis where the majority of Northern African countries have a majority Muslim population and somehow this negates their Africaness!  They had special colonisation tactics for Muslim populations, and this sort of thinking is being perpetuated every time that Sub-Saharan divide is enforced.  Sub-Saharan Africa is not all the same, diversity amongst regions and within countries is very evident and some of that diversity comes from Muslim populations. So systematically singling out North Africa really is quite unfounded when dealing with the continent as a whole. Africa's problems will not be fully solved without cohesive, inclusive and interconnected plans. Alienation is not the answer.

However, I am sure that positives will come from this conference. It is definitely important to keep building bridges. To follow what is going on you can watch things live at US State Department's blog, DipNote, as well as read news as it comes in.  Here are some articles of interest that have already been posted on DipNote: youth empowering citizens, investing in female education, and mobile technology and development.

Here is a list of the attendees.

Salt: A Spy Movie Full Of Women's Issues

After Inception, I do not expect to be wowed by what Hollywood is offering, and I haven't.  I'm expecting to be entertained and I was watching Salt.  However, there was something lacking in the movie.  Was excited to see Angelina Jolie in a role originally intended for a dude, in a Mission Impossible-esque fashion.  Kind of like when back in the day Will Smith getting the lead role of in Enemy of the State was a big deal as it was originally written for Tom Cruise and everyone was wondering: Could a black person carry such a film and be believable?  Well as they say art imitates life and vice versa ala Barack Obama becoming the first black president.  Now that we have proved that a black man can do what a white man can do in America, it is only a matter of time before the same is done for women.I love how Hollywood underestimates the audience and our intelligence and always finds ways to perpetuate stupid and discriminatory conventions.   Craziness that this sort of thing still goes on in our world....

The film was good. It has the twists and turns to keep you intrigued, although the beginning is a little slow, but purposefully so, though you only become aware after the fact that it makes sense to be  like that.  The action is great. Enough plausible moves to make the implausible believable.  The script however needed to give us a bit more exposition and the little that was there was disjunctive and/ or inadequate. I was unable to really emotionally attach and really root for Salt.  Instead of thinking about being clever, all the way down to the spy being name being Salt, a wink at the SALT, the acronym for Strategic Arms Limitations Talks between the US and Russian during the Cold War, they should have been thinking about how to beef up the dialogue and story. At least the movie has served a higher purpose - go to school, study International Relations, and you'll be able to spot random stuff like that like my little ones! ;}

Chiwetel Ejiofor, a Naija-Brit actor, also features. LOVE HIM!  I don't think I have ever seen him act badly, even if the film was suspect like, ahem, Four Brothers. He is so talented and his roles are so diverse and intriguing.  Such a chameleon.  He makes me happy.  His role was limited in this installment, but if sequels are on the cards, it is clear that he is going to have more screen time and that is absolutely fine with me he he he.

Speaking of African connections, in the funeral scene how did I know there were Africans? This is the third film this summer, after STC2 and The A-Team, that I have seen that has some sort of African clothing in them with the big head wrap and the hat on the guys head and things and looking very Nigerian to show Africans are about.  Not hard to spot amongst the people who they are sitting with due to the fact that everyone else is wearing black and they are situated right bang centre in the middle of the shot! These guys need to take a lesson from Inception, or forget about us all together. It's ok, we are quite happy to be invisible if you are going to keep making us caricatures of ourselves.

After the movie, had a very intense conversation with my movie buddy for the night, a "proud" Canadian with whom I see eye-to-eye on a lot of things in the world, especially the illusions and the nonsense.  Having read an article about Salt in Entertainment Weekly, I was aware that they had the scene where her husband saves her at the beginning so as not to emasculate him.  The man has bigger problems if he is not able to relinquish power to his significant other when they are the more qualified in the situation.  Perpetuating these archaic beliefs that a woman has to temper herself so that lesser men can feel they are more is nonsense.  Or that even if the guy is all together you still have to.  If men's egos are so fragile then something needs to be done about it.  It is stifling always having to be around 60-80% of yourself for fear of hurting some dudes feelings or making him feel less of a man.  A real man assesses the situation and allows the right actions to take place for a positive outcome. Even if that means letting a woman take the lead. Jeez!

This movie also brought up the issue of women being "men" - as in doing a job as well as a man can.  Emotions are not the devil, they are part of human nature.  Men are forced to bury theirs and most of the time they feel caged and unable to express themselves for fear of being a pansy.  Being in control does not mean acting like a robot - that is what robots are for. It is about being aware of oneself, the good and the bad - and emotion can be both.  To their credit, they did a couple of laudable things to show that women can do spy work and gave it a womans touch.  They didn't thankfully make Salt ugly and unfashionable because those are the only kind of women that are smart and can act like men as they have nothing better to do.  She used feminine items to help herself out in tricky situations. The fact that they show that she has a deep love for her husband and will do anything to save him shows that emotion in a woman can propel her to do amazing things rather than being self destructive or debilitated when men and/ or love are in the mix.

However, after certain things occur in the movie, Salt is not allowed to grieve.  When we are first presented with the situation, it is clear why she cannot.  But in the aftermath, I'm sorry, if she really feels the way we are led to be believe before embarking on her revenge, she would have taken a moment in the bathroom to cry and regroup.  I know a lot of strong women whom many believe never cry, but they find their moments where no one can see to let go.  This sort of twisting of how a woman should act if she is going strong is erroneous and perpetuates the myth that strong women are not women and/ or have no feelings. We always either have to be overly-emotional or completely stone cold.  But is ok for Maximus in Gladiator to take a moment to cry when he finds his family slain and for him to cherish their wooden figures and use his emotion to avenge the emperor.  Because that kind of love and honour and sense of justice is only for men.  Women are just there to bring it about.  DRUGS I TELL YOU DRUGS!!!!

This made me think of my love of Jane Austen, and how I really relate to her characters need to fight to be a woman free to be who she is, love as she pleases and pursue her goals without stereotype.  Most of her heroines were fighting to be able to marry for love, without monetary considerations usurping the choice to marry freely.  Now it seems we are fighting to be able to have a head and a heart.  It seems right now we are being forced to chose between one and the other.  Salt was set up to be a sequel, this is evident from the ending. They have a good enough base to build on. I hope that Angelina Jolie takes the opportunity to use her clout further to really make sure that the script is the shiznit and that Salt has an emotional core that doesn't hinder, but enhances her abilities.

"Merchants of Hope": The Disillusionment In The African Football Dream

Finally watched the Current TV documentary Soccer's Lost Boys. I am glad I waited till after the World Cup as it was depressing to see what happens to these boys who are sold hope by sketchy Africans and Europeans alike.



First and foremost I agree with a comment made that comparing this situation with those of the Lost Boys of Sudan is not equal.  I know that documentaries like to be incendiary, but that was a bit much.  I liked how one of the men who had been tricked into going to Morocco by an agent said that the people who deal in the African Dream are "Sellers of hope".  When asked why people still fall for it, even though it is clear that nothing comes of it, he continued to say that that is what they do they are "Merchants of hope" that deal with "total disillusionment."  These people prey of the hopes and dreams of young children who want to emulate their heroes Drogba, Essien and Eto'o and their families who are easily led to believe that their investment will be return exponentially.  So "Sellers" or "Merchants of hope" I think would have been a better title.

Africans have to take responsibility for the inception of the disillusionment.  Our stars need to not only come back and set up schools, football camps and better the communities they came from, they also need to speak up regularly about how they are the exception not the rule.  They also need to talk about how they got to where they are, because when recruited, payment to an agent is not required, the club pays for the expenses.  And even if things more often that not don't pan out, at least families are not left destitute. I happened to sit next to a young Zambian football player off to Germany and France to try his luck.  I flew with him to South Africa and made sure he got on his connecting flight as he had never flown before. He had all his documents in an envelope and who to call if anything went wrong. That is how it is supposed to be done. These realities need to be revealed.

This reminds me of the article in Time's June World Cup Issue about Samuel Eto'o. During his conversation with the Time's reporter Eto'o made use of the word dream a total 14 times including when he said  "My whole life is a dream, a dream come true, a dream I'll only wake up from the day I stop playing football." However this is the exception not the rule. Most of the time, the boys end up realising they are actually in a nightmare that they can't wake up from. The ones who are manage to make it to Europe are still likely to be met with disappointment. Eto'o went through a reputable sports academies in Cameroun: L'Ecole de Football des Brassieries du Cameroun and the Kadji Sport Academy, played for his country at the U-16 level and was recruited by Real Madrid. And the people who are read the article are not the people who are going to be bamboozled.  This story needs to be told through channels that will reach those vulnerable to these get-rich-quick-through-football schemes as well.

Essien's journey is similiar, taking him to France first after representing Ghana at Youth level.  Drogba was lucky to have family in France.  Essien finished high school and Drogba was banned from football when he had to repeat a year of school.  Unlike what Mr. Smith, the dubious Ghanaian Youth Coach said, these guys did not abandon their education to become the stars they we know and love. He should not be encouraging kids to do so in the name of their idols.

The exploitation continues in Europe, where those interested profiting from football and those interested in exploiting the precarious situation these boys find themselves in once they are no longer legal take advantage. Continuing the illusion of hope by making these boys play games hoping that they will be spotted by an agent, or locals taking advantage of the boys need to survive at whatever cost is just as despicable as the coaches and agents in Africa who pluck them from their families.

What I liked most about the documentary is that it showed that there are Africans and Europeans who have seen this problem and are doing something about it.  You can find more information about the initiatives mentioned in the documentary below.  There are also links to other initiatives going on and what Drogba and Essien are doing (Eto'o site is temporarily down btw):

The Right To Dream, The Craig Bellamy Foundation, Foot Solidaire, FIFA and Foot Solidaire, Win in Africa With Africa, 1Goal, Essien's Foundation, Drogba's Foundation, Eto'o's Foundation.

GHANA ARE STILL STARS!!!

It has taken me this long to write a post about the unfortunate events that led to Ghana's exit from the World Cup.   Tears have been shed, heartbroken to comatose to reflective we have been, and now all that is to  be said is that we are proud, and we are grateful for the ride that Ghana was able to give to the African continent.

 African skies may be dark, but the Black Stars will shine again :)

I will not rehash the game, nor will I find YouTube videos of the rollercoaster events.  They do not need to be relived.  I would like to remember the euphoria that came from the Black Stars' journey to the Quarter Finals.  Seeing them battle through against all odds was a privilege and as FOOLISH FOOL has said, let us look to build on this experience at the 2012 Africa Cup and in Brasil in 2014.  This is a young team, they can learn from this and grow into a global powerhouse.

Gyan showed a fortitude that is admirable by taking the first penalty after missing moments before.  Though I may never understand why Prince Boateng never got to take a penalty, the boys fought like champions and even if they didn't win the World Cup, Africa will always remember how the Black Stars were the ones to step up to the challenge when the motherland called.

Unfortunately my World Cup Fever has been tempered...I am emotionally drained.  I HATE PENALTIES. At this point we might as well go with Germany to win, at least they have a bit of Ghana on their team ha ha ha ha!

Bafana Bafana Are Still Boys

South Africa's 0-3 loss to Uruguay has exposed what I have been afraid of - they are still bafana - boys and have yet to mature to men playing football at such a competitive level.  It was a tall order to ask them to qualify and now I have to eat my words as this game was the decider not the one to come with France. The Khune incident was the nail in the coffin. I don't think the goalie caught Suarez's (who clearly has been taking acting and diving lessons from Ronaldo) foot on purpose.  I think he should have been yellow carded not red carded - it wasn't clear if Suarez was going to be able to shoot :(! I just hope that the rest of the African teams step up to the challenge.  Despite my disappointment earlier, I hope to see Super Eagles tomorrow, Nigeria can still qualify if they dig deep.

Don't even know what was going on with Spain! They have been doing so well since Euro 2008...African connection from that game though.  The Switzerland scorer Gelson Fernandes is originally from Cape Verde!



Tomorrow will be a better day, all we can do is recover and cheer again :)

HIV Issues

Two recent articles on HIV/ AIDS issues in Namibia and Zambia are a reminder of the perturbing effect the virus is having on the continent.  I do believe that mandatory testing where enforceable is a step in figuring out exactly how many people have the disease and also will help to curb and even start to reverse the pandemic. However, doing things to people without their knowledge and consent is deplorable!

We need to be taking care of each other, not drawing swords on one another!

OMG What Is Going On In The World???!!!

Volcanoes, earthquakes, sinkholes and Soderling that's what! Instead of Fed-Exing we saw Fed axed from the French, so he is unable to defend his title.  I had this horrible feeling that Soderling would do it again at the French and he did. He is the "Giant Killer", he has ousted the defending champ two years in a row now.  I have no words.  So here is Federer's take. He brings up Del Potro, whom I do miss, he's one of my babies. He has lived up to his potential quite nicely, it is a pity he is currently sidelined. Now more than ever it is pivotal that Nadal make it to the final, the thought of Soderling making it there and winning does not sit well with me at all!!!!!  There were a lot of winners from both players in that game, so if Soderling makes it to the final he know he has to have even more than that to win against Nadal if it is their destiny to meet again at the French. But that is not going to happen. Because I said so.


This chain of events has ramifications of great magnitude.  This play-by-play of the whole day's events gave a great synopsis of what this one game means for the men's game over the next few months:


"Robin Soderling – the era-ender. Nadal had won 31 consecutive matches at Roland Garros (in fact he’d never been beaten here) – then along came Rockin’ Robin. Federer had reached 23 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals (since losing to Guga Kuerten here in the third round in 2004) – then along came Rockin’ Robin. He simply did not miss a shot. He hit the ball with such alarming strength and absolutely unfeasible accuracy.


And now, if Rafa wins the tournament, Federer will be knocked off his number one perch and not break Pistol Pete Sampras’ record of 286 weeks in the top spot (he’s agonisingly on 285). And with Nadal having precisely zero points to defend at Wimbledon and Federer 2,000, we’re in for a sea change. Federer was toppled two years ago when Rafa “did a Borg” and won here then at Wimbledon. Roger came right back and “did a Rafa”, taking the two European Slams in 2009. And who knows what’s going to happen here now – I bet Rafa’s quaking! He’s always had the measure of Federer on clay, but now his road to the title – his Roland Garros title – has a certain Robin Soderling blocking the way. Oh yes, and the small matter of Almagro, then Djokovic or Melzer."


Soderling will play a resurgent Berdych in the Semis.  I always thought Berdych hadn't lived up to his potential.  He seems to be realising it now.  I guess I was complaining about there not being a shake up on the men's side. I got my wish unfortunately.  I do wish to see Nadal and Federer battle it out in a final, hopefully that will come at Wimbledon. I now have to go and consult my sangoma and make sure that Soderling's juju does not cause further damage and Nadal is protected for the rest of the tournament! ;}

Good News And Bad News

The good news is that the bull has been awakened, Nadal played a good and competitive match.  I know I was talking about him lassoing his opponents into submission with his forehand but I forget how good he is on the run with his backhand passing shot when opponents are up at net.  He showed this strength a coupla times throughout his match with Bellucci.  He made up for not closing the second set out the first time at 5-4 by breaking in the next game to go up 6-5 with a backhand passing shot that gave us not only a "Vamos!", but some serious fist-pumping.  You can tell he wants to regain his title as the King of Clay badly! :)  Check out the highlights here. Choose Highlights > May 31, 2010 > Highlights - Day 9 Part. 3.  He is set to play his countryman Nicolas Almagro in the Quarter Finals.

It also seems that the watch thing is not an anomaly, he wore it again throughout the match...

Serena is back to killer form and wasted no time with a straight sets win 6-2, 6-2, breezing into the Quarter Finals to face Samantha Stosur, the woman who cut Henin's bid to regain this title, post-retirement, short. It will be interesting to see if she will continue to upset top players - Stosur did this at the Aussie Open too.

I was wondering where Gulbis was, after his match in Rome against Nadal, I thought he would be a real contender and could cause a few upsets, spicing up the mix.  However, he pulled out in the first round due to injury, which is why there has been nothing on him. I wonder if he played out of his skin against Nadal and this setback is a repercussion.  He notched around 50 winners in that semi-final and still lost.  It always amazes me how people continuously play out of their skins and still lose on the clay to Nadal.

The bad news is that Essien is not going to play at the World Cup.  However the team is optimistic.  They were able to go to the Africa Cup Finals without their best players and were runners-up, so there are people to step up to the challenge.