African Art and Food Sharing History and Heritage

Girl with Fish Curse of Selfishness African Folklore Asha and her three sisters Selfishness runs deep in the Girl with Fish Curse of Selfishness African Folklore As the ancestors say, selfishness is wicked. A good person thinks of others first and the selfish person earns a reputation as someone not worth dealing with, someone to shun. Curse of Selfishness African Folklore. Asha and her three sisters one day took their baskets and went to the river to fish. Asha caught many fishes, while the other three sisters caught none at all. They said to their more fortunate friend, “Asha let us have a few of your fishes; you have so many, and we have none at all." "No!" said Asha, "what I have caught I keep for myself!”. They all started for home and had gone quite a distance when Asha who had caught the many fishes discovered, that she had lost her bracelet. She asked her companions to go along back with her and help her find it. "No!" said they...

What are Africa’s five smallest capital cities What is a capital city and how is it chosen? Africa’s Five Smallest Countries and their capital capital cities are the Republic of Seychelles capital city of Victoria, São Tomé and Príncipe Sao Tomé is the capital city, Mauritius capital city of Port Luis, Comoros capital city of Maroni, and Cabo Verde Sao Tiago Island is the location of the capital of Praia. Market day in Ghana capital city Accra Africa’s five smallest capital capital cities Africa has 54 countries, 2 unofficially recognized territories and 10 dependent territories. Officially according to the African Union, Africa has 54 countries with Algeria being the largest and The Gambia the smallest on the mainland and Seychelles the smallest overall. Seychelles is 175 sq miles, 455 sq. km, or 112432 acres. What is a Capital City? The word capital originates from the Latin capitalis, meaning of the head. This is where government buildings are and where government lea...

Three main types of legal hunting in Africa are African trophy hunting, canned hunting, and game hunting. Legal Hunting Types in Africa Game Hunting  Hunting Guns Africa’s Big Five canned, game and trophy hunting animals are the elephant, lion, leopard, Cape buffalo, and rhinoceros.  According to Wildlife Extra Tourist hunters kill around 105,000 animals per year, including around 640 elephants, 3,800 Buffalo, 600 lions, and 800 leopards. The Cape buffalo is nicknamed the Black Death because it is one of the smartest and unpredictable animal a hunter can face. The black rhino and leopard are on the WWF critically endangered listing, the African elephant is listed as vulnerable as well as the African lion. Three legal hunting categories in Africa are trophy hunting, canned hunting, and game hunting explained. Trophy Hunting Trophy hunting is defined as killing wild animals for their body parts, such as head and hi...

The median age in Africa is 19.7 in 2012 and will increase to 25.4 in 2050. African Countries with the highest fertility rates Niger 6.62 Burundi 6.04 Mali 5.95 Somalia 5.89 Uganda 5.80 Burkina Faso 5.79 Zambia 5.67 Malawi 5.54 Angola 5.31 South Sudan 5.19 African Countries with the lowest fertility rates Djibouti 2.35 South Africa 2.31 Botswana 2.30 Cabo Verde 2.26 Morocco 2.12 Libya 2.04 Tunisia 1.98 Seychelles 1.86 Brunei 1.79 Mauritius 1.75 Birth rates and fertility rates statistics in Africa on the average number of children Africans give birth to Historically in Africa, a young age structure reflects high fertility coupled with the prevalence of HIV/AIDS-related deaths.  Africa's population is young, very young and its share in the world population will increase to 24% in 2050, up from about 13% in 2012.  The median age in Africa is 19.7 in 2012 and will increase to 25.4 in 2050. ...

Best Advice On Life African Proverbs Life's best advice African proverbs have all the wisdom you need to do almost everything better. These five African Best Advice on Life African Proverbs are the best nuggets of wisdom you have ever heard that will above all influence your life and will stick with you for a long time. Here are Five of Life's Best Advice African Proverbs from the ancestors to help with life’s growth and care. Advice on Life African Proverbs If all the seeds that fall were to grow, then no one could follow the path under the trees. ~ African Proverb A promise is a cloud; fulfillment is rain. ~ African Proverb Death's ladder is there for everyone to climb. ~ African Proverb If you stop every time a dog barks, your road will never end. ~ African Proverb No man is a good physician who has never been sick. ~ African Proverb More Life's Best Advice African Proverbs. If all the seeds that fall were to grow,...

Never Lend Money to a Friend African Folktale teaches friendships true wisdom instructs the soul that you should never lend money to a friend to that you cannot afford to lose.   Never Lend Money to a Friend African Folktale   As the elders say, once there was a great famine in the land, and the tortoise sat down to think of some sneaky scheme to help him in his destitute state.   Because of his planning, he went to his friends: the worm, chicken, wildcat, leopard, and hunter, and from each of them borrowed seven bags of seed.  These he promised to pay on different days at the end of the season, telling the worm to come first for his money, the chicken next, and so on; the hunter being last.   When the time agreed upon came, the worm went to him for payment. But, the tortoise told him to wait, saying he had to go to fetch the money. So, the worm waited; and the next day the tortoise came back, followed by the chicken, whose payment was now due.  Seeing...

Sobek, God of the Nile River, is an Ancient Egyptian crocodile symbolling power, virility and fertility. Nile River God Sobek is protector of the Nile River feared and loved by the Ancient rulers of Crocodilopolis also known as the Egyptian Faiyum region. Sobek is first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts, which are the oldest sacred texts in the world. Nile River God Sobek Sobek appearance is that of a man with the head of a crocodile and an elaborate sun disk headdress. Sobek was worshiped as the creator of the world who arose from the fertile Nile River waters and created the order in the universe. Sobek rescued Horus’ four sons by gathering them in a net from the waters where they arose in a lotus bloom. Sobek is the God of the Nile because he controlled the waters and the fertility of the soil. He is known under several titles; Lord of the Waters, SBK and Protector of Faiyum. He is also patron of th...

Cartoon stereotyped circumcision cake designed by black Swedish artist Makode Linde, freedom of art speech or stereotype reinforcement? Circumcision Cake Black circumcision cake in Sweden the real story Sweden's culture minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth on Saturday, April 14, 2012, during an art exhibit cut up a cake baked into the shape of a cartoon stereotyped African woman. As the head of Sweden’s Ministry of Culture, she was responsible for issues relating to culture, media, democracy, human rights at the national level, the national minorities and the language and culture of the indigenous people of Scandinavia. The Ministry is also responsible for anti-discrimination work and issues concerning civil society, and faith communities. The incident involving Liljeroth happened at the Moderna Museet Museum in Stockholm in honor of World Art Day. According to the cakes artist Makode Linde, who is black Swede born in Stockhol...

Foolproofing Your Life Five African proverbs on foolish, pointless, silly, inane, weak of mind, actions of unwise people. Here are 5 African proverbs on foolproofing your life. Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture The world is filled with demanding people. It is impossible to avoid them. Nevertheless, as the ancestors say, the best way to deal with fools is by not dealing with them at all. 5 African proverbs on foolproofing your life. A parasite cannot live alone.  ~ African Proverb One should never rub bottoms with a porcupine.  ~ African Proverb The rain wets the leopard's spots but does not wash them off. ~ African Proverb Silence is the best answer to the unwise.  ~ African Proverb The fool always has an answer on the tip of his tongue.  ~ African Proverb African Proverbs [Read: Beware of the naked man who offers you clothes. ]

The story of Sara Saartjie Baartman large butt, black female sexuality and body shape is still debated as empowerment vs exploitation entertainment. Sarah Baartman was exhibited in human zoo's naked or scantily dressed throughout Britain, Paris, Ireland, and Belgium from 1810 to 1815 in cages alongside animals, in public places and rich clients’ private homes. She was pinched, poked made fun of, studied, sexualized, and ridiculed as part of exotic exhibitions in Europe. The Hottentot Venus, Sarah Baartman was a South African Khoisan tribe woman from the Kalahari famous for the biggest butt the world has ever seen. Sarah Baartman became world famous as the most exotic of the four Hottentot Venuses paraded around Eroupe as well as a landmark court case. Life, death and torture of African Hottentot Venus Sarah Baartman. Treated inhumanly, the short life of the Hottentot Venus Sarah Baartman was one to be displayed and exhibited naked or scantily dressed at 225 Piccadilly in a c...

20 facts about the African hippopotamus for kids Hippos resting in the sand I want a hippopotamus for Christmas only a hippopotamus will do. 20 facts about the African hippopotamus for kids 1. Hippos spend up to 16 hours a day submerged in rivers and lakes to keep their massive bodies cool. 2. A baby hippo is called a calf and weighs nearly 100 pounds at birth. 3. A female hippopotamus is called a cow. 4. A group of hippos in known as a school. 5. A male hippopotamus is called a bull. 6. Hippos eyes and nostrils are located high on their heads, which allows them to see and breathe while mostly submerged. 7. Hippos can easily outrun a human running up to speeds on 20 miles per hour. 8. Hippos secrete an oily red substance, which gave rise to the myth that they sweat blood. Hippos teeth can grow up to 3 feet in length 9. Hippopotamuses give birth in water. 10. Female hippos have only one calf every two years. 11. Hippopotamuses spend a large am...

Southern African Christmas Day Fried Mopani with Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe Fried Mopani with Peanut Sauce is a traditional South African holiday recipe. The mopani or caterpillars have no taste this is why they are most often served in a rich sauce.  Fried Mopani recipe Fried Mopani with Peanut Sauce is a traditional South African holiday recipe. Ingredients 3 cups mopani 1 tablespoon salt 1 hot pepper 1 teaspoon onion salt 1 teaspoon garlic salt 2 cups vegetable oil   Directions In a large steam pot steam mopani with all ingredients for 10 minutes, pat dry and in a large fry pan fry mopani in hot oil until crisp. Serve with peanut sauce.   The mopani or caterpillars have no taste this is why they are most often served in a rich sauce. Spicy peanut sauce recipe Spicy peanut sauce recipe Ingredients 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 hot pepper, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup water   Di...

Mama Baboons kindness is punished by death African folklore teaches us kind-heartedness should be accepted and rewarded, not punished by death. Mama Baboons’ Kindness is Punished by Death Once there was in a town a baby whose body was covered with a very troublesome and unsightly skin disease. The father and mother of this child had no choice but to work very hard on the neighboring rice farm, and owing to the condition of the little one's body the mother could not strap the baby upon her back, as is the usual custom, and take it with her to the field. She had to leave it in the hut uncared for and alone. When all the people of the town had gone to their farms, a baboon who lived with a family of baboons in the nearby bush came into the town and soon found the suffering baby. It took the child in its arms and carried it to the creek, where it bathed its wounds and anointed them with medicine made from roots and herbs. This was done with tender care. Kindness Afri...

Albino people are too white to be African and too white to be a human being. Throughout Africa, albinism is much more widespread than the rest of the world. Albinism is an inherited genetic condition that reduces the amount of melanin pigment formed in the skin, hair and/or eyes. Note: The term Person with Albinism (PWA) is the correct term to use and not albino for people living with the condition. Historically albino is a derogatory term putting their condition before the person. PWA puts the person before their condition. What is Albinism. African albino people are facing the daily horror of a rapidly growing industry in the sale of albino body parts The mutations in at least 12 different genes have been identified in different types of albinism in humans. Most people with albinism have pale skin, eye conditions , and are sensitive to the sun; this occurs in about 1 in 20,000 and 1 in 50,000 people worldwide depending on the type of albinism with Africa ha...