Another Awesome AfriCAN week 20180705

#Africa 

Almost 50 African states have signed the agreement that will lead to free trade on the continent. South Africa, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Lesotho and Burundi are the most recent countries signing the agreement during the official opening of the 31st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government that took place in Nouakchott, capital of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Free trade means that there will be greater intra-trade between African countries. via EWN

#Ghana 

Kizito Nii Amarh Amarh Amartey is telling Africa's story through his art. He not only studied art, but also completed his business degree. Even though the art business is not a booming one in Ghana Kizito is able to sell four or more artworks in a month. He says, "We are losing touch with a lot of African values and we don’t want them to go extinct. So, I want to use art to show the world some of the African values and culture." He has great advice to artists, "Art is a way of life and usually driven by passion. So I would encourage young artists not be disturbed when things get tough. They should rather push on and continue doing the work with passion and definitely one day your work will be recognized."via My Joy

#Kenya 

Congratulations to Kenyan writer Makena Onjerika who won Africa’s leading literary award, Caine Prize for African Writing, for her short story entitled “Fanta Blackcurrant”, published in Wasafiri (2017). Makena has walked away with a £10,000 prize.

#Mozambique 40 young rangers have been recruited to curb poaching in southern Mozambique. They have been recruited by the Limpopo National Park to help in the fight against poaching and ensure the development of the park. This project aims to limit conflicts between humans and animals, but it will also open the park to tourists, and encourage the development of our country. via africanews

#Nigeria 

Adekunle Gold recently had a sold-out solo concert in London. His unique sound is called Urban Highlife. I really enjoyed his interview on BBC Africa Today. He says that pain is his story, he and some of his friends are no longer on the same wavelength, which makes him feel quite lonely. 

He comes from a Muslim family, but also attended a Christian Church. What really caught my attention was when he said that his dad is the best man in the world. He is so liberal and sees religion as a form of education, and you learn different things from different religions that makes you a better person. "My Dad trained us to see the good in everything," he said.


#Tanzania 

The leaders in Tanzania are walking the talk. More than 300 Tanzanian MPs took HIV tests in public on at the end of June 2018 in an effort to encourage more people to get tested. The initiative comes at the start of a six-month campaign dubbed ‘test and treat’ that seeks to put people living with HIV on anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) via The East African

#Uganda 
I absolutely love this initiative. Women in Uganda are making the most amazing products from recycled straws. Here's a link to their website.

Wisdom is wealth. ~ Swahili proverb