Ongoing

Unnecessary War. 

There is talk that there is a brutal war in the DRC, and it mostly has to deal with the demand in the countries for minerals that would be required for their military. The Demotratic Republic of Congo has been beset by war and it is one of the most violent, and unstable not to mention poverty stricken nations on this planet. In an artice All Africa was said that "over six million people were killed since 1996". This is one of the deadliest conflicts in the WORLD since World War II. This is just one side to conflict; rape is being used as a "weapon of war" the numbers are up to the thousands. This conflict is a sad truth that wealth can account for so much violence. To whom do is held responsible? Anyone who is capable of causing any degree of chaos in eastern DRC. There is an abundace amount of Ruwandan refugees dedicated to their OWN survival, and they are trying to overthrow their own government. Their involvement in this conflict alone is mainly just their existance, these people have the worst records when it comes to human rights. Of course money is involeved as well, which they are getting from ILLEGAL coltan sales. 

All these people want only best for themselves. I know in my last blog I talked about violence, but I thought I would continue with this unnecessary war because it is truly important that it is brought to people's attention what else is happening in this world, and how cruel it is to treat people like this with no remorse at all. I understand that countries are trying to make their upbringings but things like this is NOT the way to go about doing that. In the article I read children are being used for hard labor work just for people like us to have things like dimonds. Are they really THAT important? Wouldn't you rather want to help children, then have them be in a dangerous work place? I know that I would never want any child to put into a situation where they would not be safe. The US imports the majority of what the minors dig up! It is truly sad. The demand for coltan is becoming a big financing conflict in the DRC and helping to promote that it is truly evil child/slave labor. 

"Morcan Books & Films." Morcan Books Films. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <http://morcanbooksandfilms.com/tag/central-africa/>.

Violence

Violence still going?

Violence in South Africa is a prominent issue. South Africa has a very high rate of assults, raps, killings, not to just one age group but all ages; compared to other countries. Most people decide to leave South Africa because of this reason. Members of New Zealand's community have rallied to protest violene against immigrants in South Africa. Around 60 people, or so have come together to try to stop the brutal killings. People were burned alive, these people NEED justice for these victims. The South African government needs to bring prospectors to justice as well. The majority of this was caused by xenophobia, only targeting foreigners. Some South Africans have tried to organize peace marches, towards the New Zealand government, that they could have some sort of assortment to the South African government who should stop these horrible acts and bring all the violence to justice.

Violence is something that I am against. There are so many more ways to settle differences rather than hurting innocent citizens. Article That article gives somewhat of an idea of what was going on with the  xenphobia. This has been in the news for awhile and not much has been done to help these people get away from the violence. The governements have differences, but they result in such violence just because they can. This whole situation has totally shattered the country's reputation for tolerance. All South Africa was trying to do was HELP the Zimbabwean problems. I just think despite any difference someone may have violence is never the way to settle problems.

This picture breaks my heart.


"Morcan Books & Films." Morcan Books Films. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <http://morcanbooksandfilms.com/tag/central-africa/>.

Hunger

Hunger in Africa.

Africa is easily the world's poorest continent, every third African is starving. Part of the starvation isnt just because of the continent being poor, some of it is because of the climate. Since it doesn't rain like it used to, crops are harder to maintain, which makes it hard to feed the continents people. Save the children is helping by, helping parents feed their children through farming and small businesses, preventing chronic malnutrition through breastfeeding support programs. The potential for these children should not go to a waste just because they were born in a crappy place, they could easily have a bright future. Save the children does a lot for not only Africa, but other countries as well. I have already shared the link for this website! 

I chose to talk about something like hunger because it is something that everyone hears about Africa. There are some people with the biggest hearts out there. A teenager is saving all the money she can to build a house for her parents, shes only 14. She takes 22 cents out of her 54 cent allowance. When she reaches 1 dollar she takes it to the bank. As of right now she has 37.09 cents. Things like this melt my heart to pieces, and I don't understand why people wouldn't want to help these people, they don't deserve to live like this. 

"Saving Money to Build Dreams." Save the Children. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.8644271/k.C93D/Saving_Money_to_Build_Dreams.htm>.

Schools for Africa

Transforming Lives Through Education

In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, every third child DOESN'T get a chance to go to school, due to ignorance, poverty, and discrimination. UNICEF is working with governments and local communities as well as other partners in 13 other countries in Africa to make these conditions attract young children to school, to provide them with safety, where they can learn and play. Their main goal to help the most disadvantaged, such as boy, girls, orphans who suffer from negative HIV and AIDS, children who are affected by conflicts from natural disasters, children with special needs, and children that come from really poor households. Schools for Africa went through their first successful phase 05-09 raising 50 million to benefit 4 million children in 6 countries. The second launch in 2010 raising 70 million, by 2013 they were benefitting children in 11 different countries. The launch that was set in 2014 was to raise 80 million dollars for children in 13 different countries by 2017. Schools for Africa launched in 2004. The man by the name of Peter Kramer, personally donated 3.8 million dollars to this campaign. South Africa has a lot of great potential of achieving an educational impact on a large number of children, but it needs to manage the quality of schooling. Zimbabwe, represents the key to a stable future for the overall population, they are continuing to fight for their children's rights for basic education. 

"In a Country in Conflict, Bringing Peace to Children's Minds." UNICEF. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/car_70826.html>.

I chose education because it means a lot to me. I want the best for kids and their families. People NEED education and with UNICEF helping all these countries is beyond worth working and fighting for. Since I am going to be in education as a career just makes me think of things I would love to do to help anyone receive any kind of education. Everyone needs to realize how good they have it, the majority of Africa has no education at all! The more people help the more education everyone in Africa will receive.

Slavery in Africa

Slavery.

Slavery in Africa was over 3,500 years ago!! Buying and selling slaves was an everyday thing that occured. In Africa, as many other places around the world, early slavery more than likely resulted from warring groups taking captives. The majority of these captives were little to no use because they were so close to home, they eased escape. To increase production families had to invest in more labor to increase their share of any land. As a result they invested in slaves. Slaves Roles: Women slaves carried economic functions, like trading cotton spinning, and dyeing, as well as common chores like preparing food, washing clothes, and cleaning. The more powerful African males kept women slaves as wives, in many societies women were just symbols of the males wealth. Newer slaves were given more dangerous jobs such as mining. slaves were considered an ideal person to be close to the man with the most power. The ending of the slave trade and slavery in Africa had ranging effects on the whole continent. Many societies had participated in an economy based on slave labor and trading of slaves, these people had a difficult time finding new ways to order any type of agriculture production and manage gaining of wealth. As for colonial governments in Africa disapproved of slavery stilled needed them for such work. As a result many decendants of slaves were affected by this stigma for generation AFTER slavery was abolished. 

I chose to talk about slavery because it interests me a lot. Knowing what I do from class I tried to research other facts that we hadn't learned about. The amount of slave trade and the way some of these INNOCENT people were treated makes me sick. I couldn't ever imagine the things that they went through. "It takes more than a horrifying transalantic voyage chained in the filthy hold of slave ship to erase someone's culture" (p. 1 Angelou). I found this website with tons of information and amazing quotes from people. I think this site is worth the read!! Click the link below and read for yourself!

Quotes and Info

African Elephants.

Elephants

The African Elephant is the largest walking animal on Earth. Their herds travel through 37 different countries in Africa. Peoply maily recognize them by their tusks which are used to handling objects. Their ears allow them to radiate excess heat! The African Elephants are related to the Savanna elephant and the Forest elephant. African elephants help maintain suitable habitats for other species, they play a huge role in shaping their habitat because they impact on factors from fresh water to forest cover. Their populations were reduced extreamly due to being killed and herds were lost. The demand for ivory has led to paching. Southern and eastern Africa were showing signs of recovery, but now will be at risk once again due to the sudden surge in poaching. WWF is protecting and managing habitats to reduce the illegal killing. WWF also helps governments produce and adopt elephant conservation strategies. They helped train park gaurds and villagers in elephant conservation and management. 

To learn more here is a the website I used to get all my info:

Elephants

I chose elephants becuase they are my all time favorite animal and I have already participated in the helps of saving elephants. Ivoryella makes shirts that are 1. really cute and 2. save the elephants. they are teamed up with savetheelephants.org and each purchace donates 10 % of the profits to that organiztion. There are so many other animals in world to save and I'm sure they all have organizations like this one, but since elephants have my heart I have no other choice than to help them! Below are the links to both websites!!

ORDERASHIRT

SAVE THE ELEPHANTS

Music

African Music:

African music has a very long history and it is transmitted from one generation to another. African music is category based. Dance and music, and story-telling are only a few of the ancient art forms that have been in Africa for centeries. "Honest observers are hard pressed to find single indigenous group in Africa that has a term congruent to the usual western notion of “music.” There are terms for more specific acts like singing, playing instruments, and more broadly performing (dance, games, music); but the isolation of musical sound from other arts proves a western abstraction, of which we should be aware when we approach the study of performance in Africa" (p.7). Music and dance are activites that characterize their expression and plays huge role in their lives. Mnay different forms of music and dance can be found in traditional oral literature such as: folk tales, myths, and praise poems. African people have a rich oral tradtion, The Passage Of Cultural Practices from one generation to the next. Africans tie in their religious beliefs. It is mainly influenced by Christan and Islamic practices, but "aladura" is a newer religious group movement. Side note: Africa has some influences from other countries as well. People can look at back through music as far as human existence. Music practices flow within socio-cultural context. African music has influenced a number of practices in the new world. 

If you are interested take a look at these videos to get an idea of what their music and dance are like!

Tradtional African Music

Dance troupe

I chose to research about African music because music is a bug part of my life. I listen to almost every kind of music and I enjoy it all. My grandma was really into music as well, I remember going to her house on a Saturday night and she would be listening to the music that was on tv, she loved dancing as well. Learning about how Africans dance is really interesting becuase no one around here dances like that, or really ties traditions to their dance. They take it pretty serious which I find really cool. Life without music is boring.   

Children in Africa.

Save the Children. 

Save the Children is a place where you have to chance to help in a few different ways. One is by making a donation, second is becoming a sponsor for a child in need, third is getting involved with program. There are many different things that this organization does such as: providing quality education, and providing children with books, and other supplies. They also provide health and nutriton, last year alone they helped 38 million kids through HIV care programs.HIV These are only a couple things that this organization does. LINK if you want to get involved or learn about any of the amazing things these people do, click on that link and it will take you right to their site. Side note:
this organization isnt only in Africa, but you could help children all over the world as well.

I chose something to do with children because it is something that I am passionate about. I would love to be involved in as many things dealing with children as I could. Kids is something I have always been passionate about, I have been around them my whole life and I wouldn't trade a single day for anything else. In my future, I know that I want to be involved in something like this, not for me, but for the kids that are in such need for help. If anyone has time go look through the website and im sure you would love to help as well.