Out of Africa

Whilst Egypt is still geographically Africa, it hasn’t felt like it. A serious lack of black faces – this is serious Middle Eastern.

Real Africa has been a really interesting and novel experience for me. One tries not to have any preconceptions, but it’s difficult – we are bombarded with media images and all the prejudices that they bring.

Yes i do see monetary poverty – huge communities of unemployment and many living a subsistence existence, but no-one is starving.

But i see wealth in these communities too - a real sense of community. Rich community life that almost all countries in the “First World” have pretty much lost. With no cars, television to sit in front of and fast food outlets, you rarely see lard-asses or obesity in the local population.

I observe young kids playing outside, with each other, with a joy you rarely see in other parts of the world. Bright, sharp and independent. No TV, no computers, MP3 players, mobile phones or video games, they interact and play with each other, further building extended bonds beyond the immediate extended family.

Europe and North America impose their concept of prosperity – i.e. material wealth, and just don’t get it.

Africa has seriously been exploited throughout its history. They even exploited themselves through their own slave trade, before being taken over by the Arab traders. Then came colonisation by European powers, and these days this continues in the form of World Aid and NGOs – this is the new colonisation for it continues to disempower the people. Countries like Uganda and Tanzania which should be self-sufficient and prosperous through their rich natural resources, have been left crippled with “outsiders” telling them what to do and how to do it. I would like to think the intention is good, but really, you are not doing them any favours at all. Having said that, i have seen NGO workers enjoying the high life - eating expensive meals in expensive restaurants, staying in five star hotels and driving around in brand new Land-cruisers. Meanwhile Africa remain stuck in a quagmire.

Africa can help themselves, not least by investing for the future. Whilst primary education is predominantly free in almost all countries i have travelled, this still provides only the most basic literacy and numeracy skills. This now needs to be extended to secondary level. Money is there, it’s just that most of the political leaders are corrupt. Rwandan president Paul Kagame leads the way in fighting corruption; despite the horrendous genocide in 1994, the recovery in the country has been nothing short of miraculous. African nations need to learn from his exceptional example.

I have bonded with the continent, trod its paths and felt the earth underneath my feet. It offers interest, excitement, diversity and plenty of challenges, even to this well-heeled global citizen. I will be back.

AIDS in Africa

Ma's biggest concern for my African Adventures is the threat of AIDS. Despite my protestations that i haven't come to Africa to shag my way round the continent, she says people may want to spit in my food. Charming!

More than 26,000,000 are infected with AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Every 24 hours some 6500 Africans die from Aids. There are some 42 million orphans from the disease, and in countries like Uganda, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Congo these orphans are likely to be ensnared as child soldiers. Only one in ten Africans have access to anti-retroviral medications.

Collective denial, migration, famine, lack of health care and prevention programmes, and social, religious and cultural factors have all impacted to contribute to the rabid spread of the disease. The Catholic church have undoubtedly played a huge part in this explosion with its complete rejection of the use of condoms. With the vast majority of its victims being young, the cost of these lives being lost have a knock on effect on the economy across the continent.

Africa

Africa is the oldest and most enduring landmass on the planet. 97% of the soil under your feet in Africa dates backs more than 300 million years. Every single human being on the planet is related to Mitochondrial Eve, a female born some 150,000 years ago in Tanzania or Ethiopia. We are all African!

An estimated 912,000,000 people inhabit the continent and speak well over 1,000 languages making it the most culturally and ethnically diverse group of people on the planet. Sounds very much like an Aub-like place for exploration.

An Eye and a Lens - The Bahamas

Colombians have to be some of the friendliest people on the planet.

Having been blessed to get to know many in my four year stint in Bogotá I am still in contact with many through Facebook.

Lucia was the art teacher at the international school where I worked, and she inherited my Nikon F90 and analogue lenses when I turned digital in 2006. She has gone on to enjoy a successful photographic career in Colombia, New York and London. You can check out her photographic blog by clicking on here.

I have stolen this shot from her shoot in the Bahamas.


Ma´s biggest fear of my African adventures is that I will contract AIDS. I tell her I am going there to travel and experience, not to shag lots of women, but nonetheless there is nothing I can say that will alleviate her irrational fears.