African Skylines..The Other Africa

Kilwa




1- None of my relatives ever saw a charity at work in Africa, they didn't attend a charity backed school or ever eat charity food, in western medias seem that they are keeping Africa alive, that everything good that happens in Africa is thanks to them. Really, this is one of the biggest lies ever portrayed in western medias everyday (about Africa).

Africa is a big place, its a continent. You'd have to be specific about where your relatives live (country) and town to have an idea what is being done in that particular region, if at all. Charities do great work but are not all encompassing and cannot span a whole continent, nor affect every single person.

2- The book "dead aid" of the economist Dambisa Moyo explains my general view about the different forms of aid

edit on 23-12-2013 by Kilwa because: (no reason given)

Reading a book and actually going to the place to look with your own eyes are two completely different experiences. I suggest you learn in person. I can tell you without seeing, that people who benefit from charities are grateful and don't need to read a book to tell them their aid is worthless or pointless.

BEFORE









AFTER

spacedog1973

Kilwa




1- None of my relatives ever saw a charity at work in Africa, they didn't attend a charity backed school or ever eat charity food, in western medias seem that they are keeping Africa alive, that everything good that happens in Africa is thanks to them. Really, this is one of the biggest lies ever portrayed in western medias everyday (about Africa).

Africa is a big place, its a continent. You'd have to be specific about where your relatives live (country) and town to have an idea what is being done in that particular region, if at all. Charities do great work but are not all encompassing and cannot span a whole continent, nor affect every single person.

2- The book "dead aid" of the economist Dambisa Moyo explains my general view about the different forms of aid

edit on 23-12-2013 by Kilwa because: (no reason given)

Reading a book and actually going to the place to look with your own eyes are two completely different experiences. I suggest you learn in person. I can tell you without seeing, that people who benefit from charities are grateful and don't need to read a book to tell them their aid is worthless or pointless.

I'm sure there are many charities who do their work for the benefit of the people, but at the same time there are many priests that build churches with the money of their community (an useless asset) for then starting the production of calendars that they sell in the same community. This happens especially in Catholic countries in Europe, when priests go in Africa they usally return with a calendar to sell.

a thread about Africa that doesn't show constant poverty, slums, ghettos, and starving people is a welcomed different perspective that seems to be non-grata in western media.

Keep it coming guys, I am learning a lot.

Millennium Dam, Ethiopia







And here comes the Arab propaganda



But Ethiopia is determined to complete dam

Light rail project for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Egyptian and Sudanese government should start realizing they are part of Africa, and start working with Ethiopia for the best of the region.

History lesson: North African countries joined the Arab League after their independence, to join a country have to put Arab as official language and have a population that consider themself Arab.

As a consequence in North African countries the Tamazigh language is not official (widely spoken by the majority of the people, Amazighs or also called Berbers), an absurd situation but these are the rules. For example in Morocco the history of the muslim people called Hausa and their kingdoms (in Chad, Niger and Northern Nigeria) or even the history of the neighbouring Mali (the Songhai Empire is an important part of the muslim world) is not taught. In fact what they know about Africa is only about cannibals and mud hut.

Light rail project for Lagos, Nigeria

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania









local fast food


mosque built in a Swahili style, but with different materials


local church


Their original architecture

Mombasa, Kenya. An old city in modernization













local Hindu temple (there is a big Indian community in Kenya)


local Chinese restaurant


street vendor


beach party

Accra, Ghana. The capital in the middle of the economic boom.



















their original architecture











Bantama mausoleum after the destruction by the British Empire

Freeborn
reply to post by Kilwa

 

I'm British.
I have a friend who is currently working in Angola, he likes it so much he is seriously considering moving out there for good with his family.

Sadly I think I'm a bit too old to consider such an option.

Never too old to make what you want happen Freeborn.

Been away for a couple of days and here comes Kilwa picking up the slack and making massive contributions thanks..sir/mam? and welcome to ATS.

Kilwa
Millennium Dam, Ethiopia

And here comes the Arab propaganda

But Ethiopia is determined to complete dam

edit on 23-12-2013 by Kilwa because: (no reason given)

This is quite an ancient fear that up river folks would or could blocked the Nile causing down river folks to starve,this could be cause for unrest in the region such development should be monitored closely.

Kilwa

spacedog1973

Kilwa




1- None of my relatives ever saw a charity at work in Africa, they didn't attend a charity backed school or ever eat charity food, in western medias seem that they are keeping Africa alive, that everything good that happens in Africa is thanks to them. Really, this is one of the biggest lies ever portrayed in western medias everyday (about Africa).

Africa is a big place, its a continent. You'd have to be specific about where your relatives live (country) and town to have an idea what is being done in that particular region, if at all. Charities do great work but are not all encompassing and cannot span a whole continent, nor affect every single person.

2- The book "dead aid" of the economist Dambisa Moyo explains my general view about the different forms of aid

edit on 23-12-2013 by Kilwa because: (no reason given)

Reading a book and actually going to the place to look with your own eyes are two completely different experiences. I suggest you learn in person. I can tell you without seeing, that people who benefit from charities are grateful and don't need to read a book to tell them their aid is worthless or pointless.

I'm sure there are many charities who do their work for the benefit of the people, but at the same time there are many priests that build churches with the money of their community (an useless asset) for then starting the production of calendars that they sell in the same community. This happens especially in Catholic countries in Europe, when priests go in Africa they usally return with a calendar to sell.

edit on 23-12-2013 by Kilwa because: (no reason given)

This happens everywhere. Its human nature and Africa shouldn't be expected to be any different to anywhere else.

Again, without trying to derail the thread, the before and after pictures are interesting. What many people don't realise is that poor people sell their land (that they have often had for many generations) in the expectancy of a quick buck (which to them it is), but usually getting massively ripped off in the process. A good example would be the selling of say 20 acres of land for around $1000. Which then gets sold on and sold on though various hands until its bought by a large company where they place their building upon it for closer (but still nothing close) to its realistic value. The poor are now landless, cannot grow crops anymore and end up even more destitute than before. You will see them begging in these cities and the recipients of charity handouts.

A lot of it is about huge swaths of land held by poor, uneducated people who each year are tempted by bright lights and a growing consumer society and end up selling off the little they have in exchange for even less over the longer term.

The growth of Africa is great in many ways, but being realistic, it also comes with the other side of capitalism; and without any safety net at all, for a lot of people, they are not part of this journey.

Hi Kilwa I made a thread sometime ago that have some of the architecture you presented above,pls check it out at your leisure.
Lost Cities And Architecture Of Precolonial Africa
www.abovetopsecret.com...

spacedog1973

Kilwa

spacedog1973

Kilwa




1- None of my relatives ever saw a charity at work in Africa, they didn't attend a charity backed school or ever eat charity food, in western medias seem that they are keeping Africa alive, that everything good that happens in Africa is thanks to them. Really, this is one of the biggest lies ever portrayed in western medias everyday (about Africa).

Africa is a big place, its a continent. You'd have to be specific about where your relatives live (country) and town to have an idea what is being done in that particular region, if at all. Charities do great work but are not all encompassing and cannot span a whole continent, nor affect every single person.

2- The book "dead aid" of the economist Dambisa Moyo explains my general view about the different forms of aid

edit on 23-12-2013 by Kilwa because: (no reason given)

Reading a book and actually going to the place to look with your own eyes are two completely different experiences. I suggest you learn in person. I can tell you without seeing, that people who benefit from charities are grateful and don't need to read a book to tell them their aid is worthless or pointless.

I'm sure there are many charities who do their work for the benefit of the people, but at the same time there are many priests that build churches with the money of their community (an useless asset) for then starting the production of calendars that they sell in the same community. This happens especially in Catholic countries in Europe, when priests go in Africa they usally return with a calendar to sell.

edit on 23-12-2013 by Kilwa because: (no reason given)

This happens everywhere. Its human nature and Africa shouldn't be expected to be any different to anywhere else.

Again, without trying to derail the thread, the before and after pictures are interesting. What many people don't realise is that poor people sell their land (that they have often had for many generations) in the expectancy of a quick buck (which to them it is), but usually getting massively ripped off in the process. A good example would be the selling of say 20 acres of land for around $1000. Which then gets sold on and sold on though various hands until its bought by a large company where they place their building upon it for closer (but still nothing close) to its realistic value. The poor are now landless, cannot grow crops anymore and end up even more destitute than before. You will see them begging in these cities and the recipients of charity handouts.

A lot of it is about huge swaths of land held by poor, uneducated people who each year are tempted by bright lights and a growing consumer society and end up selling off the little they have in exchange for even less over the longer term.

The growth of Africa is great in many ways, but being realistic, it also comes with the other side of capitalism; and without any safety net at all, for a lot of people, they are not part of this journey.

edit on 23-12-2013 by spacedog1973 because: (no reason given)

You are right, poor people when we talk about farmers are less business oriented, the governments take their lands and give a little compensation, those moneys if not used wisely, can be lost in amenities.

Every country is behaving on a different way, it would be interesting to see what they'll achieve in the next 10 years. For now I see East African Community countries as the best in development planning.

Spider879
Hi Kilwa I made a thread sometime ago that have some of the architecture you presented above,pls check it out at your leisure.
Lost Cities And Architecture Of Precolonial Africa
www.abovetopsecret.com...

edit on 23-12-2013 by Spider879 because: (no reason given)

Yes, I saw it before. I'm going to give my contribution (I'm a man, but I'm not Tanzanian, the name is randomly chosen)

Great thread and nice to see some positivity.

will also be good for those who live in a Bubble and/or who only see the poverty and "mud-huts" on the TV news.

It's funny, many people who haven't travelled and many westerners think that Afica, South America, Middle East, Asia.... is all somehow, backwards and primitive and not up to our "standard"
Nice to see something that actually tries to educate and not just reinforce negative views/stereotypes.