Category Archives: AFRICA COUNTRIES
Africa Architecture : Mud Mosques in Mali
Mudbrick gems
You can’t travel far in Mali without seeing a mosque made from mudbrick. Yet, these architectural gems have been hardly documented.
Here’s a picture of  The mosque of Bla, Sikasso Region, Mali, that I took whilst travelling through the village. This is one of the larger mud-brick mosques in Mali. It’s hard to get a sense of the immense nature of the mosque from a photo, but it is BIG. Like most mud-brick mosques it is re-plastered after the rains each year.
Mosque in Bla, Mali
Almost by accident I came across the book Mud Mosques of Mali which gives thumbnail pictures of 2069 mud mosques in the Inner Niger Delta region. The pictures are taken by Sebastian Schutyser who travelled by bicyle, motor bike and piroque to villages all around the delta region.
Please visit Sebastian Schutyser’s website where you’ll find a great slide show of his photos and more information about the author and his travels.
Gallery 51 also has some of Schutyser’s photos displayed.
Mr. Schutyser’s complete photographic work on the adobe mosques of Mali is available in his book, Banco: Adobe Mosques of the Inner Niger Delta (Imago Mundi series), 5 Continents Editions, 2003, ISBN 88-7439-051-3. The Book also contains two essays by leading authors on the matter, Jean Dethier and Dorothee Gruner. French and Italian versions of the publication are also available.
Another book you may be interested in is Butabu: Adobe Architecture of West Africa by Suzanne Preston Blier. This covers the adobe architecture of Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso.
Doctoral Theses by Mozambicans and about Mozambique
Information about doctoral theses
The book Doctoral Theses by Mozambicans and about Mozambique contains information about 314 doctoral theses by Mozambicans and 319 doctoral dissertations by foreigners about Mozambique. The theses are presented in chronological order. Alphabetic indices of Mozambican doctorate holders and of foreigners with doctoral theses about Mozambique are included.  Thematic indices by field of research are presented. A list of Mozambican female doctorate holders is presented. Comparative tables summarize the information given in the catalogues.
This resource may help government, academia, the media, and industry locate needed talent for employment or consultation.
Paulus Gerdes, former Dean of the Faculties of Education (1983-1987) and Mathematics (1987-1989) of the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, and former Rector of the Universidade Pedagógica (1989-1996), compiled the catalogues in his capacity as President of the Commission to set up Mozambique’s third public university, Universidade Lúrio, that has its main campus in Nampula in the North of the country.
How to get a copy
Available from Amazon in English and Portuguese:
Doctoral Theses by Mozambicans and about Mozambique
or from Paul Gerdes Lulu online shopfront:Â http://stores.lulu.com/pgerdes
Suggested Books
- Mozambique (Country Guide) (new edition)
- Mozambique, 4th: The Bradt Travel Guide
- Mozambique Map (Country Map)
Resource for African Archaeology
Stone tools Montague Cave South Africa
[Photo credit: gbaku]
If you are interested in African archaeology take a look at this web site: World Wide Web Library of AFRICAN ARCHAEOLOGY
The African-Archaeology.Net web site has developed from the “Anthropology Resources on the Internet” (ARI) directory specialising in Anthropology. It was started by Allen Lutins in 1995. It has been felt for some time the african archaeology resources listed in ARI would benefit from a specific web resource bringing together the information gathered for the last few years and stored under various topics headings.
Related articles
- The World’s Oldest Bed Is 77,000 Years Old [Archaeology] (gizmodo.com)
- Sibudu, Ancient South African Settlement, Shows Ancestors Used Insect Repellent Plants (huffingtonpost.com)
Facilitating Education in Mali
A study of Douentza in Mali
From Enabling Education Network there is an article about Facilitating Education in Mali by Sue Stubbs
Mali is ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world. Douentza is the poorest district in Mali- 90% of the population live below the poverty line. Over half the population in this country is children. Mali has a rich history and culture. It has produced Islamic scholars, world-renowned musicians, and is home to world-renowned historic cities.
The term ‘poverty’ needs to be carefully and clearly understood; economic and material indicators do not reflect the value and richness of human life, culture and tradition.
This article demonstrates how education, and inclusive education, in a context such as Mali, cannot be understood in isolation from broader issues such as survival, food security, agriculture and the overall condition and future of children’s lives within their community. Some of the issues affecting children in this part of the world were harsh environmental conditions threatening their survival and nutrition; the lack of basic services such as water, health and education, and the impact of the HIV pandemic were identified. Women, children, people with disabilities, those who are HIV positive and nomads/semi-nopmdas were also identified as being particularly vulnerable. Certain castes and ethnic groups are excluded or discriminated against.
According to the International Labour Organisation Mali has the second highest rate of child labour in the world. However, most young children who worked did not think their work as oppressive or abusive. It won them approval and they were given considerable responsibility. It was felt that parents who prevented their children working did not have their children’s best interests at heart. Therefore, programmes in this area should not create unnecessary competition between schooling and work.
Linking school and work in Ghana and Tanzania
Preparing schoolchildren for work
Linking school and work in Ghana and Tanzania
The lack of preparedness of school leavers for the world of work is a long-standing and controversial issue. In countries such as Ghana and Tanzania, where the school system has expanded dramatically post-independence, many young people have faced difficulties finding jobs suited to their skills.
Read more
Books
Language policy in Nigeria
I’ve long been interested in the language situation in Nigeria and followed through a link today from the Language Policy List to a blog called Mobilink. The post that caught my eye waws one on Ethnic Minorities, Justice and Languages. Here’s a quote from the article:
Ethnic Minorities, Justice and Languages
I picked up a yellow-covered book recently which happened to contain the rules of the Nigerian civil service and flipped through it casually, promising myself to read the book with greater commitment in the future. To my astonishment under the language examination section, only three local languages stood clearly apart for usage, but it stipulated separately, that any other local language can be used, provided there is a ‘reasonable reason to do so.’ A wind of thoughts possessed me. Why aren’t the Igbo,Yoruba and Hausa languages subjected to such stricture? Why the qualification? What is so special about these three languages? In a country of many languages – this is a travesty and one that must be rectified quickly if sanity, justice, development must prevail. I think it is time that all Nigerians plunge their hands into helping drag Nigeria out of the doldrums.
Go here to read the full article
Suggested Books
Related articles
- Pidgin English as The Unifying Language of Nigerians (socyberty.com)
Ghana : West African Wisdom, Adinkra symbols
[Photo credit: honeyblikk under a Creative Commons license]
West African Wisdom: Adinkra Symbols & Meanings
African symbols known as adinkra are ubiquitous in Ghana, a beautiful West African country on the Atlantic, situated between Cote d’Ivoire and Togo. On cloth and walls, in pottery and logos, these Asante tribe symbols can be found everywhere.
Making Adinkra cloth
[Photo credit: bookbird under a Creative Commons license]
Bookbird at Flickr.com has a great series of photos of Adinkra cloth being made. The one above is the first one in the series.
Another site to explore is the Adinkra Symbol Index which makes available high-quality renditions of these African symbols at no cost for personal and non-profit uses. Â It is well worth exploring the site.
Suggested Books and art materials
- The Adinkra dictionary: A visual primer on the language of Adinkra
- West African Adinkra Symbols: 31 Rubber Stamps
- Stencils West Africa Ghana: Ancient & Living Cultures Series: Grades 3+: Teacher Resource (Ancient and Living Cultures)
- African Symbols
- Culture and Customs of Ghana (Culture and Customs of Africa)
Related articles
- Adinkra Symbols (africanessence.wordpress.com)
Africa : Solar Water purification
This is a great idea – sterilise water by leaving bottles in the sun says an article on BBC. It takes a day to sterilise a bottle of water, but it costs nothing and is more effective than boiling. If the water can be heated to 50 degrees then it can sterilise in an hour. Most bugs causing stomach upsets will be dealt with by this method. My only question would be about the composition of the plastic in the bottles – aren’t some of them now described as dangerous when heated? (I remember reading something about baby’s bottles.)
Mali Travel Guides
Mali Image via Wikipedia
I’ve been looking around at guides to Mali as I’m often asked for information about the country, where to stay, what to do etc. The book I use most often is the Lonely Planet guide to West Africa. Here is the Mali page from their website:
The Mali travel guide in the World Travel Guide is also quite good.
Happy Travelling!
Suggested Books
Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists
The move towards a professional archaeological association
The Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA)
In 1970 a group of professional archaeologists formed the Southern African Association of Archaeologists (SA3). The principal aim of this association was to encourage the training of archaeologists to provide the expertise necessary to manage cultural heritage, and promote public awareness of archaeological heritage. Over the ensuing years the discipline of archaeology grew and became well established in many of southern Africa’s Universities and museums. Over time the profile of Archaeology in southern Africa has changed and archaeologists now operate in many different sectors – from the public and educational sector through to trade and industry.
The association is undergoing a critical transition, moving from an informal body that promotes archaeology to a professional organization that will play an active role in regulating the standards and practice of archaeology in the SADC region. To reflect this transition the name of the organization has been changed to the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) and it will be registered as an NGO – non-profit organisation. The aims of the new organization are to:
- protect and serve the interests of archaeologists operating within the research and contract resource management sector,
- develop and promote the research and management of archaeological resources,
- promote the exchange of archaeological information within southern Africa and abroad.
Web site: http://rockart.wits.ac.za/origins/index.php?section=56
Visit the Origins Centre
Free Resource : Handbook for Literacy and Non-formal Education Facilitators in Africa
A very useful resource
I got given about a dozen copies of the French version by our friend in the local UNESCO office and they have been going like hot cakes. The literacy workers I’ve given it to feel it is really helpful.
Focus on: Handbook for Literacy and Non-formal Education Facilitators in Africa
This Handbook, developed in collaboration with 18 LIFE countries from Africa, constitutes the first step towards developing a holistic regional resource package for non-formal-Education personnel in Africa. It aims at offering a regional reference for building the capacities of Literacy and Non-formal Education Facilitators in Africa. It is designed for the facilitators to use as a basic guide for responding to the specific needs of the learners with regard to knowledge, skills and attitudes in reading, writing and numeracy.
This publication is a UNLD-LIFE publication.
How to get a copy
download the book here
(Full text – pdf, 159 pages – 1.18 Mb)
Malaria in Africa
A new malaria initiative
Every month, as many children die of malaria in Africa as died in the tsunami – about 150,000 children dying every month.†Dr. Jeffery Sachs, director of the U.N. Millennium Project, Columbia University Economist
That’s quite shocking isn’t it?
Freedom from Hunger are promoting a Malaria initiative in conjunction with GlaxoSmithKline and their African Malaria Partnership. OK, I guess there must be something in it for the drug company. But at least it means a drug company is interested in malaria and their funding of the Freedom from Hunger Education Credit programme in West Africa is creditable.