Some Holiday Humor

Nigerian Preacher Named #49 in Newsweeks' Top 50 Most Powerful People in the World

E. A. Adeboye

A Pentecostal preacher from Nigeria has made big plans to save your soul.

You may never have heard of E. A. Adeboye, but the pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God is one of the most successful preachers in the world. He boasts that his church has outposts in 110 countries. He has 14,000 branches—claiming 5 million members—in his home country of Nigeria alone. There are 360 RCCG churches in Britain, and about the same number in U.S. cities like Chicago, Dallas, and Tallahassee, Fla. Adeboye says he has sent missionaries to China and such Islamic countries as Pakistan and Malaysia. His aspirations are outsize. He wants to save souls, and he wants to do so by planting churches the way Starbucks used to build coffee shops: everywhere.

"In the developing world we say we want churches to be within five minutes' walk of every person," he tells NEWSWEEK. "In the developed world, we say five minutes of driving." Such a goal may seem outlandish, but Adeboye is a Pentecostal preacher: he believes in miracles. And Pentecostalism is the biggest, fastest-growing Christian movement since the Reformation.

One of the strangest images from the 2008 campaign was the YouTube clip of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in church, head bowed, palms turned up toward heaven, standing silently as Thomas Muthee, a Pentecostal preacher from Kenya, prayed for her freedom from witchcraft. The clip (and a NEWSWEEK article about it) triggered its own little culture skirmish, with secular observers calling Palin a "wack job" and conservative Christians responding "There's nothing wrong with her church!!!" Few commentators on either side noted how normal that scene was to hundreds of millions of Christians around the globe.

The world now has about 600 million Pentecostals, the largest group of Christians after Roman Catholics. In Asia, the number of Pentecostals has grown from about 10 million to 166 million since 1970, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. In Latin America, Pentecostals have expanded from 13 million to 151 million; in North America, from 19 million to 77 million; and in Africa, from 18 million to 156 million. By 2050 most of Africa will be Christian, estimates Grant Wacker, professor of Christian history at Duke University—and most of those Christians will be Pentecostals.

Modern Pentecostalism was born in America in the early 20th century, when a former Methodist minister named Charles Parham began teaching that Christians who were filled with the Holy Spirit could, like the disciples of Jesus, speak in tongues. (The sound, for those who have not heard it, is extraordinary: like crooning or keening or jibber jabber.) From the start, the faith appealed across ethnic lines to the poor and the marginalized. Its lack of denominational structure meant "you didn't have to have a highly trained and educated clergy with a long graduate education," says Vinson Synan, dean emeritus of the divinity school at Regent University. "Common people [were] pastoring common people." Televangelist healers like Oral Roberts helped keep the movement growing.

Pentecostals believe that the Holy Spirit is always at work in the world and that certain people possess its gifts: speaking in tongues, the healing touch, the power to cast out demons and witches. An emphasis on prosperity and healing attracts converts without savings accounts or health insurance. The emphasis on Biblical inerrancy and on rigid social rules—no drinking, no smoking, no premarital sex—offers structure for people whose lives have been devastated by addiction or illness. In places like Africa (and indeed, like Palin's Alaska at the turn of the last century), Pentecostalism finds fertile ground among adherents of native religions who already believe the world is alive with spirits.

By Pentecostal standards, Adeboye is mainstream. Formerly a mathematics instructor at the University of Lagos, he began working at RCCG translating the previous pastor's sermons from Yoruba to English. He took over the congregation in 1981. His success, he says, is rooted in his message. "Pentecostals have such an impact because they talk of the here and now, not just the by and by, he says. "We pray for the sick, but we pray for their prosperity, for their overcoming of evil forces and so on. While we have to worry about heaven, there are some things God could do for us in the here and now." At a recent revival meeting in London, Adeboye and his ministers preached 12 hours straight to a crowd of 30,000. At the altar call, hundreds of people rushed toward the stage from every corner of the arena, visibly filled with euphoria. They call their pastor "Daddy."

Behind Adeboye's extraordinary success is his reputation for honesty. While other Pentecostal pastors (including some Nigerians) have been accused of financial misdeeds or faking supernatural powers, Adeboye remains above the fray. Nigerian government leaders seek his input on pressing social issues. He recently made a public-service announcement condemning discrimination against people with HIV. He distributes his message globally through Facebook and MySpace, a self-published magazine called "The Mandate," and a digital-cable channel called Open Heavens TV. His appearance is straitlaced: he always wears a pinstriped suit, a gleaming white shirt and a bow tie.

Adeboye experienced a miracle recently on a long and dangerous stretch of highway near Lagos, he says. His car was out of gas, and the gas stations were empty. Then God spoke to him, clearly, and said to keep driving. Adeboye drove 200 miles on empty. Could his gas gauge have been broken? No, he insists, God intervened "because of the need … in a crisis." Adeboye knows well what some in the West have forgotten: in today's world, everyone needs a Daddy.

SOURCE: Newsweek

African Music Original

Here's a nice music video. For translation please contact....

Empower 10,000 Students to Launch Social Businesses

I know some of you are looking at the photos and this takes you back to the time you were in "Grammar" school.
It's that time of the year, times are tough no doubt, but with a small donation you can make a difference.
For a worthy cause log on to http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2500/proj2470a.html

Made in Africa - Super Models

Drink your garri and eat your vegetables O!




Peter Kortenhoven of Sierra Leone



Aminata Niaria of Senegal

Miss ECOWAS 2008 Peace Pageant

For those going home, this is something to check out.

Log on to http://missecowas.org for more information.



The winners of the Miss Ecowas regional beauty contest pose for photographers on Saturday in the Ivorian capital, Yamoussoukro. Source: BBC

South African Companies Unlock sub-Saharan Africa

Versed in the highs and lows of emerging-market development, SABMiller, Standard Bank, and others are expanding across the continent and beyond.

Name a global economic woe, and chances are Charles Needham is dealing with it. Market turmoil has knocked 80% off the shares of South Africa's Metorex, the mining company he runs. The plunge in global commodities is slamming prices for the copper, cobalt, and other minerals Metorex unearths across Africa. The credit crisis makes it harder to raise money. And fighting has again broken out in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Metorex has a mine and several projects in development.

Such problems might send many executives to the window ledge. Yet Needham appears unruffled as he sits down at a conference table in the company's modest offices in a Johannesburg suburb. The combat in northeast Congo, he notes, is far from Metorex's mine. Commodity prices are still high, in historical terms. And Needham is confident he can raise enough capital, drawing on relationships with South African banks. "These are the kinds of things you deal with, doing business in Africa," he says.

For the full article log on to BusinessWeek

It's A New Day O!

I took another personality test as part of the "Reinvention of me" program and I'm still "the glass is half full" kind of guy. I know things look bleak...credit crunch, mortgage crisis, massive layoffs, and the price of suya has gone up 500%.

Well, I thought I'll serve up this music video by Will.I.Am.



Never let up!

Femi Kuti's Day by Day album teaser...

Can't wait to get my hands on this album!! By the way, he is on tour. And will be hitting DC early January.

African Diaspora Film Festival

Very interesting line up of events. I've always envied New Yorkers...right in the heart of art, fashion and media.

For more information log on to http://www.nyadff.org

Botswana !Kung's Men & Women

I was reading a book and it mentioned the !Kung men and women and how they are still living their life in remote locations chilling away frm high tech society, Here are some pics i dug up...

West Africa's Next Top Model

The Nationally syndicated TV Show Next Top Model is schedule to begin in Africa in January 2009. This show will follow the same format as the original American’s Next Top Model created by Tyra Banks. West Africa’s next top model show will be produced by StatsMedia Group an international production company owned by Tope Esan and Martin Fayomi. Supermodel Oluchi Onweagba will be the host for the West Africa series. StatsMedia is the only company that was granted the exclusive rights the form CBS Paramount International Television to produce this reality show in Africa. CBS is the official licensor of the series format.

The format will be produced every season by region on the African continent with the initial start up being in

West Africa. True Love West Africa is the media partner and official magazine for West African’s Next Top Model. The magazine will commence scouting for the 16 contestants of the reality show in December 2008 in several regions in West Africa (Cote D’ivoire, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Liberia & Nigeria) with production scheduled for spring 2009. The show will air on major African networks and on cable TV. The winner will receive a lucrative international modeling contract, a cover of True Love magazine and numerous endorsement deals from various companies in the fashion industry nationally and internationally. This version of Next Top Model will not only highlight the models but the continent of Africa for its tourist attractions, cultures, values and its booming 21st century economy.

"War Child" - The Movie

Coming to a theatre near you.

Log on to http://warchild.reelufilms.com/ for more information.

Ghanaians Gear Up for Elections

Ghanaians cast their votes this Sunday for a new president.

Fingers crossed

World AIDS Day

The 1st of December, World AIDS Day, is the day when individuals and organisations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Whilst we have come a long ways since 1988, there is still much more to be done.

To show support wear red.

For more information log on to http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/

Nigerians sweep MTV Africa awards

Kelly and Nigerian artist D'banj performed together


Wahu was emotional as she collected her prize for best female

Nigerian artists dominated the MTV Africa Music Awards (the Mamas) on their own turf in the capital city Abuja, scooping six of the 10 awards.
D'banj won both the artist of the year award and the best male award, crowning a successful year for the self-proclaimed "entertainer".
Fellow Nigerian rapper Naeto C won best new act, while 9ice won the best Hip-hop award.
Kenyan singer Wahu, who was overcome with emotion, was named best female.
She tearfully dedicated the award to her husband, fellow musician Nameless, and to her daughter who, she said, "is too young to understand how much she inspires me".

Fusion
BBC 1Xtra's Trevor Nelson hosted the show in front of a crowd of 5,000 fans in the stylishly shaped Abuja Velodrome.
Nigerian duo P-Square, who had five nominations, only managed to take home one prize for best group.
Despite not winning, the disappointed twin brothers thrilled the crowd with their stage act.
South Africa hip-hoppers Jozi won the award for the best live performers.
However, Ghanaian artist Samini revealed he was not happy the live award had gone to a "group that plays CDs and mimes".
He added: "If you say 'live' then the music has to be with a band.
"I'm not picking names but I think that the best live performer should go to a live band artist.
"I'm sorry if I'm being harsh here but I'm trying to be straightforward. If I watch you on TV and I see you with a live band, then you better do it on stage for me."
There was a cameo appearance by US rapper The Game, who gave a brief medley of his hit songs.
There were also performances by the rapper's compatriots Flo-rida, and Kelly Rowland.
Other live acts included Seun Kuti, 9ice, as well as HHP from South Africa, but it was the assortment collaborations that stole the show.

HHP came back on stage to join Nigerian singing sensation Asa on her song Jailer, and Rowland performed alongside D'banj.
But the biggest fusion was that of South African rockers Cassette, Kenyan rapper Jua Cali, and Ikechukwu and Naeto C.
American R&B singer Alicia Keys gave a video acceptance speech for winning the best R&B award, as did South African band Seether, who won the best alternative award.

Mama Africa

The legend gong went to the late Fela Kuti, the Nigerian pioneer of Afrobeat. The award was received by the star's children, Yemi and Seun.
Speaking of Kuti, Nelson said: "He was the first man I ever heard, all the way from the UK, when I heard African music for the first time it came from this man.
"There could only be one person, only one recipient."
Kuti's children joked in their acceptance speech that they would "not take this award to him yet".
"We'll keep it in our house, and when the times comes then we'll take it to him."
Out of the 11 awards given out on the night the legend award was the only one that was not chosen by the fans.

Winners were selected by fans sending text messages.
There was also a tribute to "Mama Africa" Miriam Makeba, the South African singer who died just over a week ago.
Winners each received a Golden Microphone trophy, which has a futuristic microphone emerging from a globe of the world, with the African continent symbolically placed at the top of the world.

Even though this was an African event there were some non-African artists nominated in different categories, including Lil Wayne, The Game, Coldplay, and Keys.
African music videos were also recognized, with Nigeria's Ikechuku winning the award for the best video for his song Wind am well.

SOURCE: BBC

1st MTV 2008 Awards In Africa scheduled In Abuja Nigeria

Serena Williams Secondary School

US tennis star Serena Williams gives laptop tips to pupils at the Serena Williams Secondary School which she opened 160km east of Nairobi on Friday, November 14.

Where was the hoopla about this in the media? Oh well "we's" the media, so more grease to your elbows Serena.

African Pride

Someone sent this...it shows the sense of pride for their country. If you know an artist repping your country please send the link so we can share the video.

Legendary Singer Miriam Makeba - RIP

Miriam Makeba, the South African singer who wooed the world with her sultry voice but was banned from her own country for more than 30 years under apartheid, died after collapsing on stage in Italy. She was 76.

In her dazzling career, Makeba performed with musical legends from around the world -- jazz maestros Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie, Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon -- and sang for world leaders such as John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela.

"Her haunting melodies gave voice to the pain of exile and dislocation which she felt for 31 long years. At the same time, her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us," Mandela said in a statement.

He said it was "fitting" that her last moments were spent on stage.

The Pineta Grande clinic in Castel Volturno, near the southern city of Naples, said Makeba died early Monday of a heart attack.

Makeba collapsed on stage Sunday night after singing one of her most famous hits, "Pata Pata," her family said in a statement. Her grandson, Nelson Lumumba Lee, was with her as well as her longtime friend, Italian promoter Roberto Meglioli.

More online at cnn.com

Yankee Demonstrates Democracy - Africans Wonder...

America's First Black President

CONGRATULATIONS!!!



Young black men across the globe..."Yes we can!"

Let's enjoy this victory.

Obama The Musical

Just days before the US elections, it is unlikely that US presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain will be sharing a stage.

But in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, their characters will be singing and dancing together when Obama, The Musical opens on Sunday.

The hour-long play is hotly awaited in a country where Mr Obama, whose father was Kenyan, is a wildly popular figure.

Those involved in the production are doing little to hide their sympathies.

Mr Obama, who has never lived in Kenya and has only come to the country on visits, is a national hero. A local beer has been named after him.

'Chief villain'

Scriptwriter and director George Orido complies with Kenyan preferences in his casting of Mr McCain, his running-mate Sarah Palin, and President George Bush.

"McCain comes in as the villain, the chief villain. His supporting cast are George Bush and Sarah Palin who are standing in Obama's way," the director says.

The 30-strong cast is made up of young actors and actresses - their average age is 21 - who are very excited to be a part of the production.

Eric Makori, who plays Mr Obama, says he feels privileged to have the role. He too supports the Democratic candidate.

But so does Paul Kamau, who plays Mr McCain.

And while he is content to play the Republican candidate, Mr Kamau says he would rather be cast as his rival.

"Obama is more fun to portray than McCain," he says. "I hope he will win."

Message for Kenyans

The play tells the story of Mr Obama's life.

It begins with his father's move to America to study and his meeting with Barack Obama's mother, before covering the events of the young Obama's life.

Mr Orido says he came up with the idea of the play three years ago, as Mr Obama rose to prominence.

"Music is the universal language and Obama is a universal figure," he said.

"If you want to tell his story, you have to tell it in a universal language so that everyone can understand."

A variety of musical genres are used - traditional and contemporary Kenyan music, as well as some country songs.

The lyrics of some of the songs have been changed to suit the story line.

The play ends with an enactment of Mr Obama's acceptance of the Democratic nomination, shying away from predictions about who will emerge victorious after the 4 November elections.

But Mr Orido is not quite so reserved about Mr Obama's prospects.

"He's going to win, why not?" he says. "Americans cannot be cheated, they know the right thing to do."

He says he wants everyone who watches his play to understand Mr Obama's story and learn about the virtues of hard work, selflessness, democracy and public service.

The message is especially important for Kenyans, he stresses.

In January, Kenya was rocked by post-election violence that left more than 1,500 people dead and 300,000 homeless.

"We were fighting each other because some of us thought certain people from certain communities could not be leaders... [Obama's story] is a big lesson for us," Mr Orido says.

The play will run until 5 November, and Mr Orido does not rule out a sequel.

He says there have already been invitations to perform in the UK and South Africa.

"This is just the beginning," he says.

Chinua Achebe at the Library of Congress, DC

Chinua Achebe's Novel "Things Fall Apart" is Subject of Nov. 3 Program at the Library of Congress.

Click here for details.

Yankee Elections - What does it Mean to Africa?

On Tuesday, November 4, 2008, yankee go elect a new president, which candidate would be more favorable to the mothaland?

Food for thought

Artist on the Rise...

D’Amadeus will be having a series of radio and television interviews in London and some major cities in Nigeria including Lagos and Abuja through the month of November and December. This publicity campaign is geared towards raising awareness of his forthcoming album scheduled to be released in December.

Global Financial crisis hits Goat Sales in Africa

ol boy...it no easy O! Christmas is around the corner, no christmas is complete without the maluu and goat meat but the ongoing financial crisis fit affect that one


No Kenyan Christmas would be complete without a roasted goat to feed the family, but the global credit crunch means some look set to miss out this festive season.
Orders for "Mbuzi ya Jamii" (goat for the family) are down sharply at Mama Mikes, an online store that allows Kenyans living abroad to pay for a range of products and services which are then delivered to their families back home.

These include goats, medical check-ups, supermarket shopping vouchers, school fees and others gifts.
"We have customers who are cancelling [orders] and most of them are saying that times are hard so they can't do it anymore," says Muthoni Machanga, the firm's finance and accounting manager.
The firm's customers typically spent between $60 and $100 per order three months ago, but this has now dropped to $45-60. Revenue has dropped by 30%.

Even the firm's loyal customers, who maintain monthly accounts for shopping vouchers and school fees payments have started cancelling or reducing their orders.
Ms Machanga says they are getting at least two cancellations a month and this is worrying for them, and also for the families in Kenya who rely on the remittances.

"It's putting families back home in Kenya under pressure at a time when they're already under pressure from very, very high inflation. One can sense these pressures occurring in the economy," says financial analyst Aly Khan Satchu.

Anchor

This is just one of the ways that the global financial crisis has started to affect Kenya's economy.
While analysts say Africa will be relatively cushioned from the worst effects of the global crisis, Kenyans are definitely starting to feel the squeeze.

Kenya relies heavily on the American, European and Asian economies for remittances, tourism and development aid and the sale of tea, coffee and horticulture exports.
A steep decline in these sectors could seriously affect the rest of the economy.

Mr Satchu says remittances have been a powerful anchor for the Kenyan economy.
In 2007, Kenya received $1.3 billion in remittances.
But the flow is starting to slow.
The Central Bank of Kenya says Kenyans abroad sent $36.5 million in August compared to $44 million in July - 38% less than they sent during the same period last year.

Worried

The drop in remittances and dollar inflow has affected the shilling, which is now trading at a three year low.
This has placed yet another burden on Kenya's import-dependent economy, which is still recovering from the effects of the post-election crisis earlier this year, runaway inflation and rising food prices.
The prices of imported goods such as cars and electronic goods are up, and despite a significant drop in the global oil prices, Kenyans are still paying high fuel prices.

The Central Bank has maintained that Kenya's economy will not be directly hit by the global crisis, but the Nairobi Stock Exchange tells a different tale.
The stock market has suffered a downward spiral for the last three months, and fingers have been pointed at the global crisis.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has already sounded the alarm, saying the global financial crisis will hit Kenya's economy badly.
This week, President Mwai Kibaki set up a team of experts to develop a plan to shield the country's economy from the "inevitable" effects of the crisis.

Mr Satchu says the president is right to be worried and it is time for the government to get on top of the situation.
"If our policy-makers step up to the plate and actually start looking at the situation and dealing with it, I see a bright future and I see us getting back to six or seven per cent growth, notwithstanding what's happening outside."

No free lunch

For Mama Mikes, a local start up which is only five years old, the developments in the global financial markets are worrying.

Ms Machanga says the company is not getting new customers, and this has forced them to start cutting down on their operating costs.

The company's 18 members of staff are no longer provided with a free lunch, and are not allowed to use taxis to get around.

"We're trying to cut down on costs as much as we can, because in some areas you can't do very much. We can't tell people to get salary cuts with the current inflation," she says.

Nevertheless, the company is optimistic about the future and doesn't think it will to have to sack any of its staff.

With analysts saying that Africa could fare better than the rest of the world, Mama Mikes is hoping their orders for mbuzi will pick in time for the next festive season.

Goats, on the other hand, may be hoping for a continued slump so they can escape the Christmas pot.

SOURCE: BBC

why doesn't hip hop come home...to Africa

A while ago we had an article on American Hip Hop and Africa in the magazine. Tosin sent this to me, and I thought it was interesting.

News blogger detained in Nigeria

Na wa O!!! naija get secret service...na God dey save person O! "cough" "cough" bloggers beware, that includes yours truly.


A US-based Nigerian news blogger is being held without charge by Nigeria's secret service.
Jonathan Elendu was taken into custody on Saturday when he arrived in the capital, Abuja, on a family visit.
The State Security Service (SSS) has refused to allow his lawyers access to him and denied him a medical visit.
Elendureports.com is one of a number of diaspora-run "citizen reporting" websites about Nigeria and is known for publishing controversial stories.
According to Nigerian law anyone arrested must be charged in court within 48 hours, but correspondents say the rule is frequently broken.
The SSS told Mr Elendu's lawyer that Mr Elendu had not been "arrested", but "invited" for talks at their headquarters.
An SSS spokesman said he was being investigated for "acts of sedition", but refused to give details.
Spokesman Kene Chukwu also told the BBC that Mr Elendu's detention had followed legal rules.
"I am telling you all the legal rules were followed, and you have to accept it," Mr Chukwu said.
Mr Elendu's lawyer says he has not spoken to his client since his arrest.
"They have not pressed any charges and have not allowed anyone to see him," said Ugo Muoma.
He said he was filing papers in court to force the SSS to charge or release Mr Elendu.
Elendureports.com operates from Lansing in Michigan and publishes often controversial stories about Nigerian politicians, accusing some of them of corruption and other crimes.
Their stories are often based on anonymous sources.

President's son
Another US-based Nigerian news website, Saharareporters.com, quotes anonymous sources as saying Mr Elendu may have been arrested because of photographs it published a few months ago showing President Umaru Yar'Adua's son.
The Saharareporters.com pictures, which caused a stir in the local media at the time, showed 13-year-old Musa Yar'Adua waving wads of money around and holding a policeman's gun.
But Saharareporters.com says Mr Elendu is not a member of their staff and has nothing to do with the photographs.
International media rights groups Reporters Without Borders has called for Mr Elendu's release.
"There haven't been many really controversial stories about the president on Elendureports.com in the last few months," said Mr Muoma.
During the election campaign in 2007, Elendureports.com claimed that Mr Yar'Adua had died during a medical trip to Germany.
Two foreign journalists have been detained and deported by the SSS for reporting in the politically sensitive oil-rich Niger Delta region over the last few months.
In September, six local reporters and media executives were detained and questioned after a television channel reported, after receiving a hoax e-mail, that the president planned to resign.

SOURCE: BBC

Good African Men are Hard to Find or are they?

One of Cosmopolitan Magazine hottest Rhode Island Bachelors pick..



Rhode Island Bachelor 2008
Name: Feyisayo Oshinkanlu
Age: 25
Hometown: West Warwick
Cosmo Username: RHODEISLAND08
Occupation: Pharmaceutical-Sales Representative
In his own words: "I want the people in my life to be happy."
Chick trait he craves: "Being able to hold a conversation about anything — from the Muppets to Tchaikovsky."
Ideal first date: "I don't care, as long as it ends with a kiss."
Make-him-melt move: "Touch my back. I love that!"
Dating deal breaker: "If she puts herself down or disrespects others"
Sex on a first date? "Skanky"
Should women play hard to get? "Yes, but don't spend the whole relationship playing games."
Makeup or natural? "Natural. Women look their most beautiful when they haven't put on any makeup yet."

SOURCE: Cosmopolitan

Kanye's New Video - taking it back to the MothaLand

$200,000/yr for the rest of his life - Botswana's former President

Here is an African leader that we should celebrate. See story below



Botswana's Mogae wins $5m prize

Botswana's former President Festus Mogae has won a $5m (£2.8m) prize to encourage good governance in Africa.
He stepped down in April after serving two terms in office.
Botswana is one of Africa's most stable countries - it has never had a coup and has had regular multi-party elections since independence in 1966.

Announcing the prize, ex-UN Secretary General Kofi Annnan also commended Mr Mogae for his action to tackle the Aids pandemic which has ravaged the country.
The Ibrahim Prize - the most valuable individual annual prize in the world - was set up by Sudan-born telecoms entrepreneur Mo Ibrahim.
As well as the $5m prize, Mr Mogae, 69, gets $200,000 a year for the rest of his life.

Alcohol ban

Mr Mogae pointed out that Botswana was already doing well before he became president in 1998.
"I did not create the democracy in my country, I consolidated it and deepened it by practiced, accountable governance, respect of the rule of law, independence of the courts, respect for human rights, including women's rights," he told the BBC.
But Mr Mogae also inherited a country with one of the world's highest rates of HIV/Aids and he took strong action to tackle it, making Botswana the first sub-Saharan African country where anti-retroviral drugs were widely available for free. The drugs are known locally as "Mogae's tablets", reports the AP news agency.

"President Mogae's outstanding leadership has ensured Botswana's continued stability and prosperity in the face of an HIV/Aids pandemic which threatened the future of his country and people," Mr Annan said.


SOURCE: BBC

African Soccer Stars in the US

I watched the DC United team beat New England Revolution 2 - 0. Both goals were scored by an African star Francis Doe from Liberia.



There are quite a few African players in the Major League Soccer.

Here are a few

DC United goalkeeper save many goals. Louis Crayton (Liberia - DC United)



A couple of 19 year olds straight out of Gambia: Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi. The play for the New England Revolution



Patrick Nyarko (Ghana - Chicago Fire)



Emmanuel Ekpo (Nigeria - Columbus Crew)



Stanley Nyazamba (Zimbabwe - Columbus Crew)



Kheli Dube (Zimbabwe - New England Revolution)



Bakary Soumare (Mali - Chicago Fire)



Macoumba Kandji (Senegal - New York Red Bulls)



and there are a many more...

Will soccer ever become a hip sport here in yankee?

Colin Powell bigs up Africa show

Colin Powell danced and sang to the Olu Maintain hit Yahooze

America's former top diplomat took centre stage along with Nigerian group Olu Maintain at the Africa Rising Festival in the Royal Albert Hall.

More seriously, he said his own black identity mattered as much as ever.

He told the audience that Africa, with hard work and foreign investment, could prosper like Asia and Eastern Europe.

US pop singer Christina Aguilera and UK-born soul singer Seal also performed at the event which saw fashion collections by Ozwald Boateng and Deola Sagoe.

'Africa's turn'

"I stand before you tonight as an African-American," Mr Powell said.

"Many people have said to me you became secretary of state of the USA, is it still necessary to say that you are an African-American or that you are black, and I say, yes, so that we can remind our children.

"It took a lot of people struggling to bring me to this point in history. I didn't just drop out of the sky, people came from my continent in chains."

A lot of wrongs had been done to Africa by Western powers faced with "an iron curtain and a bamboo curtain", he said in an apparent reference to the USSR and communist China.

But these barriers had fallen, he argued.

"Asia is expanding, it created jobs for people, and Eastern Europeans are doing the same... it's now Africa's turn."

Colin Powell, a distinguished former military commander, served as US secretary of state during the first term of the Bush administration, from 2001 to 2005.

SOURCE: BBC

When Your African Daughter Turns 16

Beware of Area Boys O!

Ashley Judd rocking African wear :-)

Ashley Judd at the YouthAIDS gala in Washington, D.C.,

Picture was from MSN...they said her dressing was "questionable." What do you think?

Camped in front of the TV all Weekend!?!?

last night at the CASRAM? event...

This year's CASRAM event has been nothing short of amazing. we'll have a full post, with more pictures sometimes next week. If you're in the DC area, come out tonight and tomorrow's grand finale. you won't be disappointed.

Korto Makes it to Bryant Park

...some representation for the continent at Bryant Park



Korto is going to Bryant Park! Korto is originally from Liberia

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope she wins it all.

Talk bad about Obama in Kenya...

Interesting switch...getting deported from Kenya, that just sounds so ______ awon boys get kicked out of jans and yankee on a daily



Immigration authorities in Kenya say they will deport the American author of a highly critical book about US presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The author, Jerome Corsi, was in Kenya to launch his book which accuses Mr Obama of supporting an alleged plot to turn Kenya into an Islamic state.

Officials said that Mr Corsi did not have the right visa.

Mr Obama's father was from Kenya, where the US Democratic contender is a highly popular figure.

Mr Corsi - author of The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality - has been accused of a smear campaign against Mr Obama.

In a recent press release, Mr Corsi said he would "expose deep secret ties between US Democratic presidential candidate Sen Barack Obama and a section of the Kenyan government leaders".

Carlos Maluta, a senior Kenyan immigration official, told the AP news agency that authorities had picked Mr Corsi up from his hotel on Tuesday because he did not have the necessary work permit.

Briefly detained

Joseph Mumira, head of criminal investigations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, said that Mr Corsi was briefly detained at immigration headquarters before being brought to the airport for deportation.

The Obama campaign says on the "Fight the Smears" web site that Mr Corsi listed a number of false claims in relation to Kenya in his book - including that Mr Obama contributed $1m (£570,000) to Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga during Mr Odinga's presidential campaign.

Mr Odinga is from the same Luo community as Mr Obama's father.

The book also repeats false rumours, including that Mr Obama, a Christian, was raised as a Muslim.

Mr Corsi co-authored "Unfit for Command", a book that maligned the Democratic Party's 2004 candidate John Kerry, and is believed to have contributed to his defeat by President George W Bush.

SOURCE: BBC

Goat Condoms - Nothing but the best...

Goat 'condoms' save Kenyan herds

Maasai herdsmen in Kenya have turned to an age-old contraceptive device, the "olor", to protect their precious goat herds from an ongoing drought.

The olor is made from cowhide or a square piece of plastic, and is tied around the belly of the male goat.

It prevents the bucks from mating with the female goats.

The herdsmen are using the device to limit the goat population and ensure there are not too many animals grazing on sparse vegetation.

"We don't want them to breed in this drought," says Mr Ole Ngoshoi Kipameto, a goat owner in Kajiado district.

Vital assets

The area, which is 80km (50 miles) from the capital, Nairobi, has received insufficient rainfall, making the landscape barren and forcing residents to move from place to place in search of pasture and water.

In the Maasai community, livestock are often people's only assets and sole means of survival.

"We tie this hide under the belly of the buck for three months. After that we remove it and then they can breed by November when the short rains come," Mr Kipameto says.

The rectangular piece of cowhide is passed over the buck's head and front legs and secured under the belly in front of the hind legs with a rope or elastic strap.

"It looks like an apron," Mr Kipameto says.

Peter Ndirangu, the area livestock officer, says the olor is very effective.

"In the modern method, we advocate keeping the bucks separate from the breeding goats. But that is an added cost as you require two herdsmen - one for the bucks and one for the goats," he says.

"This [device] will play the part of a herdsman."

He says the device is very useful in keeping the herd numbers down and controlling when the goats give birth.

"If they give birth during harsh conditions like now, the mothers - the does - are going to be very weak, they're not going to feed their young ones properly," he says.

The device helps the herdsmen to restrict kidding to the period during and after the rains.

If the rains fall in October and November, the dry landscape will turn green again and the herdsmen will be able to settle with their livestock.

Until then, the herdsmen will have to employ the olor to protect their livestock and livelihood safe.

Those who do not use it could face a hefty fine if their bucks are found guilty of impregnating another herder's doe.

SOURCE: BBC

Junya Watanabe Goes Back To Africa

(swiped from Fader Magazine)

Junya Watanbe's latest designs are uprooted from Africa. Interesting.