Why I Blog About Africa
A new meme is making the rounds in the African francophone blogopshere and is now gradually spreading through the anglophone zone. It was begun by Théo Kouamouo, a blogger based in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire). Théo asked bloggers to reflect on why they blog about Africa and tagged a few friends to get the ball rolling. Their responses were collected by Global Voices in this post. He offered this answer to his own question (translated from French):
I blog about Africa with joy because I believe that it is from our individual and mixed voices that the African renaissance will sprout, which will come as surely as Martin Luther King’s dream became a reality forty years later. I read African-oriented blogs with joy because they give me a less monolithic and less doomed image of the continent and its inhabitants.
I began blogging about Africa (or, more precisely, my corner of it) as a way to keep my friends and family in touch with my daily life here as a technologist. Over time, the focus shifted away from my personal experience to the stories of the people I met in Cameroon and elsewhere on the continent. In the process, the blog became much more conversational and, if the traffic numbers are any indication, interesting to a broader audience. Just one recent example is Roland Boula’s podcasting story and the ripples it sent through my online social network.
Another reason I blog about Africa is because I’m intrigued by the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship I see here in Cameroon and the continent as a whole. I’m passionate about technology, and I truly believe we’re on the verge of witnessing a Renaissance that will largely be fueled by ICT and led by pioneering young Africans. It’s an exciting place to be, and blog about, for this reason alone.
I can’t resist propagating a good meme, so with that I’ll tag an interesting mix of Cameroonian bloggers:
Mambe Nanje Churchill
Our Man In Cameroon
Camerooned
My African Father
9 Responses
to “Why I Blog About Africa”
1 Trackback(s)
- Jan 28, 2009: Oluniyi David Ajao
http://myafricanfather.blogspot.com/2008/12/beauty-blossoms-why-i-blog-about-africa.html
I hope it is satisfactory. If it is, you must post a comment to my blog.
Also, does this tagging thing mean I can tag you, too, and make you write about a topic of my choice? It seems only fair. :)
Sure, trading tags is fun. It wouldn’t be the first time for this blog.
Thanks for playing along. I’ll read your response *and* post a comment.
I have got a nice long list of possible topics for tagging but need to whittle it down to something I can tag several African blogs with. Grrr. This could take a while. :)
Thanks.
Happy to hear that.. Keep up the good work and help safe lives in Africa.
Keep it real always.