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 volunteer. 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
Thank you for the tag. Here is my response:
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.
Uh oh, now I’ve done it.
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.
A bio in ten interesting facts is fun. I took the liberty of commenting on my favorites.
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.
Hello there! You’ve just been tagged by Bamenda Babe!
Hello! I would love to use your Limbe pictures in a website I am trying to create. I am seeking your permission to use or purchase them. Need pictures also of various places in Cameroon and particularly the Southwest province area.
Thanks.
@marie, you’re welcome to freely use my photos if they’re unmodified and you give an attribution to 27months. Contact me at billzimmerman [at] gmail [dot] com.
…”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..”
Happy to hear that.. Keep up the good work and help safe lives in Africa.
Great stuff. I’m a new blogger and your blog is on my most read.
Keep it real always.