Afrikan Post -August 2018 Issue

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African Community News

World Leaders Honour Former UN Chief Kofi Annan Pg. 16

Vol 10 Issue 8

August 2018

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Bishop Adonteng Boateng leads faithbased community to recognize Fairfax Police

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Nollywood Actor Chinedu Ikedieze Honoured in U.S

Captain Michael F. Grinnan, Commander of Franconia District Police Station of the Fairfax County Police Department, in Virginia (VA), United States (US), and Bishop Kofi Adonteng Boateng of Divine Word International Ministries (DWIM), have jointly confirmed the holding of the ‘Faithful Servants Awards‘ (FSA) ceremony on September 2018 to recognize the Fairfax Police.

The event will honor the work and exceptional service or an act of valor of chosen officers occurring between July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018. This event’s significance is that it will be the first of its kind put together by an immigrant community leader in the person of Bishop Adonteng Boateng.

Award recipients will include sworn and non-sworn members from the following agencies: Fairfax County Police Department, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, and Virginia State Police officers. Additionally, citizens and volunteers from the community will be among those honored.

Mark Center Hilton located at 5000 Seminary Road in Alexandria, VA is the venue for the banquet-awards scheduled for October 27, 2018, at 7 pm. Bishop Adonteng Boateng said in an interview that he noticed with deep satisfaction the dedication and service of the Fairfax County Police Department and how its work contributes to the enhancement of safety and security in general.

“We are very excited about this banquet-awards because it will give the public the chance to have a one-on-one interaction with the police force for a better understanding of their work. The police, on the other hand, will feel the appreciation of the community for their work and how important it is for everyone,” the Bishop explained.

Expected to be on the list of invited special quests are Governor of the Commonwealth of VA, Superintendent of VA State Police, Bureau of Field Operations, Division Seven Commander, State Police, members of Fairfax County Executive and Fairfax County Chairman of the Board of Police Supervisors, all respectively of VA.

Others invited are the Police Supervisors of Fairfax, Lee District, Mason District, and Mount Vernon District of VA. Chief of Fairfax County Police, Fairfax County Sheriff, Deputy Chief of Police for Patrol for Fairfax County Police, and Commander of Patrol Division III, Fairfax County Police, VA.

Captain Grinnan revealed that there will be a joint public safety Honor Guard ceremony scheduled for the event expected. Renowned broadcaster Leon Harris is expected to be the emcee.

Awards expected to be given according to Captain will include: ‘Officer of the Year‘ award for Fairfax County Police, ‘Deputy of the Year‘ award for Fairfax County Sheriff, and ‘Trooper of the Year‘ award for Virginia State Police. Other deserving officers will also be recognized.

Public support for police work will not go unnoticed as ‘Volunteer of the Year‘, and ‘Non-Sworn/Civilian Employee of the Year‘ awards will also be given to deserving individuals, Captain Grinnan revealed. Bishop Adonteng Boateng, on the other hand, said that the awardee and honoree list will be made up of about 10-15 recipients.

More information will be made available to the public about the event via its Twitter page @AwardsFaithful, and the county’s police website: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police.

Source: DWIM Media Department

Nollywood actor, Chinedu Ikedieze a.k.a Aki, has added another feather to his cap with the honorarium as a distinguished visitor to the city of Miami, Florida.

The actor shared the news on his instagram page @Chineduikedieze with some pictures from the ceremony which took place in Miami, Florida.

Ikedieze was full of thanks to the Mayor of Miami for according to him the renowned title.

He said, "When the world believed in you, believe in yourself also. Have faith in your abilities.

"Without a humble or reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.'-Norman Vincent Peale"

"From the bottom of my heart I say thank you to Miami-Dade ,country office of the Mayor and the county commissioners for honouring me as a distinguished visitor to the city of Miami, Florida". "You have just given me a key to more success in life", he said.

The 39 year-old Abia State born actor joined the movie industry in 2000 and rose to fame after starring in the blockbuster movie "Aki na Ukwa".

Ikedieze is best known for playing alongside Osita Iheme popularly known as"Pawpaw" and has acted in over 100 movies.

He also plays the role of Efetobore Johnson in the current Television Drama Series- The Johnsons.

In 2007, he received the lifetime achievement award at The African Movie Academy Awards.

Similarly, in 2011 he received a National Award of Member of the Order (MON) .

Source:Vanguard.

Migrants Bring Glory to France at World Cup 2018

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19 Awesome World Cup Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

World Cup Facts The World Cup in 2018 will mark the first time Russia has ever hosted this event.

The 2018 World Cup will be Russia’s 11th World Cup appearance.

Their highest ever finish was 4th place in 1966.

3.2 billion people (almost half of the world’s population) tuned in to watch the 2014 World Cup.

The World Cup has been played 20 times, Brazil holds the most titles with five. Italy and Germany are close behind with four each.

ANALYSIS

By Michael Tantoh Les Bleus have progressed to the final of the World Cup tournament and are set to meet Croatia on Sunday, having triumphed 2-1 over England. A goal from Cameroon-born French defender Samuel Umtiti was all they needed to overcome a solid Belgian team.

But African fans are divided over the French player line-up.

The team is made up almost entirely of players of African descent, and fans have made their sentiments clear on social media. On the one hand, those who can be considered Pan-Africanists seem displeased by the fact that African players chose the French national team over their countries of origin They believe these players should have brought these talents to their various national squads to improve the quality of African football and maybe give Africans hope of one day lifting the World Cup trophy.

Barcelona.

Corentin Tolisso born on August 3, 1994 plays for Bayern Munich and the French national team and could have represented the Togolese national team.

N'Golo Kanté is a defensive midfielder for English club Chelsea and the French national team, and is of Malian origin.

Blaise Matuidi plays for Juventus and the French national team as a central midfielder and has a Congolese mother and an Angolan father.

Steven N'Kemboanza Mike Nzonzi plays as a defensive midfielder for Spanish club Sevilla and the French national team and has a Congolese heritage.

Steve Mandanda Mpidi, Marseille and the French national team goalkeeper was born on the March 28, 1985 in Kinshasa, DR Social media comments like "So France imports everything including Congo. players ... meaning finally France Na new Africa now," came from Chunka on Facebook. Others like Wolloman wrote "France is Africa Nabil Fekir plays attacking midfield for French side Lyon and is United". of Algerian origin.

But many fans are simply happy that "African" compatriots are proving themselves in the world showpiece. "Go les Bleus" was their attitude. Pheliswa Somciza-Zibi on Facebook said, "The French our people", and Gcobisa Baliso added: "Mabamele icontinent nangoku apho bakhoyo", translated as they are representing the continent.

Below are the French/African players and their origin.

Presnel Kimpembe was born on the August 13, 1995, has a Congolese father and plays as a defender for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team.

Djibril Sidibé plays full back for Monaco and the National team. Born on the July 29,1992 Troyes, France, he has Malian roots.

Benjamin Mendy plays as left back for Premier League club Manchester City and the French national team. Born July 17,1994 in Longjumeau, France, he holds Senegalese nationality.

Thomas Lemar plays for Monaco and the French national team.

Born on the November 12, 1995 in Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe, of a Nigerian father and a Guadeloupian mother.

Samuel Umtiti born November 14, 1993 in Yaounde Cameroon plays as a centre-back for Spanish club Barcelona and the French national Adil Rami plays as a central defender for French club Marseille team. and the French national team. He was born on the December 27, 1985 in Bastia, France of Algerian parents and is engaged to Paul Pogba was born in Lagny-sur-Marne France to migrant parents actress Pamela Anderson. from Guinea and plies his trade with English giants Manchester United.

That notwithstanding, the stage is set for a great football spectacle come Sunday 15th July. Enjoy and may the best team win.

Kylian Mbappé Lottin born on December 20, 1998 in Bondy France of a Cameroonian father and an Algerian mother, plays for Paris Saint-Germain F.C in France and is a forward for the French national https://allafrica.com team.

Ousmane Dembélé born on May 15, 1997 in Venom France of Senegalese and Mauritanian parents, plays his football at FC

For the first time in the history of soccer, the 2002 World Cup was held in two different countries: South Korea and Japan.

The oldest goal scorer in the World Cup was Roger Milla, who was 42 in 1994 when he scored a goal for Cameroon against Russia.

It is rumored that India withdrew from the 1950 tournament as they were not allowed to play barefoot.

One of the venues for the 2018 World Cup, Fisht Stadium in Sochi, is the same stadium that hosted the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2014 Winter Games.

The first World Cup was played in 1930. Uruguay was both the tournament host and winner that year.

The World Cup trophy went missing for 7 days in 1966, when it was stolen just prior to the tournament.

The distance between the easternmost host city (Ekaterinburg) and the westernmost host city (Kaliningrad) at the 2018 World Cup is over 1500 miles.

For comparison, that’s about the same distance as Moscow to London, England.

The average attendance per game at the 2014 World Cup was over 53,000 fans!

The highest scoring game in World Cup history was in 1954, when Austria defeated Switzerland 7-5.

The Italians have had the most number of draws in World Cup history with 21.

Of all countries that have appeared in the World Cup, Indonesia has played the least number of matches – just one in 1938.

Mexico has the most World Cup losses (25), though they do also have 14 wins and 14 draws.

While 32 teams qualified for the 2018 tournament, the number will jump to 48 in 2026.

The most goals ever scored by one player in a World Cup match is an impressive five, by Oleg Salenko of Russia.

The World Cup winning country is rumored to see a baby boom 9 months after the World Cup. In fact, Hyundai even created a commercial based on this fact.

Source:allfrica.com

Forging New Strategies for U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment August

From the Editor

O u r G r ea tes t G lor y is n o t in n ever f a llin g b u t in r is in g ever y time we f a ll .

We ar e committted to b r in gin g th e commu n ity th e bes t in N ews f r om Af r ica a n d th e D ia s p or a .  Yo u may als o vis it o u r web s ite a t www. af r ik an pos t. co m f o r d aily n ews u p da tes o n Af r ica.

D is cla imer : Th e o p in ion s ex pr es s ed in ar ticles a n d s to r ies in th is N ews p aper ar e th o s e o f th e a u th o r s a n d do n ot n eces s a r ily r ef lect th e views o f Af r ikan Pos t . All commen ts a n d s u g g es tio n s a r e welco me.

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D E PA R T M E N T S Vol 10 Issue 8

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Richard Commey Stops Cruz To Pave Way For IBFWorld Campionship Bout Pg. 26

Emerson College Presents AMIP News Head, Nnoma-Addison, with Distinguished Alumni Award Pg. 24

Ambassador Adjei-Barwuah connects with Diaspora on US-Based Sankofa Radio Page 25

Consider My Ways?

Pg. 11

Akwasi Frimpong Displays His Competition Suit At The Lausanne Olympic Museum Pg. 15

UPDATE 35-Year-Old Chike Ukaegbu Takes A Shot At 2019 Nigeria Presidency Pg. 9

Photo: U.S. Department of State Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan delivers opening remarks at the United States-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (AGOA Forum) at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2018.

By Bianca Corgan

This year the U.S Department of State is proud to host the 17th annual African Growth and Opportunities Act Forum, commonly known as AGOA, from July 11-12 in Washington, DC.

This year's theme "Forging New Strategies for U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment," reflects the U.S. commitment to boosting economic growth, spurring development, and reducing poverty in Africa through sustainable business practices and mutually beneficial trade relations.

Enacted in 2002, AGOA brings together African and American government officials, civil society, and private sector representatives to discuss current trade and investment relations and possibilities for future engagement. At its core, AGOA seeks to expand U.S.-sub-Saharan African trade and investment, stimulate inclusive development and economic growth, foster a high-level dialogue on trade and investment-related issues, encourage economic integration, and facilitate sub-Saharan Africa's integration into the global economy. Specifically, AGOA provides generous trade preferences to sub-Saharan African countries that are making progress in implementing economic, legal, labor and human rights reforms.

Today, AGOA not only receives broad bipartisan support in Congress, but also remains instrumental to our efforts to grow the next generation of emerging markets such as those of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, the data has shown that the trade agreements established through AGOA have proven widely successful. Over the last year alone, total U.S. trade with Africa increased from $33 billion in 2016 to $38.5 billion, approximating an increase of $5 more for every person on the continent. Since the forum's inception non-oil trade under AGOA has increased more than 200 percent to $4.3 billion in 2017 from $1.4 billion in 2001. The growth of these non-oil industries has spurred an estimated 300,000 direct jobs in beneficiary countries.

As we look to the future the United States remains steadfast with our African partners to further and expand the U.S.-Sub Saharan trade relationship. We believe that Africa represents the major emerging market of the future.

Between now and 2050, roughly half of the world's population growth will occur in Africa as 1.2 billion new consumers will be added to the African market. Through AGOA, the U.S will continue to demonstrate its commitment to the expansion of trade and investment in the region to ensure its future success.

Bianca Corgan works in the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

Source:allafrica.com

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A List of the 17 African Universities Among the Best Universities in the World

17 African universities are among the best universities in the world. According to the QS World University Ranking 2018, Africa can look forward to being worldrenowned in terms of knowledge.

Every year since 2000, QS World University Ranking publishes a list of the 1000 best universities in the world.

Dominated by American, European and Asian universities, 17 African universities are in the top 50 of the world rankings.

With first and second place Egypt and South Africa. According to the ranking, these universities are considered the best of African academic excellence.

The selection criteria are the perception of the establishment by the employers, the number of students per teacher or the number of teachers holding a doctorate.

The top 17 African universities listed in the world ranking of the best universities.

200 1 University of Cape Town public South Africa

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University of the Witwatersrand

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American University of Cairo

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Egypt

University of Johannesburg public

South Africa

University of Stellenbosch public

Cairo University public

Egypt

University of Pretoria

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Ain Shams University

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University of Kwazulu-Natal

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801-1000

Al Azhar University

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University of Alexandria Assisu University Northwestern University

801-1000

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University of Nairobi

801-1000

South Africa

Egypt

public

South Africa

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Egypt

10 Al Akhawayn University of Ifrane private

801-1000 801-1000 801-1000 801-1000

South Africa

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Rhodes Universitypublic

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Morocco

Egypt

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South Africa

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Kenya

South Africa

University of Western Cape public

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Meet Sally Esinam Torpey, CEO & Creative Director at Sallet Fashion House of Ghana

Sally Esinam Torpey, the designer behind the brand Oheemaa™, combines her rich sense of culture and heritage, along with inspiration from nature and her environment to produce simple, elegant, and sophisticated textiles and clothing for both men and women.

Oheemaa™ is all about redefining African fashion.

Sally has been a featured designer at the National Art Center of Ghana in Accra, in the African Sustainable Eco-Friendly show presented by Global Women Innovators and Inventors. Her international exposure includes participation in past editions of Miami Fashion Week, as well as independent shows during the New York Fashion Week and other global fashion destinations.

The Genesis of Sally Esinam Torpey In 2010, Sally formed the Sallet Fashion House and the Sallet Foundation to support training for a sustainable and industrialized apparel development and production industry in Ghana. Supported by the Ministry of Trade in Ghana, these organizations work to establish garment factories and training facilities that create jobs for dressmakers and artisans.

Yearning to do more on the humanitarian front, Sally founded Sympathy International in 2003, an organization to educate teens and young women on the importance of female reproductive health. Sympathy International has collaborated with the Ghana Aids Commission to provide education in advocacy, care, and support, on the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the entire Central Region of Ghana.

Along with her organizations; global partners; friends in the fashion industry; and the government of Ghana, Sally is empowering women to build healthy and sustainable livelihoods and a strong nation of independent women entrepreneurs.

In an April 2018 interview in Ghana with Oral Ofori of TheAfricanDream.net the social entrepreneur and designer said, “my passion is to design stylish, elegant and classy apparels that come with a high-quality finishing. But I also want to play a major role in the fabric of society by helping women and youths realize that they are the needles that stitch together the growth

35-Year-Old Chike Ukaegbu Takes A Shot At 2019 Nigeria Presidency August

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of today’s modern world.“

“We must tackle the issue from the roots…” — Sally Esinam Torpey

Ms. Torpey feels strongly about correcting the foundational problems of the apparel industry.

She explains: “we must tackle the issue from the roots through the vocational institution level. This will allow those learning to be fashion designers go through international standards and taught creativity and precision garment construction processes, which are key in designing.”

This will evolve into product quality and open bigger doors for Ghana and Africa to compete in the global industry, the Oheemaa™ brand creator believes.

The European and American fashion markets are for the taking only if we meet the standards set up by them Sally recounted to Oral Ofori, “with my position as Africa’s Ambassador for the Council of International Fashion Designers (CIFD) headquartered in Miami, Florida, we can begin the work.”

“I am more than glad to help any African who needs help, advice, network support, and information about CIFD, else visit fbaa.fashion to join because I believe we can create jobs and skilled human resources for the fashion industry,” Sally says of CIFD which is now Fashion Business Association of America.

Find out more about this global empowerment ambassador for all women in Africa and her work by emailing oheemaa@yahoo.com or visit www.oheemaa.com. Follow Sally on Instagram and Twitter as @oheemaagh.

Source: fbaa.fashion/TheAfricanDream.net

“Chike Ukaegbu announced his candidacy for President of Nigeria – a country with over 60% of the population between the ages of 18 and 35,” his publicist said in a statement.

“At the age of 35, Chike aspires to become the youngest civilian president of the youthful African nation,” the statement continued.

Ukaegbu, described as a “technology entrepreneur” who lives in New York, is originally from Owerri, in the southern Nigerian state of Imo. Nigeria is a country with over 60% of its population between the ages of 18 and 35.

He told AFP he was not yet affiliated to any particular party “but will be choosing from one of the current 68 political parties in the coming weeks. We are down to five that we are still evaluating before we decide,” he added in an email.

Also read about 7-Year-Old Future Astronaut and DiplomatUkaegbu is only able to declare his candidacy because last month President Muhammadu Buhari signed the “Not Too Young To Run” bill into law.

The new legislation lowers the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35, state governors and senators from 35 to 30, and national and state assembly members age limit is now lowered to 25.

The new law aims to increase the participation of young people in politics, which has been dominated for decades by an ageing elite. Former military ruler Buhari, who is 75, has said he wants to contest for a second, four-year term of office.

But he has been under intense pressure to stand down on age and health grounds, after he spent several months in a London hospital last year being treated for an undisclosed ailment.

Source: Yvonne Rarieya / CGTN Africa

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The Untold Story Of The Great How Ethiopia opened the first African Nubian Queen Shanakdakhete embassy in Italy in the 1400s Who Ruled Without A King August 2018

Geography and religion had in ancient times connected Ethiopia and Italy. Italy was then seen as the nearest major European country by Ethiopian Christians and hence could easily be accessed.

Queen Shanakdakhete ruled the Kingdom of Kush in ancient Nubia from 170 to 150 BC. The Queen ruled with absolute supremacy in the Meroë Empire as well. Because of this, the Queen stylized herself as the Lord of the Two Lands. The Queen also held power without a king by her side, which was progressive for her time.

Queen Shanakdakhete was the first African queen of Nubia.

Queen Shanakdakhete or Shanakhdakheto played a pivotal role in the Meroitic religion.

The religion was derived from the Meroitic people who inhabited modern-day Sudan.

They also developed their own language.

Her likeness is depicted in a statue now housed at the Cairo Museum. It was originally found in Meroë.

Though many details of the Queen’s life are unknown, the Shanakdakheto statue gives minimal information.

The statue includes a prince who is holding the crown of the Queen; this suggests that she had an heir. The mere act of holding the crown implies the position of power held by the Queen.

The Queen’s body is depicted as strong and sturdy bestowed with jewels, which represented affluence, command, elegance and beauty.

The whereabouts of Queen Shanakdakhete after her reign are unknown.

Her successor was Tanyidamani.

https://face2faceafrica.com/

Italian Christians also viewed Ethiopia as very accessible since it was basically the only Christian polity outside Europe, according to history.

Even though many Ethiopians went on pilgrimages to Jerusalem, they observed Rome as wealthier and politically attractive.

History says that by the early 1400s, pilgrims and diplomatic representatives from Ethiopia had begun travelling to the Italian peninsula for political and religious reasons.

Through their travels, Ethiopian-European relations were formed and this lasted for more than 200 years.

As the Ethiopians travelled across Europe, they attracted scores of Europeans such as merchants and religious personalities to their highlands as well.

These journeys ensured technological transfer and cultural exchanges between the two. It further forged one of the first Euro-African political alliances between the kingdoms of Ethiopia and Portugal.

The above visits by Ethiopians were mainly believed to be made on unofficial purposes.

In 1402, however, the first visit of a subSaharan diplomatic mission to Europe was recorded.

This was when the Ethiopian emperor Dawit (1379/1380–1413) sent an embassy to Europe, which had reached Venice by 23 June 1402, requesting that a number of artisans are sent to his domain.

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These official envoys were chaperoned by the Florentine Antonio Bartoli, carrying expensive gifts and asking for artisans to travel with them to Ethiopia.

Some historical records indicated that five artisans departed with the Ethiopian envoy that August, but not documented if they arrived in Ethiopia.

However, the arrival in Ethiopia of the True Cross and a silver chalice made in Venice has suggested otherwise.

Another possible sign of their arrival is an itinerary of a journey from Venice by Rhodes, Cyprus, Jerusalem, Cairo and Axum to the court of Preste John in Shewa, which O. G. S. Crawford, an archaeologist dates to Dawit’s reign.

According to Crawford, that document is the “first unambiguous account of Abyssinian geography which has survived; it certainly refers to the journey of a European, and the route followed can be identified pretty accurately.”

Even though Venice did not receive further embassies, and eventually gave way to Rome as the ultimate centre for Ethiopianist knowledge, Venice continued to facilitate transits between worlds.

https://face2faceafrica.com

Consider My Ways?

much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes…Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,…You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?...Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.

Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its Dr. Miriam C. Gyimah dew and the earth has withheld its produce. I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the ometimes we think we know what is right and when grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the we are justified. We think we have covered all the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the bases and we are on the right with God because, labor of your hands” (Haggai 1:1-7). after all, we have tried our best and done our part to the What an indictment! If you read Ezra, best of our abilities considering what we have been given, especially chapter four, I believe that you might so we think. And then we are jolted into a rude awakening very well agree with my response, but our thoughts when we learn that God is not only disappointed with us, are not God’s thoughts and our ways are not His but also that He is very angry with us and is ready to pun- ways (2 Samuel 7:19). For God, our letting go of ish us severely! the things He has laid upon our hearts, because of All this time, I thought my hands were clean. All “lack of time,” exhaustion, shortage of financial and this time, I thought I had done all I knew and that it was other resources, frustration, discouragement and rather God who had delayed, rather God who had withheld even our failed expectations of another parting of time, money, and sometimes, forgive me to say, even the Red Sea for our benefit, is no excuse. With grace! And so I am going my way doing the best that I what we learn in Haggai, as children of God, we are can with what has been given, knowing that God Himself given a purpose, a mission, a duty, a calling, and saw me struggle physically, spiritually, emotionally and despite the odds, and struggles, irrespective of the every which way with what He had laid at my doorstep. unrelenting attacks, frustrations and waging of war God Himself witnessed all my hard fought efforts to do by our enemies, there is no excuse for us to stop right by Him, all to no avail. So I simply resolved even pursuing and striving to do the work He has called after much prayer, fasting and labor that God had not us to do. He expects us, we who are more than conallowed this to come to pass at this juncture, that what He querors through Christ (Romans 8:37) to push on, was telling me with all the resistance that I was encounter- fight on, and make our way out of the darkness and ing was that His time had not yet come for the fruition of overcome all opposing forces. We are not supposed my labor. But even in my “well assessed conviction,” it to stop. No, we must forge on despite the obstacles was not so. He was not happy and more importantly, He and inconveniences stacked against us. We cannot was angry. say that every which way we tried, Satan weakened Imagine my surprise when I read what the Lord our hands and left us no option. If this is what we said to the Israelites through the Prophet Haggai. I was have done, let it be clear to us today through the astonished. I was in disbelief, and actually said to myself Prophet Haggai that God is not only disappointed during my reading of that prophesy, “is God serious? Is with us but that He is seriously angry with us He truly angry with the Israelites, having seen the bitter enough to punish us. Yes, if we are in this situation, struggle and discouraging hardships they went through? Is let us consider our ways. Let us look about ourHe really angry knowing very well how the people were selves and assess our lives to see how God might be weakened, frustrated and battled repeatedly by lawyers and punishing us. In what areas are we struggling? Is it officials and aggressive letter writing campaigns when they financial? It is marital? Is it medical? Could it be tried whole heartedly to rebuild the Temple? You’ve got to that our children are disrespectful and wayward? be kidding!” (See Ezra chapter 4). Yes, those were my Could our punishment be the lack of respect we words because I couldn’t believe that in the first chapter of receive from our colleagues and superiors at work?

Haggai, the Lord was bitterly accusing the Israelites for The possibilities are many. abandoning the rebuilding of the Temple and telling them Evaluate yourself. Have you neglected the how because of their abandoning His mission, this mission voice and urging of God when He directed you to that He had clearly directed them to accomplish, He had take care of his little ones by becoming a Sunday been punishing them with all sorts of curses. school teacher? Did you respond that you are too The Lord speaks through the Prophet Haggai say- busy to devote such time or did you neglect this ing, “This people says, the time has not come, even the duty and ignore His voice because you prefer to sit time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt…Is it time in the sanctuary all the days of your life to be fed, for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while but not give thought of feeding another with the this house lies desolate? Now therefore, thus says the word of God? When He called you to be an usher, LORD of hosts, Consider your ways! You have sown did you return with “I am too shy or I don’t have

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money to buy the uniforms”? When He spoke to your heart to go on the mission field, did you turn away with the excuse that you can’t leave your comfort zone or that you are afraid of cultural and climatic challenges you might face? When He called you to become a minister, did you respond with the excuse regarding your fear of failure, criticism, and financial dependence on the church? Even yet, what trials and challenges have you stopped fighting through? What brick wall did you allow to stand in your way of pushing on in your spiritual growth and attainment? What situation has forced your hand to yield to the power of evil spirits, accepting defeat at their hands? What have you neglected and what pursuit have you given up, although according to the word of God, you surely would have been a conqueror?

What were the excuses of the children of Israel for not continuing the rebuilding of the Temple? When they began, they completed laying the foundation in two years, but the harassment by the officials frustrated and discouraged them so much so that they simply abandoned it and the Temple remained unfinished for 14years. I repeatedly read about their struggles in this effort, understood their perspective and agreed with them when they stopped. They had been battled. They had been tried. They had been aggravated and they had been disheartened. I didn’t see that they had erred when they stopped rebuilding. Even still, God expected them to fight on. He wanted them to keep at it because He knew He had spoken it and that it would come to pass.

So it is with you. Are you going to remain in this state of stagnation where your work is not accomplished, where your mission and life’s purpose are stalled? Are you going to give up in that struggle or trial simply because you are tired of fighting? Or are you going to pick up where you left off and let God be your guide and strength?

After the Prophet Haggai prophesied, the people repented and the Bible tells us, “then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the LORD” (1:12). They resumed rebuilding despite the opposition of their enemies and in four short years, they had accomplished their mission. “And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy” (Ezra 6:16). This is what God wants from us. He wants us to continue to fight against spiritual opposition despite how tough the fight gets. He wants us to put away our excuses and live for Him, work for Him, avail our bodies to Him as vessels of honor and faithfulness. And we know that vessels of honor are not punished but rewarded; they are not cursed but blessed. Finally, they will rejoice!

Let us consider our ways. Let us rethink and evaluate our lives, for where we might think we are perfectly right and justified, where we might think we have been faithful with all we have been given, we could be sadly mistaken and our God will be judging.

USCIS Updates Policy Justice Department Secures Guidance for Certain Requests Denaturalization of Guardian Convicted for Evidence and Notices of of Sexual Abuse of a Minor Intent to Deny August 2018

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today posted a policy memorandum (PDF, 113 KB) (PM) that provides guidance to USCIS adjudicators regarding their discretion to deny an application, petition, or request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) when required initial evidence was not submitted or the evidence of record fails to establish eligibility.

This updated guidance is effective September 11, 2018 and applies to all applications, petitions, and requests, except for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) adjudications, received after that date. Due to preliminary injunctions issued by courts in California and New York, this new PM does not change the RFE and NOID policies and practices that apply to the adjudication of DACA requests.

“For too long, our immigration system has been bogged down with frivolous or meritless claims that slow down processing for everyone, including legitimate petitioners. Through this long overdue policy change, USCIS is restoring full discretion to our immigration officers to deny incomplete and ineligible applications and petitions submitted for immigration benefits,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna. “Doing so will discourage frivolous filings and skeletal applications used to game the system, ensure our resources are not wasted, and ultimately improve our agency’s ability to efficiently and fairly adjudicate requests for immigration benefits in full accordance with our laws.”

The 2013 PM addressed policies for the issuance of RFEs and NOIDs when the evidence submitted at the time of filing did not establish eligibility. In practice, the 2013 PM limited denials without RFEs or NOIDs to statutory denials by providing that RFEs should be issued unless there was “no possibility” of approval.

This “no possibility” policy limited the application of an adjudicator’s discretion.

The policy implemented in this guidance restores to the adjudicator full discretion to deny applications, petitions, and requests without first issuing an RFE or a NOID, when appropriate. This policy is intended to discourage frivolous or substantially incomplete filings used as “placeholder” filings and encourage applicants, petitioners, and requestors to be diligent in collecting and submitting required evidence.

USCIS will continue issuing statutory denials when appropriate without first issuing an RFE or NOID when the applicant, petitioner, or requestor has no legal basis for the benefit/request sought, or submits a request for a benefit or relief under a program that has been terminated.

If all required initial evidence is not submitted with the benefit request, USCIS, in its discretion, may deny the benefit request for failure to establish eligibility based on lack of required initial evidence. Examples of filings that may be denied without sending an RFE or NOID include, but are not limited to:

• Waiver applications submitted with little to no supporting evidence; or • Cases where the regulations, the statute, or form instructions require the submission of an official document or other form of evidence establishing eligibility at the time of filing and there is no such submission. For example, an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864), if required, was not submitted with an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485).

This PM updates Chapters 10.5(a) and 10.5(b) of the USCIS Adjudicator’s Field Manual and contains an “additional considerations” section. The policy in this “additional considerations” section is not new, and is nearly identical to the policy contained in the superseded 2013 PM.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), and Facebook (/uscis).

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Release Date: Aug. 15, 2018

RALEIGH, N.C. — On Aug. 8, Chief Judge James C. Dever III of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina entered an order that revoked the naturalized U.S. citizenship of a child sex offender; restrained and enjoined him from claiming any rights, privileges, or advantages of U.S. citizenship; and ordered him to immediately surrender and deliver his Certificate of Naturalization and any other indicia of U.S. citizenship to federal authorities.

“The Justice Department is committed to preserving the integrity of our nation’s immigration system and the propriety of the government’s adjudication of immigration benefits,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will aggressively pursue the denaturalization of individuals who lie on their naturalization applications or lie during the naturalization interview, especially in a circumstance like this one, which involved an alien who repeatedly sexually abused the minor victim on almost a daily basis.”

“Under our laws, United States citizenship is conferred on those who demonstrate honesty and integrity, who respect our laws, and who can demonstrate the moral character necessary to be a positive and cultivating member of American society,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon. “The defendant fell short of that mark in every regard and we are satisfied that this Court saw fit to revoke his naturalized citizenship. As part of the Justice Department’s mission to enforce the nation’s immigration laws, we will seek denaturalization in cases where individuals are dishonest and where criminal activity demonstrated the lack of moral character necessary for American citizenship.”

Prempeh Ernest Agyemang, a native of Ghana, was admitted to the United States in 1989. Agyemang then married a United States citizen who had a young child. When the child was in fourth grade, Agyemang began sexually abusing her starting in late 1999 or early 2000. Notably, after the sexual abuse began, while under oath during his naturalization interview, Agyemang stated that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested. Relying on this answer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) granted his naturalization application and Agyemang became a U.S. citizen later that year.

On Nov. 5, 2003, Mr. Agyemang pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his minor stepchild on April 1, 2000.

Specifically, Agyemang pleaded guilty to sexual activity by a Substitute Parent or Custodian.

“This order sends a clear message to individuals who commit any type of sexual offense, particularly those involving children, during the naturalization process – we will investigate you and seek you out to ensure that justice is done,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Ronald D. Vitiello. “ICE will continue to work with our partners at the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation – District Court Section to hold individuals responsible for sexual offenses, especially those involving child victims.”

“Mr. Agyemang repeatedly sexually abused a minor child and then lied about the sexual abuse to obtain naturalization,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna. “By doing so, he threatened to undermine the hard work our officers do every day to protect the integrity of the immigration system. USCIS is glad to see him held accountable and applauds our partners at the Justice Department for helping bring him to justice.”

This case was investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS). The case was litigated by John Inkeles of OILDCS, with support from ICE Assistant Chief Counsel Cori White, Gaston County District Attorney Locke Bell, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), and Facebook(/uscis).

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Odomankoma Nana

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Pen To Paper Ghana gives girls ‘wings to fly with’ at Menstrual Hygiene Workshop

Nigeria's Population to Hit 235 Million in 2022

Co-founder of Pen to Paper Ghana (P2P) Katie Emerson in a chat with TheAfricanDream.net has said the P2P Menstrual Hygiene and Empowerment Workshop held to address the monthly problem behind some female students missing classes in Ghana was a huge success.

By Sola Ogundipe and Chioma Obinna On this year's World Population Day, indications have emerged that Nigeria faces imminent population explosion if the country fails to address its growing fertility rate.

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“We noticed that a lot of our female students were missing a week of school and our classes every month.

After sensitively approaching them and their teachers, it became clear that it was due to their menstrual cycle. Many of them do not have adequate sanitary protection,” Katie revealed about the event held at the Crystal Rose Ambassador hotel in Ahodwo, Kumasi.

Due to these students’ inability to afford basic sanitary pads during their cycles, some are forced to use old pieces of cloths which do not guarantee non-spillage, so they stay at home because this cloth needs to be changed and washed during the day.

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The prediction is confirmed by the latest report in the Monthly Economic and Financial Market Review and Outlook for July 2018 which showed latest research estimates that Nigeria's population may grow to 235 million in 2022 given the average rates in the population of the 36 states of the federation between 2012 and 2016.

This is also coming on the heels of an earlier report by the UN which projected that Nigeria would become the world's third most populous nation by 2050. Nigeria is currently ranked 8th on the global demographic ladder.

P2P felt this was hampering the girls education, and to help the situation the workshop — that had students from 5 schools and 10 students from a number of schools in the Lake Bosomtwe district of Ghana attending — became necessary.

With records showing that the Total Fertility Rate, TFR, of the country was about 5.6 per cent in 2016 and 5.46 per cent in 2017, stakeholders fear that despite the increase, more Nigerian women are yet to have full access to family planning - an indication that the population will continue to grow.

YouTube star Yaa Baby is an actress, comedian, and philanthropist based in Ghana. Her presence greatly motivated the girls at the workshop which was sponsored by Assist Africa, Faytex Sanitary who donated over 400 packs of sanitary pads to the girls who attended the event, 3rd Angle Designs, and Koala Ghana Supermarket who provided snacks.

The report states: "We expect five states to contribute about 26 per cent of the total population in 2022. However, it is unclear if the large population is beneficial to the Nigerian economy.

Katie told TheAfricanDream.net that “many of them [female students] are also uninformed about menstruation and therefore do not talk about it. This workshop created an atmosphere where they could talk about it Further findings by Good Health Weekly show that the major challenges could only and also provide them with the needed education on the important subject with talks from experts, skits, be addressed when Nigerian women holistically adopt family planning and the coundance routines, and peer-interaction.” try becomes more diligent in anything they do, without that, the population will continue to increase.

P2P co-founder, Richard Manu, during in his talk at the workshop encouraged young girls to not feel ashamed of their reading and to especially not be ashamed about menstrual hygiene matters as it is imporThe report released by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, for the month of July, tant to talk about it than miss school. The girls were excited to see the event’s emcee Chloe Awuah, aka Yaa estimated the population of Nigeria to be 194 million in 2016, with an average Baby, a blond-haired and blue-eyed Caucasian from the US speak to them so fluently in the Twi language growth rate of 3.28 per cent between 2012 and 2016. Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, of Ghana. recorded the fastest average population growth rate of 9.75 per cent.

Some special guests included representatives of the Ghana Education Service, author and presenter Jenni Steele; an ambassador for Domestic Violence UK, Vida Owusu of Metro Education from Kumasi, Ghanaian author Alba Kunadu Sumprim who read from and donated copies of her book — The Imported Ghanaian — to the girls, and Ghanaian model and entrepreneur Hamamat Montia who donated some of her shea butter brand products.

P2P displayed a poster with wings represented on it that had the quote “She flies with her own wings” on it which fascinated the girls who took lots of photos in front of it. “We are glad to have played our small role in giving these girls ‘wings to fly with’ so they are not stopped from the pursuit of education and their dreams due to menstrual hygiene issues,” Katie told TheAfricanDream.net.

P2P is a nonprofit founded in 2015 that aims to improve education and facilities for the youth of Ghana by setting them on a path of success for their future. They can be found online at www.pentopaperghana.com.

Written by Oral Ofori

According to the report, the FSDH Research notes that the growth rate in the economy in the last three years is lower than the population growth rate.

The report also noted that the trend may continue in the next five years unless urgent measures are taken.

However, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, should the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health succeeds in its plans to scale up family planning services across all parts of the country.

Just last week, the Federal Government launched three key reproductive health documents towards scaling up of family planning in Nigeria.

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Ghana’s First Sprinter, Bobsledder, And Skeleton Pays A Courtesy Call On Ambassador Of Ghana To The United States

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Akwasi Frimpong Displays His Competition Suit At The Lausanne Olympic Museum

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On 5th June, Akwasi Frimpong showcased his 2018 Winter Olympic Games Skeleton race suit on display at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. Ghana's first and Africa's second Skeleton competitor was also the nations lone ranger at the games held at Pyeongchang, South Korea. Frimpong has won eight gold, four silver and four bronze medals at local and international events.

Washington, District of Columbia 26 June 2018 (CABNC TV)-Mr. Akwasi Frimpong Ghana’s first skeleton, sprinter and bobsledder athlete who has won eight gold medals, four bronze and four silver in various international sport pays a courtesy call on Ambassador of Ghana to the United States, His Excellency Barfour Adjei-Barwuah in his Washington D.C office.

He was accompanied by Mr. George Kwasi Bright Editor and Publisher Afrikan Post and Mr. AbdulRasheed Abubakar Chief Executive Officer and Publisher DIASPORA TODAY MAGAZINE based in Washington D.C.

HE Amb. Barfour welcomed Mr. Akwasi’s presence at the Ghanaian Embassy, Washington D.C, in his maiden visit to Washington D.C where Mr. Akwasi will be attending the 2018Africa Trade & Investment Global Summit (ATIGS), at the World Trade Center – Ronald Reagan Building in Washington D.C. Amb. Barfour expressed his confidence in young Ghanaians’ been able to take Ghana to the next level, he added that “without doubt, young Ghanaians’ abroad mostly in the United States continues to demonstrate strong commitment in the rapid development of Ghana’s economy”. He further expresses his willingness to support Ghanaians’ in diaspora towards achieving quick cultural, social and economic development of the Republic of Ghana.

Mr. Akwasi thanked HE Ambassador Barfour for his simplicity and timely response for the courtesy call. Because it was Mr. George Kwasi and Mr. AbdulRasheed who suggested the visitation idea, and immediately they put the call through to you, without delay you diligently accepted our request to meet with you today. He added that, “His priority is to continue to inspire young Ghanaians’ home and abroad to do their best in making the country great”, he stated that “he’s getting ready for Beijing 2022, and his determination to win Ghana’s and Africa’s first Winter Olympics medal.

Mr. Akwasi and his delegation also met with the Head of Trade and Investment section of the Embassy in Washington, Mrs. Stella Ansah and Mr. Joseph Ngminebayihi, Minister (Consul) Embassy of Ghana.

By: AbdulRasheed Abubakar, CABNC TV & DIASPORA TODAY MAGAZINE

Akwasi Frimpong The museum happens to hold the largest archive of Olympic Games mementoes in the world. Akwasi Frimpong's suit was predominantly yellow with green and red stripes, as well as the Black Star of the Ghana flag. The colorful competition suit joined more than 10,000 other artefacts at the museum after he donated it at the end of the competition on their request.

"I first wanted to donate a t-shirt and a sculpture, They preferred it, but I wanted to leave something that refers to Ghana, and the suit does that more than my helmet," Akwasi Frimpong.

The Olympic Museum is one of Lausanne’s prime tourist site. It's estimated to attract more than 250,000 visitors each year since its institution on 23rd June, 1993.

The first ever athlete from Ghana to compete in the skeleton event at the Winter Olympics finished in last place at the event — but he came in first in onlookers’ hearts when he dazzled the crowd with his dance moves.

Growing up in a one-room home in Kumasi, Ghana's second most populous city, Frimpong harboured dreams of becoming a professional sportsman. He lived with his grandmother and brother alongside eight other children. At the age of eight, he followed his mother to the Netherlands as an illegal immigrant.

In 2003, he became the Dutch national junior 200m champion at the age of 17. He had to lie to his coaches on numerous occasions that he had lost his passport since he couldn't compete internationally per his citizenship status.

Frimpong was eventually granted official residency in 2007 and nationality in the Netherlands in 2008. He then concentrated on training to qualify for the Dutch athletics team for the London 2012 Olympics. He didn't make the trip because of an injury sustained. He later traded the athletics track for the ice. Thus securing a spot on the Dutch bobsleigh team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

"After missing out on London 2012, I was approached by the Dutch bobsleigh coach Nicola Minichiello about joining the team. I had my doubts, but then I remembered Cool Runnings and thought to myself, 'If Jamaicans can do it, so can I!'" He opted for this sport after taking part in a trial in Utah. His wife happens to be a Bobsleigh coach. He started the Bobsleigh and Skeletal Federation, Ghana (BSF-Ghana) in 2016.

The "rabbit theory" documentary speaks volumes about his hard earned reputation. He plans on winning a medal at the 2022 Olympic Games.

Gyamfi Din-Chin http://www.motionhypegh.net

World figures have been paying tribute to former UN secretary-general and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan, who has died at the age of 80

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national peace and security".

had become "particularly messy" The diplomat's career continued after retirement from Kofi Annan will be remembered for the way he drew atten- the UN, and in 2007 he set up his own foundation tion, over and over again, to the plight of those caught up in aimed at promoting global sustainable development, war, environmental disaster, or simply grinding poverty. security and peace.

The way he quietly but firmly reminded world leaders, however powerful, that they needed to put their duty to their citizens above their political careers.

Read more from Imogen

UK PM Theresa May and Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg were also among those who paid tributes.

Skip Twitter post by @jensstoltenberg

World figures have been paying tribute to former UN secretary-general and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan, who has died at the age of 80.

Current UN chief Antonio Guterres hailed him as "a guiding force for good" and Russian President Vladimir Putin described a "remarkable person".

Ex-US President Barack Obama said Annan had always pursued "a better world".

The Ghanaian national served as UN chief from 1997 to 2006 and is the only black African ever to hold the post.

Since then he has served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a solution to the conflict.

He "passed away peacefully on Saturday after a short illness", the Kofi Annan Foundation said.

He was a "deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world", the statement added.

Mr Guterres led the tributes to his predecessor. "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination," he said in a statement.

UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a tweet he was grief-stricken over Annan's death:

I am grief-stricken over the death of Kofi Annan. Kofi was the epitome of human decency and grace. In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, the world’s loss becomes even more painful. He was a friend to thousands and a leader of millions.

Mr Obama, the first African American to win the White House, said: "Long after he had broken barriers, Kofi never stopped his pursuit of a better world."

President Putin said the memory of Annan would "forever live in the hearts of Russians".

Meanwhile, Indian PM Narendra Modi said "the world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of inter-

Jens Stoltenberg ✔ @jensstoltenberg Saddened to hear that Kofi Annan has passed away. His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness. Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time. The UN and the world have lost one of their giants.

Theresa May ✔ @theresa_may Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo announced a week of national mourning, calling Annan "one of our greatest compatriots".

A year later, his reputation was boosted after he successfully helped negotiate a power-sharing deal to end post-election violence in Kenya.

In a Facebook tribute, Raila Odinga, the opposition leader who signed the agreement, called Annan "the man who stepped in and saved the country from collapse".

In an interview with the BBC's HardTalk to mark his 80th birthday in April, Annan acknowledged the UN's shortcomings, but said that "if it didn't exist you would have to create it".

"I was born an optimist and will remain an optimist," he added.

In 2012 he was made chair of The Elders, a peace and human rights advocacy group started by South Africa's Nelson Mandela.

Annan attended an event marking Nelson Mandela's 100th birth anniversary in Johannesburg last month The same year, he quit his post as UN envoy to Syria after only six months, citing the failures of world powers to fulfil their commitments. He was later quoted as saying: "I lost my troops on the way to Damascus."

His most recent role was chairing an independent commission investigating Myanmar's Rohingya crisis.

Annan's wife, Nane, and three children were "by his side during his last days", the Kofi Annan Media caption"We've lost a great man, a great, great man.

Foundation said.

Not only Ghana, but the whole world."

Kofi Annan described his greatest achievement as the Millennium Development Goals, which - for the first time set global targets on issues such as poverty and child mortality. The drive is widely regarded as a success.

Source:BBCnews.com However, Annan was not immune from criticism. Some blamed him for the UN's failure to halt the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s when he was head of the organisation's peacekeeping operations.

He later clashed with America and the UK over the Iraq war after 2003, calling the US-led invasion illegal.

But despite their past differences, former US President George W Bush was among those paying homage to Annan on Saturday, calling him "a tireless leader of the United Nations" whose "voice of experience will be missed around the world".

After the invasion of Iraq, Annan and his son were accused of being involved in the "oil for food corruption scandal" that led some to call for his resignation, though he was later exonerated.

Media captionAnnan told the BBC in April that the world

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Wigs and Selected Weave

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JUASO Citizens Association in the USA Celebrate 25th Anniversary With a Durbar August 2018

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Meet Destiny Adjaho, The 15Year-Old Animator From Ghana Afrikan

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Destiny Adjaho who just turned 15 this year January 27 is one of the brilliant aspiring engineers from Ghana, a science student and in his final year at the Keta Senior High School. He is passionate about innovation and invention.

Despite challenges in bringing his animation talent to reality he still enjoys learning and making shots. You can catch a glimpse of some of his animation shots here.

“I always want to invent something and to tell stories with animation but due to material constraints and lack of the right tools I just keep doing the minor jobs on my animation shots and mostly my shots never get completed. But because I am determined to make my dreams come true, I have decided to create this animation shot for everyone to see.

Thanks to Noah Alorwu for inspiring me and being my guide. He has shown me a lot of inspirations from which I see teens invent and make things happen and that makes me always feel that I can also be one of them with my animation talent.”

What motivates you to do animation?

“I never had the dream to animate before then but my dream and love for animation developed through watching samples on television. One day I researched and found out that all these things I watched were made by the computer. From my perception animation has become a way of telling your stories in a realistic manner because we believe when we watch than when we read novels. From this, I felt that I also need to get my stories told by using the opportunity that has come. A mobile device helped me learn about animation with YouTube as my main source of tutorials. I started practicing with an open source tool called blender and within three weeks I got used to the basics of doing animation with blender and after it I created my first shark and train animation from tutorials. The results of these animations triggered me and made me discover the love I have for animation and its related mysteries.”

If you are provided the tools how far can you go with your animations?

“Let me say it will be bliss in my life because all the projects that I have put down are all attractive and the world will love it and appreciate the fact that Africans can do something. In fact, I am hoping for a 30 minutes’ animation video that will tell a story I have in my mind. But it has to do with advance animation skills and I need the tools to advance my skills in the game and so if I am provided with the right tools then I will become an icon on the desktop of the world of fame.”

So what is your aim now?

“My main aim is to master animation at a younger age and become one of the youngest animators in the world because I feel that it is where I belong. I also want to use my skills in animation to help the engineering sector in developing powerful machines because I am also an engineer.”

How do you feel about your talent? “it is a great opportunity for me because animation is not an easy task and require brilliant people so if I am blessed to have such a talent, then glory be to God.”

Destiny is not just an animator but also an aspiring engineer. Let us see what will become of this young innovator when he gets the tool.

Meet Benjamin Banneker, the Black Architect Who Helped Design Washington DC., United States August 2018

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Our nation’s capital would not be the same if it wasn’t for Benjamin Banneker, the Black architect hired by George Washington, the first President of the United States, to design the city of Washington, DC. It was actually Thomas Jefferson himself who highly recommended that Banneker be placed on the planning committee.

The former designer who walked off the job took all the plans with him, but Banneker was able to save the project by reproducing a complete layout of all the streets, parks, and major buildings. Not only was he able to do it from memory, he was able to do it in just two days!

Banneker’s grandmother was from England, but she immigrated to the Baltimore, Maryland area and married one of her slaves named Bannaky. Their daughter also married one of their slaves, and she gave birth to Benjamin Banneker in 1731. According to the law at the time, if the mother was free, the child, although biracial, would not have to become a slave.

So, Banneker was able to attend an elementary school run by Quakers, a religious group that broke away from the established Church of England. He later adopted many Quaker habits and ideas, and as a young man in 1753, he was inspired to create his own clock made entirely of wood. His invention was so impressive at the time that it propelled his reputation tremendously, and until today, he is known as the inventor of “America’s first clock” – which kept perfect time for forty years.

His early accomplishments revealed how much of a genius he was, and helped him to later become a reputable architect, mathematician, engineer, and even astronomer.

During his life, Banneker was able to use his reputation to promote social change for issues like racism, slavery and war.

For nearly 10 years, he published an annual Farmer’s Almanac, for which he did all the calculations himself. He once sent a copy of one of his Almanacs to Thomas Jefferson with a letter protesting that the man who declared that “all men are created equal” actually owned slaves himself. Jefferson reportedly responded favorably to his letter, but no political reform was ever taken.

His Almanac, however, won him fame all over the world.

Sadly, Banneker died on October 25, 1806, but his life was very inspirational. He will always be remembered for his many accomplishments, but especially his contributions to the development of the city of Washington, DC. https://howafrica.com

Nigerians Celebrate First-ever Local Airline With An All-female Crew

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First all-female crew Capt Sinmisola Ajibola (4th lft), SFO Quincy Owen (4th rgt), SEP Instructor Rosemary Uagbor (3rd rgt), Cabin Executive Chidimma Chimezie (2nd lft) & Cabin Executive Opakirite George (3rd lft) get ovation in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri A Nigerian airline has for the first time launched an all-female crew flight for its local routes in the country.

Air Peace commenced the all-female crew flights on the Lagos-Abuja, Abuja-Owerri, Owerri-Abuja and Abuja-Lagos routes with on Thursday, July 5 2018.

The maiden flight took off from the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, a day after the airline unveiled its first female Captain, Sinmisola Ajibola.

The team was congratulated by Nigerians when they landed.

According to Air Peace communication, the move shows its commitment to gender equality and promotion of Nigerian women in aviation.

In 2017, Air Zimbabwe made a historic trip when a flight crew solely powered by women flew from the capital, Harare to Victoria Falls. Days later, Ethiopian Airlines flew the first-ever all-female crewed flight from Addis Ababa to Thailand.

Here are some congratulatory messages to Air Peace airline on the historic moment.

Source: https://howafrica.com

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President Macron Honours An African Legend, Dr. Mike Adenuga

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday 4th July 2018 conferred on Nigerian Business magnate, Mike Adenuga the highest French National Honour, Commander of the French Legion. The investiture was done during the unveiling of the Alliance Francaise Centre which is housed at the Mike Adenuga Building, Ikoyi.

Dr Mike Adenuga, Chairman of Nigeria’s second biggest telecommunications network was described by the French President as ‘a true role model for Africa’. His business interests span from telecoms to banking and finance, oil and real estate. His Globacom network is a household name in the telecoms world and pioneered the per second billing in Nigeria and presently has operations in three other African countries. Glo-1 High Capacity Submarine Fibre Optic Cable cost his company 800 million USD and His successes have been recognized far and wide. He is a recipient of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), as well as the Companion of the Star of Ghana (CSG), Ghana’s highest honour.

Born in Ibadan to Mike Adenuga sr a Teacher and Mrs. Juliana Oyindamola Adenuga a business woman, the young Adenuga attended school in Ibadan and later proceeded to the US. Popular belief has it that he honed his business skills from his mother. He is astute, sharp and focused and is a firm believer in hard work. Never one to shy away from a challenge, he faces any new project with determination and always aim to succeed. To admirers, he is nicknamed the Bull and that can be seen in all his official correspondence. Dr Mike Adenuga is an affable person and never shy to regale his audience of his humble beginnings. In conversations, he is quick to let the listener know that he worked as a taxi driver to support his schooling in the United States.

A lover of Sports, he has sponsored many sporting events and hosts the Annual CAF Player of the Year Awards in Benin. He has sponsored The Super Eagles, recognized and honoured by the Management and staff of Manchester United for his support and contributions to the development of soccer in Africa.

Africa is indeed blessed to have such a great entrepreneur and as he himself is quoted as saying “Our aim in my set up is to find the visionaries of tomorrow. We want to find and nurture young people with the ideas and the drive to make a difference in Africa, in a really hands on way”.

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!

Source: sierraexpressmedia.com

Afrikan

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94 Achimota School Students In US Hold Fundraising-Gala 25yrs After Leaving School

25yrs after completing secondary education at Achimota School in Ghana, some 1994 yeargroup students based in the Washington DC area of the United States (US) are gathering to celebrate and give back to their Alma Mater in a fundraising-gala.

Known as the National Capital Area of the Old Achimotan Association (NCA-OAA), the group has been hosting annual fundraisers attracting old students in the Washington District of Columbia (DC); Maryland (MD); and Virginia (VA) areas of the United States (US) for over 30 decades aimed at giving back to their Alma Mater.

The highlight of this year’s fundraising-gala happening around the US independence day weekend will be to execute their 25th-anniversary project of procuring and installing a new public address, multimedia, and audio/visual systems, for the two dining halls and the Aggrey Chapel — major centers of assembly on Achimota’s school campus.

Achimota School ’94 group fundraiser-gala schedule Activities put together to help NCA-OAA achieve the project through their 3-day fundraising gathering taking place at respective venues in Laurel, MD, are expected to attract old students from other year groups, families, and friends of Achimota school in the US and even outside the country.

Group president of NCA-OAA ’94 Mr. Asaph Okyne, told TheAfricanDream.net that: “our project is an important one that directly affects the daily lives of the over 3000 students and staff currently at the school.”

Read more in this link about a prominent old Achimota School student

“We begin this year’s function with a warm-up day on July 6, from 7PM at a private room at the Flannigan Harp and Fiddle, located at 4844

Cordell Avenue in Bethesda, MD 20814. Attendees can use nearest street parking or the garage on 4935 St Elmo Avenue’s nearby. Contact Alberta Danso at +1502.319.0090 for more information,” said Mr. Okyne to TheAfricanDream.net

“On the following day we will gather for the main event gala from 6:30PM – 11:30PM at College Park Marriott hotel on 3501 University Blvd E, Hyattsville, MD 20783.

This will be a black-tie event, though traditional African attire is welcomed. Tickets will be $125 on the night,” according to Mr. Okyne, who disclosed that they could be purchased in advance at oaa94.ticketleap.com or by contacting Abby Ayeh at +1201.452.3751.

It will be all about family and fun on July 8, from 10AM6PM when the 3-day event comes to a close with a picnic at North Laurel Community Center Pavilion located on 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road in Laurel, MD, 20723. The venue has playground facilities for parents with children.

Gifty Nartey, one of the event organizers appealed to old Achimotans in the US and worldwide to support this event because the school could really use the solidarity. Gifty is available at 1614.571.1270 for questions about the picnic.

Achimota School history Founded in 1924 by Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, Dr. James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey, and Rev. Alexander Garden Fraser, the school was formally opened in 1927. It is the first mixed-gender school in the then Gold Coast, now Ghana.

Once known as Prince of Wales College and School and now nicknamed Motown, Achimota Secondary School is a co-educational boarding institution at Achimota, a town located in Ghana’s capital city of Accra.

Find out more about the NCA-OAA at www.oaa94.org. If you are an old student from that year group, search their page on Facebook with ‘OAA 94 Year Group

‘.

Written by Oral Ofori

August 2018

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Richard Commey Stops Cruz To Pave Way For IBFWorld Campionship Bout

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Ghanaian boxer Richard Commey edged himself closer to the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Lightweight world title when he knocked out Mexican Yardley Cruz in aworld-title eliminator in the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum at Uniondale in New York (NY), United States (US).

The August 4, 2018 scheduled 10-round fight came to an end when referee Estevez called it in round two by way of a TKO clearly in favor of Ghana’s Richard Commey. This win moves Commey up in rankings and currently sets his record at 27 wins (24KOs) of 29 fights.

Commey walked into the ring to draw blood. This became evident when a fierce punch from him forced Cruz to kiss the canvas immediately in the first round.

The Mexican showed a strong spirit after his first-round knock down and survived the assault from Commey. The Ghanaian obviously bent on making this a quick fix rained punches on a wobbly Cruz, forcing the referee to end the fight before the 2nd round bell went off — securing Commey the 27th win of his boxing career.

“Bring it on now Mikey Garcia,” screamed Commey during his ringside postfight interview with TheAfricanDream.net, he went on to say “am thankful to God for tonight’s victory. Now that we are done with Cruz, I am excitedly looking forward to the world championship fight with Garcia because I know I deserve that IBF belt.“

Depending on what agreement is reached between the Commey-Garcia camps, their fight could put the WBC belt also within Commey’s grasp, making him one of the first Ghanaians to fight for a unified world title in years. For now though: “we are happy and ready to battle for the IBF belt,” according to Commey’s manager, Michael Amoo-Bediako, who flew from the UK for this fight.

Garcia beat Robert Easter Jr. to unify the World Boxing Council (WBC) and IBF titles on July 29, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, mandating him to face-off Commey who is the number one contender to the IBF lightweight belt.

The IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association, WBC, and the World Boxing Organization.

Written by Oral Ofori at ringside

Afrikan

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Bishop Adonteng Boateng Leads Faith-Based Community To Recognize Fairfax Police

Dangote, Africa's Richest Man, Needs a Wife

August 2018 Page

divorced twice, explained that he was not getting any younger and is willing to take on a wife.

Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote has revealed he needs a wife.

His words: "I'm not getting younger. Sixty years is no joke. But it doesn't make sense to go out and get somebody if you don't have the time. Right now, things are really, really very busy, because we have the refinery,, we have the petrochemicals, we have the fertilizer, we have the gas pipeline"

The 61-year-old however, admitted the The Business mogul who disclosed this in an need to calm down and find true love. interview with Financial Times noted that his busy schedule would not limit him from find- Source: https://allafrica.com ing a companion again.

The father of three daughters, who has been

Captain Michael F. Grinnan, Commander of Franconia District Police Station of the Fairfax County Police Department, in Virginia (VA), United States (US), and Bishop Kofi Adonteng Boateng of Divine Word International Ministries (DWIM), have jointly confirmed the holding of the ‘Faithful Servants Awards‘ (FSA) ceremony on September 2018 to recognize the Fairfax Police.

Superintendent of VA State Police, Bureau of Field Operations, Division Seven Commander, State Police, members of Fairfax County Executive and Fairfax County Chairman of the Board of Police Supervisors, all respectively of VA.

Others invited are the Police Supervisors of Fairfax, Lee District, Mason District, and Mount Vernon District of VA. Chief of Fairfax County The event will honor the work and exceptional Police, Fairfax County Sheriff, Deputy Chief of service or an act of valor of chosen officers occur- Police for Patrol for Fairfax County Police, and ring between July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018. This Commander of Patrol Division III, Fairfax event’s significance is that it will be the first of its County Police, VA. kind put together by an immigrant community leader in the person of Bishop Adonteng Boateng. Captain Grinnan revealed that there will be a joint public safety Honor Guard ceremony scheduled Award recipients will include sworn and nonfor the event expected. Renowned broadcaster sworn members from the following agencies: Leon Harris is expected to be the emcee.

Fairfax County Police Department, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, and Virginia State Police Awards expected to be given according to Captain officers. Additionally, citizens and volunteers from will include: ‘Officer of the Year‘ award for the community will be among those honored.

Fairfax County Police, ‘Deputy of the Year‘ award for Fairfax County Sheriff, and ‘Trooper of Mark Center Hilton located at 5000 Seminary the Year‘ award for Virginia State Police. Other Road in Alexandria, VA is the venue for the ban- deserving officers will also be recognized. quet-awards scheduled for October 27, 2018, at 7 pm. Bishop Adonteng Boateng said in an interPublic support for police work will not go unnoview that he noticed with deep satisfaction the ticed as ‘Volunteer of the Year‘, and ‘Nondedication and service of the Fairfax County Sworn/Civilian Employee of the Year‘ awards Police Department and how its work contributes will also be given to deserving individuals, to the enhancement of safety and security in gen- Captain Grinnan revealed. Bishop Adonteng eral.

Boateng, on the other hand, said that the awardee and honoree list will be made up of about 10-15 “We are very excited about this banquet-awards recipients. because it will give the public the chance to have a one-on-one interaction with the police force for More information will be made available to the a better understanding of their work. The police, public about the event via its Twitter page on the other hand, will feel the appreciation of the @AwardsFaithful, and the county’s police webcommunity for their work and how important it is site: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police. for everyone,” the Bishop explained.

Source: DWIM Media Department Expected to be on the list of invited special quests are Governor of the Commonwealth of VA, --- ENDS ---

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Meet Dr. Mark Dean, The African-American Inventor Who Designed The First IBM Personal Computer

As a child, Mark Dean excelled in math. In elementary school, he took advanced level math courses and, in high school, Dean even built his own computer, radio, and amplifier.

Dean continued his interests and went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, a masters degree in electrical engineering from Florida Atlantic University and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford. He is one of the most prominent black inventors in the field of computers.

uated at the top of his class at the University of Tennessee, where he studied engineering.

Dean started working at IBM in 1980 and was instrumental in the invention of the Personal Computer (PC). He holds three of IBM’s original nine PC patents and currently holds more than 20 total patents. The famous African-American inventor never thought the work he was doing would end up being so useful to the world, but he has helped IBM make instrumental changes in areas ranging from the research and application of systems technology circuits to operating environments.

One of his most recent computer inventions occurred while leading the team that produced the 1-Gigahertz chip, which contains one million transistors and has nearly limitless potential.

Dr. Mark Dean was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee, in 1957. From an early age, he showed a love for building things; as a young boy, Dean constructed a tractor from scratch with the help of his father, a supervisor at the Tennessee Valley Authority. Dean also excelled in many different areas, standing out as a gifted athlete and an extremely smart student who graduated with straight A’s from Jefferson City High School. In 1979, he grad- http://howafrica.com/

Top 7 Unusual Buildings In Africa That Are Architectural Wonders

Afrikan

July 2018

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Pineapple building in South Africa — Travelstart

Constructed by members of Bathurst’s agricultural community in the 1980s, the building, which is made of metal and fibreglass, is three stories tall.

Farmers who had settled at the location of the building in the 18th century found it hard to grow crops successfully.

But the situation improved when they started planting pineapples, so locals decided to honour the fruit by constructing a building in its shape.

The inside of the building contains a museum dedicated to the fruit with a variety of pineapple products available for sale. Even though it is a carbon copy of a similar building in Australia, the Big Pineapple is taller by just over two feet and hence it has the title as the World’s Largest Pineapple.

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Blessed on two occasions by Pope John Paul II, St. Paul’s is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan and was designed by Italian architect Aldo Spirito. Construction of the church was completed in 1985 and as at 2002, it was the second largest church in Africa and one of the largest cathedrals in the world, estimated at $12 million.

With an impressive interior, which has walls filled with beautiful stained glass windows, the Cathedral served as a safety ground Nabemba Tower — Bankelele for almost 2000 people of all faiths who escaped the post-electoral Also known as the Elf Tower, this office skyscraper in Brazzaville, violence of 2010 to 2011.

People who have been to the Cathedral say you can climb steps Republic of the Congo, is the tallest building in the Republic of Congo, as well as Central Africa. to the top of the church tower and enjoy spectacular views over Ivory Coast.

At 106 metres with about 30 floors, Nabemba was designed by Jean Marie Legrand during the government’s five-year plan and was built between 1983 and 1986.

It houses various ministries and other organisations such as the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and UNESCO.

The Shoe Guest House — Booking.com

In 1990, an artist and hotelier, Ron Van Zyl built the Shoe House for his wife.

One of the main churches is called “Bet Medhane Alem” — Ashtronort

All the churches at the site are elaborately carved and are underground, connected by tunnels and surrounded by rockhewn trenches. These rock-hewn churches were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

The site has 11 spectacular medieval churches that were carved from a single volcanic rock some 900 years ago — telegraph.co.uk

Stacked in the heart of Lalibela town, a small village in northern Ethiopia previously known as Roha, are 11 spectacular medieval churches that were carved from a single volcanic rock some 900 years ago.

The magnificent medieval structures have turned the mountain town into a major attraction site over the years for local and international visitors and pilgrims, especially worshipers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Situated in Ohrigstad, and nestled at the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, the about 8-chalet guest house contains a campsite, restaurant, a pool and a bar. It also has a museum that showcases wood carvings of Van Zyl. Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve — Wildlife South Africa

This iconic building is situated in South Africa in the peaceful southern Cederberg Mountains, a historical area that was once home to the traditional Bushmen.

Abandoned Centre International des Civilisations Bantu — Pinterest

Based in Libreville, Gabon, this centre was established as a cultural organization in 1983 under the initiative of the president of the state, Omar Bongo.

It is the world’s primary organization that studies the Bantu peoples. It fell into repair and was abandoned in 1988 due to lack of funding. In 2012, it was announced that it will be rehabilitated.

Well known for its scenic beauty and cultural heritage, this unusual hotel has rooms which are built to blend with the natural environment, particularly, the rocks. Its unique cave suites, private lodge, and chalets have attracted many people to the site.

Hundreds of Bushman or San rock paintings dating back to 6000 years ago are found at the site, making it a unique safari destination in South Africa.

Source: https://face2faceafrica.com

July 2018

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Liberia Jollof declared champion at 2018 Atlanta and Washington DC Jollof Festival “I was super fine when I saw online that Liberia jollof had won the 2018 jollof wars at the Jollof Festival in Atlanta, Georgia — my day was made. Then on July 7 am told Liberia wins again and is named the best country for cooking West African jollof in Washington, District of Columbia (DC). Dude that made my life!” — Augustine Jebor.

That was how Augustine Jebor reacted in a phone interview from Ghana as he shared his elation with TheAfricanDream.net about his birth country Liberia winning the 2nd annual Jollof Festival held by Afropolitan Insights at the historic Union Market in Washington, DC.

The Liberian-born Ghanaian rapper known in showbiz as AJ Dahottest told TheAfricanDream.net, official media partner of Jollof Festival that, “My heart belongs to both Ghana and Liberia, so I was disappointed when none of them won last year, but I least expected Liberia to prove this strong a point, the people have spoken, Liberia is back, I hope President George Weah sees this one bro.”

After the DC event Ishmael Osekre of Afripolitan Insights also said to AmeyawDebrah.com that, “we are very thankful to all our sponsors for this year’s festival, from our guest-judges, DJs, performers, vendors, to artists and indeed the entire African Diaspora community worldwide for the massive support given us.“

“We had over a thousand people from all walks of life with us here today, and that’s what this festival is all about, uniting people under the power of food while we explore and share our respective cultures and talents,” Ismael also told TheAfricanDream.net while thanking sponsors of this year’s festival including The Afrobuzz Show, Best of All World Entertainment, VIP Socio and The Adinkra Group. Other sponsors were the Central Union Mission, Yelp, Ankara Bazaar, World Remit, 1230 DC, State Farm, and media partner TheAfricanDream.net

What was peculiar about Liberia’s win was that it was the festival’s first time using anonymous voting and the first time it also had five judges, two of which were culinary experts in the persons of US-based Chef Dadisi Olutosin of Plated Food Groupe and Executive Chef Francis Otoo of the Embassy of Ghana in DC.

The remaining personalities on the panel-of-judges were Lauren Bernstein of the Culinary Diplomacy Project, CEO of Diversity is A Verb – Gina Humber, plus surprise addition and professional soccer player Kofi Opare from the US Major League side DC United.

According to the judges’ verdict, behind Liberia jollof and in second place was Sierra Leone, while Ghana came in at 3rd place. Defending champions from last year Nigeria did not place this year, so did Senegal, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, though they all showed up to add spice.

Jollof wars continue in a street corner, kitchen, bedroom, church or mosque near you. Wherever the battle happens next, just remember jollof rice is the most debated dish in West Africa and if you have not tasted it, well you are not late to the party, there is still hope, so let Liberia jollof inspire you.

There might also yet be hope for Ghana, Nigeria, and jollof originator Gambia, to clinch a victory or even two as the festival travels across the US. Organizers are making stops at California later this July, New York, and the United Kingdom this August.

Find out more about this growing event in the African Diaspora that looks to spread its tentacles across the globe by visiting www.jolloffestival.com.

Written by Oral Ofori of TheAfricanDream.net

Excited crowd awaiting final results of Jollof Festival DC

APC Texas Conducts Elections In Dallas

July 2018

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debating on how to bounce back after losing, and one of the strategies they came up with was for the chapter to be a jump-starter in the APC-USA by conduction a truly democratic elections as such. The group believe that losing elections is really a tuff pill to swallow, especially when the group put up a valiant effort and still came up short.

With the new female president, Mrs. Jenneh Juana Koroma, and a discerning scholarly vice president, Dr. Foday Christain Sesay, the APC Dallas will be ushering a wrenching change in the chapter seeing the APC party is enduring the worst defeat on the 2018 presidential and Parliamentary elections.

New APC Dallas Executive The All People’s Congress Social and Cultural group (APCSC) has just conducted its well overdue elections on June 30 in Dallas Texas. The elections were conducted ahead of the APC-USA branch planned retreat which is expected to be held at the end of July at Ohio State in the United States of America. (Photo: President elect, Mrs. Jenneh Juanah Koroma and VP. Dr. Foday Christian Sesay Jr.)

In a clear democratic process, Eight-members were duly elected as the new Executive to man the affairs of the chapter for the next two years.

Mrs. Jenneh Juanah Koroma, the wife of Mr. Sheiku Tejan Koroma won the presidency by defeating an energetic youth leader, Reverend Ben Abu Daboh by 19 votes to 3. Reverend Ben Abu Daboh was the only candidate contested against the dominant influential and astonishing exertions, Mrs. Jenneh Juana Koroma.

The elections was conducted in the presence of a representative from the APUSA Executive branch, Ms. Babyhaj who is presently acting as Secretary General of the women’s wing.

One incumbent, the former vice president, Mr. Edward Sesay gave up the elections after a dramatic tie between him and his opponent, Dr. Foday Christian Sesay in the polls. In the process, a little discussions was made as to whether the two men should go for a run-off or have a two vice presidents, but based on the constitution at hand, the elections commissioners disputed the idea of two (VPs) saying that there is no two vice presidents clause in the constitution of APC-USA.

The group also unanimously agreed to avoid the run-off. Thus, by the advice of the Chief elections officer, Pastor John Kanu, fondly called N’Fa Alie, the two candidates met in a closed door to present to the elections officers an equitable result. Dr. Sesay finally emerged as the new vice president of the APC Dallas chapter.

Other candidates that maintained their positions were, Honorable Mr. Patrick Jackson who with no opposition won the treasurer position for the second time. Mrs. Mariatu Kamara still uphold the Secretary General position and for the second time.

It is amazing that Mr. Sanpha Sesay, the author of this article is still elected as Public Relations Officer (PRO) with no opposition to contest against him. Mr. Sesay has held the public relations officer (PRO) position since the inception of this chapter in April, 2002. To fill the gap of financial secretary, Mr. Edward Sesay accepted that position and went unopposed. A new face of the youth leadership was captured by Mrs. Hawa Fofanah, the first time in the history of APC-USA a woman heading youth leadership position.

After the March 2018 elections, the APC Dallas Texas has been frantically

The president elect, Mrs. Koroma in her victory speech, assured members of her commitment to uphold the values of her organization and to ensure that the chapter continues to keep up its momentum in the way her predecessor, Mr. Sheik Daboh ruled during the last four years. She advised comrades to remain ally steadfast in adherence to the principles of the All People’s Congress party and continue to participate in its functions.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back and avoid what will poison our enthusiasm so that we can always ready to strike back come 2023 elections, she said.

Mrs. Koroma acknowledge the good works of the man she is taking the baton from, Mr. Sheik Daboh, saying that there has never been a more humbling moment in her life to Mr. Daboha not only humbled by the extent of what has happened in that night of the elections.

Turning to the group members, Mrs. Koroma Koroma paid gratitude to her comrades and said, I consider the trust you have placed in me to be sacred and I will surely have to give you my sacred oath to do my utmost to justify your faith.

Outgoing President Sheik Dabo of the states, we participated in all counter protests in New York especially when the anti-Ernest Koroma and the opposition bent to put down our hard working president.

Mr. Sheik Dabo said that, he had always follows a collaborative approach in working with his group members and the branch executive. I always make sure that the group complies with the demands of the branch especially in the party’s humanitarian effort, he added.

As the saying goes, “Once you’ve been knocked down, you have to get back up. The APC Dallas chapter in Texas is determined to keep up its momentum by getting back up and move on in a predominantly the opposition SLPP state in In his handing over speech, the outgoing president, Texas. This time, the APC Dallas vowed to things differently Mr. Sheik Daboh, expresses gratitude to all members and expecting other chapters emulate, Dr. Christian Sesay, of the APC Dallas chapter as well as the branch lead- the Vice President elect said. ership for the enormous support they have given him.

He also appreciate his executive members who have The date for the inauguration for Mrs. Jenneh Juanah been there throughout his two term stay in power, Koroma and her executive will be soon announced whenever and for their support from when they started and now the branch leadership approves. they are leaving gracefully.

Outgoing President Sheik Daboh

Mr. Sheik Daboh said, our tenure was a huge success, though we had few challenges which we conquered with wisdom and understanding. During the last four years, my chapter was able to subscribe to all social issues raging in our country, and for some of those, if I can cite a few, were the Ebola epidemic, the mudBy Sanpha Sesay, The Texas Chief slide and the flood disasters, all of which my chapter contributed financially to help the victims.

In the political aspect, he said, our chapter has been proactive in the APC-USA branch to participate in any party function. The APC Dallas hosted a branch delegate conference in in preparation for the 2018 elections. Despite the distance from Texas to any part

July 2018

Traditional Queens of Virginia

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Under the Leadership of Mrs. Florence Opoku Agyemag a new association has been birthed in the Washington Metro Area which goes by the name “Traditional Queens of Virginia�.

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With an initial membership of 10 the group seeks to introduce and expose traditional culture into community events for the up and coming generation of Ghanaian heritage In Ghana women are responsible for the cultural legacies and upholding the traditions of their communities. Queen Mothers are the decision makers and the protectors of other women and children.

The activities of the Traditional Queens can be noticed at community festivals, anniversaries and funerals where they play a key role in enhacing the traditional precepts of the event . They lead the traditional authorities to greet and also engage in cultural dances.

It is a very vibrant and much sought after group who add color to community events .

For more information about the group call 571-277-7258

Medical Office Space for Rent

-Great location in shopping center, on busy road -Elevator and stair-case access to 2nd floor -Ample parking space Close to a Shopping Center 1690 Oldbridge Road Lake Ridge VA 22192

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703-494-8000

Afrikan

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100 Best Things to do in South Africa

1 1. The Kruger National Park (Hazyview) 2 2. Table Mountain (Cape Town) 3 3. Robben Island (Cape Town) 4 4. Cape Winelands (Cape Town) 5 5. Whale Watching (Plettenberg Bay) 6 6. Knysna Elephant Sanctuary (Knysna) 7 7. Bloukraans Bungee (Tsitsikamma) 8 8. Shark Cage Diving (Hermanus) 9 9.Cango Caves (Oudtshoorn) 10 10. The Blue Train (Pretoria/ Cape Town) 11 11. The Otter Trail (Garden Route, Knysna) 12 12. Hot Air Balloon Safaris (Johannesburg) 13 13. Cradle of Humankind (Johannesburg) 14 14. Ukhuthula (Brits) 15 15. Sun City (Rustenburg) 16 16. Soweto (Johannesburg) 17 17. uShaka Marine World (Durban) 18 18. Drakensberg Mountains (Durban) 19 19. Gods Window (Graskop) 20 20. Turtle Tours (Saint Lucia) 21 21. Sabi Sabi Game Lodge (Sabi) 22 22. Tsitsikamma (Plettenberg Bay) 23 23. Canopy Tours (Knysna) 24 24. Augrabies Waterfall (Augrabies) 25 25. Grahamstown Arts Festival (Grahams Town) 26 26. Garden Route (Plettenberg, Knysna) 27 27. Tiffindell Ski Resort (Rhodes) 28 28. Namaqua National Park (Springbok) 29 29. The Owl House (Graaf Reniet) 30 30. Lesedi Cultural Village ( Johannesburg) 31 31. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Upington) 32 32. Apartheid Museum (Johannesburg) 33 33. Golden Gate (Clarens) 34 34. Clarens (Bethlehem) 35 35. Orange River Rafting (Vlooisdrift) 36 35. Surfing in Jeffreys Bay. 37 36.Boulders Penguin Colony ( Simons Town) 38 37.Cathedral Peak Drakensberg (Bergville) 39 38. Kimberly Big Hole (Kimberley) 40 39. Scuba Diving Sodwana Bay (Sodwana) 41 40. Addo Elephant Park (Port Elizabeth) 42 41. Monkey Land (Plettenberg Bay) 43 42. Birds Of Eden (Plettenberg Bay) 44 43. The Cango Wildlife Ranch ((Oudtshoorn) 45 44. Cape Agulhas ( L’ Agulhas) 46 45. The Big Tree (Knysna) 47 46. Voortrekker Monument (Pretoria) 48 47. Howick Falls (Howick) 49 48. Fly Fishing in Dullstroom (Dullstroom) 50 49. Shakaland Zulu Cultural Village (Durban) 51 50. Bathurst (Port Alfred) 52 51. Highlands Resort (Clarens) 53 52. Blyde River Canyon (Graskop) 54 53. Riebeek Kasteel (Cape Town) 55 54.Cape Town Cycle Tour(Cape Town) 56 55. Sterkfontein Caves (Johannesburg) 57 56. District 6 Museum (Cape Town) 58 57. Kwena Crocodile Farm (Bela Bela) 59 58. Butterfly Valley Farm (Ramsgate) 60 59.Pilanesberg (Brits) 61 60. Rovos Rail (Pretoria) 62 61. Cape Town Helicopter Rides (Cape Town) 63 62. Swartberg Pass (Prince Albert) 64 63. Maropeng Exhibition(Johannesburg) 65 64. 4×4 Trips (All over South Africa) 66 65. Waterberg (Vaalwater) 67 66. Comrades Marathon (Durban) 68 67. Waenhuiskrans (Arniston) 69 68. Radical Raptors (Plettenberg Bay)

70 69. East Heads Cafe (Knysna) 71 70. Pilgrims Rest (Pilgrims Rest) 72 71. Baviaanskloof (Willowmore) 73 72.Oyster Festival (Knysna) 74 73. Ride an Ostrich (Oudtshoorn) 75 74. Wits Art Museum (Johannesburg) 76 75. Gold Reef City (Johannesburg) 77 76. Brandy Tour Cape Town (Cape Town) 78 77. The Oyster Box Luxury Hotel ( Durban) 79 78.Amphitheater (Drakensberg) 80 79. Pezula Golf Course (Knysna) 81 80. V & A Waterfront (Cape Town) 82 81. Ratanga Junction (Cape Town) 83 81. The Johannesburg Observatory (Johannesburg) 84 82. Union Buildings (Pretoria) 85 83. Rugged Glen (Mount Aux Sources) 86 84. The Old Biscuit Mill (Cape Town) 87 85. Cullinan Diamond Mine (Cullinen) 88 86. Anglo Boer War Museum (Bloemfontein) 89 87. Natural History Museum (Pretoria) 90 88. Hartbeespoort Flea Market (Hartbeespoort) 91 89. Simola (Knysna) 92 90. Anysberg Nature Reserve (Ladismith) 93 91. Noetzie Castle (Knysna) 94 92. Red Barn (Centurion) 95 93. Sandton City (Johannesburg) 96 94. Tswaing Soutpan Meteor Crater (Pretoria) 97 95. Constitution Hill (Johannesburg) 98 96. Pretoria Zoo (Pretoria) 99 97. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (Cape Town) 100 98. Monte Casino (Johannesburg) 101 99. The Neighbourgoods Market (Johannesburg) 102 100. Menlyn Mall (Pretoria)

Complied By by Jen Miller

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Washington DC set on fire by Ghanaian Afropop Maestro Kojo Antwi August 2 0 1 8

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performances.

Among the opening acts were Akoeba, A Crown, Dede, Izzy Zick, Fatim and Rison. The rest were Disastrous, Jamin, Nee Oseye, and SK Originale. Akua Frimpomaa who is Kojo’s road manager was also on stage as a backup singer.

Then one by one, at the defining moment, Kojo’s instrumentalists mounted the stage. They were drummer Francis Osei, keyboardist Edmond Mireku, and bass guitarist Emmanuel Affram. The energy by this time tripled as Augustina Serwaa Frimpong aka Black Magicque, also a backup singer and dancer, joined her colleagues to announce the presence of Kojo, who mounted the stage to a rousing welcome and applause!

From there on it was history in the making as the Maestro did his magic and had the audience join him sing to some of his songs like ‘Pour some sugar‘, ‘Shining Star‘, ‘Rocklyn‘, ‘Hini me‘, ‘Odo mmaa y3 aa‘, ‘Wappi‘, ‘Afafranto‘, ‘Medo nsoroma‘, ‘Ade3p3na‘ and ‘Bra‘ among others. Yes, he did perform ‘Mr. musicman‘ too, it was the track that ended the over 4hr energy-filled performance.

Team-Kojo at the Voice of America, and next tour venues The following day after the concert Kojo and his band were at the Voice Of America (VOA) headquarters and studios in Washington DC where he was interviewed for radio and TV by VOA reporters like David Vandy, Peter Clottey and Jackson M’vunganyi. Kojo and his team went on to meet Sonya Laurence Green, Chief of VOA English to Africa Service.

Legendary Ghanaian musician Kojo Antwi took his 2018 tour of the United States (US) dubbed ‘The Maestro US Tour‘ to Washington, District of Columbia (DC), where he set the hearts of Ghanaian fans, African music lovers, and curious Americans on fire.

Kojo Antwi, also nicknamed ‘The Maestro‘, dished out hit tracks from his respective award-winning and chart-topping albums to the satisfaction of a capacity packed Karma Music Center in Washington, DC, where the partying started at 10 PM on August 11, 2018, until the wee hours of the following morning.

“I was amazed by the huge number of Kojo Antwi fans here in Washington, DC. I wasn’t surprised though because Kojo is a crowd-puller as same was the case when he started ‘The Maestro Tour’ in Chicago, Illinois on July 27,” said Mawuena Agbeblewu, CEO of Brand Africa Group who are collaborating with Berks Concept on this tour.

Kojo Antwi calls on Embassies of Ghana and Benin Mr. Agbeblewu who led Kojo Antwi and his band to pay a courtesy call on the Embassy of Ghana prior to the DC concert also disclosed to TheAfricanDream.net that their visit with the embassy was very fruitful. “We had the pleasure of meeting with Honorable Eric Boateng the Head Of Chancery at the Embassy who sat in for Ghana’s Ambassador to the US, His Excellency (HE) Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah,” said Mr. Agbeblewu.

Dr. Shaka Ssali, VOA senior editor, and host of the network’s popular ‘Straight Talk Africa‘ programme applauded Kojo for his work and invited him and his band to a future interview. During one of his VOA interviews, Kojo disclosed that he was working hard at the establishment of a musical incubator in Ghana to be used by musicians all over.

“This is my small way of giving back to help sustain the quality of Ghanaian and African music and to also teach the young up and coming musicians the right way to do music as well as instill in them a sense of patriotism. We also want to use the incubator to help the old and veteran stars to prepare to bow out in a decent and honorable way with their legacy intact,” Kojo Antwi explained.

‘The Maestro US Tour‘ heads next to the ‘Big Apple‘ at the New Life Academy Auditorium in Mount Vernon, New York, come August 17th at 8 PM. The Next concert will be at Norcross in Georgia on August 25th at 8 PM then next month on September 1 at 5 PM, the tour heads to 34 Boynton Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. The train screeches into Dallas, Texas, the following day on September 2nd.

Follow the tour’s progress on social media with the hashtag #KojoAntwiTour2K18 and interact with fans online to update yourself with photos, videos, and news. Also, visit KojoAntwi.net to find out all about Mr. Musicman and his upcoming 14th studio album scheduled for release this 2018.

Written by Oral Ofori of TheAfricanDream.net

Source : https://www.jenreviews.com

“Also present were the embassy’s Head of Consular Affairs Joseph Ngminebayihi, Mrs. Akosua Okyere-Badoo — Head of Diaspora Desk, Trade and Investment Attaché Mnister Mrs. Stella Akosua Ansah, and almost every staff in the building that day that had time, came out to interact with Kojo,” — CEO, Brand Africa Group.

“We had such a fruitful conversation and explored ways in which music and musicians could be used to chart a forward cause for the uplift of Ghana both economically and morally,” Mr. Agbeblewu told TheAfricanDream.net who are official media partners of the tour. The CEO continued to reveal that they also called on His Excellency Hector Posset, Benin’s Ambassador to the US, where Kojo and his entire band connected with the Ambassador.

“Benin is a very important place for me because it was where I went to record my first album in the 80’s,” said Kojo who believed it was only natural that he paid homage to the embassy. On his part, Ambassador Posset said Kojo Antwi’s music played an important role for him while he served as a diplomat of his country in Ghana, “I am so honored to meet you in person finally,” the Ambassador said.

How the Maestro conducted his fans at DC concert Almost 8yrs, that’s how long Kojo Antwi fans had waited to finally catch him in a performance in the Washington, DC, area. So yes they did come in their numbers to the Karma Music Center. But before Kojo made his grand entry, the crowd were warmed up by some DC-based performers who treated them to great Afropop songs and spoken word

Kojo-Antwi in white band Ghana-embassy staff

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Young Sierra Leonean Wins Award From The Queen

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Oscar Ziwenga, The South African Man Who Makes Amazing Furniture From Scrap

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Brima Manso Bangura, a young Sierra Leonean entrepreneur, has won the 2018 Queen’s Young Leader award and met the Queen on Tuesday 26 June to be presented with the award.

Brima, who was awarded earlier this year, grew up in a Freetown slum where there was no access to a stable electricity supply. He invented a bicycle-powOscar Ziwenga is the epitome of black creativity with his amazing furniture designs. Taking to social media, The ered generator to provide clean, environmentally-friendly and affordable Provest shared a couple of Ziwenga’s designs and tweeps were just loving it. electricity to power household appliances. His invention has benefitted not only his own family, but also his neighbours and the entire community.

Ziwenga is based in Tembisa, South Africa a large township situated to the north of Kempton Park on the East Rand.

Earlier this year he won a Queen’s Young Leaders Awards, given to recognise the work that young people from across the Commonwealth are doing to Ziwenga’s designs and creativity impressed Black Twitter, who could not understand how he came up with the idea transform lives in their community and beyond. On Tuesday he met the in the first place.

Queen at Buckingham Palace, London, to be formally given the award.

While studying at the African Leadership Academy, Brima started a Creativity and Innovation Club to encourage a culture of innovation among young people and to enable them to create practical solutions to problems facing their communities. He recently won an award for inventing a substance made from coconut shells which can absorb carbon monoxide in enclosed areas.

On receiving the award Brima said ‘‘I am so excited to meet Her Majesty The Queen and be part of these young passionate individuals who are making a lasting impact in their communities. I am really excited to see what the year ahead will bring, and I’m looking forward to meeting other award winners to learn more about their amazing work.’’

Whilst in the UK, Brima will also visit 10 Downing Street and take part in masterclasses at the BBC World Service and the UK Headquarters of Facebook. He will meet with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and High Commissioners from across the Commonwealth. He will also attend workshops at the University of Cambridge and visit projects that are changing the lives of vulnerable people in the UK.

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!

Source: sierraexpressmedia.com

Ziwenga is not the only person who used his creativity to make a living. A man identified simply as Oliver constructs creative toy cars and aircraft’s of different models and sizes.

Oliver’s story of amazing creativity was shared on social media by a Twitter user who asked people to appreciate and patronize is works.

Source:howafrica.com

Afrikan

Women’s Group of Winners House Donate to Homeless Shelter Post

on Saturday July 30, 2018 “Love Elizabeth” A women’s group from Winners House, a thriving Community Church in Dumfries, Virginia paid a visit to the Hilda Barg Homeless Shelter in Woodbridge. As part of their commitment to the welfare of the community they donated assorted items to the residents . The items included boxes of snacks and water . They were led on this mission by the first lady of Winners House Mrs. Floral Godwin and Nana Ama Rokosz who has carved a niche for herself as the First Nollywood female movie producer in the U.S. Also in the delegation were Ursula Adriana,Joyce , Alisha Jones, Lily Rokosz, Francis, Divine and Desire. For More information about Winners House got to Www.winnershouseva.org. The Church which is pastored by Pastor Henry

Godwin is located at 17286 Dumfries Rd, Dumfries VA ,22026

VISION OF WINNERS HOUSE VA

To develop people into realizing their purpose in lie and to maximize their potentials We believe in helping everyone, called by His name, to realize their Godgiven purpose and to maximize their potentials by cultivating an environment that will encourage and foster their individual gifts and talents To build and encourage spiritual growth We believe the Bible is the spiritual and the final authority on how believers should live and conduct their daily activities and we challenge one another to live in accordance with the rules and guidelines established in the Bible To develop men and women of Integrity with spiritual and Biblical soundness

Our focus is on spiritual growth, discipleship, and leading by examples.

We believe in raising leaders who will exemplify Christ in their daily works and respond with Biblical soundness to the needs of a changing world To impact our society and be socially responsible We believe that our actions, not only in our Church but also in our local and extended communities, should draw men and women to Christ.

Service Times English Services

SUN- 10am - 12:30am

WED- Bible Study: 7:30pm - 9:00pm Spanish Services SUN- 6:30pm - 8:30pm

THURS- Bible Study: 7:30pm - 9:00pm

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Six Forms Of Birth Control That Were Successfully Used In Medieval Africa

Many of the inventions, functions or items we use in our everyday lives have a prototype that was invented the motherland.

This does not exclude methods of birth control. Let’s learn about six of Africa’s medieval forms of birth control.

In 16th century BCE, Egyptians were documented as using unripe acacia fruit, honey and grounded dates as a form of birth control.

The aforementioned would be formed into a paste then applied to cotton. The cotton would be inserted into the vagina.

The active ingredient was the acacia; it would ferment into lactic acid.

Lactic acid was a known spermicide.

The woman of Lolupe village in Turkana county in Kenya has turned to goat oil to stop unwanted pregnancies and space out their births.

Cultural and religious pressure has caused the women to conjure creative ways to use birth control without chastisement and disapproval of their husbands.

Goat oil is used in the community for cooking, cosmetic purposes and other practical reasons.

So the use of the oil is seen as commonplace and isn’t suspicious.

Around the era of 1800 BCE, Egyptian women discovered that crocodile feces shouldn’t just be swept and thrown out.

Crocodile feces was mixed with fermented dough then applied to their vulvas or inside of the vagina to prevent pregnancy.

It is speculated that the alkalinity of the feces would cause sperm to die.

Some believe that African slaves transported to the United States ingested the cottonwood plant as a means of aborting unwanted children.

Neem or Mwarubaini is a plant available in Africa and India.

Neem has been documented as having strong anti-fertility abilities for both women and men.

Neem was known to be inserted in the vagina before intercourse to kill sperm. Its effects are said to last up to five hours. https://face2faceafrica.com

Djebou Ndiaye, the Only Woman Running for the Malian Presidential Race August 2018

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Outgoing President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta will face 16 other presidential candidates on 29 July.

Among those aspiring to power, there is only one woman: Kante Djebou Ndiaye, 55 years old.

In line with the logic of “a Mali of peace,” Djebou Ndiaye relies on women, but also on the migrants whose cause she defends. For the latter, the “men have failed” and therefore the useful vote will be the one for his candidacy.

Business leader and investor, the candidate also claims her status of repatriate. She who fled in 2015 the neighboring Central African Republic where she lived, because of the war.

According to the candidate, the woman faces challenges related to health, education, unemployment and even migration. So the candidate asks her sisters, mothers, rural and urban girls, young people, to vote massively and to trust a woman, a mother.

“Between women, we will commit to raising our husbands’ awareness for peace,” she said.

Among other priorities: the consolidation of mutual aid, social cohesion, equitable distribution of resources among Malians, accelerated development increasing the rate of representation of women who would be raised to 40% instead of the 30% of positions in the decision-making bodies.

Once elected, it is committed to ensuring the safety of Malians and the country throughout the territory, applying political strategies adapted to Malian realities on the social level. https://howafrica.com

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Gateway International Christian Church (GICC) Celebrate 25th Anniversary

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Gateway International Christian Church (GICC) Celebrate 25th Anniversary

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