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4月29日 Four African countries recently celebrated important days...So this is a little belated, but still – Happy Independence Day to Sierra Leone, Togo and South Africa for Sunday and Happy Union Day to Tanzania for Saturday! Check out some interesting facts below about each of these African countries!
Union Day commemorates the unification of Zanzibar and Tanganyika in 1964. Later that year (in October), the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar officially changed its name to the United Republic of Tanzania, however according to the Tanzanian government website, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is a unitary republic consisting of the Union Government and the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government.
Tanzania – home to over 33 million people - is the biggest (land area) among the East African countries (i.e. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) with a spectacular landscape and a large concentration of wild animals. Its geography includes pristine sandy beaches as well as Africa’s highest and snow-capped mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Dar es Salaam is the commercial capital and major sea port - it serves neighbouring land-locked countries of Malawi, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, as well as Eastern DRC. Other sea ports include Zanzibar, Tanga, and Mtwara. Because of its geographical and locational advantage, Dar es Salaam Port presents itself as the gateway into East and Central Africa.
Kiswahili (also known as Swahili) and English are Tanzania’s national language – click here to learn a few words!
The Dismas refugee family who arrived in Seattle a few months ago, and whom many of us have met, spent years in a refugee camp in Tanzania before coming to the US. Kelly Brock, who has been a pillar of support for Emanuel Dismas and his family, is working diligently to help more families move from that same refugee camp to the US – if you’d like to help her help give these people a chance at a better life, feel free to reach out! Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa next to Ghana. The official language is French, however there are many other languages spoken beside that. When the slave trade began in earnest in the sixteenth century, the west coastal region was a major raiding center for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast."
In more recent history, Togo has been occupied by the Portuguese, then a German protectorate before being administered by the British and French after World War II. Togo ultimately declared independence from France in 1960.
With almost 7 million people, Togo remains one of the world’s poorest economies – partly due to is isolation and partly due to political instability.
Sierra Leone, another West African nation whose name means “Lion Mountains”, appears to have some fun Independence Day celebrations involving lanterns! Sierra Leone gained its independence from Britain in 1961 and declared itself a republic ten years later. Like Togo, it has a dark history involving the slave trade, followed by colonialism before ultimately achieving independence.
Two major Hollywood films have been produced that relate to Sierra Leone: Steven Spielberg’s film Amistad (1997, with Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins and Mathew McConaghey) is about an 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship travelling towards the Northeast Coast of America; while Edward Zwick’s film Blood Diamond (2006, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou) is about conflict diamonds mined in Sierra Leone, Angola and Congo and sold in major diamond cutting centers to finance (and prolong) armed conflicts in Africa.
Unfortunately, according to Wikipedia, Sierra Leone is the lowest ranked country on the Human Development Index and seventh lowest on the Human Poverty Index,[11] suffering from endemic corruption,[12] suppression of the press[13] and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.[14]
Though South Africa achieved independence from Britain on 31 May, 1910, Freedom Day is the official Independence Day of South Africa. It is celebrated on 27th of April every year and commemorates the first democratic, non racial elections held in 1994. As the official independence day of South Africa, Freedom Day is celebrated to pay tribute to all those men and women who have made relentless efforts and sacrifices on behalf of the oppressed. On Freedom Day the people of South Africa pledge to re- commit themselves to safeguard their hard won freedom and also to completely wipe out the legacy of racism from South Africa.
The South African flag is the only 6-colored flag in the world and has an interesting story – having been originally commissioned as an interim flag only - and was a last-minute job, barely making it onto the country's flagpoles in time to herald the new South Africa. Almost 50 million people live in South Africa, and although internet penetration is low (single digits, probably mainly as a result of infrastructure), South Africans text message like crazy. J South Africa is a huge tourist destination as well as a key trade route with a comparatively healthy economy. Diverse wildlife abound and South African wines are popular around the world.
South Africa is a force to be reckoned with in the International rugby world as well as a prominent player on the world’s soccer stage – in fact the 2010 World Cup will be hosted by South Africa and already tickets are at a premium!
4月24日 Talks about Rwanda in Seattle
Gasana Mutesi, co-founder and President of Amani Africa, is coming to Seattle. She will talk about life in Rwanda and present plans for the building of the new school in Nyamata.
4月18日 Happy Anniversary, ZIMBABWE!I’d normally write a lot more about Zimbabwe but am a little crunched right now on a project. I will say, however (and yes, I am biased about my homeland!), that Zimbabwe is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Sadly, the nation once dubbed “the breadbasket of southern Africa” has experienced significant economic decline in recent years and, as you have all probably seen in the news lately, even though recent elections have won the opposition party a parliamentary majority, the presidential election is still unresolved. Read this interesting article sent through to us today - http://www.zimdaily.com/news/127/ARTICLE/2536/2008-04-17.html
Even though these are difficult times for Zimbabwe, we are still optimistically celebrating independence day, and according to the Washington State Africa Network, there is a Zimbabwe Independence Party in Seattle tomorrow night!
FYI, this chronology below shows just how long the road was for Zimbabwe to achieve independence… Hopefully “one man, one vote” will deliver a sunnier future!
Written by Lorrin Maughan, a Zimbabwean at Microsoft
4月15日 An interview with Charles Duze - African and founder of LittleDrops Orphanage FundRecently LittleDrops Orphanage Fund hosted their annual fundraiser event, Night of Hope, with the goal of raising money to help them continue their mission to help orphanages in five African countries. They are still working to achieve their fundraising goals for this quarter so please consider donating - click here.
Below is an interview with Charles Duze, an African at Microsoft and founder of LittleDrops Orphanage Fund, which he runs with a volunteer-only team in addition to his day job. Oh, and did we mention he's also an awesome chef who catered the whole fundraising event??
Africhat: What do you do and how long have you been at Microsoft?
CD: I’m an SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) and have been here four years in June – I’ve been in the same group (Outlook) and even the same office for the whole time! [editor: that is some feat at Microsoft, where we sometimes seem to move offices more than some people change clothes!] Some of the new features in Outlook 2007 that I worked on and owned include Electronic Business Cards, SharePoint Integration and the “ribbon” for Contacts and Distribution lists. I’m also really excited about the new features I a working on for “Outlook14”. Africhat: How did you come to be at Microsoft? Were you recruited directly from Nigeria? CD: I actually came to America to go to University – I studied Computer Science at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. I was in upstate New York working and studying for my Masters degree, when my Aunt suggested I go to a job fair being held at my University (Syracuse University), which is where I was interviewed by Microsoft. I was offered the job in January 2004 and the company let me finish my studies before starting my job in June 2004. Africhat: How did you come to be part of the Africans at Microsoft community? CD: One day in the parking garage, I ran into someone who looked Nigerian, so I introduced myself and we got chatting. After a while, we created the Nigerian Village Network where groups of people would get together for potluck and to hang out, so that’s how I got to know other Nigerians, which in turn led me to Africans at Microsoft. Africhat: What sorts of challenges did you face as an African immigrant to America?
CD: Having family (my Aunt) in Syracuse, NY made a big difference. Seattle was definitely more diverse than upstate New York – I was the only African student at my first undergraduate college! I did join the African Student Union at Syracuse but I’ve really always just thought of myself as Charles, rather than thinking of myself as different from my fellow students. Being an immigrant did, however, make me constantly aware of the need to achieve and to know what I wanted because my visa status was dependent on me having a clear definition of where I wanted to go. I’ve maintained those high standards ever since. Africhat: You also give back to Africa through the Little Drops Orphanage Fund – tell me how that came about. CD: Well when I first came to America my plan was to become a millionaire and then go back home and be a philanthropist. I’ve been here a while and I haven’t made my millions yet but I still want to make a difference. One day I was inspired by a story of one lady who raised just $2 from each of her friends, which grew to a decent amount of money and allowed her to do some good. I realized that if enough of us do a little bit, it soon grows into a lot – just like a drop of water isn’t much, but if you have enough drops you end up with an ocean – so I decided to stop waiting and take action together with some friends. Little Drops Orphanage Fund was set up in 2005 (we got incorporated in August and our IRS 501c3 status in December that year) with 5 core volunteers. In 2006 we expanded and now have more volunteers from Microsoft as well as companies like Boeing and T-Mobile. More importantly, we helped 7 orphanages in Nigeria that year. It was really useful to have my parents in Nigeria, who could interview the homes and establish relationships with them. Last year, we extended our reach into Kenya and this year we plan to expand again to support homes in Cameroun, Togo and Ghana.
This is an excerpt from an email we received from one of the homes in Kenya: “The children are doing fine. All have gone to school. They are so happy nowadays for they are not going to look for water outside. Last Saturday was a day for washing. All the clothes that they had never washed before were cleaned that day since the water was there the whole day. All of us remain so grateful to LittleDrops Orphanage Fund for helping us get water into our compound.” Africhat: What’s next for you Charles? CD: I would like to continue to make a difference in Africa (there is a lot more to be done) and here at Microsoft. I enjoy using my experience (good and bad) to mentor people and would love to help people grow their careers so if anyone is looking for a mentor, I would be happy to talk to them. Africhat: What piece of advice would you give a new African at Microsoft? CD: Have a clear definition of what you want and always work towards it; and remember that when it comes to making a difference in the world, every little bit counts – because many little drops make a mighty ocean. What an inspiring chap! Charles is truly proof that the author Sydney Smith was right when he said "It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can." Charles did what he could and as a result is having a tangible impact on the lives of over a hundred orphans in Africa. If you are interested in supporting LittleDrops Orphanage Fund - through volunteering, donating or other means, check out their website at http://www.littledropsorphanagefund.org/
4月10日 Employees Rally to Fight AIDS in Africa - an internal Microsoft event sponsored by Africans at MicrosoftEmployees Rally to Fight AIDS in Africa The toll the disease is taking on sub-Saharan Africa is felt by Microsoft’s African employees and many others. By Lukas Velush, Writer for MicrosoftWeb - April 10, 2008 Microsoft employees are uniquely positioned to help fight the AIDS pandemic, said Linda Coppess, a senior marketing manager with the worldwide EPG team. In Africa, AIDS has left 15 million children without parents. In some African countries, more than half the population is infected with the deadly disease. Every day, AIDS-related diseases kill an estimated 8,000 people worldwide, including 5,000 in sub-Saharan Africa, where the average life expectancy has dropped below 40 years. Every 14 seconds, an African child is orphaned by AIDS. Such numbers are so staggering that many people, including many at Microsoft, find it difficult to absorb them, much less know what to do to help those impacted by the disease. To make it more personal, Africans at Microsoft last week invited three speakers on campus to share their stories and call on employees to help. Bwalya Melu, who works with World Vision in Federal Way, told the tale of losing three brothers and their wives to AIDS in his homeland of Zambia. “Every time [I see the statistics on how many people are dying], I just wonder what I’m doing here,” Melu said. He says he has survivor guilt. “I live with the pain of having seen the deaths of hundreds of my friends and relatives.” Then he reminds himself what his mother told him: It’s important to have a voice to tell the story at places like this, where there are people who can help save lives in his homeland.
Another World Vision speaker, Dr. Ayoade Alakija, described how her first patient died from AIDS-related causes within 10 minutes of her meeting him. That was in 1992. “It touched me,” said Alakija, a public health specialist on HIV/AIDS and poverty who lives in Fiji. “It really impacted my life.” She soon made fighting the disease the focal point of her career. “When you see children and women dying, people all over the world, I just couldn’t sit back,” she said. “I had to somehow take responsibility and get involved.” Tamsin Smith talked about how a growing number of businesses are helping people living with AIDS in Africa by ensuring a percentage of the products they sell are given to The Global Fund to purchase antiretroviral drugs, which hold the disease’s symptoms at bay. Her company is RED, which partners with the world's most iconic brands—including Windows Vista—to produce (PRODUCT) RED branded products, said Smith, who is the company’s president. Purchasing a (PRODUCT) RED PC, for example, can pay for four to six months of such drugs. Smith encouraged employees to use their buying power to help by choosing (PRODUCT) RED branded products. Microsoft employees are uniquely positioned to help fight the AIDS pandemic, said Linda Coppess, a senior marketing manager with the worldwide EPG team. “I went to Africa and asked for this [discussion] to happen,” she said. “Since I came back, I have seen two separate worlds. I’m hoping that events like this inspire people to get involved.” Like Melu, Coppess called on Microsoft employees to keep working on the problem. Event organizers offered three calls to action: get educated about the disease; do something about it, including volunteering or giving money; and get behind Microsoft-driven efforts to help, including participating in (PRODUCT) RED. Melu said it’s unacceptable that most of the people infected with the disease don’t have access to drugs that really are very affordable. “That makes me angry, and I hope it enrages you,” he said. “The 5,000 people who will die today in sub-Saharan Africa are real people.” Beyond that, Melu and Alakija asked employees to brainstorm ways to apply their work skills to help in Africa, whether it’s creating programs to educate a generation of children without parents or applications to smoothly distribute drug regimens used to fight HIV and AIDS in rural Africa. Godwell Khosa with Africans at Microsoft reminded people that their volunteer hours can be matched by Microsoft funds through the employee giving program and Lorrin Maughan, an African and a marketing manager with Windows, encouraged people to think about ways they can use their day jobs to make a difference. People who want to learn more about AIDS in Africa can attend a free World Vision interactive AIDS exhibition in Bellevue May 8-12. Sign up at World Vision Experience. 3月29日 Zimbabweans go to thepollsIt's Election Day in Zimbabwe and all the Zimbabweans at Microsoft are waiting with baited breath to see if the official outcome (preliminary results are due on Monday) means the end of Robert Mugabe's 28 year reign. The military is out in force to quell any election day violence, as claims of vote rigging abound. Zimbabwe, once dubbed "the breadbasket of Africa" is in crisis - the economy has collapsed and hyperinflation is rampant - a loaf of bread these days is cheap at $10 million. There are very real concerns that these elections may precipitate civil war.
Watch this space for more as events unfold...
Is this what a loaf of bread really costs in Zimbabwe??
3月21日 Happy Independence Day Namibia!
Namibia is a relatively young independent nation, having won its independence in 1990 after a long period of administration by South Africa and an even longer war for independence (SWAPO actually launched their independence struggle against Germany in 1966).
Some facts about Namibia:
Recommended reading/viewing:
3月20日 Happy Independence Day Tunisia!On March 20, 1956 Tunisia gained Independence from France – Happy Independence Day Tunisia!!
Here’s a fun fact about Tunisia from about.com - The original Star Wars movie sets in the deserts of Tunisia (a.k.a. planet Tatooine) are very well preserved and you can even stay in Luke Skywalker's home. 3月19日 An African At Microsoft: Hoop Somuah, Developer in the ZUNE teamIf you've ever wondered about working at Microsoft you've probably wished you knew someone at the company that you could talk to so you could find out what it's REALLY like, and why real people choose to work here. So our recruiting team rounded up a whole lot of Microsoft employees and pulled together a cool site called View<myWorld>. Now you can hear from actual employees why they do what they do and why they do it at Microsoft.
One of the employees featured on the View<myWorld> site is Hoop Somuah, a Ghanaian who works in our ZUNE music services team as a Software Developer. Hoop was featured today for the second time, on the blog Microspotting - an insider's look (self described as "Like the paparazzi, but for geeks") at Microsoft life and some of our technical people.
Check out Hoop's facebook page too, if you get a chance!
Hoop - not saying if his View<myWorld> photos get him dates. :-)
3月17日 [Seattle Area] 3rd Annual "Computers for Uganda" Charity FundraiserOn Saturday March 29, Computers for Uganda would like to offer you an opportunity to:
Taste an authentic Ugandan meal Learn about Ugandan culture Enjoy Ugandan music and view a traditional Ugandan dance Hear from Mr. Amin Adatia about his experiences in Uganda Enjoy a fabulous dessert auction
Help provide children in rural schools access to technology, to improve their options
Profits from ticket sales and dessert auction will be used to send computers and other equipment to Uganda. In Uganda, Forest Ridge students will set up com-puter labs to enhance education. 2008 will mark the sixth trip to Uganda arranged by Computers for Uganda. In the past five years, Computers for Uganda has delivered and installed 610 computers in 38 schools. This year the goal is to collect and install 170 computers in 10 more schools.
To find out more about this opportunity, or to purchase tickets, contact Deep Debroy by email at ddebroy@microsoft.com or by phone at (425)-233-2863 Please RSVP by March 19, 2008 The Luncheon will be held at the Commons at Forest Ridge School
Cost is $20 per ticket, $15 for Forest Ridge Students
Funny videoIt's called "Bad Day in Africa" but just like everything I guess that depends on your perspective :-)
3月14日 March soccer schedule for Africans UnitedWe've had some requests for the schedule for the Africans at Microsoft soccer team, Africans United. The team has played two games this season so far this month - here is the current schedule for our division for the rest of the month of March 2008. Games are played on the Microsoft campus sports fields in Redmond, WA (USA).
3月12日 Mauritius Independence Day is today, March 12According to the Washington State Africa Network calendar, today is Mauritius’ Independence Day – According to Wikipedia, “Mauritius attained independence in 1968 and the country became a republic within the Commonwealth in 1992. Mauritius has been a stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, and has attracted considerable foreign investment earning one of Africa's highest per capita incomes.”
If you've always wanted to vacation in Mauritius but never got round to it why not enjoy it vicariously through a video montage we found on the web today! :-)
Happy Independence Day Mauritius! 3月6日 Ghana Independence Day is today - March 6By Daniel Okine, a Ghanaian at Microsoft.
"Fellow Ghanaians, At long last, the battle has ended, and thus Ghana, your beloved country, is free forever!”
Fifty one years ago, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, in his Declaration of Independence speech, exclaimed. Ghana was the first black African country to gain independence on the 6th March 1957. Dr Kwame Nkrumah was the first prime minister of Ghana and in his first speech; he captivated all Africans with hope and self belief.
Reading his speech always fills me with confidence and pride to be African. It also exposes clearly what Africa lacks today; Great and Inspiring Leaders.
He continues…
"From now on, there is a new African in the world, and that new African is ready to fight his own battle and show that after all the black man is capable of managing his own affairs. We are going to demonstrate to the world, to the other nations, young as we are that we are prepared to lay our own foundation.“
This New African is yet to arrive, banished by the spirit of greed and division, individualist yearnings that remains insatiable, perpetually failing to realize the long term benefit of shared opportunities.
This New African was going to have its own African Personality, Nkrumah continues…
"As I said in the [National] Assembly just a few minutes ago, I made it frank that we are going to seriously create our own African personality and identity. It is the only way in which we can show the world that we are going to right our own battle.”
Today we fail to recognize the hopelessness of the African plight without eventual African Unity, moving forward with one voice. Even the powerful Europeans, with more bitter divisions, have smelled the power of Unity.
Nkrumah started the liberation for Unity process, as he continues in his speech…
"But today, on this great day, let us all remember that nothing in the world can be done unless it has the support of God. We have fought the battle, and we again rededicate ourselves not only to the struggle to emancipate other territories in Africa; our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent”
On her 51st birthday, Ghana’s democracy is slowly maturing; she even hosted the best African Cup of Nations ever. The highlight was the SMACKDOWN of her younger sibling called Eagle J. Ghana may be at the crossroads in her development; the recent discovery of oil, which has been a curse in Africa, creates opportunity to set her off for prosperity. Who knows what is in store, if only lessons are learned. 3月5日 [Seattle] Volunteer Opportunities and Save the Date - April 5 for Charity Fundraiser!Little Drops Orphanage Fund is a US-based, 100% volunteer-operated non-profit dedicated to providing support and assistance to orphanage homes and other organizations that cater for vulnerable and abandoned children. Run by a group of Africans at Microsoft, this organization supports orphanages in five countries in Africa. They may be small but they make a big difference in the lives of the orphans their funding benefits - and with your help they can make an even bigger difference! Join us for the fundraiser, or volunteer some time - a small time commitment from you could mean the world to an African orphanage.
Save The Date On Saturday April 5th, LittleDrops Orphanage Fund will host "A Night of Hope 2008". It will be a night filled lots of great food, entertainment, culture and more. Even better it will be a wonderful opportunity to raise funds to help orphans in Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroun, Ghana and Togo. So please save the date - we will update this site closer to the date with another reminder.
We need your help If you are interested in volunteering your time to help with this event, the team is looking for people who can help in the following areas:
If you are willing and able to help out in any way, or you need more information, please contact volunteer@LittleDropsOrphanageFund.org. The team is also looking for people interested in helping out on a longer term basis, so if you're interested let us know!
3月3日 Africa 101 panel event this Thursday (March 6th) at Seattle Public LibraryHeads up about this interesting-looking event this Thursday in Seattle. Details pasted directly from the Seattle Public Library website. Looks like there's another opportunity in May, when the Ethiopian author of "The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears", Dinaw Mengestu, will be in town!
Results of soccer match on SaturdayOn Saturday, Africans United played Chego Ja at the Microsoft sports fields in Redmond and we're happy to report we won 3-2, a great start to the season!
Details for the next game are below - if you're in town, drop by and cheer us on!
2月29日 One death is a tragedy; a million is a statisticThis story ran in our internal newsletter this month and references a recent opportunity the Africans at Microsoft community had to band together in support of a Burundian refugee family who had just arrived in the US with nothing, and were trying to establish themselves with the help of a local church. Africans reached out from all over the Seattle region - and some international Microsoft locations - to offer and supply funds, clothing, furniture, phone cards and food. It has been - and continues to be - an inspiring and heart warming example of how the community can be there for other Africans; and how when faced with a specific example of need (rather than an overwhelming and remote story), people are galvanized to take action. Did you know that we’ve reached a time in history where people simply don’t care about anything other than the individual? There’s research to prove it. University of Oregon researcher, Paul Slovic, studied this phenomenon by presenting photographs to a group of subjects. In the first photograph eight children needed $300,000 to receive medical attention in order to save their lives. In the next photograph, one child needed $300,000 for medical bills. Most subjects were willing to donate to the one and not the group of children. Here’s the kicker. Slovic later repeated the test, showing three photos to participants: a starving African girl, a starving African boy and a photo of both of them together. Participants felt equivalent amounts of sympathy for each child when viewed separately, but compassion levels declined when the children were viewed together. I don’t know if this study was US-centric, but it made me wonder if Africans also lack compassion. Then somebody sent a mail to the Africans alias about the plight of a local refugee family. And the outpouring of compassion and support from fellow Africans gave me hope that we do all believe our humanity is bound up in the lives of those around us. [FYI click here for an interesting article on Bill Gates in relation to Slovic's study]. I remembered the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, about an African philosophy called ubuntu: “Ubuntu is very difficult to render into a Western language. It speaks of the very essence of being human… I am human because I belong. I participate. I share. A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good…” Makes me proud to be African at Microsoft! 2月28日 Soccer game this Saturday!The Africans at Microsoft soccer team is Africans United. We're playing this weekend on the Microsoft main campus (Redmond, Washington, USA) sports fields - come and check us out as well as the other teams playing this weekend! Premier division times are below.
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