Shaming Tribal Marks

Photo by Salvatore Gebbia on Pexels

by Adetayo Adetokun

Tribal marks have been an intrinsic part of African culture for centuries, and many communities regard them as a sign of beauty and cultural identity. However, there is a growing movement in Africa to discourage the practice of tribal marking, with many people decrying it as an archaic and harmful tradition that has no place in modern society. We explore the practice of tribal marking in Africa, the reasons behind it, and the arguments against it.

The Power of Multilingualism: Benefits, Challenges, and Opportunities to Africa.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels

by Cynthia Umeh

Multilingualism is a superpower that has the potential to unlock numerous benefits, opportunities, and challenges in today's globalized world. However, when it comes to Africa and people of African descent, the power of multilingualism is indeed more significant. 

From Literature to Film: The Importance of the Spanish Language in African Culture

Photo by Jennie Clavel on Unsplash

by Cynthia Umeh

Hola amigos! 

Today, we'll delve into the intriguing area of Spanish influence in African culture, particularly through literature and films. Spain has a long and complicated history with Africa, having conquered numerous African countries in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Despite this often contentious history, the Spanish language has played and continues to play an important part in African cultural expression.

How Creativity and Innovation are Strengthening the African Economy

Photo by Javier Miranda on Unsplash

by Adetayo Adetokun

Creativity and innovation are powerful drivers of economic growth and development. They are crucial elements in the creation of new industries, products, and services, which in turn create employment opportunities and generate wealth. In Africa, creativity and innovation are playing an increasingly important role in strengthening the continent's economy.

World Creativity and Innovation Day, celebrated on April 21 every year, provides an opportunity to reflect on how creativity and innovation are shaping the African economy. In this blog post, we will explore how creativity and innovation are driving economic growth in Africa.

The Evolving Landscape of the Chinese Language

Photo by Expect Best

by Cynthia Umeh

...Exploring its Future and its Significance to Africa, Africans and People of African Descent.

The Chinese language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with over 1.3 billion speakers worldwide. As China continues to grow in economic and political influence, the Chinese language is poised to become even more important on the global stage. We will explore the future of the Chinese language and how it might evolve in the years to come.

Financing Primary Health Care Systems in Africa

Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels

by Adetayo Adetokun

World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7, and this year's theme is "Health for All." This theme emphasizes the need for universal health coverage, which ensures that everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status, can access quality healthcare services. One of the ways to achieve this is by integrating more funding for primary healthcare centres in Africa by African governments.

HIV and the Hopes of a Vaccine

Photo by Thirdman on Pexels

By Adetayo Adetokun

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been one of the most feared and deadly viruses since its discovery in the 1980s. Despite significant progress in treatment options, HIV continues to pose a significant public health challenge globally, with millions of people infected and affected by the disease. The development of an effective HIV vaccine has been a critical priority for researchers, health professionals, and governments globally. In this blog post, we will explore the current state of HIV vaccine research, the challenges, the latest innovations, and the hope for a vaccine.

The Power Series: Power Outage and Maternal Health

Image: SHVETS Production on Pexels

By Adetayo Adetokun

Power outages are a major challenge faced by many African countries, with limited access to electricity being a significant barrier to development and progress. According to the World Bank, over 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity, making up nearly two-thirds of the population on the continent. Furthermore, frequent power outages are a common occurrence, with some areas experiencing blackouts for several hours every day.

'Love Your Lemons' Webinar

Photo by Klaus Nielsen

by Safiyah Salawu Ibrahim

On October 27, 2022, Shades of Us Storytelling Initiative for African People (Shades of Us) attended the Love Your Lemons Webinar, an event organised by the Medicaid Foundation in Abuja during a week-long event geared towards raising breast cancer awareness. The goal was to raise awareness about breast cancer and to encourage women across all age groups to have regular visits to the hospital because early detection of cancer is vital to its management.

The Tennis Woman

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

by Adetayo Adetokun

Black women in tennis have faced significant obstacles due to both racism and sexism throughout the history of the sport. Despite these challenges, black women have consistently demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination to succeed at the highest levels of the sport.

The Women of Makoko

Photo by Clement Eastwood on Pexels

by Adetayo Adetokun

Makoko is a sprawling informal settlement located in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is one of the largest slum communities in West Africa, with an estimated population of over 300,000 people. Makoko has often been neglected by the government and faces numerous challenges daily.

The Power Series: Power Outage and Neonatal Safety

Photo by Charles Eugene on Unsplash

by Adetayo Adetokun

Africa is a continent with diverse cultures and a rich heritage, but it also faces many challenges that hinder its progress and development. One such challenge is the issue of power outages, which affects many African countries and disrupts essential services such as hospitals, schools, and businesses. Among these essential services, hospitals are particularly vulnerable to power outages, and the impact of these can be especially severe on neonatal health.

Walk and Run Against Cancer

Shades of Us at the Walk and Run Against Cancer Event Hosted by Women in ICT to Commemorate World Cancer Day

Cancer is a group of diseases characterised by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. There are many different types of cancer, each with its own unique causes, symptoms, and treatments. Women suffer various types of cancer. 

J Blood Match: An App to Connect Blood Donors and Recipients

Angela Ochu-Baiye, CEO of Jela's Development Initiatives Addressing Guests During the J Blood Match

by Cynthia Umeh and Nkem Nwachukwu

Jela’s Development Initiatives (JDI) launched the J Blood Match App, an artificial intelligence application that connects voluntary blood donors to recipients using their blood type and location, on February 9, 2023. 

Free… Yet Bound

Photo by Nick Owuor (astro.nic.visuals) on Unsplash

by Adetayo Adetokun

African feminists are individuals and organizations working towards the advancement of women's rights and equality in Africa. They work to challenge traditional gender roles and societal attitudes that perpetuate the notion of women's inferiority and promote laws and policies that protect and empower women. African feminists also advocate for access to education, healthcare, and other essential services for women, and women's participation in political and economic decision-making processes.

Celebrating African Women in Science

Photo by RF._.studio on Pexels

by Adetayo Adetokun

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebrated on February 11 each year, is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the critical role women and girls play in scientific fields and promote their full and equal access to, and participation in, science. While there has been some progress in recent years, the representation of women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) remains disproportionately low. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Science Report 2021, one in three researchers in science globally is a woman. In sub-Saharan Africa, between a mere 18 to 31 percent of science researchers are women, compared to 49 percent in Southeast Europe and the Caribbean; 44 percent in Central Asia and Latin America; and 37 percent in the Middle Eastern States.

Ripple Effects of Poverty: Child Marriage

Photo by Dick Scholten on Pexels

by Grace Anaja

Child marriage is a plague that affects millions of girls all around the world. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) describes child marriage as 'any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child.' In countries like Niger, Nigeria, and Central African Republic, 36% of girls are married before age 18, and 10% are married before age 15. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also states that marriage must be entered by individuals who are fully consenting and at full age.

Changing 'Narratives' at the Borno Book and Arts Festival

Book Chat with Isa Umar Tela

by Adetayo Adetokun

The Borno Book and Arts Festival is the State's first arts and creativity festival, celebrating arts, culture, storytelling, and creativity. The festival featured panel discussions, workshops, poetry and local musical performances, art exhibitions, cultural displays, and book drives. 

Walk 4 Education: Taking Steps to Advocate for Quality Education in Nigeria

Cynthia Umeh, our Audio and Video Editor, at the Walk4Education event in Abuja, Nigeria

by Cynthia Umeh

Another fun-filled event!

Shades of Us Storytelling Initiative for African People ('Shades of Us') was invited for Walk4Education, a fitness and advocacy walk organized by FlexiSAF Foundation to commemorate World Human Rights Day on December 10, 2022, at the International Conference Center. Nothing was better than exercising while advocating for the rights of out-of-school children and wrapping up the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign, which began on November 25, 2022.

Killing Me Softly...With Your Words

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

by Grace Anaja

Verbal abuse is one of the major forms of abuse that is less spoken about or addressed. It is pretty detrimental because it usually affects individuals emotionally and psychologically.

Cheating (vrb). Women (n).

Photo by Ogo on Pexels

By Grace Anaja

Men cheat. 

And yes, women also cheat. 

The Future of Health Conference: Investing in Nigeria's Future

Group photo after the second-panel session at the Future of Health Conference in Abuja.
Image Credit: Nigeria Health Watch

by Adetayo Adetokun

The Future of Health Conference is an annual conference hosted by Nigeria Health Watch. The conference aims to provide a visible platform for critical stakeholders in healthcare, finance, politics, and other allied sectors to discuss the factors that influence Nigeria’s health policies; how political, social, and economic factors shape individual and population health outcomes; health service development within the economic and political context; and how to create a national health service that meets the needs of all Nigerians.

Lessons from the 2022 World Health Summit

General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director, World Health Organization

by Adetayo Adetokun

We attended the World Health Summit from October 16 - 18, 2022, and had insightful takeaways, especially from the sessions curated for African healthcare and food systems.

'Rape for Grades'

Photo by Charlotte May on Pexels

by Grace Anaja

Rape for grades is a well-known phenomenon. It involves dangling academic grades in exchange for sexual favors.  Even if one party – in this case, the students – consents to trade sexual favors for improved grades, the power dynamics between the school’s employee and the student means that one cannot consent without the niggling fear that their refusal may mean failure. Thus, it is considered rape.

Red Card to 'Sextortion'

By Grace Anaja

We attended the RedCard2Sextortion Campaign launch and panel discussion organized by Devatop Centre for Africa Development and supported by the United States Embassy in Nigeria on December 9, 2022, at the Raw Materials and Research and Development Council, Abuja. The discussions aimed to highlight and address sexual violence to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).