Agbani Darego & Millen Magese at Touch Foundation's Cocktails on the Terrace 2010

"The Touch Foundation is a not-for-profit organization working with local partners to address the severe shortage of doctors, nurses and other health workers in Tanzania. Ultimately, the Touch Foundation aims to make itself redundant overtime, leaving behind a fully functioning health worker training system that can be replicated across Africa."

via{afrikanspot}

Serena Williams Opens 2nd School In Africa

Serena Williams 4 time Wimbledon champion has opened a 2nd school in Africa, watch video above.

via{cnn}&{daylife}

New Pan African Reality Show "STYLOGENIC" hosted by Agbani Darego to launch in 2010

New style-focused Pan-African Reality TV Show hosted by former Miss World, Agbani Darego set to air this summer


“You better go and think of a real career!” That was the response that most African parents would give when their children suggested that they wanted to enter the world of fashion. Perhaps as a model, fashion stylist, fashion designer, photographer, makeup artist or even a fashion photographer.

Thanks to the success of fashion pioneers including Iman, Oluchi and Liya Kebede, things are changing. Fashion is being recognized as a worthy profession.

An exciting new Pan-African Reality TV show – STYLOGENIC is set to propel African fashion and those that aspire to join the industry to greater heights.

STYLOGENIC is a show like no other. Rather than being based on the search for a top model or designer or stylist, the show is based around the concept of a style team! So contestants are going to be grouped in teams consisting of the various ‘style elements’. That is a model, designer, stylist, makeup artist, photographer and model. They will compete as a team and will battle it out with fellow teams for the grand prize!
 

The show recently held a media presentation in Lagos which was attended by the host, one of the most famous women in Africa – Former Miss World, Agbani Darego. Agbani won the Miss World crown in 2001, making her the first and only black African to ever win the title. She went on to have a successful modeling career which included a stint as a L'Oreal International “Face” and Spokesperson, numerous commercial ad campaigns and features in US Vogue and Essence magazine.

Entries for the show will open soon and entries will be accepted from all eligible Africans based on the continent and in Diaspora. The show will begin airing in September 2010.

Desert Flower

Desert Flower is a booked about the life of model Waris Dirie who fought for social reform in Somalia against female genital mutilation. The book was adapted into a movie produced by Peter & Benjamin Herrmann . Liya Kebede plays the part of Waris Dirie, the film was released fall 2009. View trailer above.

Waris Dirie Foundation

Finding Depth in Fela’s Women

The nine women in tight outfits, elaborate hairdos and painted faces represent the 27 real-life co-wives of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who married them collectively in what he considered a personal and political gesture as he fought against Nigeria’s corrupt authoritarian regime and defended traditional African culture. Read more here at NYTimes

Presence Africaine Exhibition

If you happen to visit Paris over the holidays an exhibition called "Presence Africaine" is taking place until January 31 2010.

"African presence is the literary and cultural journal founded by the intellectual Senegalese Alioune Diop in 1947, also became a publisher in 1949. It has been a dissemination tool that has enabled black writers and intellectuals to assert their cultural identities and the historical context of colonial or denied "making exotic."

Click here for details

Uganda Bans Female Circumcision

"The Ugandan parliament unanimously passed a bill banning female genital mutilation, a traditional rite that has sparked an international outcry and is practiced in some African and Asian communities. The practice, which involves cutting off a girl's clitoris, is also called female circumcision. In some communities in eastern Uganda, it is practiced in girls up to age 15. Convicted offenders face 10 years in prison, but if the girl dies during the act, those involved will get a life sentence, according to officials in the east African country." read more here @CNN.com

East African albinos flee murder, dismemberment

The belief that albino body parts have magical powers has driven thousands of Africa's albinos into hiding, fearful of losing their lives and limbs to unscrupulous dealers who can make huge profits selling a complete dismembered set. continue reading here

5th anniversary of the Gucci Campaign to Benefit UNICEF

Gucci is pleased to present the 5th anniversary of the Gucci Campaign to Benefit UNICEF. Following the annual holiday tradition, Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini has designed an original collection of items to be sold in over 200 Gucci stores worldwide and on gucci.com from November 16 to December 31, 2009. A percentage of sales from these items will support UNICEF programs for orphans and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

To honor the 5th anniversary of the campaign, Frida Giannini has commissioned acclaimed author and illustrator Michael Roberts to create a magical new children’s book, Snowman in Africa. When customers purchase Snowman in Africa, Gucci will donate 100% of its total $25 USD retail price to UNICEF.

Taking inspiration from Michael Roberts’ whimsical illustrations, Giannini has also designed exclusive Gucci accessories as well as a Gucci Gift Card to benefit UNICEF. Two new Gucci Joy handbags feature Roberts’ distinctive designs in a rich appliqué version and a sportier print version. Other accessories include symbolic charms representing characters from the book, and small leather goods featuring one of the animated prints. The special edition Gift Card to benefit UNICEF is new to this year’s campaign, and ranges in value from $50 - $5,000 USD. Gucci will donate 25% of the retail price of the dedicated accessories collection and special edition Gift Cards to UNICEF.

The Gucci Campaign to Benefit UNICEF is the most successful philanthropic partnership in the company’s history. To date, Gucci has committed over $7 million to UNICEF and is currently the largest corporate donor to UNICEF’s “Schools for Africa” Campaign. The funds generated by the Gucci Campaign to Benefit UNICEF supports education, healthcare, protection and clean water programs for orphans and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa, where over 2.3 million children have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Click here for full details/ gucci.com

Thanks to MAISON CHAPLIN for the heads up

CNN African Journalist of The Year Competition

"The 'CNN African Journalist of the Year Competition' was established in August 1995 to encourage, promote and recognise excellence in African journalism. In the early nineties Edward Boateng, then Regional Director of Turner Broadcasting (CNN's parent company), was travelling around the African continent on business. During his travels he became concerned about the lack of respect journalists received and he decided to try and help them gain recognition for their hard work and commitment." Read more here

Who can enter

You must be an African National, working on the continent for African owned, or headquartered, media organisations. Your work must have appeared in printed publications or electronic media that is primarily targeted at and received by an African audience.

Click here for full details and to submit an entry Submission deadline is January 28th 2010

Arise 2010 Collection

Barack Obama tells Africa to stop blaming colonialism for problems

Ahead of a visit to Ghana at the weekend, he said: "Ultimately, I'm a big believer that Africans are responsible for Africa.

"I think part of what's hampered advancement in Africa is that for many years we've made excuses about corruption or poor governance, that this was somehow the consequence of neo-colonialism, or the West has been oppressive, or racism – I'm not a big – I'm not a believer in excuses."

Continue reading full article here

Tuareg Ethnic group in North & West Africa

The Tuareg (also Twareg or Touareg, Amazigh: Imuhagh / Itargiyen, besides regional ethnyms) are a nomadic pastoralist people. They are the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa. They call themselves variously Kel Tamasheq or Kel Tamajaq("Speakersof Tamasheq"), Imuhagh, Imazaghan or Imashaghen ("the Free people"), or Kel Tagelmust, i.e., "People of the Veil". The name Tuareg was applied to them by early explorers and historians (since Leo Africanus).source

Rose Francine Rogombe Gabon's First Female President

Rose Francine Rogombe, speaker of Gabon's senate, has been sworn in as the country's first woman president for a transitional period at a ceremony in the capital, Libreville.

Rogombe assumes the presidency following the death of Omar Bongo Ondimba, who ruled the oil-rich equatorial African country for 41 years.

"I swear to devote all my strength to the good of the Gabonese people," Rogombe said on Wednesday while taking the oath of office. Before Rogombe took the oath, a minute's silence was held in memory of Bongo. Continue reading here

Omar Bongo President of Gabon Has Died

El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba (30 December 1935 – 7 June 2009) was a Gabonese politician who had been President of Gabon from 1967 to 2009. After Cuban President Fidel Castro stepped down in February 2008, he became the world's longest serving ruler, excluding monarchies^[3] and the longest ruling head of government (but not head of state).

In May 2009, he checked into a clinic in Barcelona, dying in June 2009.source

Aissa Maiga French Actress

Nationality: French
Date of birth: 25/05/1975
Gender: Female

Biography: Actress Aissa Maïga was born in Dakar, Senegal in 1975, Malian father and mother sénégalaise. Her parents left Africa to settle in France when she was only 4 years.source

Dance Africa

"Now in its 32nd year, DanceAfrica, guided by the inspired, creative vision of Artistic Director Chuck Davis, unites dance companies from across the nation to shake the Opera House stage. This year Washington DC-based percussion orchestra Farafina Kan—the "sound of Africa"—shares the history and spirit of West African music; New York group SeeWe African Dance Company uses African rhythms and instruments to enlighten audiences; Brooklyn-based Evidence, A Dance Company fuses traditional African dance with contemporary movements and spoken word"Continue reading here

Happy Independence Day Eritrea

Eritrea Independence

Ron Eglash: African Fractals in Buildings and Braids

Ron Eglash is an ethno-mathematician: he studies the way math and cultures intersect. He has shown that many aspects of African design -- in architecture, art, even hair braiding -- are based on perfect fractal patterns.

When Europeans first came to Africa, they considered the architecture very disorganized and thus primitive. It never occurred to them that the Africans might have been using a form of mathematics that they hadn't even discovered yet. -- Ron Eglash, Mathematician

Check out his book African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design

Zuma sworn in as S Africa president

Jacob Zuma has been sworn in as South Africa's fourth president since the end of apartheid.
Zuma, who took the oath of office at a ceremony in Pretoria on Saturday, vowed to uphold the tradition of reconciliation begun by Nelson Mandela, one of his predecessors and the man who led the struggle against white apartheid rule. Continue reading here