10 Things I never knew until I lived in West Africa and worked with Afrolehar
With Afrolehar’s permission, we have decided to republish this blog on Abrabrand as the topic remains relevant. This blog was written and published by Afrolehar LLC.
By Abigail Simmons
- Africa had some of the world’s fastest growing economies. Most of the narrative I heard around Africa was that it was impoverished, though after my experience living in West Africa, I realized the numerous opportunities and growth potential of the continent, including the country I was living in- Benin. And working with Afrolehar, I was able to see the evidence of the potential, as data-driven strategies is one of the added values of Afrolehar solutions. In fact, while the world’s economy has grown an average of 2.9% in 2014, many countries in sub- Saharan Africa in particular are predicted to grow by at least 4% in 2015. http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/01/daily-chart?fsrc=scn/tw_ec/gauging_growth_in_2015
- Women were vital to the labor and product markets, making them vital business leaders in Africa. During my time in Benin for example, I had two host mothers that owned their own businesses and worked 90 hours a week. They sent their children to international schools and universities around the world, traveled for business in Thailand, France, India, and China, and owned their own land. I spent a large amount of my time with women that had very little education and yet were running their communities and households by their entrepreneurial ventures. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/world/africa/women-entrepreneurs-drive-growth-in-africa.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
- Africa holds many technology and start up hubs. It was not until I was engaged in the research for projects at Afrolehar that I had even read about the African apps and companies that were garnering funding from international investors and changing the face of development. http://www.fastcoexist.com/3028178/change-generation/meet-the-entrepreneurs-behind-nigerias-start-up-revolution
- It is reported that Africa has over 2000 spoken languages. While working in Benin, I heard on average 5 different languages a day. The languages that were understood in the south of Benin were vastly different from those in the north and the dialects were different in villages than they were in the city. As I traveled, I learned that African countries have up to hundreds of different languages, which often showcases the inter-ethnic communication in one country. http://www.vox.com/2014/7/2/5862696/where-people-speak-what-languages?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=vox&utm_content=share:article:top
- Africa had many Ethnicities. Before I ever worked and lived with Africans, I assumed that most places were similar and that if you’d seen one place in Africa, you’d seen them all. It did not take me long to realize that each country is vastly different, and that within each one, there are many tribes and cultures as well. Before working with African organizations, I couldn’t understand the difference between Wolof and French and didn’t know what Ingera or FuFu was. As I am working as part of the Afrolehar team that focuses on cross-cultural branding, I continue to deepen my understanding about the regions and the cultural diversity of the continent. For example, the nomadic Peul (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/348958671102456463) of Northern Benin look very different from the Toffin (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/35817759511489743) that live on the water in the South.
- Immigrants and Expats moved to the continent for the same reasons as people move to the U.S. While in West Africa, I worked with people from all over the world who came to West Africa to work for a company or NGO, or to simply enjoy the life in Africa. Here is Marek Zmyslowski, managing director of Jovago, who succeeded in Nigeria {http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/taking-the-leap-entrepreneur-on-why-he-left-poland-to-start-a-business-in-nigeria/45881}. Many immigrants moved there for a better life for their families and for more opportunities similarly to Africans who migrate around the world for better opportunities in life. What makes Africa’s largest cities is the presence of the Internationalized culture that constitutes diverse restaurants, luxury and retail shops, and other businesses influenced by the influx of new cultures. And these immigrants seem to stay and make Africa their home, as I had a chance to meet people who were 2nd and 3rd generation Indian, Lebanese, and Chinese immigrants. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/08/05/how-other-countries-are-scrambling-for-africa-alongside-the-u-s
- Mobile phones and specifically smartphones are powerful tools within the African continent. The transition from a PC oriented culture in the U.S. to ’mobile first’ cultures were quite dramatic for me. Many people that I interacted with in West Africa owned 2 or more phones and used them to do everything from conducting business to calling family, and connecting on social media. In fact even mobile payments, transfers, and banking has increased dramatically in Africa in the last year. pic.twitter.com/WcSN2r2Yta
- African cities are some of the largest and most diverse in the world and have become great hubs of culture, business and innovation. Before truly engaging with Africa, the only images in my mind were of villages, the Sahara desert, and of remote grasslands. I never knew that urban life in Africa was a missing piece to my understanding of the continent. African countries have some of the largest cities in the world (Lagos, Kinshasa, and Luanda to name a few). http://magazine.good.is/guides/good-cities-index-2014
- There is a deep-rooted and poignant connection between many West African cultures and Black American cultures in the Americas. While living in Benin, I witnessed traditional fan fares and ate traditional gumbo (the word for okra in Benin). I started to make the connection between my African heritage deeply rooted in the U.S., South America and West Africa. http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/afri_cult_retent.html http://www.historytoday.com/john-geipel/brazils-african-legacy
- Entrepreneurship, innovation and culture are precious characteristics I found in Africa, and among many things, living in West Africa and working for a small business focusing on African Affairs and cross-cultural branding, sparked an entrepreneurial flame in me and helped me make deeper connections especially about my identity.