Ethiopia: Hope for a small People
The Menjas live in the south-west of Ethiopia. They are marginalised and discriminated by other ethnic groups. Two Catholic sisters stand up for them. In the shadow of the giant jungle trees, Kenito Atumo squats on the ground, plucking out every green stalk that sprouts from the ground near his little coffee plant. “Weeds are the […]
Ethiopia: Hope for a Small People
The Menjas live in the south-west of Ethiopia. They are marginalised and discriminated by other ethnic groups. Two Catholic sisters stand up for them. In the shadow of the giant jungle trees, Kenito Atumo squats on the ground, plucking out every green stalk that sprouts from the ground near his little coffee plant. “Weeds are the […]
Wax: The Pan African Cloth
Now popular in many countries, African wax cloth owes its creative and commercial success to the fact that it is not tied to any particular African culture. It must guard against Chinese imitations and violations of copyright. French anthropologist, Anne Grosfilley, an expert in African materials, recounts the history of this cloth. When we speak […]
Bolivia: Rituals for a Qechua marriage
Marriage involves a series of rituals, and four essential stages among the Quechua people of the Bolivian Andes: coca leaf reading, verbal commitment, asking for the bride’s hand and the official celebration of marriage. The preparation for marriage among the Quechua and Aymara peoples starts during adolescence, when a Waynuchu (young man) and an imilla […]
Ethiopia: Timket: The Feast of the two Testaments
The feast of Timket or Baptism of the Lord is celebrated in Ethiopia on January 19, 12 days after Christmas. An original feature with regard to this celebration is that in Ethiopia the Old and New Testaments are combined, since, in addition to commemorating the baptism of Jesus, the Ark of the Covenant or Tabot […]
Kenya: People with a future in their hands.
Many years ago, a local district officer gave a small plot for a non-formal school in the Mukuru slums of Nairobi. The Mukuru Promotion Centre (MCP) started and along the years has become an important place for thousands of people giving them a future and dignity. We visited the Centre. Mukuru is one of the […]
The entrepreneur who uses technology to save African languages
At the age of 31, Elizabeth Kperrun has founded a start-up that makes digital material available to children while valuing their mother language and African cultures, combining tradition and innovation. Who says tradition and innovation must be in opposition? Elizabeth Kperrun, one of the ten most interesting female entrepreneurs emerging in Africa according to Forbes […]
Christmas in Ethiopia: A Day of Joy.
The Christmas cycle begins with a long period of fasting, corresponding to Advent in the Latin rite. It begins around November 15 (Hedar 6 in the Ethiopian calendar). The feast of Christmas or Ledet (the Birth of Jesus) is invariably celebrated on January 7 (28 or 29 of Tahsas in the Ethiopian calendar). If […]
Philippines: To give dignity
When Sr. Mary Varguese, a nun who used to work with special children in India, arrived in the Philippines to take care of a centre of mentally-challenged persons, the conditions were so bad that she was “completely shocked.” However, after some years of hard work, the situation has greatly improved. We visited the place. When […]
Western Africa: The confraternity of Knowledge. The mysterious world of the Donso hunters.
They are seers and traditional healers with a vast knowledge of medicinal plants, spells and fetishes. They represent an example of moral integrity. Today they enjoy a high position in Malinke society, especially in the rural environment. African societies have always lived in a close relationship with the world of visible powers and that of […]
