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The Embrace Of Illiteracy As Traditional Value In Africa
A traumatized woman after circumcision
Africa is a vast continent filled with varieties of customs, traditions, cultures and languages. Some of these outdated traditions and customs are seen as senseless, useless, valueless, illiteracy and complete ignorance.
Female Circumcision: It is estimated that about 140 million girls and women worldwide are currently living with disastrous effects of female circumcision. Horrific procedures have severely traumatized and psychologically affected thousands of women. Female circumcision is practiced in 26 countries across Africa.
In the Republic of Sierra Leone, an ethnic group called "The Bondo Society" still carries this outdated tradition. Gambia launched a three-year program aimed to abolish Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Female circumcision is the number one on my list as illiteracy taken as traditional or custom.
Horrible tribal marks of a Yoruba woman
Horrible tribal marks in Nigeria: In the olden days, tribal marks were used as identification, especially in Yoruba lands, such as Ogun, Oyo, Ondo States, and Benin. Should in case something happens to you, your tribal marks would help to identify the tribe you originate or where you come from. The illiteracy behind this barbarous act has disfigured the face of thousands of Nigerians.
Some of the marks are so horrible that they attract people and gossip. Some women have to live with it for the rest of their lives without husbands. Time changes as we step into the world of technology and development. Disfiguring of the face as tribal marks is gradually fading away or completely stopped in many places thought out the country.
In South Africa, is a relatively landlocked country called Swaziland. The king of the country, Mswati III has 14 wives. This illiteracy which had been in existence for years is followed as a tradition.
The 46-year old monarch has ruled over Swaziland, which is on the brink of economic disaster for 28 years. He can't even solve the problems of 40 per cent of Swazis that are unemployed, the country's highest HIV infection rate per capita in the world, and the life expectancy of 46 years among the world's lowest, yet at every annual reed dance, the king takes the opportunity to take a new wife. Is this king ignorant, serious or a joker?
Swaziland King Mswati III chooses a wife annually during Reed dance. Photo credit: Reuters
He recently married a girl of fifteen. Apart from the continued abuse of young girls, the king's wealth includes expensive cars (fleets of top-of-the-range Mercedes and BMW cars, at least one Rolls-Royce and a $500,000 Daimler Chrysler flagship Maybach 62) and the private jet ($17 million), while the citizens wallow in poverty. This money can be invested into education and health care to develop his country. Have you seen how stupid and ignorant some of these African leaders are?
Ignorance or illiteracy? Swaziland King Mswati III has made Africa a laughing stock in the eyes of the Advanced World.
When Asia is making headlines around the world, it's about business, but in the case of Africa, it's about poverty, corruption, war, conflicts and such stupid traditions and customs, draining Africa's coffers and under-developing Africa. I have said this and I will repeat once again "If African leaders want the Advanced World to respect them, they should show a little intelligence and maturity because they underestimate and laugh at Africa.
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The Development Of Africa And Asia Through The Lenses Of Technology And Communication
Modern technology, through communication and internet have influenced and enhanced Africa's development, in a way that lives of many throughout the continent have significantly improved. The demand of ICT companies in Africa, have created fast growing mobile and internet markets providing employment to thousands of people.
A country without technology economy can never grow. It is therefore the effort of every government in Africa to invest into ICT facilities to sustain the economy. Technology is therefore essential and important establishing sustainable startup companies and firms in Africa. Today, several major technology trends are shaping the lives of Africans and the economies, with many formidable mobile companies, with communication tools such as the internet and telephone enabling quick access to every part of the world.
Let's have a glance at the effect of ICT trends in Ghana, choosing MTN as an example. Officially launched in 1994, MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 21 countries throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: "MTN" Detailed Report Data for 30 September 2010, MTN recorded 134,4 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia.
MTN MobileMoney, a service which allows users to perform micro-financing and transfer money from their mobile device, has been adopted across the continent. The basic satisfaction behind this is the answer to customers' dream of enjoying basic financial services on their mobile phones everywhere they go in Ghana and above all one doesn't need a bank account to cash his or her money. This service provided by MTN in partnership with banks is also available on the internet. MTN MobileMoney service is recommended to be secure, simple, fast and convenient solution for money transfer and other transactions including reloading of MTN airtime units.
Let's have a quick glance at India. What is a successful strategic technology? That is an existing technology that has matured, which is the case of India. The country has become an IT brand among the global countries over the years, with strong policies base in education, well-established telecommunication & infrastructure facilities and favourable market conditions that prevail. Many Indian cities are now holding prominent places in the global IT map. Now India stands out as one of the biggest and fastest growing economies in the world.
The country's matured technology offers an opportunity for strategic business advantage, continuing expansion in foreign firms owned establishments in India, with its emergence as favorite sector for local Indian investors and talented entrepreneurs. Yet Indian IT industry is still only in its very early stages of development both internationally and domestically and has strong growth potential.
The industry growing at 40 percent per annum between 1994 and 1999, with software exports alone more than 50 percent, earned revenue growth IT industry from $1 billion in 1990 to $8 billion in 2000, envisioned to reach $100 billion in 2008.
"While predicting the future is hard to do, it's indubitable that the Internet and mobile technology will improve the lives of many Africans in the years to come," said tech expert Rudy de Waele, who assists global brands and companies with cutting edge open innovation strategy on how to mobilize their business and products through projects, research, strategy, presentations, workshops and brainstorms.
ICT developed and developing continents, such as Africa and Asia hold its own communications future, as talent shines through and the continent becomes leading innovator, manufacturer and exporter throughout the continents and of the rest of the world.