Charity: Water (Bringing Clean Water to the World)

The brain child of New York City photojournalist and night club promoter Scott Harrison, charity: water is a non-profit initiative based in NYC focused on bringing clean, safe drinking water to people of developing nations.  Founded in 2006, it has to date helped fund 2,906 projects in 17 countries, benefiting over 1,277,430 people.  Overall, the organization has sent more than $10 million to developing countries as of February, 2010.  For Harrison, the path to charity: water began in 2004 when he committed eight months of his life to the poor and marginalized of Africa through volunteer service in Liberia, with Mercy Ships (the global charity organization founded by Don Stephens and Deyon Stephens). While in Liberia, Harrison was exposed to the harsh living conditions of the impoverished people and traced problems surrounding education, safety, and health back to the water, proving that 80% of all the diseases they encountered were attributable to unsafe water and poor sanitation.  Wanting to commit to a life of service, Harrison decided that the lack of clean water facing the poor of the world was something he could do something about it.  Read more . . .

The Wodaabe: the Beautiful People of Northwest Africa

The Wodaabe, a subculture of the larger Fulbe-speaking Fulani, are a group of nomadic cattle-herders and traders who historically have been highly influential in politics and economics throughout western Africa.  Known to have existed for over one thousand years, the Wodaabe continue to play a significant role in furthering Fulani domination in the West African region.  Referring to themselves as Bororo, the Wodaabe migration area currently stretches from southern Niger to northern Nigeria, northeastern Cameroon to the western region of the Central African Republic.  In 1983, the number of Wodaabe was estimated at 45,000; a more current assessment virtually impossible due to geographic dispersal and cultural restrictions.  Perhaps the most visually striking culture compared to other indigenous groups of this region, the Wodaabe are known for their beauty (both men and women), elaborate attire, and rich cultural ceremonies.  Read more . . .

Is a Society Where Men and Women Have Equal Rights Possible? A Look at the Mbuti of Africa

For centuries, social scientists, theologians, historians, and philosophers hypothesized that a society where men and women had equal rights could exist in "theory," but had maintained the perspective that circumstances supporting such a society would be extremely rare, and temporary at best.  Eurocentric ideals supported the premise that individual survival depends on societal organization, societal survival depends on institutional progress, and progress depends on the intentional delineation of social responsibilities according to one’s abilities.  This perspective concluded that a society could not survive if it did not exploit its resources–through forced labor, slavery, and threat of violence; and that included the strengths and weaknesses of its people.  Read more . . .

Are the Women of Nigeria the Most Sexually-Responsible Women in the World?

As recent statistics show (2010), the women of Nigeria are perhaps the greatest users of sex toys in the world.  As explained by Princess Sola Oladimeji in an article recently appearing in Nigerian World Newspaper, as chief executive officer of Oju-Ogeâ’s World, one of the more popular sex toy outlets in Nigeria, she’s witnessed first-hand the surge in the purchase of various types of sex toys in recent years, explaining, “There are a lot of women who kept several lovers before marriage and you know these men would come with various penis sizes.  So when such a woman gets married, she might end up with a man who may not satisfy her in bed.  But in order not to commit adultery, she would resort to sex toys.  It will satisfy her and also save her marriage.”  But is that all there is to the story?  Read more . . .

Yoruba/Santeria: From Africa to the Western World

During the Americas’ long slave-trade history, the majority of Africans brought to the New World were a people known as the Yoruba, from the West Africa region of Nigeria.  The Yoruba religion (known as Santeria among Hispanics) is a traditional nature and ancestor worship system with an oral tradition going back at least 1000 years.  Many Yoruba brought to the New World were delivered to Cuba, Brazil, and Haiti to work the sugar cane fields for the Spanish government.  In order to preserve their religious traditions against Catholic repression, the African slaves syncretized their saints called "orishas" with Catholic saints. Thus, Shango became equated with Saint Barbara; Obatala, Our Lady of Mercy.  Read more . . .