Shots vs Totes

Remind me to never order a shot at the bar! NEVER EVER AGAIN!

So last night, while having a few drinks with my new friends from Bor, Sudan, they explained to me why it was important that I request a “tote” of liquor at the bar, as opposed to a “shot”.

As I’ve already said, there are a lot of Ugandans and Kenyans in south Sudan. Most of them came about two years ago when the region began rebuilding and there was a great deal of business opportunities. You can come across Kenyans or Ugandans working in restaurants that mainly cater to foreigners. They are mechanics, drivers, hair dressers, selling produce in the markets. You name it, they’re there.
Unfortunately, many Kenyan and Ugandan women have also taken on some of the “older professions” in our society. Prostitution here is as common as anywhere and apparently in order to be more “tactful” or less forthright about their “services” some women would approach men or vice versa and ask if they’d like a “short time” or how much it would cost for a “short time”. As with most slang terms, “short time” was soon shortened to “short” for short.

So when I approached the bar and asked for a “shot”, I was a bit confused when the bartender looked at me questioningly and proposed 35 Sudanese Pounds (SDP)- roughly $18. Things around here are quite expensive, but $18 for a shot is just ridiculous! So I asked him again, pointing at my rum of choice. (I had bought a liter of mango juice for breakfast it and it was delish and would pair perfectly with a shot of rum as a night cap.) Though a bit confused at my gesture, he repeated 35 SDP again and opened his hands as if to say he didn’t have anymore than that.

At this point, I was becoming slightly annoyed because I refused to believe it cost that much. So I asked him if “Grande” was the only type of rum he had and if there were any that were any cheaper. At that question he said, “Ohhhh, the rum? A tote of that is 7SDP (roughly $4).” And then hurriedly gave me my order.

It wasn’t until later in the night that I found out that the whole time, the bartender thought I was a Kenyan prostitute! I’m glad that we cleared that up before I retreated back to my room, however, I’m still a bit offended that he only offered me 35 SDP…surely I’m worth more than that!

Prevent Youth from Sacrificing Themselves to the Seas

It's no secret that high unemployment in many African countries has been a major factor in the massive migration of young people to Europe and the United States. Youth seek big jobs in big cities and many of those opportunities aren't available in their home countries. Unfortunately, this mass exodus has often resulted in very dangerous and often fatal trips through treacherous conditions in order to be smuggled across borders. In the last twenty years, more than 80,000 people have died trying to enter Europe by sea. Many migrants are lucky if they survive the journey and arrive at their destination, but there are still many who arrive only to face even harsher living conditions than they escaped in their home country, and still perish in vain.


In an attempt to curb the number of young Africans risking their lives to migrate abroad, the European Union has created an immigration center in Bamako, Mali. Its intention is not to be a recruitment center for Africans seeking employment, but rather a supportive and information center that will encourage migrants to move to Europe legally and educate them of the different types of vocational training that would be most useful in gaining them employment once they are able to migrate.

The establishment of the European immigration center is not the first effort to dissuade people from illegal and dangerous migration abroad. A Senegalese woman whose own son died while traveling by boat to the Canary Islands launched her own grassroots campaign a few years ago to educate those in her community about the dangers of small boat travel. She has seen her small fishing community transformed into a departure point for young West Africans traveling to Europe in small fishing boats.

The map below diagrams the path that travelers take throughout the various hubs and transfer points to make it to the northern and western shores of Africa and eventually Europe- usually by way of Spain or Italy.

One Spanish couple who was traumatized by the site of 37 dead Africans, killed by drowning while attempting to travel to Spain, decided to invest in Hansala, Morocco- the community that many of the dead migrants they found came from. They founded an NGO called Solidaridad Directa, that works to enable its citizens to build the capacity of Hansala and encouraged them to continue to develop their community rather than embarking on the often fatal migration to Spain.

Though the EU has sought an institutionalized solution to remedy this issue and many are launching grassroots campaigns to stop Africans from traversing the dangerous journey, it is impossible to ignore the disparities in this situation. Europe and Africa hold strong colonial ties that are still evident in European countries' (especially France) intervention during times political and economic strife on the continent. Europeans easily travel throughout Africa and often obtain their visas when they are entering the country. However, Africans are continually denied visas to Europe and thus their need to smuggle across borders in order to gain entry. Africans do not take boats because they are unable to pay airfare, many times these treacherous boat rides cost more than $1,000. They choose this method because that is their only hope of gaining entry into the country.

For centuries African nations have been exploited by Europe and continue to be. I believe that Africans need to set the same stipulations on entrance to their countries as Europe (and the US) has put on entering theirs. We can not continue to support such a lopsided relationship. We sadly even close our borders to our fellow Africans, but are quick to open them to foreign Europeans and Americans!

We need to work harder to create economic and social conditions within our countries that will dissuade young people from longing to fulfill their dreams abroad. Zebra Jobs, which I wrote about a few moths ago has launched their virtual job fair and I am impressed. It is now up to us to encourage our young people within the country and those that have migrated to to work in Africa and work towards building it rather than sacrificing their human potential to the seas.

The Fight Against Immigrants

In the US, immigration has become a widely contested issue as the economy declines. Many citizens contend that immigrants take jobs from away from them and are demanding that the US tighten their borders.
This weekend in South Africa, the battle against immigration took on a more violent persona as 22 foreigners were killed and over 6,000 forced to flee. Native South Africans in the townships of Johannesburg attacked other Africans who they felt were taking their jobs and benefiting from social services.
It's truly unfortunate that economic conditions have forced Africans to abandon their communal and hospitable spirit. Most of the foreigners killed were from Zimbabwe (up to 3 million Zimbabweans live in South Africa), where they are escaping government persecution and extreme poverty. However, they have been blamed for much of South Africa's own social and economic problems including unemployment, housing shortages, and an extremely high crime level. Many have decided to return home rather than continue to face the violent attacks in South Africa.



Nigerians, Malawians, and Mozambicans were also reported to be recipients of the violence, which include savage beatings, rape, and people being burnt alive. More than 200 perpetrators have been arrested, but mobs are still roaming the streets in search of foreigners and looting and burning their businesses.

Reflections on African Brain Gain Movement

While doing some reading about the Brain Drain, I came across a scholars perception of the African Brain Gain. There is nothing especially enlightening about the scholar's position, but he describes his perception of this phenomenon so precisely, that I had to share it.

Reflections on African Brain Gain Movement
By Ebere Onwudiwe*

Brain drain implies the situation whereby some of the best and the brightest among citizens of Africa are leaving the continent for greener pastures in developed countries. Brain gain is said to occur when these “talented 10th” return to their home countries in Africa with their skills and talents.

I do not think that this conception of brain gain is correct. When a scientist, a doctor,a history professor leaves Africa, brain is drained, but when he returns, brain is not gained. It is replaced. When you replace what you lost, you have not gained. I believe that brain gain only occurs when you attract additional skills from other countries not when you replace skilled manpower that left to other countries.1 To gain is to advance, to add value, not to return to status quo ante. Yet, the conditions which are necessary for attracting skilled labor from other countries are necessarily the same conditions that are needed for a successful repatriation of skilled people lost to other countries, professions and sectors. I am sure that many people here are aware of these enabling conditions: paying salaries and working conditions commensurate with level of expertise including relocation expenses and laboratories; fostering a stable condition of peace and stability at home; ensuring a policy of meritocracy rather than nepotism under which people without skills are given jobs due to those that have them; investing in stable infrastructure including communications, electricity, roads, etc. There so many of these.

I believe that if Africa creates the right conditions, it can attract skilled people from other countries including its skilled children who left, and grand children born in other continents. That would constitute real brain gain.

Onwudiwe goes on to compare the plight of highly skilled and educated African immigrants to that of highly skilled and education African-Americans using W.E. DuBois' theory of the "Double Conscious".

But there is another tension which is not captured in the argument between African leaders and African intellectuals who emigrated. This second tension is the one happening in the heads of each of us Africans who are economic refugees in the United States. Many feel that they should be home rather than here. This fact is a living burden with which many African emigrants are dealing with at the personal level everyday.
Some say that this is a type of identity crises, the type of “double consciousness” that W.E. Du Bois made famous with respect to the African-American educated minority that he called the “talented tenth.” It is said that the inner torture of these African American intellectuals was the realization that their qualifications meant very little in a racist society. For the African emigrants to the United States, it is that their qualifications meant very little to their home countries. Both groups of intellectuals suffer an attendant sense of alienation and guilt.
The African knows that his expertise is more needed in his home country than in his
adopted country, but for some very personal reasons of personal survival and extended
family he knows that he is better-off staying here rather than returning home. This duality of loyalty for country and for family is the source of inner tension in the souls of all African intellectuals and professionals who live in this and other countries.

I see this internal struggling present throughout the lives of my family members who migrated over 20 years ago and have yet to return, some are even yet to visit. I think that the saddest part about of this is that this elite, highly educated and skilled class, is relegated to menial positions in Western society and that is where I see the "Double Consciousness" most strongly apparent. Many do not realize that their Blackness will become an impediment abroad and their differences are not valued or understood. Unfortunately, the menial living that they receive abroad is still more than the unemployment they face in their home countries even with advanced degrees and training.
This is where I face my moral dilemma. I am thrilled at the chance to be able to work in Africa and make a descent living, but it is not so much because of the schooling I've received, but where I've received it and my American citizenship. During my travels, I have met professionals who are more experienced and educated than I, but will never receive the same opportunities because of their nationality. It kills me to know that I can easily live and flourish in a land that is not my own and its own inhabitants struggle to live the same way as I on their own land and will never live as easily on my land as I do theirs.

Woo Hoo! I'm Finally an African!

Today’s arrival in Entebbe airport was very different from last year’s. Last year, I traveled with a group of about 20 American young people. Once we arrived at the airport, we went through the immigration check, got our luggage and were on our way. I always wondered, how Entebbe verified that arrivals were allowed to enter the country because there was no security gate or officers between the baggage claim and immigration check. Basically, you could pretend that had gone through immigration and just walk straight over to baggage claim with no issue and then out of the airport clean and clear. This year, however, because I was a black girl traveling alone, I received the authentic African treatment in the airport.
I first realized that something was different because when I was in line for the immigration check there was an African woman in front of me who was unable to get through. She presented the officer with her license and the officer immediately looked apprehensive. She asked the woman where else she had traveled that year and once the lady was unable to tell her, she told her that she would be unable to allow her into the country with that passport. She informed her that she would have to go to the immigration office before she was able to officially enter the country.
The whole time I was observing this, I wondered what wouldn’t stop the woman from retrieving her bags and simply walk out of the airport like I had done the previous year after my immigration check. Well I was soon to find out.
Once I passed through immigration, got my passport stamped, and claimed my bags, I was randomly stopped throughout the airport two more times. The officers asked to see my passport and they each verified that it had been stamped and I was indeed allowed to enter the country. I must say however, that once they saw it was a US passport, they didn’t look too intently for the stamp, but what caused their initial approach of me, was my Blackness.
Though this excited me because I was finally being treated like a local, it annoyed me that the year before I was able to walk through this same airport without interference because of my white travel mates. I wish that there will come a time when Africans do not treat White people as omniscient beings. Everyone no matter what race they associate with should receive the same treatment, especially in the eye of the law. White visitors should not be abstained from the verification of a visa and allowed to enter the country freely, while Africans are being scrutinized.
But in the same boat, I was happy to be finally viewed as an African because though this caused a bit of annoyance in the airport, I knew that for the next month it would benefit me because prices of goods would not be as inflated on the account of my Americanness.