Afronauts-To Boldly Going Where no Afrakan has Gone Before...The Zambian Space Program.

The sixties was one of the most impactful decades for  Afrakan people the world over. Afrakans were seen  freeing their countries from colonial rule, fighting for Civil Rights, developing Black Power organizations and exploring the cultural mores that uniquely defined themselves. It was a time when Afrakans could reach for the stars and maybe even touch them.

Such was the case when Mkula Nkoloso a schoolteacher in Zambia declared "We're going to Mars!" Written in a 1964 newspaper article Nkoloso saw Afronauts beating Cosmonauts and even Astronauts in the space race. Here is an interesting article of what follows.

"Our rocket crew is ready," continued Nkoloso, explaining that his aspiring troupe of space explorers had been gearing up for their interstellar journey in the headquarters of the academy he'd set up on the outskirts of Zambian capital Lusaka.

From within what he called the "Academy of Sciences and Space Technology," Nkoloso had been studying Mars through telescopes and rigorously training his would-be Afronauts.

Still courtesy  "Afronauts" a film by Frances Bodomo  

Matha Mwambwa would be the first woman to go to space accompanied by an unnamed missionary and two specially trained cats informed Nkoloso, the director of the space academy.

The program failed to receive a $7 million grant Nkoloso had requested from UNESCO and as such was not taken seriously by the government of the newly independent Zambia.

In 2010, photographer Cristina De Middel was searching for "unbelievable stories" for a new personal project she was hoping to develop.

Fascinated by Nkoloso's visionary and dreamy perspective on life, De Middel set about creating an imaginary documentation of his elusive endeavors some 50 years ago.The result is "The Afronauts," an arresting photo book.

In the self-published book, De Middel self-consciously conjures up the story of the unofficial space program piece by piece. She uses a series of cinematographic images, including staged depictions of discarded oil barrels, makeshift spaceships, elephant-hugging spacemen and flying cats, as well as vintage-looking maps, documents and newspapers cuttings.


Throughout, facts and fiction are intertwined as part of an intriguing narrative which challenges viewers' perceptions about what's real and what's not.

Whilst playful, De Middel's dream-like images are not intended to make fun of Nkoloso's fantastical, yet high-flying, ambitions

Her speculative pictures exude a feeling of nostalgia and sympathy, celebrating the audacious and naive spirit of a past era where grandiose dreams were not limited by circumstances.

De Middel says, the extraordinary tale of the forgotten Zambian space program presented a chance to talk about Africa from a different perspective.

"The only honest approach I could do to that story was documenting my cliché, and that's what I really wanted to do, because, in a way, I was raising awareness of the existence of that cliché and what we expect from Africa," she says.

"Not only because the story is positive, in terms of African people having dreams, but also evidencing what we expect from Africa in terms of aesthetics and behavior."

edited and taken from a CNN article by Teo Kermeliotis

In related news: Frances Bodomo revisits the Zambian Space Program in the film entitled Afronauts. Heres the trailer...

Culture-Conscious Animation Hits the Scene

Nigerian animator Adamu Wazi has produced an educational cartoon to teach children about African culture. Tired of African children watching only imported cartoons that didn't reflect their lives, Waziri decided to do something about it.

His creation is "Bino and Fino," a cartoon aimed at three to five year olds, about a brother and sister who live with their grandparents in an unnamed African city.

"I want to create a brand that's as good as Dora the Explorer, Charlie and Lola, quality wise, made in Nigeria, that is educational, and also shows positive aspects of Nigerian/African culture, not just to Nigerian or African kids but to kids everywhere," says Waziri.

The pilot episode celebrated Nigeria's Independence Day and looked at the issue of colonialism. The cartoon has also had segments teaching the numbers one to 10 in the Nigerian Igbo and Yoruba languages.

He adds that he wants the program to "teach kids and show that the stuff you see on TV of starving people isn't the only thing in Africa.

Afra-Centrifying Dolls for Afrakan Children

Nigerians Chris and Ada Ngoforo were keen for their children to stay connected with their West African heritage while living in London. The couple became concerned that their three young daughters didn't speak any Igbo, their mother tongue.

"We thought amongst ourselves what we can do to actually help them to learn Igbo more," says Chris Ngoforo.

This desire to encourage their children to connect with their roots, coupled with an increasing frustration with the difficulty in finding black dolls that resonated with their daughters, led the entrepreneurial couple to take matters into their hands.

What started as a way of helping their daughters engage with their heritage quickly became a business opportunity. Soon after, the couple launched their own range of toys, called Rooti Dolls, programmed to speak in several native African languages and promote positive self-images.

"We observed that over 90% of children born or living in the diaspora and millions in Africa do not speak or understand their mother tongues," says Ngoforo. "Our research made us understand that the reason for this is not because our children don't want to learn their mother tongues, but more because there are not many essential tools that can easily be both educational and fun at the same time."

So far, the couple has produced a range of 12 dolls from different African countries. Each one can speak a combination of languages, and each one has her own story.

Amongst them, there's Nina, a "vibrant girl" with Nigerian parents, who "loves watching Nollywood" and can interact in the Nigerian languages of Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Ibibio; there's Ama, a "bubbling dynamic girl" whose "dream is to be a doctor someday," and can speak the Ghanaian languages of Twi, Ga, Ewe and Krobo; and there's also Keza, with parents from Zimbabwe and Zambia. She "loves adventures, reading and listening to beautiful music" and can communicate in Shona, Ndebele, Bemba, and Nyanja.

"Over the years my wife and I have found it extremely hard finding real black dolls that can truly connect with our little daughters," he says. "The dolls out there in the market are nothing close to the real image of a black child in terms of features and other attributes -- they are either too thin, too light or chiseled-faced, and even the complexions of most of the dolls are kind of whitewashed," says Ngoforo.

"The unfortunate effect of this stereotypical misrepresentation is a case of low self-esteem among black children who have been directly or indirectly made to believe less in themselves as a black child. They have been made to believe that you have to look like a white doll to be accepted as beautiful or even good."

Debbie Behan Garrett, author of "The Definitive Guide to Collecting Black Dolls," says "a black child owning dolls and other playthings that positively reflect their image, exposure to literature, art and other positive images will aid in the development of a healthy cultural awareness and appreciation."

That was the inspiration behind the Queens of Africa project, an educational initiative developed by Nigerian entrepreneur Taofick Okoya. Using a mix of dolls, books, comics and music, Queens of Africa is aiming to help children in Nigeria and beyond to identify and appreciate their culture.

The Queens of Africa black dolls represent different tribes in the continent. Later on, he decided to expand the project by launching a series of fun and educational books, songs and cartoons based on the dolls' characters.

"The dolls will help the Nigerian/African children be better people because they would be proud and confident in who they are as a race," says Okoya. "The comics, books and animation stories is the medium we use to enlighten and educate children on our history and culture."

Garett says that exposure to this kind of information can help African children learn about their roots, as well as proudly pass on their heritage to future generations.

edited and taken from a CNN article by Teo Kermeliotis and Ann Colwell

Tim DeChristopher Climate Activist Freed!!!

It was December 19, 2008 when climate activist Tim DeChristopher staged a protest at the Bureau of Land Management where a lease auction of 116 parcels of public land in Utah's Redrock country was up for purchase. DeChristopher disrupted the process by successfully bidding on 14 parcels of land (totaling 22,500 acres) for $1.8 million with no intention to pay for them. DeChristopher was removed from the auction by federal agents, taken into custody, and questioned. Shortly after the auction and a subsequent court injunction, the Interior Department cancelled many of the leases, saying they had been rushed into auction with insufficient environmental and scientific review. DeChristopher served 21 months in prison, from July 2011 through April 2013.

Watch the vid below for more details

Video courtesy: democracynow.org

Sankofa in Sumter

Afrakan culture is alive and attempting to flourish in the small town of Sumter South Carolina. Natilie Williams the founder and director of the Sankofa Connection hosts its 7th Annual Cultural Festival on Saturday April 6, 2013 from 11:00am til 5:00pm @ Mt Pisgah AME Church, 217 West Barlette St. The events include Presentation of Afrakan Queens, live performances, exhibits, vendors and food. Their mission is to promote cultural awareness and to stimulate historical learning. Their motto...Know Thyself.

Afrakan Vegan Cafe hosts Open Mic Night

Columbia SC's own Lamb's Bread will host the weekly event every Friday night starting at 8:00pm. All talents are welcome to participate; poets, singers, comedians and musicians. Lamb's Bread is located at 2338 Main St.

Reishi Mushroom for Radiation Protection

Here is an edited exert.

Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum, also called Ling Zhi, which means ‘spiritual fungus’) have a positive track record for safely reducing the damage done to the body by cancer therapies, and additionally have been highly regarded in Chinese medicine as a supreme longevity herb for centuries.  They are regarded as having significant anti-tumor properties.  Andrew Weil has promoted them as research-backed for protecting the bone marrow against the damages of radiation. Other effects of Reishi when taken as a dietary supplement include lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, improving respiratory and heart function.

One of the principles in nutrition such as the use of iodine to protect against radioactive iodine is that if the body’s mineral ‘holes’ are filled with the right mineral, it is less likely that they will grab on to the toxic or similar minerals.  The Cesium-137 with its 30 year half-life can be grabbed like Potassium in the body.  If someone is low on calcium, they will absorb more lead (Pb) which has a detrimental effect on behavior and brain function (lead poisoning decreases attention and social awareness, and leads to more anti-social criminal behavior such as theft, vandalism, and property damage)

One of the most useful steps in superior diet is to make sure you have a steady supply of good trace minerals. I like using Real Salt, the mined salt from Utah This salt has all of the trace minerals from the ocean of millions of years ago, without the cesium, plutonium, pesticides, mercury, etc., from modern times.  I also like eating Planter’s Deluxe Mixed Nuts–no peanuts, also made with sea salt.  Nuts have great fats, minerals, and amino acids.  Nuts are my favorite dietary supplement.  No mix of lab chemicals can match a nut,

The medicinal mushrooms, with Reishi being at the top of the list, offer the most protection from the myriad toxic influences we face, and from the specific current threat of multiple radioactive isotopes spreading from the multiple meltdown at Fukushima including the cesium, iodine, plutonium, and strontium.
With the serious multiple toxins we are all being exposed to today, the medicinal mushroom Reishi seems a wise tonic food/herb to add to almost any diet and take for a long time–like a couple half-lives of cesium 137..

Courtesy: Ancient Way Acupuncture Blog  ancientway.com/blog