Bellafricana published in africa, Destinations, Life Style, People & Culture, Travel

5 Reasons Why I Want To Visit Mauritius

Lately I have been thinking about travelling the world, and making memories that I will gist my kids about later on when they’re born, and almost everyone around me seemed to be talking about Mauritius, so I decided to do some research, and now I really want to go there!!!! Don’t judge me yet though, here are 5 reasons why I really want to visit Mauritius.

  1. I always aced Geography in high school, and I really did love the subject. But I never got to see many of the things I was taught in my textbooks. E.g Volcanos. Interestingly, Mauritius is a volcanic island that first rose above the waves eight million years ago. Who wouldn’t want to see that? Especially if you claim to love Geography
  2.  In 2017, Mauritius was named one of only four countries in the world which had no involvement in ongoing international or domestic conflict and no tensions with neighboring countries. The others were Botswana, Chile and Uruguay.
    (Source: p.13, Global Peace Index 2017) 

  3. Known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century , Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch, the French and the British in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries respectively. It finally gained independence in 1968.
    (Source: CIA World Factbook) Four different colonial masters, and they still managed to stay grounded till date? Please I need to go there and ask some questions.

  4. The is no official language in Mauritius, although English and French are the ‘national languages’. The vast majority of the population (85.6%) speak Creole, a French-based patois.
    (Source: CIA World Factbook) I am thinking about teaching a few people the Pidgin English I learnt while I visited Warri for 4 months. I’m positive that they will love to learn it.
  5. The life expectancy in Mauritius – 70 years for men and 75 years for women – is higher than the world average and is well above the average for African countries.
    (Source: Britannica) I just want to find out how they live that long. I want to live long too. I need to confirm if the world will actually be run by robots like all those sci-fi movies tell us.

Above all, Mauritius is a really beautiful island, and I love beaches, I am a fine girl, and I have a good camera on my phone. Don’t we just go together like bread and butter?

Have you been to Mauritius? I’d love to hear about your experience. Please leave a comment below.

  • no reactions
0
Share
Bellafricana published in African Food, Articles, Local, People & Culture

African Platter Map – 6 Mouth Watering African Rice Dishes You Should Try

Rice can be considered a staple food in Africa, because majority of people in African countries eat this meal in a variety of ways. I think we have more rice recipes than the Asians who first cultivated this crop. My mum is a caterer, and I remember eating different types of rice meals while growing up, and my favorite used to be coconut rice. Still is actually.

The most common way rice is served in African homes, is usually with stew made from tomato puree and any protein of choice. But all over the continent, there has been an amazing rice evolution and we have seen rice dishes made with the craziest ingredients. The fun part however, is that they always taste sooooo good. Today, I will be taking you away from the ”conventional rice world” and I will be showing you some amazing African rice dishes you should definitely try. Lets get started!

WAAKYE

This is a Ghanaian delicacy made with rice and beans, which can be served on its own, or eaten alongside the famous Ghanaian pepper sauce, fish, or spaghetti. This dish is one thing to look forward to on your next trip to Ghana.

KENYAN/SWAHILI BIRYANI

A speciality of the Coast of Kenya, this biryani is one of my absolute favourite kind! The masala is cooked separately and the rice separately, then the two are served together. Some ingredients used in this dish are potatoes, fresh tomatoes and yogurt, to name a few.

MUPUNGA UNE DOVI (Peanut Butter Rice)

I’m pretty sure you have never thought about using peanut butter for anything other than toast. But here in Africa, we make it a point of duty to change the game. This rice dish is prepared with Dovi (peanut butter) and can be eaten plain or served with beef sauce and best cooked with Basmati.

PALM OIL RICE

This rice dish is popularly known as concoction rice, mostly because all the ingredients are put in at the same time. It is an alternative of Jollof, and is prepare with palm oil and other local ingredients such as, dry fish, scent leave or pumpkin leaves.

COCONUT RICE

Have I said that this is my favorite? Oh yes! This dish is made using the milk from the coconut and garnishes with dried fishes, crayfishes, prawns etc. Trust me. this dish is divine! I can make some for you if you like.

JOLLOF RICE

The most popular! This rice dish has caused very interesting twitter and Instagram wars. I don’t even want to go into that right now. This dish is a West African favorite that generated from the Wolof people of Senegal. This dish is used in almost every celebratory gathering, ranging from birthdays to weddings and so on.

What are some other African rice dishes you have tried out and would recommend? let me know in the comments. I just may try it out.

  • no reactions
0
Share
Bellafricana published in africa, Articles, Fashion, People & Culture, Textiles

Cultural Appropriation: Should Western Brands Use African Prints?

What is Cultural Appropriation?  According to the Cambridge dictionary, it is ‘the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture’ So my question to you guys is, is it appropriate for western brands such as the Stella McCartney to use Ankara/ African Wax prints in their designs or is it cultural appropriation? Where do we draw the line between appreciation and appropriation? And who decides this? But most importantly, does fashion have a cultural appropriation problem?

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 21: A model walks the runway at the Gucci Autumn Winter 2018 fashion show during Milan Fashion Week on February 21, 2018 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Catwalking/Getty Images)

Since I began blogging in 2015, many top designers have faced accusations of cultural appropriation.  In 2015 Isabel Marant was accused of plagiarising the traditional costume of a Mexican community, in 2016  Gucci faced a backlash for showing white models in Sikh-style turbans, in 2017 Vogue was criticized for a shoot in which model Karlie Kloss was dressed as a geisha and in 2018 Zara copied the designs of the famous brand Maxhosa by Laduma. I think it is pretty evident that we have a problem with cultural appropriation but would there be an industry without designers taking inspiration from other cultures? It’s a tough debate.

Dr Delice says  “We are still living in a world where white people and institutions are much more powerful than black and brown people and their institutions.”

As much as I hate to say it this statement is 100 ad 10% true. The fact that it’s 2019 and POC are still underrepresented in the fashion world – particularly the luxury fashion world is extremely sad and heartbreaking. My problem with the fashion industry when it comes to the topic of cultural appropriation is the fact that they choose to hire Caucasian models rather than models of the culture that they’re appropriating. To me that is where we draw the line between appreciation and appropriation. I’m sure you would all agree. Why are the people that inspired your collection not representing it? To me it makes no sense. Second of all I believe that some sort of acknowledgement should be present such as donating a percentage of the profits to organisations in that area that inspired the pieces, it’s only fair.

Should Western brands use African Prints?

Personally I don’t see the problem with it AS LONG as they use BLACK AFRICAN MODELS. I feel like the world is so focused on becoming westernized that we’re constantly looking for approval from these countries yet when it comes to fashion they never ask for ours. Its so sad to me that we live in a society where African Designers are not given enough credit or recognition for their work and it is becoming so incredibly frustrating to see designers consistently working hard and pushing boundaries only for their work to be copied and stolen by much bigger global brands. But I can guarantee you that very soon Africa is going to take over the world and I ensure you I will have a front row seat in the changing of history in this thing we call the fashion industry.

This article was originally published by Ivis for CheckOut Africa on the 11th of February 2019

  • no reactions
0
Share
Bellafricana published in africa, Articles, bellafricana, News, People & Culture

African Female Leaders You Should Know : Sahle-Work Zewde

Ethiopia’s parliament has named Sahle-Work Zewde as the country’s first woman president.

In a unanimous vote on Thursday during the second Special Joint Session of Ethiopia’s two houses of parliament – the House of Peoples’ Representatives and the House of the Federation – lawmakers picked the career diplomat for the largely ceremonial role.Continue reading

  • no reactions
0
Share
STEPS TO MAKING

Massive Progress in your Business

Subscribe to get the free guide and learn step-by-step exactly what you need to achieve your goals.